September / October Newsletter - 2020

Friends of San Lucas Newsletter September/October 2020 A Letter from the Executive Director In This Edition Dear Friend of San Lucas, Distance Learning If we have learned anything this year it is that in San Lucas education is about much more than information. It Learn how the Mission School is also about socialization, community and, for many has responded to the pandemic people in the developed world, child care so parents by reading a special interview can work. with the Assistant Principal, And in San Lucas, they have had to adapt to a Felipe Bajan. different educational process as well. Gone are the frantic tuk-tuk rides to the school entrance crowded Visitors Program Status with vendors and laughing schoolchildren. Wondering when you can visit Now there are meetings with teachers to exchange homework packets through San Lucas again? Read about plexiglass barriers. the current status of the Mission But there has been another change. Felipe Bajan, assistant director of the school Visitors Program. has talked about how much more engaged the parents are in their kid’s education. Because the parents now have to help their children with their homework there Minnesota Cares Campaign has been in increase in the level of engagement on the parent’s part. And Felipe See a list of some of the generous is so impressed with this increased participation by the parents that he is already donors who contributed to our wondering how to keep it going when school in San Lucas returns to in-person annual Minnesota fundraiser. classes sometime in 2021. Read more about the Education program inside, and, rest assured, every program of the Mission is in the capable and creative hands of people like Felipe. In faith and hope, Bill Peterson Executive Director, Friends of San Lucas

Distance Learning in San Lucas This has been an unprecedented year in the field of education. Read about the current state of the Mission School through this special interview with Assistant Principal Felipe Bajan. What’s the current situation at the Mission School? The government ordered all schools to close in March. It was a very difficult time. We didn’t know what to do or where to start, and the Ministry of Education provided very little guidance. All of our plans fell apart, and we had to sit down and develop a new way to teach without in-person classes. Teachers started distributing and collecting homework packets from students on a regular basis. At the beginning, there were highs and lows, but as time passed, things improved. Now things are going well, and our distance learning operations are stable. We’ve adapted to the new system. We plan to continue teaching in a similar way to what we’ve been doing this year in 2021. We’ll use what we’ve learned so far to improve our methods and strategies for distance teaching. The Ministry of Education has stated that schools will not return to in-person learning until June 1st at the earliest. How have students with limited resources stayed connected during distance learning? For students with limited economic resources, the school has provided materials to support their learning, including manipulatives, books, paper, and more. Some students have no access to phones or internet at home. In these cases, the teacher makes home visits to support the student and their family, so that they can continue to learn from a distance. Anything else you’d like to share? Donors like you make it possible for children in San Lucas to have the opportunity for education. A child without educational opportunities is a life shortchanged. Many children here lack the essentials, like the opportunity to grow and dream of a promising future with the light of hope on the horizon. Donors like you, with your generosity, bring a smile to the face of these children. Please continue supporting the education program and know that one day these children will be grateful for your sacrifice. May God bless you always.

Your Next Trip to San Lucas: Status of the Visitors Program “When can I go back to San Lucas?” This is a question we hear all the time at Friends of San Lucas. Resuming the Visitors Program in a way that is safe for the San Lucas community and our US travelers is a top priority for us. Read on to discover some of the factors we’re weighing as we consider when to start running trips again. We have been talking a lot about when we think things will improve enough for groups to return to San Lucas. The Guatemalan airport recently opened for business for the first time in months and the government of Guatemala continues to ease certain restrictions on travel and work. But new cases of Covid-19 in Guatemala remain at levels close to 1,000 a day and the positive percentage of tests in the San Lucas area hovers over 30%, which is very high. We want to protect visitors and we want to protect the people we serve. We will not open up the Mission for visitors until there is a widely available vaccine as well as a dependable rapid test available in Guatemala. We hope this means we could bring some long-term volunteers and a few small groups beginning in March with the hopes of opening up more broadly in June of 2021. But these are our hopes, and we will not risk the health and safety of the people at the Mission or the people we serve in San Lucas by traveling before a vaccine. We thank everyone for their patience, and we especially thank you for your continued and faithful support during these uncertain days. Make your life-changing gift to San Lucas today at sanlucasmission.org

Minnesota Cares Campaign This year, the annual Friends of San Lucas Mankato Gala pivoted to a virtual fundraiser. More than 30 generous donors contributed to a Challenge Grant fund, which we matched with our general fundraiser. These donors made this campaign the organization’s most successful Minnesota-based event to date. Thank you, Minnesota and the 24 other states that helped make this campaign a success! John Goelz, auctioneer Mathiowetz Construction Rogers & Peg Strickland Jeff & Marianne Allinder, Joel & Joleen Irlbeck, Dr. Rich & Susan Peller, Tom Peterson & Peggy Gunn, Fr. Phil Schotzko, Steve & Tricia Schreiber Andy & Ann Biebl, Steve Biebl, Fr. John Francis Brandes, Chuck Spaeth Ford, Tom & Anita Esser, Jim & Linda Fahey, Dave & Ruth Fox, Mike & Stephanie Greene, Paul & Jeanne Leighton, MR Paving, Dave & Dawn Naples, Dr. Gary & Amy Orcutt, Bob & Gail Ranweiler, Doug & Pam Schultze, Jim & Jan Seifert, Traxler Construction, Mark & Barb Traxler, Viking Fire & Safety, Dr. Paul Wise & Dr. Janice Lowe, WSB & Associates, Chester & Susan Yanick E-Newsletter We’ve had 400 people go paperless and sign-up for the e-newsletter! With the money saved from these mailings, we will now be able to provide 2 more families with a fuel-efficient stove! Sign up for the e-newsletter at Purchase your fresh bag of coffee sanlucasmission.org online at juananacoffee.org Thank you for your support and generosity to the San Lucas Mission. Friends of San Lucas • 3459 Washington Dr. Ste. 207 Eagan, MN 55122 • 651-508-1848 • sanlucasmission.org