Nueva Esperanza

       For the final weekend of April, the 26th-28th, the world celebrated Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) 2013. GYSD is celebrated in six continents around the world every year on a weekend in April. It’s main goal is to “engage millions of young people, ages 5-25, especially those not usually asked to serve, in an early step on a life-long path of service and civic engagement” (http://www.gysd.org).  At Amigos de Jesus, we participated in GYSD by beginning a monthly relationship with a state run children’s home in San Pedro Sula called Nueva Esperanza (New Hope). Nueva Esperanza is a place that a number of our kids have lived at before coming to Amigos. Contrary to its name of “New Hope,” it is understaffed, under resourced, and has an institutional-feel as it is enclosed by barbed wire fences and there is not much open space in which the kids can play. Life at Nueva Esperanza is drastically different than the love-filled lives that the kids at Amigos experience.  Each month, a group of eight children from Amigos will visit Nueva Esperanza to spend time playing with, organizing games, and sharing of themselves with the children at Nueva Esperanza.

GYSD began about three weeks before the actual visit to the children’s home last Saturday. Originally, we were just thinking of taking one trip to visit Nueva Esperanza. Each week at Amigos, we have a spirituality night with the entire hogar. This particular spirituality night was all about service and sharing our gifts with others. After a reading from Matthew 25:35-40, we introduced the service trip idea to the children and broke them into groups to brainstorm what their gifts were and ways in which they could help the kids at Nueva Esperanza. Our kids responded so enthusiastically and brainstormed so many ideas that they wanted to share: games, songs, making cookies, making a piñata, writing cards, making bracelets, drawing pictures, giving of their own clothes, bringing photos of Amigos de Jesus, etc. One of the older kids even wanted to dress up as a clown to make the kids laugh and bring them candy. At the end of the spirituality night, we asked for the kids who were interested in going to Nueva Esperanza to form a line so that we could write their names down. Fifty five names later, nearly everyone who was present at the spirituality night was extremely interested in going.

Three weeks passed in anticipation. The kids asked me nearly daily if they could go on the trip and offered compelling reasons why they wanted to go: “I might have family there;” “I spent two years there and want to see if my friends are still there;” “I want to help the kids there because I know what it is like.” With the overwhelming number of kids and teens passionately interested in giving back and doing service, we decided to make the trips to Nueva Esperanza a monthly event.  The kids were ecstatic to hear this and continued to ask me when they would be able to go. In the next few weeks, the entire hogar eagerly anticipated the trip to Nueva Esperanza by coloring pictures, and writing cards with messages of love and hope to be delivered to the kids. The cards were so sweet with messages like: “I love you;” “always pray before you go to bed,” “behave well and listen to those who take care of you;” “always try hard in school;” “you are a princess.” The kids at Amigos really took a lot of thought and time creating these messages to send to their new friends at Nueva Esperanza.

The morning of Saturday April 27 began with a truck full of cards, a piñata, a soccer ball, and eight smiling children eagerly anticipating the 2 hour trip to San Pedro Sula to visit Nueva Esperanza. On the way, we stopped to pick up some treats to give out and our kids thoughtfully chose the snack that they thought the kids would like the most: little bags of marshmallows and cookies. As we passed through the large gate and barbed wired fence at Nueva Esperanza, a few little boys ran up to the car, eagerly anticipating the visitors. We looked for the person who was supposed to be taking care of the children, and could find no one. We went out back with the thirty unsupervised kids and told them a little bit about Amigos de Jesus and then the games begun.

At first, our kids were pretty shy as we began playing games like “mar/tierra” and ring toss. When I asked our kids why they weren’t playing, they said it’s because these games are for the kids at Nueva Esperanza, they get to play these games every week at the hogar. They didn’t want to take away from their fun. We then talked about sharing ourselves with the kids and getting to know the kids better as a form of service. After a little while, the kids started to warm up some more. Some organized a soccer game, others colored with some of the girls, others went to the baby room and helped to play with the babies and toddlers. The kids were so happy laughing and playing as kids should be.

 

The three hours we spent there passed quickly and before we knew it, it was time to break the piñata and say our goodbyes.  As we organized the kids from Nueva Esperanza in lines to receive their treat, our kids handed out the cards made by the entire hogar. Those who could read eagerly read their cards, and those who couldn’t were helped by our kids who could read or other adults. The cards had the photo of the Amigos sign on the front and the Nueva Esperanza kids were so curious about Amigos, asking our kids a bunch of questions about what it looks like, what life is like here. They were so grateful for our visit and said goodbye with hugs and questions of when we would return. One boy of about ten years, asked about one of our kids, Ivis, who was his friend and who had lived at Nueva Esperanza. When I told him that Ivis was doing very well with us, he asked if I could deliver him a message. He thought for a few minutes and then said with a caring face, “Take care of yourself. And your sister too. Take care of yourself.”

After our service trip, we pulled on the side of the road to have a little snack and reflect a little bit about the experience.  Each child shared what part of the day they liked best, and many commented on how they are so grateful for the life they have at Amigos. As soon as we arrived at Amigos, our kids asked me when they would be able to go again. They had a great trip serving others, and it was just another reminder to me of how truly great our kids are.

Kristin Mullen-Muhr
Amigos de Jesus Volunteer 2012-2013

Fishing with 4-year Olds

Each week in preschool Friday is set aside as a day for possible field trips (behavior and weather permitting.) Usually these trips are simply walks around the hogar. Some days we might just go to the basketball court to practice the alphabet in chalk, but when the kids have had a really great week of learning and participating we try and do something special with them.

This past week we caught word that the older boys working in agro were going to be fishing from our fish ponds. Padrino Wislon the co-director of Amigos de Jesus planned to take his son Thomas later in the day so we asked him if the whole class could go with them. He readily agreed and was excited to get to teach not just his son but the rest of the preschoolers how to fish. We ended class early and had the kids walk together to the fishery. The following pictures capture the action of our day:

 

Padrino Wilson Escoto (the director of Amigos) starting us off by tossing the net into the pond for Brayan and Thomas

 

Brayan looking a little apprehensive (and excited!) about the first catch of the day.

 

Brayan and Cindy are pulling in the net while others look on.

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Here's Kristin and Jaime. She needed a little hug to help warm her up to the idea of fishing.

 

Cindy was so excited to get her turn fishing.

 

And so was Maynor. Look at that haul! 

 

Jaime finally decided that she wanted to try fishing too.

 

A picture of Mayor, clearly pleased with himself and having a blast.

 

 

Here is the whole class(minus me!) close to the end of our field trip. Fran from the BECA schools was visiting us that day, she helped to make sure everyone stayed safe around the pond.

 

Here are the fish we caught (plus more that some of the older boys caught before our arrival)

 



The preschoolers looking at all their fish. As we say in class: Go, prepa go!

 

All in all, we had a great day with the preschoolers. They learned a new English word - fish - and they practiced their counting skills. Before Wednesday, none have them have ever been fishing before, let alone been in the fishery. They were very excited to have caught some of the fish that would later be sold in town and it was clear to us, that they cannot wait to go back.

 

- Meaghan Ryan

Volunteer 2013

 

 

Sharing Our Little World

            Life at Amigos de Jesus is fast paced, busy, and full of children. It is very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine and forget about the world outside of the Amigos grounds. We teach the children in school, eat our meals with them, help with homework, and play outside until prayer circle. When we are not with the children, we are preparing lessons for school or working on other Amigos projects. We spend our weekends entertaining the children, sometimes singling out a small group with a special interest. We spend our personal time trying to think of ways to delve into the mind of one quiet child or how to tutor an intelligent child enough so he can attend university next year or how to provide educational games on the weekends without boring anyone. The hogar has become our home, the children have become our life, and I have never been happier.

            I have not been in the United States since the morning of June 30, 2012. I forget what supermarkets look like. I forget what a baseball field looks like. I forget what my bedroom looks like. I know my family through pictures on Facebook and a few Skype sessions. Before making a phone call or sending a text message on my cell phone, I must check to make sure I have enough saldo (like a pay-as-you-go plan). I hand wash my clothes when it is not raining. With cold water is the only way I know to shower. I’d rather lose power than water, and I know this because we’ve experienced both losses multiple times. Suffice it to say, I have adjusted to living in third-world Honduras and I have no complaints. Therefore, my mom’s visit to Amigos de Jesus for six days at the end of February was a monumental part of my year here because I could finally share my own little world with her.

 

            A short back story on my mother: she joined the Peace Corps at age 24 and lived in Costa Rica for two years. She speaks Spanish, she knows all about the cold showers and geckos climbing on the walls inside the house, and she knows how to use a pila. From her example, I always knew long term service was an option. With her prompting, I looked into Spanish speaking countries. My birth kept her from returning to Central America, but now I am the reason to visit again. I am surely my mother’s daughter.

 

            I spent months sending my mom emails and Facebook messages begging her to pick dates to visit, to confirm the availability with the Malvern office, and to buy her plane tickets. Once that was complete, I spent almost two months imagining what it would be like for her to finally get here. I thought about everything I wanted to show her: the walk on the dirt road to Pozas Verdes with the mountains in the distance, crossing the rio to get to Mass, the walk through the agriculture section (Agro), the chiquitos’ room (the little ones), just to name a few. Amigos has become my life and I wanted to show my mom every aspect of it, so she could see what I’m doing, what it’s like to live here, and why I’m so happy.

 

            She arrived on a Thursday, a school day, so I couldn’t leave the hogar for the airport trip. We welcome visitors by waiting by the front gate with a huge sign that says “Bienvenidos a Amigos de Jesus” and it was at this welcome, after hours of agonizing looks at the clock and my phone, checking for texts from my boss Amy, that I finally saw my mom for the first time in over seven months. I won’t lie, I ran full speed at her for a hug and surprisingly even shed a couple of tears. It’s very hard to remember the outside world when living at the hogar, and I had forgotten what it’s like to hug my mother. Within minutes we had our usual mother-daughter banter back to normal and I was introducing her to all of her nietos (grandchildren) at the hogar. A few children even took to calling her abuela (grandmother). Caterin (5) handed her flowers she had picked from the bushes.

            Since she’s my mom, I have to think she’s special. But my mom really was a special visitor for Amigos. She came to hogar able to speak Spanish and expecting, with anticipation, a cold shower in the morning. She was excited to eat Honduran food and raved about the beans, which I love and she fondly remembered from Costa Rica. She easily began communicating with those of the children who weren’t too shy to talk to “la mamá de Raquel.” Even the baby Mili, who does not warm up to new people quickly, knew that my mom was okay and climbed onto her lap later that day. My mom spent most of her time here interacting with the children. They love talking to new people and it was exciting for me to watch my mom form relationships with them, learn their names and put the faces into the stories I had been telling her. You can’t get to know Amigos unless you interact with the children and I wanted my mom to fully live the Amigos life.

 Her first true Honduran experience was her first morning when we woke up to no water. As we progress into the dry season, we will lose water more frequently for short periods of time. Lucky for my mom, we had some very dry and hot weather while she was here. When we have weather like that, we take the children to the nearby rio to swim and cool down. A trip to the rio is always a lot of fun. We walk for about 15 minutes on the dirt road and spend the afternoon sitting on the grass, trying to find shade, or splashing around in the cool water. There are always herds of cows crossing and some of the boys like to catch fish and put them in empty soda bottles. My mom spent the afternoon taking pictures and talking. She was happy to practice Spanish and spend time with our children.

         My mom is the type of person that will try anything once. When I told her some of our older boys work in Agro and milk the cows to provide milk for the hogar, she asked if I had milked a cow. I, of course, said no. She, on the other hand, said she’d love to try it. So one afternoon we met up with the Agro guys and they taught my mom how to milk a cow! Where would get this experience living in Philadelphia? I was thoroughly amused and my mom was very proud of herself for milking a cow. Then I led her directly to my house to wash her hands before touching anything.

    We hiked up to the Amigos cross at the top of our huge hill and spent some time basking in the beautiful view. Mom talked about how wonderful her trip was and we had some time with the boys who couldn’t get enough of the woman with my eyes.

            The best part about my mom’s visit was that she is so easy going and able to talk to anyone, so I didn’t need to “entertain” her the whole time. While I needed to prepare lessons for school, she sat outside and talked to the children or employees. She bonded with some of our boys and girls and observed daily life at the hogar. The Wednesday morning we left for our vacation, we went to the school to say goodbye to everyone and my mom cried as the children gave her hugs and said goodbye. They already were asking her to visit again.

        My favorite part about life at Amigos is the children. At any time, I can go outside and find one to talk to, or spend time in the chiquitos room, or watch some of the boys play soccer. Our life here revolves around the children. They are the reason I am here and the reason I will cry when I leave. To be able to share that feeling with my mom is very special to me, because it is because of her example that I chose to come here. She’s already considered selling the house in the States and moving down here.

 Rachel Severino, 2013 Volunteer

 

 

 

Donation Day Collection -- June 8, 2013

Amigos de Jesus is accepting donations of the following items until June 8, 2013.  Please consider donating to the children  we serve in Honduras when you are doing your spring cleaning this year.  You donations are very much needed and appreciated.  All donations are tax deductible, but more importantly they allow us to provide for the least of our brothers and sisters in need.  Thank you!  Please contact Emily Ford at 610-644-8237 or emily@amigosdejesus.org for more information or to coordinate a drop off.

June 8, 2013 is Donation Day and we will be set up at St. Patrick's Church 115 Channing Ave. Malvern, PA to accept your donations from 8:00am - 12:00pm.  

Amigos de Jesús Collection List Spring 2013

·         New or gently used Summer Clothing – Girls baby through kids sizes (no adult sizes)

·         New or gently used Summer Clothing – Boys baby through Adult Small (especially in need of pants and jeans)

·         New or gently used children’s pajamas- Boys and girls through size 10

·         New or gently used Shoes – Girls all kids sizes

·         New or gently used Shoes – Boys all kids sizes and up to size 9 in Mens (especially Crocs, sneakers, sandals, rain boots)

·         New or gently used Sports Equipment – Soccer uniforms, cleats, balls, nets

·         Lightweight blankets

·         Bedding for twin beds (flat and fitted sheets)

·         Bath towels

·         Bikes (not scooters)

·         Ceiling fans and floor oscillating fans

·         Books – children’s books in English and Spanish up to 9^th grade (no adult material)

·         NEW – socks, underwear, undershirts

·         New and Used Computers (Speak to Emily prior to donating)

·         Playground Equipment

·         Backpacks

·         USB memory sticks

·         Art Supplies – crayons, paints, notepads, etc.

·         Sun Tan Lotion

·         Band Aids and bandages

·         Anti-Bacterial Cream

·         Non-Drowsy Dramamine

·         Farm/Agricultural equipment

·         Tools

·         New or Used Electronic Keyboard (music)

·         New or Used Musical Instruments

·         Elementary Music curriculum (English or Spanish)

·         Generator(s)

·         Surge protectors/battery backups

·         Sewing machine(s)

·         Industrial lawn mower

·         Industrial washing machine

S-U-S-A-N-A… SUSANA! by Kristin Mullen-Muhr

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!

A Day in the Life of an Amigos Volunteer

Kristin Mullen-Muhr is originally from Arlington Heights, IL and graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in music education. Along with her seven other community members, she is currently serving as a volunteer with Amigos de Jesus, a home for over sixty abused and abandoned children located in rural Honduras. Read more about a typical day in her life as a volunteer.

My day begins with a 5 minute walk from the volunteer house to the Amigos de Jesus grade school (preschool through sixth grade), where I spend most of my day.  

During the regular school day (7:15 A.M-1:15 P.M) I spend my time teaching music and art classes as well as tutoring students individually. Each of my five classes receives one art class and one music class per week. My classes are small (ranging from six students to ten) which really helps me to get to know my students well.

After school, I walk with the kids and teachers to eat lunch with the entire Amigos de Jesus family in the comedor (dining hall). The meals always begin and end with a prayer which is led by one of the kids. A typical lunch includes tortillas, rice and some type of meat (usually chicken). We also get to drink fresh fruit juice that has been prepared from some of the fruit grown on our property.

After lunch, everyone returns to the schools for two hours of after school programs. The first hour is designated for tutoring and doing homework. In the second hour, the students get to choose two talleres (workshops) which include music, dance, sports, library, and English. I teach the music taller with one of the older boys. Right now, the students are learning how to play various popular songs on the ukuleke and Honduran folk songs on the xylophone.

Two days a week, my volunteer community and I get to prepare our own meal and eat it in the volunteer house. It’s nice to be able to share stories about our day as well as talk in English for a little bit. Community dinner is always followed by some sort of community activity, whether it is a night to just play games and have fun as a community or a spirituality night. The other five dinners, we get to eat in the comedor with the kids.

One of my favorite parts of the day comes after dinner when we get to just spend time with the kids. Whether it is a heated game of capture the flag, a good conversation while looking at the stars, or an impromptu music lesson, I really love this opportunity to get to know a different side of our kids.

Each day ends with prayer circle. It is such a peaceful and meaningful time of the day because all of the Amigos family joins hands and is given the opportunity to say their prayers and intentions out loud. It is really beautiful to not only listen to the way the kids pray, but also to listen to my fellow volunteers and co-workers offer their intentions. After saying the Our Father and Hail Mary, it’s time to give everyone a hug and say buenas noches.

Interviews - by Joseph Starzl, Volunteer

 Interviews - by Joseph Starzl, Volunteer

My work here is centered around the relationships I develop; with the staff, the other volunteers, but most importantly with the kids.  I teach classes during the day, but outside the classroom I work with the kids in a less formal but much more encompassing way.  We play, we talk, we listen, we explore, we argue, we laugh, we share all the unimpressive activities of everyday life, but it’s then when I think I’m making the most important impact on this community, and also where I’m learning the most.  I’m becoming a more loving person because of all the small things that I live through with these kids.  Likewise, as a role-model, what I hope to give can only be given by a subtle process, patiently (but conscientiously) exemplifying maturity and responsibility.

So here are just three of the kids that I live with, hopefully giving you an idea of what my everyday life is like.  I decided an interview format might be helpful, allowing them to describe themselves in their own words.  I translated the interviews to English, taking a few liberties to keep the spirit of the conversations as true to the original as possible.

José Antonio

8 years old

If you could be an animal, what would it be?

(No hesitation) Lion.  I’d be a lion. [Why?] I like lions because they’re carnivores.  They eat deer and cows and horses and all sorts of animals.  They eat… did I say that they eat deer? [Yes, I have 'deer' written down]  Ok. Yeah, lion. I’d be a lion.

What is your favorite class in school?

I like to read.  I like to write.  I like to study.  I like to draw things.  I like to read. [What do you like to read about?] I like science.  My favorite is learning about planets. [What's your favorite planet?]  Earth. [Oh.]  Earth is the best.  I like Mars too though.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I want to be a teacher. [Why?]  Because I want to give people homework.  Also, maybe I could work with you, Mr. José?  We could teach a class together. [That would be awesome.] 

What are you really good at?

I like to share.  If I have something, I like to share it with other kids.  I like to be obedient.  I like to survive. [Wait, what do you mean?]  I mean I like to eat.  I like to eat food. Understand? [...I do like to eat. I also am pro-survival.]  I like to study… Did I mention I like to eat? [Yep.]

If you had a million dollars, what would you do?

I would buy cookies.  And chips.  And condensed milk.  Lollipops. (Long pause) [Should we move to the next question?]  No, not yet.  I’d buy gifts.  I’d buy tomatoes.  I’d buy a box full of food.  I’d buy potatoes.  Ice-cream.  Vegetables.

What is your favorite part about living at Amigos de Jesus?

I like to be happy.  I like to live. [And what do you like about living here?]  I like eating dinner.  I like washing my hands.  I like forks.  I like to wash my hands.

What makes you happy?

I like having time to myself.  I like going to sleep.  I like waking up in the morning.  I like to go to school.  I like to change my clothes before breakfast.  I’m happy when I’m sleepy and ready to go to sleep.  I’m happy when people aren’t bothering or name-calling.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

I would write… words. [What would the words be?]  ‘José Antonio’.  [Would you be a character?] Yes. [What would you do in the story?]  I would… read. [What would you read?]  I would read… a book. [You would write a story about yourself reading a book?] Yes.

What is the best thing about yourself?

I’m good at paying attention in class.

Hector 

15 years old

If you could be an animal, what would it be?

Really? [Well. Yeah...] I don’t know.  What would you be? [A wolf.] Hmmm… (long pause) I’d be a dog.  They like to do their own thing.  They’re carefree.

What is your favorite class in school?

Math.  I’m really good at math.  I like working with numbers.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

An Investigator. [Like a police detective?] No.  Like a scientific investigator.  Who are the people who work with microscopes? [Uh, biologists, I think.]  Oh yeah.  And we were learning about cells in science class.  I really like science too, I’d like to do that stuff when I grow up.

What are you really good at?

Math.  I always get good grades in Math.  I’m good at playing goalie in soccer.  I take care of the dogs here at Amigos, so I’m good working with dogs too.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do?

I wouldn’t spend most of it.  I’d save it.  I’d buy new shoes though.  Clothes.  Sandals too.

What is your favorite part about living at Amigos?

I like our vacations. [Your days off from school?]  Yeah.  I get to wake up late.  I like being free to choose what to do those days.  I’ll play soccer, wash clothes, clean my stuff.  Hang out with the other guys.  Just have fun.

What makes you happy?

I’m an independent person.  I’m happy when I’m taking care of myself.  I like finishing my chores, and knowing that I accomplished those things.  Washing my clothes, fixing my radio if it breaks, just taking care of my stuff.  That’s when I’m happy.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

The history of Posas Verdes (the local town). [Huh?]  Our class took a field trip to Posas to research its history.  It was for my social studies class.

What is the best thing about yourself?

My success at school.  I get good grades.

Oscar 

15 years old

If you could be an animal, what would it be?

I’d be a lion, so I could be king of all the animals.

What is your favorite class in school?

I like social studies. [Why?]  I need to learn new things, and those are the things that I like to learn about.  People and different countries.  And I like geography too, how some continents are really big, how some are not so big, like Australia.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

(Long pause)  I don’t know. [I didn't know either.]  Yeah, that’s a question I’ll think about later.  I just started high-school.

What are you really good at?

I’m really good at soccer.  I play midfield mostly.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do?

I’d buy a house.  And a car.  I’d get a job too. [Sounds like you'd be setting yourself up?]  Sure.  Getting ready for life.

What is your favorite part about living at Amigos?

I like the dorms.  Where we sleep.  I like being close to my work. [Your work?]  Yeah, on the weekends I work in agro (farm-work).  I clean the corn-bins, take care of the cows, stuff like that.

What makes you happy?

When I’m joking around.  I like humor.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

I’d write a book about different countries.  [Like a travel book?]  Sure.  And about nature.  It’d be a non-fiction book.

What is the best thing about yourself?

My intelligence.  I’m smart.