Caring For Each Other: Child to Child

Child to Child

Plight of the Children

Tesago Students Care

Letters

The Donations

Creating Care Packages

On Its Way!

A Letter Arrives

Hello Tesago!

  
This is Carol, live from Guatemala.  We arrived with tons and tons of humanitarian aid for the children.  Everyone is impressed with the packages your school sent.   

Our first day: we loaded the van and off we went to the garbage dump which is nothing like any dump we have in our country.  It is so bad only pictures could do it justice.  When we arrived, the children were lined up waiting for us.  They surrounded the van with wonderful smiles and greetings of Buenos Dias mi amigos. It took twelve of us over two hours to set up for the children.  We were in a two-room shack, with a tin roof, a figure of Jesus on the cross and old broken down benches that normally serve as seats for the service.  We set up in a second room that had plastic water tanks with COLD water to wash the children´s hair for lice.  Once we were ready, the Safe Passage workers opened the doors.  We each took one child at a time, and helped them select a fiesta outfit and a daily outfit complete with shoes, underwear, etc.  When we got our first child each of us felt a little awkward because of the language but after that the old teacher instinct took over and it was incredible. I took tons of pictures.  The children were beautiful but dirty.  For everything we gave them there was a hug, a big smile and a thank you.  They were soooooo grateful it broke your heart.  The children are not worldly at all.  The only thing they have in common with our children`s likes and dislikes is that the young girls loved pink and purple.
 
We left the dump and visited their school. I had to hide as I cried like a baby.  They have nothing but they were so proud. I thought of all we have in our schools.  There are no books, three or four sets of crayons (broken), no desks, forty to a class in a space where we would work with small groups.  I took pictures for us and will be sharing these. 

Next stop was the orphanage. Wait until you see the pictures.  We did activities and had Santa here.  You cannot believe how wonderful these children were.  They all wanted to be held.   As our van left, a young girl around 3rd or 4th grade looked at me and said, "You want to take me home."  Of course I did.We had a full first day.   Finally, we returned to the hotel and believe me, I have not worked like this in years. 

I will leave today for another tale. 

I can`t wait to share.  I recommend this experience to anyone.  This is the most incredible thing I have experienced with children. 

Tomorrow we are off to a new town. 

Fondly,

Carol Scearce