The good and the bad, but always the truth

Today our group finally had an opportunity to perform the surprise we had been planning for so long with the boys.  Last week the group of us, Jenn, Paula, Raquel, Josh and I wrote a song that would fit to the same music as one of the songs that the boys wrote.  We recorded the song later in the week with Leah and began planning the logistics of the performance.  We wanted to make sure the whole foundation could see it at once since we knew that the once it happened they would all find out right away anyway.  It was also extremely important that we maintained the surprise and that the la montaña boys could come down for it since it was those boys that recorded the original song.

We sat down with Lucas, Reginaldo and Bas and came up with a plan to surprise the boys.  We decided that it would be fun if they thought they were in trouble and then were caught off guard by our song.  Bas crashed his car earlier today so he stood up to give them a really serious talk during this party.  He told them very seriously that because he crashed his car the foundation is going to be really tight on money while he saves up for a new one.  They are going to need to cut corners in every way they can, and that there would be no trips for the boys for two months, and the would all only be able to eat two meals a day.  He told the boys they wouldn't be able to drive them to school anymore so they could save gas money.  At first they thought it was funny, but he kept going on and on and on about what a tough time the foundation was going to be having.  Eventually the boys bought into it and some looked extremely worried.  

It was at that point, when we really had their attention, that Raquel went into the room and told Bas to go away because he was being a stupid European.  At that moment we hit the music, all walked into the room together with our Proniño glasses on and glow sticks on our wrists.  As soon as we hit the music the boys laughed a bit because they already knew that we knew the words to their song, but they were going to indulge us. 

That's when they started to realize that the lyrics to our song were different than the lyrics to their song.  All of a sudden we had their full attention and they were dying with laughter and pleasure.  The more they heard of the song, the more they enjoyed it.  Not to mention we had some very gringa dance moves going on.  Needless to say the boys were thrilled with our song, and even the boy who wrote the original song told me he loved ours and approved of it.  I know it can be insulting if someone takes your work and messes it up, but our hope was to make sure that it was different, but something they'd still identify with.  I think my favorite part was the standing ovation we got at the end, as they started chanting "otra, otra, otra!!" (other, other, other!)

Without any more suspense, here is our video! 

Later in the night though, when we arrived home, Leah and I found that both of our wallets had been completely drained of their cash at some point during the party.  I had just pulled money out at the ATM earlier that day, and although I lent some to Kevin and Leah by covering their meals and a taxi, that still left me with $25 work of lempiras in my wallet.  My $15 american dollars were missing too.  It makes me sad that despite all the work we do there, and all the fun things we do for them (like throwing this awesome party) things like that still happen.  I know that the kids' histories are often stronger than their control, but it still makes me sad.  There are many kids who I know couldn't have done it though, because the truth is if they need money for something, and really only the older boys would ever need money, I'd be happy to lend it to them.  I've shown this quality often enough by buying them water/soda and snacks at soccer games, and even lending a little bit of money for them to use an internet cafe.  I'd much rather lend someone money than find out my money has been stolen, but I suppose such is life.

Here are the lyrics to the song, sorry for the poor quality video.

Son los gringos de los gringos

Raquel, Kelsey, Leah Paula y Josh

Desde Hotel Plaza Victoria

Estando en pronino nos conocimos

Y aqui los chicos son nuestros amorcitos (amorcitos)

Estando en pronino nos conocimos

Y aqui los chicos son nuestros amorcitos (amorcitos)

Cada dia en este suelo, con sus abrazos siempre nos llevan al cielo

Siempre estudiando con tanto esfuerzo, sabemos que llegaran muy lejos

Y ahora yo estoy aqui

Para aprender lololo que hay para mi

Son lo mejor que nos ha pasado, y nos gustaria tenerlos a nuestro lado

Estando en pronino nos conocimos

Y aqui los chicos son nuestros amorcitos (amorcitos)

Estando en pronino nos conocimos

Y aqui los chicos son nuestros amorcitos (amorcitos)

No, no podemos vivir asi, si  no estamos alli, por favor, volveremos a ir (x2)

Siempre pensamos en nuestros amigos,

Y aqui aprendemos su gran sentido

Carino, amistad, y una fuerte unidad

Son los valores que compartimos.

Que futuro ustedes tienen, son super guapos e inteligentes,

No los olvidaremos, rompecorazones, rompecorazones…

Estando en pronino nos conocimos

Y aqui los chicos son nuestros amorcitos (amorcitos)

Estando en pronino nos conocimos

Y aqui los chicos son nuestros amorcitos (amorcitos)

Son muchos los voluntarios, pero nosotros los verdaderos

Desde los estados para pronino entero

Los gringos de los gringos