Day 15

I wish I could say the day started off like it ended up. I woke up and immediately knew I had a sinus infection. I get it two or three times a year and its always the exact same feeling. I thought about all of the hassle it would take to get antibiotics, and then went back to sleep until 11.

I woke up and realized that in Mexico, no subscription is needed. So off to HEB I went with one of the guys from Michigan that speaks much better Spanish than I do. They eneded up costing me $40 for 12 pills. I think I got the American price. Oh well, they are working quite well.

While with Larry, he told me many stories about trips to Guatemala, the interior of Mexico, and the rest of Central and South America. He is a ¨retired¨ hippie by his own account, and has been doing humanitarian aid work for years and years. He had some incredible stories of close calls, hilarity, and a lot of heartwarming accounts of the things he and his friends have accomplished. He was truly an inspiration and a great person to talk with.

Afterwards was a lot of kicking the soccer ball around until I made the trip to the border with Ephrian to take the Michigan folks back. It was sad to see them go - it was a lot of fun having them here.

Today was Madre Ester´s last exam and graduation from the university she attends. While she was away, the girls along with Chris and I prepared a surprise party for her return. Before she made it back, Peggy and about 18 other people from her church showed up with a ton of food. The girls told me they wanted to challenge the guys that came with those people to a soccer game. I did, and we won 8-0. Madre Ester finally arrived and the party began. It was a lot of fun and we had some really good food. It was actually quite interesting. The food was Mexican food, and was really good, but the girls didn´t like it as much as I thought they would. They are used to the food they eat here and weren´t really into it all that much. I was. It was taquitos, guacamole, grapes, mango, and other stuff I was too full to eat.

Afterwards, we watched the lightning storm in the distance and said our goodbyes to the people that came from Austin. I pulled out my computer and sat with a few of the older girls that stayed up later and showed them a bunch of pictures on my computer. Most were of the girls and the trip last time. They had a great time with it, and started really missing a few of the guys that aren´t here with me right now. Guys, if you read this, you are missed.

After reflecting on the day, I realized what a good time it was. After waking up miserable, it really turned around. This weekend should also be a lot of fun. The plans at the Colonias are great and I am excited about playing soccer with all the kids out there.

On a sidenote, I kind of tricked the girls today when I left to take the people from Michigan back to the border. I thought I was being obvious about the joke, but apparently some didn´t know. I said that I was leaving and I would see everyone next year. When I got back, quite a few of them were upset but at the same time glad to see me. Some of the girls that had not talked to me much made a BIG effort to spend time with me afterwards. I feel bad about upsetting them, but it made me feel really good to see how much I was missed.

I do miss everyone, I promise....