This morning as the sun rose I could feel the warmth and happiness it gave off. Breakfast was a breeze. Today we got to the school around 7:15, once again there was a blanket of joy surrounding the school. I said my "good mornings" and the "hellos." The students hugged me which had made my day. Shortly after I left the school with Carmen Margarita and Aleyda to go on the home visits. The first home was a pretty nice house with tiled floors and big rooms for its 6 inhabitants. We met the mom-Claudia who was caring Stephania. Stephania was 8 months old and diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy about 2 months earlier. We made sounds to get her to turn her head and create movement. Our next house was very nice too. Roger was born with his brain hanging out of his skull. He has had surgery and skin has covered it up. Even though he is on the mend he still is behind in learning. We sat down on the beds and helped Roger move around. The next family we visited had a child with cerebral paralysis. The husband had just left the mom for no reason. The last house we went to we were not allowed into because the mom and child were HIV positive. We couldn't do much there but I was happy that these kids were getting the love and care that they needed at home.
Upon returning to the school I went to the first grade classroom. As I walked into the room Michelle slapped me on the arm. I looked down at her and smiled knowing she didn't do it on purpose. As I moved through the classroom I noticed that a lot of the kids were sitting around doing nothing. I grabbed a ball and rolled it towards one of the kids, he picked it up and through it at me. I had just made one kid happy which made me even more excited to be there helping. The next thing I knew it was lunch time. All the kids headed to the lunch room. After lunch I headed to the art room. I sat down and after a while started to talk to Dayana. She likes to color flowers and trees. Even the simplest things can put a smile on a kids face. She has 3 brother and 3 sisters. We covered balloons in paper and glue. Eventually they would be turned into fruit. School had just gotten out and all the kids were running around laughing and giving hugs.
We left for the afternoon home visits with Magali and Zack (Zack was our translator). We drove 30 kilometers from the school to Vera Cruz. On the drive we drove past the dump. Plastic bags were everywhere in sight. We got to the first house/bar where a boy named Kenny and a girl named Alisia lived. The grandparents took care of them because the mom was "crazy". The dad lived near by and brought the kids clothes and shoes. The dad cares about the kids but doesn't live with them. The second house was rented out by a family of 8. The property was a good size with mango and avocado trees. They had a little girl named Rosa with Cerebral Palsy. She took medication to get oxygen to the brain. The medicine costs about 20 U.S. dollars each week. She also took medicine for her convulsions. Meeting these kids really opened my eyes to the real world. This experience has changed my life forever because knowing this jut makes me want to help more. Can't wait to see the students tomorrow and make a difference in their lives.
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