It appears that our times at the hospital will not be as numerous as we´d thought. Today we went and discovered many, many young people with the children. It´s actually quite wonderful to see. And if you have any concerns about this next generation, be at ease. We have seen and met numerous young adults spending weeks and months volunteering.
While our hospital visits may be fewer, our opportunities at the escuelita San Pedro las Huertas are more than we´d expected. The children are most forgiving of our Spanish faux pas and are happy to teach us "español". We speak some English with them. Ann shares their stories with us and we are delighted to see the enthusiasm they bring in spite of difficulties. The children begin with a few questions from Ann, encouraging them to speak in complete sentences. Then word games to again encourage sentences and good grammar (capitals, punctuation, etc.). Then on to homework from the public school which they attend in the morning. We can help a bit, especially Caroline with the math. Free time includes reading, games, puzzles. The two hours pass quickly, with lots of smiles from students and visitors. They are such welcoming and happy children.
Our Spanish classes come to an end on Friday. Triste! But until then we have lots to do - study, of course, visit landmarks, and tomorrow a cooking class. Be prepared at the next potluck!!!
Caroline`s all prepped and ready to load more photos on Facebook. Take a few minutes and visit. If you haven´t visited yet, access through the parish webpage and the select the dove for peace and justice.
I'm so glad to hear that you're seeing so many young volunteers. Are these young volunteers from Guatamala, the US, or other countries?
ReplyDeleteAll of the above. Our housemates have come from Quebec City, New York (Long Island), Tel Avi, Israel, Belgium, to say nothing of the great state of Alaska. We are just a few of many volunteers, of course we´re not the young ones, only at heart.
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