NBA

Negros Bien Alto

Yep!  That's the nickname for the group of extranjeros who are here in Cantel this month.  They are a bunch of basketball players, mostly Black, who are working in the rural public schools teaching basketball, among other things.  My host mom was telling me how great they are and how much difference they have made over the past 10 years they've been here as we were walking to the Fabrica and suddenly, a truckload of them came barreling down the (GORGEOUS) hilly road all standing and taking pictures with their iPhones.

Amazing.

Talking about amazing... we have another group at our school this week.  They're an education delegation led by the same family who led last week's medical delegation.  They're here teaching about earth/gardening stuff, building stuff, and (the reason the other things are so vague...) teaching english!  Yep!  That's right... I have 9 helper teachers... along with my 2 other helper teachers here for 8 weeks as I supervise them for a college internship.  So, that, my mathematical friends, is 13 teachers teaching every class.  Almost a 2:1 ratio for every class!  It's so great.  We're doing so many conversations and stations and other activities that I've never been able to do because I'm in a 30:1 ratio classroom with kids who don't have any of the discipline practices I'm used to and therefore struggle with any changes in pace or activity (their classes literally spend 80% of their time copying things in notebooks.  Including 6-8 pages of continuous letters practicing cursive... an activity done in grades 1-9). 

I've been thinking and talking to Elly.  I have a lot of ideas for programs and connections I'd like to make between Walla Walla and here in the Western Highlands.  The NBA and these delegations have inspired me... now, primero Dios, we can make it happen.

I don't want to lose this world nor my friends here
and I really want my friends in the States to meet them
and likewise, I want my friends here to meet my friends in the States

I have learned a whole lot from these people and they have learned a lot from me...
now it's time to make our real life classroom bigger... just praying for guidance in how.

And in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy and love these people here, be grateful for our volunteers at school, and keep my eyes out for the NBA