Let me fill you in!

I have been in my placement for just over 4 months now and in Latin America for 5. As children we learn rapidly being new to everything. It is amazing what a child can pick up through observation, and curiosity.  That is what I have felt like for the past 5 months, watching, listening, getting excited about the smallest discoveries and learning, learning, LEARNING.  I have literally been like a child, learning to talk, act, and essentially how to live. 

Being a helpless child at the age of 20 is not easy. There have been moments where I forget that I am even capable of communicating in any language. I have been incredibly frustrated with others and myself as a result of the culture barrier. I have felt isolated, misplaced and alone. Although these have not been my favourite moments in the last 5 months they have been instrumental in my learning here in Perquín. Learning about myself, others, learning more about my own culture, the culture of El Salvador and learning more about God.

Speaking of Children. This was a fun evening! 

While I still have difficult days here in Perquin small things have encouraged me as of late. For example, going into a tienda and the salesperson knowing I want “Pan Dulce tostada”, or frantically looking for another quarter to make a doller and the vender saying, “it’s ok you can pay me tomorrow”.  I have been given a new nickname “Rebe”, which I love. It always brightens my day when sitting in the park reading or studying and being joined by locals, or a parent of one of the kids from the daycare. I am even at a point that when walking thorough town I will see multiple people I know and receive numerous hugs from local kids.  Small things like this have given me a stronger sense of belonging here in Perquín and I am sure will make it all the more difficult to leave.

There is a lot of art in the town of Perquín…but God's my favourite artist. Just look at that sunset! 

I got to partake in a big festival in January. It was three days of activities including a horse show, football tournament for the partidos, a bike race (Michel got second), lots of music and fireworks ! It was a very fun few days of non-stop excitement. Though I must say at the end I was ready for the fun to stop.

One part of the festival I was advised not to miss. First person to catch and lift the pig over the fence in under three minutes gets to take it home! I didn't compete. 

On the very last night of the festival there was a huge fireworks spectacle. I have been pretty big into metaphors lately. I think that has come as a result of always watching and thinking about what I am seeing.

As I stared into the sky watching the very impressive fireworks show I found myself comparing fireworks to my time here in Perquín. All the excitement and build up, over something where you don’t know what expect, lots of waiting and anticipation. Then, in the blink of an eye it’s all over. And even if you tried, you couldn’t get a single photo of what exactly it was that you just experienced.

My time here is incredibly limited.

Because time has gone be so fast I have began to think of the things I am going to miss after leaving. I am going to miss the way my little host sister says “darnit”. A word she may or may not have picked up from me. I’ll miss the super awesome handshake we created. I am going to miss platanos, Quehada, pan dulce, tortillas, papusas and various other foods. I will miss watching crazy intense football games and sitting in the park reading or studying and then being joined by 1, 2, 3 or more of the local children, putting away the books and playing with them. I will miss laughing with Mitchel to the point that we don’t know what we are laughing at anymore. I’ll miss transportation in the back of Hieldo’s, lets just say, “rustic” pick up and watching the sunset over the mountains.  I’ll miss tickling, singing, dancing, laughing, and playing with the kids at the daycare.  I know I am going to miss everyone of their smiling faces and the way they yell “Salude Rebekah” as the Microbus drives them away.

This is Anderson and Christian two of Perquins next top models. ;)  behind us is Hieldos "Rustic" truck.

These are just a FEW of the things that are going to make it hard to leave, trust me, there are many more. Sometimes I get so bummed out thinking about leaving that I have to think about all the difficult things I have had to overcome or still find challenging about being here. Speaking Spanish, felling excluded from conversations, cold showers, or getting sick and having no idea why.  But the honest truth is it has been a blessing to live in Perquín.

I know what your thinking…enough of the cheesy stuff.

 January was an exciting month. Let me fill you in. I mentioned that throughout the month of December and January I was involved in a futbal tournament. It was 4 against 4 games at the town park. I believe I mentioned that my team wasn’t very good. We actually were the first women’s team eliminated so that should give you a sense. However, regardless of how bad our team was I still had one of those “final 2 minutes of the game score a goal and victory” sort of moment.

In reality was just a good pass and I kicked it into the net. But since our team was so bad and because I am…well not El Salvadorian, the whole team and town went crazy. And for the next two or three days that was the first thing someone would mention when talking to me. (Disclaimer - the same thing happened after I took a pretty rough fall during a game). To me it felt like victory even though it wasn’t the last two minutes and we didn’t win the game…. we tied. But it was actually the only game we didn’t lose. So hey, that’s something.

This is actually the only picture I have of me participating in the Partidos. I guess I thought we would last in the tournament longer. Silly me. And…yes…I am tying my shoe. 

In January Perquín was also visited by a, in Morazán standards, “Celebrity”. El Salvador is right now in the midst of presidential elections. The two main parties are ARENA and FMLN. Oscar Sanchez the Vice Presidential candidate for FMLN stopped at the Perquín Square as part of his election campaign. I didn’t realize so many people could fit in the small town of Perquín.

Adelante vamos todos! 

I pondered why the Party would choose such a small town for a campaign location. I learned it was because of the ties between FMLN, Perquín, and the war. FMLN had a large part in the Guerrilla resistance of the El Salvadorian and American armed forces. Morazán and quite specifically Perquín was where much of the fighting during the El Salvador war took place. The majority of the population here in Morazán are huge supporters of FMLN and are confident Oscar will win in March. I will keep you posted!

A new year has also meant new students in El Centro, some as young as 2 years 5 months. I have been helping in the pre-kinder class while the children adjust to being away from home. The first few days there was a LOT of crying. Crying, similar to laughing is another universal language everyone understands but a lot more annoying. As the days have gone by and the kids have learned that there parents are NOT deserting them the crying has subsided. Still, the kids are adjusting to the rules and authority figures that come with leaving home.

A fiesta for the young ones! 

It was particularly entertaining to watch one little boy named Rudy Rodrigo adjust to spending the morning without his mom. When sitting in a circle around the classroom Cathy would sit behind Rudy until he was distracted enough that she could make a bolt it without him noticing. It would only take a couple seconds before Rudy would look back and realize his mom was not there. His face was heartbreaking but I must admit…the spectacle was a little hilarious.

As days went on Rudy got smarter. He would hold his moms hand, insist she sit beside him and not behind, or make more frequent checks to see that she was still there even catching here trying to escape once or twice. He wanted to be at El Centro but also wanted his mom there. He has since realized he cannot have the best of both worlds.

This is Rudy enjoying some of the benefits of attending El Centro. P.S I made the pretty rad looking Pinatta!

I am very glad to be reunited with the children at El Centro and am excited for what the year holds.  Teaching English in class has been mentioned, we’ll see if we can fit that into the curriculum. I found it encouraging that it took me just a week to learn the names of the new kids rather then the whole MONTH it took me when I first arrived. Progress!

BTW… the Mail mans name is Mario. Yesterday we had a nice chat about how the postal system works here. He remembers where everyone lives and based on the name on the letter he finds the person it belongs too. CRAZY eh. Do you want to be part of this insane postal system, make it onto my wall, AND give me an opportunity to talk more with the super cool mail-man Mario?

Yeah you do,

Bekah DeJong

Km 205, Carretera a Perquïn

Perquín, Morazán, El Salvador 

Centro América

I though it would be fun to introduce you to a few of El Centro Infantil’s newest students.

This is Eduardo. Eduardo is harder to understand in Spanish then I am. Although I can’t help but think… “is that what I sound like”? He talks fast and ALWAYS in a very loud voice near screaming. Half the time I can’t understand him… and judging by the picture… he didn’t understand when I said “smile” either. Eduardo is very rambunctious “nino” who has had a harder time with some of the restraints brought by the daycares rules and regulations. Who has time for learning when there is so much playing to be done?

This is Sophia. She has a killer smile; with those two dimples that I am sure she gets away with tons of stuff. Sophia once caught my attention while the teacher was doing a lesson then pointed across the circle at Eduardo who was playing with a toy car instead of listening. I then took the toy from Eduard, told him to listen then looked back at Sophie and saw she was smiling and giving me a big thumbs up. Teachers pet in the making? Maybe. 

This is Claudia de los Angeles. Which literally means Claudia from the angels. Claudia is very motherly. She will stand by the slid and attempt to catch kids who are a head taller then her. She loves to help the smaller kids change, which has resulted in a lot of backwards shirts and left foot right foot confusion. This is Claudia’s “I know that I can do it” frustration face, a direct result of me taking a picture of Claudia rather then letting her take a picture of me.

This is Jackson. Jackson loves to dance. I don’t think he can help but starting dancing to the music, any music. It is ridiculously entertaining to watch him go crazy to “Jail House Rock”, which is one of the kid’s favourite songs to dance to. Every time I look at Jackson I can’t help but smile and he always smiles right back.

Miss you all! Please keep praying for me as I continue to serve and learn in Perquín El Salvador