On Thursday, I finally got to spend some time with the boys at Renacer. We had a quick group therapy meeting, and then it was time to give out gifts. Each of the boys at Renacer has a "godparent"-- somebody in the States who writes to them and prays for them. It's a huge encouragement to the kids, and they feel really special knowing that someone who has never even met them cares about them so much . Ysrael's godmother, Christina, sent backpacks for all the kids with their names embroidered on them. I handed out the backpacks by name, and in each was a gift from each kid's godparent. All of the kids LOVED their gifts. They were so excited. Everyone slung their backpacks over their shoulders and walked around the house with them for quite a while. They are anxious to finally go to school, and the backpacks were a great gift to help them feel more prepared for that step.
Playing Santa was awesome, and it's always nice to see a bunch of happy, smiling kids at Renacer. Next on my agenda was a meeting at the Red Cross. They contacted us to collaborate with them on a nation-wide project to educate street children about HIV and AIDS. This was our first planning meeting, and the project leaders at the Red Cross basically spent two hours asking us questions about how to approach street children, how to gain their trust and confidence, effective teaching methods to use, and what the current situation is regarding HIV/AIDS and STDs among the street population in La Paz. I also got to present a couple of workshops that I've already done to educate street kids about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. It was cool to be able to collaborate and teach the Red Cross people a few new tricks. We'll be working together on this campaign, and will even have our logo on some of the materials that the Red Cross produces so that kids will become more familiar with our organization and seek us out when they need us most.
Finally, the work day was over and it was time to delve into a really big project: the baby food. I enlisted the help of my good friend and missionary-partner-in-crime Lisa Miser to tackle the massive amounts of raw ingredients I purchased a few days ago at the market.
We baked, we boiled, we blended. We sliced and shredded. We peeled and processed. Now I have a freezer full of fresh, hopefully yummy food for little E.
Despite four hours of work, I still have a few more fruits and veggies to go. I finished the yams last night and tonight I'll be going for apples, pears, peaches, squash, and an extra special combo meal: spaghetti. Sound like a lot of work? It is. Lisa asked me what "normal people" do to feed their babies here in La Paz. My answer? Either they actually have time to cook every night and make something super nutritious that they can slowly cut into little pieces and feed to their baby, or they just feed the babies chicken soup and french fries till their old enough to really eat, and supplement a few vitamin drops a day in the meantime. Also, a couple of months ago the cook at the Barnabas house sat her 7-month-old up on her
ahuayo and gave her a whole cooked chicken breast to gnaw on. I guess that's one way to do it too. Ethan has tried out a few varieties of the new baby food, and surprisingly did not make the "um, I don't think so mommy" face, so that was nice.
So that's what I've been up to. Today we start looking for street kids again, as Renacer will be open for a new group at the beginning of February. The current Renacer kids will be moving to their new house-- the Bethany house, or Casa Betania-- this Friday. It's going to be a crazy week, but I'll catch up with you all when I can.
Have a good one!
-M
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