This past weekend was the big ‘despedida’ (farewell event) that we all have been anxiously anticipating. July 3rd really never felt close to me, and really even in the last week of classes I couldn’t believe that it was really coming to an end. I think that most of the volunteers actually felt this way as well, but we all also made the best of it and spent a lot of time together throughout the weekend.
Friday morning, the boys (Joe and Carl and the Germans) got up early and made us all eggs, potatoes, fresh squeezed orange juice, and chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast! Aren’t they so darn cute? Then in Special Ed, we made frames to put a picture of all of us in and I said goodbye to David (except I still do see him down in the bakery!) For girls’ program, Adam and I decided to make a special little event for the girls instead of working on the last day. We bought them gifts from all the other girls’ program groups and, of course, included some underwear and toothbrushes too ;) In addition, we decided to make them an “All-American” breakfast. We made them eggs with cheddar cheese, bacon, sausages, and juice for their last morning. They all loved it as most of them had never tried bacon or “yellow cheese” before in their lives…adorable little girls! Then we gave them their gifts and paid them for all their work this semester. I won’t miss burning millions of rosary necklaces and bracelets, but I will miss working with these girls and having them as part of my team.
Saturday morning we all got up for the 9AM soccer match-up of the year: women volunteers versus Ecuadorian moms and staff. It really is all just in good fun, but we decided to get really into it and Friday afternoon made USA tank tops that we wore for the game. We sewed on American flags on the front and then put nicknames and numbers on the back. My name was “La Liguista” because of my slight obsession with Liga, the Quito soccer team! Some of the girls are really good at soccer, so we pretty much dominated and won like 7-4 or something like that, but I’m not positive as the referee was a little biased as he is a Center dad and kept jokingly calling penalties and taking away goals to try to help the moms. It didn’t really matter though and we all had fun playing! Then after we finished, the guys took the field for a bit more intense match up with the dads. There are only 4 guy volunteers, so 2 girls, Jess and Audrey, also played with them until the German guys came back from watching their World Cup game. The boys didn’t do quite as well, but still had fun and stayed in good spirits.
After the soccer games was Mass, in which each of us volunteers were mentioned and then communally prayed for, and then lunch. I decided to stay down in the cafeteria for lunch with the families and hang out until the actual Despedida presentation at 3pm.
The Despedida was actually quite sweet. The preschoolers came up with a little poem, then the elementary school girls did a dance, and the high school girls did a little skit poking fun at some of the volunteers. Then the funniest was some of the adults dressing up like really old people with canes and doing a silly dance. Then all the other volunteers got up and danced with them too. It was really cute.
Marco Polo, the education director, said a couple words and then the kids handed us out little presents (a t-shirt and picture frame from Madre Miguel). After we got our gifts it was crazy! We were all swarmed with all kinds of kids and adults coming up for hugs and crying, but it was sweet. One of my students, Maria Jose, was sobbing and sobbing even though I tried to explain to her that I would still be here for another month. She really wanted me to be coming back next year. She’s sweet and so are so many others of these kids and parents that I have become so close to and embraced as my family away from home this year. It was an exhausting day, but also just fun and great to be with so many of these families that I’ve spent so much time with in the last ten and a half months.
And besides all these memories that I have from this day, I also right now get to have a physical reminder of the soccer match… Near the end of the first half of the game, I was going to kick the ball hard to try to make a goal. Our field is not so good here at the Center and so instead of kicking the ball, I kicked this big rock that was sticking out of the field. It was a bit painful so I stopped playing and my big toe just became huge and all black and blue.
There was no ice, so I bought lots of Bon Ice (Mr. Freeze Pops) to keep it cold and try to numb it…and keep lots of kids sugar high as I would buy them one too if they went to get me one! Well, as it turns out I spent my 4th of July at the ER and from X-rays found out I did fracture my big toe. : ( So it is in a metal splint now for the next 2 weeks…and after 5 days I am already going crazy! I stumble along so slow and that is if I am being bad and not using the crutches, which are just killer. I tell you this Lord I love is pretty crazy sometimes. I really want to be out there running around with the kids and traveling with the other volunteers, but I guess it is time for me to slow down a bit, recover, and just take it all in from the side lines. (Yikes, which most of you know is NOT at all me, but I guess this whole year is about growing – even until the very end!)
Despite this annoying little toe thing though, it was a great weekend and time with the volunteers and Center families! Really it hasn’t totally sunk in yet, but I actually already had to say goodbye to 2 volunteers yesterday so it’s starting. Just trying to live each day though and love it while I’m still here.
Please pray for me to have patience and to be a good patient ;) Also, pray for Lauren and Joe who are already home and those leaving soon in their adjustment time back in the US.
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1
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