December 7th is a very important Catholic holiday which is celebrated with many candles, music and fireworks- the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary. That evening, Steve was at the school Christmas program (which was amazing to see all the different grades singing and the skits preformed) while Marlayna and Elleazah stayed at home due to the nature of the event and the late evening. In our conjunto (or gated neighborhood), people started to light a line of candles to light the way for Mary. Elleazah and Marlayna went out to walk around some and watch the lighting the candles, children excitedly running around, and load music playing in the background. The administration of our conjunto provided drinks and snacks for the festivities.
Steve had the opportunity to go to another part of Bogota before Christmas break, to a school that is a ministry outreach for ECA elementary students, to give a presentation on working with students who demonstrate behaviors often related with ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). He identified different causes to the behaviors, different strategies with working with the students who do and do not actually have ADHD, and ways to reach out to the families (considering this school is also a Christian school in a very high risk area). However, this school is Spanish speaking so Steve had an interpreter. The meeting was very productive and helpful for the teachers and appreciated his insight. They even asked that he return with a follow up meeting after some implementation time to answer further questions.
Steve had the opportunity to go to another part of Bogota before Christmas break, to a school that is a ministry outreach for ECA elementary students, to give a presentation on working with students who demonstrate behaviors often related with ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). He identified different causes to the behaviors, different strategies with working with the students who do and do not actually have ADHD, and ways to reach out to the families (considering this school is also a Christian school in a very high risk area). However, this school is Spanish speaking so Steve had an interpreter. The meeting was very productive and helpful for the teachers and appreciated his insight. They even asked that he return with a follow up meeting after some implementation time to answer further questions.
Marlayna was able to meet with the 11th grade girls and other small group leaders after the student’s last final of the semester to make soup, cornbread, and ‘gingerbread’ houses. We taught the students how to make these simple dishes because most of the students do not ever cook since their families have maids who do the cooking (a very common practice here because labor is really cheap). Marlayna had a bit of a cultural lesson as she was preparing the devotional about the symbols of Christmas that point back to Christ. Some of the examples of symbols were the star, angel, and the candy cane. But when she went to find some candy canes as a visual aid that they students could also use on their houses, Marlayna learned that candy canes are not sold here. Mint just doesn’t seem to be a common flavor, not even for ice cream.
Another activity we participated in with some of the other staff at ECA one evening was to go on a tour of Bogota to see the Christmas lights at some of the parks. This was a fun way to see different parts of Bogota that we have not ventured out to but like to return for some more exploring.
Pictures from some of these events are limited due to our camera breaking at the high school retreat, so please be patient as we wait to take some pictures from other staff members who also went to the events.
Pictures from some of these events are limited due to our camera breaking at the high school retreat, so please be patient as we wait to take some pictures from other staff members who also went to the events.
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