My visit to Emmanuel.

I am going to share about my two weeks in Honduras. My first week I was able to go and visit the orphanage, Emmanuel. That is what this post will be about. My second week will take a little bit longer to write but it will be worth the wait to read about.

Visiting Emmanuel

I now understand a little bit more how it feels to be a grandparent. I was basically a parent for these girls for a year. I know there are others there who have been there longer and have invested more of their time in these kids. However I was there for a year and did put everything I had into these girls. I gave them my time and tried to treat them as much as I could like a mother would, especially my special needs girls. Going back for just a week was a little different.

First off there was no one mad, upset, or disappointed in me. I didn't have to correct anyone or discipline anyone and that was a nice. I was able to spend time with the kids I wanted to and if they started acting up I could just take them back to the yard. Also I didn't have a radio, keys, or even a cell phone. I did end up feeling really guilty because I felt like I was doing nothing, in the end I thought about it and knew I was investing time with specific kids that I wouldn't have normally gotten to do.

For the most part my days went as so, I would wake up and go to the older girls circle. Then I would go to the clinic and "help", meaning I would sit and talk with Carelia and Zue while they worked. Then I would go to the baby house or toddler play area to play with the little ones. I would go eat lunch at the store. Then I would go and get Nickolle and Eduardo from the yard and talk them for a walk to the farm and then head back and take them to the store. Then I just got to sit and hang out with them. We had fun and laughed and they both were just funny. When school got out I took Nickolle back to the yard and went with Eduardo to the medium boys house. After that I just hung out with the medium boys and watched them play. Joche really stayed around me and he just made me smile. When it was time for them to eat I went to the clinic and "helped" there again.

I also had a movie night with the special needs house. I went and bought coke and chips and we watched Shrek. I sat with the girls and loved every minute of it. 

I spent time with all of the friends I had made there. They had a staff/volunteer get together and so I got to catch up with everyone and meet some new friends. We sat around the fire and had bread on a stick and talked about cultural differences, which is always fun. It was a great time with great conversation from great people.

So after all is said and done I had a great time going there and spoiling certain kids and leaving them to the ones in charge to deal with harder things. I was a grandparent.