First Day of Classes

I woke up to many emails, all asking for good news regarding Jasmin's disappearance.  Unfortunately, I still have no good news to report.  Jasmin is 11 years old.  She attends the Breakfast Program regularly.  She is also learning disabled.  Yesterday we were at the church until after 8 pm.  Just as we were preparing to leave Jairo said that there were parents outside the gates asking for their daughter.  Lourdes, Jairo and I went out to talk to them.  At first we were not sure who they were asking for.  She is a girl who is not well socialized.  We have to be sure that she sits with others for meals.  Sometimes the other kids don't want to play with her, but sometimes she can be very rough with them.  I have written about her before.  A long time ago I had to ask her not to play Foosball anymore for that day because she kept hitting other kids.  She got mad and left.  I felt bad.

Anyway, yesterday she told her family she was going to school, which is odd, because the kids haven't had school all week (which is not odd - school is often cancelled for no apparent reason).  So she left for school.  Whether she really believed she had school or not, we don't know.  Some people said they saw her get on a bus, others saw her in the area where buses stop.  We don't know if she really got on a bus or not.  It rained really hard right when it gets dark at about 6 pm, for almost a half hour.  I would have expected her home then.  Her family was searching with flashlights.  We could only say that she did not attend the breakfast program Monday or Tuesday.  I took this photo of her Friday:

Jasmin dressed in traditional garb for Indian Day.

We are all praying for her and hoping that she might be with some extended family, but kidnapping is so rampant here, we are very anxious for her to return home.

I have been enjoying singing from the Catholic Church across the street since Saturday.  Crowds of people have been there every day.  I was thinking Sunday was some sort of special Catholic holiday.  Monday the crowds were also accompanied by police.  Today I learned that two people in my neighborhood died and the celebrations were funerals.  They sang all through the nights.  Even at this moment I can hear them singing.  One cool thing is that the church opens its' doors to people in the neighborhood no matter their denomination.  The choir must be exhausted.  I have not heard them take a break since Saturday and today is Wednesday.  People filled the enormous church and overflowed onto the lawn and down the hill.  One person was 28.  He borrowed his parents car and was found shot in the chest, far away.  He has no history of gang or drug involvement.  The other boy was 21.  He had a strange rash and was vomiting.  His boss told him to go home from work and go to the doctor.  He could not afford a doctor and died a week later.  I hope my rashes don't ever come back.  I'll be paranoid!  So, while for me the music has been a beautiful backdrop, the people of my neighborhood are in mourning.

Waiting with anticipation for the first day of classes!

On a happier note, today was the first day of classes for preschool.  I told Lourdes I was nervous so she said she will run classes today and show me how it is done.  We worked in the classroom last night while Jairo gave a class for those being baptized this week at church.  (There were either 13 or 18 at the class!! - I forgot which.)  We prepared a lesson about the number one and saying "Gracias"  (Thank you).  It was awesome!  The kids walked with their arms on each other's shoulders from the church to the classroom.  Then the door was locked and Don Juan had gone to the store to buy bread, so we had no keys to get inside.  I took the kids for a walk while we waited for Don Juan to get back.  (He has all the basic structure for my cat's scratching post done.)

Praying before class

Saying "Gracias" (Thank you)

We sat on the floor with legs and arms crossed and prayed, then read a book about saying thank you.  Moms say thank you when you help with laundry.  Dads say thank you when you help bake a cake.  Sisters say thank you when you button their sweater...

Practicing Numbero Uno - Number One

We also learned the number one.  We made a project and hung it from the ceiling.  By that time everyone else was leaving, but we still had to eat breakfast!  So we ate our oatmeal and cookie, then they brushed their teeth, took their vitamin, said thank you and left.  We had 2 new kids who came for the program today.  Word must have spread that we are doing a preschool!  One family was even there to take pictures of the kids going into the classroom.  I was glad I had decorated the door.

Waiting with anticipation at the door the their new classroom!

All in all I would say it was very successful.  Since we didn't have time to play with any of the toys today, Lourdes told them they can play with toys tomorrow.  I think I am going to really like working with these kids.  I only wish I knew more nursery rhymes and children's songs in Spanish.

We made a list of all of the things we need for the classroom:

Whiteboard Erasable Markers

Erasers

Pencils for small hands

Scotch and Masking Tape

Regular gGlue and Glue Sticks

Construction Paper

Markers - pointed and wide

Whiteboard eraser

Coloring books for preschoolers (with Christian themes if possible)

Kleenex

Hand Sanitizer

Clorox Wipes

Copy Paper

Lined paper with dashes for practicing upper and lower case letters

Workbooks for preschoolers

Cornstarch and Cream of Tartar to make our own play dough and finger paints

Puzzles or Board Games for preschoolers

Stickers for rewards

YOUR IDEAS!  (I am not a teacher and could use all the help I can get with creative, fun ideas.)

If you can help out with donations for any of these things, you can make a donation at the following link.  Just let me know what you would like to buy and I will use your donation to get that item.

I am also still $153 short for my personal funding.  Please consider sponsoring me with a monthly donation.

Either donation can be made at:

www.WorldOutreach.org/donations

Email me at MLFager@hotmail.com if you have a specific idea about how you would like your donation to be used.

Thank you for your support in prayer, finances and kind words.  I really appreciate it all!