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I have returned from another trip to Zihuatanejo. My first official act upon my return was to catch the mother of all colds. Three weeks later and I still have reminders! But you don’t want my health report, you want to know about the trip. Well, here are the details.

The Town: There was not much in the way of good news during my stay. Apparently there is a “La Niña” out there somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The effect on Zihua was a series of late seasonal storms. The worst part wasn’t the rain. It was the humidity afterward. Most days were 90+ temperature and 95%+ humidity. Not much fun moving around!

Unfortunately the economy of the area is no better. October is not a tourist month. Many of the familiar restaurants were not open yet. Several, including El Perla Negra, are not going to open. There was a general feeling of unhappiness that I had not felt before. Everyone is having a difficult time getting by. I am hopeful that when I return in January that the yearly tourist influx will bring the town back to life.

The School: Things are looking up for Las Joyas. It has been certified by the State so now it is officially a school. It also has a new official name which is rather long, so I will just keep calling Las Joyas. All the adobe homes on the property have been torn down (I am glad this Blog has some pictures of the old homes to remind us of what “was”). I have been informed by a reliable source that there is money available to begin building 3 classrooms late this year. There is a big fund raiser each year in February (Sail Fest) and I am told that money from the upcoming event will be available for building the remaining needed classrooms and maybe some other improvements. I hope by the time the kids return from the 2012 summer break they will have real classrooms in a real school.

Clothes Donations: I took down two suitcases of donated clothes for a school sale. Thank you donors.

Some of the kids are used to having a sale, so we were much better organized this year:

junior clerks

Right up to the moment of the sale:

Everyone likes a cool sale

And thanks to some Chicago area donors, there are some new Cubs baseball fans (aren’t they adorable?).

Little Cubbies

Thanks to the tremendous response for $$$ for school supplies, I had some cash left over. I made an executive decision to add the money from the school sale and give it to the 5 teachers. I was able to get some firsthand information on how much these teachers make a month. Each receives about $100 (US). They all have to do other things to subsist. Between the extra cash and the school sale I was able to give them each about $35 (US). By our standards, not much. By theirs, it was a godsend. Below are four of the five teachers happy with their money bag!

Muchas gracias from the teachers

Supply Donations: Thanks to the exceptionally generous donations of the Nowack family, Jeanne Hartley and Bill Overman the school was able to purchase most of the school supplies it will need for a year. The kids show their appreciation in the pictures below:

Muchas gracias Ken, Denise y Rocco

Muchas gracias Jeanne

Muchas gracias Bill (Memo)

Memo’s Kids: Regular readers of this Blog know that I sponsor three children so they may attend school. I have been mentoring Bernabe, Lizbeth and Jose Angel since they were in the 4th grade. They are now in the 8th grade. Jose Angel is an exceptional student and is doing quite well. Bernabe and Lizbeth struggle. In an effort to help them, I hired friend and out of work teacher Lucy to tutor them for an hour a day, three days a week. Bernabe is trying hard and is also learning English on the Rosetta Stone. I am very proud of his effort. Lizbeth, not so much. Despite considerable effort by several people she puts more energy into finding excuses for not doing what she is suppose to do than actually doing what she is supposed to do. Not everything I have tried has been a success. Unfortunately this may be one of those times.

Teacher Lucy is also teaching English to students at Las Joyas who are willing to stay after school for an extra class. Lucy and I laugh about her assignment. She is about one day ahead of the students as she learns English too. There is an old saying that teachers are the biggest learners. Hats off to Lucy.

Lucy y Bernabe (and isn't he getting tall!)

Karen: Many of you have followed college student Karen for the past 2.5 years as she attends the prestigious University of Guadalajara. She is a business major with a special interest in international business. She is also near the top of her class. I continue to support her so she can study without having to work.

She has just begun the process (a very, very difficult process) of applying to come the United States for summer school in 2012. Her university has an exchange program with UCLA. She has several people who have already assured me they will assist her in Los Angeles if she is accepted. I have a hunch I will be involved somewhere along the way. Anyway Karen fans, let’s all wish her well in this endeavor. Never has someone worked so hard and been so deserving.

Karen finds a little time to "horse around" in Guadalajara

One Last Plea: I need baby clothes. Well not me, but some very poor children in Zihua. I have another clothing sale scheduled in February. The parents asked me to bring baby clothes and clothes for children in grades K through 2. If you can help at all (no package too small), please send some clothing (especially shoes) for little people. My address is (Bill Bradley), 3650 Morning Star Drive, #2402, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88011. Muchas gracias from those in need.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Blog. Couldn’t have happened without you! Muchas gracias amigos – one and all! Memo

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