First Day in Mexico!

Let’s paint a little timeline picture for you of what my first full day in Mexico looked like:

5:30am—I wake up, get dressed and head downstairs to check if I can help with breakfast.
6am —I am helping to dress the little girls, then eating breakfast quickly and combing and putting up their hair.
7am —I ride along to drop the kids off at their various schools.
7:30am—I do some dishes.
8am —Bible Study/Devotions with the staff (and the two little girls who don’t start school until 9am-ish).
9am-ish—Take the little girls to school.
9:15am —Come home and take my shower (Note: There is no lock on the bathroom door and these little girls have next to no inhibitions about personal space, thus, I have decided the best time to shower is when none of them are home. I have not yet figured out how to go about this on the weekends… ).
10am —I get some time to relax, eat another breakfast/snack, hang out with some of the other Tias, do some light cleaning before the kids come home at noon.
12pm —The first group of kids are home. Snack time!
12:30pm—Start homework groups—I don’t have one of these yet, but helped out with a few today. Most of the kids want my help with their English homework. Go figure.
2pm —The older kids get home and have a snack, then start homework.
5:30pm—The house grandparents returned from vacation today and bought pizza and ice cream for the whole house!!! We all ate outside (usually the boys eat in their house and the girls eat in theirs).
6:15pm—Girls’ bath time which is crazy—the girls all strip down and wait their turn to go two by two into the bath tub. This is one of the times I learn a lot of new words…and have a lot of laughs.
6:30pm—We go to George and Stacey’s house (the directors of Grace Children’s Home) for song time and a devotional for the kids.
7:30pm—Back to the house for “bedtime” which usually takes about an hour to get all the girls in their rooms, staying put and with the lights out. Tonight Tia Alejandra wasn’t here for the beginning of bedtime and my Spanish is limited, so it was a bit crazier than normal. But another Tia who just comes during the day was here late and helped out. It’s those stern words they never teach you in Spanish class. Who’d have thunk.

So… deep breath… that is what my first day has looked like. And, judging by the half-day yesterday that I was here I am thinking this is what everyday will be like more or less. Super busy. Super fun. Oh, and go figure, two of the three kids I’ve connected the most with so far are the two youngest girls—Alma age 5 and Cesia age 4.

Stay tuned for more updates! I pray that God continues to sustain me while I am here… I have felt His provision, protection and presence so far (especially considering I just may have brushed my teeth with non-filtered water and am not sick yet… and hopefully won’t be). Keep the prayers coming!