The thoughts and opinions of this blog do not reflect that of the Peace Corps or the United States Government.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

There's gotta be more...

There's a song that keeps coming back into my life at pivital points. That song is Stacie Orrico "There's gotta be more to life" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUOcQnWbk_U you can hear it using the link. I heard it all growing up but the first pivital time I heard it was in Chicago at a camping conference. I was reflecting on the weekend and how I was going to take what I learned to camp that summer. That song came on and it reminded me that no matter the programs I delt with, it was the impact I made on the kid's lives and pointing them to Christ that made the real difference. Yesterday I heard the song again on the bus on the way into Castries. It still means a lot considering right now I'm looking at what different programs I might be working with the next couple of years, how I might make a difference in the lives I come in contact, and what I'm actually doing here! I'm not allowed to proselytize while I'm here. I know that. But my hope and my prayer is that while I am here someone might see the life that I am trying to live and it point them toward God. I screw up on a daily basis living that life, but I get back up the next day and continue to work towards that goal. Because there is more to my life than a temperary high.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Troublesome

Classification of any human is a way to separate them from the group. Call someone something for long enough and they will start to prove you right. You will look for those behaviors to prove your point and they will work to fulfill your expectations. Many of the boys here are labled as "troublesome." At school, home, and in the community they are known as "troublesome." All of the boys that I have come in contact with this lable are one of a couple things but troublesome is not the word I would use to describe them. Instead I would use "high energy," "artistic," and "struggling student" to describe them. Some of these kids just have a hard time paying attention. They have too much energy, are yelled at when they go play to get rid of that energy, and need an outlet (and to be reconigized for something). They have different talents other than traditional subjects taught in school so their interests are other places. The number one reason in my opinion is because they are a struggling student. If a student doesn't know how to add, why would they pay attention to a teacher who is teaching multiplication? If they don't know their ABCs or how to read, why would they pay attention to a language lesson on tenses of verbs? So the question is, how we help these "troublesome" boys get thier energy out in constructive manners and help them catch up to thier classmates?

ALR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Gu3BrX3UU
So these are links to videos of my kids singing at the National Choir competition semifinals! They placed second in the country!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Food

Some things in life I have taken for granted. One of those is food. No matter where I’ve been I’ve never been hungry. While I know that in some places in the world people go hungry, I’ve never really been exposed to it. Schools in the states always have free and reduced lunch programs so kids get fed at school no matter what. This is not what I’ve seen here so far. Today I ate lunch with the kids. They have an hour lunch. Some kids bring their lunch, others go home for lunch, some students buy their lunch, and some students did not have lunch. The students who bought lunch at the school had to bring their own plate or container for lunch, also their own silverware. The students were sharing silverware because not all of them had it. The things that I took for granted just don’t exist here. To see kids not have food is hard for me. When I was first told that the school had a “feeding program” I thought it was a free lunch program. Turns out it means the school has a kitchen that provides food for those who pay for it. Providing food for all kids is something that I’m starting to be really passionate about. I did just find out that one of the secondary schools gives free lunches to those that need it but it is very limited. This is the best school on the island and they don’t want smart kids not to be able to go there because of money.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Ask not...

The Peace Corps (PC) celebrated its 50th birthday on March 1st! It has been in St. Lucia for all 50 years. I was at a meeting a couple of weeks ago and the people who live here still remember the names of the first PC volunteers that came to the island. The locals who were at the meeting were naming every volunteer that had been in their community and the impact that the volunteer had on their life and the community. To know I'm a part of something that is so much bigger than myself and that these students I'm working with might remember me in 50 years gives me goose bumps. The PC continues to have a huge effect on the lives of the people here and is truely fulfilling JFK's dream.