Clay within Your hands...: First day in ES

Well, Merany and I arrived in El Salvador around 2pm yesterday. The journey getting here was long and tiring, but sooo smooth! We checked our bags with no problem, paid for the extra bags, and were prepared to pay $200 for the big, custom made wheelchair. It ended up costing us $0 to get Christian's wheelchair for the US to El Salvador! PTL that was very exciting for us!

So, once we got here we dragged 4 suitcases, 2 backpacks and the big wheelchair thru the airport, thru customs and out the door to the waiting area with no questions from officials and no problems whatsoever! For people that travel internationally, you know what an accomplishment that was!!! We were proud haha!
Kurt picked us up shortly after and we grabbed some lunch and went right to CIPI!

Now I have heard lots about CIPI, mainly from Merany and Cindy, but I still don't think words could explain it. I was a little apprehensive at first. Not too sure why, but I was! We visited each room and the kids ran up for hugs and kisses...and of coarse we gladly handed them out! When we got to the teen mom room a little girl named Stephanie was a bundle of energy! We played 'soccer' aka kick the ball in between each others legs, forever! She would speak in her Spanish to me and I would speak in my 'Spanglish' to her and for the most part we knew what we were talking about. Every once in a while she would give me that "what in the world did you just say" look...and I gave it to her a couple of times too! She was such a doll!
Then I visited with Teresa and Sophia for a while. Teresa is a teen mom....absolutely gorgeous and her daughter Sophia is a living doll herself! Sophia is 5 months old. I found myself talking to her as if she were Linnzi and making all the crazy sounds that light Linnzi's face up....it worked just as well on Sophia! I showed Teresa a picture of Linnzi and she said "Ooooo muy bonita!" meaning "very beautiful" .....I agreed! :)
When it was time to move to the next area, Stephanie gave Merany and I a big hug, a huge kiss...on the lips :) and ran to the door saying 'no'! I don't think she wanted us to go! I wish I could have gotten some pictures in there, but the center is pretty strict on picture taking and I never had a chance to snap one...maybe next time!

We then went to the special needs area! OMG I loved it! Those kids were just precious! Again I was a little nervous! I was not sure which ones had which needs and didn't want to upset any of them. When I started talking to Marvin he would just stare at me! After talking to him for a little while I ran my hand down is tiny little arm and this huge, wide mouth grin took over his face! It made my heart melt! The same thing happened when I would stroke the side of his face! I fell in love face and spent the rest of my time at CIPI holding and talking to Marvin!

I managed to get a picture with Marvin. Isn't he just precious!?! They say he is about 2 1/2.

After we left CIPI we were ready to crash, but we were invited to go out to eat and look at the big "Christmas tree" in town. So we went and had a good time! I tried the "Salvadorian" food, but I cannot say that I enjoyed it :)