Viernes (Friday)

Today, today, today! Today, I woke up feeling completely well. Praise God! This is the last day of the school week, so TGIF (EVGA), as well!
This morning I slept through both alarms (late night last night--didn't hit the sack until 10:30 or 11), so Chelita woke me up at 4:40 for us to go to the mujeres banos to shower (I still haven't been able to communicate effectively that I don't mind her not accompanying me). After getting ready, Chelita did the prayer this morning for our group of four roommates. This morning she had us hold hands, which Hocabed was not thrilled about at all.

*Hocabed, I believe, suffered something of a stroke or was in an accident several years back, and has since regained strength and control in everything but her left arm. She can hold tangibles with it, if they're not too heavy and need not be stable, for her whole arm uncontrollably and constantly shakes. It leaves her physical impaired in some aspects, however the girls (and I am learning, too) are really good about helping her with what she needs without making it seem like a big deal. Especially, Cheli (who, if you haven't guessed from previous posts, is the leader of our group of girls--her and Elda) helps her with things such as ironing, clipping her nails, and brushing her hair. Hocabed is still very self-conscience about her obvious handicap, which I can't blame her for being, although people don't mind or tease; I find her to be all the more lovable. Also, with healing through prayer and faith being a recent epiphany in my family, God laid it on my heart to be praying for her; and once I learn Spanish enough, to even pray over her every day until she is healed by God.*

Anyway, so Hoca already being a little awkward around me (being the new Amercian, Anglo-Saxon girl, and all) made it all the more uncomfortable for her to have to hold my hand during Cheli's prayer. You could feel her tenseness through her pulse in her fingers. Her hands were shaking at an uncommonly rapid speed; she tried to use her other hand to damper the shaking, in reaction to embarrassment, but to no prevail. I just held her hand tight and prayed for her (in my heart); that God would heal her arm. I prayed for her throughout Cheli's entire prayer, but when she finished, I don't know completely why, but I hugged Hoca. She was a little caught off-guard, but accepted with a smile.

Devotionals at 6:00. Elda deliverd 2 Corinthians 12, I think it is, where Paul is writing to one of his churches about loyalty and his return. It was interesting because within the chapter Paul made mention of how he had a thorn stuck in his flesh of his side, so he prayed that God would remove it, but He never did. I had never heard that story until two days ago when Aunt Lila and I were discussing whether God answers prayers depending on your faith or depending on His will... I'm gonna research (in the Bible) more about healing since it's the Hot new thing with my Papa right now. However, I don't think it was a coincidence I heard that story for the first and second time within two days of eachother.

Breakfast, I had Honey Bunches of Oats and Banana w/ a little almond milk--I've missed cereal so much! I'm getting tired of beans for breakfast, I think. :)

In daycare at 7:50, I had Betteli (who's 3) and Abril (one of the non-stop crying babies). It was hard at first to juggle playing with a 3-year-old and trying to get a baby to stop crying for 3 hours, but Elda and Aunt Lila popped in and out to help, and it just worked in the end. Abril even slept eventually! Hallelujah! I also had Abril for 3 more hours--wasn't able to get her to sleep out of my arms the second time... however her mom, Rebekkah, came in for the last half hour and I got to see a whole different side of Abril. It's amazing how babies change when there moms are in the room! I also got to talk to Rebekkah a little bit about my learning Spanish and about Abril. She quizzed me on my colors (100%) and even taught me a few Hauve words since she's from San Mateo in Oaxaca.

For lunch--rice and beans and tortillas. :) It was good, though. I just don't always like beans for breakfast, ya know... :)

I escorted Aunt Lila and I in the Escort (Ford) to the other side (of the border) to run a few errands and pick some stuff up from Tecate Mission Int'l HQ.

Tonight Uncle Kent took Aunt Lila and I out to the Chinese Buffet for dinner (same place we went on my first official day here)--good eatin'!

Oh, and this 10-year-old girl whose parents graduated from the BI is learning English (she attends school at the TMI HQ), so is really insistent on getting to know and talk to me. She's, quite-frankly, adorable! She keeps bringing me food that her aunt makes and today she gave me a cut v-neck shirt. Total sweetheart!

Welp, this week has left me grateful and wiped. :) For the weekend, tomorrow's a "do what you want" day, Sunday's church and the start of our fast cycle**, and Monday there is no class for the students because it is a work-day for them to clean and work around the BI grounds. I'll only blog if something cool happens, I think.






**The students at the BI are putting on a cycle where people sign up for one day a week (there are 50+ students and staff) to fast for 24 hours. during the main meal that we fast for, everyone signed up for the certain day will pray together. This way we will always have someone fasting for a whole month. Cool, huh?