November 25 was the start of my second sponsor week at Casa Shalom. It was very different but also some of the same as the previous one.
My first sponsor week, I had been living in Guatemala for 3 days, I could comprehend the basics of elementary spanish, and I knew about 30 of 80 kids’ names. This was also my first time actually getting to interact with a group of strangers I have only heard stories of. I wasn’t too much of a help that week, I’m sure of it now!
This time, I am constantly called in different directions to help with translation between kids and their sponsors, I am now able to provide more information about Shalom, and I knew at least 10 of the 18 sponsors who came, either from the previous sponsor week, or a team that came and visited this summer. I was able to greet several at the airport with a great big hug and get to meet family members of a few who decided to tag along this time.
This was a much bigger group as well, with 18 sponsors and 27 kids, compared to 11 and 14 the previous time. Mostly ’cause I did my job promoting it over social media and through email (not to brag!) It was definitely a great group of people, yet it was a challenge to keep 45 people together while walking through the streets of Antigua or finding the restrooms at the airport. I lost track of how many times I had to do a head count in the moving school bus.
The sponsorship program is a blessing to not only the kids and sponsors, but to the volunteers at Casa Shalom as well. These past 5 days, I’ve gotten to see some relationships start and others continue on. I’ve been to the point of watery eyes watching the two interact and share time together. It’s really interesting to share a bond with someone solely over email and then get to put a face and personality to that email address.
Some have also become close friends to me. About 5 of us were playing uno for about an hour and a half together, not focusing on how tired we were nor what all is coming tomorrow. We were enjoying our last night together, competing in a kids’ card game and laughing until our stomachs hurt.
The main event of the week was an extreme park, X Park. It had a rock wall, a ropes course, a zipline, a free fall, high jumps, a mechanical bull, and bounce houses for the little ones. Most of the morning, I was running around, trying to get photos of everyone everywhere, but also being available to help if someone got hurt or needed a translator.
As lunch approached, I got to participate in the fun. My adventure partner for the day? One of the sponsors I got to meet last Easter. The oldest of the group. A high school math teacher who is a little more than 4 decades older than me. She and her husband sponsor a tiny, 40 lb, 8 year-old boy who wasn’t big enough to do everything. Here, I was gaining the courage to go down the zipline or jump from 10+ stories up because a 60 year old was encouraging me and was excited to participate in most of the activities with me. She was my biggest cheerleader for the day and was one of the ones I’m glad I’ve gotten to share some time with this week, along with her husband, who did the 10 story free fall with me!
Sponsorship plays a huge role in the lives of the kids and all of Casa Shalom. Providing school, food, medicine, and the gospel to the kids is a great blessing to all. Sponsor week is a week dedicated to get to not only meet and build a relationship with the sponsored kid, but to take part in activities together (church, movie theater, X Park, meals, etc.), bring gifts for them, and make memories with the kids and fellow sponsors. I’m so glad I could be able to play a tiny role in the sponsorship program, to get to watch these relationships start and continue to built after each visit or emailed letter. Although we constantly have kids (and sponsors) coming and going, each of these relationships are irreplaceable, between kids and sponsors, and myself as well. Thank you to each of the sponsors, whether you were present this week or not!
(har)Perseverance on a mission 