Rebuild the Schoolteachers' Housing

In March 2015, the teachers at the local elementary/middle school in Chontal asked me if I could find a way to help them rebuild a part of their teacher's residence. Most of the teachers commute from cities about 4 to 5 hours away, and so they stay overnight during the week. There is a small residence on the site between classrooms where two of the teachers stay, and the wood construction was rotting. Coupled with the entrance of rodents, the teachers didn't feel safe. They asked for $200 to provide the cinder blocks to rebuild the housing as best they could.

A few friends and I raised the money, and after the blocks were bought, a few of the local people donated some of their time to rebuild the house. And just in time, as one of the teachers had just come back from maternity leave with a new little one in tow!

BEFORE

AFTER

Different angle

From the rear

Medical Costs for Scarlet

The family of Scarlet Bosmediano in Chontal was in need of financial help to pay for her medical bills. Scarlet was born with a dislocated hip, and the free medical attention they received didn't work. They decided to go to a paid physician, which put them in debt. They began a fundraising effort in Chontal but were not making much headway. We were able to join in the community fundraiser and raise $800 of the $1000 they were looking for to pay off the debt for Scarlet's care.

Scarlet has had a great recovery so far, and after crawling for some time, she is now walking and running normally. Whether it's chicks or footballs, she's a sweet and friendly girl!

Scarlet with her Mom, Ines. She had a complete body cast around her hips that prevented hip movement.

Landslide Disaster Relief for Chontal

Don Ramiro, Sra. Shisela, and representatives of the families that received relief funds.

On Mother's Day 2014, I was visiting Chontal to prepare for my stay to begin a mission near the city of Santo Domingo. That night, the rains caused severe landslides on the mountains that resulted in a national disaster. Fortunately, no one was killed or severely injured. But among many traumatic stories were the loss of several homes and extensive property damage. I opened a gofundme and over 35 of us from the States contributed a total of $14,000 to aid in the recovery. With the money, those most affected by the disaster were able to build new homes, rebuild the ones they had, or invest in new property.

Original video looking for relief funds

Victims thanking the donors

Follow-up video

Language Exchange in Puerto Quito

In 2013 in Puerto Quito, five of us met for much of the year for language exchange, with an emphasis on English. I taught English, and they taught me different things in Spanish. For English, we used the book Inglés Para Latinos, and eventually each person gave their own presentation in English on their chosen topic. We all are still friends to this day.

High School Language Exchange 2013

In 2013, the English club at the high school Santiago Apóstol in Puerto Quito began a language exchange with a senior-level Spanish honors class at Cardinal Spellman high school in Brockton, MA. First, each side completed a round of introductory videos to share, and then the kids from Cardinal Spellman added another while we updated ours.

This is ours from Santiago Apostol in Puerto Quito:

Here are the two from Cardinal Spellman:

One of the great aspects to this interchange is that the students got to build a relationship using the language barrier. And in the process, they used technology in service of the dignity of the human person and in building new relationships within the life of the Church as brothers and sisters.

Sadly, the project was discontinued when the teacher at Cardinal Spellman passed away from a long illness, and the ending of the English club at the school.

High School Physics Lab Upgrades

The physics lab at the high school Unidad Educativa Santiago Apóstol in Puerto Quito was pretty bare bones, without enough supplies to conduct experiments to any accepted standard in the US. I was able to get some simple components such as breadboards, resistors, meters, cables, and other electrical circuit equipment. It was a small start, but one that enabled a good physics lab project on electric circuits. From there, in collaboration with the physics teacher, we were able to design new physics lab experiments in electronic circuits.

English Club at Santiago Apostol HS

In 2013, with the help of the local English teacher, I started the first club at Santiago Apostol high school in Puerto Quito - an English club. We met each week for 2 hours throughout the year, sharing in a number of different activities related to English and growth in US culture and language. It not only focused on language, but bridge-building in general, including an exchange project with Cardinal Spellman HS in Brockton, MA. This will always remain a special group of kids to me, amd we continue to be friends to this day.

Building a Church for the Poor in Chontal

In 2009, I made donation of $35,000 in my mother's memory to the Franciscan Missions to help them build a church for a poor community. It turned out to be used for the people of San Miguel del Chontal, providing the majority of the funds needed to construct their church, San Miguel Arcangel. I made a visit to the first Mass and blessing in 2010, and sensing my mother's presence, decided to continue to get to know the people. That was the beginning of what this mission is today!

The original construction was an old barn-like structure. You can see the transformation!

Before and After