A note from Sid... the Daddio of Mary Ellen

Dad with Ana.. one of his lil' buddies.



These guys were wearing Ford shirts (my dad's empoyer)... we had to take a pic.


If you´re a regular reader of this blog, you know my dad´s been in town this week. He is the first of two special guest appearances. This is what he has to say:

This is different. I love reading what Mary Ellen and Lauren have to say on their blog. I haven’t made any big sacrifice, nor have I done enough work to earn the right to write on this blog. But, the girls were gracious enough to allow me a chance to share a few thoughts.

If you have the right attitude, it’s a lot of fun being here. Mexico is a blend of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd world. Every day brings a new first or a new surprise.

The girls have learned so much during their time here. For example, as Lauren was driving us from the airport to the Medina’s (their Mexican family), she explained to me that the red octagonal sign with the word “ALTO” painted on it, the one that looked just like a STOP sign in the U.S., didn’t actually mean STOP. “Nobody stops”, she said. A few days later, Mary Ellen did tell me ALTO can mean STOP if someone or something is coming. Really?

Monday, I asked Mary Ellen if it was ok to turn right on red. She told me you can even go straight on red as long as no one is coming. Now, there’s a time saver.

Wednesday, while I was driving in Aldama, Mary Ellen encouraged me to go the wrong way down a one way street. “There’s no one coming”, she said. She even made fun of me for going one more block just to follow the rules. I’m thinking, I’m your dad. I bought dinner. I don’t deserve this.

Lauren said she had gone down that same street from the same (wrong) direction but she didn’t realize it was a one way street at the time. I think that meant she was taking my side in the “discussion”. Mary Ellen asked me to drive last night because her contact was bothering her and she couldn’t see. I’m not sure that’s a requirement here.

Believe it or not, I actually do feel safe when either is driving. I promise.

I have lots of maestras and maestros (teachers) willing to help me with my pronunciation. I spent about 5 minutes one afternoon with Brisa (Breeze-age 7) teaching me to say maquina. Okay, first she told me I needed to shave and that I should use a maquina to shave with. Repeat after me. Syllable by syllable – ma-keen-ah. She shook her head yes. But as we put the whole thing together, faster and faster, all I ever got was the “no” nod of the head. I can’t get one word right. How much hope is there that I could learn to speak a whole language.

Careli (Maybe 5. Tiny little girl. My sweet shadow.) will talk to me for 10 minutes without me saying anything other than “si”. Then it occurred to me that I had no idea what I was agreeing to. So I learned “no entiendo”. When I say that, she just repeats what I have no chance of understanding or answering. Now, I’ve progressed to “tal vez”, Spanish for maybe. A combination of no, no entiendo, and tal vez may get me through the week without agreeing to buy her a pony or take her to Disneyland.

The Mexican people I’ve come in contact with are so warm and gracious.

You cannot be lonely at Lily. That’s a good thing. Nor, can you be alone here. Whether that’s good or bad depends on you and your point of view.

I feel blessed to have had the chance to be here. It’s been great. The people who work here are truly remarkable people. It’s incredibly humbling. They give so much and ask for so little. They are a hardy bunch overflowing with love. I want to always remember Mama Rosa, Papa Ed, Brenda, Samuel, Hermano, Maria Elena (the Mexican one), Adilene, John, Katie, the cook (abuella) and of course Lorena and my Maria Elena.

Mothers (and Chuck), you would be proud of your daughters. They are special people. This is a tough environment and they are tough people. But, they are gentle and loving. They are durable. They are flexible. They are human. And they are humble enough to know that the work that is done here is much bigger than them. This is a special place requiring lots of special people.

People ask me what the orphanage needs. Here’s my take, so far.
·Educational assistance. Rosa wants to start a school at the orphanage. There are some really bright kids here who are doing very well in school. There are some other older kids who cannot read. The schools don’t want them and they don’t want to be there. They don’t have much of a chance without some help. I think this is an area that needs addressing. It is not as obvious as a faucet that needs replacing. And it will take longer to fix. In my opinion it’s a critical need.
·Dental work. I’m not a dentist but I can see cavities in the kid’s teeth. There is one girl in particular that could use braces. Even though M&L try not to show favoritism, she’s a favorite. If this interests you, contact me. I’m going to pursue organizing a trip to help do some dental work and maybe take up some money for braces.
·Pray for a “next up” couple to take the place of John and Katie (American newly weds (married two months) who are two weeks into a 6 months tour).
·The brakes on one of the vans need work. If you can do the work and teach Samuel and/or Hermano, then they could do it the next time.
·Some single women to fill the void left when Mary Ellen and Lauren return to the U.S.
·A single guy or two for the boy’s dorm.
·Two really good washing machines. They make it work with the machines they have. But, it’s sad. You have to use a hose to put in the water. That means you have to be on standby to turn on the hose for the rinse cycle.
·Money to finish the new boy’s home.
·Money for furniture for the new volunteer workers apartments.
·Money for enhancing/fixing the septic system.
·Ed and Rosa in particular need your prayers. It’s an incredible load they carry.