November 20, 2011

The Last Whiteys on the Block

Today, our beloved little car is back in our yard!  YIPPEE!  Just in time for my x-rays and follow-up appointment with the surgeon in Asuncion tomorrow.  The girls have been busy helping the volunteer English teacher Dana, our next-door neighbor for the last 8 months, pack up and move back to the US.  She just boarded her plane a few minutes ago.


Before Dana left, her elementary and middle school students from Escuela Tape Pyahu (grades preschool through 8th) put on a little show to demonstrate what they'd learned.  The little ones sang songs with motions, pointed out their body parts, and counted.  The older ones (including Camille and Caroline) acted out conversations and skits.  Afterward, Dana had prepared some American-style snacks for the teachers, parents, and students to enjoy--cookie bars, chicken salad, and PB&J sandwiches.  It was a hit!

I'm so proud of my girls for how they've jumped in to help out here in Itaugua.  I feel so bad about how immobile I am, and how I'm not able to get up and do more when help is needed.  The two youngest Hagermans have stepped up, though, and it's cool to watch them come into their own.  They sometimes get in this awkward spot between being "one of the kids" and "one of the adults" here, since their roles overlap now and then, but all-in-all this has been a year of maturing and learning more responsibility.  Balancing ministry opportunities with homeschooling, chores, and the normal kid-stuff has been a challenge, or maybe just another chance to hone their planning and organizational skills.  :)

We are now officially the last Americans living on the grounds of Hogar Ganar, meaning our Spanish should get back to normal.  It had suffered a bit since we'd moved here and spoken much more English than we'd been used to, but it was worth it to form relationships with the other Americans who've lived here, too.   

No comments:

Post a Comment

Wanna leave a comment? Be nice, please, and if you can't, at least leave your email address...