Every morning I get up at 5:30 so that I can catch the chicken bus to Ciudad Vieja. Ciudad Vieja, which means "old city," was once the capital of Guatemala, as was Antigua. One was destroyed by a flood caused by volcanic erruption (in Spanish, "to errupt" is "vomitar"), the other by earthquake (look it up--I can't remember right now). The similarities between the two towns pretty much ends with their shared historical distinctions. While Antigua is charming and quaint and designed to cater to tourists, Ciudad Vieja, a seven-minute bus ride away, is none of those things. It is charmless and void of all the restaurants, bars and mercados artisenias (artistan markets) that supply foreigners with all of the colorful textiles and art that we take home to remind us of the true wonders that are Guatemalan. Ciudad Vieja sits on the the foot of Volcan Agua that nearly obliterated the city. As the town moves up the hill, homes get poorer and sevices less available. Further up, there is no electricity, water, or phone service yet many of Guatemala's poorest people live on the rise of the hill. There is a line of demarcation between service and no service, and it is on this line of demarcation that the school Nuestro Futuro sits. This school is where I work.

Nuestro Futuro is a project of "Ninos de Guatemala" (NDG). NDG is an NGO started by the Dutch. If you look on the net, you will be able to read all about this project and what it does/plans to do in the future. You will also see pictures of the school and there is also a picture that shows the faces of Clara and Gabi--two of the 19 kids with whom I spend 32 hours a week. The kids at the school have been chosen for significant reasons: 1) they are very poor, and 2) they and their families are committed to making this rare opportunity to get an education work. There are only 2 public schools in Ciudad Vieja, and they both require basic stuff like, oh, I don't know, shoes and lunch money and backpacks, in order to be able to attend. The families of the kids at Nuestro Futuro don't have these things.

I think I will pause here for just a moment to evangelize: if you are wondering what you might be able to do to really help in a tangible, important and satisfying way, NDG has a padrino/madrina program. For $45 a month you can make sure that a kid who is in school gets to stay in school. This also means that the kid will get at least 1 meal a day and health services and a whole lot of hands-on people to love and support them. If you sign on now, I will be able to tell your kid all about you and I will also be able to tell you all about your kid. If your recession-strapped budget can't allow a monthly commitment, one-time donations go a very long way. And if you speak Spanish and are looking for a very cool way to spend some time, come to Guatemala:). I promise you will win Jesus points and/or really good karma and/or a fine sense of having done something that is nothing other than pure good. Sermon over.

Working with 19 kids, ages six to probably eight or nine is really hard, tiring work. Anyone who gushes nauseatingly about how much they can't wait to get back to the children and gee, aren't they cute and wonderful and oh so clever, isn't really paying attention. Jose occasionally punches Carlos in the stomach and I haven't yet figured out why and Julia and Gabi don't like Marcela so they are mean to her at recess and Fransisco, omygod Fransisco, he can't shut up or stop moving and he is always late and his clothes, the same clothes he wears every day, are filthy and his right hand is covered in what looks like warts, as is his face, and he can count to 200 and can do simple arithmatic and can also sound out the confusing differences between "gue" and "ge" and he drives me crazy because he is also a little liar and constantly seeks attention, any attention at all, and when he didn't show up on Friday, oh it was so much more peaceful and easy but where was the little hellion because dammit he should be in school. And yet...

Jose is probably the smartest kid in the class. He works hard and his homework is not only always done, it is also always perfect and neat. And sweet Carlos is, even to my untrained eyes, clearly dyslexic and yet Lisseth, the teacher, doesn't seem to be familiar with the term and what difference would it make anyway because it is not like there is anything such as a special ed teacher here who would know what to do to help the kid out. and Juan Antonio (not to be confused wth Juan Fernando or just plain Juan) is absolutely the best reader in the class and has the most charming and genuine smile. Maria Alejandra ( not to be confused with Maria Antonia) is quiet but astute--she was the first one to master counting by fives on Friday. Susana is a chubby kid, but damn, she can run and catch a ball better than most of the kids and is therefore always a score when there are teams during P.E.

Every day I collect 19 hugs times two. Every day my heart breaks and fills up and fills up and fills up. Every day I am so glad when it is finally time to get back on the chicken bus. And yes, every morning I can't wait to get to the school to see the kids.

I love seeing your comments--please keep them coming. I have been here for over 4 weeks now, and am getting a bit homesick. Time to do laundry...
some things never change!