Friday, April 26, 2013

Todo lo puedo en Cristo que me fortalece (Flp 4:13)

The things that frustrate me! Oh where do I even start? The fact that I have yet to cry from students not listening to me causing me to lose my voice from yelling all time? The lack of respect people give one another, the lack of their ability to communicate, or the lack of efficiency in the school system??

Respect: A word I hear probably about ten times a day. Yet, the teachers don't show the students respect! Students are yelled at all day everyday. There is no sense of disciplinary system in place besides yelling at them. Students are expected to respect the teachers time but yet the teachers are always late, leave the class to talk on the phone, and lesson plan in the middle of class. Students are all expected to respect each other, yet students are afraid to talk in class because they are afraid of being made fun of or they are afraid of just being talked over by the annoying boy that sits in the front. Students are suppose to respect eachother's property as well as the school property, then they throw eachother's stuff on the ground where they also throw their trash. Not to mention, when we have teacher/parent meetings to talk about respect, and the moms just talk over one another the entire time.

Lack of communication: Communication in my mind is a very important part of life, it's what enables any of us to get anything done! Peruvians would disagree. Chantelle works at Central Pastoral, The Center of the Diocese for all of the Chulucanas area, in the health office under two sisters. It is a rarity that Chantelle doesn't come home completely frustrated solely due to the fact that they don't communicate something with her then yell at her when it hasn't been done. Two weeks ago, Lacie and I ended up spending all of our free time helping Chantelle get a project done that her bosses just didn't tell her to do, until it was past due. In school I'm often not given directions then have to regrade papers, rewrite the tests, or reexplain a chapter because I wasn't told how to do it in the first place. One of these days I guess I'll just learn to start reading their minds to know when we are going to have a meeting after school, what days we get out early, and when people are expecting me to do something.

Walking bridge over the river in Piura



The inefficiency in the school system: This week, we gave our first set of midterms out to two of our classes. Of the 72 students that took the test, 15 of them got a C or D, 9 got above a 50%, and everyone else was lucky to get 20% right. Why is this? Yes, the students don't study, EVER. But, we also have such a limited amount of time with the students each week (1.5 hours, not including wasted time. I take away kids homework on a daily basis for coping someone else's homework right there in the front row in front of me. They don't have computers, projectors, or any sort of media to assist in teaching, kids are constantly talking and therefore constantly getting yelled at. To add to it, they take their tests outside to try to spread the kids out to avoid cheating. But, taking them out of their normal learning environment makes for a lot of distractions especially when other teachers are interrupting them, Yenny is talking on the phone, and kids are throwing white out around like dodge-balls because they are more concerned with not scratching stuff out than their answers. Also, there is no sort of reward system. Their reward is often not being embarrassed in front of the rest of their peers. After the test, Yenny went through and called out every student that got a 20% for the rest of the students to 'ohh' at!

EARTHQUAKE DRILL!
Kids playing injured during the earthquake drill...other students play doctor. Normal? Always prepared for the worst?
All things considering, we didn't come here to have an easy year, to recreate the United States, or let our frustrating take away from the experience. Especially when we don't know what's going on in these kids homes, we don't know how many parents are around, if they have food on the table, if their parents encourage them to do well in school, or if they have to work every afternoon to help provide for their families. Doesn't make it any less challenging and make me question if what I'm doing has any purpose but, if I can impact even a handful of them, this year will be worth it! 

Anyway, other events of the last two weeks: we had an infestation of flees so got the house fumigated, the termites in my room are here to stay though. Lacie spent a day in the hospital due to an extreme stomach infection. The dog the bit me, he lives, I don't have rabies. Our director, Pat, came to visit, brought Christmas with him (goldfish, granola, cereal, cliff bars, chocolate, etc). Done some awesome Piura exploring, including walked into the perfect mass at a beautiful Church. And just busy living, cooking, cleaning, hand washing clothes, spending time with friends, and running on Saturday mornings with students.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Viviendo en el presente

Just doesn't do it justice
So, not sure if you heard, but I moved here, I moved to Peru. I'm not here for a week service trip to get this awesome spiritual, do good, save the world high...I'm here to live with the people of Chulucanas. I'm here to experience how the third world lives, here to live their everyday struggles, face my own struggles, and learn more everyday. Because of this, I have good days and I have bad days. I have strong feelings of frustrating and belly aching fits of laughter. We have concern for our safety and amazing friends that are protective, welcoming and generous. The school system drives me nuts, in the fact that my students will have learned hardly anything by the time this year is over, but my students constantly make me smile.


Everyday is a new adventure full of awkward, funny, and sometimes surprisingly deep conversations. Every chance I get to look out at the landscape is a blessing. Never have a seen such open lushious green land leading up to beautiful big pointy blue mountains that look so close you can touch them. Never have I been stopped in the street by a stranger wanting to thank me for being there. Nor have I met someone that 10 minutes later is inviting me over to their house to feed me, or wanting to take me to see their favorite place in the Chulucanas area. Chulucanians are so proud of their city, their culture, and of course their food, so much so they can't wait to share anything they have with us. But, yet never have I felt so much like I am constantly in need of a shower, my stomach is constantly in a state of discomfort, bugs are constantly crawling on me not to mention biting me, and I'm still constantly sweating. I joke by the time I get back literally nothing will phase me, I'll think all things are just well, normal! Last night, for example, we were coming back from a city 20 minutes away on moto with two new friends when we broke down. It was so dark you could literally see nothing but billions of stars, with not a person in sight, we didn't feel scared but yet, just kind of, un phased, naturally this would happen, we're in Peru.

The mural is made of dyed wood chips made only for the evening procession
Anyway, Holy Week was spent much differently this year. We didn't have work or school Thursday or Friday because they are days meant to be spent with family, at church, in community, and/or traveling. Never have I gone to more hours of church in 5 days, especially where I only understand about 50% of what is being said. The most significant mass was Friday morning's Stations of the Cross. Beginning at 5 am, was a three hour procession through the streets while fifty 15 to 17 year old parish kids acted out the stations. By the end of the procession probably close to 5,000 people were walking with us as they physically wipped the boy playing Jesus and hung him on a cross bleeding for all the crowd to see.
Fabiana and I riding on the back of the moto
Catacoas llama, carnival and beautiful cathedral.
After the procession our friend Italo accompained us to a small city, Catacoas, for their Semana Santa activities. It was pretty much a giant street carvinal with millions of people and tons of good food!
Trip to the water falls with new friends