Clases de íngleis y ¡una fíesta!

So we began our English classes two days ago in the community of Guadelupe de Plaso Blanco. There were ten young students and two adults. All are members of the town´s church choir. In our first cass we covered letters A-J and the numbers up to 15. Poco a poco... We are meeting daily from 6 to 8 pm. Today we played a few games, got up to the letter T and the number 20 and did a lot of laughing. It was good fun.

Nuestro grupo de ìnglies en Guadelupe

This evening I visited the community of Valencienita to work out the times for the English groups in that community. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Chuncho again. We sat down with ten young students and worked out good times for classes. Looks like 11-1 in the afternoon daily as well. Valencienita is un poco mas further but still a mangable bike ride. I am pretty happy about that.

I also got to witness the commencement of a savings group in the community of Guadelupe. Lead by Guillermina, much of my english class is a part of the Savings Group of Jose Luis. Every Tuesday until the middle of December they are meeting to deposit their savings into a box. One person has the box and lock, the other has the key. Then at the end of December they are opening the box and all the money is going to support the community´s yearly festival on the first of January. There are dozens of these groups in the Irapuato area, many of which were started by PLAMAC.

The Savings Group de Jose Luis en Guadelupe

The contract

In Guadelupe they have two festivals every year. One in January dedicated to Our Lady of Guadelupe, and one on June 29th dedicated to San Pablo. Mary is one of the adults in the English group and the animatador (leader) of the newly formed savings group in Guadelupe. She is incredibly warm and helpful and was my guide through the festival. I am trying to get to know the community better and this was a good opportunity to meet a lot of people. It also spurred a lot of people to ask what an out of place gringo is doing in the tiny community of Guadalupe!

There is as odd tradition called La Carrera de Pollo. At this festival there are races for live chickens. The distance is about the length of a soccer field. Man I have lost a step or two since high school... It was still great fun. The whole town watches and cheers and jeers.

My daily commute

Fransisco el presidente de PLAMAC y su novia Betty

Guillermina and I spent a weekend at a development group for farmers in the pretty down of Dolores Hidalgo. They group discussed better farming techniques and better selling practices. This is the family of Mary and they hosted us for the weekend. They are an amazing family who gave us all of what little they had. I am very lucky to have gotten to have known them, even if only for a weekend.

Take care all and thank you for reading...