From Lice to Laughter

Hello again.  This weekend was my sixth weekend in Bolivia.  Many things have already changed, both emotionally and physically for me.  As I write this, I am sitting in the same spot as I wrote my last blog post, my bed.  I have a beautiful view of the mountains from my bedroom, something I greatly appreciate.  I grew up at the base of mountains, so it is a welcoming site.  It is a rainy spring day outside, so rainy that we couldn´t go to the park today (something I always look forward to doing).  The seasons are opposite here, so we are in the second month of spring.  The weather in Cochabamba (at least thus far) has been similar to Southern CA.  It has been hot certain days, but not the humid hot I experienced in Honduras.  We have had been told that the rainiest months are January and February, which will be summer here.  We may even get some snow on the local mountains.

What has happened since my last blog post?  I have had lice, turned 31, fallen while walking in the city, found a good running path...and oh yea, made some connections with awesome Bolivian girls.

My first weekend in Bolivia happened to be the last weekend for Angela Rossi, the previous Salesian Lay Missioner.  We hit the ground running when we arrived, literally.  Judy and I got picked up from the airport and were greeted with hugs and flowers from some of the girls from the Hogar.  We rode back to the Hogar in the back of the pickup truck.  It was actually a nice welcome, riding in the back of a pickup truck again.  Once at the Hogar, we were shown our rooms.  We put our luggage down and immediately went back into the city.  Angela only had two days to show us the ropes, so we went with her to take some of the girls to ballet.  The next day, we had Mass at 7 am.  The last Saturday of each month a priest comes to the Hogar to say Mass for the girls, hermanas and volunteers.  That afternoon was the going away lunch for Angela, and in a way, the welcoming lunch for Judy and myself.  That evening, all 58 girls at the Hogar performed various dances in honor of Angela's 14 months of service at the Hogar.  That was a nice introduction to Bolivian culture.  They even did a dance that's specific to Cochabamba.  The next day was First Communion Sunday.  Some of the girls' families were able to travel to the Hogar for the First Communion Mass and lunch.  After the lunch, it was time to say good-bye to Angela Rossi and her traveling companion, Malia (another SLM).  They both had completed their time in Bolivia, and were off to see Chile for three weeks before returning back to the United States.  In honor of Angela Rossi's last day in Cochabamba, the electricity went out.  Incidentally, the electricity has not gone out again since that day, but I have my flashlight at the ready for the next power outage.

Highlights of my first week in Bolivia: Semana Blanca.  The girls' First Communion was on my first Sunday here.  Every day that week they were invited to an evening Mass in their First Communion clothes.  I had the opportunity to accompany them on the Monday of that week.  That gave me a chance to have some conversations with the girls who had just made their First Communions.  It made me feel nice that I got to accompany them one evening.  They don't live near their families, but it's important to have someone support you when you have just made this important Sacrament.

The next weekend was much quieter than our first weekend.  There was no going away party, no big lunch for First Communions.  We were introduced to doing chores with the girls on Saturday mornings.  After chores, it was discovered that Judy and myself both had lice.  I had gone 30 years without ever having lice, but after my first full week in Bolivia, I had lice.  Anna, the German volunteer at the Hogar, had some potent lice shampoo.  We had to leave it in our hair for about 45 minutes before rinsing it out.  I have to admit, I was a little sad at that point.  I have since learned that having lice is a normal part of living here.  It's a constant cycle.  I personally have not had lice again, but some girls seem to have it every week. They are in the bedsheets, towels, combs.  Some of the girls have received new bedsheets, and that has helped.  Thankfully, there are donations that come into the Hogar for such things.  The next day, Monica came to visit us. Monica spent 11 months in the Hogar and signed up for a second year in Cochabamba, but was placed in a different Hogar.  It was nice to meet and talk with her.

Highlights of my second week in Bolivia: Going to Mass on the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi.  It was last minute, as many things are in Cochabamba. I was walking through the door after returning back to the Hogar with my group of ballet dancers.  Some of the older girls were leaving for the Feast Day Mass and asked me if I wanted to go.  I said yes and found myself in the back of the pickup truck again.  We went to a different church than we normally go to.  Both the Mass and the church were beautiful.

The next weekend was my birthday weekend.  My birthday fell on a Saturday, so I got to sleep in a little bit.  Even though it wasn't the last Saturday of the month, we had Mass.  That was a nice start to my birthday.  Plus, how many people can say within the first hour of waking up on your birthday you have over 50 people telling you Happy Birthday?  Maybe throughout the day you would have that many people send you birthday greetings, but usually not within the first hour of waking up.  After Mass we had breakfast.  I went to clean my breakfast plates after eating and discovered a wonderful birthday present.  The water had been shut off.  That meant that instead of doing the normal bathing of the girls in the showers upstairs, we did it outside with cold water.  When the water gets shut off at the Hogar, that means there is no water inside the building, but there is still water outside.  After we bathed the girls outside, it was time for me to get ready for my lunch with my friend from Bible Study.  I got to experience a nice bucket shower, something I hadn't done since Honduras.  Gonzalo came to pick up Judy and myself for a lunch on the town.  After lunch, we walked around the city for a while and came across a church with a wedding taking place.  We waited outside to catch a glimpse of the happy couple as they came out of the church.  We dropped Judy back off at the Hogar, and then Gonzalo and myself went to a concert at a local church.  It was a variety of performers, some of them barely old enough to hold their instruments. The concert was a unique experience.  After the concert, I thought my birthday was over.  Gonzalo walked me back to the Hogar. I planned to go upstairs and read and then go to bed.  One of the older girls came running to greet me.  She said something had arrived for me at the Hogar while I was at the concert.  She came walking towards me with my package. It turns out, my mom had gone online to find a florist in Cochabamba. My mom sent flowers, a balloon and a card to the Hogar.  The older girl was all smiles when she handed it to me.  She could tell it was something important. I was shocked. I had not expected that at all.  I really thought my birthday was over at that point. I changed into my pajamas.  Soon thereafter, I head a knock on my door. I opened the door and there was one of the girls.  All the lights had been turned off.  She told me to come downstairs.  As I was walking down the stairs, the girls started singing Happy Birthday to me, first in English then in Spanish.  After the song, they all lined up to give me a birthday hug.  Then, they gave me my present, which were two Bolivian shirts, one purple and one white.  I was so touched.  Also, Anna and Judy made a cake for me while I was at the concert.  Even though I was away from my family, it was a wonderful birthday. I remember walking back up the stairs knowing full well that my birthday will be one of my great memories.  The next day, to continue with the birthday celebrations, we took the girls to the Jardin Botanical.

Highlights of my third week in Bolivia:  The Jardin Botanical was a nice treat.  The Jardin Botanical is a short bus ride from the Hogar. Not every girl could come that particular day, so I know we will be back in upcoming weeks.  Going to the Jardin Botanical gave us a chance to do our normal Sunday routine, but in a different location.  We played card games with the girls, we played various sports, we talked, but all the while, surrounded by the many plants and flowers the Jardin Botanical has to offer visitors.

The next weekend we had water again!  This helped with the Saturday morning chores and bathing the girls.  We were expecting some visitors from Germany, so the chores were done extra well this day.  This weekend gave me an opportunity to really sit down with some of the older girls for a few hours and talk with them.  We talked about boys, of course.  Just because these girls are in an orphanage does not mean they do not ever encounter boys.  Just like when I went to an all girls high school, the girls have opportunities to interact with boys. I got to hear about who is “going out.”  Actually, some of the oldest girls (18 and up) are allowed to date.  I was glad to hear that.  Both Saturday and Sunday gave me a chance to really interact with some of the older girls.  I feel like I made some connections that weekend.

Highlights of fourth week in Bolivia: Meeting the Germans that came to visit for two weeks.  They have been sponsoring one of the girls, Mercedes, for eight years now.  This was the first opportunity they had to come and visit Bolivia.  They did many projects around the orphanage, including installing new windows in the entire orphanage.  This was a grand project, indeed.  It was nice to get to know them because it gave me a better picture of the girls' lives.  Some of the girls have no contact with their biological parents (not all, only some), so the people that sponsor them are important adults in their lives.

The next weekend the Germans took us out on the town.  We did our regular Saturday morning duties of chores and bathing the girls.  After our duties were completed, we were off to downtown Cochabamba.  We showed the Germans some of our favorite places to eat and shop downtown, including the Cafe Paris and a traditional Mexican restaurant.  We visited the Concha, which is South America's largest outdoor shopping area.  We were able to see one of Anna's friends, Enzo, play in a volleyball tournament.  The next day, the Germans made a traditional German apple dessert, which was excellent.

Highlights of my fifth week in Bolivia: Talking with my friend Colleen on Skype.  After I talked with her, I had a different perspective on my time here.  It's easy to say this, and quite another thing to live it.  It's not so important as to the exact amount of time I spend here, it's important on how I spend my time while I am here.  The Germans were here two weeks, but they definitely made an impact on these girls, and on the volunteers.  I can be here for one full year, but if I am not embracing different opportunities to interact with the girls and people in my community, then it won't matter how long I am here.

I have talked a lot about the weekends, so here is a snapshot of what Monday-Friday looks like at the Hogar.  I wake up and come downstairs around 6:30 am.  From 6:30-7:30, the girls get ready for school, eat breakfast and do their morning chores (the only day the girls don't do chores is Sunday).  At 7:30, the girls line up for prayer.  After prayer, they are off to school.  I usually eat breakfast at this time, though I have often had a piece of fruit or something while I am walking around making sure the girls are doing what they are supposed to be doing.  My duties have changed already in the time that I have been here.  Previously, after breakfast, I was working with the three kinder girls. Two weeks ago, that changed (thankfully!)  Now, I am working with some of the older girls that go to school in the afternoons.  We not only work on English, but also on History and other Social Sciences.  Sorry girls, I can't help you with the Algebra. I barely got through it myself, and I certainly can't explain it in Spanish.  I work with the girls for about 3 hours.  Then, I go upstairs to get the three kinder girls ready for school.  This involves showering them, putting on their uniform and doing their hair.  After this is done, it is time for lunch.  After lunch, I usually have a little time to myself.  I can check my email at this time, run, read, do laundry, take a nap.  At 1:45, we find the three kinder girls to ensure they have everything they need for school (backpack, big notebook, pencils).  At 2, we walk the three kinder girls to school.  Depending on when we get back from dropping the three kinder girls off to school, I have another pocket of free time.  At 3 pm., the older girls that went to school in the morning have returned. We have homework time from 3-6.  At 6 pm., we gather in the chapel to say the Rosary together.  At 7, we have dinner. After dinner, we go back upstairs to put the three kinder girls to bed.  After they are in bed, I am off duty.  We are hoping that once the three kinder girls go to first grade, our duties can technically end after the Rosary which would be lovely.  That means, we would be off duty around 7, instead of 8:30 pm.  I think it would make a huge difference.  The day will still be longer than the traditional 8 or 9 hour workday, but the responsibility of putting the three kinder girls to bed is just a bit much.  Vamos a ver.

Two days a week, I take a group of ballet dancers to their class in the city.  This means, I get free time while they are in ballet class.  I have discovered a lovely Italian cafe, where I sit and have a fabulous cup of coffee to wait for the girls' class to end.  I have my ballet classes on Tuesdays and Fridays.  On Wednesdays, I have my Bible Study.  I leave at 6:30 for Mass and then have my Study from 7:30-9.  We have a retreat soon, which is will give me an opportunity to get to know the people in my Bible Study on a different level.  Thursdays are my day off.  Sundays we have Mass at 9:30 am. 

I have found that I almost prefer Monday-Friday to the weekends.  There is a structure to Monday-Friday that I can appreciate.  Yes, the days are long and full of activities, but I have found a certain rhythm to the days. Every weekend here has been a little bit different.  In a way, that's a good thing.  We have had some nice surprises, like the day the Germans wanted to take us out in the city.  On the other hand, it's difficult to be in a situation like this not knowing what to expect.  I basically know what is expected of me Monday-Friday, but I am learning what the sisters want from me on the weekends.  Is it OK to take a little free time for myself after the girls finish their chores?  Or am I expected to entertain these girls all the time? That's what we are trying to figure out, and we have not received a clear answer.  Between the three of us, there is always someone with the girls, and we often find ourselves doing similar activities with them.  As time progresses, I know a certain schedule will develop for all the days of the week.

While this experience is overall much more positive than Honduras, there have been problems.  No volunteer experience is perfect.  If I could combine elements of my Honduran experience (like having my own house) with this experience, I would. Obviously, that's not possible.  Certain things will not change the entire time I am here.  It is up to me to accept the situation as it is, rather than spending my time here complaining about something.  That's not only something that will be helpful to my life in Bolivia, but to my life after Bolivia.  Again, it's easier to say these things than to actually do them.  But if I can learn this lesson at 31, that's a good thing.  Living in community is not easy, but a vital part of this experience.  My basic personality is not going to change, but there are small things I can do on a daily basis to be a better community member. 

Bottom line, I am not upset that I made this decision to come to Bolivia.  I already know I will be  stronger person because of it.  I don't think I want to be an overseas missionary for the rest of my life, but that I can still have a missionary spirit when I return back to the United States.  That is something Just Faith taught me.  We don't have to live and work in rural Honduras or a Bolivian orphanage to be a missionary.  However, I needed to completely get out of my comfort zone, and completely our of my comfort zone I am!  Waking up every day to 58 girls literally outside of my bedroom door is not something I ever thought I would experience. Working where you live is not easy.  There are advantages of course. I never have to worry about being late for work because of traffic, but at the end of the day, even when I am in my room, I can still here the girls working on homework or whatever it is they are doing.  You never shut off entirely.  To a certain extent, I always feel like I am on duty with the girls.  You could run yourself ragged working with the girls, and I need to know my limits.  There are times where the best thing I can do for the girls is to go upstairs to read a book, refreshing my mind and body.

From lice to laughter...I have laughed many times since I have been here, and I´m talking truly laughing.  I never allowed myself to laugh in Honduras, which was a big part of my problem.  It´s hard living and working in the Hogar.  The work with the girls is demanding, but that does not mean some of it can´t be fun.  Showering kinder girls isn´t what I would call fun exactly, but dancing with them when there is music playing is fun.  Sometimes it´s just a moment of laughter, but that moment can sustain me for a long time.  On the other side of the coin, there will be moments where I do not feel like laughing, and I need to allow myself to experience those emotions too.  

Thank you for for reading this blog.  I appreciate every kind word, thought and prayer sent my way.

La Paz de Cristo,

Angela

From Claremont to Cochabamba

Thank you for reading my blog.  I have to admit, I am doing this just as much for myself as for all of you.  I did not keep a blog in Honduras, and it is something I wish I had done.  I am going to keep a journal as well, but this is a good way for me to get my thoughts out too.  I can go back and read my posts when I get home (home, a foreign concept at this point).  I never thought I would be a blogger, but I also never thought I would be living in a Bolivian orphanage taking care of Bolivian children.

No one just decides to become an overseas missioner.  The process of getting here is lengthy, so I won't explain every detail, but it all started when a good friend of mine suggested I teach Confirmation.  She waited until she knew I was ready to delve deeper into my faith (which is why she was so good at her job).  I started teaching Confirmation and that led me to volunteer with the youth group at my parish in Claremont.  From there, I started going on retreats, helping out with the midweek Bible Study.  Through my volunteer work, I was invited to be a pilgrim in Turkey and attend World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia.  In addition to Turkey and Australia, I have been to Europe twice, one time I went to mainland Europe and the other time I went to the United Kingdom.  You would think all of this traveling would be sufficient, right?  I thought so too, at first, but as soon as I would come home I would have a longing for something else.  I wasn't quite sure what that was, but the longing was constant, to the point where I was waking up in the middle of the night thinking about it.

In 2008, I was invited to be a Just Faith participant.  I had no idea what Just Faith would do to me.  Just Faith has changed my life forever, no exaggerating. Just Faith is a thirty week social justice study, where I learned about Catholic social teaching and people such as Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton.  While in Just Faith, we talked about what is really means to be a missioner. Does it involve leaving your country to live in rural Honduras or a Bolivian orphanage?  Of course not.  You can be a missioner without leaving your own city.  I used those thirty weeks of Just Faith as discernment for what being a missioner meant to me.  For me, at this point in my life, it does mean leaving the United States and moving overseas.  The longing was there for a long time, but it was Just Faith that brought that longing to the surface. 

In between all of my volunteer work at my parish in Claremont and Just Faith, I have been fortunate to know both domestic and overseas missioners.  When I say this has been a process, I mean it.  For as long as I can remember, I have known people that have done mission work, both religious and lay people.  Through their stories, I began to get ideas of what it would really be like to live overseas.  I had plenty of time to let this concept sink into my head before I actually started applying.

My first thought was to go into the Peace Corps.  After a lengthy application process, I was accepted into the Peace Corps (no easy feat by the way).  My gut instinct was telling me I belonged in Latin America, but at that time my Spanish wasn't good enough.  The Peace Corps wanted to put me in Eastern Europe, a place I would like to visit one day, but I did not feel called to live there for 27 months (the standard Peace Corps commitment).  I went back to the drawing board, so to speak.  I came across a website called Catholic Network Volunteer Service.  It hit me like a ton of bricks that, duh! I needed to be with a Catholic community.  How could I leave my country for an extended amount of time and not be able to celebrate my faith?  Thank goodness that website exists.

After searching the website, I came across the organization I was with in Honduras.  While the experience in Honduras was not what I thought it would be at all, I absolutely do not regret it.  In fact, as I type this blog, there is a pain in my heart for Honduras.  Even though I did not like my job in Honduras (which turned out to be quite problematic for all involved), there were certain aspects of my time in Honduras that I absolutely loved. I know that is hard to believe given how many times I cried while in Honduras, but not everything was awful.  There was an unconventional beauty to the city.  It was in Honduras that I truly learned how to live in community.  My roommates should receive a medal for how patient they were with me.  It was in Honduras that I started running, something I have kept up with very nicely.  It was in Honduras that I really started speaking Spanish. I had a decent understanding of Spanish before I left for Honduras (there are one or two Spanish speakers in CA).  But prior to Honduras, I had never had a lengthy conversation with someone in Spanish.  By the end of my service in Honduras, I was praying in Spanish. I would conjugate verbs in my head while running. I had dreams in Spanish.  I read a book of poetry in Spanish. I could understand the homilies better at Mass.  More importantly than any of that, though, I listened to God.  He told me it was time to come home in March, which was heartbreaking.  It was the best decision at the time, but not an easy one to make.  In fact, the decision was pretty much made for me, I just picked the exact day I would leave.  Coming home from Honduras left me with a huge pain in my heart, one that still exists.  I don't know when it will go away, but I can close my eyes and see the house I lived in and see the school and the church.  Again, that may be hard for some people to believe given how miserable I was, especially at the end, but I had never wanted anything so badly in my life. Before I could blink my eyes, I was at the Teguc airport with my luggage feeling completely defeated and lost in life.  I didn't belong in Honduras anymore, but I didn't belong in California either.  It was a terrible feeling, one I hope to never experience again.  I learned the meaning of man without a country.

Thankfully, ten days after I came home from Honduras, were Youth Day and the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress.  Congress, like Just Faith, has been instrumental in forming my faith.  It is the only thing I can see myself coming home for my year in Bolivia, but flights are too expensive so it probably won't happen.  However, if some airline happens to run a great deal for a round trip flight from Cochabamba to LA, I'm at Youth Day and Congress in 2012!  I'll keep checking for a good deal on flights.

As I said, Congress was shortly after I arrived home from Honduras, thanks be to God. It was the best possible place for me to be.  Seriously, I can't imagine a better way to try and heal from the pain of leaving Honduras. There is so much stimulation at Congress; a person can't dwell on anything for too long, at least for the weekend.  After Congress, I had a renewed sense of purpose in life.  It wasn't like a magic wand had been waved and all of a sudden I was healed from Honduras, but Congress gave me the strength to put myself back out there, so to speak.  I knew I would not be a good employee to anyone, so I lived off my savings while looking for the next volunteer assignment.

I should mention that my cousins took me into their apartment at this crucial time.  I remember writing on Regina's Facebook as I was getting ready to leave Honduras that I was a five foot ball of tears.  Who wants that in their house?  But they took me in, no questions asked.  And I was indeed a five foot ball of tears some days.  Thankfully, baseball season was right around the corner, a welcome distraction to my pondering.  I would sit and listen to VIN and read about various volunteer organizations.  A tiny bit of light was peeping through the darkness that enveloped me when I came home from Honduras.

I went to Colorado for a few days to visit some good friends who live in Fort Collins.  I had never been to Colorado before, so it was a new adventure.  While talking with my friend in Colorado, it became absolutely evident that I needed to go back out there and try to volunteer again.  My friend lived in CA for two years, and we met through an online group.  The group hiked, so that's how we got to know each other.  While we would hike, she would talk to me about her upcoming wedding, and I would talk about my desire to volunteer abroad.  Going to Colorado was such a relief because I knew when I got home I wanted to hit the ground running on my volunteer applications.

Hit the ground running I did.  I had received a book from Congress that lists various Catholic volunteer assignments. I started going through the book and began applying to organizations that had openings in Latin America. After Honduras, I knew I wanted to keep up with the Spanish.  I worked too hard to learn it, and it is such a relief to be able to enter a country already knowing the language.  I can make connections with people right away, rather than months and months into my volunteer assignment.  This is how I came across the Salesian Lay Missioners, the group I am serving with in Bolivia.

Everything fell into place. I had two phone interviews, and after the second phone interview I was invited to attend a discernment weekend.  There had been a discernment weekend in Berkeley in March, which obviously would have made the most sense for me to attend geographically.  But I missed that one, so I got to make a whirlwind trip to South Orange, New Jersey in June.  Everything happens for a reason. If I had not gone to the South Orange, New Jersey discernment weekend, I would not have met Judy (who is my partner in crime in Bolivia).  We clicked right away, and the Sunday morning of the discernment weekend she just came right up to me and asked if we could serve together in Bolivia.  Of course, that made me happy, that someone wanted to serve with me.

I came home from South Orange, New Jersey with a lot of thinking to do.  I had to discern if serving a year in South America was the right decision for me.  Even though the discernment weekend went well, no decision could be made by any party quite yet.  So here I was, trying to discern if serving in South America would be the best thing to do at this point in my life, and I actually got to go to South America to do just that.  To backtrack a little, when I went to Congress in March, I saw an advertisement for scholarships to Peru for an immersion experience with the Columbans.  Having just come back from Honduras with my newfound Spanish abilities, I applied for the scholarship.  There were three scholarships available for much more than three applicants, but I ended up receiving one of the scholarships.  I came home from South Orange, New Jersey late on a Sunday night and left for Peru the following Friday.  

Peru confirmed what I was pretty sure of, but couldn't verbalize during the discernment weekend with great clarity.  The two weeks in Peru went wonderfully, so I said yes to the invitation to attend the month long Salesain Lay Missioner Orientation in New York.

After officially being accepted with the Salesain Lay Missioners, I booked my round trip ticket from LA to NY for Orientation.  The Salesian offices are in New Rochelle, New York, a train ride away from Manhattan.  The first Orientation stop was in Ossining, New York.  Ossining was the site for our MISO training (Maryknoll International Service Orientation).  After Ossining, we were off to Port Chester to work at two summer day camps.  After Port Chester, I was off to Stony Point for a weeklong retreat.  But I was not about to travel all the way to NY without going into Manhattan, something I was able to do several times during the month I was East.  Andy and I had been in Manhattan when all the lights went out on the Eastern Seaboard (an experience in and of itself). Even though I had been to NYC before, it was still exciting to spend some time in Manhattan.  Between the Orientation and my time in Manhattan, I was exhausted but filled with excitement for Bolivia.  I met incredible people during my Orientation.  Even though we are in different countries now, we are still in each other's hearts. Orientation was an intense experience, one that prepared me well for Bolivia.  I appreciate any organization that has you go through an Orientation.

When I turned on my computer tonight, I thought I would delve into my life at the Hogar. But I would like to be here more time before I start sharing reflections on how I feel about Bolivia, the girls, the culture, the Hogar and my role here.  I arrived safely on the afternoon of 9/23, after spending one day in Miami.  My first week in Bolivia has been spent trying to learn the schedule and how to do laundry by hand without completely destroying your clothes.  I can say that it is already not at all what I pictured, but that's not a bad thing in the least.

While I don't want to talk about the Hogar quite yet, I will share one story.  I walk the three kinder girls to school every afternoon.  One afternoon this week it started raining (it is spring in Bolivia).  I had done laundry that morning, so my clothes were outside drying.  I thought I would have to run out and bring everything in as soon as I got back to the Hogar.  To my joy, the girls did it for me.  Instead of running out to get their own clothes of the line, they ran out to get mine.  Not only did they do get my clothes off the line, they hung up my clothes inside instead of leaving them in a wet heap.  They could have saved their own clothes, but they saved my clothes instead.  Entonces, me voy.

Gracias por leer mis pensamientos.  Es importante y necesario para mí a compartir mi vida aquí con Ustedes.

Paz,

Ángela Marie