Playing with Street Kids

Wow, so many things have happened already on our second day here. Yesterday morning we went to a Spanish church service. What a huge difference from American church! The pastor waited outside the door and greeted everyone with a handshake and a kiss on the cheek if you were a girl. They love music. They sang with such a passion, I felt like crying the whole time. After that we went to a local park with Michelle Von Debshitz. Michelle is sort of acting as a translator and tourism guide for our group. Every Sunday from 2 til 3 she goes to the park and talks to street children. I met David and Guiermo. They shine shoes to earn money. They loved our cameras and loved taking pictures of us and themselves. They are very curious. At one point our group started a touch football game with some of the other kids in the park. We tried to get David and Guiermo to play but they refused. Michelle said it was because none of the kids playing with us were street kids, and they were embarrassed. That's when I noticed how serious they were for their age. They have to have street smarts or risk getting robbed. They carried their shoe shine kits as if they were buried treasure. When they go home at night, their parents don't pat them on the back and say good work today, they say how much did you earn? Seeing young children out working on the streets by themselves is so.......unreal. There are no parents around to help them. It's so different here. I had a special moment with David. I was sitting on the ground and he ran over and sat down next to me and pointed at my camera. Un photo? i asked him, Si Si! he responed with a big grin. He took pictures of me, Mallory, and him and I. He loved it! It was my first time trying to talk in Spanish to a local, and I think it went pretty well. After he took a picture of me I told him good job in Spanish and he smiled and giggled. Well Just wanted to keep everyone posted on the events that are happening here, it's been great so far! Thanks for all your prayers! Elizabeth