The new year is always a fun time to celebrate, especially since it’s putting 2020 further still behind us, but many people also use it as a time of reflection and setting goals. I’m going to join in with this tradition, both on a personal level and around Camp Amos. After reading, I encourage you to do a similar reflection on your own life. But first, in case you missed it, click here for a video compilation I took of the Christmas decorations in Comitán!
Camp Amos
For review, let’s start with the bigger picture. I’ve only been here for a few months, so I may not be the most qualified person to talk about the year as a whole. I can say, however, that between now and the time that I first visited in March, there has been a lot of improvement. Here’s a bit of what that has looked like.
March: Pablito just did his thing, expecting little interaction from adults, and he regularly pulled people’s hair and scratched because it was the one bit of interaction he got. He couldn’t eat on his own because he’d try to shove it all down his throat and he’d make himself throw up. He couldn’t drink water because he’d dump it. The only word he could say was agua.
Now: Pablito is hugging, smiling, laughing, crying, shouting, and running along with us. He’s regularly looking for affection and people to play with him, because now he knows that we want to do things with him. He still sometimes scratches and pulls hair when he’s angry, but he understands that this is wrong and will sign sorry afterward. He’s supplementing his low vocabulary by learning several other signs. He has also shown that he understands much of what we say, and can follow directions well (bringing his chair to the table, feeding the dog, bringing his toothbrush, and bringing his backpack to the car for school). He’s still working on table manners, but he can eat and drink on his own and understands his limits.
March: Javi’s only interaction with me was staring from a distance. He quietly rode his bike around the house and didn’t talk with anyone. I had no idea who he was because he didn’t let me know, and it wasn’t just me—he largely ignored everyone because he didn’t believe in his ability to communicate.
Now: Javi is a chatterbox and the most affectionate child I’ve ever met. He’s learning to speak well, tie shoes, use the treadmill, and sign the alphabet. He’s beginning to believe in himself and celebrates when he gets something right. He’s making friends at school. He’s bursting full of energy. He’s a huge joy to have around.
March: Much of the property was overgrown, and there were limited activities available for the kids outside.
Now: Just look at these photos of how much space we have and how many fun things there are to do!
So What’s Next?
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