Bubbles with the kids =]
Me, Aimeeta, and Karen
We took the girls out to lunch!
Aimeeta y Ratita, straightened hair =]
The kids give stickers to the house mom's...
Tuesday morning-Monday morning I was being a house mom in House 2 with Sendy while hermana Gina was on vacation with her family. Friday-Saturday around 5 I was by myself while Sendy got to go home to see her family. I had lots of fun. I really truly loved it. It was a bit stressful at times, that's for sure, but I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything. Taking care of and loving on 21 kids is amazing, challenging, difficult, wonderful, and such a God opportunity. I am truly honored for the responsibility, the chance to be a part of these kids lives. I love them all so much, they are like family to me and it will be terribly hard to say goodbye.
I don't know what the future holds. God-willing I will return around February to possibly be a house mother but that's if God wants me. In my heart of hearts, I want to say YES, I am SO coming back ASAP but I don't know the plans God has in store for me and I told Him I would be willing to go wherever HE wanted me to go, not just where I want to go. I really believe I am not done with this place, that I shall return, God knows the time. He knows what needs to be done before I return. I am just along for the ride.
A typical day in house mommin' it is wake up at 7 (school days 6), get breakfast ready while the kids are cleaning up their rooms and changing their clothes. Breakfast usually consists of some sort of milk substance and two pieces of bread with some sort of jam or butter on it. After breakfast the kids have specific chores, the older ones at least. Someone sweeps and mops the kitchen and another cleans the kitchen. All the kids clean their own individual dishes, minus the really little ones. Then the kids usually go outside to play or have to work on homework. Lunch is around 1:30. That is chicken and rice with usually a different seasoning. After lunch, the chores resume and then it's usually a resting time for about 2 hours where the kids stay in their rooms. Then they come out again and they either go outside, watch tv or a movie, or have to do homework. At 5-5:30 is dinner. Dinner is leftovers from lunch. Or a soup of some sort. After dinner chores resume and that's when they usually watch tv or a movie. If they still have not completed their homework for the day, then they finish that first. And they take showers after dinner as well. They are in bed usually at 10 p.m. and then the day starts again the next day. Saturday and Sundays are a little different because of church activities and visitation days. And I was being a house mom during their break so they did not have as much homework as they usually do. Classes resumed today. We watched lots of movies at night and played cards in the day time. I had to run around after little 4 year olds, change some yucky diapers, shower off some poop from kids who pooped their pants, tell kids no, stop, don't do that, over and over and over again. But that's a normal thing. It's like a daycare or a school or something everyday because there are so many kids. In this house there are 3 kids under the age of 3. Two kids that are 4. Two kids that are 6, one 7 year old. Then there are like 11 kids that range from 8-12 and then a 13 and 16 year old! And there are two house mom's and each house mom is usually alone for about two whole days while the other house mom is at their home with their families.
I definitely feel like I could do it. The hardest thing for me was wanting other food than what they had. And the showers were freezing cold. And the fact that I got some sort of bug and was on the toilet a whole heck of a lot during the entire time, which was very inconvenient. But it was a real experience, I'm not going to lie, ha ha ha!
I don't know what God is telling me. I just know that I am going to return to school in a few days and I am sad to say goodbye to all of these people that I have come to love and come to call family (aside from the family I already have)! I am grateful for every minute of my time in Peru and will forever cherish every minute. These last days consist of me taking care of school stuff and spending as much time with the kids as possible. So that's all for now. If you want more details on specific things, feel free to ask and I will answer those questions!
Please continue to keep me in your prayers, I appreciate each of you so much!
Sending my love to you from here in Peru!
I don't know what the future holds. God-willing I will return around February to possibly be a house mother but that's if God wants me. In my heart of hearts, I want to say YES, I am SO coming back ASAP but I don't know the plans God has in store for me and I told Him I would be willing to go wherever HE wanted me to go, not just where I want to go. I really believe I am not done with this place, that I shall return, God knows the time. He knows what needs to be done before I return. I am just along for the ride.
A typical day in house mommin' it is wake up at 7 (school days 6), get breakfast ready while the kids are cleaning up their rooms and changing their clothes. Breakfast usually consists of some sort of milk substance and two pieces of bread with some sort of jam or butter on it. After breakfast the kids have specific chores, the older ones at least. Someone sweeps and mops the kitchen and another cleans the kitchen. All the kids clean their own individual dishes, minus the really little ones. Then the kids usually go outside to play or have to work on homework. Lunch is around 1:30. That is chicken and rice with usually a different seasoning. After lunch, the chores resume and then it's usually a resting time for about 2 hours where the kids stay in their rooms. Then they come out again and they either go outside, watch tv or a movie, or have to do homework. At 5-5:30 is dinner. Dinner is leftovers from lunch. Or a soup of some sort. After dinner chores resume and that's when they usually watch tv or a movie. If they still have not completed their homework for the day, then they finish that first. And they take showers after dinner as well. They are in bed usually at 10 p.m. and then the day starts again the next day. Saturday and Sundays are a little different because of church activities and visitation days. And I was being a house mom during their break so they did not have as much homework as they usually do. Classes resumed today. We watched lots of movies at night and played cards in the day time. I had to run around after little 4 year olds, change some yucky diapers, shower off some poop from kids who pooped their pants, tell kids no, stop, don't do that, over and over and over again. But that's a normal thing. It's like a daycare or a school or something everyday because there are so many kids. In this house there are 3 kids under the age of 3. Two kids that are 4. Two kids that are 6, one 7 year old. Then there are like 11 kids that range from 8-12 and then a 13 and 16 year old! And there are two house mom's and each house mom is usually alone for about two whole days while the other house mom is at their home with their families.
I definitely feel like I could do it. The hardest thing for me was wanting other food than what they had. And the showers were freezing cold. And the fact that I got some sort of bug and was on the toilet a whole heck of a lot during the entire time, which was very inconvenient. But it was a real experience, I'm not going to lie, ha ha ha!
I don't know what God is telling me. I just know that I am going to return to school in a few days and I am sad to say goodbye to all of these people that I have come to love and come to call family (aside from the family I already have)! I am grateful for every minute of my time in Peru and will forever cherish every minute. These last days consist of me taking care of school stuff and spending as much time with the kids as possible. So that's all for now. If you want more details on specific things, feel free to ask and I will answer those questions!
Please continue to keep me in your prayers, I appreciate each of you so much!
Sending my love to you from here in Peru!
YEAH for bubbles!!! Aw I am so happy you video taped the kids playing with those. I wanted to do that so bad my last day there so I felt like I was right there with you guys! I am so excited for u about your house mom experience!!! What an amazing opportunity! And you did it by yourself for awhile!!! OMG that is so stinkin cool! So I bet you learned a ton more spanish!! Bueno!!! lol I feel like the kids do a lot of hmwk and chores! lol You are a very strict mom! jk love u! What was the hardest thing about being a house mom? What was the best thing or most memorable? Sounds like a cheesy ? but I want to know. lol
ReplyDeleteI love that you call me aimeeta!!! Did I ever tell you that cracks me up every time!!!! Just makes me love you and your beautiful heart more!
ReplyDeleteIt soundslike you had a good last week! It is so good to hear from you! Today i went to Rogers with Kristina and Melissa and Keenan to get the kids back to school clothes! It was fun but a little stressfull! I love you so much!~joanna
ReplyDeleteMy Rita, I am so proud of you. I know that it was a wonderful experience, but hard work too. That's motherhood! I pray that God will clearly direct you as to where you are to be and what you are to do after Dec. I love you very much,
ReplyDeleteMomma