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| David, Scott, Perla, Angel, Margarita, David, Edith, Moises, Ezmerelda and Susy. |
I traveled to Ciudad Juarez to see our JCEp students. As always, I flew into El Paso. Leo and Bill orange picked me up at the airport. We went to
Rosco’s for a hamburger. They loved them. They both had chili cheese fries. I had
a little trouble crossing the border. They say I am not a tourist and next time
I will have to go to the Mexican Consulate for a FM3 visa. I checked in at the
team center into Room 1, my favorite.
In the evening I had dinner with Leo and Susy at their
house. What a lovely family. They have four kids. Leo Jr. is a strapping young
man who works at Mission Ministries. Ezmerelda is a lovely young lady in her
second year of college who wants to become a teacher. Daniel is in 9th
grade and loves to skateboard. Esther is 10 and a smart and beautiful young
lady. Susy made Chili Colorado for us. Leo worried that it was too spicy or my
gringo stomach, but it tasted wonderful. They have a great do Sammy too. A German Shepherd with dread-locks.
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| Sammy guards Leo and Susy's place. |
We discussed the libraries. Right now, each is open three days per
week with two employees in each library. To have them open 5 days per week
would take an extra 2 employee per library per day twice per week . Now the K27
library which they call Library 1 is open Tuesday, Thursday Friday. The K30 library is open Monday,
Tuesday, and Thursday.
Ezmerelda
Ezmerelda is
Susy’s daughter. She wants to be a kindergarten teacher and eventually a
principal. She is just finishing up her first year of college and will be
entering her second. This is a three-year program. After she finishes, she
wants to get her masters (a two year program full-time). But she plans to get
her masters part time will founding a kindergarten her in the Colonia. The
master will allow her to eventually be a principal in a school. She is
motivated and smart.
Blanca
Blanca is
working as a missionary, without pay. She is using the skills from her
psychology degree. Her current job will last until fall. I am not clear on her
plans from there. I did not get to see her.
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| Martha and her son Diego. |
Martha wants
to get her nursing certification. She now has two children. She seems to be
doing very well. Getting the nursing degree would give her more pay and set her
down the road. Daycare for her kids is the stumbling block. I have always
admired Martha and her determination. She finished high school while pregnant.
She got a nursing assistant certification while raising her baby.
Thursday – Aug
16
Susy took me
on a tour to meet four of the kids. We went to their houses and met with them
and their parents.
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| Moises |
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| Edith |
Edith now
lives in Ciudad Juarez. She just graduated from high school. We went to the
place where she and he mother were preparing lunch for us. They made taquitos,
which we excellent. On the salad they made me, I put a little salsa. Her mom
warned me that it was hot, but I waived he off. It was the hottest I have ever
tasted.
Edith is a
bright and shiny young lady. She will be attending the computer informatica
course at Universidad Tecnologica de Ciudad Juarez. She wants to be a computer
programmer. She is all accepted and will start in late August. She, like the
other incoming college students needs a laptop.
After we met
with Edith, Susy and I went to Wal-Mart to get hamburgers for a BBQ on
Saturday. I must say this
sparkling Wal-Mart is just as nice as any in the US. The shelves are full and
there are lots of people. You would not know that the violence in Juarez ever
existed. I have been told that the violence is way down. Apparently one won the
war between the two cartels and things are returning to normal.
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| Perla |
Perla has
always been a joy to behold. A great smile and friendly, shy manner. Last
semester, Perla was invited to play traveling soccer. She sported a huge trophy
in her house as a result f her efforts. Unfortunately, school suffered as a
result. She was failed in her last semester. She will be switching schools and starting where she left
off, with 5 semesters of high school remaining. Her new school, Vision Azteca,
is more expensive and farther away, but apparently a better school. Perla always had good grade before
soccer, so we are all hopeful she will do well. She would like to be a doctor
as well, so I told her she needs to get 9 and 10 marks in school. She agreed
and said she would write me monthly on her progress.
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| David |
David is
handsome and smiling. He just graduated from high school this past June. I was
disappointed before our meeting to find out that David was planning on working
ion the Foxconn factory where his parents work instead of going to University.
However, I understand that his family needs the money. During our meeting David
expressed the desire to go to school next year. I asked him if he could go part
time now, he said he would like that. I don’t think he had considered it. His
parents seemed to agree to this.
By the end of the trip, David had decided to attend the same school as
Edith and pursue an information technology degree at Universidad Tecnologica de
Ciudad Juarez.
Anahi
Anahi dropped
by David’s while we were talking. Since finishing college last year, she has
been working at the Center for Women’s’ Justice as an intern. It sounds like
she is vey active in helping clients. She spoke very knowledgably, in English,
about how she helps women fight for custody rights of children against abusive
husbands. She was somewhat frustrated about getting hired to work as an
attorney because of the existing old boy network. I told her to use her current
position as a way to meet potential employers.
The way I
understand it, she has to complete a community service report describing her
activities and submit it to the legal board. If they approve it, she is a
lawyer. I asked repeatedly, and she insists there is no exam and no further
schooling required. Anahi says her goal is to become a prosecutor. I encouraged
her to get to know people in the prosecutor’s office.
English
Classes
The English
classes are really faltering. It seems they can’t get a steady instructor since
Joel left. Susy and I think an immersion class similar to the one Stacy did for
Anahi and Blanca would be most effective. Perhaps we could do that here. We
just need a volunteer. Another option, I think, would be to find a native
English speaker in El Paso and get the to come out to Juarez on the weekends
and run classes on Saturday.
Leo has opened a gymnasium. He is concerned about the health of those in the colonia. He got donations of equipment from Colorado and built the Gymnasio de la Esperanza. It has a heavy bag, treadmill, weights and lot of great equipment.
Thursday ended
with a storm that brought dust, rain and wind but mercifully, cooler air.
Friday –
August 17
The morning
broke cool after the rain. Consuming my cheerios and coffee, Claudia regaled me
with Christian rock at the team center while I typed my notes from the day
before. Susy retrieved me at 11 am
and we set forth o another day of meeting the students.
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| Samuel |
Samuel just
finished high school. He enrolled at the Institute de Tecnologica were he wants
to study computer programming. He was so excited he already completed one class
this summer. Samuel always struck
me as bright and determinedly quiet. The course takes 4 years with the summers
off. I made him promise to keep in touch with me on Facebook. Samuel’s mom made
me some great empanadas.
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| Margarita |
Margarita is
entering her final year of high school. She plans on being a doctor. We
stressed how difficult the entry exam is. Margarita has always had high grades
and should be one who is intelligent enough to pass the exam if she has the
right training. The field she would like to focus on is orthopedics.
Margarita’s parents bubble with life, telling stories and laughing all the
time. This surprises me since she seems so quiet. Her Dad is 76 years old. 30
years older than her mother, he told us all about his recent prostrate surgery
and showed us some gall rather huge gallstones he had removed. Laughing with
joy the whole time.
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| Angel |
Angel is in
his second year of high school, Baccilleris Nuevo. He is doing quite well. He
lives with his Mom and six sisters in a Missions Ministries house. They seem
very happy. While we chatted his Mom brought out some fabulous molé. Angel
wants to be a lawyer.
Saturday – August 18
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| Edith, Perla, Anahi, Moises and David enjoy the burger feast. |
The kids have always liked
hamburgers, as do I. So I grilled burgers for them in a good bye lunch. It was
great to have everyone together. I always like the group shots. It also gave me
a chance to speak to them as a group. With Leo as translator, I told them all
how proud we were. How they are part of a team comprising hundreds of people
including all our donors, people praying for them, their teachers, parents,
Susy, Leo, Joni and I. I think they get it and will continue to proceed.
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| Angle gives me a hand wit the burgers. |
