Kevin and his older friend (name?) singing "Happy Birthday."Today I went to the Delta again. I looked at my schedule book and it's been three months since I've been out there, with all the travel I've been doing elsewhere. I had asked Monica and Daniel, the couple in charge of the Saturday trips, what I could bring. They decided that I should plan to teach something. Not wanting to steal a lesson from our CHE program (we still don't have trainers for this area yet), I prepared something on David and Goliath, including a game we did back when I was a youth pastor. We also talked a little bit about hygiene.
The group was smaller than usual -- 20 or so kids weren't there, for different reasons. One family that has 9 children didn't come because the mother is now working on Saturdays and she doesn't want the children to leave the house while she's gone. The church/feeding center is just across the creek from her house (visible from there). So that the kids don't cook without their mom (good, since that's dangerous) but also don't go hungry, Monica has asked if one of the girls can come to the church to pick up food.
Vanina and Mariela in El Delta. Vanina was really into cuddling today.
Vanina and Mariela in El Delta. Vanina was really into cuddling today.When I first arrived today I starting tutoring a girl at math. She'd been given a crazy assignment -- here's an example:
4 + 8 - {[3 - 4 + (- 2 - 5) + 14] - [6 + (8 + 3 - 12)] + 4 - 10} + {8 - 17 + [(- 6 + 2) - 5] - 12} + 4
Now, I ask you, what's that point of that? Way too long and confusing. Even if it weren't confusing, Alejandra didn't have the slightest understanding of negative numbers. The simple sum of "- 2 - 3" threw her completely off. She tried to do most of the counting on her fingers.
I haven't written much about schools here. I don't know a lot yet except that I keep hearing, "They're a disaster." Now, Argentines criticize their own country freely, so I take this comment with a grain of salt. I recently heard, "God made a beautiful and varied country, Argentina. Then He went and filled it with Argentines." The self-critiquing of Argentina is so pronounced that in church I have heard pastors suggest that people speak to bless their country, not curse it.
What does any of the above have to do with my job? Well, I'm mostly just getting to know Monica and Daniel and the folks that live in the Delta, along with the other volunteers that come out. We have a "vision seminar" planned for the first week of July, and from there we are hoping that many will attend the next Training of Trainers (TOT) and begin a CHE program there. Pastor Daniel attended our urban TOT in September, and is really motivated.
Anyway, that's all for today -- I'm exhausted from running around with kids all day!
4 + 8 - {[3 - 4 + (- 2 - 5) + 14] - [6 + (8 + 3 - 12)] + 4 - 10} + {8 - 17 + [(- 6 + 2) - 5] - 12} + 4
Now, I ask you, what's that point of that? Way too long and confusing. Even if it weren't confusing, Alejandra didn't have the slightest understanding of negative numbers. The simple sum of "- 2 - 3" threw her completely off. She tried to do most of the counting on her fingers.
I haven't written much about schools here. I don't know a lot yet except that I keep hearing, "They're a disaster." Now, Argentines criticize their own country freely, so I take this comment with a grain of salt. I recently heard, "God made a beautiful and varied country, Argentina. Then He went and filled it with Argentines." The self-critiquing of Argentina is so pronounced that in church I have heard pastors suggest that people speak to bless their country, not curse it.
What does any of the above have to do with my job? Well, I'm mostly just getting to know Monica and Daniel and the folks that live in the Delta, along with the other volunteers that come out. We have a "vision seminar" planned for the first week of July, and from there we are hoping that many will attend the next Training of Trainers (TOT) and begin a CHE program there. Pastor Daniel attended our urban TOT in September, and is really motivated.
Anyway, that's all for today -- I'm exhausted from running around with kids all day!
