Por Siempre :]

Oh Goodness! Where to start? Starting last Friday...I had such a horrible week here at the Hogar :[ It was just one of those weeks where everything that can go wrong, does. I'll try and start from the beginning...

Last Friday, I went in to to Lima with 2 children, a baby named Brenda and the staff member Graciella. If you haven't already read my post about Graciella and her antics, please read it. Anyways...Graciella ditched me for the fourth time on Friday with Brenda. Brenda is a baby who has congenital cataracts and Autism meaning she is very needy and uncooperative. I was holding Brenda in the Hospital and a woman came up to me asking me for money. I said that I didn't have any money and turned away. This went on for a few minutes until she finally grabbed my jacket in search of money and anything else valuable. She took 10 soles (the equivalent of 3 dollars) and very very important keys which I will explain in a minute. YES WHAT I AM SAYING IS TRUE. I WAS ROBBED AGAIN! hahahaha :] bad luck, I know! In this situation, the crazy woman could have taken anything from me and I wouldn't have cared because Brenda was the most important thing I was holding. After 2 months, I have learned that I live and die for any child at the Hogar and Brenda was no exception. I didn't yell, scream or fight back because Brenda was my first priority (which Graciella yelled at me later for because apparently "keys and money are way more important than a child").

The keys that were stolen are a whole other story. The Doctor returns to the United States twice a year to see his family and take Victor to Shriner's Hospital to get his prosthesis refitted. He left me in charge of the keys to the house...are you seeing why the keys getting stolen is a problem now? I returned to the Hogar not even realizing the keys were missing until later Friday night when I was supposed to lock up. I basically had a panic attack right there and then. I explained the problem to Rossana, the social worker who is in charge while the Doctor is gone, and she reassured me we would figure things out. After being yelled at by countless staff members for losing the keys...we are slowly but surely getting duplicates of keys and improvising. Oh Gosh...what a mess!

Secondly...my worst nightmare and greatest fear has happened. I HAVE LICE. omg. I can't even think about it without wanting to throw up! Lice in South America is extremely common and our children always seem to have it, so getting lice was kind of inevitable. BUT IT LITERALLY IS MY GREATEST FEAR EVER! eww. I woke up on Tuesday morning with an itchy head and knew it was finally the day. I asked another volunteer, Leah, to do a lice check on me (which has been a weekly ritual anyways because I am terrified of lice) and she found nits! So nasty! It turns out that Leah also had nits after I checked her...so we are now official nit picking buddies. I still can't believe I have lice. OMG.
Hahahahahahahaha :] :]

To add to such a great week, I finally got sick! I knew it was going to happen sometime and oh boy, this past wonderful Saturday was ruined. I became a Godmother on Saturday to a wonderful girl named Evelyn and it was such a great day. I met her family, danced, ate and remembered why I love being here so much. Later that afternoon I started to feel sick but was asked to run an errand with a few children to the next town over. I threw up multiple times with the children, but nothing beats throwing up on a rickity South American bus that weaves, speeds and flies over speed bumps! So embarrassing! Let's just end the story with...the day was ruined ;]

I don't even want to tell more details of this next incident, so one sentence will have to suffice. I was bit by a dog (I am fine...but gosh what a horrible week!!)

Even with such a horrible week, I have to remember how amazing my life really is! I am healthy, happy, have wonderful friends, a supportive family, a good head on my shoulders and have been given so many talents to share. It's days like these that make you appreciate a child's laughter, a running hug, goodnight kisses, heartfelt thank you's and smiles that will last a lifetime. It has gotten to the point where if I am having a bad day, I just want to go back home (Hogar home) and sit quietly with a child taking in all of the blessings I have been given. People have always said that some type of good always comes out of a bad situation and I can now say I agree. After being robbed with Brenda, Xiomarra saw I was upset and comforted me on the couch as I watched the other kids play after lunch. Johannes made sure to come up to my room and ask how I was feeling when he found out I was sick. It's incredible, simple moments like  these that wouldn't have ever happened if I hadn't made it through my bad day. What incredible children and moments!

My Mom asked me on Skype the other night if I wanted to come home after having such a horrible week and my answer was NO! This is it. This is my home. This is my family. This is where I belong :] Honestly though, after being here for 2 months...I can't picture myself anywhere else. I have said in previous blog posts that I don't know how I am going to leave in May. But that's the truth. I want to stay here forever, or in spanish...por siempre :] Every morning I am dying to get downstairs to greet the kids, serve breakfast and kiss them goodbye for school. Today I didn't even want to shower because I would miss the amazing feeling I have when cleaning up from dinner. I just want to be here and feel this way forever!

POR SIEMPRE :]

-teaner (aka lice, dog bite, mugged, sick girl) hahahahahaha