More thoughts

It was my goal to journal every day while I was here...I've done that for the practicum portion of the trip, but haven't been able to get to it on my blog.  I think that the problem is that there is so much for me to take in, the place, the sights, the emotions...and I just need time to sit down and process what exactly I'm feeling before I can do much more.  I've even had trouble sleeping, and I think it's the same reason, my brain is just digesting everything that's happened that day.

Yesterday though, we got a bit of a break in the afternoon and went to the hot springs just outside of town.  At first I felt it was a bit of a waste of time, but I didn't realize how much I needed a break until we had it.

So - here are my thoughts on some of the other places that we visited:

Casa Ayuda - (Oh how I wish they had a webpage so you could donate....going to ask if there's possibly an address or something just in case) This is a foster-type of home here in San Miguel de Allende.  I use the term "foster-home" very, very loosely though, because it's not anything that's set up by the government.  In fact, Victor (the father) doesn't get any help from the government because he refuses to cater to only boys or only girls.  He felt that it was important that children who were fleeing violence (or dropped off) were able to stay with their brothers/sisters.  This unisex form of care is ... shall we say "not looked well upon" here.  So, Victor and his family make due.  I forgot how many of his own children he's got, but on top of them, he's got another 17 fosters in his care right now.  The youngest was about 8 and the oldest is 20 now and has decided that rather than going back to his family (or out in the world) that he would stay and help out Victor.

The children at Casa Ayuda do a lot of "making due" - in the words of Victor, "What some people see as garbage, we find use and beauty in." 


So, the children use what is available to them to make book shelves, toys and other such necessities.  The older children helped to build a school where children from the neighborhood come to learn (90 kids).  They used old pallets to build a roof for it and the wall was just bits of wallboard patched together like a puzzle.  However, these were some of the happiest children that I've seen.  They had a spirit about them that I just couldn't describe.

Hmm...I thought that I was going to get more out than that.....but I'm thinking that I need to take a break now.  I'll write more later.