Day 3 - Haley O. (Tepeyac)

Hello everyone! We are having so much fun, and everyone has already made several new friends. The past two days were spent performing a census where we all got to practice our rockin’ Español. The homes in Tepeyac are much different than back home, and even with so little, they offered us so much. Every time we walk in a home, the people there rush inside to bring chairs even though we are going to be there for only 2 minutes. This really gave us the opportunity to connect with the people in the community on a deeper level since we actually got to see their lifestyle and experience their positive outlook on life. It has rained everyday so far in our site but, honestly, it has given us an even better chance to bond and have fun together. Specifically today, we were walking up a large hill after mass and many of us would jump in the puddles to splash each other, and we got to play football in the pouring rain. Also today, the group from Diriá came, and we all celebrated mass together with the community. During the “peace be with you’s” I turned around to this elderly woman and she had her arms out to hug me. I was so shocked considering some people don’t even shake hands in Dallas. It was a beautiful thing to me that their community embraces everyone and is so accepting of us and grateful that we are here. Fortunately, we have down time before dinner and sometimes after and it’s one of my favorite parts of the day. We play cards and games and make bracelets to give to the kids we meet. It has really given us the opportunity to form friendships that I see myself keeping for years. Meeting the people in this community and making many new friends is so refreshing, and I feel beyond blessed to be on this mission trip.