Josh & Courtney’s School and the Girls We Sponsor

Escuela Caracol, founded in 2007 by Josh and Courtney, is an elementary school that provides holistic, multi-lingual, intercultural, and arts-integrated education for children of the Lake Atitlan Region. The goal is to develop the “whole” child to include head, heart, and hands. There is an effort to encourage an awareness of humanity’s place in nature and the world. Guatemala has many economic, social, and environmental needs, and the children of Escuela Caracol are made aware of the issues and possible solutions. The foundation of the curriculum is the Waldorf method, which began in Europe but is now a fast- growing international movement. The holistic educational approach promotes the development of well-rounded, free-thinking individuals who will possess creative capacities to cope with all realms of life. The curriculum introduces academics in a gradual, age-appropriate manner to help promote a life-long love of learning. Artistic impulses are addressed in every lesson, and learning becomes fun and non-competitive.

The Waldorf method is designed to avoid burn-out. It should be noted that two thirds of the children in the region drop out of public school after the third grade. The public schools are generally regarded as over-crowded, mismanaged, and ineffectual. Escuela Caracol currently includes kindergarten and grades 1-3. As our granddaughter, Althea, age 8, advances additional grades will be added through the eighth. Twenty-three children now attend, and the student population is both indigenous and multi-national. This allows for a unique cultural interchange. Last week Josh, the quintessential director, provided a slide show of the school’s many activities for parents. The parents are so excited about the program that they sponsored a fund-raiser which we attended at an upscale local restaurant. They raised around 4000 quetzales, or $500. That goes a long way in Guatemala. Josh and Courtney are currently ready to add another open-air, classroom for kindergarten attendees. Nickolas, the grounds keeper, does a fabulous job. Rock gardens, lovely flowers, and fruit trees adorn the school property. There is even a clay oven and a decorated compost latrine made with plastic bottles and stucco.

It costs approximately $1000 per year to provide a private education for each child. The average indigenous worker earns around $70 per week. The only way local children can afford a quality, private education is through sponsors like us. We are so grateful that the Lord has given us so much that we can afford to sponsor two beautiful little kindergarten girls. We treated both of our girls’ families to lunch at two different restaurants, and we provided gifts for the children. Courtney’s interpretive skills helped us get to know each other. Sophia is shown at right holding her gift with her brother, Cadis, and parents, Manuel and Espiritu Santos. Her father works as a day laborer in yards and fields. Estrella’s brother is Heber, and her parents, Nacho and Lola, (bottom left) are residents of neighboring San Pablo. Nacho plays the piano, offers lessons, and works in the public school system. This family is shown at the local amphitheatre, where we attended a musical program provided by a local arts and crafts school.

If you would like to join us in sponsoring one of these beautiful children, you will blessed as we have been. There are lots of ways to invest your money, but there are few that will benefit society and offer the kind of satisfaction we get from empowering these needy kids from a developing country. You will receive periodic photos and updates on their progress, and as they advance, they will be able to correspond with you directly. W.B. Yeats said, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” (www.EscuelaCaracol.org or www.info@escuelacaracol.org)

Thanksgiving and Althea's Birthday

There must be at least 30 different countries represented in San Marcos, population less than 3500, and Internationals make up about 3-5 per cent of the population depending on the season. Nearly all Gringos speak fluent Spanish and have their own social circle. They rarely pass up an opportunity for a party, and we have been invited to most of them. Josh and Courtney, who founded their school here in 2007, are well known. Most Internationals prefer to send their children to private rather than public school.

The annual Thanksgiving dinner is a meal not to be missed. Last year Gloria cooked the turkey, and we hosted the dinner. This year, Shad and Colleen, managers of the Unicorn Hotel (see cabins), did the hosting and prepared many of the delectable side dishes. Guests also contributed. We took a boat trip to Panajachel to purchase the bird, thus sparing the life of the fine rooster shown here. Roasting the turkey became Courtney’s challenge—her first big bird effort. Her mom gave a few hints and furnished a digital meat thermometer. After providing breakfast for Courtney’s family at their home high on the mountainside, we returned to our cozy casa and got out of the way. Courtney called only once for suggestions; she did a fabulous job. Everyone in attendance at the Unicorn loved the turkey, which was tender, juicy, and tasty. A good time was had by all beginning at 5 p.m. Some of the guests gathered around an outside open fire, and others helped the hosts. Children were running around the cottage, and of course the dogs were salivating. Most of the resident Gringos have dogs, and they wander in and out of every dining area as if they were family. Leroy, the big Dane belonging to Courtney and Josh, goes with them everywhere. However, at our house, he is relegated to the veranda.

On Nov. 27 we celebrated Althea’s eighth birthday at San Marcos’s only international restaurant. Saeko, a friendly, loquacious Japanese woman, settled here several years ago and established her unique restaurant in a remote part of town. The roof, like over most restaurants in San Marcos, consists of big trees with a patchwork covering of corrugated plastic over other areas. If you like an Oriental cuisine along with a Japanese décor, Saeko’s restaurant is the place to go. It is one different course after another, and everything is cooked to perfection. The only thing missing is fortune cookies. But not to worry--If you want to engage in fortune telling, massage, shiatsu, yoga, or simply experience some other kind of “woo woo” studies, just interact with some of the Internationals around the lakefront who support themselves with this kind of new age “find yourself religion.” One poor fellow was going to visit a hypnotist because of losing his motivation. We gave him a dose of reality therapy by telling him that he was just getting old. As for us, if we haven’t found ourselves by now, it’s too late.

Getting back to Althea, she had a wonderful night at the restaurant of her choice. We provided our gifts, and Courtney brought a birthday cake adorned with eight candles that Althea had no problem extinguishing. Little Mirabai, age one, was on her best behavior. Other guests included two Guatemalan sisters who work for Josh and Courtney. Maribel is one of Althea’s favorite teachers, and Lidia (left) is Courtney’s Girl Friday. She cooks, does dishes, cleans, and cares for the girls when Courtney needs to be away. She also works at the school. It was a celebration to remember..

Traveling Around Lake Attitlan

We typically awaken at dawn and from our kitchen and living room we gaze at the gorgeous body of water that Aldus Huxley called, “The most beautiful lake in the world.” We enjoy coffee either from the lofty veranda of our Mediterranean style home or from our bedroom, which offers a different view of the mountain peaks to the west. Days are warm and sunny with a mild breeze. The evenings can be chilly; we love our fireplace.We usually hike 1.5-3 miles per day.

After morning devotions we usually take a trip somewhere. A short distance away is the stately public dock, but first we must walk down several winding flights of flagstone steps from our casa. At the bottom, we go left for the dock or right for over a half-mile to the town. As we turn on our street, we huff and puff our way up a long, steep, 100-step incline that mandates a rest at the top. We are the oldest Gringos in town, and the hardy local residents surely must wonder if we will make it to the apex. That’s especially true when our backpacks are filled with our computer and camera. We love stopping by our favorite vendors—one for produce and another for baked goods. We walk down the path to the shady, quaint restaurant-hotel area and boat launch, or we go to the internet café. We also frequent tiny grocery stores with their open fronts and talk with the vendors that gather at the lakefront. We often hike a second long, steep incline and then climb 60 stone steps up the side of a mountain to visit our daughter Courtney and family. Jerry toted a 13 pound Thanksgiving turkey in a backpack up those steps and vowed, “Never again.”

A popular method of travel is by taxi or tuk tuk, as they are called here. They are small, enclosed, three-wheeled gasoline vehicles which are glorified big scooters like the old Cushmans we knew as children. The roads are rough, but the little tuk tuks stand the test. The going fare is about 5-10 quetzales per passenger $1 = Q 8.2. We took one of these vehicles to San Jaun, which is several miles up the mountain from San Marcos. It is known for its beautiful wall murals. Coming home the driver willingly stopped upon Jerry’s request at each photo op.

Our favorite method of travel is via water taxi, although we ponder our fate when boarding boats with names like Tornado, Hurricane, and Titanic. We have made friends with a Christian captain, Domingo, who is a bit of a cowboy on rough water. It is a 20-minute ride to San Pedro and 45 minutes, counting numerous stops, across the lake to Panajachel. The one-way boat fare is Q 10-20 per person The view of the elaborate cottages and hotels along the shoreline is fantastic. Shopping and banking in Pana is a joy. Our trip coming home last week was rather unique. The boat was packed with locals and multi-nationals. We sat next to a lady with a box of baby chicks. Another woman was carrying a box of rose bushes which fell off the seat thanks to Domingo’s wave smashing. Dirt was dumped on the deck, and a couple of bushes snapped. One passenger was an erudite German, who has lived high up the side of a mountain near the Mayans for 14 years. He worries about his loss of motivation. A lawyer from Los Angeles, who makes his home here, was carrying his dachshund under his arm. He also had a bag with the corpse of another of his four dogs. The dog had been put down by a vet in Panajachel. The passenger said that he also raises rabbits and chickens. He was clearly grieving but seemed to enjoy talking on his cell phone to several friends concerning the details of pet loss, his feelings, and the forthcoming burial.

There are only a few cars and pickup trucks around the lake—mostly Toyotas. The pickups can also serve as people carriers; American vehicles are rare. While shopping one must be careful to not get in the way of tuk tuks and big delivery trucks hastily making their way along narrow cobblestone streets. Traveling here is not for the faint of heart, but every day is a rich Third World adventure; the people are friendly and kind. The women carry their goods on their heads, while the men pack heavy loads on their backs. No one passes without greeting us in Spanish. We have learned how to respond appropriately. The greetings differ whether in the morning, afternoon, or night.

Greetings From Guatemala

We flew from Texas a week ago to Guatemala City and were met at the airport by our daughter, Courtney, her husband Josh, and granddaughters Althea, age 7, and Mirabai, age one, along with our driver. Our first stop was Price Smart, the Guatemalan equivalent of Costco. We stocked up on food and supplies as did Josh and Courtney. We were still three and a half hours from our destination, San Marcos LaLaguna. Few residents in San Marcos have cars, as the streets and roads are bumpy and full of potholes. In places they still have cobblestone roads. This is our third trip to Guatemala; last year was special because we were here for Mirabai’s birth. November is birthday time for both Mirabai and Althea. The weather during this month is perfect. The days are warm and sunny, and the nights are ideal for sleeping. After our bumpy ride from Guatemala City in the dark, we were eager to see our rental home. How would it compare with our “Garden of Eden” on the banks of Lake Atitlan where we stayed last year? The climb from our van up three small flights of flagstone steps was a challenge with all that we were carrying, but Josh was a trooper and did most of the work. A comfortable bed was all that we needed for the moment, and we enjoyed it for nearly 12 hours. The night before we had no sleep, as our check-in time at DFW was 3:45 a.m.

When we finally ventured into our living room at 9:30 a.m. we were in awe of our splendid view of Lake Attitlan from the side of the mountain where we live. Our masonry home is lovely with many tropical trees, plants and birds. We can see most of the lake with three inactive volcanoes on the other side. When we travel from town to town around the lake we take a water taxi. The beautiful lake is the greatest treasure of these towns, but the Guatemalans have found various ways to pollute it, including raw sewage and phosphates from chemical fertilizers. The problem is one that has developed over the years of abuse. The lake has no drainage. The pollutants have collected and now present a dangerous situation. Now many of the little fishing boats are idle, and just as in America, people have managed to destroy God’s wonderful creation. The central government, state government, and the U.S. are all involved in seeking solutions to revive the lake. With all of the good minds working on the problem, we are confident a workable plan will be developed soon. Other than that life is good in San Marcos, and we are having a wonderful time.