The Sky is Bigger Here.

 

As we arrived in San Cristobal, I noticed the houses—mostly concrete with some metal shacks dispersed throughout. All the concrete had beautiful paint and architecture, but was obviously eroding. As we passed storefronts, music blared and locals turned and waved. The orphanage, which to me is sub-standard living at best, seems almost better than these rundown dwellings. It is a haven for the boys. Though they don’t have families, they have a place to run around and be loved. My stomach had butterflies as I walked off the bus. Then I saw Algenis, a boy I became close to last year, and his face lit up. We hugged.

 

A brief summary: Woke up, ate breakfast (pineapple, eggs, oatmeal, bread), played outside with the little boys, ate lunch (soup, bread, pineapple), went to San Cristobal to buy paint, painted the bus and murals (Noah’s ark and a height chart), ate dinner (chicken, pineapple, rice), played soccer and basketball, washed hair in a bucket. Funny thing that happened today: A little boy said I look like a horse because I always have people on my back.

 

Yesterday we went on a hike, which really closed the gap with the older boys. The church we hiked to had a view that was breathtaking. It was raw beauty, including the burning trash and tree stumps that frequent the landscape. Later we had a water fight. My friends and I ran around with the older boys and it was so much fun until I realized what a waste it was. Water is very scarce; we try to flush our toilet only once a day, at night. That is something I take for granted in America, and I struggle to remember it when I am having a good time.

 

I think Algenis has dyslexia, as well as Eddie (a 16-year-old boy). Sometimes I think about all the aid and attention given in America to people with ADD, ADHD, and dyslexia. That is inconceivable here.

 

But the sky here is bigger. So is my heart. I don’t like the words “community service” because you receive just as much, if not more, than you give. It’s a love exchange, however cheesy that sounds.

 

I think a lot of people back home want me to say how rundown this place is, how much they need, how hard it is. But they have a lot. You can’t compare two cultures and places that are so different. For these boys, La Suiza is like heaven. When they talk about how big it is and how much they love it, it’s hard for us to talk about how bad it is.

 

It is not our place to change it. What is really needed is money so more boys can experience this place instead of living on the streets or when their family cannot take care of them. Last year there were 40 boys; now there are 25.

 

I want to start a non-profit so I am not just playing, but actually helping. La Suiza needs a new bus. And their beds are only frames topped with thin, broken squares of wood, mattresses that are unthinkably thin, and one sheet and no pillow. The boys keep their few belongings in a miniscule drawer or under their mattress. But the biggest problem of all is water. I don’t know how we can improve this. Maybe we could build a well?