October 27 - We are in the midst of the anniversary of Mundo Mejor high school, and the celebrations have been tremendous. We started on Sunday with the closing ceremonies for the parents association olympics. The olympics began more than two months ago and involved hundreds of parents and teachers who competed in a number of sports activities and fundraisers. On Wednesday, the students had a sports day. There was a school fair on Thursday, where the students put on display the projects they had been working on all year. Their art work was especially nice. On Friday there was a big competition between each class year called "Mundo Match." This event included many unconventional games and was a blast. Friday night was set apart for a Halloween costume dance. Finally things ended on Saturday with a talent show and fireworks display.

What is most amazing to me is the energy and enthusiasm with which Peruvians celebrate any occasion. I can't imagine any high school in the U.S. that takes a whole week off every year to celebrate their school. I spent a couple of days making a video of the community service work the older students do every week. I edited in testimony from the kids as to what kind of service they do and what they learn from it. I was really happy to see students gathering to watch the video at the school fair.

September 15 - The prayers and thoughts of our community here are with the families of those touched by the terrible tragedy in the United States.

This week has been a very shocking one for all, including Peruvians who have been expressing their condolences to us in wake of the recent acts of terrorism. I get the sense that people know what Americans are going through, as they have lived in fear during the period of widespread terrorism in Peru less than fifteen years ago. One is certain, that life has to go on.

I have been quite busy in the last month, organizing retreats on most weekends, participating in the Parent Association soccer and volleyball tournament, and visiting the prison. Aside of the routine things I have been doing, there are a couple of new projects I'm working on. The first ones is a Christian Leadership Workshop that our myself and a Religious Ed. teacher have been organizing on behalf of the school. The idea is to encourage students from different schools in the community to discuss and present solutions to common problems facing Peruvian education. The workshop will take place on the 29th of September, your prayers are much appreciated.

The other project that has presented itself recently is at the prison I have been visiting. Several inmates have requested some basic teaching in the faith and I have agreed to start a catechism class for a group of about ten. The goal of the program is to educate these men on Catholic faith which many of them know little about, despite calling themselves Catholic. I'll be starting this weekly program on the 22nd of September. I also had the opportunity to welcome the seven new volunteers which will be integrating our communities when they complete language training. It is very exciting to know that these young men and women will soon be here in Peru to serve the people.

July 13 - It's been a while since the last update for several reasons. In mid June I took a break from my work in Peru to go back to the U.S. for a couple of weeks. The occasion? My brother's wedding. My brother Enrique Garcia was wedded to Veronica Saenz on June 22 in Laredo, TX. Needless to say the event was beautiful and it was great to be able to see family and friends. I arrived back in Chimbote, Peru on July 2nd. After a couple of weeks I'm back in the swing of things. Last week we had the celebration of National Teacher's day in Peru. The students of Mundo Mejor put on a show for all the teachers. Saturday, the religion department teachers and I helped organize all the donations headed to the earthquake stricken area of Peru.

This week I started my visits to the Chimbote penitentiary again on Tuesday, and I also visited today (Friday). The prison system celebrates National Inmate Day, and the Social Justice Commission of the Diocese had a small celebration today. The prisoners were able to participate in a mass, and following the mass they put on several displays of talent including singing, acting, and dancing. It was nice to be welcomed back by the inmates from cell block 1 and also meet prisoners from other cell blocks.

I hope to update this page more often now that I am settled again. Thank you for your prayers.

 

May 27 - The week flew by, bringing along many new projects. The community service program got off to a good start with about 300 students participating in various parts of the community. I was able to acompany different groups of students throughout the week to help out. At the Missionaries of Charity house we spent time with people afflicted with down syndrome and others confined to wheelchairs. The kids' presence goes a long way in brightening the day of those living there.

The week also brought in my first Bible study classes on Wednesday. I was pretty happy with how they went, as we discussed the origins of the Bible and the beginning of Luke's gospel. Some of the students were really interested in the discussions while others were less engaged, which I'm sure is typical of any classroom. As I get more time in the classroom I hope to improve and learn from the insights that the students provide.

 

May 20 - I just got back from Lima on Friday after the volunteer retreat. I was able to spend some time a the Fe y Alegria school in CantoGande, which I had not visited since January. Charlie and Dave, the volunteers there showed me the progress in their activities with the carpentry lab and the student council. I also visited another school, Santa Rosa, in Lima where the brothers use to be involved and met many associates of Blessed Edmund Rice. We are thinking about planning some kind of leadership retreat for students from Fe y Alegria, Santa Rosa, and Mundo Mejor in Chimbote.

Later in the week the five Christian Brother volunteers met up to go to a retreat house in Barranco where we spend some time sharing our experiences. It was exciting to be part of a diverse group that was helping shape the volunteer program. Br. Jack Flaherty, the coordinator, told us that 7 new volunteers would begin language school in August and would arrive in Peru in November. Praise God for the response to this volunteer calling.

Now I am back in Chimbote and I am getting ready for a busy month before I go to the States for my brother's wedding. We will begin the community service program May 21 (finally!) and I will also begin my Bible study with the students on May 22. The next time I write I hope to write about their successes, God willing.