Sticking to it

My art classes are going really well. It's exciting to be able to meet with them so frequently (an hour and a half Mo-Thurs) because we get to do so many cool projects and we can advance pretty quickly. It's a little scary because it involves a lot of planning and materials but things are smooth sailing for now. As to be expected when working with teenagers, I make new friends and enemies every day, and no day is like the one before it. But, reflecting over the past month of class with them I can definitely say that their confidence level and commitment to their work has grown. I am working on putting their art on www.artsonia.com, which features children's art. I have over thirty kids and hundreds of pieces already, so it will take me a while to get it all up, but starting tomorrow you'll be able to view at least the first few pieces they've done. Go to the website and do a search for the school: Centro Educativo Santo Ninio Jesus. Please let me know what you think! The kids are excited to have their work on the internet, even though they can't see it!

Seeing some of my art students' disabilities (I'm thinking of a few of my students aged 12-13)—unable to use scissors well, no understanding of how to use a ruler, no concept of basic shapes—makes me realize how important early childhood education is, especially when there is no learning or example in the home. The kids we have now in pre-k can cut equally well as some of my pre-teen art students (when they were pre-k age our school was only working with older kids). Pre-k is not just babysitting, although it often just feels like crowd control. They are sponges and every simple exercise with them is preparing them for school—not just learning their numbers but also developing their motor skills so that they can write well. That is why I really believe in Montessori for the youngest kids. When the new kids came in this year they could not carry the materials (many of which are on little trays) without dropping them or breaking them. Now, two months later, they can not only carry the materials but they can do them. Although it's not my favorite age group (teaching-wise) I am enjoying watching them grow in small steps. It's also nice just knowing they have examples of caring adults every day. Although we do have many parents who care deeply for their children and even bring them to school (trust me, here that's considered over and above, even for four year-olds), we have many kids living in violent and unstable homes. Last week Luzmia showed me her hand that looked like it had scratches on it. She said, “Look, Profe, my mom bit me.” We also have a really special case of a girl named Diana. She is barely four years old and uncontrollable, but we let her come because of her home situation. The father is very violent towards the mother, and the mother is in and out of the picture (leaving the kids with the father) for this reason. Many of our kids have mouths but she has made comments like, “If you touch me I'm going to kill you!” and “Shut up, you f*ing crazy.” It's shocking and scary but also very hopeful watching kids like her grow in our school. These two years of pre-school and kindergarten that we offer them are going to pay off in the long run. I have no doubt in my mind.

In other news, I haven't been able to teach women like last year—I have just been visiting with them. I get out later from school now that I am working with the teenagers so it leaves me little time to teach before dark. But I've enjoyed visiting and having friends there—they teach me everything: how to cook, how to braid, how to speak Kreyol. They are giving me class.

One of my close friends in the batey Dichosa (Elizabeth) who I taught and talked a lot about last year has recently been having a lot of trouble. Since I have been back she has been feeling ill and been getting all sorts of tests to find out what was wrong. This week she found out that she has Tuberculosis. She is very upset but that isn't even the upsetting part.

Let me back up a little bit. Once I got back I started hearing about this woman pastor who had just moved into the batey and started a church. The few people who used to come to the Catholic liturgy were now going to her church. Many of the teenagers converted and I came back to see them in skirts (here women evangelicals only wear skirts). Most of the people in the batey are evangelical, but there are about three or four churches in the batey, so it was a surprise to see that everyone had started going to this pastora. I had heard a little anti-Catholic sentiment (which we hear very little of normally because of all that the sisters do in the community) and also a lot about some video of a little girl who testified that she went to hell and saw Michael Jackson there (I know, it's scary what people with little education will believe). So I was unsure of what to think about this pastora. Dichosa's husband and son are evangelical, but Dichosa is nominally Catholic and doesn't go to services with them. So this past week, right after Dichosa had found out about her illness, the pastora told her that the Holy Spirit had told her that Dichosa had incurable cancer as a punishment from God and that she shouldn't bother taking any medicine. Dichosa has been so upset—scared that this might be true and unsure what to do. Melania (her sister and other friend of mine) almost hanged herself in reaction to hearing that her younger sister was going to die. Dichosa is one of the many smart women I've met there and luckily she turned to our clinic and to Anita (a sister here) with her doubts and fears. We are doing everything to help her—giving her the treatment she needs to live healthily with TB and getting her psychological help to deal with this pastora comment.

This has become a batey-wide scandal. Aside from the converted masses, other evangelicals are angry at the pastora's use of fear to convert people and now her presumptious declarations. Anita is talking with the prominent pastors in the community to arrange a meeting with her (excluding Anita of course—bad idea to put the Catholic in the mix). I feel awful for what Dichosa and her family has been through this week. Please keep her and this community in your prayers.

I posted (very few) photos on facebook—check out the link when you have a chance:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2624490&id=920832&l=46174a891b