Today was the final day of painting work on the exterior of the Penny Palace. Good Thing! Doc and I are exhausted. Temperatures each day in these past three weeks have been between 90 and 105 degrees!
The Penny Palace has a “fresh new look”, but that pales in comparison to the Fresh New Outlook Fernando has. He has repeatedly exclaimed how blessed he feels to have experienced the Penny Palace and all the love and positive energy from all of you. “I have never felt such love before. And from total strangers!” “People who care and want me to succeed”. “I want to be like that former student of yours who has his own company and was willing to invest in ME!”
Fernando definitely had some of his previous beliefs shaken to the core. I, in exchange, had my ears, eyes and mind opened to a whole new world. We spoke of abusive parents, hanging out with the wrong crowd, children, divorce, alcohol, drugs, months of incarceration and what life is like in jail, living on the streets, protecting your belongings, peer pressure, fear, starving and so much more. He would ask me all sorts of questions, and I would return with just as many! My thinking will never be the same after working with him these past few weeks.
The work was completed with so much love. To celebrate this life changing time together there were non-stop hugs and Doc’s delicious Boysenberry Coconut ice cream. The painters didn’t know what homemade ice cream was, so Doc offered to teach them!
We parted tonight with goals established: books to read, special things to save up for, dreams of travel, and of course promises to keep in touch.
This is a BIG THANK YOU to those of you who sent loving replies these past two days. I shared each one of those with Fernando.
Here is his email reply to me which I am taking the liberty of sharing with you:
“Thank u so much for all the love means so much to me everyone showing there love Omg I can’t believe it from nothing I’m becoming something special thank u to all”
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