I know I haven’t posted a blog in a long time, but to my
defense my computer crashed, so I have been without my computer the last two
months. A lot has happened since then, so this post is going to be a little
long, but I’ll try and be short. Since I am not writing on my computer I can’t put up pictures…sorry!
It was my birthday May 13th and we had a really
fun celebration. My awesome roommates made some really yummy treats and we had
everyone over to our apartment and played my favorite game, La Olla. And of
course we drank white Russians all night long J. It’s always hard
being away from home (and Jason) when it’s my birthday, but it was so great to
be surround by my friends down here in Chile. I could not have asked for a
better way to celebrate my birthday. I think from now on all my birthdays shall
be celebrated with white Russians and La Olla!
Sadly, right after my birthday I found out that my uncle had
passed away. He was the dad of my cousin who had passed away a few months
before. It was really shocking news, and I was so sad that I couldn’t go home.
Hopefully his soul can rest now that he has been reunited with his wife and his
daughter.
Work has been quite crazy the last two months. For about a
month every single day at work was really really difficult. The girls got out
of control (three of them were taken away by the police and one of them never
came back to the hogar). Work was really taxing physically and emotionally. The
hogar was not a safe or healthy place for the girls to live anymore. It was
really frustrating to watch the system failing my girls. Unfortunately, we
found out that the directors of the hogar decided to close down the hogar, due
to lack of funding. We knew the hogar was going to close for about two weeks
before they told the girls that their home and family were being taken away
from them, again. The morning they told the girls the hogar was closing was so
sad. Everyone cried, all the girls, the tias, and the three of us volunteers
(Allison, Isabelle, and I). We had to try our best to be strong for the girls,
and that was really difficult for me. As some of you know, it doesn’t take much
for me to cry. Sad and even happy moments in movies make me cry and if I see
someone else crying there is no hope for me, my eyes always water. So I tried
my best to hold myself together in front of the girls because it wasn’t about
me, but nonetheless I still let a few tears escape. It was so sad watching the
girls’ reactions. I cannot even begin to imagine what it felt like for them.
For the last two weeks the girls have been slowly trickling out of the hogar,
being placed in different hogars. On my last day of work there were only 8
girls left, 4 young ones and the 4 oldest ones. It was really hard saying
goodbye to the girls. I hope they do well in their new homes, make new friends
who will be their sisters, and have good, responsible tias taking care of them.
Isabelle and Allison still have some time left here in Chile
and I hope they are able to visit the girls each week. I’m looking forward to
hearing updates about the 17 girls I have grown to love over these past 6
months.
A few weeks ago we had another VE Palooza…a little goodbye
party for everyone leaving soon. It was soooo much fun! Ben, Eric, and I sang a
song for Isabelle – we made up lyrics to the song BINGO, and Allison made a
video slide show of all the girls for Isabelle. It was so cute! I also made a Chile
dog collage for Isabelle (who is obsessed with doggies!). Isabelle also made me a slide slow of the girls and was so great! I’m so happy
I’ll have both of those slide shows, along with TONS
of pictures, to remember the girls by. Eric and Ben rewrote the lyrics to
Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love’ for me, and it was absolutely hilarious. For Ben and
Eric I wrote a silly speech making fun of them, ha it was fun.
The other weekend we had another VE Jornada. It was so much
fun! I was on the cooking team this time, which was a lot of fun. This Jornada
was really small, and I liked having less people there. It allowed us all to hang
out together and still be able to talk to everyone. We played fun games and ate
delicious food all weekend. It was so nice to get out of the noisy city and to
relax with everyone.
I’m so excited to go home! I have really missed my family,
friends, and Jason. It’s going to be so great seeing everyone and being able to
eat and cook delicious foods again J. I’ll be home for a
week and then I’m off to Colorado
for two weeks. I can’t wait! Then it’s off to graduate school. UGA here I come!
I’m really going to miss my time down here in Chile .
I can’t believe I am going home in just a few short days. I’ve been away from
home since October. These 9 and ½ months have flown by so fast! I have met some
really amazing people, learned so much about working with kids and about
myself. My South American experience has changed me in so many ways, and I am
very grateful for that. I’ve seen so many beautiful places and learned how to
speak a second language. I can’t wait to take the many things I have learned
back with me. Coming down to South America has been one
of the best decisions I have ever made and I will never forget this experience.
On to the next chapter in my life!
Liz
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