Snacks? Check!
Water? Check!
Stroller? Check!
Kids? Check!
Dog? Check!
My first time taking the kids (and Penny the dog) to the
park alone went really well. This was a
huge blessing and encouragement, especially after turning off my alarm
(therefore showing up late). Needless to
say I had a very quick walk from my place to the house. I had Cora and Jairus all day so that Brian
and Kassie (with Malaki) could get the necessary furniture to move into their apartment
this week.
I think that the parks here are quite enjoyable, with
equipment I haven’t seen in the states.
I am posting some pictures to share what I mean. My personal favorite piece so far is the
plastic cup (?) a young child can sit in to be spun around at high speeds. Although not at this park (I’m hoping to get
pictures soon), most of the parks here are decked out with exercise equipment –
for adults. It brings a smile to my face
to walk by and see elderly people working out at a park.
While we were there Fernando and Margarita, with their
3-year-old son, came by to enjoy the park as well. It was a neat experience for me to meet a Spanish
family and watch the way they interacted with us and one another. They were pretty protective over their son as
he played, but they graciously helped push Cora on the swings while I was
watching Jairus on the slide. The kids
eventually moved to wallowing in the dirt – a universal child joy. Although the conversation was pretty surface
level, it was a bit encouraging to know that communication is possible. The language barrier is one of the hardest
things for me to cope with right now.
During Cora’s calm-down time, she was lying on the couch and
listening to audio Bible stories. We had
a conversation about being on God’s side, Satan being God’s enemy, and who is
on God’s side. It was cool to hear her
process and ask these questions at such a young age. We were able to talk about how you are either
on God’s side or you aren’t, and even thinking about this is a good reminder of
why I am here.
When I got back, Hannah and I ended the night with a
real-life Operation game involving a plastic piece, the bathroom sink, a flashlight,
and a wire hanger. The things you don’t
expect to do but that make a good memory.
J
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