GUATEMALA - DAY 4

Day 4 gave me a window into the heart and mission of the preschool ministry.  Children are the hope and future of the country (of any country).   But in a country of so much need it is imperative.  

Watching the parents drop off their children at the preschool was like being at the church preschool back home.  Hugs and kisses at the door with promises to be back to get them soon.  

With Covid protocols still in place, the children were given a “squirt” of hand sanitizer as they entered.  The kids were led to their table, given their name tags and there they sat as still and patient as I have ever seen a group of preschool children.  I was amazed, I have raised kids, I have worked in Children’s Ministry for many years, and NEVER have I seen a group of kids sit that long so quietly.

THE EARTH DAY LESSON

Once all the children arrived, the teachers began the lesson.  As I watched, the teachers started a short Earth Day cartoon for the kids.  It was in Spanish, but even my limited Spanish allowed me to follow along.  (Maybe I need to find a preschool curriculum in Spanish when I get back home!)  The kids were obviously engaged, watching as the cartoon depicted an earth with a thermometer in its mouth chatting with the moon.  Just as an aside, our curriculum is provided to Hope Renewed from one of our partners, another nonprofit organization!

After the short clip ended, I enjoyed watching the children and teachers engage. The teachers obviously enjoyed the children, worked patiently with them and encouraged all the kids as they participated in a fun question and answer session about what they had learned.  There were prizes involved which got everyone’s attention!  Small wrapped gifts for participation is a motivator for all ages.

Next came an earth day project.  Hands in dirt, repotting beautiful plants, working together, sharing shovels - providing those important social, fine motor, attention skills all preschoolers need. 

The kids were becoming much more animated as the activity progressed. I say this as compared to the start of the class, not as a nice way to say they were getting wild.  They were so respectful and obedient even as they began loosening up in the room.

Snack Time

Before they could have their snack, hands had to be washed.  The kids lined up by the sink and waited for their turn.  There was no pushing or having to be reminded to get back in line.  Each child rubbed in the soap, rinsed off under running water and turned to Miss Velvet for a towel.  Back at their seats they received their snack, a small sandwich, an apple and a juice box.  As the kids began eating their snacks, I could see glimmers of their different personalities - the child who bit into the his apple with gusto, another more interested in what disney character was on her juice box than the food, another who nibbled all the way through his apple before unwrapping the sandwich.  As I sit here now, reflecting back on that time, I think how uniquely different each child in that room is.  How uniquely different each individual in Zone 3 is.  I echo David’s words in Psalm 139 for myself and each person Hope Renewed serves “I praise You, for I am (and they are) fearfully and wonderfully made”.  Please pray with me that they know Hope Renewed wants them to see that for themselves! 

After lunch they were taught about recycling - separating their juice box straw (plastic - plastico), the juice box and napkin (paper - papel), and their apple core (organics - organico).  This is where the future of Zone 3 begins to change.  Education for how things can be different.  Investment into the education of these children, showing them a different way to view garbage, people investing into their lives with love and respect - the work that is happening at the Preschool is so multi-layered.  

STAFF TIME

After the children were picked up by their families, in a way that made my former Safety Director self happy - one at a time with attention to who they were passing the child off to, we had a meeting with almost our entire Guatemalan Staff team (Dani did not make the journey from Santiago). 

Having the time to share the impact of the last two years on the ministry, on our Guatemalan team, on the Board was difficult and necessary.  The last two years have been hard on everyone.  Two of our teachers lost spouses to Covid, one of them was so sick herself that she was in bed for almost a month.  The hospitals in Guatemala were so full that she was unable to go there for any medical assistance.  We were able to hear of their anxiety, especially at the beginning of the pandemic, for their jobs and livelihood.  So many people (especially those living in lower income areas) in Guatemala lost jobs and income, plunging them into even more desperate situations.   We were able to share our struggles as a Board, and the fear we too experienced.  We feared for the future of the ministry because we knew how the reduced funding was causing the need to change and pivot our strategy in Guatemala.  We explained that the need to make any changes to the Guatemalan staff were delayed as long as possible, minimized as much as possible and prayerfully agonized over.   The reduced financial support for HRI caused by Mission Teams being unable to participate was hard.  But the most difficult for part for HRI has been the lack of mission teams returning excited by that is being done by the staff and sharing the excitement with others - who then want to experience it too!  I can write about what is happening, we can post pictures and introduce our staff team but until American teams are here working toward the common goal to Serve, Equip and Empower it is difficult to explain.  We love our staff and so appreciate all they are doing to share God’s love with their own community and make way for a better future!

I have so much more to share - while I say it is hard to explain what is happening - I hope you are getting a little glimpse into what I am seeing and experiencing.  I hope you will each prayerfully consider coming here soon.  You will not regret it! To find out more contact our Mission Coordinator: megan.twadell@hoperenewed.org

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