Although there is no such thing as Fall here in Guatemala, I do hope all of you are enjoying this beautiful season. I hope you also enjoy this small excerpt from my October newsletter. As always for a full copy, please sign up for my e-newsletter by clicking the link above. Thank you and God bless! Jennifer
Happy Independence Day Guatemala!
September is an important month in Guatemala as
the 15th is their Independence Day. Guatemalans celebrate their Independence
Day in many different ways, somewhat similar to the way Americans do. They have
parades, fireworks, spend time with their families, and eat their typical
dishes. I spent the day by participating with the school in a parade in Santa
Maria. All of the schools from Santa Maria get together for a community-wide
parade. The children are dressed up and all march together around the town while
everyone looks on. All of our students did an excellent job dressing up and even had signs advocating for disabilities.
As I reflect upon the mission of Nueva Vida, I realize how God has used this school to set so many children free from shame, loneliness, and hopelessness and has given them honor, a place to belong, and hope for a brighter future. Lately, I have had this portion of scripture from Isaiah 61 on my heart. So, I wanted to share it with you so that you may pray this promise for these children.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners….. To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61: 1, 3
May the Lord lift up many oaks of righteousness from Nueva Vida to display his splendor throughout Santa Maria.
As I reflect upon the mission of Nueva Vida, I realize how God has used this school to set so many children free from shame, loneliness, and hopelessness and has given them honor, a place to belong, and hope for a brighter future. Lately, I have had this portion of scripture from Isaiah 61 on my heart. So, I wanted to share it with you so that you may pray this promise for these children.
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners….. To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61: 1, 3
May the Lord lift up many oaks of righteousness from Nueva Vida to display his splendor throughout Santa Maria.
School’s Out for the Summer
October 12 is the official last day of classes for
the school year. So, what will you be doing now that school is out?, you may
ask. Well, I will be continuing my therapy sessions with some of the students
throughout the week. I will also be preparing for the upcoming school year by creating materials and working on
goals, schedules, etc.
Another project I will be involved in concerns sign language classes. There
have been 3 sign language teachers coming this year to work with our 3 deaf students.
During the break, our teachers will be taking classes once a week with the sign
language teachers to learn basic signs. This will help them to be able to communicate
better with our deaf students. I will also be leading another session once a
week to review the signs and facilitate role-playing situations. This is
something that I think will be very beneficial to the entire school, not only
to the deaf students.
During the week of Thanksgiving, I am hoping to attend a camp for children with
disabilities with several of our students and teachers. This camp is a great
opportunity for our students who would otherwise never have the opportunity to
participate in so many fun activities! What a great way to spend Thanksgiving!!
Another project I will be involved in concerns sign language classes. There have been 3 sign language teachers coming this year to work with our 3 deaf students. During the break, our teachers will be taking classes once a week with the sign language teachers to learn basic signs. This will help them to be able to communicate better with our deaf students. I will also be leading another session once a week to review the signs and facilitate role-playing situations. This is something that I think will be very beneficial to the entire school, not only to the deaf students.
During the week of Thanksgiving, I am hoping to attend a camp for children with disabilities with several of our students and teachers. This camp is a great opportunity for our students who would otherwise never have the opportunity to participate in so many fun activities! What a great way to spend Thanksgiving!!
