Hola from the Assistant Principal's office at MEHMS! Mr. Baxter and I have been working very hard over the past few days to transition me into this office and him to the principal's office at TJ. I know that I have big blog shoes to fill and hope that I can live up to the Deputy Head's precedent. I am very, very excited to be at MEHMS. I have already met many teachers, families, and all around important people during the past three days. I can't wait for the school year to start!
Tomorrow, I am off to lead my fifth trip in three years to the colonias of Tijuana, Mexico. I go there to lead groups of youth and adults in building small, sturdy homes for Mexican families that are living in makeshift shelters built with tarps and scraps. It is a humbling experience as these families are grateful for even the smallest gifts. Each time I bring down old clothes, kitchenware, and things I would otherwise get rid of.....and the look on the faces of the families makes you feel like you've just given them millions of dollars. It always makes me think of everything that I take forgranted. These families live without running water, electricity, and all the comforts we're used to, like indoor plumbing. This week we will be building two houses and two latrines in three days in the Rojo Gomez colonia. The children of this community go to school in a small shack without windows. The wind is constantly ripping the roof off and they have no books. The teachers work very hard, but without electricity and running water, I am sure that it is very difficult. This week, we are also going to visit the school and draw up plans to return in the fall to build a new school house. We are so very lucky in this country to have such amazing places like MEHMS to educate our children.
This is an exhausting trip, but so worth it. Whenever I go back to visit these families it's amazing how much their lives have changed just by providing them with a sturdy roof over their heads.
I will be back in time to meet all the faces of summer school next week and I look forward to sharing my adventures and pictures from this trip! At the top of this post is a picture (Ms. Lovette is in the first row, second from the left) of the house we built last summer for a woman named Elvira and her family. They had been living without an outhouse and in a shack made of old doors. When I went back to visit Elvira this winter, she was so excited to have windows for the first time in her life (windows!) that she had hand-sewn beautiful curtains for each one.
Adios, amigos!
