Hello family and friends
The kids are passing around a cold and one of the babies didn’t sleep the entire night. A sleepless night and then 10 kids the next day makes for some hard times. So, we volunteered to take Dayaret for the night to our house. Dayaret, pronounced (daj-a-Ray) is the baby on the bed with some of the biggest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. As I am writing this I am a little distracted by a small hand ripping out some of my leg hairs. I would say I would hope we get some sleep tonight, but let’s be honest; I’m going to sleep just fine. We’ll see if Jessica gets any sleep tonight.
I’ve also attached before and after shots of what I have been doing during the day. I painted our house in Packers colors and they just couldn’t pull it off - huh. I’m sure everyone will be relieved to know that I was able to watch the end of the Patriots game. As was customary with my Sunday schedule, after attending Church we ate lunch and I went to the pool and played with some of the grandes (big kids). When I returned the keys to the pool, Tim the director asked me if I would like to finish the Patriots game with him. He twisted my arm enough and I said I would stay for the end. That Tom Brady.
A few mornings ago I was awoken by what I thought was a very large animal directly outside our bedroom window. I rolled out of bed and confirmed that it was a very large animal, actually several large animals…the cows got out of their pasture and were proceeding to have breakfast on the futbol field.
We have every Tuesday and Wednesday off. Today we went into the center of town for the first time. We went to Rick’s Internet Café where for 700 colones you can have a coke and get ½ hour of internet. I like Rick’s. In the evening we went with Olga and her family to watch her daughter’s futbol game. Olga is the house mom in the house that Jessica works at during the day. After the game we stopped for pizza and drove to a public park / soccer field next to the Home to eat it. Jessica said it was one of her most memorable moments of the trip so far. Eating pizza, drinking a to-go coke, (a to-go Coke is a coke out of a plastic baggie you have to bite the corner of the bag and then just suck it out while not dropping the bag) under a full moon and stars at a soccer field that sure enough had more cows on it out for a moonlit snack.
How about this for a miracle. Many of you know that I enjoy a Coca-Cola now and again. In fact, I have one at lunch EVERY day. Today I was trying to remember for how long now I have had a Coke at lunch. It goes back all the way to my Sr. year in high school. I sometimes get caffeine headaches if I miss it. We’ll for two weeks now I haven’t had to have one Coke at lunchtime. Cold turkey from the word go. We have had some on our vacation days, but not necessarily at lunch and I haven’t had any problems. I’m actually pretty amazed.
Typically I get off work around 4:00. After cleaning up I go to the house and help dinner/pre bedtime. Sometimes this includes watching some tv, but one night we just sat on the back porch and looked at the moon. When it was time for bed we marched the kids into the house towards their beds. As we were marching in the 3 year olds started chanting “Tele! Tele! Tele!” and proceeded to park themselves on the couch to watch a show. We however chanted right back “Cama! Cama! Cama!” which is bed. Dejected the 3 year old slowly marched to bed. I don’t know if it comes across as adorable as it was, but I loved it.
Every morning at 8:30 we have group devotions in La Rancha – which is the large open-air pavilion in the center of the campus. About half the kids come every day along with the staff. We sing and pray and read the Bible. It’s been a good way to learn a bit about different staff members as each signs up to do devotions. A daily hour of devotions has taught the kids to sit and pray and sing. I think they are the best behaved kids at church. They can sit while the other kids are running around. Monday is the dia de oracion – meaning day of prayer. So every Monday everyone prays in turn. However, it’s quite normal for everyone to pray out loud but quietly while it’s someone else’s turn. It’s an odd feeling at first, but then it begins to make sense. Everyone’s praying to God so why do we need to listen necessarily to what someone else is saying. Plus, it helps cover up my buddy Jerbin’s humming. Sometimes the kids get snowballs, chocolate malt balls, at the end to reward their good behavior. Candy is the universal reward.
We’ll I’m off to bed. Dayaret is currently sleeping. We’ll take advantage of that. Talk to you next week. Thanks for the e-mails. We love hearing what is happening.
Lots of Love,
Jon and Jessica
P.S. It is now Wednesday morning and I am copying and pasting this e-mail. Dayaret didn’t sleep much and neither did either of us.
The kids are passing around a cold and one of the babies didn’t sleep the entire night. A sleepless night and then 10 kids the next day makes for some hard times. So, we volunteered to take Dayaret for the night to our house. Dayaret, pronounced (daj-a-Ray) is the baby on the bed with some of the biggest brown eyes I’ve ever seen. As I am writing this I am a little distracted by a small hand ripping out some of my leg hairs. I would say I would hope we get some sleep tonight, but let’s be honest; I’m going to sleep just fine. We’ll see if Jessica gets any sleep tonight.
I’ve also attached before and after shots of what I have been doing during the day. I painted our house in Packers colors and they just couldn’t pull it off - huh. I’m sure everyone will be relieved to know that I was able to watch the end of the Patriots game. As was customary with my Sunday schedule, after attending Church we ate lunch and I went to the pool and played with some of the grandes (big kids). When I returned the keys to the pool, Tim the director asked me if I would like to finish the Patriots game with him. He twisted my arm enough and I said I would stay for the end. That Tom Brady.
A few mornings ago I was awoken by what I thought was a very large animal directly outside our bedroom window. I rolled out of bed and confirmed that it was a very large animal, actually several large animals…the cows got out of their pasture and were proceeding to have breakfast on the futbol field.
We have every Tuesday and Wednesday off. Today we went into the center of town for the first time. We went to Rick’s Internet Café where for 700 colones you can have a coke and get ½ hour of internet. I like Rick’s. In the evening we went with Olga and her family to watch her daughter’s futbol game. Olga is the house mom in the house that Jessica works at during the day. After the game we stopped for pizza and drove to a public park / soccer field next to the Home to eat it. Jessica said it was one of her most memorable moments of the trip so far. Eating pizza, drinking a to-go coke, (a to-go Coke is a coke out of a plastic baggie you have to bite the corner of the bag and then just suck it out while not dropping the bag) under a full moon and stars at a soccer field that sure enough had more cows on it out for a moonlit snack.
How about this for a miracle. Many of you know that I enjoy a Coca-Cola now and again. In fact, I have one at lunch EVERY day. Today I was trying to remember for how long now I have had a Coke at lunch. It goes back all the way to my Sr. year in high school. I sometimes get caffeine headaches if I miss it. We’ll for two weeks now I haven’t had to have one Coke at lunchtime. Cold turkey from the word go. We have had some on our vacation days, but not necessarily at lunch and I haven’t had any problems. I’m actually pretty amazed.
Typically I get off work around 4:00. After cleaning up I go to the house and help dinner/pre bedtime. Sometimes this includes watching some tv, but one night we just sat on the back porch and looked at the moon. When it was time for bed we marched the kids into the house towards their beds. As we were marching in the 3 year olds started chanting “Tele! Tele! Tele!” and proceeded to park themselves on the couch to watch a show. We however chanted right back “Cama! Cama! Cama!” which is bed. Dejected the 3 year old slowly marched to bed. I don’t know if it comes across as adorable as it was, but I loved it.
Every morning at 8:30 we have group devotions in La Rancha – which is the large open-air pavilion in the center of the campus. About half the kids come every day along with the staff. We sing and pray and read the Bible. It’s been a good way to learn a bit about different staff members as each signs up to do devotions. A daily hour of devotions has taught the kids to sit and pray and sing. I think they are the best behaved kids at church. They can sit while the other kids are running around. Monday is the dia de oracion – meaning day of prayer. So every Monday everyone prays in turn. However, it’s quite normal for everyone to pray out loud but quietly while it’s someone else’s turn. It’s an odd feeling at first, but then it begins to make sense. Everyone’s praying to God so why do we need to listen necessarily to what someone else is saying. Plus, it helps cover up my buddy Jerbin’s humming. Sometimes the kids get snowballs, chocolate malt balls, at the end to reward their good behavior. Candy is the universal reward.
We’ll I’m off to bed. Dayaret is currently sleeping. We’ll take advantage of that. Talk to you next week. Thanks for the e-mails. We love hearing what is happening.
Lots of Love,
Jon and Jessica
P.S. It is now Wednesday morning and I am copying and pasting this e-mail. Dayaret didn’t sleep much and neither did either of us.
