Friends and family frequently ask me what my favorite part
is about being at Amigos de Jesus. I always tell them the kids. But it is one
little girl in particular, who has really made an impact on my year here at
amigos.
It was a hot day at the end of August, only a couple weeks
after I first arrived at Amigos, that Jose (a fellow volunteer) and I traveled
to San Pedro Sula to bring home to Amigos a brother and sister from the state
run orphanage. I remember being introduced to Susana (6 years old) and her brother
Alexis (10 years old) and Susana jumping into my arms for a hug with a shy
smile. That smile didn’t leave her face for most of the day as we got to eat a
big lunch of fried chicken followed by ice-cream at the mall, pick out her own
pair of underwear, and listen to one of her favorite song’s “Ai se eu te pego”
on the car-ride to Amigos (which is in Portuguese but she changes the lyrics so
that they’re in Spanish...ai chucho perro).
Her smile grew even bigger as we made the turn on the path to Amigos when
someone pointed out to her the big white cross on the hill. She was home,
although she didn’t quite know what that meant yet.
Throughout the next few months, part of my job at the school
was tutoring Susana and Alexis everyday and helping them acclimate to their new
roles as students in the school. Our first tutoring session involved more
crying and a dejected head resting on the desk than it did learning. The first
few weeks were a repeat of our first session. It was so difficult to see her
struggling so much. Susana got frustrated easily as she was behind and not used
to being in a school setting (in addition to being the only girl at the school)
and it seemed that she really did not enjoy being there. She was very overwhelmed
to say the least. But little by little, she would begin to get that spark in
her eye. I think that one of the turning points for her was the day that Exon,
our oldest boy at the hogar (who has special needs) taught her how to color in
the lines. Anytime I needed her to revert back from her haphazard coloring to
do the careful work that Exon had taught her was to say “color like Exon” and
she would get a huge toothless smile on her face and patiently work. Before I
knew it, Susana was asking me everyday when we were going to be able to go back
to school to do tareas and on the
weekends she would ask me how many days were left until Monday when we could go
back to school to work together. She was a totally different student and from
that point on, she began to learn things quickly that used to take her
countless weeks to learn (like recognizing colors, the letters in the alphabet,
etc.). She still struggled sometimes, but she knew that she could eventually do
it. That made all of the difference with her.
I should comment that Susana is quite the singer and dancer.
We always know when Susana is near because you can hear her singing some song
to herself (and probably giggling with her crazy laugh). One day, a little bit
after she learned how to “color like Exon,” I decided it was time that Susana
knew how to spell her own name. She still did not know most of the alphabet in
Spanish, so I made up a little dance (using the Macarena dance motions) to help
her remember the six letters in her name. We practiced it a bunch of times so
that she wouldn’t forget. After she was adequately rehearsed, we went to show
it to others during recess: S-U-S-A-N-A…Susana!! The smile on her face grew
bigger and bigger each time someone praised her for the great work she did. In
no time, the entire hogar could hear
this little chant being recited, not only by Susana, but soon by all of the chiquitos (the littlest kids) at Amigos.
All anybody has to say now is S-U and all of us will finish spelling her name
in our head without thinking.
Susana is a determined girl, full of so much love and
passion for life. She isn’t afraid to dance in the rain (literally), sing at
the top of her lungs, or run down the top of the hill from the cross. She looks
out for those younger than her and is always asking questions. She loves
learning (especially English) and after she learns words in a chant, she will
never forget it (“vaca-cow, arbol-tree”). One day, she asked me some question
to which I responded “because we are amigas
(friends).” Then she responded,
“No Cristina, it’s because we are hermanas
(sisters)” I truly do love all of the children at Amigos, but there is
something extremely special about S-U. It has been so incredible to see how
Susana has grown from the timid girl who did not like school in her first few
days at Amigos to the confident, intelligent, and loving girl she is today. She
has taught me so much about what it means to love and to live. Many people at
the hogar call her my hija (daughter) and some days I do feel
like that is what she is to me. Susana is a person who I am never going to
forget. So anytime you hear the two letters S-U put together, think of a
special little girl, not so far away in Honduras , who will finish the
phrase for you: S-A-N-A… Susana!
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