Saturday, April 18

This morning we gathered a listed to the song by the Black-eyed Peas - Where is the Love. Each of us had a bible and we looked up 1 Corinthians 13.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


We had an invitation dialogue about love, then read a short passage about "hugs". We gave each other a big hug and ended the session by singing. "Where Is The Love".

As soon as our session was over, we scurried to get read for the children from La Estación who were coming over for a games and pool party. We divided the children into four groups and had them rotate through four activities:
* Soccer
* Relay races
* Crafts
* Games
After the last station, we gathered in the pool for a refreshing dip. Lunch was hotvdogs, ice cream and cookies! It was sad to say goodbye to the children of La Estación.


















Once the children left we gathered in the main garden for the Shoe Game, an economic simulation game. Each of us was assigned a role and a family. As a family we had to make decisions about whether the kids would go to school or work and how we would run our family shoe making business. The shoe buyer was very tough and inflation meant that no matter how hard we worked, we kept betting further behind. It wasn't long before some of the families started to steal just to make ends meet. The sheriff was very mean and put family members in jail if they left their children unattended. The two families that decided to combine through marriage and pool their resources and reduce their rent did the best. The debriefing after the shoe game was a great way for the students to reflect on how they chose to play the game. As Canadians, we tend to default to a competition model of economy instead of a cooperative. We also discussed some of the harsh realities that people like Isidro have to face with a competitive market and inflation.

After supper we gathered for a presentation by El Pregón. Unfortunately the group did not arrive but Jenna did the powerpoint presentation for them. El Pregón is a politically conscious group of youth and young adults present a leftist-slanted monthly newspaper and organize events and forums; they share their experiences of working together, popular movements and their involvement in current events. El Pregón supports a wide range of issues including economic, environmental and political.