Wednesday

         The day started with the normal morning routine consisting of a prayer, followed by a wholesome breakfast prepared by the retreat house cooks. Due to Juan Carlos' skirtability, along with his prowess and knowledge of the Guatemalan streets, we were able to weave through traffic, arriving at school 45 minutes early. We made sure to thank him with a "Juan Carlos" chant. As usual the kids put a smile on our faces as soon as we entered the school. Our spanish has improved quite dramatically over the last few days, though we still find it difficult to communicate efficiently to the kids. Despite this, we have found that the most effective way of communicating is through actions/hand gestures. Like every middle school in America, recess is the most anticipated part of the day to the kids. There, we find it much easier to interact through games of tag, soccer, and playing with what seems to be the most popular Guatemalan toy, the top (a top attached to a string and thrown/released into the ground). At Educacion Fisica, the students particapate in quick exercises followed by a game of soccer. Overall, playing with the kids at the school is fun and self-fulfilling. We went to work on the extra wing with el jefe (our boss) calling the shots. Little by little we are seeing improvement in the new wing. We then went to the highschool to learn more about kids our age surrounding the dump.         We were presented with insightful slides concerning the statistics that face the average Guatemalan and how, through this school, they are able to overcome these obstacles. After the presentation, we were able to talk to the kids and ask questions to eachother. We heard a touching story from one of the highschool girls that really made the situation real to us. Each of us were given a handmade necklace by the students. Then, the highschoolers challenged us to a game of soccer. Guatemala vs USA. USA came up with a stunning upset 5-3, however, the Guatemalan's nifty footskills often times made us look silly. We headed back to the retreat house ready to pack our donations. We were happy with everyone's generous donations. Many thanks to the parents and other people who helped prepare the donation bags. We had a discussion/ reflection and then went to bed excited for yet another day of service in Guatemala. (written by Jeff Anderson and Michael Eddingfield or Eddingfinger as Mrs. Jindal would say!)