Tuesday

First we would like to point out that it was sunny and in the 80s today. We heard that it is just a bit chillier back home!

We all had a great day today.  The construction crew scrubbed walls and sealed up the roof in Corazon Creek in an effort to keep rat bats out of the new ceiling that will be installed.  They got a first coat of paint on the outside of the school building.  The roof looks finished on the outdoor classroom.

The students in Corazon got their flip flops today, finished their art projects and did a lot of math games with dice and playing cards.  Rick and Mary Pat presented first aid lessons to all of the children.  The children learned about the Heimlich manuever and got to practice on each other.  All of the volunteers were treated to delicious homemade lunches.

In Otoxha, the children got their pen pal letters from students at All Saints, this is always a highlight for them.  They love looking at the pictures and traded letters so they could learn about other new friends.  The oldest students made 3D paper globes, the project took a long time, but the result was worth the effort.  The Standard 3 and 4 students made beautiful projects honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The teachers were also treated to lunches in two homes.  One home served black beans with a fried egg. It was spicy and delicious.  In the other home we were served beans and rice with stew chicken, also delicious.  Anita visited with her "sister" Anita and was allowed to carry her two month old baby in the traditional Mayan way, in a cloth papoose strapped on her head!

In San Lucas the lesson of the day was solar energy.  The students successfully baked s'mores in solar ovens created from pizza boxes.  The kids all got solar beads and were totally excited when they changed color in the sunshine.  The teachers were treated to lunch and had cahoune cabbage.

On the way home we stopped for a "Chocolate Tour."  We learned all about the process of making chocolate and saw how it was made by the ancient Mayans.  We got to try our hand at shelling the cacao beans, and most of us were very bad at it!  The IxCacao chocolate tour was one of our first microloan recipients and have done so well that the loan has been repaid.  We were able to purchase freshly made chocolate bars, we can't promise that they will make it home.

Ann and Don had a busy day, they ran errands in town dropping off donations in town at the hospital and education office. They met with Socio Economic Outreach regarding the partnership with All Saints Parish. In San Marcos village they checked out the Qoi Hotel for piglets that need a home.  Improvements here were funded by All Saints. Then they traveled to the villages that will be visited in June, Santa Cruz and Pueblo Viejo where they met with teachers and dropped off donations.

The quote of the day came from Jen. As we were driving along the road we saw a little boy ,maybe four years old running with a small machete in his hand and she yelled, "Don't run with machetes!"