Our last day :(

Wednesday was our last day in Macas.  Although I was ready to get home, I was also sad to leave the people of Macas, Shimpis and San Isidros.  I felt like I was just starting to be able to communicate better and fit in better and now we were at the end of our mission.

Today we had planned on walking to some pools at the end of the road in San Isidros.  It was raining this morning, but a group of us still found the pools.

Sarah, Amy, LuRae, and Brittney (Nathan was still down in the mud!)

  The pools were not what we expected.  There was pooling of water, but it was really more of a stream or river.  And very muddy!  Nathan was the only one who braved walking down to the river.

Selfie with Nathan in the background!

These were the mud steps down to the river.

On the walk to and from the river, there was a nice house and yard....

and an unfinished house.

I thought the way they built this house was interesting!

At San Isidro, I again got to hold the puppet screen.  The song for the puppets was Salto, salto, salto (jump, jump, jump), and the puppets had to jump a lot!  It was interesting to watch the puppets and puppeteers jump!  I also got to tell the children to "escuchen"....listen!

Craft time was chaotic with making the salvation necklaces, but all the children enjoyed making them!  And while playing games before we began, two girls wanted me to play with them.  They wouldn't run without me holding hands with both of them.  When we left, it was hard knowing I wouldn't see them again.  Like other days, the girls enjoyed asking me names of things in English.

Nathan had made a special bond with a boy named Yuri; a boy with special needs.  Nathan would "play dead" when the boy told him to and they had a good time together.  Nathan was the only person he would listen to during game time!  When we were leaving, the children were instructed to go to the upstairs room.  Yuri kept coming down several times to see Nathan again.  Nathan said that was a very hard good-bye.

Nathan and Yuri

We again had lunch at the church, and I can tell it is close to the end of the trip as I was getting tired of Macas food.

Nathan and I stopped at Mas Pan, a bakery near the church, for some pastries.  I had been praying about who to give my kid's Spanish/English Bible story book to.  While we were ordering, a young boy came out to hug us as he had attended VBS in Macas.  We left, but then I sent Nathan and Alexia back to the store to give him the book.  Nathan said he and the mom were gracious and thankful for the gift, and that he had started reading the book before they had even left!

Then we headed out to Shimpis for VBS and lots of good-byes.  When we first arrived, we had a birthday surprise for Pastor Cleber.  We brought him 6 cupcakes and sang Happy Birthday in Spanish....well, we brought the cupcakes and others sang!

While we were waiting to start, a lady named Karla, the sister of Melissa, invited me to her house.  She lived right beside Melissa, who lived beside the church.  Karla had a natural garden behind her house with plantains, and oranges and some medicinal plant.  And there was a trail to the river.  My google translate was very slow in working, but we managed to communicate some.  She also gave me some plantains as she had mucho plantains; and she asked me to be her friend on Facebook.  I felt honored to be asked to come to her home.

Karla's natural garden

Karla and her son; the boy who loved playing with the ball!

Karla's home

I didn't stay in the opening service the entire time today, but rather went out to the shelter.  While I was out there, Aida showed up and ran to me and gave me a big hug!  Then she gave me a necklace that her mother had made.  And earrings!  (Later I also bought a necklace from her mom; and Nathan was given spider and lizard keychains.)  When we heard the VBS song, we got to dance together!  Aida enjoyed this a lot!  And someone has it on video!

Aida and her mom in the pink shirt

After we finished craft time (and the necklaces were a hit....even the JOY jewelry ladies wanted to make necklaces!), we went back in to the church for some good-bye presentations.  The people of the church gave presents to us to show their appreciation.  I got a bracelet and was told that they saw my love for others.  Raul was interpreting and I couldn't look at him for fear I would start crying.  

Tony got a spear

Pastor Clemente giving presents of appreciation.

  

Raul was presented with traditional Shimpis tribe leader attire.  He was told that he was the head of our tribe!

Another cool thing that happened while we were there that day is that the pipes for the water lines had arrived.  To keep them safe, several of the men and youth took them into the church.  I pray that it won't be long until they are being used to deliver clean water!

I left there with lots of jewelry that day!  From jewelry I bought, to jewelry given to me!  My arms were adorned with several bracelets!  We were told that if we were given jewelry, we would return!  I was given jewelry last year and I returned, so there must be some truth to that statement!

We hugged and air kissed our good-byes, and told them all Adios and Ciao, and then we headed back to the church for our last dinner.  Even thought the food has been great, at this point I am not wanting to eat anymore rice for a while! 

We go to the house and get packed and ready to board the bus at 9:30 tonight in order to leave at 10:00.  Many people came by the house to tell us and the Gomez family good-bye.  I also received more chocolate :)  And some cinnamon from Lucia's cinnamon tree!  As a group, we were able to give Raul's parents flowers as a thank you; and Dominga money as a thank you.  Although she is employed at the house to help them, she went out of her way to help us too.  She even did our laundry for us!

I have felt truly blessed to have been able to come on this trip.  And God sent me a special needs individual to meet and work with!  She is 22 so I guess I can't call her a kid!  People keep asking us to come back, and I pray that we will be able to come again and be blessed by the people in Macas, Shimpis, San Isidros, and wherever God sends us!

But for now, our 49 hour commute back to Charleston is about to begin!!  And it starts with an 8 hour overnight bus ride!!  Sleep is highly overrated!!

Our second double VBS day!

Today we headed out to San Isidro again!  Before VBS actually begins, we get to hang out with the children and play games with them.  They enjoyed asking us how to say things in English!  They also enjoy looking at pictures on my phone!  And having their pictures taken!

I showed this boy Nathan's picture from Universal where he was wearing a Thing 2 shirt!  They both thought that was neat!

During the opening service, we got to do the VBS song with the audience, and not up in front.  I think they are seeing how much we are really messing up the motions!!  But doing it with the children turned out to be better anyway!!

I learned today that Pastor Cleber knows my name!  I heard "Amy, Amy" as he wanted me to help hold the puppet screen.  I got a back stage view of the puppet team!  They have fun!

I then also got called up with a several others to help with the story by holding up a word whenever it was said in the story.  I got the longest word and never could hear it!  The only way I knew when to hold it up was when the people beside me nudged me!

Craft time went more smoothly since we knew how many people to expect.  But the round balls didn't stay on as well as the buttons!  The Macas people brought us some of their glue to help us out!

Then our usual schedule of lunch at the church, a brief time at the house, and then to Shimpis for our second VBS!  I was able to see Abigail again today.

I also got to meet a girl named Adi. (I probably am not spelling that correctly!)  She is a girl with special needs.  She let me take her around to the different stations instead of her just staying with her mom.  She enjoyed the songs, the balloon, the snack and just hanging out!  She laughed a lot!  And seemed to laugh appropriately to things I said in English!  She spit one time, and I asked, "Hey, did you spit?'  She started laughing like she knew what I said....maybe she did!

While I was in the opening service with Adi, Pastor Cleber again called me by name and had me come up to do the VBS song, kind of by myself!!  I stood to the side with his wife!  I also got to help with the story again , but this time I made sure I got a word that was easier for me to hear!

This little boy loved playing with the ball!

She liked running up and down the board!

After VBS, we had a few hours before dinner.  Then the boys had a basketball game with Pastor Domingo and one or two other Macas boys.  And we also got pizza for a late night treat!  Although I wanted only cheese, there was a pepperoni and mushroom pizza that I had to eat!  The best topping combination ever!!