This is a sight that ALWAYS makes me smile.  This room is approximately 10×10.  It is actually the Guatemalan kitchen at the school.  What the kids are sitting on is the stove.  There are actually 10 kids in this small room, all intent on learning math.  While the teachers meet in the morning I watch the students gather in this room together.  And in the evenings they gather as well… and this is what it usually looks like.  Cesar at the board working out the homework and the students intent on his every word.  He is patient with them.  He asks if they need any more help.  He stays at the school each evening, waiting for students to return if they need help.  His unselfish heart and desire to learn are irreplaceable.  This picture does not to justice, but I wanted to share with you what life looks like these days for all of us…. we are in a small space, pressing forward as best we can…

There are many things that I remember from my high school physics teacher, but I think the most monumental was the day we learned that physics is f = μ Ν. For those of you that can’t see this, physics is fun. Honestly, I already enjoyed physics by the time Mr. Zarger shared this fact with us in class…. and honestly, it was my teacher’s sense of humor and way of teaching that really motivated me more than the material. But I am still convinced that physics can be fun.  It can be challenging and frustrating at times, yet I still remember much from my time in that class – most importantly the enthusiasm my teacher had for learning.  Physics is a course that is central to our curriculum here and honestly one that the students have come to loathe because the material is so different from anything that they have ever studied.

I have two friends that are physics teachers and can honestly take any every day situation and make it into an exercise in physics. They are creative, full of energy and have the same heart/passion as I have. When my friend asked if she would be of any use this summer, I didn’t hesitate to say “YES” as there was more than a use for her. I could use the creative juices in the physics side of the curriculum as I know the demonstrations and fun that can be had is endless. I just haven’t been on the planning side to make it happen.

And so my mind has been thinking in forces and altitudes and equations for the last two days. The smiles on the students faces and enjoyment in applying their learning to actual hands on science is priceless. Memorizing an equation can get you nowhere if you can’t actually apply it. Trevor and Steph are using materials we can get here to teach the students how to measure altitude and velocity. Here is a sneak peak.

Attention to detail is important.

Applying their data to their calculations

Trev more than excited to explain the fun.

Using their homemade altimeter to determine the height of different trees and buildings.

Physics is fun for all generations!

Determining the altitude of their rocket.

Can’t get enough of it!  Trying to apply what they learned, to the rocket that they built.

This is a post written by Katie about the school.  It will give you a different perspective.  Yes, at this point we are all weary although I don’t want to admit it easily…. but we persevere as we remember the reason we began this school in the first place…

We are at our halfway point in the first year of this education project’s existence. And we are tired. The newness is gone, the cultural and language differences are wearing, and the daily grind has been set in place. The students are tired, the staff are tired, the administrators are tired. And yet, as I have sat in the midst of this tired group of people (myself included), and turned my questions to God, I have been encouraged. Because these are the times that perseverance comes completely through a strength not our own; that this is when we hit our knees, we pull together, we release the challenges to God, and He pours His spirit and strength out upon us and allows us to become conquerors much greater than we could ever be on our own; that this is a time to speak out the vision that God has given us for this place and remember the amazing ways He has already provided and brought about that which no man could.

 One of our original Auxiliary Nursing students (now in the Bachillerato program) with her mom cooking up some food in the coffee shoppe for a party we had.

In December, as we were preparing to open doors for the Auxiliary Nursing Program in January, we learned that our teachers did not meet the requirements that are involved in opening an auxiliary program. So, we stood our ground; we fought for the program; we called in other Guatemalan friends of ours to go fight for the program as well; we had everyone interested sign a paper saying so; we prayed and prayed and prayed… and after a month and a half of this, we realized that God seemed to be shutting this door. Even more of a confirmation was that out of the 35+ people that had pre-registered for the program, we only had 4 students actually register when we opened registrations.

So, we prayed some more, and we discussed things as a team. Greg and Helaine Walton, the South African couple who had joined us here with over 15 years of education experience in rural Guatemala, encouraged us to keep seeking God out in this – that He seemed to be doing something, and that He didn’t seem to be finished yet.

In all honesty, I really half-thought “Yay! The ridiculous challenge of working with the Department of Public Health is over! I can go back to just working in the clinics and taking care of my family, and be done with this segment of my life. Sorry to all that were involved that this school didn’t happen… just doesn’t seem to be what God is doing anymore.” Thank God He has surrounded us by people much more mature and much farther along on this faith journey than we were…

because He was about to explode our world.

As we started exploring other options, Greg and Helaine explained more of the education world here in Guatemala. It is actually set up almost identically to the European system, where at 15 years old, students that would like to continue studying can decide if they would like to take more of a practical/technical degree route (like auxiliary nursing or mechanic) or if they would like to take a two year high school/college prep course with plans to continue on to study in the University afterwards (where they can study professional nursing or accounting, etc.). Greg and Helaine had already been running one of these college-prep programs – called a bachillerato (bah-chee-air-ah-toe) – and helped us look into putting one in here. Now, this program involves an insane amount of paperwork and trips to Quiche (2 hours away) just to open the doors. During a conversation with the local education director here in Canilla, he actually laughed out loud at me when I suggested that we put one of these programs in instead of the auxiliary nursing program; he then explained to me that it will take at least one year to get all the paperwork approved just to open doors! I countered with our thinking of how valuable one of these programs will be since it will not only raise the level of education here in Canilla, but also prepare students to go on to the University afterwards where they can receive a professional nursing degree and graduate with better training, better job opportunities, and better pay than the auxiliary degree would give them. A long-time friend of ours, he agreed with me, but still could not help smiling as he shook his head at my ridiculous optimism that allowed me to even consider pursuing this.

But God knew what he was doing, even if we were clueless 🙂 With the connections that Greg and Helaine had in the Department of Education here in Quiche, the excellent reputation they had built up with their school system, and the fact that they could have done this insane load of paperwork almost in their sleep, we opened doors TWO WEEKS after we submitted the original proposal!

Friends, this is a MIRACLE – especially in a country where NOTHING happens in two weeks’ time.

Our friend, the local education director? Yes, he stood in the school’s front lawn one week after we opened the doors, signing up his sister-in-law for the program. A broad smile crossed his face as he again shook his head at me… except this time, as he laughed with us, it was because he was as shocked as we were. Nobody could deny that God was moving… and little did we know, it was still just the beginning.

Ultimately, this education project is a story of the faithfulness of our God. It is a story of faith stretched and hope renewed. It is a story of restoration and redemption. It is story where the Creator of all comes down into the mess of a physically, emotionally, and spiritually oppressed people and answers their prayers, going above and beyond what they even knew to ask… a promise that God still walks among His people, that He still sees the tears and stains, and that He still gets out His lily white cloth and washes them away.

Monday

As a team, we worked at the school today. When we arrived we sorted all of the school supplies the church, school and others graciously supplied. (Thanks!) Everyone at the school was very thankful for the new supplies (thank you, thank you). We were able to clean the rooms at the school by scrubbing the walls and dusting the ceiling. The ladies worked on school projects for the English school such as making flashcards and games for the students to practice their English. While they ladies worked on school items, Jim painted and helped grill our delicious lunch. We ate lunch at the school with Aaron, Katie, and their family, the Director of the school, Greg, and his children. We worked at the school till around 4:30 and came back to rest. At sunset we walked with the Fickers to view the hospital property. The outline of the property is dug up so we could see the outline of where the hospital will be, very exciting! We ended the evening by enjoying some time together and making our plans for tomorrow. Thank you for your support and prayers during our trip, they are much appreciated and we can’t wait to tell you about the trip.
-Allison

Jim grilling

Megan and Lisa working on manipulatives

Allison and Jim enjoying contact paper!

School supplies sorted and displayed

The hospital property – starting to dig!

Some happenings at the school….

We have transformed one room into a computer room.  This will be useful in teaching the students how to investigate answers and compose papers.

Celebration of Sebastian’s birthday (teacher at the school).

I have begun doing labs weekly to give the students some critical thinking skills.  Our first experience was looking at their own cheek cells as well as the cells of different plants and animals.  They were excited to learn that they were made of cells!  Thanks to all that have made this possible!

This story has been on my heart and in my mind constantly since it happened and is a perfect picture of someone hungry for an education.  Cesar wakes at 4 every morning to make the walk to school along trails from a village.  He arrives each morning, cleans his shoes and is the most attentive student that we have.  He has a hunger and thirst for knowledge and has become a leader among the students.  I often see him explaining the day’s lessons to other students using terms and concepts that they can relate to.  During recess he will walk around with his notebook open studying and reviewing concepts aloud.  When I am speak to the students in English, be will pull out his notebook, ask me to repeat what I just said, write it in his notebook phonetically and then write out the translation. When we offer extra tutoring sessions, he will walk the five hours it takes him to and fro, for an opportunity to learn more on a Saturday or Sunday. If he only had one more day to live on this earth, I’m afraid he might spend it learning.  That defines Cesar.

On our last day of exams, most of the kids were playing soccer and sitting around relieved that their exams were over.  I noticed Cesar over to the side with his head in his hands looking as if he were lost.  I sat down beside him and simply asked if everything was OK.  He looked at me, dug through his bag and pulled out his notebook.  With a sparkle in his eyes and sincerity in his voice he asked, “Can you give me some math problems for the week?”  I looked at him and laughed.  For a week the students had done nothing but study.  I was sure he slept no more than five hours on any given night.  Any student in their right mind would not be asking for more work.  Yet he was serious.  When I told him he didn’t need to do study that week, his brain needed a break, he asked if I had a book he could have for the week.  And not just any book, he wanted a physics book. What seventeen year old wants to read a physics book during their vacation?  Yet, he begged for it.  I asked if he had ever read a book before and he said no.  And so I went into the school and came back with two books, one on physics and one that was a lighter read.  He spent the next hour thumbing through the book, looking at the pictures, reading the information and was mesmerized.  We eventually had to tell him to go home because we were all leaving.

Upon returning from break, I asked Cesar if he read the books and he was excited to tell me he had read both of them.  His next question was if I had more.  He continued to tell me what he had learned and how much he liked the books.  Today I walked into the school at dusk and found Cesar in the classroom with two of the boys that struggle with math.  He had problems written on the board and was conducting his own teaching session.  His enthusiasm for learning is difficult to quench.

Cesar’s aspirations are to be a doctor.  Yet, is that even possible?  Can a boy who doesn’t even have work clothes or a bicycle make it in the Guatemalan system? Does he really know what it takes? Education is not free.  It comes with a price.  Many families sacrifice all they have on the hopes of one child.  He is that one child. I have put some serious thought into how we are going to raise up leaders through our school after a man was here from San Pablo University.  He talked about the fact that he was that child – the one who didn’t have shoes, a means to buy what he needed for school, or the money for education.  But another man saw his potential, saw his drive and provided scholarships for him so that he could pursue an education.  He now is providing the programs of education for others, just like Cesar, who have creative, bright minds.  Cesar has the drive and perseverance to go beyond.  He walks further than any of our students every day, works within the work program, and often leaves the school after dark at night to walk the two and a half hours home and then study.  He has proven himself, never complains, and oozes with eagerness.

At the end of the first phase of classes the students had to write an essay tying the movie “Gifted Hands” into the challenges that they have had to face in the first phase of classes. Hear his heart as Cesar wrote:

I tried many times to change or achieve my goals but I have realized I cannot change or improve without the help of God . I see others who can do things easier than me and many times believe that I cannot achieve.  I do not know why they get it and I do not.  I have struggled much in my past.  Now I believe I need to keep going forward knowing that what has often been impossible now is possible because now He hears me when I pray. Now is the time for me to overcome the things that were once difficult for me.  I have learned that we often neglect good things for things that have no benefit for the future.  Things that instead destroy our lives. The time I have is important. I have to have a good attitude if I want to move forward.  It is now that I will learn better because my help comes from God who is the top and the owner of the wisdom, understanding and knowledge.

In reality, Cesar doesn’t realize his own ability.  Many times it takes him twice as long to solve a problem, yet what he doesn’t realize is that his classmates aren’t able to do the work and have only completed half of the exercise.  He perseveres until he arrives at the end.  And so as this next phases of classes gets underway and the intensity increases, I am reminded of many former students I had.  Each of them unique, each of them capable in their own way.  Sometimes all it takes is for someone to believe in you so that you can believe in yourself.  Students who have what it takes and were told by others or their culture that they can’t do it…. When in reality they can.  They just need someone standing behind them reminding them they are able.  And that’s why we’re here.

Cesar “coaching” the other students (in the middle)