Just wanted to get you all updated on my latest activities. Finally the weather
has turned a little cooler. It´s soooooo nice. It´s probably around 65 degrees
and everyone is bundled up. If they only knew.
Last week was a busy week for Mentors. The guy I live and work with really
works hard to keep up. More and more people are coming for these small
micro loans. Hopefully he will start to earn more or maybe get a small bonus
or something. I finally found a dustpan to purchase here in one of the stores.
They dont own things like paper plates, and cups, napkins, paper towels, and
a rag is even very hard to find. They pick up their piles of dirt with their hands
and not sure what they do with the last few crumbs!!? Anyway I picked one up
at the store for them. Isn´t it the little things in life that make it worth living.
Most everyone walking around looks very nice and well groomed, but they live
in little hovels of gargage and dirt. It´s just amazing to me. I really don´t know
how they can stand it. For this reason I will be glad to get back to the old U.S.A.
Visited Henry´s parents, (the family I am staying with). He is a former bishop
and for the past 9 years he and his wife live way up on the mountainside. It took
about an hour to get there half by motor taxi (a little three-wheeled contraption
not much more powerful than a lawn mower). We hiked the rest of the way, and
it was all on switch-backs and small paths. It was steep and went on forever.
His parents live there and one son with his wife and two children. They have no
electricity and no water. They catch rain water. They live outside. Their kitchen,
and cement stove, and all of their kitchen supplies are outside along with a table
and a couple of chairs, with a tin roof over their heads. They eat in shifts too.
Inside were two cinderblock rooms
with Two double beds and a hammock. They live very simply and retire for bed around
7:00 p.m. It get´s dark about 6:00. They showed me that they had candles. No
tv, radio, nothing. It was actually very peaceful. They were surrounded by their
property and extremely proud of it. The father waved his arm and said, Äll of this
land is mind¨. He farms the land along with his son. They have very little but they
seemed pretty happy. I think they look like they are in great physical shape because
they walk everywhere. The father, gregorio, put me on his horse, bareback, and I
Went for a short ride. It was fun. They have bananas, nd other fruits growing
around them. They raise their own corn and beans. When they get too old to work
their is no government help. The children will have to step in. They are not happy
with the government. All they talk about is how they government lines their pockets,
drive big cars, and have many big homes around. (Sound familiar)? Accept they are
way less fortunate than we are by a long shot.
I am still obsessed by this young guy 15 years old who is ¨sordomuto¨, deaf and dumb.
He is so adorable! He is very smart. His name is Braelin. He loves soccer and can even referee the games
he knows the game and the rules so well. He can´t talk but he can blow a whistle. I
want to talk to he and his parents again. I don´t think he knows the American Sign
Language system. I think he can just sign basic things, nothing too complicated.
I am going to try and visit his school. I don´t think they even have a computer but
he is familar with the computer and loved it. I want to see if I can arrange for him to
spend time on the internet down here. It would really change his life. Of course my
dream is for him to have his own computer. He is pretty locked in. He really dosen´t
attend much church because he just doesn´t understand it but he loves the activiites
and the social outlet. He was bapized by a missionary from Guatamala that knew some
sign language. Anyway, I can´t get him off my mind. He is being raised by his father
and stepmother, but you can tell she loves him a lot and has raised him from a baby.
By the way, some of you have asked how you can contribute to Tom´s foundation,
Nino´s de Carlos. It has been set up at wells fargo bank. It should be under my name,
Bonnie Whitaker as well as ¨Nino´s de Carlos¨.
Listened in on three missionary discussions last week all held right at the house.
It´s been most rewarding. The missionaries are great. One young man from El Salvador,
who acts 20 inbetween lessons etc. Those kids have to horse around a little bit . The
other missionary is a steller 27 year old college graduate. He´s navajo indian. Very
impressive.
Love to everyone. And thanks for your love and support.
Bonnie
