Journal 10

Service Learning

Memories and Feelings from my time at the Orphanage

Confused looks on the faces of the children as they climb in to their familiar van with an unfamiliar passenger inside.

My confused and tired brain trying to make sense of the English and the Spanish swirling inside my head.

An elated feeling as I try tocatch avocados dropped by Eduardo and
Santos from the avocado tree.

An elated and slightly scared feeling as they begin to drop them so
fast that I can't keep up and I duck and dodge to keep from being hit
on the head.

Deep sadness when I ask Julian, only seven years old, about his
childhood. "Mi mama me pegó, ella me pegó mucho y yo no hice nada
Adán. Es la verdad Adán, Me creas?
"Si te creo Julian, te creo."*

Feeling like a real man with a machete in my hand, whacking tree
branches to pieces.

Feeling like a like a humbled man when Señora Elisa, with her Quiche
Mayan dress and baseball cap, politely takes my machete and says, "Es
mas facíl así Adan. Si no puedes, no tengas pena, está bien.”**

Feeling very proud in my Hogar del Niño uniform as I take the field
to play soccer with the orphanage team.

At a loss for words as my time with them ends and I tell I have to
leave because we've got other plans to go to Cuba, Antigua, and Lake
Atitlan and they tell me they'll only be in Lemoa, just like always.

- Adam Shank

* My mom hit me, she hit me a lot and I didn’t do anything Adam. It’s the
truth Adam, Do you believe me?
Yes I believe you Julian, I believe you.

**Its easier like this Adam. If you can’t do it, don’t worry, its ok.