NEW YEARS GREETINGS..FELIZ ANO NUEVO from hearth side mid-Vancouver Island, where it is as cozy inside as it is outside in Mexico (yes, it is raining here).

I am recently back from my latest trip to Mexico and there have been lots of exciting developments.  A new kindergarten school has been built in a tiny fishing village in Cabo Corrientes (a remote district south of Pt. Vallarta).  This village is literally ‘at the end of the road’.  The money for materials to build this school came from a fund raiser put on by Barb Crompton, Patsy Duggan and friends in Vancouver B.C. and matching funds from the local government.  The construction work was done by the local community.

To get to the village we had to travel over a rained out washboard road.  When we arrived a school clean up crew was busy sweeping and washing their new floors (see picture below).  The children and teachers were also thrilled with the tables, chairs and chalkboards we brought with us, courtesy of the creative fundraising efforts of a Grade 2 class at Aspengrove School in Nanaimo, led by their teacher Crystal Ruel.  This class raised $318, more than double their expectations, by holding a “healthy bake sale” and abstaining from eating junk food for a week.

For these Nanaimo children, being able to help their school mates/pen pals by such a simple act has been a wonderful experience.  For the 25 children in Corrales, who did not even have a school a few months ago … well, just look at their smiles!

MUCHAS GRACIAS …MUY AMABLE ( thank you everyone … you are so kind)