What I Learned in Cuba

Recently I was incredibly blessed to live a trip that I have dreamed for a really long time and it was my mom's dream for longer than I have been alive. Since Americans still are not allowed to go to Cuba for tourism, we chose one of twelve ways to go called "people to people." Basically you have to interact with people and learn about the culture for eight hours a day. It was not always easy, but it allowed us to learn so much about the culture, the way of life in Cuba, and the government. So, here are the top three things I learned while in Cuba. 

1. Life is not meant to be lived looking at your phone. One of my favorite parts about the week was being phone free. Yes, there were a lot of people checking their phones at internet parks, but they just know how to live life without a screen in their face. So many of the streets we would walk down people would be standing in the doorway, people watching, or having an intimate, casual, or funny conversation with their neighbors and family. They were also very interested in interacting with tourists. So many of the kids we saw were running around together outside, literally playing "kick the can," and lying kites. When I compare this to Mexico or back home in the States, it's drastically different because so much of the population cannot have a conversation without checking their phone during family or friend time as least one person is sitting around with the phone sitting on their lap or table. One of my favorite evenings was simple, but we were all just sitting around the table at our AirBnB and we had a casual conversation for a few hours, without any phones. 

2. Family is the most important thing in life. Whenever we asked people if they want to immigrate or move across the country to find better work, all but one said no because family is so crucial to the Cuban culture. I found it so warming to hear how well they take care of their family. One man told us that after his father retired he moved in with his dad to help because his father couldn't afford to live on the government social security. He said it was like a role reversal- his dad took care of him growing up, now he takes care of his dad growing up. Another man told us he gave up his job of working for the government where he was able to travel the world (which is really rare for a Cuban to be able to travel out of the country) to take care of his sick father and the farm. We were told that young people weren't moving around the country, like many other you people in different countries around the world, they stuck around with their family. Finally, parents worked hard their entire lives so that they could provide for their children well into adulthood. Family is crucial. 

3. You don't have to be rich in money to be rich in life. I don't know why Cuba isn't ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world, but all the people we talked to mentioned how poor the people were, but they were all so happy! I don't know what their secret is, but I want to be let in on it. Maybe it's because they are so trusting (it's an incredibly safe country, because  they are very family oriented, or because they are actually interacting with each other. All I can say is after spending a week with them, their happiness rubbed off on me. 

I only spent a week in Cuba, but I feel like I came back with so much knowledge. I have never had a trip like that, where it was so focused on learned the culture and interacting with the people. While the trip, like any other trip, had a few problems, but it was all worth it to live a trip like we did.  

First photo on the left: chess in the park in Trinidad
Second photo on the right: mojitos in La Habana 
Third photo: La Habana
Fourth photo on left: View of the mountains in Trinidad from the Ex-Convent of St. Francis of Assisi (Ex-Convento de San Francisco de Asís)
Fifth photo on the right: El Malecón- a famous walk way in La Habana 
Sixth photo on the left: The farmer in Viñales who makes Puros (Cuban Cigars) teaching us how he makes them
Seventh photo on the right: coffee with a view in La Habana 
Eighth photo on the left: teaching a little girl in Kindergarten in Trinidad how to count to ten in English
Ninth photo on the right: all of us in an American classic car on our way to Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs) 
Tenth photo: Snorkling in the Bay of Pigs- photo credit: Olga Perez
Eleventh photo: La Habana skyline- photo credit: Olga Perez 

Casi Me Voy

I can't believe it's December already. Where has this year gone? Thirty two days from now I will be on a plane to my next adventure. This past year has not been perfect, but I wouldn't change anything, even the bad, because it helped me grow and it opened my eyes to so much more than I expected on my flight down here 11 months and 12 days ago. A lot of people have been asking how I am feeling about leaving, what's next, and what I will miss and not miss. So here it is:

How am I feeling? I feel like am in limbo. I am so excited to go home to my community of 20,007 people; to be able to drive only a little bit to see my friends and family verses figuring out times we can Skype and playing phone tag; to live where there are seasons, it may sound weird to those who want to live in perfect 75-80 degree weather all year round, but I miss the seasons changing. But on the flip side, I am so heartbroken to leave the 200 kids that I have fallen in love with, who brighten even the worst of days, and my friends who have become family, who have been my light even in the darkest of times. 

What's after NPH? Well, immediately after I will be traveling for three weeks and meeting up with different friends everywhere I go. I will be spending two weeks in Costa Rica, hoping to process what I have learned from this year. After I will be going to see my dad in Dallas for a day during a long layover. Then spending a few days in DC with my lovely sister and brother-in-law whom I have not seen in almost a year. Finally, I will be spending a long weekend in NYC with two of my best friends. After the traveling, well, Lord only knows what is next for me. Seriously, any prayers for my job hunt would be appreciated. 

What I will miss and what I won't miss: 

What I won't miss:

1. Waking up and not knowing if I will have water. I realized how blessed I am in the States to wake up and not worry about being able to shower right away, or make my morning Joe (which I rely on way too much). It doesn't happen too often, luckily.

2. Being catcalled, almost every time I leave my home. It's also pretty frustrating because many of the men doing it think that it's flattering and that women enjoy it. Fun fact, we don't.

3. Taking the bus. Yes, it's economical, but I miss Walter, my little Kia Spectra. I like doing things on my own time, so having to rely on the bus schedule is not ideal.

4. Being constantly dirty. I don't know what it is, but even if I don't sit down outside on a bench I somehow have a dirt spot on my pants, and my nails consistently have dirt in them.

5. Being taken advantage of (price wise) because people assume since I am doing a year of service that I must be able to afford not being paid for a year. Fun fact, I am not wealthy despite being from the States.

6. As much as I love learning Spanish and as far as I have come, I still have a long ways to go, so I will not miss not being understood or not understanding. 

What I will miss:

1. I can't even begin to describe how much I will miss my teenagers. They have been my rock throughout this year. It will be weird not to walk up to my apartment after work and gleaming from receiving 40-80 hugs good night and hearing "que descanses, te quiero," (rest well, I love you) more times than I can count. They are my community, my people, and when I leave, I think I will be a little lost.

2. Traveling Mexico (but not by bus). It truly is a beautiful country with so much more culture than I ever imagined to find here. I wish that people who go to a resort in Cancun every year would trade a week of beaching and go to the mountains, hike a volcano, see the butterflies that travel to Mexico every year, or simply live like a local. 

3. Walking to many of the places I go. In MN I live far from anything really, so I rely on my car to go everywhere. I will also miss walking less than a minute and a half to work. 

4.  The tacos. Oh Lord, I will miss the tacos. And just the food in general, not so much the rice and beans, but the sopes, chilaquiles, tortas, the way better fruit and avocados than those that are in the States, and all the spicy salsas they have where ever you go to eat. 

5. My quiet mornings. I have been very accustomed to waking up, reading my bible/doing my bible study, getting ready slowly, and drinking many cups of coffee (I truly am an addict). Since I don't know what exactly I will be returning to when I go home, I don't know how my mornings will look like.

6. Mexican Netflix, it's 100% better than USA Netflix. Lately I have been binging on Full House, because why not relive my childhood a little?

7. The slow(ish) paced life. While it is faster than I thought it would be, it's so much more relaxed than the United States. 

8. Spanish. Even though I stated above that I won't miss parts of it, I will miss constantly learning new words, expressions, groserias, and grammar. I am hoping to find someone that I can talk with in Spanish when I go back. I am also praying that my Spanish that I have worked so hard to learn will not slip too much when I return. 

9. The view. Oh my goodness, I can't begin to describe how much I will miss my view. It is million dollar view that I get for free. I have mountains, the city lights at night, and an active volcano, all from my windows or even better, the roof. When I go home I will be returning to the view of a highway, so it'll be quite the drastic change. 

10. Serving others every single day. I am called to a life of service, so not knowing what is next and how I will be serving others is a little scary for me.

There is probably a lot more, but those are the biggest things that I will and will not miss about Mexico and NPH. Here's to the last 32 days of messing up on Spanish and falling in love even more with my kiddos. 

Bien y paz,

Katie 

The Little Things

Lately I have been reflecting on the fact that I have been in Mexico for 10 months. I can't believe it. Where has the time gone?! I have had a lot of mixed emotions about leaving in a little over two months. I am excited to return home to my family, my friends, and driving my car again. I am excited to know exactly how to eat healthy, as I have yet to figure out how to eat healthy down here. My bank account will be excited to be receiving a pay check again. But it's hard for me to imagine not seeing the 150 kids that I have grown to love, that I receive a million hugs a day from, who I have wonderful conversations with, the kids I have become comfortable with. It'll be weird to only be speaking English again, though I am excited to be able to fully express myself when I need to and understand every word of a conversation. I will miss traveling Mexico-- at first it was little hard, but it became a lot easier once I learned the language and bussing system. But part of my reflections has been reflecting on the little things that make being here all worth it: 

• When the teenagers invite me to go out with them and explore downtown, go to the little convenience store down the street, or just walk around outside of the home.
• When one of the teenagers asks me to help them with their homework and after explaining it, they then understand it. 
• When someone comes up to me and asks to play frisbee because it's been too long since we have bonded over throwing a disk around. 
• When I sit in a tree with one of the girls and we reflect on the value of being rich, not rich with money but rich in life moments and experiences.
• When I go away for a long weekend and when a teenager sees me they run up, hug me, and tells me how much they missed me.
• When I sit with a teenager and they open up about things they have been struggling with lately and I find out how exactly I can serve them.
• When I introduce a few of my friends who came to visit and I can tell how genuinely excited the teenager is to meet them.
• When I get to share the Gospel with a teenager and we have a good conversation about God. 
• When they thank me for spending time with them and dedicating a year to serve them.
• And finally, just sitting in the living room with them and watching TV. 

During my reflections I have come to learn that while the big events, such as Easter, Independence Day, and soon Day of the Dead and Christmas are all really important, the more important moments ones are the day to day experiences and lessons I get to share with my kids and I have become increasingly more and more grateful for these moments and them. Here is to the last 2 months I get to spend with them. 

About 85% of the teenagers after our Independence Day competition

Eres Importante para Mi

After coming back from my vacation to the United States I have been feeling a wide range of emotions, mainly homesickness and shock that I have less than four months here. Seriously, where has the time gone?! I don't think I have ever experienced as many emotions as I have in my eight months of being in Mexico, which is weird because I am not really an overly emotional person. My trip home was so refreshing. I went to a baseball game, I saw my favorite place in the world (Northfield), I caught up with my friends, but most importantly I saw my family. For me being away from my family has been the hardest part of this journey, so it was perfect to be able to see them and catch up. It felt as though no time had passed by.

As I mentioned in the last post about 60 new kids have moved to Cuernavaca from Miacatlan. To be honest, I was quite nervous for them to arrive. I had become very comfortable and close to most of our teenagers who were leaving to be Year of Service in Miacatlan. Side note, I can't remember if I have ever mentioned what a Year of Service is, but it is where the kids give back to the home for two years and help take care of the kids or other needs of the house, after their years of service they go to University for free. I was nervous for many reasons: that they wouldn't like me, that they would judge me for not speaking Spanish well, that they wouldn't care to get to know me, and many more things. I think it was just the anxiety of the unknown. But good thing that anxieties are usually wrong, because the new kids are wonderful. I think I forgot that they had also been in the Miacatlan home and therefore were used to volunteers who don't speak Spanish well and overall the children really enjoy the volunteer's presence. 

The other day when I was making bracelets with one the new girls who I have been growing close to, I asked her a question that I have always been wondering but always too afraid to ask. I asked her how the kids overall feel about the volunteers coming and leaving every six months. I remember this was similar to one of my questions that I asked during my interview. We are working with a vulnerable population of children that have been abandoned or are orphans and may have grown up in unstable and unsafe conditions, so how do they handle the change of volunteers only being physically present for a year of their lives? The girl had the sweetest response. She said she felt like she could represent most of the kids by saying that they need us, that yes we come and go every six months after doing a year of service but that we provide a far greater service than we can imagine. She said that there are volunteers who come and they don't hear from them after they leave. But they value ones that they stay in contact with and who continue to support them even when we can't be physically present. She ended her answer with "me caes bien, Katie y eres importante para mi." Translation: "I like you, Katie and you are important to me." What a reaffirmation, am I right?

There have been many moments throughout these eight months where I have wondered what the heck I am doing here. Every bad day in the office, every moment struggling with a new language and culture, and every call home crying with frustrations has had me questioning if coming to Mexico was the right choice. However, hearing this girl say I have made a difference in her life; getting a letter from one of the kids; having deep and profound conversations with them or ending up in tears because we are laughing so hard has been worth it; these beautiful teenagers have shown me that I have made the right choice, regardless of the difficulties that I have endured because of it. 

I love my kids and every experience I have had with them. A lot of the times I think they are serving me more than I am serving them. Even though this has been the hardest and most life changing thing I have experienced in my 24 years, I wouldn't trade them or this for anything.

PS for more of a detailed insight of what my daily life is like here at Casa Buen Señor you can check out the article a that was recently posted on the NPH International website.

https://www.nph.org/ws/page.php?path=volunteers/articles/mexico/katie_voltestimonial.php

Graduation, a volcano and many things in-between.

Hello friends! It's been quite some time since I have written, mainly because I have had a combination of business and laziness. A lot has been going on in the home that it's hard to recall little details of the days, but here are a few of the events that have been happening in the home and in my life. 

• A while back my sister and a friend from college came down to visit. It was wonderful to show them around Mexico, but the coolest part of them visiting was showing them the home and introducing them to my kids. A lot of the kids were very excited to meet my friend and sister! Days leading up to it a few of them were counting down with me. "Katie, only two more days, are you excited?!" It was really nice to just show them what my daily life is like here, where I shop, and introduce them to my favorite part of living in Mexico-the tiangues (open air markets).  We also were able to travel to Cholula/Puebla, Mexico City and Teotihuacan,where they have about 10 Aztec Pyramids including one of the world's largest. 

• Our seniors had business presentations that were amazing. They had to come up with a business plan, do marketing research, create the project, and try to make a profit. Some of the tourism kids made food, another group made homemade candies and caramel sauce (that I wish I could have for the rest of my life), another made a house that runs on solar power, and another group made websites and business cards for all of the products. It was really impressive! 

• My roommate, a fellow volunteer, my two bosses and I hiked Volcan La Malinche. It's a dormant volcano in Tlaxcala, Mexico, whose summit reaches 15,000 ft! It was the most challenging hike and probably work out of my life, especially the hike from the base of the summit to the summit. At points we had to be using our hands to prevent us from falling backwards because of the incline. But boy, once we reached the top it was all worth it! We were able to sit in the clouds and see three of Mexico's other volcanoes. The whole thing about 8 hours to climb up and back down and we spent about an hour at the top. I got a little altitude sick, not as much as I thought I would be-- nothing that a nap at the summit of a volcano couldn't fix. During our trip we also stopped in a cute city along the way from Cuernavaca named Atlixco in the state of Puebla. It had colorful buildings, a beautiful city center and beautiful churches and markets. This was one of my favorite trips and moments in Mexico so far. 

• I went to Mexico City with our seniors a week before their graduation to buy their graduation clothes. It was awesome to be a part of. We bought a lot of dresses, shoes, make-up, suits and whatever else they needed to make their special day complete. The day ended perfectly with getting tacos and cokes and sitting around in our family room at the home and telling everyone what they got.

•  The most exciting part of the summer so far is that our seniors graduated from high hchool! It was a day filled with so much pride and love. One of the girls asked me to be her Madrina (Godmother) for her ceremony. Being a godparent for a special event is a Mexican tradition, such as baptism, confirmation, quinceañera, graduation, etc. It was a huge honor to be asked! We had mass, the ceremony were one of our kids from was valedictorian and gave a speech, and then had a fancy dinner and dance at night. Two days after graduation they all moved to Miacatlan (the little kid home) to start their two years of service to give back to the home. The new kids that graduated from junior high school in our home in Miacatlan moved into our home as well the same day as the recently graduated moved. It's weird to see new faces around the home but I am very excited to get to know 60-some new kids!

• Finally, we recently welcomed the new generation of volunteers and the old generation left. I can't believe that I have been here for six months and that the new volunteers are already here! My two roommates left and I gained a new roommate. I am very excited to continue to build community with the eight new volunteers! 

That is all the excitement that has happened in the house and in my life lately! I am going home for a little over a week in a few days. I am so, so excited to see my family, friends, go to a baseball game, eat a good Juicy Lucy and speak English 24/7. Then a few weeks after I return to Mexico my best friend is coming to visit! I have a lot to look forward to in the last six months in Mexico. 

Till next time folks. 

-Katie 

One language in, the other out

It's been a little while that I have given an update on what is going on here. Not too much has been happening in the home since Easter. The kids are chugging along with school and getting excited for the summer, which is unfortunately still two months away. A few things worth mentioning that has been happening in the house/life in Mexico. 

• A few weeks ago was my birthday, for those who know me know that I am really big on birthdays. I didn't know what to expect with mine since I was working the entire day, but the kids definitely made my day wonderful. I received so many wishes, hugs and kisses. One of the girls played a Mexican birthday song on her violin and I was wished a happy birthday by another kid the night before because they wanted to be the first to wish me a happy birthday. Needless to say it was one for the books.
• A few weeks ago was Visitor's Day, a day where families of the kids come and spend the day with them. Everyone goes to the Miaca home and the day was filled with many emotions. Some kids literally sit by the door all day waiting for their families who may or may not even come. It was pretty heartbreaking to see the kids whose families never showed. But it was so great to see the kids visiting with their families and see how happy they were. It may be the only day of the year that they are able to see their family. One of my boys asked me to be his visitor which I gladly accepted and we have become great pals ever since. 
• Mother's day here was cute. There is a kid here whose mom works in the kitchen and so the day before he asked me if I would go with him to get flowers for her, obviously my heart melted as a result of his gesture for his mom. It was so nice seeing him so excited as he told the florist what flower he wanted in the bouquet. A few of the girls also made gifts for the encargadas (care givers) who are like their mothers. 
• A few weekends ago was Día de Padrinos (Godparent's Day) in the home, a day for the godparents aka the people all over the world who sponsor our children. They had games and dances that were specifically from each country that we have sponsors in. Our kids practiced every day for this dance, so basically I have memorized three of the songs since they were played on repeat for hours a day. One of the groups of boys about age 6-8 did a dance from Germany and they sang the German national anthem. It was pretty adorable. 
• I have travelled a little bit lately. A few weeks after Easter I climbed an inactive volcano in Toluca that had two lakes in the crater. It was absolutely stunning. I also went to a beautiful puebla called Taxco, I went there my first weekend here for a day but it was good to return for a longer period of time to see more of the town. My fellow volunteer and I went to a place close by with three natural springs with waterfalls that you can swim it. It was breathtaking, not just because it was beautiful but because the water was so freaking cold. We also explored a cave and zip lined. Finally this past weekend we went to Puebla/Cholula. Cholula became my favorite town I have visited. It is rich with culture, history, and the world's biggest pyramid. We explore the tunnels of the pyramid and the outside of it, walked around the adorable city square (which kind of reminded me of a Mexican version of my home town) and soaked in the culture. 
• Finally, the biggest thing I have noticed with my Spanish (which is constantly improving, thank God) is that I have started to struggle with English. It's a weird feeling to struggle with something that I have been doing since I was a toddler, but it is also really cool because it shows my brain is still processing Spanish even when I am not speaking Spanish. For example, the other day one of the kids asked me how to say "what are you afraid of." I knew exactly what he was talking about when he asked me in Spanish, but it took me longer than I would have liked to answer in English. In response to my delay he said, "what, don't you know English either?" That gave me quite the chuckle. Also, in Spanish you said "hacer ejercicio," which literally means "to make exercise." The other day I said to my roommate, "yeah and I made exercise today with one of the kids, I mean I exercised today with one of the kids." Like what the heck? I asked my roommate and my aunt when they were learning Spanish (they were submersed in the language too with little to no Spanish) if they experienced the same thing and they said yes and that it's a great sign. 

Other than all of that, not much else is going on in the home. I celebrated four months in Mexico last week week, obviously I had tacos to celebrate. Finally, am looking forward to the end of May/beginning of June because my sister and one of my best friends from home are coming down to visit for a long weekend :) 

That's all folks. Till next time,

Katie 

Gratidude

Gratitude. A simple word that holds so much significance. A word that therapists suggest for their clients to write down X amount of things they are grateful for when feeling depressed. A word that can help remind of us all that we are blessed with. A word that isn't nearly used enough in the world. A word that I have tried to focus on when I am having a difficult day and need to be remind of all that is good in life. A word that reminds me of all that God has provided. Gratitude. 

Maybe I am writing this more because today is a day where I need to be reminded of all that is going well in my life. Maybe I am writing this because some days are harder than others. Maybe I am writing this more for myself than anything. Maybe, just maybe. Tal vez, solo, tal vez.

I am not writing this on a day where everything is sunny and perfect (although that is exactly how I would have described the weather today). But today is a day where I need to remind myself of everything that God is providing. A day where I need to be thankful for everything that has led me up to this experience in my life. A day where I need to remember that it is more important to console rather than be consoled, to understand than to be understood, to love than to be loved (St. Francis of Assisi Prayer).

The children 

The children here are so beautiful and patient. Yesterday one of the kids came up to me to just chat. We have struck up a deal where she speaks English to me and I speak Spanish back. That way we are both practicing the language that we are trying to become fluent in. During the conversation she handed me a sheet of paper that she is going to be reading in English for a Día de Padrinos (Godparent's Day, NPH Godparent's= sponsors) video NPH is making. In her letter it had a section for thanking the volunteers, for all the hugs, love, and silly games and dances we do with them, for being the light to their days. After I read it she said "Katie, thank you for coming down and volunteering to be with us." I honestly almost cried after hearing that. I am grateful for her. 

They are also the most patient and best teachers. During 90% of the conversations I throw the word "como" or "qué significa es ____" (a respectful way for saying "what" or "what significance is ____") at least five times. The kids who patiently sound out the words that I have a difficult time pronouncing. The kids who have been attempting to teach me how to play soccer, although I have no idea if the day will ever come where I can implement a four step kick into the play. The kids who have shared their secrets with me, who have told me about why they are in NPH, who have told me about their different family problems, who have told me how much they miss home, and even when they just tell me who they had a crush on. Their smiles, hugs, conversations we have, and the love they show me despite me barely speaking their language makes so many of the stressful days worth it. 

I am grateful for them.

Safety

Contrary to popular belief, I don't walk out of my door and am afraid of what I might encounter when I walk down the street. Only being here for three months I have yet to fear for my safety. I hope that doesn't change, but Cuernavaca and a large part of Mexico (from what I have been told) isn't that unsafe, you just have to use your head just like you would in any other large city in the world. I have a safe place to sleep and a safe place to live. We have a 24 hour security guard who makes sure that nothing will happen to the kids or the employees/volunteers that live on the property. I am grateful this. 

Basic needs

Something that has been really difficult for me to see in Mexico is the poverty. I have a helping heart, so anytime I can't help someone it hurts. The kids who have been selling things on the street verses being in school, kicking around a soccer ball, or just hanging out with the friends. The families whose houses have tarps to make a roof and have cardboard covering the windows who are in the middle of their neighboring mansions. The people downtown who are homeless, severely disabled and aren't able to receive the proper medical care, and the people who are begging for money. Last week during a really heavy rainfall I started thinking about all the basic needs that I don't have to worry about, even when living in an undeveloped country. I have a roof over my head, clean drinkable water (even if there are days where we run out of water to shower with), I don't have to worry about where my next meal is coming from, I have enough clothes to not repeat outfits for a over a week. As the rain was pounding down I was thinking about the families who have the tarps for roofs, what were they doing on that cold, rainy night to stay warm? I am grateful for this.

God

Out of everything in my life, I am most grateful for the one who has provided it all. The one who I can turn to 24/7 with every experience, every frustration, every joyful moment, and every moment where I just need to cry and cry. I am grateful for the Father for providing me with the ability to learn a new language, despite the fact that I am not learning as quickly as I would like. To the one who will never abandon nor forsake me, even if I forget to start my day with prayer or whisper his name throughout the day. To the one who has provided me with a beautiful and supportive family, especially my parents, sisters, and grandma. To the one who has provided me with this opportunity to serve him and my brothers and sisters, even on the days where I question why I gave up so many of my comforts in the States. To the one who has provided me with my roommates to cry to, vent to, laugh with and travel with; my wonderful boss who has become like a brother, the staff that I have become friends with, the people in this home away from home who have started to become like family. To the one who has provided everything. I am grateful for him. 

So maybe I just needed to write this post to remind myself of a lot of the things I have to be grateful for. Maybe I needed to write this so that when I have more days like today I can refocus and be reminded of all that He has blessed me with. Maybe if future volunteers are reading this then they can be reassured that even though the whole volunteer experience won't be amazing literally every hour of every day, they can know that most of the time it is pretty fantastic, even in the mundane and repetitive days. Maybe, just, maybe I needed to write this so that I would know that it will all be okay and that God will provide, especially in the hard times. 

Gratitude. 

Semana Santa (Holy Week) en México

When I accepted my position at NPH a woman who had volunteered with NPH contacted me and asked if I wanted to get coffee since we both lived in Minnesota. She invited another woman who had recently finished her year of service at NPH México's Miacatlan home. She was able to describe her different experiences and one of them that got me the most excited was Holy Week (Semana Santa). The two NPH homes gather starting on Thursday and stay for the Triduum in Miacatlan. So without further ado, here are some snippets from a beautiful week. FYI, some of photos were taken by my roommate, who is the photographer for the homes. 

Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday): "As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise their God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen." Luke 19:28-20

Palm Sunday in the home was pretty casual. Myself and my fellow volunteer Emily handed out palms before mass started. I was talking with one of the pequeños, who was the alter server for the mass, and he told me how excited he was for Domingo de Ramos; hearing that made my heart so happy. I couldn't understand a good portion of the mass, but it was still beautiful. Because Sunday was after all a special day the cooks had prepared tacos for everyone. Since I have been here they haven't had tacos in the home so it was definitely a treat! The rest of the day was filled with relaxation, futbol, and other various activities. The kids started their vacation two days before so the whole weekend had been pretty chill. 

Playing the music at mass.

Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday): "Before the feast of the passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end." John 13:1

On Thursday, after a very hot bus ride, we arrived to an ever hotter Miacatlan. With temperatures topping around 97 degrees it quickly became evident we were not in Cuernavaca anymore. You would think as a Minnesotan I would be used to these temperatures but I came to realize how much I have been spoiled by the cool mountain temperatures in Cuernavaca. Despite the uncomfortably hot weather, I was grateful to be in Miacatlan celebrating the Triduum with about 650 children, the encargados (caregivers for the children) and a my fellow volunteers. The mass for the Last Supper was beautiful. We celebrated it outside right next to the chapel. It was a combined celebration of the Eucharist and first communion for about 100 or so children. It was a wonderful surprise when I found out the kids would be receiving it at mass, even one of the teenagers from Cuerna received first communion. Bonus, during the mass I understood most of the homily! Score for continuing to boost my Spanish confidence. Fr. Phil also did the washing of the feet during the Gospel reading. I had never seen it done like that before, but it made it a lot more intimate and even more real. After mass they had their traditional "Last Supper" meal to represent, you guessed it, the Last Supper. It contained rice, beans, tortillas and carnitas (fried pig, not my favorite thing I have tried here) because obviously that was what Jesus and the Apostles ate (JK). But as usual it was delicious!

  

Viernes Santo (Good Friday): "But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all." Isaiah 53:5-6 "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Luke 23:34

Good Friday is one of my favorite days of the year, because it is the true testament of love and sacrifice. At noon we celebrated a prayers service that wasn't much different than what I would have witnessed if I were in the states (the beauty of the Catholic Church), aside from the fact that it was outside, there were 650 children, and about 90 degrees. It was hard to get into Easter mode when it there wasn't any snow, well at least when it wasn't around 40 degrees out. The prayer service was lovely; a lot of the kids were able to participate in the music, the readings, and holding up the cross to be kissed at the end of mass. 

After the service I decided to walk into town to go to one of the chapels. Around 2:00 I heard a lot of noise and decided to go see what it was and am I glad I did. The town had done a reenactment of Jesus' walk into Calvary. I had never seen anything like it before. They had Jesus and Simon and the two criminals walking with the crosses, the guards, the Virgin Mary, John and Mary Magdalene, and everyone else who was involved in the crucifixion. I was so glad I went into town so that I was able to witness it! The rest of the day the children had activities (futbol, swimming, volleyball, etc.) and later in the evening they watched the Passion of the Christ and ate a lot of treats! 

Sabodo de Gloria (Holy Satuday): "A clean heart, create for me, oh God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me." Psalm 51:12

Saturday was wonderful, can you imagine a water fight with about 500 people? Nope? Before Saturday I couldn't have imagined it either, but it helped make Saturday wonderful. Right after breakfast the fight began, and I mean right after breakfast. As I was walking back to the volunteer housing to drop off my coffee and get my water fight weapon I got nailed with about five water balloons by the kids from the Cuernavaca home. They were definitely the first ones I got back when I had my water

One of the pequeñas and I soaking wet.
Featured: in my left hand the milk carton weapon.

fight. As for my weapon, I found an empty LaLa Leche carton from breakfast and made a bigger hole to attack with- reduce, reuse, recycle am I right? The next two hours were spent laughing, running away from a buckets full of water, and refilling my little carton as many times as possible. As you can imagine, by the end every child, volunteer, and employee was soaked. Seeing the little kinder kids with their little buckets was probably the cutest, they couldn't throw the water very high but it was a valiant effort on their part. The water fight easily made my top five favorite Mexico moments. After the water fight the kids went swimming. I didn't partake in the activity because as a guerra (white person) I was already starting to burn, so I retreated back to the volunteer's housing to relax. After lunch the Cuernavaca kids returned back to the home. I wanted to see the sunrise mass in the morning so I decided to stay in Miaca for one extra night. 

Pascua (Easter): "But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said." Matthew 28:5-6

The empty tomb in the NPH Miaca Home

At 6:00 on Easter morning we were all sitting in outside in the darkness as Father carried the Easter candle down the aisle saying "Cristo es luz del mundo."- "Christ is the light of the world." As the homily was starting the sun was rising and the kids were beaming. My heart was melting celebrating Christ's resurrection with the kids and during the service as one of the younger boys was cold and asked me to put my arm around him to help keep him warm. After mass they served hot chocolate and donuts for the kids, and each child was given a chocolate egg that was donated by NPH sponsors. Staying in Miaca an extra night and waking up at dawn was well worth it. After the donuts and hot cocoa I headed back to Cuerna to be with my kids for the day. Mass was in our chapel in Cuerna and we all got hot chocolate, donuts and chocolate eggs afterwards. After that we had an Easter egg hunt. There were different prizes, but the one the kids were most excited about were two eggs with 500 pesos, two eggs with 300 pesos and two eggs with 100 pesos. Some kids got into it while others just sat around hanging out but it was a great time. After that the rest of the day was pretty casual. Later on in the evening I got to Skype my family, which helped make being away from them a little easier. Overall it was a perfect Easter day, complete with perfect mountain temps.

Semana Santa was definitely one of a kind and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Coming up next the kids have one more week of break from school, then we are going to keep on keeping on until summer break. As always, please keep us all in your prayers! 

God bless and Happy Easter season!
Katie

PS if you made it to the end of this long blog I applaud you. 

Two of my fellow volunteers.

Grandma didn't really understand how FaceTime works.