Translation: Hello! We'll have a big bazaar at the Three Kings Community Center today. It is at three and we sell shoes, bags, and many clothes, each for twenty pesos. We have games and activities for kids such as soccer, face painting, and coloring.
That was my pitch on a pot-hole-ridden street in Cancún. Sarah and I set out from the Tres Reyes Community Center to hand out fliers and invite people to a bazaar Back2Back was setting up as we spoke. Sarah's pitch was like a fastball, flying hard like a true local: Spanish flawless, joy evident. My attempt at communication was less polished, but I was proud of myself when we returned from our handout expedition.
Yesterday was one of the longest, hardest, yet most rewarding days I have had here yet.
I had the privilege of helping set up for a bazaar, for which we had literally hundreds of donations to display in a relatively small space. With several staff and over 20 group members, we barely organized everything in time. By 2:30 a line of 50 people were waiting at the gates. I guess our fliers were effective?
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| VBS kids with tickets |
The need was overwhelming. Because we were letting 15 people in at a time for the sake of crowd control, some of these people waited over an hour in the blazing 90 degree heat just to get a few pairs of shoes. Kids who had come to VBS the previous Saturday got a ticket to receive a free pair of shoes, socks, and underwear. I saw grins the size of watermelons as kids exchanged their special ticket for their items.
Purposefully, we did not just give everyone handouts. Back2Back is against the idea of Americans being the "heroes." Instead, we come alongside each individual and family we interact with to work together to improve their situation and lives. Thus, we charged 20 pesos per item (extremely cheap, but still a sacrifice.)
It was beautiful chaos.
But where there is beauty, there is always a little bit of ugly too.
Mothers bickered to the staff, proclaiming why they had the right to get inside before the line reached them. Some tried to take more than the allotted maximum amount of items. Others insisted they wanted to buy extra for their brother, cousin, uncle, etc. who could not be there. A few tried to sneak some shoes through or over the fence to friends or family. One lady outside the fence asked if I spoke Spanish, and when I said the customary, "Un poquito" (a little) she launched into this whole charade of which I did not understand a single word.
Though this community has its flaws (like every other community) I think I have begun to fall in love with Tres Reyes. I don't know what the specific draw is, but I do know that there is a lot of hurt there, many broken families, and a hunger for hope. There are also a lot more shy, subdued children than in other locations we work like San Jose Children's Home or a community called Bonfil.
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| Jocelyn and I |
Jocelyn, a girl who lives in Tres Reyes and comes to VBS, has taken a special interest in me for whatever reason. Every time she sees me, she cries, "Leeendsey!!!" She gives me a sweet smile and hugs me tight. "Leendsey from Tennessee! 21 years!" This girl has got an amazing memory and she's proud of it. When I told her I was from Tennessee, Jocelyn said, "No way! My father, too!" I'm quite skeptical of that statement, but who knows! Once, she gave me a lollipop.
The community center Back2Back is in the process of building will be a great help to the community. It will include a playground, a library, classrooms, a medical clinic, a counseling center, a pharmacy, a soccer field, a basketball court, and even more. One mother told Erick (site director) that she is so excited that there will be a place for her children to play because currently there is nowhere safe for them to go.
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| An unexpected visitor at the Bazaar |
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