Dr. Foltz, thanks for commenting. I´ll try the fairy tale thing. I´ve gotten their four pictures done. It was quite surprising, actually. I saved the hardest one for last: drawing what their parents do for work. They raced through it! I got a picture from most all of them without any prompting or coercing! I was very surprised and I have my own reasons for why, when the kids in the States had such a hard time with it, but I´ll save those to share another time. One picture I got is the cutest picture I´ve ever seen, and I think I might frame it.

As for social dynamics one thing I've noticed a lot is the simple act of politeness and formality. When we greet in the morning, we give a short hug and press cheeks. At church everyone greets everyone when they come in (if they come in before the service starts) and says "Dios te bendiga" (God bless you). If you are walking somewhere on side streets and come across someone else, and make eye contact it is always right to say "Buenos dias" or "buenos tarde" (good morning and good afternoon). The only exception I have seen of these has been teenagers, but I think that normal.

The kids actually allowed me to take pictures of them coloring without jumping up and attacking me. I then took the camera outside and kept taking pictures of them while they played. Two girls specifically came and wanted to look at the back of my camera after I took their picture... but I don't have a digital camera! They've been around too many Americans, I tell you.

We got two new kids this week, two brothers, Moises and Elias. They are in a tough situation, I think that it is just four siblings, and their oldest brother works to take care of them. We have no idea where their parents are, but it is just the four of them battling it out. They are both smiley kids and happy to be at Welcome Home. Moises got to go to school for the first time ( I think), and had a great day. Elias is this talkative little kid who wants to know everyone´s name. He asks everyone "¿Como te llamas tu?" (what is your name). He asks everyone, and asks them more than once. He talks all through nap time (he has refused to take a nap), and just yaks and yaks to himself. It´s actually quite amusing. He is still asking Geno and I our names five times a day. When he gets an answer he doesn´t repeat it either, he gives a little grunt of "huh" and seems satisfied. He also wants to know the names of everyone you know. I have successfully told him that the names of my parents are Steve and Jackie and that no, I don´t have a baby (he wanted to know the name of my baby).

Yesterday I had a great opportunity. One of the kinder girls, Luz Adriana, has some old torn up shoes that are just pitiful. They are a pair of white Mary Janes that she wears every day. I think they are too small because the backs and the sides are bent outward. They are covered with dirt and the layers of sole are coming apart at the toes. Yesterday Brigida and I walked the kids to school and then to the shoe store where I bought her a pair of new, sturdier black Mary Janes. I just had this urge to do it and it wasn´t planned at all.

I had thought Brigida would just give her the shoes when the kids came back from school and changed into their own clothes, but she came to ask if I wanted to give them to her. I hadn´t planned on it, so I hesistated, but then finally said yes. I took them into her and told her that they were for her, and helped her put them on. Her face got so bright (her eyes sparkle all the time) and she just sat there while the rest of the girls stood around and admired her new shoes. I felt bad because I hadn´t bought shoes for everyone but all the girls could agree that Luz´s shoes were REALLY bad, and even the day before Elizabeth had teased Luz in front of the whole class that her shoes were really ugly.

The rest of the day whenever I saw Luz she grabbed on to me and hung on tight. Every time I look at her she gives this big, silly grin. I´m just happy that she has some new shoes. Her little sister Rosa, is also at Welcome Home, and I know the shoes will be passed down to her in time. They will got a wear out of them for a measly 11 bucks.

I talked to Erma yesterday and made final plans to go down to El Rosario on Saturday. She will visit with the lady who I will be interviewing, we will eat lunch at her restaurant, and Erma will visit another family in the area. If you think of it, please pray for our drive. Mexican roads and drivers make me nervous, and it is about an hour and a half drive. Erma said we will leave about 11 and be back in Vicente before dark. I am terribly excited about this interview!!

I feel like I´m running out things to say, so seriously, if anyone has any questions, feel free to post them, even if it is something small like "Meghan, my best friend, what Mexican dish are you going to try to fix when you get home?" and I would answer truthfully and say "Flautas!"