August 3rd, 2011 - Back to the Clinic

This morning began with a 6:30am trip to the little girls’ house to help them get dressed. Quite a few of them did not get their skirts washed yesterday – a required part of their school uniform, so it was a scramble to ask other houses if they had any extras. We then did “circle” outside their house. This is where they sing praises to God and hear from His Word. Following circle, they walk single-file to breakfast. We prayed, washed our hands, and then the girls ate. Afterwards, Joy (another volunteer) and I washed dishes while we chatted about our family & lifestyle back home. Joy is originally from Egypt, but lives in Los Angeles and has been here for 7 weeks.
After dishes, I came back to the volunteer house to have a cup of coffee and while helping Julie translate a letter from Spanish to Danish.  Well, okay, I did the Spanish to English and she did the English to Danish.  Then we took out 5 kitchen-sized garbage bags (of garbage) out to where the boys come to pick it up daily.  I washed down the kitchen cupboards and tables and spent a bit of time sweeping the main living area, hall and kitchen/dining areas which were part of the filth that Katja was talking about.  I was hoping to mop afterward, but Max stopped by with 2 boys to work on the dryer – so that’ll have to wait until later.  I’m hoping that someone else tackles the bathroom, because I have a tough time with bathrooms after having worked at McDonald’s & seeing some of the most disgusting stuff ever in my life in bathrooms.
Joy & I went back to the little girls’ house to help with lunch and wash dishes afterwards, and then I headed to the clinic (no chicken pox this year) to relieve Julie & watch a boy who was in there for having been sick that morning.  When Gerson came in at 4pm, he seemed happy to see me again and welcomed me back and then released the boy since he seemed to be doing much better.  I headed back to the little girls’ house to help with the supper dishes, but found out that I didn’t need to help bathe the girls because there was no water in the tank for them to shower.
Church began at 5pm and I saw Daniel there (the other volunteer who rode in to Emmanuel with me yesterday).  I saw a few girls who recognized me from spending so much time with them and their chicken pox last year in the clinic!  I recognized them too, but names are more difficult for me to remember.  The other female volunteers & I sat down to relax after church & just chatted for an hour or so before calling it an evening.