Thanksgiving Day, 2010

 What an amazing day! Shelley and I distributed 20 + pairs of shoes donated by Michelle Gomez, from South Lake Tahoe. Greg Phillips paid the duty (over $50 for used shoes!) and hauled the very heavy suitcase all the way to San Miguel de Allende. Thanks to Michelle and Greg and Shelley for all the help!

Amazingly, this guy was 5 feet away from where we pulled the car up to distribute shoes.
Talk about grateful - Good thing for him, there is no THANKSGIVING in Mexico! :) 

Distributing toys and shoes from South Lake Tahoe - June 2010

Recently, I was lucky enough to spend 10 days in South Lake Tahoe. While there, I met Michelle Gomez who, hearing about the kiddo's in the Mexican Campo, organized a whirlwind toy and shoe drive! What a generous soul! 

I had a great day, running around on my motorcycle, meeting new families and distributing something to every kid in need I saw. It is remarkable how polite and kind and humble these children are. There is no "I WANT that!!!!!" in these children, there is only a very quiet, "Gracias, Senora."..

This lake is a scenic place and I enjoyed riding my motorcycle around it today. However, most agree the lake is hopelessly poluted. There is no sewage treatment plant here, so a lot of it goes right into the lake. Ew! The Mexicans who live around the lake wash in it, bath in it, and more. Pretty, but gross. There are many families living here. 

This is Maria. She wasn't quite sure what to do with this thingamajig. i spent a lot of time trying to make her understand, thankfully, her mother seemed to understand, so she can work with her later. 

This shy boy and his mother cam out of their little house when they saw I was distributing toys. He got a couple of cars.

This little boy was SO EXCITED to get Boots! (I think he called it "Abote")

Happy kids!

Shy, but she loved that Dora doll!

These girls watched as I gave gifts. I didn't have anything suitable. This is sometimes an issue with the older girls, in particular. They're hard to shop for. 

These three little girls were SO happy. "Esponja!" and the one on the left is protecting a tiny Barbie. 

I honestly had NO IDEA what that toy was, it made the most irritating sound - she loved it, but I certainly understood why it was donated!!!! 

This is the home where the three little girls live.

Donkeys in the front yard. No water, of course, in the hottest, driest month of the year. UGH. 

This is Karen. Isn't she beautiful?! Her father and sister and brother are in the next photos. 

These are kiddo's walking home from school for comida, the mid-day (and largest) meal of the day. They are lucky, they have uniforms and get to go to school. 

Not quite sure what to do with that toothbrush...

This is Carolina. She gets a toothbrush, too, and some cars. 

This is Giovanni. He was adorable! He refused to come close, ran and got his family. Finally, he came close with a big grin. 

Giovanni was barefoot, so I gave him these great shoes. He loved them! Muy guapo! 

I fell in love with Ivan. What a smart, serious kid. He's around 12, and very protective of his cousin, who has Downs Syndrome. I made him take these flip flops - and he did, but it took him a LONG time to do so. He didn't want them, he wanted me to give everything to his cousin, who nearly tore the toys from my hands. Finally, just as I was leaving, Ivan agreed to accept the flip flops. His own shoes were tied with string to keep the tops attached to the soles. When he took them off to try on the flip flops, I could see straight through - the soles had huge holes in them. 

Ivan told me he has 9 brothers and sisters. He does not go to school, because they cannot afford the $20 per semester quoto nor the uniform or paper and pencils. His (drunk) uncle came out and told me if I gave him 40 pesos ($3) that would be enough to send Ivan to school. I'm pretty sure he meant that would be enough for him to buy beer. 

When I looked at Ivan and told him he was very intelligent, respectful boy, his uncle, laughed and assured me, no, he is not intelligent. Ivan shrugged, humiliated and just looked at the ground. I nearly burst into tears driving off, trying to devise a scheme to get that wonderful boy into school.

Thank you, so much Michelle and Bridget and the other women of South lake Tahoe who contributed to a happy day for these kiddos! 

March Update

I visited the Serifin house today and visited with Ererik and Oscar. I wanted to give them the puka shell necklaces that I brought back from Puerto Vallarta. Alonso wasn't there, he has a new job working with his father as a caddie on Saturdays and Sunday's at Malaquin, which is the golf club nearest us. I'm sorry to hear he is working again, but glad the other boys are not working. Alonso is 12, so in his culture, working 2 days a week is probably appropriate, sad to say.

Everytime I see the boys I come away thinking about how much I want to adopt them in order to give them some decent opportunities. I hate that these great kids are going to simply repeat the lives of their parents, remaining poverty. I've met with DIF and they say it is possible to adopt them, with the parents permission, but how do you ask for that kind of permission? And realistically, I'm not in a position to take that on. I wish I could find someone who would adopt Alonso, take him to the states, and give him a real education. He is absolutely wonderful!

3 Kings Day 2009

I wasn't able to do anything for 3 Kings Day, but my mother sent gifts for the kids. They arrived today and I took them out to the campo.

The kids have been very upset because DIF, the equivalent of Child and Family Services here, told them they could no longer work at the grocery store. They aren't allowed to work at all anymore. Alonso and Oscar were nearly in tears when they told me. These gifts cheered them up! Here are the photos.

Alejondra got the pin, the two daughters got the rings.

Alonso, 12.

Oscar, 10.

Alonso.

Ererik, 8.

This is the small patch of grass in the front yard.

Christmas 2008

They live right here, on the water. Pretty convenient. This is where they bathe, and wash clothes.





This is Ererik. He is 8 and is one of my special boys. He works every night (and I mean every night--they didn't even take Christmas eve or Christmas day off) at the local grocery store helping people hail taxi's and with groceries--for tips.


This is a "primo" which means cousin.


(L-R) A cousin, and Oscar and Alonso, getting dressed after swimming!

More Cousins...






The worst thing about today was the cousins who asked "what about me?" when I gave out gifts. There simply were not enough toys and pairs of shoes to go around. It was really heartbreaking.

Alonso and his nephew Omar.

Sergio. Probably the most worriesome kid. He has lesions on his face, looks terribly malnurished. I realized today that I know the "rich" members of the family. Sergio comes from the sister with the obvious poorest family. They looked really bad and ate away from the rest of the family. It was pretty sad.




This cousin is washing her socks. She uses body soap and pounds it against a rock. The lake is considered extremely polluted. The "Gringo's" rarely go near it.



My buddy Oscar and his new football.




Ererik in the middle with his cousins.


Grandma (Abuelo).


This is the sister with the poorest family. Breastfeeding another baby.

Sergio

Christmas Dinner.





















This is the grandmother and her three daughters. Alejandra is on the left. She is the mother of my friends, Alonso, Oscar and Ererik.

Sister, Alejandro (mother), Serafin (father), Fatima (sister), Teresa (sister in law), Omar (teresa's son), in front is Ererik, Alfonso. Oscar was not in photo, and the other son/brother, Teresa's husband, isn the US working.





Above is Alejandra. The boys mother.

Serafina and his son, Ererik

Ererik



Ererik trying on his new shoes. They fit!

Alonso. His smile melts my heart. He is 12 and the eldest brother. When I left them, Alejandra asked if I would take him with me, and deliver him to work. I can't believe I took a 12 year old to work on Christmas day...