Jen May

On October 3 at Escuela Vida, we had our first official meeting with a few mothers at our school.  I planned a special year-end baking activity (and found it ironic that I was supposed to be the “expert” teaching them how to make cakes and read recipes, yet they are the ones who have much more daily cooking experience (as wives, mothers, etc) than I do.)  The mothers enjoyed an afternoon break from the daily grind (washing clothes, ironing, etc) for something different (fellowship with each other, singing praises to the Lord, reading their Bible and praying).  Please be in prayer as I begin planning for the 2008 school year already with fellow co-workers.  I look forward to seeing how God will use this desire that He has given me to serve the mothers of my students in the future.

MOMS ENJOYING THEIR BAKED GOODS WITH COFFEE

OUR FINAL PRODUCTS FRESH OUT OF THE OVEN

I remember asking my aunt when I was little why there was no “children’s day” to celebrate.  She promptly replied that every day is children’s day!  Well, apparently, Guatemalans don’t think so and have their own special day for kids.  I helped out with Kindergarteners at a nearby home (complete with play equipment & green grass which I hope our kids will have one day at the school with the new land that will hopefully be purchased).  The kids had lots of fun playing together.  It was a great way to celebrate the last official week of classes!

PLAY EQUIPMENT

TUG OF WAR                                           CLOWNS

September 15, 2007 marked Guatemala’s independence from Spain 186 years ago.  Before coming here, I had heard that it was a big celebration.  But I didn’t realize just how much Guatemalans take pride in their country and its independence.  It was an exciting week full of many different activities, as you can see from the pictures below.

ANTORCHA

The lighting of the “burning flame of freedom” has been a prominent tradition for many years.  Guatemalans light their torch (”antorcha”) in Antigua and other major cities and run with it to their respective towns and schools.  Below are EVE students who have just lit the Antorcha to carry back to our school.

Carrying the flame on TOP of the chicken bus part of the way up the windy road from Antigua (if you’ve seen the road or chicken buses in person, then you know how crazy this is!!)

TRADITIONAL DRESS & DANCE

Part of the week involved returning to Guatemala’s traditional Mayan roots for the cultural celebration at our school (in a community where the majority of people are “ladinos” (mixed Spanish/ Mayan descent) and no longer wear the typical Guatemalan dress).

Below, students are waiting to carry the Guatemalan & school flag in for the celebration.

First Grade Boys in Typical Dress

Second Graders Dancing

Fourth Grade Girls in Typical Dress

Sixth Grade Girls Making Tortillas

Guatemalan traditions are similar to the States by celebrating with a walking parade throughout the town.  We walked for 3 hours in the hot sunshine around the town of Santa Lucia with the students (Gr K-8) of Vida y Esperanza.

KINDERGARTENERS REPRESENTING NATIONAL SYMBOLS OF GUATEMALA

GUATEMALAN FLAG

CEIBA- NATIONAL TREE (real ones grow over 100 feet tall)

MONJA BLANCA- NATIONAL FLOWER

QUETZAL- NATIONAL BIRD

KINDERGARTENER (right) SHOWING GUATEMALAN PRIDE (look closely at the temporary tatoo on his cheek!)

FIRST GRADERS (below) representing animals & flowers of Guatemala

THIRD GRADERS (below) carrying flags from around the world

VIEW (below) OF PARADE IN TOWN (look at the beautiful surroundings we have near our school)

BAND MEMBERS IN ACTION (They made A LOT of noise during the year practicing, but all their preparation sure paid off for the parade.  They looked and sounded great!)

My brother came to visit in September.  We had a great time visiting families from my school & hanging out at my house here.  We also got to do some hiking for a few days in the more rural parts of Guatemala.  The biggest difference from the hiking we’re used to (unfortunately) was the trash found on the trails & in the rivers (it was hard to see God’s creation so polluted!)  It was also interesting to adjust to hiking as “gringos” (crazy foreigners who carry heavy packs around on their backs just for the fun of it) on trails that are the daily route for many Guatemalans to get to “work” (often plots of land with crops) and back “home” again (basic houses built in rural villages (many that are so isolated that they don’t even speak Spanish, and vehicles can’t even arrive there- only accesible by foot or horse-back.)  It was a different experience which I hope to do again here, but I also don’t think I’ll mind going hiking again in the States.

AT GREIDY’S (my sponsored child) HOUSE                 

HIKING VIEWS                                        

                                                           BREAKFAST AT HOME

On Thursday morning, July 19, I had the pleasure of welcoming youth group members from my sending church, Medway Community Church from Medway, MA, to Escuela Vida y Esperanza in Santa Lucia, Guatemala.  It was such a joy to show them my daily surroundings, since they have been faithfully praying for me since I arrived last September.  It was also fun to watch some of the team members meet their sponsored children from our school.  It makes such a difference to meet these children in person instead of just seeing them in a picture! (& it’s very special for me to get to work with them on a daily basis!)  If you would like to sponsor your own child from our school, please contact me.

This picture shows the MCC group in our school patio with five children that are sponsored by MCC members.   

This picture shows the youth pastor from MCC (who headed up this Guate short term team and was also my youth pastor when I was in high school!) & another mom/ chaperone for the trip (who is like a second mom to me, so it was very special to see her).  I enjoyed having them visit my classroom!  

These first graders are showing the masks that they made from your art supply donations (paper, markers, string, etc.).  As you can see, they really enjoy doing art projects in class!  If you look closely, you can see rabbits, pigs, monkeys, cows, etc.  (We were studying Noah’s Ark at the time, so there were 2 of each animal.)  Thank you so much for making it possible for these children to learn ‘hands on’ in class!  

This picture was taken during my June break (4 day long weekend) at Lake Atitlan.  It was a great time away from daily life & teaching at the school.  We read, swam, toured the lake, and relaxed, taking some time to just ‘be’ instead of ‘doing.’  I hope to spend more days like this before coming home in December.

It is a blessing to work with children each day Escuela Vida y Esperanza.  However, I’m grateful for the opportunity to visit students in their home surroundings.  The pictures below show children that my church, family and I support.  If you are interested in sponsoring a child from our school, please let me know!

This was one of the first times in these children’s lives that they had travelled in a car!