Work!

My YL team safely arrived around 9:00 on Saturday night and the trip officially started with a hike up a volcano on Sunday. It was fun sharing the Pacaya experience with my friends from home. The pyromaniac in a few boys came out and that was a little scary, but we all survived.

Monday morning our work started. We are divided up into five teams that are in two neighboring communities in zone 3. Zone three is built around the city dump and many people make their living sorting through the stuff in the dump. Groups are mixing and laying concrete floors for families living on dirt, rebuilding houses, putting roofs on, and more. It's hard work, which is good for our group!!!!

I don't have time for a full update, so I want to share one highlight: one of my students who I worked with all semester was adopted out of a terrible life in the neighborhoods that we are working in. She has never shared her story with more than 2 or 3 people, and only close friends. When I told her about our group, she said, "Miss Witte, I want to share my story with them. I think I can help or impact at least one person." So on Monday, Felicita shared her story...and she impacted us all. I'm so proud of how God's working in her life...for a 17 year old girl to say that she's angry at God about the crap she went through, BUT knows he was in control is a powerful experience.

More to come, but Brady, the YL staff person here has more consistent internet and started a blog specifically for our group: www.vjguatemala.blogspot.com

and so it begins...

When you work with Young Life, the phrase "why not?" becomes a large part of your vocabulary. It reflects the flexibility that is inherent to the ministry...and so it begins. All but three of the group of 30 coming down actually missed their flight to Guatemala and are hanging out in Houston for the day. Why not? Hopefully they're having some good bonding stateside while I wait patiently for them to come here!!!!

A Dutch Bingo update for all who appreciate the game: Last weekend I went ziplining in Panajachel. In our group was a group of about 9 Canadians who were all studying Spanish in Pana. One girl did not have a crazy accent, so I got suspicious and curious. Here's the conversation we had:

Me: Wow, those earings are great. Did you get them here?
Girl: No, I got them at a free trade store in Canada.
Me: Oh, you're from Canada! Where?
Girl: Toronto. Where are you from?
Me: Michigan
Girl: I was born there!
Me: Really? Where?
Girl: Grand Rapids
Me: No way, that's where I'm from.
Girl: I thought you looked Dutch and CRC...I can spot em from miles away! My parents met at Calvin!
Me: Wow, small world.
Girl: What are you doing here?
Me: Teaching at a missionary school in the city (actually gave a longer explanation)
Girl: My sister knows some people doing that...the Wirrels?
Me: Huh, they teach at my school!

You get the gist...I'm sure I made my family proud on that connection!

An Update and a Disclaimer

Update: I've been busier than I thought with school wrap up over the past few weeks, but I've also had some time to relax and reflect on my time in Guatemala. My friend Emily Baker came down for a whirlwind visit to Guatemala last week. We did as much as we could--and she got the true Guatemalan experience as she suffered from the common traveler's illness: fever, chills, and other unpleasantries. Mom, Emily wants to commiserate with you. She feels your pain!!! We still had a great time...which she remembers now that she's healthy again! I have some curriculum work to do before 30 Hinsdale Young Life people come down here for a work trip. I am so excited to share my life here with people from home! Which leads to the disclaimer :)

Disclaimer: I offered my blog as a place where people on the trip can reflect on the experiences, post pictures, etc. I don't know how many opportunities there will be to post, but there will be 30 people who have reign to reflect and process their time in Guatemala, so you'll be getting more perspective (and different perspective) than just me. Take that into account with posts from the next week!

Blessings and enjoy the beginning of summer weather...we haven't seen the sun in about a week as the tropical storms in other areas are pulling LOADS of rain here!

School's Out for Summer...School's Out Forever?????

Our last day of school was last Friday. My finals are checked, my grades are in, I'm working on all the end of the year details. And by details, I of course mean re-writing the 9th English and 6th Social Studies curriculums with ACSI Biblical Integrations. No small task, I assure you. Throughout it all, I have had a little time to process the end of the year.

I taught my last class in a classroom for two years. I know that God has an amazing place prepared for my on Wyld Life Staff, but I am really going to miss the classroom. Take this, for example. On my last day of creative writing I had my students share what they learned about writing, what they learned about themselves, and one of their favorite pieces of writing. Three 7th grade girls shared that they joined the class because they wanted to have me again (I student taught them), but in the process fell in love with writing, the importance of words, and gained confidence in their written voices. Another broke into tears as she read a good-bye poem thanking me for all i've taught her about Social Studies, Creative Writing, and basketball. Talk about affirmation from God that I was in the right place this semester.

Or take this English essay: One freshmen girl, when asked what the literature taught her about human nature and herself, responded that a lot of the stories we read (Night, Lord of the Flies, Poison, etc.) dealt with the negative aspects of human nature (aka sin). She said that it was easy to look at the stories and criticize the characters, but she then began to realize that she's just like them. That literature is powerful because it accurately reflects human nature and her nature. She continued to share that our discussions of literature caused her to examine her life and renew her passion for her faith. Again...God is good and was doing greater things with me than I was ever aware of.

My future is in God's hands and if his plans are for me to stay with Young Life or another ministry, then I will pursue that wholeheartedly...and I know that I will still be teaching in very significant ways, but my heart's prayer is that school is NOT out forever!

25 Quetzales

My last unit in Social Studies this semester covered Africa South of the Sahara desert. I started the unit with a powerpoint on a lot of the current struggles the African continent faces: poverty, hunger, disease, war, etc. I decided to do this because these are struggles that I wish I had learned about earlier in my life. My sixth graders, some more than others, were really impacted by the problems and wanted to help.

Enter our final project.

I gave each student 25 quetzales, which totals to $60 for the class. The students were instructed to take the money and find creative ways to turn it into more, and the final collection would go to by animals for families in African villages (Heifer International). Some students washed cars, others cleaned houses, my Koreans sold origami, and more. Two boys, Delrick and Jason, opened a bakery--they made DELICIOUS cinnamon rolls and sold them at school. Needless to say, my sixth graders turned $60 dollars into $250 in the matter of 10 days!

I'm so proud of them and their desire to help others, and their realization that we not only need to help the people around us, but also people all over the world. After all, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ!