Offer to take 4 children to the doctor for a 2 month checkup after having foot surgery. Tell each family that only one adult and the child that had the surgery can come along with you. Granted the math classes that I took were 60 years ago, but I'm still trying to figure out how I ended up with 13 people in my car today.
Actually everything went well today. all four of the children are doing well and will not have to return to the doctor. To celebrate we all went down to the lake and played for about an hour before heading home.
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Fernando And His Class Take First Place
At English Festival
This was no small achievement. Fernando Velasquez not only wrote the song but also choreographed and was lead singer in the competition. This competition originally started with every class in a large school participating. last night the top six classes competed and Fernando and his class took first place. I am very proud of him.
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ONLY IN GUATEMALA.
Cessar's soccer game was cut short today when both teems ejected the referee from the game for being drunk.
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I have once again been on the road for the past two days. This time it has been a little bit different because I don't have any of the boys or anyone else with me to interpret. Somehow I have been managing though. I have been able to give out quite a bit of dehydrated food and vitamins to individuals and organizations that I work with. The highlights though he have been able to get 3 power wheelchairs running without having to take them back to Bethel's wheelchair shop. Without them none of these three kids can attend school. This morning I spend most of my time with Steven and little Sebastian who are uncle and nephew. Both of these young men have muscular dystrophy. About a year ago Steven lost his brother big Sebastian to the same disease. Little Sebastian was still walking about a year ago but now has to use a power wheelchair because his health is deteriorating rapidly.
He was in great spirits today though as he thoroughly enjoyed helping me work on his power wheelchair.
I managed to get to my hotel by about 3 o'clock this afternoon. I soon discovered though that my room would not be cleaned and ready for me for at least 2 hours. Knowing a family that lives about a half hour from here that also has the boy in a power wheelchair I decided to make one more visit. Edgar's father deserted his mother him and three siblings about 4 years ago. Mom has to work long hours each day just to put food on the table and the children end up staying home by themselves when they are not in school. The family has very little money and the house is basically a bare shell. thanks to a good friend of mine they will soon have beds though. Several months ago I had promised the kids that if they did well in school I would take them out to Camperos for lunch. I was pretty tired this evening but a promise is a promise, and I was soon rejuvenated by simply watching four of the happiest kids that you have ever seen. This was the first time ever going out to eat for any of them. I only wished that their mother could have come along enjoy a time of fun with her children. We did take a chicken dinner back home for her though. After a lot of hugs and thank yous I headed back to my hotel. Tomorrow I plan on driving back home so that I can spoil my kids this weekend. Water slides here we come!
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Today 4 of my boys and myself had to work just a little bit harder than yesterday on taking someone to lunch. After having church at home we headed off to visit two families that live down near the coast hat have children that are being sponsored for school. I had promised the kids of both families that if they got good marks on their report cards that we would take them out for a day of lunch and swimming. Little did I realize what an incentive this would be. All for the kids have done really great so the 9 of us made the two hour drive down to the coast to pick them up and then drove another hour to the nearest town where we can go swimming and have lunch. We all had a great time. But a13 hour day was a bit much for this 68 year old. Looking into the back seat I realize but it tired out my boys as well.
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3 of my boys & I took Ambrocio to lunch today. Nothing that special to most people but this was this 12 year old's first time ever to go to a restaurant, and his first time out of his house since attending camp last December. It was well worth packing him down the mountain side on our backs. We are still having a hard time finding a teacher that is willing to go to his home a few times a week.
Sitting here studying thinking about how much I cannot wait for this semester to be over and trying to figure out a way to cram a 68 page study guide into my brain by Tuesday. Decide to get on facebook and see this...brings tears to my eyes...a 12 year old who hasn't left his home since December who would probably give anything to attend school. Can you imagine? Definitely puts things into perspective. Thank you
Dick Rutgers for the amazing work you do!!
