this morning i started piano lessons with one of the youth from the church. i was explaining quarter notes and half notes and whole notes, etc, and we were trying to understand how two quarter notes equals one half note. in my brain, i think of examples like cooking - two quarter cups is one half cup. that didn't work. so i went straight to math. 1/4 + 1/4 = ? her answer: 2/8. this is not an elementary school child. so in the middle of the piano lesson we started a math lesson on how you don't add the denominator when adding fractions. i was apauled. i think things went alright...we were on a pretty basic level to begin with. we'll see how much she actually got next week when we review and after she's done her homework.
so after the lesson, she asks me if i can help her with a bit of homework. i said that gladly i would do so. she pulls out a worksheet in english about computer processing and RAM and ROM and i don't know what, saying she has to translate the whole page. the teacher in me told her that i would not DO her homework for her, but would help her. problem is...THE GIRL DOESN'T KNOW ENGLISH. it is ridiculous actually that the teachers would assign such homework when they haven't taught their students english. i'm sure the TEACHERS couldn't even translate this page. good grief, stupid enough that they have them translate a page of english which they cant do...even if it were basic stuff. i mean, no exercises here, just straight up go find a dictionary and translate this page. and on top of that, its about COMPUTER PROCESSING??? seriously...i didn't even know some of the english words.
how is a country supposed to think critically and work toward community development and democrocy when the education system is soooo poor? i am seriously depressed about it all today. it makes me grateful for the education i have been privileged to have, but really i don't think education should be a privilege. i think it is a right of all human beings.
this is one of many daily realities that constantly show me how the big picture of injustice and inequality is being created in colombia.
in the end, i feel like i basically did her homework because it was so hard and frustrating trying to get her to do something she actually could not do. so i fed into the system as well. may we all be forgiven for the ways we support an injust system and find ways to challenge it, fight back, and create the kindom on earth.

here are some pictures of the past months since i haven't posted fotos in a while...


sunday afternoon at the beach with co-costal-seeders, doda (from guatemala) and torin (seattle), and ricardo. some of my favorite times with ricardo are waling the beach listening to his vision and passion for colombia, and especially the coast.

i think there are random pictures of my house throughout these pictures because jodi was taking pictures, so in case you forget or haven't seen where i live...this is what it looks like! :)
finally got my recipe box when mom/dad sent it down with jodi! :) i miss food from home TONS

generally, there is a group of about 5 of the youth from the church that spend EVERY evening at my house, playing games, talking, messing around on the computer, making juice, etc. this is jose, plays guitar in church and we have fun jamming together

i may or may not have posted this a while ago? a day f fun with the church at the "beach"...the river, but without rain for 6 months, its really low and makes a beach, so we spent a day swimming, eating and gaming on the "beach"

the guys learning to play "uno" on my porch. typical evening activies and faces in my life.

i am the leader of the middle school aged group and along with biblical study, we do sweet things like make chocolate chip cookies, which no one has ever made or eaten! (chocolate chips do not even exist in colombia...i have to have mom send them down to me!!!)

colombian sheets do not wrap all the way around the mattress...they only wrap down, but not a second time to the backside (the fitted sheet, that is). so for 8 months i woke up every day sleeping on the mattress and not on the sheets, as they would escape from under me throughout the HOT nights. :) thank you mom for sheets that actually stay on the bed and are good quality, silky, ah...hard to get out of bed sometimes. oh, and my room isn't always this messy...the bag on the floor is what jodi brought me from home. ha. but its usually pretty messy anyway, i guess.
my house...you'll notice that there is a fan in almost every picuture. sometimes i carry the fan into the bathroom because if not, i sweat all-together too much when i'm on the john. its seriously suffocating.
jodi and i in transport...
ice cream in cartagena...delicious and refreshing.
kelly and willian...pastor's kids, who live in cartagena, studying in college. they don't take ridiculous looking pictures like jodi and i . :)
snitching on the cookie dough i think...yum. :)

classic face, thought i should post it. this was after or before or during a delicious fish meal. can't come to zambrano without eating the fish from the river.

jodi was obsessed with orange pop while she was here, and i didn't complain because i love it too and hardly ever buy it.

yes, you are not mistaken...that says it is 104 degrees. AWESOME!!!........???????

working. yes, this is my office space. :) i know, looks nice. but i'm actually suffocating in the heat, although you can't tell. haha.

no one in colombia takes great pictures like this. oh, and i made the hammock we're sitting in. thats right. HOLLA!!!!

chillin with kelly and willian in cartagena. jodi and i taught them how to play the "ha" game where you lay on stomachs like this. we were almost crying we were laughing so hard. good times. everyone needs to laugh. its one of my favorite past times.

friends that take time to visit...hugs like these keep me going on the rough days. shout out to jodi steph and nicole who have made it down to visit. you don't know how much it means/meant.

being tourists in cartagena...i can handle it when we do it for a day or two, no more.

the daughter of a family friend i have in cartagena...often stay with them when i'm there. there are a number of families i have gotten to know in different places in the country that are really special. places of refuge and change when needed. and childern...always a good thing. they keep us playing and laughing and not so serious!

love to you all...