It was much too late to blog last night when we returned from feeding the homeless, so I put it off for today.


Yesterday, Wednesday, we started out early. Susan needed help with preparing food for the CIPI employees' Christmas lunch. We peeled and cut carrots and cucumbers and assembled mini sandwiches. Then we had to get to CIPI so the Tias could come to the Mission House for their get together. Merany and I were asked to work in the special needs area and we definitely didn't mind! Jenny and Lilly helped us. I know that this is a lot of work, but I sure didn't know just how much work it was. We were on our toes all day! We were bit, scratched, pinched, etc, but enjoyed every minute.

Kurt bought us Santa hats to wear

Since the Tias were gone, I snapped a picture of all of the kids. I have not been able to get one of everyone of them since we have been here.

Chamba- Isn't he a cutie? He is pretty content unless you mess with him when he wants to be left alone :) Merany and I brought him fries and cookies. I loves eating real food, but since it takes so long for him to eat he doesn't get it very often

Tonia is a sweet girl, but not a cuddler. She sticks to herself unless she wants to sit on you. We had to pick her up off of Chamba many times. I am not sure why she has such a fascination for this lol

Luis Antonio- I did not get to know him very well. He pretty much stayed to himself.

Jessica- she is new to the center. She came last week while we were there. Her mother left and when her father went to work he would leave her in the floor and put her some food out on the floor for when she got hungry. She is not completely comfortable with being loved on, but I think she is getting better.

Mabeline-this sweet girl's condition was a product of abuse. She looks as though her arm was broken and healed on its own right above the elbow. She also has a pretty large scar on her head under her hair. She does not like to be in a standing position, but I will say that seems to be better now than when we first got here.

This is Lionel-I want to take him home with me! He is such a sweet little boy. You can tell he has a lot of potential if they had the means to work with him. He gets bored and cries some. He could come a long way if there were therapy and classes available to him.

Jose-Luis is a mess, but he is precious and gives great hugs :)

Nelson is a precious little boy, but he does not like for you to touch his chair. If he is in the gated play area he HAS to be in it, but if you take him for a walk or to swing, he doesn't care to have it.

My Marvin...oh how I am going to miss this sweet boy and precious laugh!!! I love how he will 'buck' in his chair so I will get him out

Fernando is a complete mess, but I think he is still one of my favorites. He is such trouble because I think he is bored. He has nothing to challenge him here at CIPI. I do not believe this is anything the employees of CIPI can control, I think it is because they don't have the means to offer anything more.

Sweet Muchado, this is Merany's little boy. He loves to listen to music and have you rub him. Wednesday he spent a lot of time in my lap and I enjoyed spending some time with him. When you are not rubbing his belly like he wants yo to he will grabbed your hand and show you how to do it correctly.

After our day of being Tias at CIPI I came home and rested for a while. Then we got the stuff to prepare food for the homeless. We had enough meals for 146 homeless people. We delivered them after 10:00pm and come back to the mission house. I have a lot to say about feeding the homeless, but don't even know where to begin! This is an experience  will not forget and I will have to share with you at another time....