Tuesday, February 3
The long holidays are finally over and we have returned to school for in-school teacher seminars. I like the schedule of going to school from February 10th – November 20th and then having an extended “holiday.” I guess it works well here because there’s not much descrepancy in the seasons – it’s only wet or dry. So the idea of having a “summer” break isn’t as important since it’s pretty much summer year-round.
Anyway, we returned to school today for a week of in-school teacher training. There are eleven teachers at the school this year – five from the United States and six native to Honduras. The official President of the school is Earl Washburn – native to Washington State and missionary to Honduras for about the past six years. His wife, Sharon, is the one with all the education experience and training, as well as with all the new ideas. This year, in their “free time,” Earl will be teaching Physics and Sharon will be teaching English for the Bachillarato program (10th grade, more or less).
The director of the school, Ester, is an amazing woman. In the four months I have known her, I have already developed a lot of respect for her. She demands the attention and respect of the students in a professional way during school hours, and yet the students trust and look up to her for so much wisdom and guidance. She is a true Christian example, and an example to the students of how someone who started out very poor made it honorably into a high position.
Ester is a black Honduran native to the city of La Ceiba. Although Honduras is a Central American country, it is also known for its African roots that stretch along the Carribean coast in the form of “Garifuna” villages. The Garifuna people came to Honduras in the midst of the slave trade accidently when slave ships missed their entended destination. So the predominant “culture” of La Ceiba is created by a blending of three cultures: Indian, Spanish, and African. It definitely makes for an exciting milieu, but also brings with it similar racial tensions that we experience in the United States. And for some reason, the credo of the past rings, “whiter is better.”
With that in mind, Ester came from a poor background, yet was dedicated to learning and working hard, as well as her relationship with God. Now she is the director of a private colegio (secondary school). She will also be teaching Bible twice a week. As the year progresses, I look forward to hearing more about Ester’s past and how she came to the place she is today. I also look forward to learning from her and growing with her.
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