August 2012 Visit to Meet with Students

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 9^th 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. 

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.

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.

Moises

 Moises graduated from High School. He applied to pre med university studies but did not pass the examination. He wants to try again but cannot until January.  In the mean time he is trying to decide what his course of action. He has three options.  1. Study for the test and try again. 2. Pick a different major and go to school now. 3. Possibly switch to nursing. I advised him to get a tutor or take a prep class for the medical test. He was going to find out if such a thing existed. To me, Moises with his intelligence and quiet and dignified bearing would make a great doctor. By the end of the trip, Moises had decided he would attend tech school while he tried to pass the medical exam. He will attend Universidad Tecnologica de Ciudad Juarez.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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           

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. 

Angle gives me a hand wit the burgers.