Day 13.

Observations:

-Computer classes started today! I was very impressed by the girls' quick learning. The hardest thing for them so far has been controlling the mouse.

-My tica mom was telling me stories about a family she knows from Cuba. Their daughter had to get her wisdom teeth pulled without anesthetics. Apparently there is no soap available; all they use is lard.

-Quote: "Love and business and family and religion and art and patriotism are nothing but shadows of words when a man's starving." --O. Henry

-Did you know that 7 million people die every year from hunger-related deaths? That's all of Seattle. Times about twelve. Think about that when my little brother asks for 30 Hour Famine donations this year.

-At this point, I'm starting to really know the girls, to see their character start to flesh out. I still have problems with names of course (Y, J, and G are all interchangeable, but can be pronounced differently. With names like Maryeling, Yani, Griselda, Yerania, and Jani that gets kinda tricky), but I feel like I can see who they are as people, not as people I'm trying to help. I think that's what people miss out on when they do short term mission trips for 10 or 12 days. They make good, but they don't necessarily make good friends.

-For the first time in my entire life, I actually used a bookmark. Usually I just use scraps of paper, but today I used a "Dumbledore's Army" bookmark that my Aunt Natalie gave me. It rocks.

-I didn't know it was possible to breast-feed and drive. Now I know.

-During lunch, a little girl (the adorable one in the black and white photo) found a piece of used gum on the sidewalk and was playing with it. I told her repeatedly to not do that, that it was dirty and had been in some one's mouth. She just kept pulling it apart while I kept saying "Throw it over there! Throw it away!" So then she threw it. Onto my plate of food.

-I still ate lunch today.

-Hannah