A John Wesley School success story

Gaspar

By Gaspar Ajtzalam 

At the end of my 9^th grade school year, I was studying in the Institute Cooperativa in the village of Paquila, Guatemala.  I knew that I would not be able to continue on to high school because my family didn’t have sufficient economic resources to support me.  So after receiving my ninth grade diploma I started working to support my family.

By January, 2010 I figured that I was going to be a farmer for the rest of my life. I was very sad because I really wanted to be a professional someday and support my mother and siblings better. My mom was doing the best she could for us, but it wasn’t enough.  My dad left the family when I was young.

My grandfather had the idea that I should become a pastor of the Methodist Church of Paquila village. He went to Santa Cruz del Quiché and met with John Wesley School director Amilcar Solórzano during the annual assembly of the Methodist Church.  My grandfather asked him about the possibility of a scholarship for me since I didn’t have the financial resources to continue my education.

Amilcar Solórzano and Fausto Natareno, the principals of the school, decided to give me an application for a scholarship so I could study Business Administration at the John Wesley School.  The idea was that the degree would one day allow me to support my family while I took on the job of pastor. [Editor's note: rural Guatemalan Methodist pastors are not paid a salary, but serve on a volunteer basis]  On January 16, 2010 my grandfather told my mom that I had been granted scholarship so I could continue my studies at the John Wesley School. I was sad and happy at the same time; sad because I had to leave my family and my village, but happy because I knew that I could finish high school and become a professional someday.

Everything happened so fast.  Amilcar found a place for me to stay in Santa Cruz. It was very hard for me in the beginning — I was homesick and I missed my family. Amilcar told me to be strong, because I have the opportunity to be in school and someday will have a better job and be able to support my family. His words encouraged me to continue.  I saw that this was too good of an opportunity to let get away.

My grandfather gave me some money to buy my meals and for some other necessities. I made some friends, but it was a very hard adjustment.  Since my favorite sport is soccer, I was able make friends when students got together and play during our free time. This helped me feel less homesick.

John Wesley School soccer team. Gaspar (in red) is the team captain.

I want to thank the John Wesley School, because they try to find help for students like me by working with our brothers and sisters from the United Methodist Church that support the school. I have the privilege of attending an excellent school that has very good teachers.  I am learning a lot.  I also have very good friends that have become my new family.

I also blessed because a United Methodist Church from the United States is supporting me to continue my education.  I am very grateful to Pastor Kim James and members of the Wesley UMC for their support. I know that there are a lot of young men like me that have very few resources and cannot continue with their education and have to work.

Gaspar is an 11^th grader studying Business Administration at the John Wesley School in Santa Cruz del Quiché, Guatemala.

With JWS buddies (Gaspar is horizontal)

Language and Love at the John Wesley School

John Wesley School students

by Erika Usui

In the four years that had passed since I first visited the John Wesley School in Santa Cruz del Quiché, much had changed – namely, an increased student body and an accommodating expansion of classrooms.  But as I greeted one student after another on my first day at the school where I would be  helping out with English classes, I was promptly reminded that some things had not changed: the infinitely curious minds and tender hearts of the students. 

“Como se dice mi amor in Ingles?” they asked me.

“My love,” I answered. 

“Y en Japones?” they asked, after having found out about my upbringing in Japan.

“Well, in Japanese, the exact phrase mi amor doesn’t exist,” I answered. 

Then, in a classic case of lost in translation, they exclaimed, “no existe amor en Japon?!”

Thus began my second visit to the school, a three-week course on language – and love. 

I had first visited the John Wesley School in spring of 2007 as a junior journalism and education major at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  The local Wesley Foundation, with its hip vibe and cool pastor, was making a trip to Guatemala for its alternative spring break program.  I signed on for the second of three trips that I would make with the group, eager to play my part in the gospel of social justice.  As a young college student, I finished the trip with a newfound awakening for international development.

Erika at the Lemoa orphanage in 2007

Fast forward to my college graduation and a somewhat scatterbrained few years in New York as a freelancer, and I found myself desperately yearning for some sort of inspiration.  What had inspired me in college? I thought.  Guatemala instantly came to mind.

So in April, 2011 I enthusiastically embarked on my second trip to Santa Cruz del Quiché, eager to share what I had learned at CU and in New York.  But three weeks later I had become very self-conscious, sheepishly wondering if I, not the students, was the biggest benefactor of this trip – and of the last trip, too. 

I especially remembered a conversation I had with a first grade student.  After a barrage of questions she had regarding her writing assignment (demonstrating a very high level of critical analysis), she turned the topic to the much-discussed one of love, and asked me, “estas feliz?” (“are you happy?”)

It was a perfect-weather April afternoon, the teachers had generously shared their midday snacks with me, and I was working with some of the sharpest gradeschoolers I had ever met. 

So my obvious answer was, “yes.”

With Pura Vida scholarship students in 2011

I suppose there is no easy moral in what I had learned on my first or second, trip to Guatemala.  But I’ve come to understand Pura Vida’s approach as one that maintains a sustainable solution to many of the challenges that we all – in both the developed and developing worlds – face.  And that approach is part of a global movement that not only advocates for literacy in rural communities, but also for a higher standard of living for everyone involved.

Back in New York and now preparing for further studies in public health, I continue my relationship with my beloved John Wesley School friends through e-mail and social media.  I also look back frequently at my journal to recall beautiful memories, and I continually remind myself of a conversation I had with Amilcar, one of the directors at the school.

“I hope that you will be an ambassador for the school when you are back in North America,” he had said. “I hope that you will be an ambassador for the students.”

And so I, in turn, would like to encourage more individuals to support the scholarship and construction programs, to nurture the education of incredibly intelligent minds.  I would also like to encourage more groups to take part in service trips, because a firsthand account provides a rich understanding of humanity that is unmatched by any other source.  And as I continue my discussion of language and love, I hope that I can make a positive difference in the students’ lives, as they have, for me.

JWS students

Margarita’s Story

Margarita

by Bob Utter

It is nearly impossible to visit the Guatemalan highlands on a Pura Vida trip and not be deeply affected by the experience.  What I saw on my first trip in 2008 was a beautiful country of truly remarkable people.  People who lived a very simple life without the trappings that we consider “necessities”, but are happy and worship the Lord on a level that was humbling to me.

My first visit to the John Wesley School was equally enlightening.  Here was a school filled with bright young minds eager to learn and determined to better themselves, if only given the opportunity.  We were treated like royalty, but their faith is firmly planted in God and His work. It became immediately obvious what a tremendous impact a small contribution can make in the life of child.

When I returned to Guatemala in 2009, I had my first opportunity to meet my sponsored student, Margarita. A precious little eight year old girl, who was so shy she could barely look up at me to meet my gaze.  With my lack of language skills we weren’t able to communicate much, but it was clear she understood that she was going to be able to stay in school.  Again, I was humbled and slightly embarrassed by the gracious appreciation shown by the family.

Margarita wrote to me often and I was able to visit her one more time, this time in her home village of Paquixic.  The group had already loaded back onto the bus when Margarita’s mother remembered she had brought a gift for me and dashed off to retrieve a red Guatemalan T-shirt.  We gathered up for a photo and I gave Margarita a hug, not knowing it would be our last.

Two months later when tropical storm Agatha stalled over the highlands, most of the world didn’t notice, but anyone with a connection to Pura Vida paid close attention.  When the news came, it was not good: serious flooding and mudslides throughout the area that Pura Vida supports.  The damage was widespread and extensive.  Then the call came: it was more than loss of property.  Little Margarita lost her life along with four family members in a horrific mud slide that destroyed three homes.  My sense of loss approached that of losing a member of my own family.  The world that I lived in suddenly looked very different.

So often at times like these, the feeling of helplessness is overwhelming because there is little that can be done to help; but again Pura Vida provided the avenue to make a difference and quickly assembled relief efforts, in some cases being the first to reach the now isolated villages with supplies.  But the sense of loss and helplessness still loomed heavy for those of us with such strong connections to the people of Guatemala.  Pura Vida trip leader John Williams closes every email with this thought: To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world.  Almost imperceptibly, Margarita and her family had become my connection to my own faith.  It was obvious that more could and should be done.

Pura Vida then undertook the daunting task of locating suitable property and lining up contractors to rebuild Margarita’s family home.  Individual contributions and corporate matching funds were assembled to move the construction forward.  In March of this year I was able to reunite with Margarita’s family along with several members of my family at the site that would be their new home.

There is no greater grief in life than the loss of a child, and that understanding came crashing down while standing with Margarita’s mother and young sister at the site of the new home and presenting her with a framed picture of Margarita.  While it seemed the grief was insatiable, it was clear we were joined together by a higher power and that there truly was much to be thankful for.  The families, Pura Vida team members, and local contractors spent the next two weeks joined together by this higher power working on what we were so clearly called to do.

At St. Luke’s UMC in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Reverends Janet and Dave speak of the “thin places” that bring us closer to God.  They can be anywhere or no place, but I found my thin place in this beautiful spot in the Guatemalan highlands surrounded by people that will forever define my role in God’s world.

Bob Utter now sponsors the education of Margarita’s younger brother, Felix.

[ View slideshow of more photos from this story ]

Red-Hat Reminders of Pura Vida’s Impact

By Jennifer Watson

Two red hats sit on a shelf in my home. One has the words “Happy Birthday, Jennifer” knit into the rim. It was made by Manuela, a 12-year-old scholarship student I met through Pura Vida. The second hat was a gift from her mother, which she presented when I visited their village last winter.

Manuela's photo bio from 2009

 I keep the hats where I can see them because they remind me why I’m grateful for Pura Vida and my involvement with it. The relationships I’ve developed since visiting Guatemala with Pura Vida last year have enriched my life, helped me grow personally and spiritually, and broadened my perspective of the world. And all that has happened in a single year.

What specifically do the red hats bring to mind? The first “red-hat” reminder is that generosity has nothing to do with wealth. Ingrid Manuela and her mother lost part of their home in the rains and mud slides last year. Every time it rains now, Ingrid Manuela shivers and prays, asking God to spare them from disaster.  She and her mother have little more than a room with a roof, and losing part of their home was devastating. Yet in the midst of this frightening time, they made a birthday present for me. As a percentage of their wealth it was an extraordinarily generous gift, and I found their kindness humbling. It reminded me that we can live with open hearts even in difficult times.

The second reminder is that the parents of Pura Vida’s scholarship students are an example for all of us.  I provide scholarship support to Ingrid Manuela through Pura Vida, but her mother loses income when her daughter is in school rather than working.  (Pura Vida mitigates the income loss to some extent.) I also think of what it must be like for her to watch her daughter learn subjects she never had the opportunity to study herself. If Ingrid Manuela completes her schooling, her life may be significantly different from her mother’s. It takes courage, faith and sacrifice for her to help her daughter enter a world she has never known herself.

The third reminder is that the world is richer and more complex than I ever imagined. My family is of European descent, and I’ve studied in and traveled to Europe many times. I’d never been to Central or South America before visiting with Pura Vida, however. Because of the interest in Guatemala that Pura Vida has fostered, I volunteered to write an article for a local publication last year about a former Guatemalan president who was in Denver for the Biennial of the Americas. His goal was to advocate for regional cooperation in solving social and economic challenges facing Latin American countries.  That conversation, coupled with what I’ve learned from Guatemalans and Americans involved with Pura Vida, has opened up an entirely new part of the world to me. It’s been fascinating, sad, challenging and enriching.

Pura Vida works on a small scale compared to some global nonprofits, but its limited geographic focus allows deeper relationships to develop among its Guatemalan and U.S. supporters. In one year of involvement, I’ve helped a little girl complete a year of schooling and expand her sense of what life could hold for her. In return, I’ve received two red hats—and a whole lot more.

Jennifer with Manuela and her mother

Jennifer Watson has been a member of the Pura Vida board of directors since 2010.

Reflections on the January Project Tour – part 2

By Ken Fong

I recently returned from my seventh trip to Guatemala. This trip was my first “milk run”; my other trips have been March construction trips where we work on projects such as building adobe block homes for needy families. On this trip we delivered milk to many of the families in Lemoa and Chontola, visited the John Wesley School in Santa Cruz del Quiche for the dedication of their Phase 4 building addition and inauguration of 2011 classes, and took updated photos of scholarship students. We also checked out the site for a cinderblock home we’ll be building during the upcoming March construction trip, and I visited with the 5 students that our family sponsors. This trip was less hectic than previous January trips; because the scholarship program has grown so much, it is no longer physically possible to deliver backpacks and visit all the villages the students live in.

I enjoyed these scheduled parts of the trip.  For me, though, the best parts of the trip were spending a week with my older daughter Kristine (for whom it this was the third milk run) and the spur of the moment visits to three families.

The first family was in Chontala. The Trinity UMC youth began construction on a cinderblock home last June for a woman who was about to be evicted from her rental home. The youth were able to complete it to about waist height. Upon returning to Denver, they raised funds to pay a contractor to finish the home, which happened just before our trip. The woman and her family was just about to move in; she was extremely grateful, gave us a gift to bring back to the youth group, and told us that she would never be able to repay Pura Vida for the home. The home has running water, but there was no budget for an electrical connection. We met some of her family members; 12 people will be living in the 2 bedroom home.

Family with new home in Chontala

We met the second family a little bit later, on our way back to Chichicastenango. The family’s home had been wiped out by the mudslides in June of 2010. Three of their children were killed. The Trinity youth had raised funds to buy corrugated steel, which the family used to build a shed for the 6 of them to live in until their home is eventually rebuilt. The shed was so dark that we had to take a flash photograph to see what was inside.

After visiting the John Wesley School, Josselin Adamari (“Ada”), one of the scholarship students, invited us to her home. She lives a few blocks away, with her mother, grandparents, and two siblings. The family is very poor; the mother does laundry for others as their primary source of income. Ada is a “poster child” for the Pura Vida scholarship program: she is very bright and there is no way that her family could afford for her to attend school. One of the most touching moments was when Ada hugged Mark and cried because she was so grateful for his help with her education.

Mark and Ada

We were only able to spend time with these families because we were a small group of 6 and had some schedule flexibility. I was very fortunate to visit them at their homes, hear their stories, better understand how people live in rural Guatemala, and better appreciate how our work with Pura Vida is making a difference.

Ken and Kristine Fong with their sponsored student Karla

Ken Fong is a prolific student sponsor and all-around Pura Vida volunteer.  In 2010 he was presented with Pura Vida’s Pure Life award for his dedication in helping with our work in Guatemala.