You don't get a video today. most of the pics/Video I've been taking you'll never really be allowed to see due to the protection of the Kids. I could give you another monologue with my beautiful face but I just plainly don't feel like it, and your currently subjected to my blogging whim.
Today was pretty long. started early with a staff meeting as usual. And then off to wal-mart. We bought a LOT of groceries today so we could fix dinner for the whole Hovdi House and their staff, with us about 85 in all.
They currently house almost 50 kids. from age 3-22. I was working with a couple of the older kids yesterday. The Havdi House is a preventative safe house for abandoned/ abused youth. And I just have to say that these kids are the best things with skin on!!! One of the younger boys (10 years old) wanted to help me with something yesterday, I asked him to go get a bucket of water for me, but within a minute I had to run and get something out of the same room as the water. So we talked for a moment (kindof...again, I don't really speak spanish.) But both of us stopped watching the bucket as it nearly overflowed. I told him that I would take the water, but he pushed my hand away. "No Chris, yo llevo el ague." and this 80 some pound 10 year old quiveringly lifted a FULL 5 gallons of water on his shoulders and carried it across the compound for me; Not accepting a second thought and even traversing a small flight of stairs. No brake, no stop for a breath, In fact he was quit head high and fearless. Today he and I painted a part of the house. I was on the roof, and was on the ground, under stairs, and hanging 10 feet off the ground from windows brush in hand. At one point I looked over and he had placed his hand print in yellow paint square on his face. (I did something like that the day before) so I went and got a hand full and encompassed his little mug with my gargantuan digits. he tried A matching one but it looked more like I stuck my nose and lips onto a freshly painted wall. He did however get a near perfect one on the tip of my pointy lil bald head. (at this point I feel the need to mention that this roof that I was on today was the very one that earned me a nickname yesterday with a few of the kids... "spiderman." You see, I kinda fell through the roof the day before, caught myself on a beam and swung down. Before I hit ground, as I'm dangling from the beam I hear someone behind me say "spiderman"... I feel as though I earned that one)
I connected with three of the older guys yesterday; and Jeff, from the Huvdi foundation that owns the house said "wanna get teenage boys to like you, fall through a roof." and I got to hang out with all three of them all day today, Working and playing a lot of fútbol. The one I got to know the best is 18, with about a 10 year old sister. She's adorable. She kissed me on the cheek today when she said goodnight.
We received two peaces of bad news today though, the first and the reason that the older kids hung around today instead of going to school in the afternoon as their supposed to, is their van driver was in a serious accident driving back from dropping off the younger kids. This is the same driver that drove me home yesterday and many of the kids know him well obviously. He was due to have inter-cranial surgery this evening but they postponed till tomorrow. The second, and unfortunately worse news. One of our local contacts within the government, an amazing lady that I'll tell you about at a later date, Called to tell us that she had to shift around our schedule for the rest of our time here, A 13 year old girl being trafficked for sex was murdered today. Our friend, being head of the anti-trafficking reform has been involved now in the investigation. Sadly, the norm here is that the girl was an abandoned child who's family likely doesn't know, or doesn't care. I don't know if thats worse or better than for her to be one of the many children that are taken and then trafficked.
Tomorrow, (thursday) after staff meeting we will be going out to some of the kids that live on the streets still and seeing where they're living. Followed by my team setting up our trafficking exhibit at the attorney Generals Office here in the capital district. The Attorney General is the third most powerful man in the country (also third in line for El Presidente should anything happen to the two above him.) His office is also key any success with new legislation against Trafficking. And with that... I have a big day tomorrow, so I'm going to retire.
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