Oí from South America! This morning we got to sleep in because of our late night the night before. We arrived at The City of Youth in the later morning and went straight to work finishing our painting project. Everyone worked together and got two rooms and a fence painted! It brightened up the space and made the atmosphere more welcoming. There was a delicious lunch served to us; beans, rice, chicken, and salad. We stoped in the middle of our meal to say goodbye to the little kids going to school.
The girls on the team got to experience a spa day! Some of the students who are in the beauty course painted our nails and braided our hair. It was exciting to be a part of their career journey. We got to see some of them practice a dance and saw their joy on their faces when their creativity came to life with nail polish and glitter.
The boys had some time to go exploring around City of Youth’s country side. They got to enjoy the company of some horses and explore through the fields. They got to encounter a brave dog chasing a horse and had a great time telling jokes.
By the time the team got all back together, it was time to go see the kids. Some played soccer on the near by field with the older boys and others went to go play with the toddlers. We were all thankful for more bonding time with the kids. Running around kicking the soccer ball and making the little kids laugh.
We ended the night with a dinner at one of the children’s homes in the city. The team enjoyed a home cooked meal with delicious chicken, beans and rice (of course) and a famous local apple flavored juice called Guaraná. There were a lot of enjoyable conversations and hilarious moments being shared around the table. The house held three boys and two girls. The boys were all into soccer, one wanting to be be a professional soccer player and another wanting to work at an airport. For the girls, one of them wanted to be an astronaut and was really into dance. The other wanted to be a psychology teacher and is hoping to travel to America one day. A funny moment at dinner was when Cole and Declan decided to get their hair braided by the girls living in the home! For dessert, we had an amazing açai bowl, which Erica was most excited about. We ended the night with looking up at the stars and being thankful for all that God has blessed us with.
Thank you all for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
-Grace Sales
I’m loving these updates. I’m sure it will be an adjustment coming back to Rocklin. What has stretched you all the most?
What amazing opportunities. I’m sure it will be an adjustment coming back to Rocklin. What has stretched you all the most? Has it been easy to connect with your teammates? How has this experience changed you?