El Hogar Day 1 - Saturday 12 March

We've arrived! It has been 30 hours to get here, but we made it and with all of our 30 bags and 15 carryons. Each step of the process went smoothly, but we must say we are glad to get rid of the responsibility of the bags. We have loaded them on and off so many vehicles, conveyor belts and luggage carts and dragged them through so many lines, that to finally get them here is a blessing and they all got through.

We had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, some with their coffee in the warm morning sun before we had to get on the shuttle back to the airport. We found Susan at the departure lounge in Miami, our 15th team member from Jackson, Tennessee who had been up at 4 a.m. to catch her flight to Miami. Since she is the doctor amongst us, she brought 88 lbs of medicine. Antibiotics and such. We were not through with our 30 bags yet, for some of us have been sorting the medicine and all the other bags of all the wonderful things that people have donated to the school. Some will go out to the Institute on Wednesday and some will go out to the farm on Thursday.

But we are back. Raul and one of the teachers from El Hogar met us. One of the vans held the luggage which was piled right to the roof and the rest of us in the other van. For some of us, we remember the sights and the sounds of the noisy streets and the honking car horns, the people in the streets. To the new ones on their first visit, all those noises and sights and people, signaled an impoverished life such as we are not used to. It is only a 15 minutes drive to El Hogar and the gates opened as we drove in to several dozen of the boys to welcome us. It was emotional to see these little faces that we knew last year. Some have grown, many remember those of us who have returned and they welcomed the new group always with big smiles. After dinner of spaghetti and watermelon, we took our games, soccer balls, frisbee and skipping ropes out to the kids for our play time. But the favourite activity of the children are the new roller blades.

We will soon head back to the guest house where we will debrief the day and have our sharing time. Glad that you have wanted to share the day with us. Talk to you tomorrow.