Thursday we left our hotel and drove to Merida to stay for the rest of our trip. We have been in contact with Avynlea and Rylee and their passports came Wednesday. Kefford and I talked about it and decided that we wanted to fly them down and be able to be with us for the rest of the trip. They were able to get the same flights we had and so we knew how they were coming and were able to tell them what to expect and how to get around. I wasn't nervous about them flying international by themselves as they had each other and I knew they would be able to handle it. That morning we packed up , took some pictures and said goodbye to this cute little place.
Our first stop was at a Hospital for another distribution. This was another smaller distribution and we did the same things we did at the zoo. we put together the wheelchairs and them handed them out to the recipients when their names were called. Because we were in the Hospital we had to wear masks which was not fun but expected.
After the Hospital we drove to our last distribution which was also our biggest distribution. We put together and gave over 65 wheelchairs. It was a lot of work and it was so hot. We missed a lot of the distribution because we were in the back putting the wheelchairs together but were able to see a few. I wanted to put a wheelchair together by myself but because we were all so helpful I kept having someone come and help me. I didn't mind but I did have a small desire to feel accomplished by doing one myself. I finally had one that I was able to put together without anyone once jumping in to help. I put it all together and was so proud of myself, I took a picture so I could remember that special chair :)
These chairs came just like the other ones did with one exception, the tires were not filled. We were able to find a pump to pump the tires which was a lucky thing.
Orange flower shirt-Yamily
1 year ago she fell down and broke her arm. She also hit her head and fractured her skull. Her cognitive skills are shaky and her memory is not the best.
This woman reminded me of my Mom in her personality. She was kind and sweet but had a pretty good sense of humor that made me think of my Mom. I told her that and she started to cry so I gave her a hug. I am not sure why she cried but we had a moment and I really liked visiting with her. The hardest part was not knowing the language, luckily there were a few in our group who knew some Spanish and could translate but it was still difficult to have any real conversation.
I noticed a lot of the houses had cement walls around them and embedded in the cement at the top of the wall was broken up shards of glass. I thought that was a pretty good way to keep the unwanted out of your space.
After the distribution we were treated to another lunch by the Rotary and we re able to have it at one of their houses. They had a private pool which we were welcome to use as well. While we were there Avynlea and Rylee were arriving from America. Judy, one of our guides, was so kind to drive Kefford to the airport to pick up our girls. Luckily we were in Merida by this time so the drive to the airport was a lot shorter, about 15 minutes compared to over an hour that would have been if we were at the first place. That long drive also had a lot of bumpy roads and crazy turns that would have been really hard on Avynlea's stomach. I was following their location on my phone and knew when they had arrived so I was really excited to go out and see them. When we all came through the gates everyone cheered which was a little overwhelming for my girls. They were able to eat some food and then acclimate to where they were at. We told them about some of our adventures and Kefford and I were so happy that they were finally here.
In Merida we checked into our hotel and then we went out exploring. Every city we drove through we noticed had a city square with shops and churches around it and they all also had the name of the city on display in colorful letters. we took our picture in front of the Merida sign and then walked around the square looking at everything. There were a lot of venders selling souvenirs and stuff, it's funny how everyone claims their items are handmade by them or by a sick relative but everywhere you went they all were selling the same things. All of the stuff we were seeing Kefford and I also saw in Puerto Vallarta when we went last year. So if you want it buy it but don't for a minute think that they are making it all themselves.
After walking around we found a shop selling icee's that we were told we had to try. We all picked a different flavor and were excited to sample each one. I got Mango and Kefford go Lemon, after sampling each others we traded because he liked mine and I liked his. The lemon was so good and was the perfect tartness, it was the best tasting lemon icee I have every had.
Later that night back at the hotel Rylee and Avynlea went swimming with some of the other girls on the trip with is which I was happy about. I wanted them to get to know them and have fun with the other kids, I knew it would be tough to establish a bond in the three days they were there but it was possible. While they swam I visited on the side of the pool with Heather one of the Moms on the trip. She was really easy to talk to and we had fun visiting while the girls swam.