DIARY 5 Sunday December 11th 2011
There is not that much to write about today as although
it was a busy day it was a quiet day when we slowed down which was good after
the “busy-ness” and emotional demands of yesterday.
Marta and the team from Beaulieu went to church with Alex
to the blue church – that is how he describes it, it is one of the churches he
pastors. It is the church where money from Jersey from one of the schools has
helped with provision of musical instruments for young people with musical talent
but no funds to buy instruments as they must do this to learn. I understand it
was a peaceful morning and the team enjoyed it.
Meanwhile Debbie and I went to Casa Mabel to use Debbie’s
skills and training as a physiotherapist in working out possible ways to
improve Casa Mabel to make it easier for the staff and elderly residents. The
carer was able to identify one area of difficulty and Debbie was able to
suggest a quite radical but possible solution. Later in the day when we had a
meeting with Alex and Rody they also knew where the
main difficulty was with the downstairs bathroom, but did not know how to
rectify it. Debbie was very impressed with Casa Mabel and sais
her suggestions were “tweaking” it to make it better.
The rest of the team joined us at Cefa
for a pensioner distribution (food parcels and shoeboxes). This was difficult
as a number of new people arrived for whom Alex had no paperwork or proof that
they were actually in need nor the resources to assist them, which had already
been explained to them and was explained again but they sat there hoping. One
woman (whose child attends the kindergarten) became really abusive.
We had a lovely meal at Casa Mabel, then distributed the
resident and young women their shoebox gifts. One old lady (recently moved in)
wept and said she was not worthy to receive a gift.