JCEP Kids Update, Jan 2010

JCEP Construction Crew, LtoR, Edith, Juana, Esmerelda, Anahi, Blanca, Karla, Angel, David, Claudia, Moises, Samuel

On our recent trip to Juarez to build houses we spent considerable time with the JCEP kids. (Read Mission Trip Report) I am pleased to report that all 13 are doing well and studying hard. All thirteen assisted in house construction. Despite the violence that continues to rock downtown Juarez, things continue to improve in the Colonias outside Juarez where our kids live.

Following are updates starting with our three college students, Anahi, Blanca and Esmerelda. Anahi continues to do well in school studying law. She reports a broken computer, which we need to have replaced, but her grades are good. She appreciated the In-N-Out T-shirt that she got from her US hosts Donna and Craig. Blanca also got a shirt. She is taking a short break from Psychology and is helping Susy with the library. She will return to school in May. Esmerelda is doing very well studying to become a teacher at the local community college.

Our high school students continue to study hard and advance. Karla will graduate next June. Juana is now a Junior. Our biggest group, the sophomores, includes the Three Amigo: Samuel, David and Moises. They were great in helping with construction, hanging the soffit plywood. Edith, Margarita and Claudia are also all sophomores.

Rounding out the group are Angel and Perla Lupita, both in 8th grade.

We got good news on the trip. Stacy, our English teacher from the U.S. immersion trip, is hoping to take a month to run a vacation English school for the kids in July. We are hoping it will work out.

In addition, Susy, our librarian and the shepherd for our students, and her husband Leo, who now runs Mission Ministries operations in Mexico, are coming to the SF Bay Area in March. We hope that we can have a reception so our JCEP supporters can all meet these special people.

It was really nice spending so much time with the kids and see them doing so well. Pictures say it all better. See them Below.

SRK
Claudia, Margarita, Edith and Juana take a break.
Karla, Esmerelda, Blanca and Anahi get ready to hammer.
Moises puts a nail in the soffit.
Stacy, Anahi, Joni, Karla, Blanca and Susy enjoy the crafts and food.

JCEP Kids Update

(Photo Above: Blanca and Anahi cut watermelon for the Fiesta.)

Saturday, August 15

After the construction and medical team left Juarez, Timothy Purdy decided to stay behind with me to connect with the kids in our JCEP program. We dropped off the team at the airport and returned to the Colonia. Saturday afternoon was filled with visits to many of the homes where our kids lived. We disturbed many siestas, but were never met with less than smiles and invitations to sit and talk.

First we went to the home of Anahi, our second-year college student studying to become an attorney. I have become good friends with her family. Her father is now working on construction for a new factory near the Santa Teresa border, where a Taiwanese company will manufacture parts for Apple. We sat around the dining room table in the middle room of their Mission-Ministries-constructed house. He sent Anahi’s two younger sisters to buy us Cokes at the nearby aborrotes (small grocery store). Anahi shared her photos with Tim. Reliving her trip to the U.S. last summer.

Anahi has become somewhat of a big shot at her local church. On Friday night, when the rest of the team went to the local church, I went to see Anahi as the Master of Ceremonies at her church’s youth night. She introduced a very entertaining band, a young rapper and the minister. The whole evening lasted nearly four hours and the alter call alone was more than an hour. This varies greatly from our tidy one-hour services at my church. I am very proud of Anahi with her polish and confidence on stage in front of a large group. This public speaking will serve her well in her future career as an attorney.(Photo Above: The three amigos, Moises, Samuel and David after Anahi's church service.)

Next we dropped by the home of Leo and Susie. Leo now heads up Mission Ministries in Mexico. Susie is busy running both libraries and shepherding our thirteen JCEP students. They have taken in a young Tarahumara girl named Natividad. Leo is a missionary and visits the Tarahumara in Copper Canyon once per month. We conversed in Leo’s living room sitting beneath a big beautiful photo of their daughter Esmerelda, taken at her quinciñera (party celebrating a girl’s fifteenth birthday) a few years earlier. Esmerelda will be joining our group of students as she begins college to become a teacher this fall.

Within walking distance of Leo’s is the cluster of homes surrounding the original library, now called Library 1 by the locals. Juanita (11th grade JCEP student) lives with her family in this cluster. We spoke with her and her parents and enjoyed a baby that her Mom was watching for a friend.

In the back of the complex we awoke Angel (8th grade JCEP student) and his mother Rosa from their siesta. We didn’t stay long since Rosa appeared anxious to get back to her nap. She works hard in the Missions Ministries kitchen and had gotten up at 5 am to make breakfast for the team that morning. (Photo Left: Angel helping with house construction.)

We hopped in the car and made the short trek to Blanca’s house. Blanca is in her second year of college studying psychology. We hung out with Blanca and her family for more than an hour. Consuming more Coca Cola, which seems to be the hospitality drink of choice in these parts. Blanca’s dad speaks English very well. He has picked it up just by listening, reading and watching TV. He is still unemployed and Blanca’s Mom is also now unemployed having been laid of from her job at the Phillips ballast factory after many years of working the night shift.

Finally we drove down “Dead Horse Road” to kilometer 30. Kilometer 30 is named thus because it is approximately 30 Kilometers from the border. Dead Horse Road cuts through some bleak desert and is covered on both sides with trash, dumped and burned by the locals. The name comes from the fact that horse carcasses are occasionally dragged there to rot. I, in fact, had seen such a carcass last time I visited. (Photo Below: Dead Horse Road.)

We toured almost every road looking for the home of Jesus, our translator, driver and construction boss for the teams visiting. We finally found his house by spotting the gazebo he is building for his two daughters’ quinciñeras coming up in two years. This emphasized how important these coming out parties are for the girls here. Families spend a lot of money and time planning them.

Jesus’ house is the size of three MM houses all put together to make a very large and comfortable house. Jesus moved his family out to the desolate Kilometer 30 a couple of years ago and was able to buy his land cheap. This before there was even electricity in the neighborhood. Now he has electricity and a pretty nice place relative to his neighbors.

Our visits completed, Tim and I headed off to dinner at a restaurant, La Cabaña, which had been recommended near kilometer 20. The place was packed with the more upscale residents of town and we enjoyed a very good beef dish with tortillas, cheese and spices. With drinks the whole meal was $20. We brought back the sizable leftovers for our guard at the team center.

We ended the evening with a sunset walk trough the Colonia. Everyone was out enjoying the pleasant evening. We spotted a knot of people down the street and as we approached we saw Leo sitting outside surrounded by lots of folks. He was holding court and enjoying the evening. We chatted for a while before returning to the team center for the evening.

Sunday, August 16

The big plan for Sunday was to have a Fiesta at the MM team center. We invited all the JCEP kids and the Leo and Susie Pineda family. But we had some time to relax before going shopping in the afternoon.

I woke up early and decided to have a walk through the Colonia early in the morning. I took my camera hoping to get some good shots and indeed, I did. Being Sunday morning, the place was eerily quiet. It usually teems with activity the whole day. See my photos from walking around on my flicker site.

(Photo Above: Juanita, Perla and Claudia on the roof during house cosntruction.)In the afternoon, Tim and I made our way to WalMart in Juarez. We picked up burgers, vegetables, buns, soda, ice cream and watermelon. The WalMart has most of the same look and merchandise as the one in El Paso. Except you have to pay 4 pesos to park. The portion sizes of items seemed smaller too. Maybe people don’t buy in bulk or don’t have living-room-sized refrigerators.

We picked up Blanca and Anahi to help us prep for the party and dragged everything into the kitchen. A couple of hours later everyone started arriving. We had all the thirteen of current kids at the party. As a big surprise one of our graduates, Marta, came with her son Diego, age 14 months. It was great to see Marta. She is doing a great job as a Mom and is happily married with a husband who holds down a steady job.

The kids played basketball and fusball while I cooked the burgers. When they were ready, Anahi and Blanca assembled the burgers In-N-Out style with lettuce, tomato and onions. Everyone seemed to like the burgers and most even had a second.

(The kids from left to right: David, Angel, Moises, Perla Lupita, Samuel, Anahi, Margarita, Blanca, Esmerelda, Claudia, Carla, Juanita, Edith.)

I spent time speaking with each of the kids. We now have the following kids in the program.

Angel – 8th grader at Mexico Libre school. His Mom works in the Kitchen at MM. Angel is a smiling happy young man who worked hard helping us build the house earlier in the week.

Perla Lupita- 8th grader at Mexico Libre. Her Mom also works in the Kitchen at MM. Perla Lupita also helped on the house. She is very bright and charming young lady.

Claudia – 10th grader at Mexico Libre. I call Claudia Miss Mexico, because of her dazziling smile. She also is really gets great marks in school. (Photo Left: Claudia at construction site.)

Margarita – 10th grader at Mexico Libre. Margarita is quiet and intense. A very good student.

David – 10th grader at Mexico Libre. One of the three Amigos, David is a very good athlete and cleaned everyone’s clock in Fusball too.

Moises – 10th grader at Mexico Libre. Another Amigo, Moises is one of our standout English learners. He is always quick to engage in conversation and is quite confident.

Samuel – 10th grader, Mexico Libre. Samuel is quiet. But he gets the best grades of the bunch and Joel, the English teacher tells me he is the best at English as well.

Edith – 10th grader at new school. Edith just moved a little down the road and is attending a new high school that I do not know. I hope to see it next time I am in Juarez.

Juanita – 11th grader, Esperanza public school. Juanita has been in our program since the start, she would be our first kid to go through all 6 upper grades to graduation with our program. (Photo Left: Juanita on Slide)

Carla – 12th grader Mexico Libre. Carla is only in her second year in our program, but she is doing very well in English classes. She hopes to go to college next year.

Esmerelda – Freshman in teachers college. Esmerelda is Susie and Leo’s daughter. This is her first year in our program.

Blanca – 2nd year at Centro Cultural University de Cuidad Juarez. Blanca is studying psychology. She has been getting 9’s and 10’s on the 1 to 10 grading scale they use in Juarez. Blanca has become very conversational in English since her trip to the U.S. last summer.

Anahi – 2nd year at Centro Cultural University de Cuidad Juarez. Anahi is studying to become an attorney. She wants to work in the Colonia after graduation to help her people. Anahi has become a public speaker, leading youth worship services at church in front of 300 people. Her English is conversational after her immersion trip last summer.

It was really great to see everyone and spend so much time with them. Leo and Susie really are the glue of things and they are deeply involved with all the kids. Susie drives them to all functions in the Van we bought last year. We got group photos and the party went very late. (Photo Right: Margarita and Edith.)

I must say I really love spending time with these kids. They are special people and I am very blessed to be part of their lives. (Photo Below: Everyone at the Fiesta.)

SRK

June 2007 JCEP Trip - Graduations, Museum Trips

Juarez Diary Day 1, June 19, 2007

After a restful night if sleep at the Holiday Inn in Juarez, I was picked up at 8:30 am by Susie in the van we purchased for the program. The van was packed as we headed off to the graduation of Juanita at the nearby mall. In the van was Miriam, Juan Carlos, Susie, Susie’s daughter Esmerelda, Juanita and her sister, who was also graduating, Juanita’s Mom and Joel, my translator.

The graduation was held in an old circle type theater. It was filled to standing room only. There were six other schools graduating at the same place. The occasion was quite festive. Several singers performed between the readings of the names of graduates. They were all former graduates of the schools represented. One man in particular was quite popular as evidenced by the girl screaming for him.

Juanita seemed quite proud of her accomplishment. She will now be off to high school next year. I was somewhat disappointed to see that she had a boy friend also in attendance.

After graduation, Joel and I decided to take Miriam around to visit colleges. She had her eye on two particular schools. They seem to be more technical or community college in nature. We were particularly fond of one. Miriam will be signing up for a three year Business Administration course if she attends that school. There is also a program called “derecho” that has something to do with the import and export business. Her high school teacher told her this would be good. I think it sounded too specific and that she should take the business administration course. The BA course also has 5 semesters of English.

Joel turns out to be a well-spoken and quite cosmopolitan fellow. He has worked for TDK ad RCA ad even knows some Japanese from his trips for TDK. After inquiring to Miriam and finding out the Enrique, our current teacher of English isn’t that good, I think we should explore getting Joel aboard. Casey mentioned this as well.

Day 2,June 20, 2007

Found my way out to the Colonia for a 10 am meeting with the families of the kids. Most of the fathers were there and all of the mothers. The families of Juan Carlos and Nancy Margarita did not attend. Susie indicated that Nancy might drop out of the program. She has not been attending lately.

We told them about the program and that we wanted their commitment for another year. I told them that the English classes were a requirement, despite the fact they do not like Enrigue. (We should replace him with Joel. Susie agrees. I need to confirm this with Casey.) We also told them about the potential trip to the U.S.A. to learn English. All raised their hands saying they would let their children go.

Anahi’s father Luis came up after and was very appreciative. He has started a new body shop business. He speaks passable English.

In the afternoon, Susie, Joel, Miriam and I went to the U.S. Embassy immigration office to find out more about what we need to do to get the kids to the U.S. The first thing is that they need passports. Then they will need either a student or a visitor visa. It seems a visitor visa is easier to get, but they might require a student visa. Joel got the number and website. He will call and find out what needs to be done.

Later in the day we scouted out Museums for or Museum trip scheduled for the next day.

Some issues we covered. Susie and Leo think that a Biblioteca in Kilometer 30 is a good idea. Leo mentioned to Susie that he thinks she should run it to get it started ad train a librarian. Jesus says that Elizabeth, pastor Miguel’s wife, cannot run it because she is a pastor. I asked why and he said it is the law. I need to find out more about this.

Miriam agreed to help out in the Biblioteca in exchange for us paying for her school.

Day 3, June 21, 2007

I had morning devotionals with the team from San Carlos, CA that was here to build. Their leader, Camela, had emailed me a few times about the trip. It was good to meet her in person. Another woman Sarah, had seen our JCEP website and was asking about the program. I invited them to our September 9 reunion.

I also traveled out to K30 to see the site they were building the new house upon. Then I stopped by to visit, Pancho, the child that the April team had befriended when they built a house for his family. While there I met with Elizabeth, Pastor Miguel’s wife. She showed to his house. He was not there, but his mother eventually answered the door and said he was fine. She did not appear to be in very good shape.

Elizabeth showed be the new stage in her church that MM had built. She also told me she has two children in high school. She also told me about a neighbor that is working two jobs to put himself through college in the fall. The unasked question of help is always there.

I was asked directly for help by Rosa - Miguel’s half-sister and an MM employee. She is also a close friend of Jennifer Pinar. She had a daughter in second grade that cannot learn without a special school. Sounds like ADD. She needs $600.

Next, it was off to “El Centro” and the Museo de Historia. I piled the four high school girls, Miriam, Anahi, Blanca and Martha, along with Miriam’s little brother in the rental car I had. Susie took the rest of the kids, minus, Nancy Margarita along with three of her kids and Juanita’s sister Martha, in the van. Joel drove her van.

We had a great tour from a docent young man who knew the history of Juarez well. We learned lot’s about Pancho Villa. There was also a great Don Quixote temporary exhibit.

Next we drove over to the Museo de Arte - a really cool 60’s era modernist structure. There were two excellent modern art exhibits. One exhibit showed abstract paintings. The other showed plastic and mixed media text. Again we had a very sophisticated, knowledgeable tour guide.

When the tour ended we were directed outside to some tables. They had set up an art project using paper, glue and colored sand. The kids were shown geometric art and asked to make their own. Using a compass and pencil, they drew shapes on the paper. Then they would place glue in sections and put one color of sand on the paper. After dumping off the extra sand, they would repeat with another color until they had a finished multicolor art piece. They really enjoyed this activity.

Then we rushed to get Blanca to her afternoon job at the ballast factory. She works there with her mom until summer when school starts. We then took all the kids to Wendy’s for a late lunch.

I thought this was a very productive trip. We got the kids out of the Colonia and hopefully got them thinking about a bigger world of opportunity for them. I made it really clear they were to work on getting passports and visas in the hope for bringing the girls to the U.S next summer.

I told them I would return again in October with the MPPC team and Joni would return in January.

Also, I had a very good conversation with Leo regarding the new Biblioteca. He thinks Susie should run it until the new librarian can be trained. This is a very good sign.

SK