Yesterday was a little rougher. Angie is missing her friends and I think that the reality of leaving everything she knows hit her yesterday. She is smart and aware of reality, she knows that she will have a life with a family with us in the U.S. but, up to this point her life has been here in Colombia. Angie is very social and she is 15 regardless of the situation her friends are so important to her. I think if it wasn’t for her immense feeling of responsibility to Camilo she might reconsider leaving everyone she knows. Camilo is doing seemingly well. He is enjoying his own room and his own space. Since he is so shy anyway I think this is heaven for him. It’s just he, Angie, Jim and I. There is no sharing a huge room with bunk beds lined up, there is no open bathroom, he can eat when he’s hungry and most of all there is quiet.
My impression of San Mauricio (orphanage) was that the pictures did it justice. I believe the people there care for the children and do the best with what resources they have but, it is just sad. There are children everywhere and I don’t know how they keep track of them all. The facility itself is generally clean but with so many children and in such a small space it just seems substandard. This is not to dismiss all that Gloria (the director) has done. She is apparently a wealthy woman who puts her own money into San Mauricio- it is considered the best facility for these kids. She also will not kick out a child who has aged out of the system. They have, I would say, between 5-10 adults on campus who are disabled to several degrees. They live there and “help out.” I definitely do not want to see what the other orphanages look like!
It is raining today and I think the plan will be to go to Maloka which is right by Salitre Plaza mall. It is a science center/museum sort of thing. I believe they have an I-max theatre too. We need to get out of the apartment today and away from televisions, computers and any other technology and just do something fun.
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