Sorry it´s been awhile!
First of all, Belize was wonderful! It was great to eat fish and speak English. It was also wonderful to see my parents, even though they did get rather sick (sorry guys!)
Work has been great, CEIPA has brought such joy to my life. I have a set schedule now. Mondays I cover the youngest grade while the teacher has class at the university. I´m sort of a permanent substitute. The first few weeks were kind of crazy, kids climbing the pipes and setting frogs loose in the room. Now that rainy season is in full swing only about half the students come on any given day. It´s a problem for sure, but it does make teaching easier. Last Monday only two students came, so I got to give them both a lot of attention, but it´s sad that the rain keeps the other students from getting to school.
On Tuesdays and Wednesday I work with the three students who don´t know how to read. One of them is nine years old and the other two don´t know how old they are. It´s slow slow slow but we are making progress. I love them, I can see that they have more confidence when they talk to other students. It´s very fulfilling work. I also teach English classes to the older grades and at the end of the day I´m available to give special attention to any of the students. This usually involves multiplication tables. I also realized the other day that I dont remember how to do long division, that was embarassing! The students have certainly overcome their shyness towards me and I get a pretty good balance of hugs and foul language. It´s hard work, but I love it. I could see myself doing this kind of work permanently.
My community life is also amazing. I really feel like a big sister in my family. My teenage brothers are always picking on me, but I know they love me! The other day I came home from work soaked to the bone and my bother Mario said "Luisa, hurry and change clothes before you get sick!" He loves me! My youngest brother Ismael is obsessed with Mario brothers, so I bought him a little Mario key chain that I found. He never puts it down, he carries it with him everywhere, he even SLEEPS with it! A key chain. He´s so cute.
I was on the commitee from planning this month´s big youth event, it´s tonight! It should be a good time for fellowship, praise, and reflection.
Also this month I was reunited with my other half- Asia visited! I showed her my favorite places (to eat) in Guatemala. It was a really encouraging time and we had a lot of fun. I also went to Semuc Champey and Tikal with a fellow volunteer-- both amazing places. Semuc Champey is absolutely the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I even went caving! And Tikal, of course, was unreal. When I finally came home from the grand tour of Guatemala my host mom had prepared my favorite food, chuchitos, to welcome me back!
And now for the top and bottom 5 things about Guatemala:
Bottom 5: 1. The rainy season is making life rather soggy.
2. I´m so over eggs. We eat them so often that the thought of them makes me rather ill.
3. Speaking of ill: I´m sick of being sick! I get sick ALL THE TIME!
4. Swine flu scare. I spent precious stipend money on masks and a flu shot
5. I really wish I could speak Mam. Or at least Spanish.
Top 5: 1. Mango season!
2. Mam lesson´s with the family
3. Semuc Champey
4. The pastries Sara (my host sister) brings back from her cooking class.
5. Teaching Giants, Wizards, and Elves at youth events. Or just youth events in general.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Every day, in every way it´s getting better and better--John Lenon
There is a tradition here on Valentine´s Day, but it has nothing to do with love and friendship. In fact, at my house, it´s all-out war.
Cascarones. Eggs cleaned out and filled with pica pica. Confetti. The idea is to sneak up behind your unsuspecting victim and break the egg on his or her head. Then run for your life. So far my sisters are winning, but I´ve got a secret stash and I´m pretty sure they are all out. As they said to me, she who laughs last laughs loudest.
February has been busy. It started with the end of our last retreat (in Monterrico, where we released baby sea turtles!). Then the next day was my first class at CEIPA. I LOVE CEIPA! It´s hard work, but I enjoy it. We have about 40 students in our little primary school, the youngest is 12 (in first grade) and the oldest is 17 (in 6th grade). We never have 40 students all at once, usually more like 25 or 30. It can be hard for the students to get to school every day, because of transportation issues or if they cant get off work, so it´s hard to keep a class going. But we manage. Im working in the class with the 4th 5th and 6th graders (yes, all in one class). Like I said, I love it, but I ache to be able to talk to the children. My Spanish is getting better, but it´s still a struggle. The kids are patient with me, but I´m afriad I´m not much help. Yet. I know it will get better.
On my third day of work a boy showed up with a Valle Crucis, NC Mast General Store T-shirt! I was so excited to see a piece of home here in Guatemala, I almost laughed and cried at the same time!
The next day he wore it again.
And the next. And the next
He has worn that shirt every day. So many of the children wear the same clothes every day. They dont have anything else. My soccer-playing friends here in San Juan ask me whenever I see them when I am going to bring them shoes and clothes and toys. What can I do? It hurts to be so powerless. In our school there arent enough desks. Our students sit in the dark every day so we dont have to pay an electricity bill. They need so much but they are so happy to be in school. I wish I could do more for them. I don´t know what it´s like to live the way they do, but I want to know, I want to understand, and I want to care for them.
My English class has started. This is a class at the Mam Clinic for adults who weren´t able to go to school when they were younger. Let me just say I have gained a huge respect for teachers. Don´t get me wrong, I love getting up in front of people and being the center of attention- but only when my lines are scripted and memorized and I don´t have to rely on audience participation! My students are so nervous and shy that getting them to repeat anything in English is like pulling teeth. Oh, did I mention that they don´t speak very much Spanish, that they mostly only speak Mam? Also did I mention that I have no training as a teacher? But you´d be surprised how far my camp-counselor skills have gotten me. Almost any game can be turned into an English lesson.
I have reached my half-way point in my year here. At the moment I am not struggling with the painful homesickness that was strangling me in my first few months. Now it´s more like home-annoyance, Im not sick from missing my home, just sort of annoyed. But not very often. In a lot of ways, I feel vey at home here. My sister Sara traded rooms with me so I now have a door! That was a joyous day, and it did wonders for my feeling more at home here. I can also tell that I have changed in some ways, For example, my English class. This time last year I could not have handled doing anything without exact instructions and perfect execution. Here, I´m lucky if I get any intructions and perfection is just a hazy memory. But I´m ok with it. I do my best and I generally find that people are thrilled, but if they aren´t, there´s nothing I can do about it. This way of life is a lot less exhausting, but I´m glad I didnt discover it until after undergrad.
OK, Today instead of a top and bottom list, Im going to give you my Top Ten Reasons to Praise the Lord!
1. The toilet is working
2. There´s toilet paper in the bathroom
3. A good seat on the microbus
4. Chocobananos (these are bananas covered in chocolate.)
5. A non-Tigo text message (Tigo is the phone company, it´s very dissapointing to see you have a text message, only to find it´s about changing your ring-tone)
6. A song I know comes on the radio (in Spanish!)
7. A hug from a CEIPA student
8. I can understand the sermon!
9. Seeing someone walking a farm animal. Like it´s a dog.
and finally, last but not least:
10. FRIENDS!
yes, I´m finally making some real friends here. And I even go out and do things with them. LIke dinner on Valentine´s day or go see a movie! I cannot express how precious these friendships are to me. And that´s why I find myself randomly praising the Lord.
Oh, and, I milked a cow for the first time! Check that off the life goal list.
March is looking very promising, with a retreat in Belize and then a week with my parents. I miss you all and hope you are well!
Cascarones. Eggs cleaned out and filled with pica pica. Confetti. The idea is to sneak up behind your unsuspecting victim and break the egg on his or her head. Then run for your life. So far my sisters are winning, but I´ve got a secret stash and I´m pretty sure they are all out. As they said to me, she who laughs last laughs loudest.
February has been busy. It started with the end of our last retreat (in Monterrico, where we released baby sea turtles!). Then the next day was my first class at CEIPA. I LOVE CEIPA! It´s hard work, but I enjoy it. We have about 40 students in our little primary school, the youngest is 12 (in first grade) and the oldest is 17 (in 6th grade). We never have 40 students all at once, usually more like 25 or 30. It can be hard for the students to get to school every day, because of transportation issues or if they cant get off work, so it´s hard to keep a class going. But we manage. Im working in the class with the 4th 5th and 6th graders (yes, all in one class). Like I said, I love it, but I ache to be able to talk to the children. My Spanish is getting better, but it´s still a struggle. The kids are patient with me, but I´m afriad I´m not much help. Yet. I know it will get better.
On my third day of work a boy showed up with a Valle Crucis, NC Mast General Store T-shirt! I was so excited to see a piece of home here in Guatemala, I almost laughed and cried at the same time!
The next day he wore it again.
And the next. And the next
He has worn that shirt every day. So many of the children wear the same clothes every day. They dont have anything else. My soccer-playing friends here in San Juan ask me whenever I see them when I am going to bring them shoes and clothes and toys. What can I do? It hurts to be so powerless. In our school there arent enough desks. Our students sit in the dark every day so we dont have to pay an electricity bill. They need so much but they are so happy to be in school. I wish I could do more for them. I don´t know what it´s like to live the way they do, but I want to know, I want to understand, and I want to care for them.
My English class has started. This is a class at the Mam Clinic for adults who weren´t able to go to school when they were younger. Let me just say I have gained a huge respect for teachers. Don´t get me wrong, I love getting up in front of people and being the center of attention- but only when my lines are scripted and memorized and I don´t have to rely on audience participation! My students are so nervous and shy that getting them to repeat anything in English is like pulling teeth. Oh, did I mention that they don´t speak very much Spanish, that they mostly only speak Mam? Also did I mention that I have no training as a teacher? But you´d be surprised how far my camp-counselor skills have gotten me. Almost any game can be turned into an English lesson.
I have reached my half-way point in my year here. At the moment I am not struggling with the painful homesickness that was strangling me in my first few months. Now it´s more like home-annoyance, Im not sick from missing my home, just sort of annoyed. But not very often. In a lot of ways, I feel vey at home here. My sister Sara traded rooms with me so I now have a door! That was a joyous day, and it did wonders for my feeling more at home here. I can also tell that I have changed in some ways, For example, my English class. This time last year I could not have handled doing anything without exact instructions and perfect execution. Here, I´m lucky if I get any intructions and perfection is just a hazy memory. But I´m ok with it. I do my best and I generally find that people are thrilled, but if they aren´t, there´s nothing I can do about it. This way of life is a lot less exhausting, but I´m glad I didnt discover it until after undergrad.
OK, Today instead of a top and bottom list, Im going to give you my Top Ten Reasons to Praise the Lord!
1. The toilet is working
2. There´s toilet paper in the bathroom
3. A good seat on the microbus
4. Chocobananos (these are bananas covered in chocolate.)
5. A non-Tigo text message (Tigo is the phone company, it´s very dissapointing to see you have a text message, only to find it´s about changing your ring-tone)
6. A song I know comes on the radio (in Spanish!)
7. A hug from a CEIPA student
8. I can understand the sermon!
9. Seeing someone walking a farm animal. Like it´s a dog.
and finally, last but not least:
10. FRIENDS!
yes, I´m finally making some real friends here. And I even go out and do things with them. LIke dinner on Valentine´s day or go see a movie! I cannot express how precious these friendships are to me. And that´s why I find myself randomly praising the Lord.
Oh, and, I milked a cow for the first time! Check that off the life goal list.
March is looking very promising, with a retreat in Belize and then a week with my parents. I miss you all and hope you are well!
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