Memorable Moments (pt. 7)

Oct. 17

Around 12:30, Tuco was calling my name. I went outside to see what he wanted. Usually, he's with his siblings when he's calling me, but today, he was alone. I asked him what he wanted, and he said that he wanted to play cars with me, but he didn't have his cars. I asked him where they were, and he said that they were in his house. I laughed, thinking he was going to say he lost them or something, but no. I told him to get them so we could play. As he came with the cars, Gabi and Ximena, one of his baby sisters, followed him. We went to the front of the church, where there is smooth cement, to play. I then realized that I needed to call back my good friend, Jon, whom I called before, but he said to call him back. I called him, and I told him that Tuco was with me. Jon wanted to talk to him, so I let him. It was funny yet cool to watch Tuco talk to my friend, Jon, because, at first, Tuco would shake or nod his head instead of saying yes or no as if Jon were right there. I then told Tuco that he needed to say something, so he started talking. Gabi wanted to talk to Jon, too, but Tuco was, so I said to wait until he was done. She got mad and told her mom something to make Tuco come home. That made me upset. I finally got the chance to play with Tuco, and Gabi had to ruin it. I pray I get the chance to play with him again, like him asking me and not vise versa.

After the kids got home from school, I went to see what they were up to since I wasn't doing anything. I saw older Carlos and went with him to the store. Afterward, we went to his house and talked. Claudia was there, too. Older Carlos randomly asked me if I was going to Michigan. I was about to ask him who said that, but then Carlos came over and said that I was. Older Carlos and Claudia looked at me to see what I had to say. I looked at Carlos and said, "Sí, pero ¿que yo dije?" At that, Carlos said oops and covered his mouth. I told him not to tell anyone, and here he was telling other kids, which I was going to wait to tell them until Saturday. Older Carlos looked sad, but Claudia was happy. Literally. I'm not sure if she was like that to cover up her feelings, or if she genuinely was happy that I was leaving. A little later, Tuco came over, and Claudia told him that I was leaving. That made me mad. He looked at me, I confirmed what she said, and he walked into his yard with a sad look on his face and sat behind the wooden fence so that I couldn't see him. I legit almost cried. I especially wanted to wait to tell him because I knew he would be sad, and he was. Thankfully, I was able to get him to come back out so I could explain things to him. Gabi and Mona came over and heard, too. I was able to tell them that if I go back, I can get help from my church and come back and stay for a really long time. I told them that I wanted to take them all with me, but couldn't. They all got really excited and started acting crazy, haha. I really do want to take Carlos and Tuco with me, but, of course, I can't. They don't have the papers to cross the border. Haha, no, of course I can't take someone else's kids. That would be kidnapping. Unless I got permission.......

I told the worship team that I was leaving. They said that we need to take pictures on Sunday before I leave. That was my plan, haha.

I talked with Luis today, and he's going to help me talk to the girl I like tomorrow. I really want to talk with her before I leave, so, hopefully, I can talk to her at least every day until I leave. I've barely been able to talk to her.

Caesar has been gone for the past three weeks, and he finally came back today. His dad was sick, so Caesar stayed over in Tecate until his dad got better. Apparently, his dad is better now. Praise the Lord.

Oct. 18

I hung out with Luis a lot today. He came over around 10, and I was about to have a time of worship, so he joined me. He came over because I was going to have him help me talk to the girl I like, but when we went to her house, she couldn't talk because her dad was home. Her dad is apparently really jealous of his daughters. Anyway, so she said that she might come to the church later with her sister because I was teaching her English, which I wasn't aware of because her sister said nothing about it to me. So, Luis and I left and went to the church. He asked me what I was going to say to her, and I said I just really wanted to get to know her. While we were talking about it, I got a weird feeling about talking to her. Not like nervousness, but something else, like in my heart. I thought that maybe God was telling me that I shouldn't talk to her, but I wasn't sure. Maybe it was just nervousness, and I was over thinking everything. Maybe not. After Luis left, I prayed that if it was truly meant for me to talk with her that she would come to the church today. If God didn't want me to talk to her, then I prayed that she wouldn't show up.
She didn't. Neither did her sister/. I thought maybe it was because I usually teach English on Fridays and not Thursdays, but I don't know. If it was meant to happen, she would've came to the church anyway, right? I don't know. Pray for me.

I did part of the Bible study tonight. I had to read a certain chapter in Proverbs, pick a verse or a few, and explain what I thought it meant. I read Proverbs 4:7-9. It talks about how important it is to get the wisdom of God before anything else, and we will be exalted and honored. I explained what I felt these verses meant to me, and I feel that I did an ok job. If I knew Spanish a little bit more, things would have flowed a lot smoother, but it's all good. I said what I felt God wanted me to say, and that was that.
I also told everyone at célula, what they call the mini-church service in people's houses, that I was leaving to Michigan. I explained what happened and asked them to pray for me. I forgot to mention that I was leaving this Sunday, though. Oops. Hopefully, I can tell them before Sunday.
We also had arroz con leche and geletina uva, which is rice pudding and grape jello, after célula. So delicious. I was actually hoping we would have jello, and we did. The arroz con leche was definitely a bonus.

After dinner (it was like Mac and cheese, but with spaghetti. Strangely delicious), I played tazos with Carlos. I was tired, so I laid (not sure if this is grammatically correct, but oh well) on the floor. Carlos asked me if I wanted to play the durmiendo juego. In English, the sleeping game.
One day, I was outside playing with the kids. I got really tired, so I laid down on the ground and said, "Yo quiero jugar durmiendo juego. ¡Es mi favorito!" Of course, I was joking about it being a game, but now, every time Carlos and I lay under the stars, he calls it the durmiendo juego. Love it.
Anyway, of course, I agreed. As we lay there, he told me that when I go to Michigan, he was going to cry. I told him I was going to, too. This made me almost cry. He then told me that he couldn't come with me because he didn't have papers. When I ended up telling older Carlos, Claudia, Tuco, Gabi, and Mona that I was leaving, I told them that I wanted to take all of them with me but couldn't because they didn't have papers. I told them other obvious reasons, too, like school and their parents. Anyway, I told him yes and also reminded him of the other reasons. He then started asking me about if my church sold food, and I told him about the cafe at my church. I was supposed to be in the church at 9:30 like everyday, but Carlos just said to wait until Hermano Jesse called me, so I didn't leave until 10:10. I'm really hoping that I can have another time like that with him again. Like I said before, just chilling and talking with him is my favorite thing to do. I'm going to miss that.

Oct. 19

Around lunch time, I was at older Carlos's house. I think they might have asked me if I had eaten yet, and I told them no because I hadn't. Anyway, Claudia brought me a sandwich and said her mom made it for me. I was surprised, but said muchas gracias because I was hungry and grateful. Older Carlos asked me if I wanted to come over for dinner later, and I said yes because 1) I didn't want to be rude, and 2) because I hadn't eaten dinner with them before, and I thought that would be a cool thing to do with them.
I ate dinner with them, but older Carlos was mad because I wouldn't eat inside his house. Their parents weren't home, and I didn't want to go in their house if I didn't have permission from their parents, and I don't want to be on their bad side. It went well, but once the kids started to get a bit roudy and Gabi spilt quite a bit of food on my shorts, I felt it was time to go. I love those kids, so it was all good. I have to admit, though, that I was a little frustrated because of how they were acting, but I'm over it now.

The girl I like didn't come to the church again. I don't know if this is a sign or not.

Oct. 20

At the end of the kids program today, I told the kids that I was leaving. I thought that was going to be all, but Pastora Berenice asked the kids if they wanted to say anything to me. Miguel, who was the first to say something and which also surprised me, said that he didn't want me to go because he loves me. I legit almost cried. Danely said the same thing, which also surprised me. Carlos said God bless you. That was all who said anything, though, but it really showed me the impact I made on these kids's lives. It showed me that my short time here was definitely worth it. Pastora Berenice had all the kids give me a hug and pray for me. Danely led the prayer. It sounded like a good one, but I could only understand some of it. That really was a great way to start my day.

The girl I like came to the church for drama practice today, so I finally told her that I liked her. I told her that if she didn't feel the same way, then that was ok. We could just be friends.
She told me that she liked me, too.
Giant sigh of relief. On the inside, of course. I ended up telling her before that I was leaving tomorrow, but I would be coming back. She told me, after she had said that she liked me, that her parents had told her that they were moving out of Tijuana. Great. Well, if we are meant to be together, then things will work out. If not, then God has a better plan for both of us.

Carlos was playing tazos with Miguel, and Miguel won, so Miguel took Carlos's tazos because they were playing for keeps. Carlos got really upset an started crying. I found out and asked them what happened. They explained what happened, and apparently, Carlos said he was playing a certain way, but Miguel said the opposite. Also, Carlos had lost thirteen tazos, so I understood why he was upset, but still. After talking about the situation with them, they did something else to settle the matter. Miguel ended up winning again, so it ended up the same. I took Carlos inside and read to him Hebrews 13:5, and the part I read said, "Be content with what you have." This is a verse we taught at Metro Kidz last year, and it's definitely a good one to remember. I told Carlos that just playing tazos is fine, but if you play to just get more and more and more, that's not good. I told him that he needs to be happy with what he has. Getting more is fine, but not that way. He understood, but he was still a little sad. I was going to wait until nighttime, but I decided to give him my Luigi t-shirt that I made when I was his age then. I also gave Miguel my Super Mario Galaxy shirt. I'm giving some of my shirts away because 1) I have so many, 2) I need to get rid of some extra weight in my bags, and 3) I want to give the kids something to remember me by. I'm giving a total of eight shirts away. Hopefully to the right people. I feel so far that I'm doing good with that.

I went to a jóvenes confraternidad tonight with the other jóvenes in the church. I wasn't going to at first because I wanted to spend the whole day with the kids, but after explaining to Carlos that they had asked me to go, including the girl I like (I didn't tell him that I liked her or even mentioned her to him, though), he said that it was good. I was afraid that he was going to be upset, but he wasn't, which made me really happy. I had told him that I was going to do a lot of things with him today, so that's why I had to explain to him first.
At first, the conference was ok. I mean, I didn't understand most of what was mentioned, but the music was good. I believe the youth pastor spoke about dreams, like the ones God gives to us, and about how we need to fight for those dreams. At the end of the conference, he had called people up to get prayer. I believe it was for them to receive a dream or to pray about their dreams, but I'm not sure. I didn't understand why people went forward, so I just stayed at my seat and prayed for them. Near the end, a lady tapped my shoulder and said that the youth pastor wanted to talk to me. I was a little scared at first because I wasn't sure if I would be able to understand him. He asked me a question, but with the loud music and me not knowing a lot of Spanish, I told him that I spoke English. He asked me the question in English. He asked me where I was born, and I said the Unites States. He then asked me why I was here. At first, I didn't understand the question, so I said I didn't know. He then started talking to me more in Spanish because he said his English was bad, but I couldn't really understand him because it was really loud. He then prayed for me, and then he ended the conference. I really wanted to know what he said, so I sought him out afterward. After explaining to him that I couldn't hear him too well and wanted to know what he said, he told me what he said:
"In the United States, you had a lot of things, but here, you have nothing. A lot of people would think you were crazy for doing that, but you did it anyway. A lot of people don't come here because of fear of getting killed after crossing the border, but you came across. You're a missionary, right?"
"Y...Yes."
"Kids look for you because you have the love of God. I know when someone has the love of God because I have the love of God, and you have it. Kids need God's love, the love of a father, and you have it. God has great things for you."
He said other things, too, but I feel that those things are just for me. It was so crazy, though. I've never met him before in my life, but he knew that I was a missionary. Not only that, but he also mentioned about kids. That's what I do. I'm a missionary for kids. I knew that when he said those things, that what he said was from God. Insane. God is so amazing. I really hope I get to see Pastor Abi (that's his name. I find it so weird that he has the same name as my mentor, Abi, from the Dream Center) again. He's anointed, and I definitely want to surround myself with those kinds of people. He seems cool, too.

Oct. 21

My last day in Mexico. For now.
Since it was my last day, a lot of stuff happened:

I had asked the girl I like what her favorite colors were the night before so that I could make her a bracelet. I also wanted to make Carlos a new bracelet since his broke, so, during Sunday School, I made those. I also made one for me since mine broke, which happened to be the same colors as the one I made for Carlos. It took me the whole time to make all three of them. Afterward, I gave Carlos his bracelet. I showed him that I had the exact same one. He reminded me that it was Dia del Amigo and told me something about me being his best friend. Then, it was time for service. At first, the girl I like didn't show up. Not only did I want her to be there, but she was in the drama, too. About halfway through worship, she showed up. Usually, the drama is after offering, but it got moved to the end for some reason. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember all of the moves for the drama. We only practiced two different days. Still, though, I feel it went well. I got it on video, so I'll post it on Facebook once I get the chance. After the drama, Pastor Elvis called me up and told the church that I was leaving, but returning soon. He prayed for me and had everyone give me a hug goodbye. Some people said things to me, too. Good things, of course. I feel bad because Betty, one of the jóvenes, said a lot to me, which surprised me because I don't talk to her, but I could only understand a little of what she said. Hermana Gabi gave me her number and told me to make sure to call her to let her know how everything is going. She also called me her son. She had been calling me that for the past week. I have two Mexican moms now, haha. Others said things to me, too. After that, church was over, so everyone went downstairs to eat. I took some pictures with some of the people, which I will also put on Facebook. As I was packing up my guitar, the girl I like came back upstairs. I gave her the bracelet I made her. She was surprised that I made it. She asked me like three times if I made it. She then gave me one of her bracelets, which I'm wearing now. She said it was to remember her by. She then asked me if I wanted to go downstairs to eat, to which I agreed. I wasn't sure what time my friend from San Diego was picking me up, so I wanted to give some things to Tuco, older Carlos, Gabi, and Claudia before I ate. My friend had called me a few days before and told me that he was picking me up on Sunday sometime in the afternoon, but that was it. It was already past 2, so I wanted to make sure I gave the things to Tuco and his siblings before I had to leave. I went to their house and told them that I wanted to give them some things before I left. Their dad was outside, and he said hi to me. He also watched me give the things to his kids. I gave older Carlos my Flash shirt. He had said to me before that he liked how my shirt had a lightning bolt on it, so I thought I would give it to him. I gave Gabi a heart pin that I got from the conference the night before. One day, I was eating a heart-shaped sucker and was with Gabi and Tuco, and I forget why, but I said, "Yo tengo un corazón, y mi corazón es feliz, ¿así?" Then I made this extremely happy face, to which they both laughed and asked me to do it again. Tuco said I looked like a payaso (clown). After that, Gabi would always ask me to do that, but I said I needed a heart to do it. I now had one, to which I gave to her. I should have did it one more time, but I only said the words, to which she giggled. I attempted to give Claudia one of my t-shirts, but she walked away. Her dad made her come back and take it, so she did. Not sure if she was sad or really didn't want to say goodbye because she didn't want to. Hmmm. I gave Tuco my Jesus fish necklace. He had attempted a few days before to take it off me, which means either he wants to wear it or keep it. He did the same thing the next day, so I decided that I would give it to him the day I left. Carlos wanted my other necklace since I gave one to Tuco, but I told him that I already gave him a bracelet just like mine. I wanted to do something with my necklace since the cross is missing now, but now that I've thought about it, I should've just given it to him. I need to show the kids that I don't care about material things, and I need to be selfless, but I also want them to learn not to want everything and to be content with what they have. Well, I'm bringing back a bunch of Jesus fish necklaces to give to the kids, so he'll get a necklace then. I took some photos with them and then went to the church to eat. I was hoping to sit with the girl I like and Carlos, but the girl I like was helping serve the food. After she was done, I looked for her, but Mariana, one of the teens, told me that she left already. Luis said the same thing. I wanted to get a picture with her before I left, so I went with Luis to her house to talk to her. Luis said that she went to a different church at 4, and it was already 3:50. Thankfully, she was still at her house. When I asked her to take a photo with me, she said she didn't want to because she didn't like taking photos. Great. Her brother came over and listened to us talk. Apparently, he's celoso (jealous. We say over-protective, which is what I think they mean) of his sisters like his dad is, and I can tell because almost every time I try to talk to her, he comes out of no where and listens in or sits between us or something of the sort. Kind of annoying. I hope he stops doing that when I come back so that I won't think of him as annoying. That would be bad since he's the brother of the girl I like. Anyway, I asked for her Facebook, so her brother takes my notebook and writes down some email. I thought it might not be hers (which it isn't), but I knew she had to go because she was cooking before, and I knew her brother wouldn't leave so that I could ask her, so I just told them goodbye and left. I wanted to get a picture with Miguel and Moroni, so I went to their house to do so. I then asked them if they wanted to play before I left, but Miguel had to do something first, so I went to the church to wait for him. While I waited, I took some pictures with some more people and with the kids. Tuco came by, so I grabbed him really quick and took a picture with him and Carlos for my phone. That was my goal for the day. 500 achievement points. I then asked Tuco if he wanted to play with us, and he said yes. I played trais (tag) with Carlos, Moroni, Tuco, and Miguel, except with a ball. Miguel only played for a bit, then he went home to do something. I took some photos with Carlos, Tuco, and Moroni, and then we played some more. After we played for a while, my friend showed up. We continued to play because he went to talk to Pastor Elvis, but, after a bit, I knew that I needed to start saying goodbye. Once my friend finished talking to Pastor Elvis, I started putting my bags in his car. Older Carlos came by, and he, Tuco, Moroni, and Carlos helped me put my bags in the car. I told them that it was fine, but they wanted to help, so I let them. Older Carlos asked me about my cereal, which I still had, so I gave him one box and Carlos the other. There was only a bit left in both, but still. Then, it was time for me to go. I started to say bye to the kids, and Hermano Carlos came out of his house. I went up to say bye to him and Hermana Mary, his wife, and to the rest of his family. Carlos was there, and he started to cry. I had to say bye to him again. I picked him up and held him as he cried. I wanted to cry with him, but nothing came out. I told him, "I'm going to miss you so much. I'm going to return. You're my best friend, right?" He nodded. "Promise that you are going to be nice to your sisters and to your mom and dad, and that you are going to be like God, like Jesus." He nodded and said yes. I put him down, said bye once again, and went to the car. The kids decided to give me a hug all at once. I told them that I needed to go, so they let me go. They watched me as I got in the car. As we pulled out, Carlos ran down from his house to see me leave. Right as we took off, I heard Tuco say, "Bye, Daniel!" They watched as we drove away.

The impact I made on their lives in the last two months will never leave my mind. The cool thing about it is it's only the beginning. I'm going to be back very soon in Jesus' name!