Local people started arriving at the house for English class around 9/9:30. There were about five people: mother-daughter (mother Hellen who is studying to become and English teacher), mother-son (new students), and Diego (retired/self employed entrepreneur/fisherman). Bethany and I shared our dances. They really enjoyed the performances, though there wasn't much discussion or commentary regarding our training or inquiring as to the mechanics or preparations for the performance, as there usually seems to be. We practiced conversational English, introducing ourselves, memorizing a bible verse in English, and then discussing topics that Debbie introduced; what are our daily routines, recent happenings in our lives, etc. Abby shared her testimony, which was very moving. People gradually had to leave.
After having lunch around noon/12:30, we got crafts, supplies, and lesson plans ready for our afternoon. Just after 2, the pastor of the Casa de Pan church came to pick us up in his turismo bus (he has a tour business in Quepos). After a very rapid, nausea-inducing, typical-Tico ride in his buseta, we arrived around 2:40 at the church, where a lady named Laly runs an after-school kids program (mostly it is a meal program that serves local kids, and their families in turn begin attending the church services as well).
We had activities prepared to teach the Fruit of the Spirit in Spanish and English. At first there were about a dozen kids there when we arrived, but then others started trickling in.
I led the kids in a little lesson on Galatians 5:22, while other team members set up tables and chairs for a craft. When we finished talking about the Fruits, they dispersed to tables, whereupon they received papers with a little tree with the face of a girl on it, and big, bushy hair with various fruits stuck in it (a tree with many leaves and branches and an assortment of fruits: apple, watermelon, pineapple, etc). Written in each of the fruit pieces was the word with a Fruit of the Spirit, in Spanish. They chose their favorite to color first.
Then they had to find that fruit on "Árbol Abby" (Abby Tree). Let me explain. As we were prepping crafts this afternoon, we likened the face of the little tree-girl on the paper to our 17-year-old team member, Abby, who has really curly hair that can be fluffed out into a massive blonde 'fro. So I wrote the names of the fruits on a piece of card paper, in English and Spanish, and punched holes in each card to feed pipe cleaner through. The girls wove the pipe cleaner through Abby's hair, to display the "fruit" words. I had Abby walk around to the tables with me. By now we had about 35 kids. Each child identified his or her favorite Fruit of the Spirit, or one they wanted to grow more of, and had to "pick" it from "Árbol Abby's" hair. Then, with that word, each child got served a plate, which they took to Alora and Jacqui, and in English told them what fruit they wanted. The girls wrote the name of that fruit in "invisible" (white) crayon, and the kids took their plates back to the table. Then they got to watercolor-paint their plates, so that a "surprise message" of the fruit popped out and appeared on the plates. Finally, they brought their finished artwork back to get large tongue depressors hot glued to the plates, making a mallet of sorts. Our team, with assistance from some of the older kids, had blown up about 40 balloons. The kids went crazy bopping them all over with their "fruit" mallets.
We watched the kids play. There were many notable personalities and faces that stood out. One kid who impulsively shouted out the definition of "self control," when we were discussing fruit of the spirit, another who was quite a bully and picked on little kids and slapped them, another who cried at every little thing, the one who didn't talk, the one with six little siblings and two more cousins in tow. They all had their stories. I was only able to talk to a few of them, translating to team members answers to their inquiries, and stories. The one little boy with all the siblings was named Andy. He was 11 years old and took care of his six younger siblings- ages 9, 8, 6, 4, 2, and 7 mo. When asked, he said his father works and is away most of the time; his mother goes into Quepos central to "buy and sell things" when he gets home from school. Those vague descriptions only soft me guessing. They all come to Casa de Pan daily for the after-school programs. He said his parents attend another missionary church in town on Sundays, but they come to this church during the week. Danita, Alora, and Abby and other team members relieved Andy of his duties for the afternoon, holding the baby, so that he could play. The light in his eyes and the smile that flashed across his face were priceless. He got to be a kid. He smacked those balloons with his "fruit" mallet and ran around in freedom.
At 4:30, the kids went downstairs to be served a free meal of arroz con pollo (rice with chicken). We said "see you later," as we will see them again tomorrow afternoon.
Tomorrow is a holiday here in CR. El Día de la Aparición de la Virgin de Guadalupe (Apparition of the Virgin), so the primary grades didn't have school today, and everyone is on holiday tomorrow.
We came home around 4:45, and began to make dinner. They guys were showering after another day of building at the construction site. Some went to the store to get snacks and goodies. We all had dinner together and shared our favorite moments of the day. After dinner, we played a team game of Mafia. Oh the laughs to be shared. More discussing and sharing between team members.
Shower, cleanup, laundry, journalling, and bed around 10:45/11.
