Gringo – a U.S. citizen; generated when the U.S. invaded Mexico wearing green uniforms, and the people shouted at them "Green Go [Home];” no longer considered a derogatory term
I am in the process of moving to Marcelo and Gabby's house for a few days before leaving for camp. Oswal, Rita, and Jael left for Belize this morning with Oscar and Monica. I am staying in the city because a “Gringo” is coming! I am so excited, but only know her name (Katie) and that she speaks English :)
The past few days have been filled with camp preparation and running errands. We went to the market on Monday to pick up some items for Melanie's “Quince Anos” (15th Birthday). I thought we were going to buy butterfly decorations, but it ends up that the invitation design was changed completely. Not even sure if there were butterflies on it! The market that we visited is 3-stories underground in the middle of the city. We spent most of our time on the bottom floor, which is the craft section. People design and make hand-made products that you can personalize. The second floor is filled with fruits and vegetables of a variety of colors. Gabby bought everyone some fruit, so I got a big chunk of pineapple to snack on. I also got really excited to find what I thought were a variety of lychees (fruit that I had in China). Although they taste the same, a little research on the internet helped me to discover that I was actually eating a rambutan, meaning “hairy fruit.” I think I like them more because they are so fun looking!
I've been putting my teacher and sewing skills to work the last few days as well. The camp has installed a human-sized foosball court, and I got the privilege of sewing the yellow team's uniforms. After intimidation by the industrial-sized machine and a broken belt on Rita's, I finally completed the task on the camp sewing machine (only after a few battles following an improperly threaded machine). We've also been cutting letters and smiley faces out of foam for games and the stage. I will include pictures as soon as they are put to use.
Living in a different country has become a humbling process. Knowing how to do something in the states is not the same as knowing how to do it in another country, and it can be challenging to ask for help. Thus far I have learned that I do not know how to do a load of laundry (I can't get the water to run), sew on a sewing machine (I'm still not sure if I had it correctly threaded yesterday), and wash dishes (Have you ever seen dish soap that looks like this?).
Still, it is a joy to learn as part of the process of serving. “He must become greater, I must become less.” John 3:30
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