Home at last!!! From all the big smiles you can tell how happy we all were to get home tonight!! It was VERY difficult leaving Hogar de Niños this morning. Lots of hugs, tears and telling the children how much we love them and will miss them. One boy, Fernando Chico, was seen early this morning walking step by step with AJ. It looked like they were deep in conversation, not missing a beat as they walked. AJ later told me he was rapping with Fernando and he was repeating everything AJ had said, (even though Fernando was only 4 and didn't speak English). Many of our kids bonded with Fernando a lot these past 2 weeks - so much so that as we were leaving he wouldn't look up from the ground to say good-bye....he didn't want us to go. He knews that once we left, his life would go back to living with his mom and 2 brothers and sister in the Squatters Settlement. I decided I wasn't going to leave without saying good-bye, so I picked him up, gave him a BIG HUG and told him how much we all love him and care about him and that AJ and I would see him next summer (I couldn't make that promise for anyone else) and that we believed in him. Lots of tears later, we headed toward the airport with the truck full of our luggage (a lot less than what we came with - thanks to everyone who sent donations with us.)
While at the airport in Mazatlan, I introduced several of the youth to "Bing Sodas" and it was then that the idea came for a fundraiser - to have a Mexican Ice Shop and to sell "Boli's" and "Bing Sodas" - so those of you from Christ UMC - get ready to have your taste buds ROCK!!!!
We are grateful to our Youth Mission Stockholders and others who have financially supported us on this mission trip and for all of your prayers. This experience will stay with us forever!!!
Now to remember to flush toilet paper down the toilet and to be able to have a/c and other comforts from home.....all the time while remembering the children who have touched our lives, knowing that they are home without any of these comforts.
Blessings to all of our BLOG followers -
Barb McClellan
Director of Youth Ministries
Christ United Methodist Church
2375 E 3300 S
Salt Lake City UT 84109
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