Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Update 4
I actually didn't mean to include the picture of Noah being on the Dean's List with the last set of pictures…but I guess bragging about a gson isn't a bad thing!
Now we feel like we know a few more ways to pitch in & help. Seems there's always something that needs cleaning, ways to help the cook and a man who needs a smile or pat on the back. We have made a good connection with a few. There's Alitio, who has a disease that has quickly put him in bed full time with the use of only one arm. He is one of the few who speaks English so we visit him often. Just 18 months ago he was a computer analyst and teacher. Now drs don't know what's causing his rapid decline. He knows he's dying. He has zero family. He feels lucky to be here & is eager for us to visit. And there is Miguelito. He has been here for years because his mom died when he was very young & he has Down syndrome. He is the best worker here. He dries dishes after every meal…as fast as I can wash them. Then he gives me a huge smile & high five. Another man recently escaped so Roger drove Sister Anita around looking for him & to the police station to report him missing. She says he is not dangerous but without his meds, he will be hearing voices in his head. There's 28 men with various disabilities here all getting lots of TLC. In spite of their own disability, I see them helping each other walk, eat, move wheelchairs and just chat. Those who can have jobs & all seem to enjoy watching movies.
Yesterday a local youth group came with boundless energy and filled the building with chatter, singing, dancing and giving lots of hugs. Most of them were 16-17 yrs old and knew some English. They eagerly asks us questions & freely told us about themselves. When they asked what I wanted them to sing, I suggested their national anthem. They sang it with gusto arm-in-arm and dancing. They eventually got us & a man who could to dance with them. Before they left, they set up a WhatAp group, took selfies & recorded us telling their English teacher how well they did speaking to us. Meeting these "real" kid is one of the bonuses we get when we volunteer locally. Just doesn't happen when we're tourist.
Yesterday Sister Anita asked Rog to be her driver the next morning so he was up early & ready to go…but then she said she wanted my to go also…so I jumped out of bed & was out the door in 10 min. Off we went in their quite new van along with 2 nuns & a young girl who's been here testing her desire to be a nun. There's roads were good & traffic fairly light so with the help of Google Map, we found all the stops needed: hospital, pharmacy and two other M of C centers. One for AIDS patients & other for girls with disabilities. I certainly felt that God provided when we happened to be waiting for the nuns by the pharmacy…which was next to a store with a COKE banner! I quickly ran in, got by Coke Zero (no Diet Coke) & along with the peanuts I always carry, had my normal 11 lunch! While we waited at most stops, I gave simple English lesson to the young girl thinking about being a nun. As it turned out, Sister was right to have me come as I could read the Google Map directions to Rog so he could concentrate on driving. Stop signs don't exist so when he came to a 4 way, he had to slow down & figure out if he needed to stop. We both enjoyed Sister Anita's stories as we were about the areas & shops we were passing. As we arrived back, she said she was glad she did not have to pay a driver because they charge a lot. Roger teased her saying since it was his vacation time, he charged double. She just grinned & said you will get your pay in heaven. We were back at 2, dinner prep at 4, served dinner at 6, cleaned up & were back to our "villa" by 7. We heated up some left overs from yesterday: country fried steak, instant potatoes & homemade pizza with caramelized onions…all we'd helped prepare yesterday. It had been a full, hot day and we were glad the temperature had cooled down so we could sleep well.
Now we feel like we know a few more ways to pitch in & help. Seems there's always something that needs cleaning, ways to help the cook and a man who needs a smile or pat on the back. We have made a good connection with a few. There's Alitio, who has a disease that has quickly put him in bed full time with the use of only one arm. He is one of the few who speaks English so we visit him often. Just 18 months ago he was a computer analyst and teacher. Now drs don't know what's causing his rapid decline. He knows he's dying. He has zero family. He feels lucky to be here & is eager for us to visit. And there is Miguelito. He has been here for years because his mom died when he was very young & he has Down syndrome. He is the best worker here. He dries dishes after every meal…as fast as I can wash them. Then he gives me a huge smile & high five. Another man recently escaped so Roger drove Sister Anita around looking for him & to the police station to report him missing. She says he is not dangerous but without his meds, he will be hearing voices in his head. There's 28 men with various disabilities here all getting lots of TLC. In spite of their own disability, I see them helping each other walk, eat, move wheelchairs and just chat. Those who can have jobs & all seem to enjoy watching movies.
Yesterday a local youth group came with boundless energy and filled the building with chatter, singing, dancing and giving lots of hugs. Most of them were 16-17 yrs old and knew some English. They eagerly asks us questions & freely told us about themselves. When they asked what I wanted them to sing, I suggested their national anthem. They sang it with gusto arm-in-arm and dancing. They eventually got us & a man who could to dance with them. Before they left, they set up a WhatAp group, took selfies & recorded us telling their English teacher how well they did speaking to us. Meeting these "real" kid is one of the bonuses we get when we volunteer locally. Just doesn't happen when we're tourist.
Yesterday Sister Anita asked Rog to be her driver the next morning so he was up early & ready to go…but then she said she wanted my to go also…so I jumped out of bed & was out the door in 10 min. Off we went in their quite new van along with 2 nuns & a young girl who's been here testing her desire to be a nun. There's roads were good & traffic fairly light so with the help of Google Map, we found all the stops needed: hospital, pharmacy and two other M of C centers. One for AIDS patients & other for girls with disabilities. I certainly felt that God provided when we happened to be waiting for the nuns by the pharmacy…which was next to a store with a COKE banner! I quickly ran in, got by Coke Zero (no Diet Coke) & along with the peanuts I always carry, had my normal 11 lunch! While we waited at most stops, I gave simple English lesson to the young girl thinking about being a nun. As it turned out, Sister was right to have me come as I could read the Google Map directions to Rog so he could concentrate on driving. Stop signs don't exist so when he came to a 4 way, he had to slow down & figure out if he needed to stop. We both enjoyed Sister Anita's stories as we were about the areas & shops we were passing. As we arrived back, she said she was glad she did not have to pay a driver because they charge a lot. Roger teased her saying since it was his vacation time, he charged double. She just grinned & said you will get your pay in heaven. We were back at 2, dinner prep at 4, served dinner at 6, cleaned up & were back to our "villa" by 7. We heated up some left overs from yesterday: country fried steak, instant potatoes & homemade pizza with caramelized onions…all we'd helped prepare yesterday. It had been a full, hot day and we were glad the temperature had cooled down so we could sleep well.
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