Intentionality

 Another week has flown by, and I'm enjoying another day off as I write this post (more about my days off below). It has now been over a week since Teacher Juan and Teacher Emi, the full-time house parents, returned from their vacation. I am now somewhat getting into the "groove" of things here at Familia Feliz. The dynamic at the Leones house is very different now compared to when Justin and I were on our own. It will take some getting used to if I have to be honest.

What is my purpose here?

I've asked myself this question several times over the past week. While T. Juan and T. Emi were gone, Justin and I did everything for the kids. We got them up in the morning, had morning and evening worship with them, cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and put them to bed at night. That week was the most mentally exhausting week I have ever experienced, but at the same time, I was fulfilling a great need, and that made the difficulties all worth it.

The trials and challenges that made last week so hard are gone now. The kids aren't punching each other or bouncing off the walls during meal times or refusing to go to bed at night anymore. Life has become much easier for me and Justin, and part of me is so grateful for that, but there is another part of me that misses the feeling of being needed. Now I'm not saying Justin and I do nothing now that T. Juan and T. Emi are back. We still have to take care of the kids when they leave in the evenings two days a week and when they leave on their day off on Sundays. We still help prep some of the meals and make sure the kids are all accounted for and aren't getting into mischief, but it's not the same as it was.

I look at the other SMs who are full-time house parents, and I almost wish I had their roles. They play such an important, vital role in the lives of the kids they are taking care of. They are literal parents to their kids. In my role at the Leones house, I feel more like a babysitter sometimes. When the kids' "parents" (T. Juan and T. Emi) leave for town or on vacation, Justin and I step in as temporary parents just like a babysitter would. Why has God put me in this role? Why has He given me what seems like so much less responsibility than the other SMs? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I'm okay with that. I've known my Heavenly Father long enough to know that His ways are so much higher than my ways, and His thoughts than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:9). He has given me this role for a very good reason. Who am I to question the Creator of the Universe? I know God has me where He wants me, and that's really all that matters.

The challenge for Justin and I is going to be intentionality. We could spend all day in our rooms if we wanted, and the kids would still get to school on time, they would still have food to eat, the house would still get cleaned, and they would still go to bed on time. But why wouldn't they be able to survive without us? T. Juan and T. Emi have been full-time house parents at Familia Feliz for five years now. They know what they are doing. Every summer, they get along with no help from student missionaries. They can survive without us alright. But isn't there more to life than just surviving? Maybe my purpose here is to show the kids who Jesus really is. I have a unique opportunity in that I don't have to spend as much time providing for the kids' physical needs (i.e. cooking, laundry, etc.), so I have a lot of time each day that I get to spend playing and interacting with them. Maybe my job is to provide for their spiritual needs. Actually, let me rephrase that. Maybe my job is to let God work through me to provide for the spiritual needs of these precious children; to listen to them when they're upset and cheer them up when they're sad. So could the kids survive without Justin and me? Probably, but they wouldn't have anyone to confide in or express their frustrations to. They wouldn't have anyone to tuck them into bed at night, pray with them, and give them a goodnight hug. I will never be enough for these kids. I am in need of Jesus' saving grace just as much as they are. But God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called. I pray God will use me to reach the hearts of these incredible kids and to show them that they deserve to be loved and respected. 

Photos!

At the end of every post, my plan is to dump a ton of pictures from the week with a short explanation of each photo because pictures tell so much more than I could with words.

The boys being goofballs

We have quite a few banana trees
behind our house

We are blessed with a very nice kitchen
all things considered

This mosquito net is amazing! I have the
previous SMs to thank for recommending it.

Where the boys sleep

Also where the boys sleep

The school consists of three tiny buildings
for classrooms and a fourth building
for bathrooms

Our church. It's nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose well.

All the SMs got together on Friday night
after all the kids were in bed to socialize
and sing. We don't get to see each other very
much during the week, so it's always so nice
when we can find time to hang out.

Our kids were given some shark stickers,
and for some reason, they all wanted
to put them on my water bottle.
Thanks, kids!

Emir practicing his knot-tying skills

Valentine doing who knows what

Apparently, lemon juice acts like
a sort of hair gel. Who knew?

Justin making his a batch of bread and
having the time of his life

I know it's a horrible picture, but hopefully, you can see the horse.
Basically, on Sunday night while Justin and I were trying to get kids
to sit down for worship, a small horse came running through campus,
so of course, everyone had to go see it. On top of that, the water had
stopped working for some reason, so I had to go turn the generator on,
but it was low on gas, so I had to go back to the house, get some more gas,
 and then go all the way across the field back to the generator, all while
a random horse was running around and all the kids were outside in the
dark trying to get a glimpse of it. It was a hectic night, to say the least,
but also an exciting one.

Blue is camera-shy (Not really. He
was actually just scratching his head,
but it's still a funny picture)

Valentine and I shelling some peas

All the kids diligently tackling their homework.
I was impressed.

A pretty bird egg

Three of the Guerreros and I went
exploring/birding in the woods, and we found
a random mandarin tree.

They had a lot of seeds, but they tasted great!

Dias Libres

Once a week, the SMs get a day off to do whatever they want. Half of us have our day off on Tuesdays and the other half on Thursdays. My day off is on Tuesdays with Jayden, Justin, Lauren, and Emilie. I absolutely love Tuesdays! We get to sleep in a little and then we catch a taxi ride to town and spend the day there. We typically eat breakfast, at one of the few SM favorite restaurants, and then work on our blogs for a while. We also enjoy going to a hotel that is owned and operated by a kind Adventist man. It only costs two dollars to get in for the whole day, and it has wifi, a pool, showers, hammocks, and the like. It's an amazing place to relax, write blogs, or take a nap. After we've spent some time at Hotel Takana, we always pay a visit to this one street vendor who makes fresh cheese empanadas. They cost less than 50 cents each, and they taste so incredibly good. After empanadas, we walk all around town and buy any supplies we need. Then we eat supper and get a taxi ride back to Familia Feliz. Today, we did something a little different and took an hour-long boat ride up the Beni River. It was so beautiful and peaceful! And I got to see some really cool birds as well. We will definitely be doing that again sometime. Without our day off each week, we would burn out so quickly. Having a day to ourselves lets us recharge and regain the energy we need for the next week. They are such a blessing!

Working on our blogs at Roots
last week

Roots

Rurre really is a beautiful little town

World's best cheese empanadas!

Rurrenabaque

Avocado toast for breakfast this morning
at another amazing restaurant called Luz de Mar

The boat tour begins

It was such a cool boat! (Emilie was sick
today, otherwise she would have been
there too)

A capybara taking a nap

Our boat driver was so nice

Two capped herons. Gorgeous birds

A great egret

My uncle gave me some really cool lenses for my phone, so while I was on a walk the other day, I was able to get some macro shots of different flowers I saw.

Out pepper plant in the back yard. They are
extremely spicy, but T. Emi makes some really
good salsa with them.

The garden is coming to life

"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you,
 not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."
Luke 12:27