Sunday Afternoon at La Primavera

We had a wonderful afternoon at La Primavera, the squatter settlement just outside Guatemala City. The kids in this neighborhood, are smart, tough, and loving. They say "Hola hermano" when we arrive ("Hello brother") and give us hugs and kisses when we leave. They are a very special bunch of ninos.

We sang a few songs tonight, played games, and helped with the lesson and the coloring pages. Then, we distributed flip fops. The kids from La Primavera took it very seriously. They were careful to find a size that fit them, the color they preferred (the girls wanted dark colors because they wouldn't show dirt as easily....smart), and the design that they liked the best. One little boy had an old pair of sandals on, and they were worn down so far his heel was rubbing the ground. After trying several sizes, he found the right match: A blue, Kung Fu Panda pair of sandals. Molly had a serious discussion with one little boy who did not want a cat design, but those were the only sandals that fit him. After a short discussion that went like this: "No gato (cat); Si gato; no gato; si gato" - Molly prevailed, and the boy accepted the cat sandals. Another girl went to give her pair of sandals back, and when she realized they were for her to keep, she was extremely grateful.

After our time at La Primavera, we went to Pizza Hut for a big dinner. Our team is doing amazing. Everyone is chipping in, helping out, serving wherever they can, and having tons of fun in the process. I'm so thankful for this group of students and Kevin and Becky Miller for hosting us.

A word on pictures: I am uploading them in a slideshow format, so you can either view them on the blog, or click on any picture and it will take you to the Picasa page. Hopefully you can see all the pics. Also, I added a few more to the "Traveling, Around the House, etc." album, so check those out.