Guatemalan Time

Things seem to run on their own schedule down here, mas tranquilo, and apparently this has affected my blogging. I've lost complete track of time...


I believe I'm about 3 weeks into the project. I'm falling in love with these kids more and more each day. I'm also taking on more teaching. The biggest challenge is my Spanish level. Detailed explaination is much more difficult with a restricted vocabulary, as is discipline. My discipline right now consists of simple commands such as "no, don't push" or the questions "What are you doing? What happened?" But the Mini-English lessons have developed into a 45 min or hour long daily class. I've also begun working with small groups in math and reading. My happiest days volunteering at the project are the days where I know I taught something, or atleast one kid had an ah-ha moment. Yesterday I taught the times 9 finger trick. Profe seemed impressed and he asks me to assist in more and more each day.

I've also begun tutoring the principal. He's been taking English classes at the University. It's such a contrast teaching someone at his level, at his language awareness, and at his reading level compared to teaching 8-12 year olds with very little background knowledge. It's a refreshing challenge. We try to get together daily.

Other things about the project. In addition to the classroom, I've handed out food to the Mother's Club on Fridays. It's all donations and all fresh vegetables from local farms and co-ops. I also went with some of the workers to collect food one day. I also went on a social work visit. The concept of the project is to work with the whole families to ensure that the children are getting the support they need at home to facilitate their education and ensure they stay in school. I went with the social worker to visit 3 homes to surprise check-in on families. During the first visit, I observed as the social worker questioned the mom about why the daughter had not come to school for three weeks. I felt incredibley awkward being the big fly on the wall observing a very intense conversation leading to tears from multiple generations (the mom and the daughter). I was happy to see the daughter at school the next day. The other two families were children who were receiving scholarships from The God's Child Project to attend other schools in the area. .

My life outside the project has been a whirlwind. I had a friend come visit last week for a week and was able to travel with her for a few days and do a volcano hike. I visited Pacaya, the volcano that errupted almost a month ago. We weren't able to climb and had to enter the area through a private farm. It was a rich green contrasting with heavy black lava. The area was diserted and erie. It looked like the end of the world. This week I'm travelling again, leaving Sunday, coming back Tuesday to go with a friend to his house set out in the forest. I'm excited to get out of the city and into nature!