Christmas 2012

      On Tuesday afternoon/evening the 11 de Diciembre,  We had our Génsis Christmas program with about 70 students and parents there. It was a great time had by all. The pictures of all the events are below and tagged accordingly. Wednesday the teachers returned for the morning to clean their rooms. Two or three of the rooms will probably be painted before we start the January semester so they washed the walls and got ready for that. Wednesday evening then to finish the year out, Karen and I had the teachers over to our home for dinner. It was a great time to enjoy a meal, laugh, tell stories and much more. We fell really good about our relationship with the teachers, and as our Spanish continues to improve, so do those relationships. 

        We are looking at some changes in  January with maybe trying some team teaching with two teachers and then 12-15 kids rather than one teacher with 6-7 kids. It is hard for the teacher to get out of the classroom to help one of the kids with a bathroom break or things like that when there is only one teacher in the room. We will also be making some changes outside on the property. There was a 22' square concrete slab that was unused when we arrived and after doing some simple repair on it and adding a short (2 block high) wall on two sides, we are hoping to get it covered and begin using it for our eating area and also a place for everyone to go if it is raining for bible time and craft time. Right now the porch is the only place to do that and it is not set up for that at all. I am looking at a total cost of the roof being a little under $3000 USD, If you feel you want to help with that, email me and let em know that and I will tell you how you can help us out with that cost.

       The teachers will return to do their planning on Jan 7th, and our first Outreach team arriving on the 9th, then the kids return on Jan 14th. I will try to get one more post in before we begin classes by highlighting one of the kids again. 

Nina and Yonathan practice dancing for the Christmas Program

Nina and Yorkiris practice dancing for the Christmas program

All the teachers and Karen at the SI Christmas dinner

The youngest class practice for the program

Genesis on the day of the program

Alexander with the bunny ears on

The program on Tuesday afternoon

More program shots

Anibal telling the parents how to make the cookies and cupcakes that they made on cooking day

Arcadi on cleaning day

Maribel scraping walls on cleaning day

Nelly and one of our regular cleaning ladies, Lisset

       

Meet Alfri

Alfri using a flag during worship time one day.

       Alcinio (Alfri) Aquino Duran has been attending Genesis since the summer of 2009. He lives with his mom Dina, his dad Alcinio, and his sister Yenifer in Palo Blanco. He rides a moto to school driven by a neighbor or sometimes. The ride is about 6-7 KM. Alfri has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus. It is a condition that means he has water on his brain. He has had this since birth. He is basically non-verbal but........ that does not mean he can't express his needs and wants. One of our goals this past summer for Alfri and others similar to him, are that we are not working as hard on the math and social studies skills with him but rather trying to teach him simple words to help him more in in the life skills area.

      Alfri had an older sister, Alcenia, that died this past fall from a lung disease. She had been in a wheel chair for most of her life. Karen, Maribel and I try to get out to Alfir's house for a home visit fairly often as a support to Dina.

Dina and Yenifer in front of their home in Palo Blanco

Arriving on a moto driven by a neighbor this day

      At our graduation day celebration the beginning of August, Dina came up to us and told us that Alfri would not be able to attend the fall semester as the family only had the one moto and his dad needed it to go to work each day and the van transportation was too expensive. We had an offer from our home church to pay for the van transportation (about $750 USD per year) so we went to tell Dina of that offer. While we were there talking with her, I had another thought. After some discussion, I came up with a plan to donate her a moped that I had available (worth about $300 USD) and then she could use that if she needed to do some errands during the day too. It made more sense to me to go that route as it would be less than half the out put cost and provide more options. He has now been able to come back to school and we have been able to use that money from our church to provide transportation for another student. GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME. 

Face painting day at Genesis

        I try to meet the kids each morning as they arrive but on the occasional morning I am still in the office when Alfri gets there, I can hear him say as he comes up the steps. "Mike?", wondering why I am not where I am suppose to be :).   He always has a hug and a huge smile for me. Alfri is a real joy to have at Genesis

Dia de caballo (Horse day) at Genesis.

Getting his face painted by Elli, one of our summer interns.