Gerald and I are always happy when we get to meet up with our student, Nelsy, on the island. Each time we get to know each other a little bit better and we’ve learned that we all have a pretty goofy sense of humor, which transcends any language barriers. This time we didn’t have Maggie there to translate and I was very impressed at how well Nelsy did with her English.
We met at LGES and Nelsy presented me with some beautiful earrings that she had made for me! Last time we met up was in April and Nelsy, Maggie, and I discussed that we all make jewelry and I showed them some of my creations. Well, this time it was my turn to be impressed! Nelsy’s medium is the tiny seed beads that I can barely even see without my glasses. She had made two different types of earrings, one design shaped like a leaf and another design that is a small column with different colors of beads in a swirly pattern. They are beautifully made and I was so touched that she had made a pair especially for me that would go with black, because she knows I wear black all the time! She gave me a few pair of her earrings to sell on my website, too. (There are a few left, but a couple of pair didn’t even make it to the website before my friends snapped them up!)
From LGES, we went by Nelsy’s Aunt’s house, where her little cousin was sitting out front playing with his action figures. He reminded me of my own son at that age, in his own little world. Nelsy’s parents came out to meet us with big hugs and warm smiles. I know that they are so proud of Nelsy, as are we, and I am in awe of the parenting skills they possess to be able to raise such a wonderful child. (Their younger daughter, Conchi, is a gem, as well. Unfortunately, she was in class that day and we didn’t get to see her). They asked if we wanted to see their home in Guadalupana and I was very excited at the opportunity. Many people refer to this new Colonia as “Squatterville”, but it’s now been around for almost five years and from what I understand, it’s going to become an official Colonia soon.
Gerald, Nelsy and I hopped on our golf cart and followed her parents on their moto South on the Caribbean road, the ocean stretching out to forever in the brilliant sun. We turned into Guadalupana and giggled as we avoided huge potholes and made our way up to the tidy rows of houses.
Tidy rows of homes and the minisuper at the end
Nelsy pointed out the Mini Super, which was painted bright turquoise and then we arrived at her house.
Her father had built the house by himself and I was so impressed with what a fantastic job he had done. It was sturdy, neat, and absolutely amazing! They have a really nice little fenced yard and a great window on the front of the house.
Nelsy with her parents and their dog in front of their home
Nelsy’s Mother showed me all of her beautiful flowering shrubs in the yard, and gave me a flower sample from each. What a green thumb she has! An empty 2 liter Coke bottle hung on its’ side from the gate, with a big hole cut in it and filled with potting soil as a makeshift container for a little starter plant. How resourceful! All of the yards were filled with flowering plants and had fences of one kind or other. Everything looked neat and tidy.
Nelsy's Aunt and cousin
Another of Nelsy’s Aunts and a cousin came by to say hi and Nelsy joked around with her Father, saying he was a monkey because he climbed up on top of the roof and built it all himself. They seemed to have a very warm and loving relationship. Even their dog was sweet. Nelsy said that he usually barks at strangers and she was surprised that he didn’t bark at us. Her Father showed us how their dog could ‘shake hands’ and I rewarded him with some scratching behind his ears.
We figured it was about time to go and I snapped a few pics. I could even see the ocean from Nelsy’s front yard! Gerald and I felt privileged to meet Nelsy’s family and be invited to their home. Nelsy is now starting her second year in college in Cancun. She wakes up every morning at 5:00 so that she can catch the 6:30 ferry over to Cancun and spend the day in class. Her grades were wonderful her freshman year, which is not surprising since she graduated from high school with nearly perfect grades. We feel lucky to be a small part of Nelsy's success story.
If you are interested in more information about the scholarship program, or are interested in becoming a sponsor for an Isla Student, please let me know. It costs less than you think and it makes a huge difference in someone's life.
Please don't forget my jewelry that I make from Sea Glass and shells collected on the island of Isla Mujeres. All proceeds go to pay for Nelsy's scholarship.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6323072
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Gerald and I are always happy when we get to meet up with our student, Nelsy, on the island. Each time we get to know each other a little bit better and we’ve learned that we all have a pretty goofy sense of humor, which transcends any language barriers. This time we didn’t have Maggie there to translate and I was very impressed at how well Nelsy did with her English.
We met at LGES and Nelsy presented me with some beautiful earrings that she had made for me! Last time we met up was in April and Nelsy, Maggie, and I discussed that we all make jewelry and I showed them some of my creations. Well, this time it was my turn to be impressed! Nelsy’s medium is the tiny seed beads that I can barely even see without my glasses. She had made two different types of earrings, one design shaped like a leaf and another design that is a small column with different colors of beads in a swirly pattern. They are beautifully made and I was so touched that she had made a pair especially for me that would go with black, because she knows I wear black all the time! She gave me a few pair of her earrings to sell on my website, too. (There are a few left, but a couple of pair didn’t even make it to the website before my friends snapped them up!)
From LGES, we went by Nelsy’s Aunt’s house, where her little cousin was sitting out front playing with his action figures. He reminded me of my own son at that age, in his own little world. Nelsy’s parents came out to meet us with big hugs and warm smiles. I know that they are so proud of Nelsy, as are we, and I am in awe of the parenting skills they possess to be able to raise such a wonderful child. (Their younger daughter, Conchi, is a gem, as well. Unfortunately, she was in class that day and we didn’t get to see her). They asked if we wanted to see their home in Guadalupana and I was very excited at the opportunity. Many people refer to this new Colonia as “Squatterville”, but it’s now been around for almost five years and from what I understand, it’s going to become an official Colonia soon.
Gerald, Nelsy and I hopped on our golf cart and followed her parents on their moto South on the Caribbean road, the ocean stretching out to forever in the brilliant sun. We turned into Guadalupana and giggled as we avoided huge potholes and made our way up to the tidy rows of houses.
Tidy rows of homes and the minisuper at the end
Nelsy pointed out the Mini Super, which was painted bright turquoise and then we arrived at her house.
Her father had built the house by himself and I was so impressed with what a fantastic job he had done. It was sturdy, neat, and absolutely amazing! They have a really nice little fenced yard and a great window on the front of the house.
Nelsy with her parents and their dog in front of their home
Nelsy’s Mother showed me all of her beautiful flowering shrubs in the yard, and gave me a flower sample from each. What a green thumb she has! An empty 2 liter Coke bottle hung on its’ side from the gate, with a big hole cut in it and filled with potting soil as a makeshift container for a little starter plant. How resourceful! All of the yards were filled with flowering plants and had fences of one kind or other. Everything looked neat and tidy.
Nelsy's Aunt and cousin
Another of Nelsy’s Aunts and a cousin came by to say hi and Nelsy joked around with her Father, saying he was a monkey because he climbed up on top of the roof and built it all himself. They seemed to have a very warm and loving relationship. Even their dog was sweet. Nelsy said that he usually barks at strangers and she was surprised that he didn’t bark at us. Her Father showed us how their dog could ‘shake hands’ and I rewarded him with some scratching behind his ears.
We figured it was about time to go and I snapped a few pics. I could even see the ocean from Nelsy’s front yard! Gerald and I felt privileged to meet Nelsy’s family and be invited to their home. Nelsy is now starting her second year in college in Cancun. She wakes up every morning at 5:00 so that she can catch the 6:30 ferry over to Cancun and spend the day in class. Her grades were wonderful her freshman year, which is not surprising since she graduated from high school with nearly perfect grades. We feel lucky to be a small part of Nelsy's success story.
If you are interested in more information about the scholarship program, or are interested in becoming a sponsor for an Isla Student, please let me know. It costs less than you think and it makes a huge difference in someone's life.
Please don't forget my jewelry that I make from Sea Glass and shells collected on the island of Isla Mujeres. All proceeds go to pay for Nelsy's scholarship.
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6323072
1 comment:
Wow - it looks like they have done more work on both their house and the village since we visited Nelsy in December. And I don't think the market was down the street then either! We haven't had the opportunity to meet Dad yet, but Mom is an angel!
Thanks for the pictures and update!
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