Claire Jacob & Anise Muir Guatemala Journal: School Day
Aug 4, 2017 | Women's Swimming and Diving
Tulane divers Claire Jacob and Anise Muir are currently partaking in a mission trip to Patzún, Guatemala. They will provide updates and photograph their journey during the two-week trip, sharing their experiences along way.
DAY THREE - August 3, 2017
Entry by Claire Jacob
Today was the anniversary of San Bernadino School. The school was established 55 years ago by the beloved Padre Justi of Italy. In celebration, the school had a spelling bee and a field trip, both of which we attended with the students and teachers. For the spelling bee, Anise, Franny, Shelby and I were asked to be judges. Apparently, the last group of American volunteers who were here miscommunicated the amount of time they would be in Guatemala and were originally supposed to judge the spelling bee. Because the previous volunteers are no longer here, the English teachers were a bit panicked about finding judges for the spelling bee and were incredibly grateful for our help. Because the school had a greater need for our help in the English departments this week than the orphanage had for new paint, plans changed! Honestly, that's just the way that missions work: it is more important to be flexible and cater to the needs of the community than it is to go on mission with your own agenda!
Above photo: Claire Jacob poses at San Bernadino School
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At the spelling bee, Hermana Sara, the headmaster, introduced the four of us to the entire school and thanked us for our help. We held a practice spelling bee with our contestants on Wednesday and predicted amongst ourselves which children we thought would win from this preliminary round. In the real competition, the students made it through 227 words before a winner was declared. I was impressed by the conviction that many of the students had while they were spelling words that were not even in their own language. Each round, a few students were eliminated and finally by the 10th or 11th round, there were only three contestants left, one of whom was our predicted champion. However, the boy that we expected to win was given the hardest word of the bunch: Hippopotamus. With gusto, the boy said "Hippopotamus. H-i-p-p-o-t-a-m-u-s. Hippopotamus". We exhaled our nervously held breath and Franny uttered the condolence into the microphone: "I'm sorry that is incorrect". And the two other kids exploded with joy and gave each other an enormous hug. They both had a surprised and excited look plastered on their faces.
Spelling bee finalists
During the final rounds, it was a battle for the first and second-place titles. The winner, as soon as he spelled his two words correctly after the second place winner made a mistake, haphazardly threw the sign of the cross as a way of thanking God for his success. I say haphazardly because it wasn't planned. It was raw and authentic and not at all for show, but instead a prayer between himself and his God in whom he places all his confidence, joys, and sufferings. Tears welled up in my eyes from happiness and I realized my own desire to be filled by, to be dependent on, and to have the human thirst that I am satiated by something greater than myself.
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For the rest of the day, we accompanied the school to a pool (side note: there was a llama sitting in one of the cabanas there) and participated in a run through various towns with the students. For the run, the "queen" of the school carried a torch at the front of the crowd and the children cheered "San Ber! San Ber!" as we paraded through the streets. Once we arrived back in Patzún, there was an even bigger parade with hundreds of people from the town who were carrying glowsticks, light sabers, and whistles, and were dancing to the beat of music blasting from cars.
Above photo: Claire Jacob and Anise Muir with some of the girls at San Bernardino School
Being able to participate in these various cultural experiences was such a blessing. We got to spend time with kids from the school and further assimilate into Patzún.
DAY THREE - August 3, 2017
Entry by Claire Jacob
Today was the anniversary of San Bernadino School. The school was established 55 years ago by the beloved Padre Justi of Italy. In celebration, the school had a spelling bee and a field trip, both of which we attended with the students and teachers. For the spelling bee, Anise, Franny, Shelby and I were asked to be judges. Apparently, the last group of American volunteers who were here miscommunicated the amount of time they would be in Guatemala and were originally supposed to judge the spelling bee. Because the previous volunteers are no longer here, the English teachers were a bit panicked about finding judges for the spelling bee and were incredibly grateful for our help. Because the school had a greater need for our help in the English departments this week than the orphanage had for new paint, plans changed! Honestly, that's just the way that missions work: it is more important to be flexible and cater to the needs of the community than it is to go on mission with your own agenda!
Above photo: Claire Jacob poses at San Bernadino School
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At the spelling bee, Hermana Sara, the headmaster, introduced the four of us to the entire school and thanked us for our help. We held a practice spelling bee with our contestants on Wednesday and predicted amongst ourselves which children we thought would win from this preliminary round. In the real competition, the students made it through 227 words before a winner was declared. I was impressed by the conviction that many of the students had while they were spelling words that were not even in their own language. Each round, a few students were eliminated and finally by the 10th or 11th round, there were only three contestants left, one of whom was our predicted champion. However, the boy that we expected to win was given the hardest word of the bunch: Hippopotamus. With gusto, the boy said "Hippopotamus. H-i-p-p-o-t-a-m-u-s. Hippopotamus". We exhaled our nervously held breath and Franny uttered the condolence into the microphone: "I'm sorry that is incorrect". And the two other kids exploded with joy and gave each other an enormous hug. They both had a surprised and excited look plastered on their faces.
Spelling bee finalists
During the final rounds, it was a battle for the first and second-place titles. The winner, as soon as he spelled his two words correctly after the second place winner made a mistake, haphazardly threw the sign of the cross as a way of thanking God for his success. I say haphazardly because it wasn't planned. It was raw and authentic and not at all for show, but instead a prayer between himself and his God in whom he places all his confidence, joys, and sufferings. Tears welled up in my eyes from happiness and I realized my own desire to be filled by, to be dependent on, and to have the human thirst that I am satiated by something greater than myself.
Â
For the rest of the day, we accompanied the school to a pool (side note: there was a llama sitting in one of the cabanas there) and participated in a run through various towns with the students. For the run, the "queen" of the school carried a torch at the front of the crowd and the children cheered "San Ber! San Ber!" as we paraded through the streets. Once we arrived back in Patzún, there was an even bigger parade with hundreds of people from the town who were carrying glowsticks, light sabers, and whistles, and were dancing to the beat of music blasting from cars.
Above photo: Claire Jacob and Anise Muir with some of the girls at San Bernardino School
Being able to participate in these various cultural experiences was such a blessing. We got to spend time with kids from the school and further assimilate into Patzún.
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