Pizarro Blanco
by Dr. Jeff Parker
I received an unexpected gift this week; it came in the form of an email message.
During our 2007 trip to Tlalamac, Janeth, a middle school English teacher, invited us to visit her school for a “Meet our American Friends” day.
Keith Tonkel and I went. Keith was a hit, of course, and we both learned a lot about the children’s’ favorite colors and what was most important to them (family & soccer). Before we left Keith asked Janeth to find out if the school had a particular need. It turned out that the school needed a white board or “pizarro blanco.” After consideration back in Tlalamac, our mission group agreed.
Now, if we were giving Galloway Elementary School a pizarro blanco we’d simply drive to WalMart, purchase it with a credit card, and drop it off at the school. This plan doesn’t work in Mexico. The long and short of it was that after several dead ends (including an effort to order one from WalMart USA for pick-up at WalMart in Chalco, Mexico) we ended up giving Janeth the necessary funds 12 months later during our next visit.
The email’s subject line read, “URGENTE,” and was accompanied by 13 .jpg attachments showing most conceivable aspects of the delivery, mounting, and use of a pizarro blanco.* She said both the principal and the district superintendant extend their appreciation. Plus, she is mailing a gift to us, one made by her grandmother…
Janeth’s gift was deeply gratifying. Our reluctant trip to this small school and the gift of something we take for granted in our own schools, bought with money we’d never miss, impacted teachers and students in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Janeth’s kind email and careful photographic documentation brightened this pilgrim’s day in a way she couldn’t have imagined.
by Dr. Jeff Parker
I received an unexpected gift this week; it came in the form of an email message.
During our 2007 trip to Tlalamac, Janeth, a middle school English teacher, invited us to visit her school for a “Meet our American Friends” day.
Keith Tonkel and I went. Keith was a hit, of course, and we both learned a lot about the children’s’ favorite colors and what was most important to them (family & soccer). Before we left Keith asked Janeth to find out if the school had a particular need. It turned out that the school needed a white board or “pizarro blanco.” After consideration back in Tlalamac, our mission group agreed.
Now, if we were giving Galloway Elementary School a pizarro blanco we’d simply drive to WalMart, purchase it with a credit card, and drop it off at the school. This plan doesn’t work in Mexico. The long and short of it was that after several dead ends (including an effort to order one from WalMart USA for pick-up at WalMart in Chalco, Mexico) we ended up giving Janeth the necessary funds 12 months later during our next visit.
Janeth’s gift was deeply gratifying. Our reluctant trip to this small school and the gift of something we take for granted in our own schools, bought with money we’d never miss, impacted teachers and students in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Janeth’s kind email and careful photographic documentation brightened this pilgrim’s day in a way she couldn’t have imagined.