zone 5 and the dump

each time i have been in guatemala i have seen and experienced something new, something i never imagined in my life that i would see.  today was no exception.

this morning joel, a missionary we are working with here in guatemala city, took jim, tiffany, and i to a different school to observe.  as educators he wanted us to visit another school in the city to see what they have done to make a difference in their community.  this area is part of zone five sharing a border with zone one, the oldest part of the city (the city is divided into about 20 zones). 

la escuelita is located in a deep valley called la limonada which runs through guatemala city.  60,000 people live people live in this valley.  there are rows and rows of homes built along the steep embankments.  a river runs through the area, but the river is the dumping grounds for these thousands of people.  in the dry season the river bed fills with trash, sometimes as high as the bridge we walked across on our way to the school.   during the rainy season, the water rushes down from the mountains and washes most of the trash out of the river.  

the background of this school is full of stories of God at work in a forgotten and avoided area.  i can’t begin to do la escuelita justice in my writings here, but i’ll do my best.  the school began with just two small rooms.  over the years, it has grown into four good size classrooms, a kitchen, and an office-like area.  the director and her assistant shared incredible testimonies of the churches and people who have helped them over the years, as well as praise for their teachers.   only one full-time teacher has an education beyond the sixth grade.  knowing that, we were even more impressed with the teachers.  it is a clean, bright, and positive atmosphere that radiates love.  it is obvious the children are dearly loved. 

this school functions a lot like an after-school program here in the u.s.  the kids here attend public school either in the morning or afternoon, there are not enough facilities otherwise.  so, kids attend la escuelita in either the morning or afternoon.  joel told us that the kids get a better education in this tuition free school than they do in the public school.   in order for a student to attend this school, one parent is required to attend a parenting meeting held once a month.  the students’ education each day begins with learning and developing basic health skills.  they are fed breakfast, then they brush their teeth, and take their vitamins.  classes begin after that.   there is so much more to say and describe about this school.  you are welcome to ask me more about our time there. 

after the morning session we walked around in the community, up and down the sidewalks with joel and the school director.  we visited two people in the community, supporting one by buying three of his weavings and supporting the other by laying hands on her and praying for her.  she will undergo surgery on saturday for tumor on her head.  the life of those in this valley is beyond my comprehension.  my heart breaks for these children, but at the same time i am in awe of God’s work here and the visible difference this school is making in their lives.  as we headed back to the car in la limonada, we were greeted by kids and family members along the road.  one little girl came flying out of the home, and she gave me such an incredibly big hug.  the other two with her followed suit.  i had only just met these little ones at the school we visited, and here they were greeting me (us) like they had known me all their life. 

after we left the valley in zone five, we drove to the guatemala city dump.  here we visited a family that joel knows, bringing them birthday gifts from the family in the states who pays for the tuition of these kids so they can receive a good education.  what beautiful children living in conditions that i cannot even fathom.  their home is in a squatter settlement.  there are 11,000 people in this area.  their method of survival is in scavenging the dump, looking for anything that can be recycled.  on a good day they might make $3-5.

joel drove us to the national cemetery, where we could overlook the dump.  the cemetery alone was quite a sight.  but, i was in shock over the size of the dump and the large number of people who were scavenging there.  it was huge; there were a lot of trucks unloading trash, and hundreds of people going through the trash.  the trucks are scavenged through on the way to the dump, and then these people go through it again, trying to collect and sell anything they can.  this is a rough life for these people in so many ways.   the majority of guatemalans have never even  the dump. 

i see both the valley and the squatter’s settlements as places where Christ would have walked.  he spent his time with the outcasts.  he came to save his people, and that includes the people society would rather forget about and push away.  i learned today that the Bible has many stories about people whose actions were detestable, yet God was there for them as well.  even some of those whom we hold in high esteem as ”heroes of our faith” have a sordid past.  stories that we tend to gloss over, or not even read.  Christianity is much easier when we sugar coat it.  but, when we take the time to dig into the scriptures and read those stories which make us uncomfortable, we see God’s power and love revealed to the outcast.  so many times the outcast recognize God first.  so many times God reveals himself to the outcast.  what an incredible example for us to follow; we claim to be “Christ followers”, but i wonder how often, if ever do we truly reach out to those who are outcasts. 

there is so much more i could say.  so much more that i am “chewing on”.  so many questions about the future.  do i truly believe in His power?  am i doing what God has called me to do, where he has called me too?  mission work is not just visiting the poor in another country.  right in our own backyards we have those we need Christ in a real way as well.  mission work is more than just a week helping those less fortunate than us; it must be a lifestyle, right in our own neighborhood.  we need to ask ourselves, “am i doing what God has called me to do, where he has called me too?”

a live tour

today tiffany and i thought we’d share with the school community, as well as family and friends, what is happening here.  we had a great time as we wandered around the school grounds. 

we started the morning with tour of the new building underconstruction.  it consists of two bathrooms and two classrooms.  later in the day we walked around the existing building, attempting to capture the layout and size of the school.  both of these tours can be found at school’s website www.wscsgr.org.

In the afternoon Jim, Tiffany, and I had a great meeting with the principal Caren and English teacher David.  It was a time to share our thoughts and ideas about this partnership.  We came up with a lot of different possibilities of how we can stay connected to each other, as well as help each other grow as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Construction continues on the new building.  They are making progress, although they are at a point where it’s not as noticeable. 

I’ve really enjoyed the time getting to know a lot of new people.  The construction team is made up of 13 men from various churches on the west side of grand rapids.  And there are 3 staff members from west side here as well.  we’ve enjoyed helping out where we can on the build site.  two more days for the construction crew – the will not be able to finish the building, but will be able to leave it at  a point where the community can work together and finish some bits and pieces.   

well, i just caught myself falling asleep while typing.  i think that’s a sign to get some sleep! 

tuesday’s visit

it’s wednesday morning already!  the week is flying by :)  i’m writing quick this morning before we head out for another day.  it was too late for me to write last night when it was my turn for the laptop.  i am so very thankful for technology!  i was able to talk to ty on the phone last night; it was so good to hear his voice. 

yesterday tiffany and i finished our classroom visits bringing greetings from our students in los Estados Unidos.  we were just amazed as we joined a class of 30 kindergarteners in a 12×12 classroom.  they sat at five small tables in small plastic chairs.  when we asked to take a class picture, i had to just watch and laugh as they exited the room.  i was standing in the very back so i could take pictures (an accomplishment to get all the way back there) and just laughed as the students scrambled to get out of the room.  they were climbing over tables and chairs in their attempt to exit.  no surprise since there is hardly any floor space; we’ve seen kids climb over tables and chairs in other classrooms!  those visits made up the bulk of our time in the morning.  it was so refreshing to see these kids…kids are the same everywhere :)  some of them are motivated to learn, others seem apathetic, some are giggly and out-going and others are quite shy, and there is a classclown in every crowd!   

we spent time in the afternoon observing a few middle school classes.  we saw a Bible class where seventh graders were reciting their old and new testament books.  the others in the room were “madly” studying while waiting for their turn; not unusual in our classrooms either! we observed david teach an eighth grade english class.  he’s the only one at the school who speaks english.  our favorite part of the day was a seventh grade class where we observed a lesson on how to speak properly in public.  i was very impressed the the teacher, and it was obvious she loved her students.  i took a lot of notes during the day while i was in classrooms.   there is so much to see, take in, and remember!

the building construction is moving along quickly.  tiffany and i were able to once again help in the late afternoon.  i can haul cement blocks around, no problem.  i’ll leave the mudding up to the guys.  well, maybe it’s the other way around!  :)  the guys would rather do the mudding themselves!  it is a blessing to watch members of the community join in the process.  if you want to see some pictures and videos of the process, go to www.wscsgr.org.  that’s west side christian’s web site.  our computer tech has been posting the videos and pictures we have been sending.  there are updates from the building team as well. 

i’d better go; we are off soon for another day.  tiffany, jim, and i will be meeting with a couple teachers and the principal today.  i’m looking forward to hanging out with more kids during their break time today!  maybe a few more hoops are in store for me today :)   

our first day of school

 our first day of school on monday was really fun!  tiffany and i spent time in some of the classrooms.  we started out in first grade — they were so cute and excited!  they sang several songs for us, and tiffany taught them a song she uses in her class.  it was so cute to see them.  we also visited with 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th graders.  tiffany had all the classes at west side make a collage with their class picture in the middle with pictures of things that they are learning about all around.  she shared those with the classes here and talked about michigan.  she also talked about the calendar that we had made as a fund raiser.  there are pictures of the school that were taken when a couple staff members were here last year.  then, they asked a few questions.  since my conversational spanish is not good, i did a lot of picture taking  :)  it was really fun to be in the classrooms.  it is so very true that kids are the same, everywhere!  these kids acted just like my own students!  i loved it!  there were even a couple rascals in the back of a couple rooms :)  tuesday we will visit the remaining classes. 

the school is out of space and has a waiting list.  in order for classes to take place, they have the K–6th graders in school from 7:30-12:30.  then the 7th-9th graders attend from 1:15-6:00.  a couple of their teachers teach both sessions!   

it was so interesting to observe their school day.  mondays they begin with an assembly for the whole school (separate for am and pm sessions).  we realize that our presence with both the build site and the classroom visits is disruptive, but the staff is comfortable with our interruptions.  during one of the breaks with the older kids, i played basketball with them.  it is really strange to be the tallest or almost tallest on a basketball team — even a middle school team is generally taller than me :)  it was a lot of fun; we played boys against girls.  their b-ball court is simply the cement courtyard with a hoop attached to a cement block wall. 

the classrooms are very small and packed with desks!  there is very little teacher storage, and no extra resources in their rooms.  the students all work out of workbooks, there are no textbooks.  they carry them back and forth every day in their backpacks.  the students here wear uniforms every day.  we americans are all astounded at how white their white clothing is!  the boys worked all morning and afternoon at the construction site, hauling cement blocks from up the steep hill.  so, part of their school day was interrupted by that, but they are so eager to help with the build, and it saves our construction crew a lot of time.  in the late afternoon, tiffany and i were able to join the guys and work on the construction site. 

my digital camera has been going through batteries like crazy, so jim let me use his camera all day while he worked construction.  i was able to get some great shots in the school and at the build site.  i told both jim and ty that i was spoiled forever.  i want a new digital camera!  :) 

 i’m finishing this entry quick on tuesday morning.  the computer was in high use last night, and i was too tired to finish writing late at night.  i’m off to get some breakfast before another exciting day.  thanks for your prayers! 

ancient antigua

this afternoon we had an opportunity to head to antigua.  i have been to antigua a number of times, but i saw and experienced some new things today.  we took time to wander around and look at some of the ancient ruins, very old architecture, and the results of a 1776 earthquake which still impacts the country.  i really enjoyed the sightseeing.  the places are so beautiful, and the architecture is amazing.  we went to an old convent and heard about the lives of these women. 

for dinner we went to an authentic guatemalan restaurant.  it was quite good!  when we were finished with dinner, we came out to night time!  we watched a religious parade that went right between the cathedral and central park.   We went to a five star hotel that used to be a monastary.  it is beautiful!  

i’ve always enjoyed the market shopping, but i am very thankful i had an opportunity to sightsee as well. there is so much more to say and do…but it was time for us to meet the crew. 

above all powers

this morning we attended a guatemalan church here in the city.  two of the people we are working with attend there.  of course, the entire service was in spanish.   the singing this morning was very moving. most songs i just sang the words, catching the meaning sometimes :)  i made good use of my new spanish-english dictionary throughout the service.

one song we sang was ”above all powers”.  part way through the song, i realized that i was singing the song in spanish, understanding it, and saying the words in my head in english.  it was a very powerful moment for me.  it brought tears to my eyes as i thought of the amazing experience of worshiping with fellow believers of Christ, in their own language.   we also sang “here i am to worship”  again, knowing the song made it so powerful for me.  those two songs led to an amazing time of worship for me.  

guatemala, my other home

we had a safe arrival into guatemala city this afternoon — only a little bit of turbulence on our way in. :)   it was 80 degrees in guatemala city when we walked out of the airport; wow did that feel fabulous! for those of you who have been to this airport…wow!!  the remodel is amazing; i didn’t even recognize where we were.  it’s very modern, clean, and big.  on our way out of the airport, i ran into a good friend of ours from grand rapids!!!  she is here for a wedding.  we are planning on connecting again; she would love to see the school we are working at. 

we are at colegio christiano kyrios, a christian school in santa cantalina pinula — a village about 20 minutes outside of the capital city.  we are here to form a relationship with another christian school in a different country)  grandville christian has been involved in a thriving program like this for many years.)  the purpose of this program is not to finacially support them, but to encourage them in their ministry and find ways to build connections between our two communities. 

in the spring of 2007, a group of eighth grade west side students organized a walk-a-thon to raise money for new classrooms at colegio christiano kyrios.   they were inspired when they heard that the school wanted to expand, and add additional grades, but they didn’t have the classrooms.  we learned today that they are maxed out at close to 300 students.  sadly, they are turning students away.  basically they have elementary classes in the morning and seventh through ninth grades in the afternoon. i wish you could see how small the classrooms are…i can’t even imagine teaching 30 students in a room the size of my bedroom!  i’m not exaggerating either!  i have gained a whole new appreciation for my classroom and all that i am blessed with.  i can’t even imagine teaching with the limited resources available to them. 

there is a work team here of 13 men from various churches connected with school.  they are building an addition to the school — a couple classrooms and indoor bathrooms!  the money the students raised through the walk-a-thon was the start of this project.  the school community is so excited.  i am one of three staff members who was incredibly blessed to be able to come.  we will be in the classrooms in the mornings, interacting with students and teachers.  we hope to help wth some of the building as well, but we aren’t sure the men are going to want female help!  there are some serious builders here! 

i once again feel right at home here in guatemala.  it is wonderful to see the mountains and sunshine, but more so to see the people here.  it’s incredible when you can work with and worship with fellow Christians so many miles from home. 

i really should get some sleep.  the last few nights before i left were quite short, and we were up early this morning to catch our flight.  my roomie is already sleeping :)  i feel like i have been monopolizing the laptop this evening, so i doubt my blogs will all be this long.  thanks for all of your support and prayers.   they are an invaluable part of this trip. 

it never ends…

please, tell me the end is in sight!  i don’t think it will ever stop snowing :(    i am so very thankful i will be in guatemala…soon!  it’s sunny and 80 degrees there right now.   

on another note, i’m sitting here working on midterm grades tonight.  while flipping through the channels, i happened upon a movie classic — “gone with the wind”.  i’m such a fan.  i have no idea how many times i’ve seen this movie, but it never gets old. 

wind chills, ice, and snow

snow day number six; this is crazy!  a friend of ours had school cancelled last night already.  i figured it was just because she’s out in the country and their roads aren’t plowed.  but, at 5:20 this morning, just as i was heading to take a shower, i heard the weather forcaster say, “many schools are closed today including grand rapids public.”  gr public is the grand-daddy of them all–you know it’s bad when they close.  so, i headed to the couch, curled up, and waited for the phone call :)   at 5:37 i received the official news.   my colleague whom i called next on the phone tree asked when we were ever going to get any curriculum taught!? lol!  usually i’m the one stressing about that.

ok.  this really is nuts.  we have wind chills at -10 to -20.  it’s supposed to snow this afternoon and evening…adding a layer of 2 to 5 inches to the ice, with more snow on the way by the end of the week.  this system is what our weather pattern will continue to be for the next week and a half!   does that mean more snow days?  i’m starting to worry that we are going to have to make these days up.  but, when? 

in the mean time, it’s another day off.  part of me is sleepy and wants to go back to sleep.  but i hate the feeling sleeping too long and then feeling terrible.  i call it the “dead bed head feeling”;  it’s like i was run over by a truck.  maybe i’m just weird like that, but i think i’ll get more school work done while i watch cmt (country music television) videos.  i’ve had enough of the news already this morning! i realize it’s dangerous weather outside, but sometimes our local newscasters go overboard in their intensity of delivering the weather news. 

snow day #5

i don’t think i’ve ever had 5 snow days in one year!  we certainly were dumped on yesterday, but it stoppped snowing earlier enough in the evening that i figured we’d have school today.  but, apparently the snow plows weren’t able to clear enough roads for the busses. 

i’m actually a bummed about no school!  my 8th grade students, several teachers, and myself were supposed to be at calvin college today.  as a reward to the 8th graders for an excellent play performance last fall,  our principal bought tickets for “alice in wonderland” at calvin’s lab theatre.  it was going to be a fun morning away from school :)   our english teacher had been graciously using her class time to teach the kids about lewis carroll, the alice in wonderland story, and the mimedrama style of the play.   we checked with calvin college yesterday, and their performances end this week, so we can’t reschedule.  i can’t complain…lots of people have had important things cancelled this winter due to the weather. 

it was another nice day to relax and continue to get rest.  i went out for lunch with ty and one of the guys he works with.  it did feel good to get out of the house :)  i also did some grading and a couple other things around the house.  it’s going to feel a little strange going to school in the morning  i must admit that i am a bit of a homebody, so these days are great!