Working at New Life, Santa María de Jesus

Graduation, October, 2011

Dick and Dave have taken off for the Lake to work on some wheelchairs, but I’ve  stayed  behind this time.  I have begun working with some of the kids at New Life School, in Santa María de Jesus, about a half hour drive from Antigua, but the side of the Agua Volcano.  This is one of my favorite places, and I was honored when my friend, Judy Kirschner, the school’s founder, asked me if I could help out of there this year.

The New Life Staff, 2012

Two of the teachers are on maternity leave as the school year begins, and I’m trying to pitch in where I can.  I thought I would spend most of my time working in the preschool room, but one of the new little girls seems to be scared to death of the “new gringa.”  So I’m spending the majority of my time with the kids in the transitional kindergarten-first grade room. 


Judy, who is only four years old, is afraid of me.  Hopefully, we will come to an understanding quickly







All of the children in the school have some reason they cannot succeed in the public schools in Santa Maria.  The classes here are small, the teachers very dedicated, and the commitment to serving God in the children is foremost.  However, there are a few kids who are not progressing even with this extra love and attention, and they will be my focus.

Ronald had encephalitis when he was about two and was completely deaf and blind for over 3 years.  He has been miraculously healed, but has much to catch up on.  His younger brother is in the preschool room.



Azucena, who has some autistic like tendencies, was lost for over three days about a year ago.  She could not tell anyone who she was or where she was from.  By the grace of God, another missionary recognized her at a children’s home she had visited and Azucena was returned to her family.

Education in Guatemala is very different than in the US. Much work is based on memory and repetition.  Hand writing and copying text is very important.  Many exercises are based on coloring, painting, covering pictures with tissue paper, etc.  Great for developing fine motor skills, but it doesn’t do much for a child’s ability to read and do math (especially if they have fine motor or memory deficiencies).





“Seño” Rosangelica  demonstrating the concepts of big and small using concrete objects.  Very innovative for Guatemala. . .




I’ve met with Marisol, the Guatemalan director of the school who was Judy’s first teacher when she started the school thirteen years ago.  I had been somewhat concerned that the way I work with kids would not be well-received, or taken as a criticism of what the teachers were already doing.  Silly me.  God had already taken care of this.  When I asked Marisol what she would like me to do, she identified exactly the three things I had talked with Judy about doing as we drove up to the school.  She’s pretty much given me free reign to do what I think I need to.




”Seño” Dahlia cooks and serves a substantial snack to the children each day, in addition to the breakfast they receive at the beginning of the school day





It was a hard decision to make, committing to be at the school on a daily basis.  I’ve committed to one month of daily service at the school.  After that, we’ll see how things go.  I will not be able to travel (I think I’ve actually disappointed Dick by this a bit), and I know I won’t see as much of the kids at Hermano Pedro, but I really feel God has called to  the school for a season.

Pray I find the right balance in all this.