School Visits Begin and Our First Mail

Thursday I begin my first day at the schools. I am going to meet the principals and begin to establish a relationship within the local schools. I am doing a survey too because I have a meeting Tuesday about applying for a Latin American Grant through a USA Government Program for Latin America and the Caribbean with our landlord (has a family irrigation business) and a local charity group; we have professors from 3 different universities who will be working alongside us as free consultants.

Three days ago we got mail! It was a postcard..... Yesterday we got mail! it was a guide for the SKY Satellite TV that Jolene pays for..... It is a mystery! Apparently the "delegate" (a local Mayor to us) gets mail (sometimes) or a local bill payer (sometimes) or a local vendor (sometimes). No one knows how the mail gets to these people, but sometimes mail does arrive. We have had the SKY service since July and this is our first mail. The postcard was from a student we met. He put on two 39 cent stamp and wrote: Monasterio Tierra de Verano, the Mackenzie`s, Rancho Cajones, Cajones, Guanajuato, Mexico 36262 and sent it on Oct. 8th from Virginia. We got it on the 20th.............We gave a local gal $1.00 for bringing it to us. Can`t wait for the actual mail service to arrive in GTO, GTO but in the meantime; we got an expensive post card.
Got a truck moved that had been sitting since 1984 so we can get in our electric horse fencing now. The doctor will re examine our horses on Oct. 28th and we will begin our transporting on Nov. 19th.

FM3 Visas and a Functioning Home

Don and I want to thank everyone for help with our Mexico paperwork. It took the normal four visits to San Miguel de Allende, but yesterday we were successful. We both have our FM3 visas; looks like a USA passport! This will allow us free trip to bring in household goods without a tariff, free visits to museums, half price for bus travel, 67% off utilities in some areas, reliable cell phone service, the ability to get our non-profit corporation functioning in Mexico and access to a very inexpensive health plan.

We nearly have a functioning home: hot water, flushing toilets, showers that work places to hang clothing and sealed floors. Soon we will build a library. It has been quite a ride. Dr. Fletcher and Dr. Todd are arranging a long term lease from our landlord to that he can build on the same family land; two doors away. He is going to develop a teacher training center, an educational research center and a community center. We plan to add an outdoor stage for Don to work with the local youth and a place for me to coordinated serving the visitors by teaching cooking, baking and food service techniques to the local high school students, while teaching them English too.

Christmas in one Mexican Campo

The firecrackers were going off all night Christmas Eve because it was the 9th day of the presada (Precesión for the Baby Jesus). Unlike the first day, the horses did not run all over in terror.

And a Happy New Year to you and your family too. Missing friends and animals is hard here too (we left two beloved horses behind) but the work is outstanding!

December 17th I presented a proposal to the local health department. It was the result of a local female doctor asking me to help her help others in this rural area with early childhood intervention: identifying developmental delays and then designing programs to stimulate the children into cathing up to their peers. Dr. Nancy Mather wrote me that she thought that was a good topic for my dissertation ("it seems to me that that would make a great dissertation topic... establishment of an early intervention program in rural Mexico... dev of the training materials, etc."). My co-director for my PhD Committee, Dra. Silvia Romero Contreras, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí (Mexico) agrees (she became an official member of my dissertation committee Nov. 18th after I passed my Orals; I passed my comprehensive Exams Oct. 1st; I am ABD - All But Dissertation now). Dr. Silvia says it is hard to coordinate children outside of a school setting; preschool age is easier. Well it is also hard not to speak thier language, but I am doing it! However, she and many other people helped me to make certain it was written in correct Spanish. I presented it to about 20 medical doctors and the Director of the local Health Department.

Jolene called herself my tongue, but her struggle for words reflected my heart too. These 20 young men and women were thrilled to have help. Several tiny villages have children who need intervention techniques taught to them, their families and to volunteers. Within seconds after finishing the presentation, a list was being made to define what villages would be visited when in January. Jolene and I will go 3 days a week for 4 to 5 hours a day. Each visit will include a doctor and two nurses. We will compile a list of the needs, evaluate the resources and plan the next step. These are exciting times!

Our local family had us over at dawn for Christmas tea plus two types of soup and two types of tamales. They had been up all night waiting for the birth of Jesus as is traditional here. I was under the weather a little after baking cookies for 3 days (I thnk I have developed gallstone problems). We had some neighbors over for salsa and omelets on our patio. Later the young woman in their 20`s came over for conversation. They were visiting from Mexico City and Leon. As always, there are children surrounding us as we talk. The children are a part of everything here. I so love that multi-generational life-style. I nearly always hear the sound of children.

We handed out cookies all over the village Christmas Day to kids and adults alike. It was a ball! Few people here bake. It is very tricky to bake cookies over 3,000 ft. Since I owned a bakery, I am blessed and everyone was so appreciative to eat homemade cookies. I adore the smiles; shy smiles.

We ate Christmas Dinner at the home of the local major. It was an afternoon to remember with charming people who made us feel welcome. We felt like peers in the battle against few resources and much need, but always optimistic. There was an overall joy in being with them, in their lovely home as we explored a yard filled with veggies and herb gardens, fruit and nut trees. These lovely Mexican people, across all classes, make us feel so welcome. That experience is certainly worth sharing with others over a meal.

The weather was ideal, in the 70`s and sunny, no wind and everyone in shirt sleeves. We looked at bananas growing in their yard, oranges, nuts, lemons and ate some of them right off the tree while standing in the yard. In the distance the rolling hills had horses on them eating in peace.

There is a lot of building going on here; GTO is not a real poor state by Mexican standards. It sits in the middle. ALL the parents are anxious for me to get a library built; they all want their kids to learn English. As a culture, Mexico is VERY far sighted. The families plan for generations ahead and expect problems will have to be overcome. They are an extremely adaptive people. The resepct for us and acceptance of us continues to grow. No person our age would ever be treated with such respect in the USA. This is a great place for us at this time in our lives.

More parents remind me nearly daily that they are anxious for me to get a library built; they want their kids to learn English. Clearly, as a culture, GTO Mexico is VERY far sighted. The families plan for generations ahead and expect problems will have to be overcome. They are an extremely adaptive people. The respect for us and acceptance of us continues to grow. No person our age would ever be treated with such respect in the USA. This is a great place for us at this time in our lives. We have a great opportunity to be agents of change.

Jolene is painting, Dad is planning the remodeling for my advisor`s place. I am studying, getting organized and learning Spanish. The effort is great the rewards are priceless. Riding the two horses we brought ovber the border on Nov. 30th is the best therapy I ever experienced. Riding is a thrill that I am unable to explain on any level; even better when kids are on them.

For many 2008 was a v-e-r-y hard year, but the financial predictions for 2009 are worse. Before the birth of a child, pain occurs. The USA needs to get rid of the after birth of so much war before a time of peace and prosperity can begin. We are somewhat cushioned from the immediate financial heartache here, we spend a tiny fraction of what we did on rent and food, BUT we have USA priced bills to pay back there. The mortgage we took out to get there is killing us here. Professors make $5.50 USD here an hour; that`s 151 hours of work just to pay the mortgage in the USA. The upside is that labor is so chaep anywhere you go there are well-trained people to answer your questions or find what you are looking to buy.

My advisor, Dr. Fletcher just wrote to Don that money will be coming soon; January 23rd when he visits. He wants to get the other house built; two doors down. It will be a community center, an educational research sit, a teacher training center and a dorm for visiting students. I will likely spend the rest of my life helping graduate students to understand where these rural Mexican immigrant children are coming from BEFORE they enter a classroom in the USA. There will be dorm rooms in the structure. Don will oversee the construction.

Our place is about done, but we still have a worker here about 4 days a week as we three are too old to do the heavy work. We are hosting 30 students here in sleeping bags in May. Our place continues to slowlydevelop; mostly plants now. I finally have a small veggie garden again. If the land would simply sell we could have rooms up in 60 days. It will happen, I am sure, but later is more likely due to the economy. The real estate agents are not very encouraging. In March we plan to change the Douglas agent to one who is more capable of finding an appropriate buyer.

Focus on Education

After living on the Arizona/Mexico border for 12 years, we realized that there
is at least one solution to immigration problems: education. We observed first hand, on our non-profit owned land, Mexican people risking their lives to cross illegally. We observed first hand, on our non-profit owned land, vigilantes chasing adults and children armed with assault weapons. Our goal is to educate people in Mexico to improve earning power within Mexico and
educate teachers from the USA about life in Mexico to improve graduation rates
by Mexican children already living in the USA.

May 2008 we relocated to Central Mexico to test our theory. We live in a tiny
rural village 12 miles from Guanajuato, Guanajuato (GTO), Mexico. Plans are
being developed to build educational facilities and dorm rooms here. Our first major donation came in today for a place that will be called Resplendor (Bright Place). Like a beacon it will shine out to those who live here and let them know that we know they want their children educated and they want them bilingual. Nothing extugishes poverity like an education.

My PhD advisor, is a very fine man of faith; a Bahai who travels the world to practice his faith to the fullest. He really loves people and has been giving of himself all his life. He is gathering people from all walks of life to make this project a success. I am so honored to work with him. He challenged me (and the rest of the class this summer) to "Become Agents of Change" (CNN honors such people). I have met his challege because I am certain that with him and my family (Don & Jolene) this corner of the world will be a better place.

Beginning in January 2009, University of Arizona PhD candidate Jacqueline
Mackenzie and her translator Jolene Gailey will visit rural areas near our home to
identify developmental delays and help develop early intervention programs for
children under the age of 3. This will stimulate the children to allow them to
catch up to their peers before school entrance; improving their options in life.

Mexico is a very different society; here my silver-gray hair is the entry fee I already paid to be given the highest level of respect imaginable. Being a teacher in Mexico is a dream come true. The children beg to be taught, listen to every word and do their work. Honestly. These children are looking at Obama, listening to him saying "Yes we can!" and realizing that they do have a chance for a better life; if they can read. I am here to teach them to read because they have asked me to do just that here.

Research begins in rural Central Mexico

Our second day out to visit rural sites in Central Mexico to begin educational assessments of rural children was very enlightening. Dr. Rose, who we met at her medical clinic in San Jose de Llanos, asked us to take to a pueblos where there was great need. She explained that there was no medical facility, the people were very anxious for assistance and they are very agreeable people. Dr. Rose is clearly prone to understatement. Jolene and I ended the day knowing why we are volunteering in Mexico and totally emotionally drained but driven to return to all of these villages to help in any way possible.

We met Dr. Rose at her San Jose de Llanos clinic and followed her on about 12 miles of highway, "U" turns, nonexistent landmarks and dirt roads until we finally reached Granja la Paz; about 35 miles from our home Cajones. As with all of these pueblos, there is no sign to indicate the beginning or end of the village or even that a village exists.

We pulled up along said a modest fenced in building. We entered to high chain link gate and were introduced to about 6 women and their children. Entering the building we saw old school desks along the walls, a stack of plastic chairs and a teacher`s sized desk covered in plates of fruit and a few bottles of water.

I arranged to chairs in a circle and sat down with Dr. Rose on one side and Jolene, my right arm in this project and my translator, on the other. We began to explain why early stimulation of the infant`s brain and body are vital to educational success later in life. As we talked the room continued to fill with women, children and plates of fruit. I could not help but notice that although many items of clothing were fayed, they were spotlessly clean. It appeared that everyone had put on their very best clothing and the faint smell of mild flower-water drifted through the room. All the children, who continued to arrive, had on neat, clean, and spotless school uniforms. Before we began the process of individual interviews nearly 100 people were present! Not all indoors, but outside looking into the windows too.

By splitting into two groups we evaluated 24 children between 11AM and 2PM. We learned the sad stories that these mothers had to tell, about shortages of health care, mental health care (most of the women admitted to being victims of domestic violence is common), crowded minimal housing, a severe shortage of teachers, no access to books or items for cognitive stimulation. Physically the needs are vastly overwhelming. Educationally, I see a great need for baby rattles, pull toys, tiny simple books in Spanish for the children and the adults. The mothers stated that most of them are unable to read.

We learned that this town was founded about 80-90 years ago and did not ask for any public assistance until 3 years ago. DIF (social services) came out once, but has not returned. There is no bus service so men cannot go into GTO (the city) to work and mothers cannot get medical care for themselves and their children. The closest medical care is the San Jose de Llanos clinic a very unsafe and miles long walk along dirt roads, a 4-lane highway and more dirt roads; no sick child could ever make that trip. Since there are no busses, there is no way to get to medical care. The children all suffer with intestinal parasites, like everyone in GTO, and many have nutritional deficiencies. The parasite medicine and vitamins are free at the clinic, but inaccessible by these mothers. The teachers were described by the mothers as unmotivated, however further questioning revealed that there is one teacher for 38 kindergarten students and no teacher`s assistants. In the primary and secondary schools each teacher has 70-90 students; two complete classes each. This town is limited about who can teach here because there is no bus service. Most teachers in Mexico travel to schools by bus.

Housing is also an overwhelming problem. There are 116 houses with an average of four families in each house. Since on average each family has four or more children, statistically we can assume that about 700 people live in only 116 tiny houses. There are no DIF homes, the any of the over 11,000 free homes build in the State of Guanajuato in the last 8 years. We saw over a dozen of them in Coyote the last two days, but this town has none. I appears that their claims of not help from the city government are valid.

Used Shoes for Kids Needed

"Keep Expecting Miracles! " (a quote from Dr. Dough Horner). I am really trying to help get the shoes in to Mexico. Yesterday I attended the Arco Iris meeting. I was able to (1) talk to the whole group about importing items without duty including (2) privately later (we are on the orphanage board together) Faffie Romero-Hicks, her mother-in-law, Joan Romero-Hicks (both related to Jean Carlos Faffie Romero-Hicks the former Governor of Guanajuato and now the Director of CONACYT in Mexico City). (3) I spoke to a gal who said that (4) the 40 non-profits in San Miquel de Allende have a multitude of ways they get items in and none is fool-proof. They have many failures.

Today I spoke to (5) Dr. Doug Horner of the School of Optometry at Indiana University; he is the head of the eye clinic project between GTO and Leon. He is down here for a week due to them having the vision campaign (they see 3,000 people in 4 days every year). He explained the process of being in Mexico since 2000 and how he has had to adapt to different political parties and other issues. He told me many times to "Keep Expecting Miracles! " He told me many stories of how hard it was and how it gets better all the time. He assured me that "in no time you will have a building like this and be helping as many moms and kids as we are helping. " He is right. If this was an easy process, everyone would have helped long ago. It`s not; it`s hard.

I also spoke to (6) Dr. Jennifer Page, Director of the Guanajuato Eye Care Center (her boss is Dr. Doug Horner). DIF (under Faffie) built the center they are using and is in the process of building a second larger one next door with hospital recovery rooms too. Their biggest problem at the eye center (?) You guessed it! They replied," Getting items over the border without paying the fees. "

(7) I am meeting Tuesday with Juan Silvestre Morales Camargo to learn more about what I can get into Mexico duty-free and what I can get to patients here free or cheaply. According to Dr. Horner, Juan Morlaes is the top medical contact in DIF: Director of Asistencia a Personas con Discapacidad. I met him today. He is a good friend of Dr. Doug Horner. I am anxious to have that meeting on Tuesday.

Apparently there are no "blanket letters" to anyone. The most consistent advice I got was to decide WHO is getting the shoes and have them write a letter of acceptance and the giver a letter of the gift. That will not always work. I drove 3 times over 500 miles each time to get to a port that had fewer hassles. I have also crossed at 5AM to get by some of the hassles. Each time the Eye Clinic needs something they drive to Mexico City and …wait…finally get a letter of approval for only those items and the invoice has to be attached to it. I spent over 5 weeks this summer waiting for a letter to get back into a school where I had been a volunteer for 2 previous years ; they will NOT use FAX or email. Everything takes a lot of time in Mexico.

The reality is that the orphanage needs shoes for all the kids; about 328 pairs of shoes.

Update on all Projects

Don and I have been together 15 years today; we are so very blessed.
Don, Jolene and I met Susan Beautiful Bald Eagle at 9:30AM yesterday. She was
with us until 6PM. The interchange was odd as we both felt like we were old
friends who had been long apart. The spiritual connection was so very strong
and deeply connected too. I feel so up-lifted today for having had the
opportunity to have her enter my life and spend a day with us.

Resplandor! They are removing the interior wall now that opens up the sala and cleaning the bricks. She was so very excited about the whole project.

Jolene had a class of 7 girls here yesterday to learn color theory and then Susan and I did some impromptu bilingual reading. It was great fun; later an 8th girl arrived. The kids and parents are all begging for lessons. I could be teaching teachers all day and reaching all of
these people. I think zoo-phonics might be the answer; I am more enthusiastic
than ever. I`d like to also integrate EarthKeepers (Dr. Bruce Johnson`s research from UA) and work on getting a Resplandor - Tierra de Verano - Mexico Zoo-Phoonics grant to each the rural areas.

The window man (Pancho`s cousin) was here from 9PM - 11PM last night to discuss
the windows. Don wanted big, beautiful open glass windows, but both Pancho and
his cousin feel that more security is imperative. We may need to rotate someone
staying there all the time; they so fear a break-in as they think there are
people outside the community who might want to take parts of it. They swore
that people have even stolen septic tanks right out of the ground!

These are exciting times as I move along this academic path with the joy of a child, the excitement of a teenager and the wonder of life that only a mature person can truly appreciate.

This is what I am doing:

Todd and I are exchanging about 8 emails a day because my husband, Don, is overseeing the building of Resplandor 6 days a week, I am doing the accounting, photo-journalism and marketing for Resplandor and I am working on the UA summer Verano en Mexico program (meeting speakers, arranging rooms and living accommodations) that will include sharing my dissertation research with several students. I am working with Jolene to develop an equine-therapy program here in Cajones to compliment my dissertation research and serve the rural communities at the same time.

I research from 5AM to 8AM every day and then three days a week Jolene and I travel to rural health departments as you have observed to prepare for my dissertation research. The other 4 days a week I research from 5AM to noon at least; sometimes into the night. The health department administrative support is stronger than ever; we have had two very fruitful meetings in the last month. Our nights and weekends are full meeting with people who might be patrons for Resplandor or the library and teaching local kid`s art, English or Spanish literacy and assisting them with therapy on horses. We are also working with a local grant-making collaborative that is 50% Mexican nationals and with a local charity where I have access to many more Mexican children in need of help (300+ are orphans) and who might be a part of my dissertation, later research or grant assistance for them. Thanks to all of your help, our non-profit, Tiera de Verano, has signed the non-profit in Mexico papers this past week.

I came to GTO to spend the rest of my life in service because I already have so many contacts to make positive change possible (thanks to the UA program here for over 20 years). I have been coming here since 2006 and made a lot of friends. I have Paid it Forward for this time in my life.

Faffie (former president of DIF) and I are friends; since 2006. We share a love of helping the needy and often doing that through equine therapy. Her husband Juan Carlos is the former governor of GTO and is the current Director of CONACyT in Nexico City. I have talked with both of them about batteries for power for a library here; I have new solar panels.

Joan Romero Hicks, who has lived here 58 years is Juan Carlos` mother, Faffies`s mother in law. She is also the mother of the current local governor. Joan and I share work on a local charity. We have gotten to know each other very well.

The local mayor in Cajones had us, and only us, over for Christmas Day dinner. He is very supportive of our work and very well politically linked with the present administration. He is also a sheriff.

On June 12th I will be at Centro Fox with Todd Fletcher made that happen; he is a consultant for the Mexican govt. From all I can find out, he is THE world expert on special education in Mexico. He is my PhD advisor.

President Fox may attend the opening of Resplandor with us on June 13th along with the Dean of the College of Education for UA, the president of a college in Monteray and another college president from Cuidad Obregon. My husband designed and is the contractor for Resplandor; what we see as a prototype for others all over Mexico.

We have had a non-profit in the USA since 1993; we just signed papers this week to have a non-profit in Mexico.

A Little About Us

Summerland Corp. was founded in 1993 and incorporated in Florida in 1994. We moved to Arizona in 1996 and became a foreign corporation there in 1997. We are a 501(c)3. Also, I am a corporate sole in Arizona.

This is what I am doing in Mexico:

Todd (Dr. Todd Fletcher, my PhD Advisor for Univ. of AZ) and I are exchanging
about 8 emails a day because my husband, Don (a former theater professor and
Viet Nam Vet), is overseeing the building of Resplandor 6 days a week (a non-profit community center) in thetiny rural town of Cajones, GTO where we live, I am doing the
accounting, photo-journalism and marketing for Resplandor.

Also I am working on the UA summer Verano en Mexico program (meeting speakers,
arranging rooms and living accommodations) that will include sharing my
dissertation research with several students. I am working with Jolene (my soul
sister and translator) to develop an equine-therapy program here in Cajones to
compliment my dissertation research and serve the rural communities
at the same time. Jolene has been working with kids and horses for over 30
years.

I research from 5AM to 8AM every day and then three days a week Jolene and I
travel to rural health departments to prepare for my dissertation research. The
other 4 days a week I research from 5AM to noon at least; sometimes into the
night. The GTO Health Department administrative support is stronger than ever;
we have had two very fruitful meetings in the last month.

Our nights and weekends are full meeting with people who might be patrons for
Resplandor or the Tierra de Verano library and teaching local kid`s art,
English or Spanish literacy and assisting them with therapy on horses. We are
also working with a local grant-making collaborative (the women who traveled
with me to SMA) that is 50% Mexican nationals and with a local charity where I
have access to many more Mexican children in need of help (300+ are orphans)
and who might be a part of my dissertation, later research or grant assistance
for them.

Our Mexico non-profit, Tiera de Verano, has signed the non-profit in Mexico
papers this past week. We await approval now.

Jacquie`s Graduation

I finally graduated on May 14, 2010 with my PhD. I fulfilled a promise I made to myself in 1967. It was a long 5 1/2 years but it was worth it.

Verano en Mexico

Last night Jacquie lectured to about 20 international graduate students in downtown Guanajuato. She gave her first public talk about her dissertation research results on May 28th in an international conference at the University of Guanajuato. This second was delivered June 8th.

Three academic publications (The International Journal of Special Education, The Third International Research Conference on Qualitative Research and The Center for Strategic and Multicultural Studies) are considering articles related to Jacquie`s research. She may be white haired, but her nonprofit has big literacy plans now that she has finally graduated. She intends to have a private audience with high ranking officials in the USA government because half of all Latinos in the USA fail to graduate from high school and here she has identified lots of answers as to why.

Summerland Monastery is a business, always has been but now it`s more valuable than ever. There are up to 1,000 people directly effected by what Summerland is trying to create here for these needy families. Summerland appears to be their only current asset. Summerland plans toI , to create a free library and free Internet access. These woman have questions and they need to be able to find answers on their own. Jolene, Don and I intend to help them learn to read and find answers even if they can`t read.

Corporate, Foundation, or University Visitor`s Casitas

We have broken ground for 2 small "casita`s" (visitor`s hotel-sized rooms) on our rental property. They will be made of adobe and as "green" as we can manage here in Mexico. These will be available for those who might like to visit us before awarding a grant, student scholarship or other gift toward our programs. This sill offer people the opportunity to view us "up close" without having first made any other commitment.

Verano en Mexico Visitors

We have been told to expect 80-100 people today for a BBQ and swim. The University of Arizona (UA) study abroad Verano en Mexico program is paying for this event and we are the hosts. About 25 of the visitors are from the UA program, about the same number from a program in California and another 20 or more are guests of UA.