Dedication Day

Yesterday we finished the house! We worked our butts off and put in a long morning, but we got the job done! We did the finishing touches; putting up some walls inside, cutting and painting the trim and installing it, second coating of paint on the house (which the family helped with), and just some last minute little things.
In the afternoon everyone did random things; some went to help finish the school,others stayed around the house to help with some chores like putting away all of our supplies and tools from the week, and I spent the afternoon sorting through all of the donations that our group brought down, and got them ready for the school and the family.
Last night we had a "Fiesta" and this consisted of pinhata with lots of Mexican candy, a hoola hoop contest and of course LOTS of dancing.

Today was the shopping and dedication day. We spent the morning shopping for things to put in the house like beds, a table and chairs, a stove and propane tank, dishes and kitchen items and a bunch of groceries. Our group pooled our money together and ended up raising $1400 for the shopping trip. We spent the majority of the money on the family, and some on the school...we are putting in a water tank so that the school can have clean running water to drink, and with the purchase comes about a year's worth of water. We are spending the rest on desks and chairs...things that the school really needs.

We went to the school first, and a lot of the community was there. They thanked us a lot, and had prepared a meal of chicken, Mexican rice, and hot, fresh flour tortillas. As well, they had hot tamaili's. Some of the Mother's cried, and the kids and they were very grateful. It was a very emotional dedication, and it was nice to see how much the community really appreciated the school.

Next we went to the house. We started by unloading all of the donations and laying them out in the house all over the counters and beds. Then we locked up the house, and dedicated some special toys to the youngest kids. The little girl, who is 10, I gave a Barbie doll to, because that is what she had asked for. And one of the other girls on our team gave the little boy, who is 8, some toy cars because that is what he asked for. They really loved them. Next, my cousin Marcus had the honours of handing over the keys to the family. They unlocked the door and we gave them a few minutes to themselves to look around the house. Now, as I had mentioned before, the family is very shy, and even before they went into the house they did not say much. However when they came out, some of the siblings and the parents gave us a huge appreciative thank you.
We spent some more time with the family, and they had prepared an afternoon meal for us called cebiehe. This is raw fish cut up and soaked in lime (which I just learned today actually cooks it), mixed with basil, tomato, cucumber, garlic and some other spices. It is served on tostilla chips with mayo.
After we ate, I showed the girls the manicure/pedicure set I had made for them and painted two of the girls nails. I also showed them all of the hair accessories that had been donated and braided the little girls hair in pig tails...her smile after all this was unforegettable. Time flew by, and before I knew it it was time to leave. We said our goodbyes, and headed back to the house.

I have never experienced anything like I did today, and it was an amazing feeling. Having worked on a project from start to finish and then seeing the recipient's reaction was an experience that will stay with me forever. We now have a connection and a bond with these people that is unbreakable and unique.