TGIF!!!

Yes, even here it's TGIF. Weekends are good for rest and recovery as the week days at school are pretty intense. While the crisis with Destiny was certainly the major event this week, there were others too. One of the older girls had bruises all over her on Wednesday. At first she didn't want to talk about it but then finally opened up. Her mother left months ago to go to the US, leaving no contact number and having no intention of returning. She left Dora (not her real name) with her stepfather and 3 younger brothers. The stepfather expects Dora to do everything at home -- shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, getting the little boys up and dressed in the morning, seeing that their homework is done and, somewhere in there, doing her own schoolwork. And, when she doesn't do things to his satisfaction, he yells at her, hits her and threatens her. Is it any wonder she acts out in class? Oh, did I mention that she is only 13 years old? Dear Kim confronted Dora's stepfather and told him if he laid a hand on Dora again, the police would be called. He seemed to get it, but that probably won't keep him from berating and degrading her. She is a sweet, cute, bright girl. It was only realized this year that she can barely read. One of the ladies who stays here at Paradise Villas, a retired teacher who volunteers at the school each year, has been working 1-on-1 with her in reading. She goes home next week so I'm going to take up where she leaves off.

Work has finally begun on the self-composting toilet project at the school. With funding from a Episcopal Church Women's grant, the system will allow for the building of 20 new bathrooms for the school. The foundation will be Category 5 hurricane resistent and is made from blocks of styrofoam that will then have a cement-like polymer sprayed on.

Yesterday was the ground breaking for the San Mateo roads project. About 150 folks attended including some key local officials. They will begin bringing in rock and sand in the next few weeks. The residents of San Mateo are very excited. There has been great publicity. The San Pedro Sun reporter was at Holy Cross again today to interview some of the key folks. There is still a lot of money to be raised for this project to succeed. The Ole Miss students are hard at work on that part.

Francis left again today to meet Vernon in Miami. They are going on a cruise -- holistic, healthy and healing. I am looking forward to a quiet weekend with some time by the pool with a good book.

This time next week, I will be in Marshall, NC, reading Ruthie a night-night book. Can't wait.