Day 3

By Alison

Today was our first placement day.  The Catholic orphanage/ school wanted me to work in the school part, and Madeleine and Henry to work in the orphanage with kids who were left behind - who do not  go to school because of their disabilities.  Madeleine didn't want to do that from the start, because she wanted to stick with me to work, and Henry was game until we were with those kids left behind.  He just did not think that he could do it alone.  Maybe if his Spanish was stronger . . . Maybe if he had Madeleine . . . Maybe if he had had some experience with people as disabled as these kids .  It was just too hard on this first day, so the nuns let us stick together-ish.  They put Henry in a class of nine-year -olds, me with a class of 8s, and Mads with a class of 7s.  Tomorrow I think we will look the same.  I think we would be useful in the orphanage part. Maybe we will be able to alternate days?!? 

In the afternoon we had a Spanish lesson, which was useful to me, if not completely depressing.  It was not so useful to Mads and Hens. Then after a rest a professor came to show us a movie on the history of Guatemala, and to talk about the current political and economic situation.  Now we are tired.