It has been a good first week of language school. I am so thankful for all the many
blessings God has graciously bestowed upon me! And thankful for all of the prayers that are sustaining
me.
My host family is truly wonderful! I am living with a family of five (mother, father, 2 sons
and a grandmother). For this past
week, there were two students, including myself. Today, another student joined us. We all go to three different schools. The family speaks very little to no
English so mealtime is a great time to practice my Spanish, which is very
necessary. One night this week, it
was just myself, and the mother and father at the dinner table and a guest
came. He spoke English and Spanish
and was kind enough to work with me and explain to my host parents to be sure
and speak clearly and slowly. We
visited for about an hour. I eat
all my meals with the family and Esperanza, the mother, is very good about
asking what I like and don’t like.
I’ve had some wonderful meals.
Breakfasts are some of my favorite. One day we had pancakes, and another day was chocolate
pancakes and fruit! Yummy!! Today I had a large plate of fresh
fruit (pineapple, apples, and strawberries) and toast. Tea is with breakfast and dinner
because it is so cold, but for lunch, she makes homemade fruit juice. We’ve had lemonade, strawberry juice,
pineapple juice, and it has all been delicious. And, of course, homemade corn tamales and homemade salsa,
both hot and mild—and homemade tortillas.
I feel like I am eating like a queen!
I have settled into a nice routine and love the town of
Xela. I get up each morning and
have breakfast with the other student and my Guatemalan mother. Then it is off to school for 5
hours. I love my short walk to
school. On the street where I live
is both a public school and private school. Every morning I pass mothers and children rushing to school
as not to be late. It is very
important here for them to be on time for school. My walk to my school is a five-minute stroll, so I often
make it in less than five minutes.
I meet my teacher, Karla, in our classroom and we have class one on one
from 8:00 am until 10:30 am. We
have recess from 10:30 to 11:00 and then continue from 11:00 am until 1:00
pm. Even on the breaks, to
converse with the other faculty, you get to use your Spanish. I have homework each night.
After school, I return home for lunch at 1:30 with almost
the entire family-- there are usually one or both children there. They both attend university so it
depends upon their schedule. The
afternoons are then spent either volunteering at Proyecto La Pedrera or joining the school on a planned activity. I usually do my homework before dinner,
which is at 7:30. At night I
either do more studying or join my friends from school somewhere in town, and
then to bed so I can arise and start again. I have loved the two days I spent at Proyecto La Pedrera
this week. It is a school for the indigenous
people of La Pedrera on the hills outside of Quetzaltenango. The hike up is a quad burning, fat burning,
fifteen-minute workout, but the reward is oh so sweet to be with those precious
children! The picture beneath this
post is the school. We work with
the kids in the first floor of this blue building. They have five tables squeezed in with anywhere from 4 to 6
kids at each table. It is an after
school program and we help them with their homework (which allows more
opportunity to practice your Spanish).
To learn more about Proyecto La Pedrera, please check out their website:
www.casaxelaju.com/pedrera/ .
The school organizes
activities most days and then also on the weekend. One activity this week was going to the cemetery here in
town. It was very interesting and
beautiful. There are pictures from
it in my picture gallery. See http://gallery.me.com/alleenmclain . This weekend we are going
to a coffee plantation and cooperative community outside of Xela. It is called Nueva Alianza. The school has been fantastic. I am very impressed with the faculty
and the office. I had one teacher
on day one and felt like we didn’t mesh very well. The next day, I had another teacher and loved her! She was able to teach my level, and me
much better. So, at the break I
asked to switch and they said no problem. The remainder of the week has shown
me that I made the right choice.
Karla is an excellent teacher.
I have also found that the school has a great reputation in Xela. I love my teacher, but I know that we
will be parting in a week or so.
The school encourages you to not stay with the same teacher for more
than 2 weeks, but will sometimes allow longer. The idea is that you will get
used to your teacher’s speech and not be able to pick up Spanish from
others. You learn best when
listening to lots of different persons speaking. During recess, I’ve had the chance to visit with some other
teachers that I will request in a few weeks when I have to change from
Karla. One teacher that I hope to
have my last two weeks is very interesting. He has studied theology, philosophy and numerous other
topics. These past few weeks, he
has been teaching a young man that just finished college and plans to go to
seminary in another year or so.
So, it was a good fit for them.
I hope to get this teacher my last two weeks so that I can learn some
vocabulary that will be helpful working with the churches in Peru.
Many of you know how
I am a magnet for strangers to come and talk to me while I am traveling
around. Well, my magnetism
for strangers is actually a benefit in this arena. As always, I’ve had a few strangers approach me to visit
when I am sitting in the Parque Central doing my homework or reading a book or
writing in my journal. And so it
offers me more opportunities to visit with a native Spanish speaking
person. Xela is a small town, but
I have been surprised on two occasions by people I met. Last Sunday, I met a group from a
Presbyterian Church in Tupelo, MS!
They had been in Guatemala on a mission trip and stopped by Xela on the
way back to Guatemala City. What a
small world to be wandering the market that comes to town on the first Sunday
of each month and see a group from Tupelo in Xela! And then today, I was in a store buying sunscreen and the
man waiting on me asked where I was from.
When I said the US, he asked where in the US, and I said MS. He then proceeded to tell me about how
he lived in Carthage, MS for two years working at a chicken plant, Tyson’s
plant. Now that my friend, is a
small world!
Well, that is about
it for week one. I am so thankful
for my prayer warriors at home and in Peru. My adjustment to living in Guatemala is complete. It only lasted about three or four days. Please pray for my continued safety and
that I would be able to soak up as much Spanish as my feeble brain may hold in
these next eight weeks!
