They Made it!!  Guatemala May 2016 - Day 1

Today started off bright and early with no hiccups during the flight. PTL! After jungle gym time with Tio Juan (where he magically loaded 12 suitcases and a crate on top to the van) we were off to The Learning Spot. We were greeted with lots of familiar faces including Teresita, Esteban, Juanito, Lester, and twin boys Jose and Pablo! Before getting things started we enjoyed a delicious meal that got us up and going. We had to eat the pollo so we wouldn't get loco (hangry). We divided and conquered by discipline seeing several kids today. We were reunited with lots of sweet kiddos from previous years and helped them find the perfect fit for new equipment. Teresita stole our hearts from the get go with her contagious smile and sweet laughter. It was so awesome to see how much she has grown over the past year. She will now tolerate being on her tummy and is getting stronger everyday! She loved OT time, playing with pom poms, and laughing at how silly Katie and Cassie were being! Alyssa and Amber hit the ground running fitting Juanito's braces that Nicole casted for him in the fall. A lot of the kiddos they saw outgrew their current braces and Amber and Alyssa were able to fit them with new braces and shoes! It's crazy how God works things out perfectly. Several of the braces we gave out today were custom braces and somehow fit the kids we saw perfectly!!! Amber customized some hinged braces into solid AFOs with some fancy duck tape! Teresita also stole their hearts with her sweet smile! Sophie and Paige also saw a plethora of kiddos, and they spent time educating on apraxia, phonation, sustained airflow, and the importance of face to face interaction. They were able to see and make a lot of progress with Juanito; he attempted to use his good looks as he made faces in the mirror as they worked on making certain sounds. Each discipline was able to give strategies for each kiddo to continue improving and gaining skills! Craig and Leo were going nonstop today, fitting four kiddos with new wheelchairs. He even got creative and utilized a small seatback for a headrest for a fourteen year old named Lester! Ashley was our support system and photographer as she kept running from room to room to assist with each child and to take pictures! She even enjoyed some snuggle time with the one and only Teresita! After a long day, we were welcomed to a home away from home by our generous friend Anita with a wonderful meal and company! Tio Juan had us all teary-eyed as he prayed over us to end the day! We are off to bed as we will be up and early in the morning. Thank you for your prayers; we definitely feel them!

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