About a month ago we did psychological testing for the kids who have scholarships through our program. Today we shared the results with them. The exam showed us which kids are open to authority, appreciated the opportunity to learn, and then went into detail about how the each learn best, and what struggles they are likely to face in education. By sharing this information with the kids and their parents, we can help create an environment for each student to flourish.
For example, one student's test showed that her biggest obstacle to learning is distractions. The funny thing is that she verbalized this to us before we even gave her the test results. She said the only time she doesn't do well is if the kids in her class are talking a lot and she can't pay attention. Now we can talk to the teacher and perhaps change her seating arrangement. We can also talk to her mom about providing an environment for homework with no tv, radio or outside distractions. I love that we are taking this extra step for the kids who earned scholarships.
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| My coworker reviewing the results of the test with a young girl. |
It's now 6 pm. I thought my ankle might be killing me tonight. So far I feel the same as always. We climbed up and down some CRAZY paths. We just went slow. Going uphill I feel great. Downhill can hurt. That makes sense because it hurts to push in the clutch of my car with my foot extended, which would be the same position as climbing downhill.
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| Carrying logs down the mountain |
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| He makes it look easy! |
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| Laundry day |
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The roads and trails were washed out from the rain. It's raining now. Thundering and lightening too. This is the fourth day in a row it's rained. I believe the rainy season is officially here. It's 2-3 weeks early!
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| The roads are worse then normal |
The whole roof missing from the house of one of my literacy students. NOTHING was covering her two small rooms. And to make matters worse, the house is made of adobe blocks, which is just earth packed together with straw. As you can imagine the rain disintegrates adobe quickly if they are not covered by a roof. I've been worried for her all day.
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| No roof |
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| Reyna always has a smile. Even with no roof and clouds looming in the distance. Today's rains came soon after this photo was taken. |
I also got to see Doña Francisca. You may remember her from literacy class. She was so happy to see me she actually smiled for the camera! Normally she is very stoic. I felt sad because she was on her way to work and she doesn't get done until 8 p.m. I hate to think of her walking around alone at night on the streets.
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| Back with my students! |
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In the afternoon I went to a graduation for another class of Familia Fuerte (Strong Families). There was a 10 year old boy in the class whose big dream is to become a gang member. Seriously. He is already being recruited by one of the biggest gangs in the country.
I am glad he is in our program. He is difficult to handle, but God paired him with the perfect mentor - a friend of mine who took that path when he was younger and can talk to the kids honestly and directly about what they are getting themselves into.
I was sad to see that same boy's mother came just at the end of the last parenting class, in time to receive her diploma, get her picture taken and eat the dinner. The mentor had to call and ask if she was coming. It appeared she was more concerned about putting ringlets in her hair than about being there for her son.
My boss asked me to enter a photo contest. I have to take a photo of youth changing their community. The winner gets a new camera! I am trying hard to win for our program. Unfortunately, the deadline is next week. We aren't doing any community projects between now and then. But I do believe God will show me the perfect photo to enter in the contest. We need the camera!
I did another interview today. A 15 year old boy gets up at four a.m. to collect recyclables in order to earn money for his family. By the time he walks to a nearby wealthy community the sun is just beginning to rise. He has been doing this for five years. He doesn't just randomly wander the streets. Specific families set things aside for him to pick up and recycle. He's got a regular business set up.
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| Profile shot |
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| Last year when I visited him, the mountain was falling on top of his house. Thanks to a new retaining wall, the earth is staying in place this rainy season. This was one of the community projects for our program. |
He was very shy about sharing the story with me and didn't want his photo taken. He's embarrassed to admit that he is picking up bottles and cans to make money. Each week he earns about $10 - $12.
