This is an important week in Guatemala as we approach to the national elections. We will be electing president, congress, mayors and the Central American Parliament. In the past decade, especially in the country-side, people have been known to “sell” their votes or vote for whoever offers and gives them gifts like fertilizer, corrugated metal, cement or some groceries. I planed to inform the women in San Bartolo of certain myths about the elections, like the vote not being secret. I told them we should investigate who the candidates are and pray to God for direction. I was happy to see that the majority of them will actually vote.
This week I had a meeting with Luis Castillo, director of a local NGO, that teaches values in schools as a tool to preach the gospel. It was through him that I got to teach the classes at the high-school. I shared the feedback with him and talked about how to do this better for a next time. However, next time might be during the vacation time as school is approaching to an end next month.
At the children’s home, it was a normal week. I was helping some of the kids with homework and realized that even for us Guatemalans is hard to roll the Rs. Many of the youngsters can’t do it still, so I promised some gifts for the ones that learned to roll their Rs first. I also had the chance to drive Wendy, the main Nanny, and three kids to the dentist in Guatemala City.
I had a conversation with friends from the Join Foundation, this foundation is a US based non-profit started by my best friend Luis Yon. He moved for Guatemala to Wisconsin about 4 years ago after he got married but his heart is in Guatemala. Currently there are 4 young people that are being given scholarships to continue their studies after 6th grade, which is the last grade many Guatemalans stop studying. I will be helping them with the selection for next year grantees.
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