December 29, 2010
Maybe someday I´ll tire of these trips to the far corners of the globe to visit children. If they are anything
like today´s experience, it ´ll never happen. Milena is a sweetheart.
We got off to a late start due to some troubles with the pick up truck. With Mario negotiating the
narrow streets of Viña del Mar, I became acquainted with my translator, Catalina. This is only her third
such job, but was more than up to the task. We decided that the hour drive from the community center
to Melon, where Milena lives, wasn´t worth it. I´d seen the place before and there wasn´t much to do in
the area. Less time commuting meant more time interacting with her.
Milena and her mom, Carmen, greeted us at the center. Somehow I knew that she would still be quite
shy, and she was. That said, she was a little more open with questions and responses. Despite the
challenge of getting her to smile for the camera, when you see the pictures, you ´ll see a 12-year-old with
eyes you could get lost in. Is there such a thing as an eye model?
I learned some bad news about their situation, as Milena´s father continues to live elsewhere, and his
financial support remains spotty. With Carmen getting over a recent operation, not to mention her
limited educational background and job skills, finding a way to give them more financial independence
will be challenging. Hopefully there is an IGP opportunity that can serve this purpose. More on that
after I inquire with Kansas City about options.
For those familiar with my previous visits, our first stop should come as no surprise: a trip to the mall.
Our first item on the agenda was a stop at the arcade for some games. As it was not yet open, we
seamlessly shifted into shopping mode. Milena has particular tastes, including an affinity for all things
pink. Pink shoes, pink sandals. A pink outfit was also desired, but they didn´t have it in her size,
so she settled for blue. C´est la vie!
Our next stop is even more predictable. That´s right, yet another stop at the mall´s ¨food¨ court. When I
described my infamous experience with fried chicken and chocolate donuts to my vegan translator, her
look of horror was palpable. Strangely enough, Milena found KFC´s regular chicken to be too spicy
(huh?), so we substituted a pizza that was more to her liking.
With the mall in our rear view mirror, we headed to the beach for our fun activity of the day. Strolling
the boardwalk, Milena picked out a necklace and a bracelet with the name ¨Esteban¨ on it. A mere $2
buys your child a regular reminder that she has someone in her life that has her back. And I do.
When she saw another girl her age jumping on a trampoline with safety wires attached to her waist,
Milena literally jumped at the chance to try her hand. After a little coaxing, she managed to complete a
dozen or so somersaults. The girl had a blast, with a very satisfying ear-to-ear grin etched on her face.
That one look was worth the trip.
This was followed with a very pleasant barefoot walk in the sand as the (cold!) ocean water lapped at our
feet. She´s an ocean girl at heart, and seemed to revel in the moment.
Last up was a quick trip to a different mall for some much needed groceries. With their packages in hand,
we made our way back to the center for some final good wishes, hugs and kisses, and my promise to
return for visit #3 in a couple years. I expect to see a more mature and outgoing young lady when it
happens. For now, I´m lucky to call this sweet young girl my sponsored child.
On the subject of mature and outgoing, tomorrow is my day with Araceli and her inimitable sister,
Estefania. We´ll definitely include a trip to their newly constructed home. I´ll be sure to blog on my
experiences manana.
Until then....
Maybe someday I´ll tire of these trips to the far corners of the globe to visit children. If they are anything
like today´s experience, it ´ll never happen. Milena is a sweetheart.
We got off to a late start due to some troubles with the pick up truck. With Mario negotiating the
narrow streets of Viña del Mar, I became acquainted with my translator, Catalina. This is only her third
such job, but was more than up to the task. We decided that the hour drive from the community center
to Melon, where Milena lives, wasn´t worth it. I´d seen the place before and there wasn´t much to do in
the area. Less time commuting meant more time interacting with her.
Milena and her mom, Carmen, greeted us at the center. Somehow I knew that she would still be quite
shy, and she was. That said, she was a little more open with questions and responses. Despite the
challenge of getting her to smile for the camera, when you see the pictures, you ´ll see a 12-year-old with
eyes you could get lost in. Is there such a thing as an eye model?
I learned some bad news about their situation, as Milena´s father continues to live elsewhere, and his
financial support remains spotty. With Carmen getting over a recent operation, not to mention her
limited educational background and job skills, finding a way to give them more financial independence
will be challenging. Hopefully there is an IGP opportunity that can serve this purpose. More on that
after I inquire with Kansas City about options.
For those familiar with my previous visits, our first stop should come as no surprise: a trip to the mall.
Our first item on the agenda was a stop at the arcade for some games. As it was not yet open, we
seamlessly shifted into shopping mode. Milena has particular tastes, including an affinity for all things
pink. Pink shoes, pink sandals. A pink outfit was also desired, but they didn´t have it in her size,
so she settled for blue. C´est la vie!
Our next stop is even more predictable. That´s right, yet another stop at the mall´s ¨food¨ court. When I
described my infamous experience with fried chicken and chocolate donuts to my vegan translator, her
look of horror was palpable. Strangely enough, Milena found KFC´s regular chicken to be too spicy
(huh?), so we substituted a pizza that was more to her liking.
With the mall in our rear view mirror, we headed to the beach for our fun activity of the day. Strolling
the boardwalk, Milena picked out a necklace and a bracelet with the name ¨Esteban¨ on it. A mere $2
buys your child a regular reminder that she has someone in her life that has her back. And I do.
When she saw another girl her age jumping on a trampoline with safety wires attached to her waist,
Milena literally jumped at the chance to try her hand. After a little coaxing, she managed to complete a
dozen or so somersaults. The girl had a blast, with a very satisfying ear-to-ear grin etched on her face.
That one look was worth the trip.
This was followed with a very pleasant barefoot walk in the sand as the (cold!) ocean water lapped at our
feet. She´s an ocean girl at heart, and seemed to revel in the moment.
Last up was a quick trip to a different mall for some much needed groceries. With their packages in hand,
we made our way back to the center for some final good wishes, hugs and kisses, and my promise to
return for visit #3 in a couple years. I expect to see a more mature and outgoing young lady when it
happens. For now, I´m lucky to call this sweet young girl my sponsored child.
On the subject of mature and outgoing, tomorrow is my day with Araceli and her inimitable sister,
Estefania. We´ll definitely include a trip to their newly constructed home. I´ll be sure to blog on my
experiences manana.
Until then....
September 2003
