El Buen Pastor

Ever since I spent January at Casa Para Ninos Aleluya (children's home in Guatemala), I had hoped that I would be able to find an orphanage or children's home to volunteer at while I was in Mexico. So I talked with one of the CIEE directors, Lalo, and he helped me get involved at El Buen Pastor.

El Buen Pastor is a children's home run by some nuns at a local church. Some 20-25 girls between the ages of 3 and 16 live there. I am almost positive that none of the girls are orphans; however, they all come from home environments of extreme poverty and/or abuse. The girls live at El Buen Pastor Monday through Friday and return to their houses for the weekends. During the week, they attend school, receive solid meals and are provided with clothes, school supplies and comfortable beds. The girls all have chores every afternoon and when I arrive on Wednesdays, they are all sweeping and mopping up a storm.



My role in all this is to help with homework. Since the majority of the girls are in elementary school, I assumed that this would be a breeze. Until I tried to explain long division and Roman numerals in Spanish...talk about a challenge. In the end, both the girls and I are learning new things. Having patience is crucial to this arrangement. Some of the girls really try to understand the concepts and just like having someone nearby telling them that they are doing their work correctly. And of course, some want me to do their homework for them. Sometimes I think that they pretend like they don't know how to do something so I will help them and pay attention to them.



Even though I'm technically a homework helper, I have been able to spend time talking and listening to the girls. They all are so special and have interesting stories. Some of these stories are heartbreaking. Once I helped Estefania (8) write a note to her mom telling her how much she missed her and wanted to see her and to stay with her for forever. Diana (6) has a million brothers and sisters and last week her brother Marco Polo (no kidding) was staying at the hogar (home) because their father didn't have work and couldn't afford to take care of the two of them. Every few weeks new little girls show up and are absorbed into the group. The most recent are two pairs of sisters Citlali and Perlita and Gabriela and Alejandra. Alejandra is three years old and is one of the most precious little girls ever. It's so precious to watch the older girls help take care of her, play with her and teach her how to sweep and write the alphabet.



When I first started going to El Buen Pastor, it was tough. Nobody gave me any instructions so I had to figure things out as I went. I was super hesitant about my Spanish, and while the girls were friendly, it was a little discouraging to not be greeted with excitement and hugs when I arrived. I stuck with it though, and gradually I've gained a place in the hearts of the girls. I think it all started when I saw Estefania, Carmen and Brenda in the Centro while they were on a field trip. We recognized each other, and I went over to say hi. When I saw them later at El Buen Pastor, they were excited to remind me that we had seen each other, and I got more hugs from them. Since then, they have been my friends and are always excited to see me and sad to see me go. I love the fact that I am a regular at the hogar. I'm so glad that I stuck with it in spite of the challenges. I know that my Spanish has improved, that I've gotten a glimpse of what real life is like for these girls, and that I've made some special friends. I'll never forget the time I spent at El Buen Pastor.