September 2009

New School Year New House We moved into our new house at the end of May but I am slow in getting pictures up as you can see.Casa Isabel New Home I have seven girls this year, we had one find us through CDC radio. Araceli lives in San Pedro Quiatoni, it is on top of a mountain between here and Oaxaca city. I thought too far away to get the CDC radio signal but since they are so high up they get the signal. That is pretty cool. Here dad listens to CDC radio and called in to see if we had a place for his daughter. She is in her second year of middle school (8th), she went to Telesecundaria (courses via satellite) last year but this year her family felt they could not support another year of school. So dad called. It is wonderful that the word is getting out about the program.

We are a bit tight this year with 10 people in a three bedroom house, but it is our house, and the bedrooms are big enough. The house is a three bedroom with two bathrooms, on in the house the other in a back out building.Teens live here!More Spartan bedroom!

We have a dining/room living room area that right now houses the library and computers. When we build a second floor the first floor rooms with serve as library and added living room space.Dining Room and Library. Living Room We have a great big kitchen with plenty of counter space, The wood is purchased an drying for the kitchen cabinets. I just can't wait.Nice big kitchen I hope that many of you can come down and see the new house soon

SIGN OF THE TIMES

  The other day a friend of mine asked me how the economy in the US was shaping up and were all the stimulus plans working. I had to admit I had not looked at the news lately with the move and the final touches on the new home I have been very busy. My only response was that it would probably take a while even in the plans do work. People here as in the States are very worried about the economy. I can see one of the signs at the big intersection of the Pan-american Highway and the entrance to Juchitan. The people here call it "El Crucero" which means intersection. In the past few month we have had a flood of people young and old, selling, performing and begging at the traffic lights. Normally there are one or two news papers sales people and a guy selling "Chiva cola" (I think it is like Jolt, all the sugar twice the caffeine). Usually the activity takes place on the road that comes out from down town Juchitan. Every ones in a while you will get a juggle or clown performing and some kids who will wash your windshield, but they were not always there. Sometimes I would go weeks with out seeing anyone. Now all day long there are performers at each side of the intersection, jugglers, clowns, some look like they are passing though and some are quite regulars. The windshield washers, who were usually teens and boys are now men and women in their 30's and 40's. They are more aggressive and angrier at those who don't want a wash. There are two teenage girls, not much older than 14 or fifteen, dressed in traditional Mayan clothing with faces painted as clowns. When I go shopping at the giant supermarket close to the "crucero" I have noticed the girls buying water, soda and bread. The people begging too are more common. Teen age moms with carrying babies and family members of hospital patients begging for money to buy prescriptions, sometimes even the patients themselves. I thing the hardest for me to see are the elderly people who are out begging for money. They don't brave the intersections as much, but are in the downtown area near the market, where begging has increased as well. I try to point out what I am seeing to the young women at Casa Isabel and help them to learn that they can take a path to alleviate some of the suffering they see around them.