These two girls came to the albergue together to serve for 9 months. They both left the Coast Guard Academy to come here. Hayley is now returning to the Coast Guard and Erin is beginning a new adventure, which includes getting married in August.Erin found her gift teaching English to the madre tutoras, the teacher of our on-campus school and several groups of kids. English is a wonderful way to open the doors of their future, as knowing English increases their chances to study in the University and will help them obtain jobs. Erin also worked with our reading program and helped children advance and fall in love with reading. She spent several tough and rewarding weeks covering a girls' house as a madre tutora and bonded with the kinder class as she stretched their imaginations and creativity.
Hayley is also known here as Rocky Balboa. She inspired the boys and the girls to become stronger and healthier as she instructed P.E. and gave them the Push-Up Challenge. She brought our garden program into reality and had the tough job of explaining hard math and grammar to our four (sometimes unmotivated) high schoolers. She worked in our kinder program early on and the kids learned their numbers and letters, as well as how to walk in a military line. Hayley gave guitar lessons, showed a few kids how to keep rhythm on a drum and sang her heart out.
Erin and Hayley also made the living at the orphanage exciting and entertaining. Morning devotions were full of great discussions, interesting lunch conversations, and nights going into town were unforgettable. Let's just say that we miss them... 'we' includes everyone here at Hogar de Esperanza.
