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To the Very End
7/21/09
With less than a week left with our host families here before we head off for a week of debrief, one might think there is little left to see, and few impacts of the community left to feel.
The three of us here, however, have felt exactly the opposite. As time has passed we have become integrated into our families and their routines, and the things we learn and see each day are still multiplying.
We have been blessed in so many ways by our families. They are so caring and helpful. We have seen what it means to be truly cared for. Through our team’s various issues – from back problems to homesickness, to digestive issues to traveler’s motion sickness – we have bonded with our families as they’ve cared for us. This aspect of the culture has been a blessing for us all.
Mexico City’s culture holds such eagerness – both to help and to learn. While teaching English classes, we have each witnessed it, but none of us more than Diamante. At times Diamante has had to remind her class that they can’t learn everything in the first level, despite their push to learn as much as they possibly can.
We’ve even seen humor in her class’s aim for perfect pronunciation. From my classroom I can often hear them repeating the same word dozens of times to get it just right. For many of our students, this is the first chance they’ve had to learn from a native English speaker – their thirst for knowledge has given me perspective on my own learning.
In our host family are six people taking English classes. We’ve been able to bond over our language differences, each of us learning from each other and practicing at home.
All we’ve seen in our communities carries the common thread of hard work. The people work hard to help and support each other, and to make a living.
Not surprisingly, we’ve so far had the chance to learn much from our host organization and host families. We hope that we have also made a difference in their lives, though we suspect we will never be able to match the immense blessings that each of our new friends has given us.
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