This morning began bright and early with breakfast at 7 a.m. At 7:30, we boarded the bus and began the hour-and-a-half drive to Escuela Alfarero in Santiago. Upon arriving at the school, we were introduced to the vice principal, Mrs. Tania, affectionately called Tía Tania, or Aunt Tania, by her students. She was thrilled to meet us all, especially since she has recently visited Pensacola with her family.
After the introductions were made, we were able to connect with the students during their first recess period. We were then split up into two groups to begin teaching. We began in 8th-grade English and 5th-grade Arithmetic, then transitioned to 6th-grade Arithmetic. Because there are 22 college students, we were able to divide into small groups with one or two children per college student. This allowed us to connect with each child and hopefully make a lasting impression for Christ.
After another recess, the school provided us with lunch and a break from teaching. The younger elementary students begin school after lunch and continue until 6 p.m. Because of this, we were with the younger children for the remainder of the afternoon. We shared an interactive Bible story of David and Goliath and taught the students “Jesus Loves Me” in English.
At Escuela Alfarero, they do not begin teaching English until fifth grade, which meant we had to get a little more creative to teach the first graders. We helped them learn numbers in English, and several of us helped out with a PE class. Then we were able to play with them one last time during recess before we climbed on the bus for the trip home.
Our hosts provided us with a wonderful dinner of pasta with pesto, spaghetti sauce, and Alfredo sauce. Many of us pitched in to clean up and enjoyed a time of fellowship afterward.
God certainly blessed us today by allowing us to communicate so well with the students.
