Gorditas with Carmen

Carmen does it best

Love it! :)

Chef Lilly! and Creeper McCreepin

Making the meat for the gorditas!

My favorite cooking pal :)

This past Friday we had our community night that involved Mexican food. In other words, it was a good time. Carmen taught the four of us how to make her gorditas! Those things are just...sinful. For those who are not familiar with gorditas, they are basically like little tacos...that are fat. They become this way because you just keep stuffing lettuce, meat, potatoes, tomatoes, and cheese in them until they're full. To top it off, you have Mexican rice (which is really easy to make) and chile pods. So bad for your heart, but so good for your soul!

Carmen is such a wonderful, selfless woman. Hands down one of my most favorite people in the whole world. Carmen has voiced many times that she thinks of us as her four daughters. Here are some other warm and unforgettable statements that she expressed to us while we were cooking together:

"I'm going to miss our friendship. It's been a beautiful experience."

"I hope you return to El Paso in the near future. Or, you could just stay here...forever..."

"My home is your home. I will cook for you when you visit me at my house in Juarez."

"I hope you keep your friendship after border servant. I'm very proud of you and all of the work that you have put in this summer. You are all going to do amazing and great things in your lives."

Carmen is a very expressive, deep, and emotional woman. Although, let's be real, that is how a lot of Latino people are-they speak from the soul, and with so much passion in their voice. It's absolutely beautiful how expressive people in the Latino community are. They are very relational and personable, and bend over backwards to make family comfortable. I just love all of their kind hearts!

It was impossible not to cry when Carmen said those loving words, and it did not help that she gave me a huge hug. I am going to miss her so incredibly much. She has made such a lasting impact on me this summer. Before I came here, I use to have a hard time not turning into a negative Nancy when I was exhausted from my days at school. I tried my hardest to stay positive and not completely worn out, but somedays it got to be too much. After meeting Carmen, she became my example of what it means to work hard and never stop fighting. Her determination to help others and to work 50 hours a week is admirable. I will always think of her when I am feeling too tired, and remind myself that there are people like Carmen who never stop going even when they reach their limit. Carmen has opened my soul to being more personable and spritely in uncomfortable situations. She has also made me realize that you do not need to speak the same language as a friend in order to have a strong human connection. We barely speak to each other, but we still smile, hug, and make a point to let the other know that we love and care for them. It's a beautiful connection that I have not felt or shared with many people in the past.

I hope to be able to visit Carmen in Juarez, especially since she's invited me over multiple times now and has offered to cook me any meal and food item that I want. Like all Latino families, she is very hospitable. Carmen will always be one of my role models, heroes, and friends. There will never be a border separating us.

(P.S. Erika, if you're reading this, don't forget to send me the recipe for the gorditas. I'm totally making those little guys in the near future :))

Making the gordita shell with Erika!

I was excited! :D

The finished product! Take note, mom and dad, because you're trying these.

Human connection and freedom of space IS wealth

Erika, me, and Lilly "singing" karaoke at our community night. Notice how the word singing is written.

I had the kids make ice cream at the program! The middle and high schoolers helping

I love this little guy. He is so cute!

Cutie!!!!!!!!

The ice cream chaos was fun and delicious

The elementary kids made puppets on Wednesday. This picture is so great! :)

Human connection is one of the greatest gifts we are given. It is a gift that says so much, and requires little to zero words. My ability to have a connection with those around me has definitely strengthened significantly this summer, especially with a language barrier. I am always surrounded by people who either know zero English, or very, very little. When I mean very, very little, I mean that they can comprehend a minimum amount when spoken to, but are unable to communicate with it. The opposite is also present. I understand barely any Spanish to very little, and can communicate with only a couple phrases here and there. It's so annoying - while we're being honest! I have met many admirable, loving individuals. These are people who I wish to be able to share meaningful conversations. You know, more than just hello, how are you, it is hot outside, and any other small-talk topics.

If anything, these people have taught me that you do not need to be able to speak the same language in order to be friends.  There is so much joy that comes with smiling and being in each other's company. These feelings have been particularly emphasized while here in El Paso because I am not sure when I will next see these people. I have been making the most out of my time with them, and have put more energy into being happy, optimistic, and trying to show that I am in a good place in life. Which I am! Coming down here has been very impacting. However, just because there is a limited time with people does not mean that I want El Paso to be the only place where I put human connection into perspective. I hope to always be putting this feeling into action, but without thinking about it too much. There is nothing enjoyable that is forced practice. Simply sitting in silence with people is one of the best ways to show someone that you care.

One of the best relationships that has been built this summer has been with the middle and high schoolers in the program. It was definitely a gradual relationship, but I am very pleased with how it has turned out with the program coming to an end. I always thought that middle and high schoolers intimidated me, when in reality they just annoyed me because I had a hard time relating. Let's be real here, middle and high school is an overall awkward, not prime moment in a person's life. Some people enjoy it, but a majority would most likely say that those years were rough. I remember absolutely loathing my junior high and high school years. However, my loathing has brought much sympathy and empathy, putting myself in the shoes of teenagers became easier. The middle and high schoolers in the program are FANTASTIC young adults! I love every single one of them! There are those days when they test my patience, and when I have to be stricter than how I would like, but I still care a great deal about them. On those days when they are testing me, I'm strict because I care about them a ton, and want them to reach their full potential in the long run. It is a fact that a majority of these young adults do not receive enough discipline at home due to unstructured family situations. If one of the boys starts hitting someone or mouthing off, of course I am going to be firm. Hitting people and mouthing off will hurt THEM in the future. However, I make sure to always balance my firmness with positive reinforcement, letting them know that I care greatly about them. These young adults are truly phenomenal, intelligent, kind-hearted individuals. I hope they always know how fantastic they are, and all of their potential. They all have amazing potential for the future!

______________________________

Last Saturday the Border Servant interns had a community night that was very memorable! It was actually the first late night out the four of us shared together, other than White Sands trip. During the weeks we are usually in bed by 10, so it was a fun change :) We started off the night by going to the Border Servant house. Lilly made margaritas, and we all had the best conversations about social justice topics. These topics have become a norm while being down in El Paso, which I'm quite a fan of now! We discussed issues such as racism, the Trayvon Martin case, economic status, immigration, education, studying abroad, topics dealing with college and finding out where we're suppose to end up in the world, and other deep topics. It's so wonderful when you can sit down and have these conversations with people who share the same passions as you. We all brought very different perspectives about each topic due to our majors and experiences, but that is what made the conversations so well-rounded and interesting. One topic that we all agreed on with the exact same perspective was studying abroad and doing volunteer work either during or right after college. I mean, obviously we would agree, but we all discussed how important it is to integrate yourself into a time period of service and community. Not as to act as the "white savior" (in their case), but to just do something different and be a part of something greater than yourself. I personally feel like it is necessary for everyone to feel as though they contribute to society in some way. I know that I would like to share about my time down in El Paso with my future students, and stress the importance of doing something that contributes to a greater cause and bigger picture. We as individuals can only do so much to make a difference, but what we do will have a lasting impression wherever we go.

One of the other conversation topics that we talked about was what does it mean to be wealthy. We all know that there are various kinds of wealth: material possessions, family, friends, faith, etc etc. One topic of wealth we discussed related to our time in Border Servant, and that is the freedom of space. Most of the families who come to the places we are interning are either residing in the following living situations: a house that has been turned into 4 small apartments, an apt complex, or a large house with about 10-20 other people. While the chances of you feeling alone are very, very slim, it also has the potential of feeling uncomfortable. People who live in these types of buildings could potentially feel more comfortable and safer, especially if that's all they've known. However, there is a boundary line between comfortable living in claustrophobic living. Think about this, in the U.S. we absolutely adore our own time and private properties and personal possessions. We say much of the time, "I finally have time for myself" or "I have a free day, so I'm going to use my day how I want to." Think about how we would feel or think once this time was taken away. We look at it as time given to us, and anything given to us is "ours." What about the personal time that isn't given to people? Yes, this time is more cultural in the U.S., but it's definitely a type of wealth. Being in El Paso has taught me that alone time is rare in most cultures, and that most cultures are very much community-based and have zero personal time given. We are wealthy in that case. I was thinking about this the other day, and how challenging it would be to live with 10-20 other people in a house. Some of these other residents could be small children or babies. In the middle of the night, babies still need attention and they cry and act up like all babies do, but with zero personal time and no sense of privacy and living in those types of structures would be challenging. It has given me a whole new appreciation of freedom of space. We are very wealthy and privileged in that sense.

We played a few rounds of Taboo, which was...interesting after margaritas... One of the best conversations during the game still stands out to me:
"It's the type of dog that is in the movie Beethoven!"
"Uhh...ohh...crap! I know this I swear I do!"
"Uhh... holy holy holy! I am a...?!"
"VIRGIN!"
(The answer is Saint Bernard. But hey, you were close.)

The four of us then went to King X Bar for karaoke. Some videos were taken of our "singing" and, let's just say, that I hope no one ever gets ahold of those. It was so much fun having this time with my roommates. We did a quick midnight Micky D's run and went back home to sit in the kitchen, eat our food, talk, and feel ashamed of the videos from karaoke. I will never forget that community night, and how pretty El Paso looked. (Erika, Erin, and Lilly, if any of you are reading this, I'm so glad we shared that night together! Love you ladies!)

______________________________

 My time in El Paso is sadly coming to an end. I have only 10 days remaining down here, and I've unintentionally been more emotional about this. Most moments I'm very happy, and sometimes I'm very sad. Justin and I have shared more office talks, and he continues to open my eyes and heart to new insights. I'm going to miss our Cristo Rey office talks. I've also had more in-depth, personable talks with the middle and high schoolers, have continued to laugh on an hourly basis due to the cuteness of the children, and have loved every minute with my roommates. Subconsciously I am very much aware of my time remaining, but on the surface I continue to live during the days and not just exist. We had our final pool day of the summer program yesterday, which was surprisingly cold and rainy! (and by cold I mean 75 degrees) It rained all day and it was very comforting! The mountains looked beautiful with the clouds resting on the top. Life here is a wondrous adventure, and everyday brings a new surprise.

I was leading the web activity with the middle and high schoolers during the program this past Wednesday. If you haven't heard of the web activity before, look it up! It's amazing what conversations are brought to the surface. I love these young adults.

The elementary kids made puppets on Wednesday! These are the ones that we made to show as examples. Erin's name is Jesus, and he has a gold tooth. Mine is Margarita, and she has a cat sweater. Silly times at Cristo Rey

July 15, 2013 was a good day.

You know those days when everything is just very positive and optimistic, and the day just plays out to

be overall great? Well today was one of those days! :)

To be honest, I was feeling a bit sad this morning when I realized that I only have 2 weeks left in El Paso. I've had the most unforgettable summer and times with Border Servant Corps. This summer has gone by so fast! It is also baffling to me that there are only 2 more weeks left of the program. Again I say, this summer has gone by so fast! The weeks fly by, and so have these weekends of trips and new experiences. My dad called me earlier this evening about flights home, and I instantly became sad and wanted to avoid talking about flights. Justin and Erin were in the office as I was talking to my dad. For some reason that made me feel worse because I hate knowing that we will soon be in different locations. Although I was feeling like a sad Sally, I knew that I had a brand new day of work with Justin and Erin, and that one of my most favorite people in the world (Carmen) would also be coming to the church to work in the afternoon. Knowing this made me smile and feel like nothing could go wrong.

That did indeed happen! I had a meeting with Justin, Erin, and Megan, and we discussed this week and the schedule. Justin told us stories about his weekend away with his housemates, and the whitewater rafting stories were quite entertaining. Once the meeting was over, it was just Justin and me at work. We both worked alone for awhile and I worked on sorting some pictures of the kids. These pictures were from field trips and other Cristo Rey activities. It was so fun looking at the pictures and reminiscing about those moments with them. I love the kids so much, they are all so wonderful. The youngest ones are also ADORABLE and just make you smile looking at all of the pictures. I have definitely grown attached to all of the kids in the program. Carmen arrived at Cristo Rey, and of course stopped into the office and greeted Justin and me with her warm embraces. I just love her. She is such a sweetheart....don't even know how to express how much I'm going to miss her!

Justin and I made lunch together - pasta, squash, and onions. It was a great joint effort!  If there is one thing that I've actually learned while living in El Paso, it's that there is no greater way to have a conversation with someone than over a meal. I have also grown much more comfortable conversing with friends while cooking. As sad as this sounds, this is a completely new development. I have often lived with people who are very sassy and bossy in the kitchen in past years. It's been a relief to have friends and roommates here who are the far opposite from that. As we made lunch, we had many great conversations, as usual. To be honest, the topics we usually discuss together are ones that I've shared with friends who I've known forever. Justin is one of those friends who you can talk to about anything and everything under the sun. He is so easy to talk to and very personable. We discussed many topics such as family, crazy/psychotic college roommate stories, relationships, Border Servant, and the "real job" life stage. We then topped off our lunch with ice cream (in cones)! It was a fantastic, much-needed Justin time (Just in time!). :) Justin, if you're reading this, I really value our friendship and have mad respect for you! We went back to working on our individual projects for awhile. Justin blasted 8tracks in the office, thankfully, which made project time way more enjoyable and productive. I made a puppet, chinese paper lantern, and organized materials for Wednesday's project.

Erin came home, and the three of us continued to do our individual work. We decided to do a trial run of making ice cream in a plastic bag (the kids are making that tomorrow) just to make sure that we had all of the details squared away. That trial run was too fun and delicious! If you have never made ice cream in a plastic bag before, it's so easy! I encourage any teachers to try it with their students. It could be a science lesson of some sort?! We made vanilla ice cream and then put chocolate syrup inside. Carmen laughed at Erin and me, and our excitement about the ice cream. We can't help that we are, like, 6 year olds and get excited really easily about festive treats.

More jokes and laughs were shared in the office as the afternoon continued. This isn't something new between the three of us. I have realized that I turn into the biggest sassbasket when I'm with Justin and Erin for long periods of time. They deserve all the cred. Justin left, and Erin and me continued to work a little bit longer. We decided to walk to Sam's Chinese for dinner. Erin is also a friend who is extremely easy to talk with about anything. She is really good about analyzing what's going on around her, processing, and then spewing out in conversation. During our walk to Sam's, we talked about how we are going to plan multiple visits throughout the year, and also stay in touch and keep each other informed about our happenings. I'm never worried about not having Erin as a friend. Same applies to Justin, and all of my Border Servant friends, I truly hope to stay in contact with them.

I'm now done planning for the day and have some downtime to relax and think for myself a bit. I feel very chill and confident about these last 2 weeks. One of the reasons being that I feel much more confident in my role as a program director. Another reason being that the program will be over before we know it, and I would much rather like to be perky and happy in front of the kids as much as possible. I just want to enjoy the rest of my time with them, and not feel like I'm fretting over little details in the schedule. I feel like there are many reasons to smile and be happy during these last 2 weeks. Life has really taken off, and I have learned a ton about cultural/border awareness while being in El Paso. Thank goodness I've also been blessed to have amazing friends along for the ride.

Erin and I with our ice cream in a bag!

Oh Erin you are so great!

My example of the Chinese paper lanterns that I'm going to have the kids make tomorrow

Been reminiscing a lot lately, and I have to say that White Sands will always stand out to me. I had a happy happy soul the night of June 23, 2013

Love you ladies!

A trip to Carlsbad Caverns! ("Carl's BAD," as Erika says :))

The entrance/gaping hole that is Carlsbad Caverns

For those of you who truly know me, y'all know that I'm one who is ALWAYS up for adventure, a new place, and meeting new people. You also know that I adore road trips with friends, music, and beautiful, scenic routes. This post is just about all of that and much much more!

We had community day this past Sunday (July 7), and we had the option of going to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. It ended up not even being an option because we obviously, impulsively said with jubilation "OMG LET'S GO." For those of you who have not been to Carlsbad, I highly encourage you to adventure down here and check it out. It's absolutely beautiful and a really amazing view. The road trip to the caverns isn't that shabby either!

Hannah picked us up around 7:30 a.m., and it's a little over 3 hr drive out there. Although I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before due all of the inner excitement, I woke up ridiculously fast and could not wait to get on the road. One of the most moving components of this summer in El Paso has been the trips we've experienced together. These trips and experiences have been very spiritual in the sense that it's incredible to see all the natural beauty. They have also been very moving in the sense that they're places I haven't seen overall. Anyways, back to the trip. I couldn't stop staring out the window the whole drive. Part of me wanted to sleep very badly, but the other part of me just wanted to stare and soak in all of the beauty! I am going to miss the southwest so so much. Everywhere I looked there were mountains, hills, and the beautiful desert scene. The air was warm (obviously) and the wind was gentle. It was perfect road trip weather. The drive took us past White Sands, which instantly reminded me of June 23, 2013 (the June full moon). I wanted very much to stop and get out and jump off white sand dunes again. It's funny how memories have such a strong impact on us. I would definitely relive that night in a heartbeat.

We stopped at a rest stop that had the prettiest mountains surrounding all sides. Not to sound weird, but I've never seen such a pretty rest stop ground. We still had about an hour left before we arrived, and I was totally ok with that. I took in everything around me and listened to my ipod blast Mumford and Sons. I thought about all of the friends I've met here, and how much of an impact they've made in my life during our brief time together. I also thought about the kids, and the other incredible experiences that have happened. Everything has left a deep impression in me. It was just what I needed.

When we were getting closer to Carlsbad, we had to take a path that went up mountains. It swerved in and out of them, and it was the sweetest view. It was wicked awesome being able to look down and see the winding path that took us higher and higher. We arrived to Carlsbad and luckily it wasn't too terribly busy. It was a little after 10:30, so the sun was still not quite at its warmest. Off to the left there was an overlook area that had mountains and hills in the distance. We had our call to focus at that location. It was moving being able to focus while staring out at New Mexico. Before we ventured into the caverns, a park ranger told us that the cave was 65 degrees F, and 55% humidity. We all just stared at each other with shock and horror when she mentioned the 55% humidity. After all, it did not take us very long to adjust to the dry heat and to ditch the humidity. I mean, our bodies freak out here when it's only 2% humidity. Still, that did not kill my excitement or make me feel terribly worried that I would feel claustrophobic in a fishbowl. My only thought, "Bring it on."

The path to the cavern itself was winding and gorgeous. It looked like we were entering the point of no return slash a bottomless pit. The park rangers said that there were sometimes bats in the cave, which scared me more than the fact that it was cold, dark, and damp. I hate bats with a passion. Luckily, none were chilling in there that day! *Whew*. The path down Carlsbad was steep and not nearly wide enough. We all walked in a line on our way down. I looked up at the hole that acted as the entrance when I reached the last bit of sunlight. The hole shrank, and eventually disappeared. That's when it began to feel cooler. We saw many giant speleothems and gaping holds inside the cavern walls. There were also interior rocks that were once stuck to the sides of the cavern. Water dripped down periodically as well. It was almost frightening to have water strike your head because you already couldn't see very well.

As we continued down the cavern, we were left feeling stunned by the beauty that and intricate speleothems. It took us about an hour before we reached the very bottom. We continued to walk around the bottom of the cavern. This pathway was leveled and not nearly as slippery. It was definitely cold, and we could hear people speaking in all different languages, accents, and dialects around us. Our hair was also looking more like midwest hair...frizzy and gross. Ha. We took a group picture once we reached the bottom, right before we headed back to the top.

It was very humorous walking outside because we all immediately proclaimed, "Oh my gosh it feels so great out here!!" Keep in mind it was about 98 degrees outside...HOWEVER, it was not humid, so to us it really did feel amazing! ;) In other words, we are screwed when we get home. The five of us had a picnic outside. We sat at a picnic table that was on top of an overlook. It was a gorgeous view! We had many great discussions about how Border Servant has impacted us and what new perspectives it brought to us over the summer. We were all able to contribute to these questions and be open and present in the conversation.

The ride home was a relaxing 3.5 hour drive. I basically listened to my ipod the whole time, and fell asleep here and there. I kept thinking about how thankful I was to be able to experience these amazing trips and see all of these new places that I had never ever heard of before coming down. I began to relive all of these trips and experiences in my head, and felt so very happy thinking about them all. How I felt at that moment, what I was wearing, who I was with, what the sounds were, what the smells were, and how much we laughed and smiled during those trips. White Sands especially stood out to me. It's wonderful being able to add Carlsbad Caverns to the list of trips and experiences. Carlsbad was so stunning, and the freeway that swerved all around the mountain sides provided a breathtakingly beautiful view. It was the perfect view to take as we departed from an impressionable trip.

Speleothem!!

Inside Carlsbad

Gaping hole inside Carlsbad

Not a bad drive at all :)

During the drive :)

During the drive :)

Inside Carlsbad

Venturing into Carlsbad!

The 4 of us at the very bottom of Carlsbad

Step out of your comfort zone and just do something bold

El Paso has not only been a time of growth at our internship locations, but also through the many experiences and trips that we have been given during our time down here. All of these opportunities have opened our eyes to new perspectives, pushed us to step out of our comfort zones, and helped us grow closer to the people in the community and those who we work with.

I have been going into these experiences with the mindset of, "You know, I may never have another chance to do this in my life, so I might as well just do it now while it's presented." That might be an unusual way to approach a new situation, but I also feel like it's a valid one. Visiting the colonias, seeing a full moon/jumping off sand dunes/sledding down sand dunes/dancing under the stars and full moon at White Sands, venturing 750 ft below ground into Carlsbad Caverns, hiking up 3 different mountain ranges, and rock climbing in the Franklin Mountains...for all of the above, when will be my next opportunity? I have also walked away from these experiences with TONS of joy and gratitude. I did not earn nor deserve to have those experiences, they were only given to me at the right time. These experiences have made me understand what it means to truly live in the moment.

Yesterday, Erin and I had the privilege of joining one of the Cristo Rey volunteer's, Megan, and her husband, Andre, in a rock climbing adventure. We drove out to the Franklin Mountains where we met a group of people who get together on Saturday mornings to rock climb. As usual, the view out to the Franklins was gorgeous. The mountain ranges were surrounding us, and the brief hike to the climbing ledge was amazing. The sun was not at its highest, thankfully. This was my first time rock climbing, so I was very excited to dig my feet into this new experience! Erin had rock climbed previously at an indoor wall at her school. However, she had a bad experience. The person who was belaying her was not paying attention when Erin fell, and barely caught Erin in time. She was about a foot from landing on the floor before the person caught her. That means that Erin fell about 15 feet. Luckily, this second time around for her was a much more positive experience!

Megan and Andre helped us gear up and taught us how to tie on the climbing gear. We did 3 climbs. The first one wasn't too bad! I struggled to get started because of my height. I was unable to lift my hip to get onto the "easiest" path. I took my time and was able to make it up. When I reached the top and yelled "take!" I turned around to see the view behind me. It was breathtaking! You could see the mountains on all sides, and El Paso off in the distance. It's amazing being able to see how the world unfolds in front of you. They brought me down, and that was almost more fun than going up. I was a little nervous when they said "just sit backwards and let go of the rope," but it ended up being one of the greatest and most freeing feelings! I was lowered slowly onto the ground and, for once, adored the feeling of slightly falling. It was extremely liberating and stretched my trust by knowing that my life was in this man's hands.

The second climb was a little bit of a struggle. I actually did not make it up this one because of my height. There was no possible path for me to step up or grab. My hips could not reach that high. There was a part in this climb where you had to switch your center of gravity, turn to the left, and also bring your right foot up to a higher edge. Every time I did this, I ended up falling and swinging. This swinging incident happened twice. The first time I was very much startled, the second time I was just too annoyed. I told them to lower me, as it seemed impossible for me to actually make it up more than halfway. Someday I hope to return to that path and make it to the top.

The third climb was definitely higher than the first and second. I made it up after some readjusting of climbing paths due to my height. My legs were shaky and sore after this one, but it was such a cool feeling being able to yell "take!" at the top and, again, look out at the world below. El Paso is such a beautiful city to see from all points of view, pedestrian and birds-eye.

After I was done with my climbing paths, this strange, therapeutic feeling came over me. I realized how much rock climbing resembled life. There are so many paths that you can take to reach the top, and life comes in the same way. It's good to remind yourself every now and then that you do not have to do what everyone else is doing. In fact, this summer I've been surrounded by people who are definitely far from the majority when it comes to how they live their life. Justin tells me all the time, "I would much rather be unordinary than normal. I love to laugh at weird stuff and just be weird, and I don't want to change that." As long as you reach your goal in being a kind person who makes a difference in the world (aka, the top of the mountain), then it truly does not matter how you get there. You also may slip, fall, and swing a little bit, but the perseverance and courage to swing back on path, keep climbing, reach the top, and yell "take!" will be a feeling that you will always remember. It's the healthiest decision to just step out of your comfort zone and just do something bold.

"Take!"

"Miss! We will NOT get shot! Our Virgin Guadalupe is here!!!"

"Everybody say 'cheese'!" :)

I can't handle the cuteness that encompasses this picture. Absolutely precious!

Flamin' hot cheetos for fangs! So cute :)

Hola!

Goodness, I have been terrible at keeping this thing updated lately. My bad. This past week the kids had VBS (Vacation Bible School) Monday through today, and that started at 8:30 a.m. Summer program then took place after VBS on its usual schedule. We typically only have program Tuesday - Thursday, and it doesn't start until 12:30. This is the second and last VBS week, thank you Jesus. My weeks go back to being more regular and, potentially, more manageable. I use the word 'potentially' because you just never know what surprises will pop up at Cristo Rey :) (Those who have worked here -Justin...Erin...- can for sure pick up what I'm puttin' down).

On top of this week being a VBS one, we had 2 field trips that took place yesterday and today. Thursday (yesterday) is always a pool day. We take the kids over to Armijo Swimming Pool. Pool days have been so fun this summer. They are very chaotic and manic during the pre-transporting stage of the day. However, my stress level significantly decreases once we arrive to the pool. The kids enjoy themselves and their time at the pool, and holy moly do they love that slide. If I had a nickel for the number of times I was asked "Miss, can you go down the slide with me?"....just saying. It is also my one time when I can be more goofy and silly with the kids, than just a structured, semi-silly director.

One of the greatest moments took place during this past pool day. First of all, I want to say that I am not in any way making fun of these boys. Second of all, I will refrain from posting names. Last, I am laughing and smiling just thinking and replaying the situation in my head. While I was swimming around with some of the little guys, the little girls from the program all of a sudden swarm me and are saying all at the same time, "Miss Jennifer, Miss Jennifer! _____ and ______ got in trouble with the lifeguard! They got in trouble, miss! They got in trouble too many times, miss!" I immediately said in a "well, this is convenient." voice, "What happened? Which lifeguard?" The girls all pointed and said, "That one, miss!" I hesitantly got out of the pool and felt a sense of angst and "oh my gosh...middle school boys" feeling growing inside my gut. I approached the lifeguard and said, "Sir, some of the little girls in my youth program just told me that you had to talk to two of my middle school boys multiple times. What did they do?" The lifeguard said in THE strictest, most serious tone, "Well miss, the boys were roughhousing and playing too rough around the little kids. There is another group here, miss, and this group has a lot more younger kids. They can't be playing that rough around smaller kids because someone is going to get hurt. I had to tell them multiple times to stop. If they stop they are going to get kicked out." He proceeded to say in the, again, most serious, intimidating tone, with a very straight expression, "Oh, and by the way, one of them was wearing his underwear in the pool." ...Ok, you know those moments when you REALLY want to laugh out loud but can't because it would be too out of character at the time? Yup, that was definitely one of those moments. I wanted to laugh so badly, but had to do everything in my power to stop myself. I replied with a straight face, "I'm really sorry. I promise this won't happen again," and walked away, still trying very hard not to laugh. As I headed back to the pool, all the little girls asked, "Miss, do you want me to find _____ and ______ for you?" I said yes because it was something that had to be discussed with them. In less than a minute, Megan (one of the other head volunteers at Cristo Rey) nudged the boys in my direction and said in a strict tone, "Jennifer needs to talk to you." Both of the boys despise those 6 words used together. They both approached me with their usual "Oh sh**, Jennifer wants to talk to us" face. With terror in their eyes, I said to them in a serious tone, "Hey guys, one of the lifeguards told me that he had to talk to you two multiple times because you were being too rough around the smaller kids. This really isn't acceptable for the younger kids to see because they look up to you. They want to be like you, and you aren't setting a good example for them. I know you want to have fun and in your own way, but just please try to be a good example, ok?" The boys both nodded with terror still in their eyes and said, "We're sorry, miss. It won't happen again, we promise." I then said, "Ok, good. Is there anything else that happened that I should know?" One of the boys casually threw out, "Miss, also, I was wearing my underwear." I couldn't control myself, my laughing just came right out. Both of the boys kind of stared at me, and then stared at each other with a look that said, "So wait, are we still in trouble...or...?" Once I had a brief but necessary laugh, I broke my silly character and went straight to serious director and said, "This isn't funny, guys. Next time please do not forget to take your underwear off before going into the pool, ok?" They still looked worried and said, "Yes, miss" very innocently. When we walked away from each other I just began to crack a smile and continued to laugh. That is one Cristo Rey moment that I will never forget. Plus, I think it's safe to say that you never forget about the times when you tell middle school boys to take off their underwear.

After the pool closed, we all began to pack up and make our way back to the vehicles that we all came in. Once everyone was finally settled after multiple attendance calls, counting kids, and also thinking that we lost one child but in reality the kid just went into a different vehicle, the next wacky event took place. Erin was going to drive the Cristo Rey van, but it wouldn't start. OF COURSE that would happen. We found out that there was a leak...radiator coolant, you are a gem. We attempted to call relatives of the children and other friends we knew who could possibly help us transport the kids back to Cristo Rey. In the meantime, Erin was dragged along (literally) by 5 of the kids to knock on these not-so-becoming apartments that were located across the street from the van. The funniest dialogue took place right before she was dragged with them. It went like this (and it still makes me laugh just reliving it):

"Can we go knock on those apartment doors to see if the people there have coolant?"

Erin: "Do you want to get shot?"

"*the upmost serious, but dramatic, tone* Miss! We will NOT get shot! (points to the gigantic painting of Guadalupe that's located on the side of the very rundown-looking apartments) Our Virgin Guadalupe is here!!"

HA, that was such a golden moment. Erin said that the man who answered his door did not look friendly, and was apparently a huge, intimidating man. Surprisingly, he donated water to the cause, even though that was not what the kids asked. The kids dumped the water in the radiator, and the van actually started up again! That whole amount of time took almost half an hour to square away. All while that was going on, one of the middle school girls just said to me in the best voice, "Miss, this has been the weirdest day." I told her that these days are to be expected while at Cristo Rey. Just...to darn priceless.

Erin and I :)

How Justin actually feels when I'm around him

7 kids on top of Justin. Honestly, nothing new. (He's a popular guy!)

Love this picture!

On our way home from the pool...
Me: "I know I say this every time I'm in your car, but it's so entertaining that your head touches the top. Do you notice it much anymore?"
Justin: "Yeah, I mean, it's annoying."
Tall people problems. Justin Problems.

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Today (Friday) we took the kids to the El Paso Exploreum. It just opened this past January, so the kids had never been there before. It was SWEET! I can honestly say that the Exploreum would have been my type of heaven as a little kid. The kids had a blast! So did the volunteers and staff! They had all types of hands-on activities for the kids that involved dramatic play, science, and music. Some of the more popular activities that the kids (and staff) really enjoyed were having the chance to be inside a bubble, the static electricity station, the interactive floor, and the giant ipad. However, being inside a bubble was definitely the most popular for the kids. It was fun seeing their faces light up at their excitement. A lot of the kids came up to me during the afternoon and gave me a hug while saying, "Thank you for taking us here, Miss Jennifer! I am having so much fun!" It made me smile so much hearing that from them! :) That place was definitely very cool. I hope they all have the chance to go back sometime on their own, or next year during the program!

Some of the boys after they robbed a bank :)

The girlfriends and I just having a fun time together at the Exploreum

Today was overall a really fun day with the kids. It brings me a great deal of joy when I hear and see them happy and enjoying themselves. After all, if the kids aren't enjoying themselves and having fun, then you are not doing your job as a youth director.