Painting starts... Day 2

Today was the day - today painting started. Ooo how to describe it.... A MESS. For some reason painting looks way easier than it actually is. The task today was to paint the outside wall; it was just a cement wall and definitely did not represent how lively the Casa is on the inside. So first step, primer. Now who would have thought that so much mess could come from just moving brushes and rollers up and down a wall? Well, we definitely found out first hand, especially Marcia (sorry Marcia, but you were a mess). I did not know that it was possible to get paint all over yourself as well as everyone around you. After a grueling 3-4 hours of two coats of primer we were done with step 1.

Afterwards it was lunch time and to be honest it was a good time, not just because of the great food but because we were all sitting together at the table: all of us from Bryant but also all of the madres. To me this was wonderful because we were actually getting the chance to interact little by little with them. This was only the start of how special this day was to me and I am pretty sure to everyone else too.

After a lot of cleaning and some playing time with the kids, it was time to really get involved with the madres and, in a way, a chance to let them know that we were there for them as well. Everything started with a little session of kick around with the balon (soccer ball). Then as more of then madres kept coming out from the workshop and the kitchen and wherever else they were, the kick session turned into passing around the volleyball. But then Pilar stop the game and we began another game, we passed the ball around and whoever had the ball shared something about themselves.

This is where things got a little interesting - this is where we all got a little more info as to why things in the Casa are the way they are. There were madres that were 14 years old and their kids were already 3 years old (you do the math). Even though we all knew how it is here at the Casa, it was at this time when we all saw a whole other reality: the madres are actually just girls. As we all looked around at each other there was an unspoken unanimous understanding: none of us would ever be able to handle the responsibilities these girls have at such a young age, which they never asked for in the first place. Nevertheless, however any of our lives turn out, I can say for myself and everyone else here that the respect we have for these girls is indescribable. And we are all really grateful that we have the chance to be able to lend a hand to those needed.

Either way we are reminded of how good we all have and an eye-opener that although we all may complain how bad we have it, there are people that have it worse.

-Chris Flores