Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Hola again from Mancora,Today is our last day in Mancora and we leave tonight on the 8:00 bus to Lima, although even as I write the words it seems like a lie! It is hard to believe we have spent one year here already. Spent is the key word here...our motto since we've been together has been "No unspent dreams" and is also now, it seems, "No unspent money"! We have lived life fully this past year and our last few months here were full of lots of happiness and fulfillment, along with some painful times too, just like real life.
To me, "spending life" means living with intent and this is what we have really tried to learn in our time here. It has also been fun spending money on people and projects here and giving to others some of what we have been given financially as well.In terms of work, we finished teaching our English class last week and had a little "despedida" (good-bye party) with them at Rita and Benjamin's where we have been teaching for the past few months. It was a lot of fun. They had written a beautiful message to us on the white board at their house, although they had written it in Spanish, so it was their final assignment to translate it for us into English. It was a riot watching them grouped around the board discussing the appropriate new wording! We had a great potluck dinner and Benjamin played his guitar, as usual. The most surprising thing of the evening was when one of our students, Adan, who is usually a timid man of very few words and we've barely ever heard his voice, started singing. He was transformed...he had such a beautiful voice and sang with such confidence. It was really great to see him in his element.
We also started a women's group for moms at the beginning of June. It is called "Entre Amigas", which means "Between Friends"...how perfect! There has been a lot of interest in the group and it's been a great way to connect people with each other here and also to give some women (Rita, Elizabeth and Elena) an opportuntiy for leadership in the community. Elizabeth calls it the "Psychology group" and told all her friends that I am a Psychologist, and although very far from true, it has been a good way to get people sharing their experiences and their lives. The best part about it is that it is sustainable in the community and the moms are learning and growing together. The group is meeting now in the Center for Special Needs Kids, which Elizabeth's family runs, and it is such a bright, great space.
The sad news of the month is that our friend Elizabeth gave birth to a baby boy, Abel Abram, at only 25 weeks at the end of June. He was transferred to Piura, which is about 3 hours away, so they could try to find an incubator for him, but he died one day after he was born. Elizabeth's family asked us to be the ones to tell Elizabeth that he had died, and it was a sad day for all. She arrived home from Tumbes at around noon, the body of her baby arrived around 3pm that afternoon and the funeral was at 5pm that same day, June 26. I was asked to be the godmother and gave him his final blessing. Elizabeth wanted a photo of her holding him, as a memory of him, so Shelly took him from his little casket so she could hold him. It was really moving and for Elizabeth, a good way to start the healing process.
On a happier note, as a result of Abel's death, we spent a lot of time with Elizabeth, her daughter Nagai, her mom Maria, and her sister Margarita, and had a lot of great times sharing meals and stories and our lives. Elizabeth was also changed by the whole experience and it has given her a new view of life and determination to be a better mother to her daughter as well.
The past few months we have also gained a new perspective on life as well, and more than ever feel that we need to live for our own dreams and do what we can to help others make their dreams reality too. I hope we can continue to live this once we return to Edmonton.
For now, adios because I have to go do some more packing! More from Shelly...Much love,
Stacy
Como estas?
As I am writing you we are preparing to leave this little town of Mancora that we have come to know and love over the last year. We will be taking much more than we are leaving, but we hope to share what we have taken with others when we return.
The people here have a way of getting into you...into your heart and head and memories. They will be with us always and their strength of character and hearts will always be an inspiration to me of what the human spirit is capable of. To not just live but to thrive despite the circumstances in their lives. I can only hope to one day be the type of person the people we have met here have been to us.
Our last month has been filled with a mas o menus. A little good and a little bad. We were robbed about 6 weeks ago, and our laptop was stolen. That has been hard to swallow but no one was hurt and we actually survived without it. We did some investigating on our own as the police here are all corrupt unfortunately. We found footprints and the house that they led to, but apart from breaking in and ending up in jail ourselves, we had to resign ourselves to the fact that even though our computer was probably in there, we had to let it go. We lost a few other things, but they are only things and we thankfully have insurance that will cover it all.
The good things about this past month is that we did a renovation to Elizabeth's house. You will have to check out the photos to really understand the conditions she was living in. She had no table, no kitchen, no chairs, and no water. It has been a lot of hard work and late hours, but it was so worth it. She is a special gift to us and we wanted to help her and her daughter out as much as we could. She has also learned so much from the renos and she will never have to hire someone to paint her house again because she herself is now the expert.
Her daughter Nagai turned 3 on July 21 and we re-did a room in the house that was basically for junk and turned it into a little haven for her. It is so beautiful with balloons painted on the walls and stuffed animals on the bed. You need to also check out these photos.
Elizabeth has learned so much about taking care of her house and her daughter. It is great to see her hunger for knowledge and growth. She is one of the leaders in the mom's group and it is the highlight of her week, and she has so much to offer because she is so real and raw and to the point. When her son died she missed him so much but she said she needed to stay here on earth because her work was not yet done. She will be used greatly.
So now we are looking forward to coming home and seeing our friends there. The times here and the laughter will see us through this change and our friends will support us when we return.Think of us as we move from denial to the reality that we are actually leaving.
We will see you soon Love and miss you
Shelly
- comments