Serving God in Camichines, Mexico: First Day of School!

To say the kids have a hunger to learn is an understatement! School is a BIG deal to them. This morning, many of them were late for breakfast because they were making sure their outfits and hair were perfect (boys included). When we were outside for first recess (we're talking only about a 15 minute recess), the following question was asked multiple times: "Can we go back to school now?" At lunch, the student who prayed said, "And thank you Lord that we could have school today!" Upon the announcement that the end of the school day had come, some audible groans even came out! What an amazing opportunity, to serve children who can't get enough of knowledge and learning! The day went very smoothly and I'm excited to see transitions and routines get better as time goes on.

The fact that the children are becoming bilingual adds such a rich element to learning! I absolutely LOVED the ability to teach in both languages today, to have the students help each other with English and me with my Spanish :) I continue praising the Lord for such a wonderful opportunity.

Here are some pictures of our first day:

This is the children's shelter and schoolhouse building right now. The bedrooms and living space is downstairs and the schoolroom is upstairs. Although it's in their house, we still have the students function very much as though they are in a school. They form lines to walk outside to recess, specials, and to attend lunch. We work hard on making it a realistic school environment for them. Construction is underway for some permanent schoolrooms on the other side of the lot.

Our bright and cheerful classroom decorated by Jenny! The lighting may make it hard to see in this picture. It does not currently have electricity and this picture was taken early in the morning. We are hoping to have electricity in a couple of weeks.