Where are we heading...

Yesterday, I put a note out to our e-mail list to over forty people who have expressed interest in Compadres y Comadres or who have gone in the past.  A really good group!

two of our participants from last year - Katie and Susanne

In the note, I let everyone know that we won't be going to El Salvador this year.  We simply do not have enough people able to commit at this time.  We really need at least five people to make this financially viable.

Not this year.

I received some very nice notes today from past and future participants expressing their regret that we won't be going.  I have to say - no worries!

We have a really good concept and we work with exceptional people here in Canada and in El Salvador.  When you work with good people, good things eventually will happen - just not yet.

I have to say that the experience last year really changed me.  I hope I was able to express this adequately in the blog posts, but it was a transforming experience.  Living with the teachers and sharing their stories was really special.  It reminded me a little of the trips we used to do with students in the Dominican.  You really learn a great deal when you live and eat with families.  In some way, you become part of their household and part of their story.

Nelson's house, where I lived

So, we will do this next year.  I am confident that we will have some great people with us in a year from now.  We always have some irons in the fire that might help us move to a more sustainable program.

We have been talking with St. Paul's University and our school board for over a year now about the possibility of offering an additional qualification credit for taking part in the program - once this link is firmly established we will be able to offer something very attractive to our Catholic teachers in Ontario.

We will also be presenting Compadres y Comadres at a number of gatherings and conferences in the Spring.  As we do this, we will be opening up this experience to brand new audiences.  

We have a really good idea - we may need just a bit more time.

So, thanks for all the kind notes, but don't despair - we will have a trip and some of you will be flying to El Salvador before you know it!

As for me, I will be off to Guatemala to give my Spanish a good workout!

back soon!