Rain, Rain, and more Rain!

Coming from Wisconsin, it was fairly customary to have 1 to 3 days per winter when school was not in session due to heavy snowfall that made traveling difficult and unsafe.  These days were called snow days, and as a child I always looked forward to them.  In Sayulita, however, snow days do not exist.  Instead, there are rain days.

As it is currently the rainy season in Sayulita, last night we had a very heavy rainstorm.  There was not much thunder or lightning, but there sure was a lot of rain!  It poured and poured all night long.  It rained so much that the roof on our house started leaking, and we had pots and pans to keep the floor from getting too wet.  While I was walking to school in the morning, the water on the sidewalks and streets was so deep that I needed to take off my shoes and walk barefoot; it was up to my ankles!

Once at the school, I quickly asked if school was still going to be in session.  From past experience, I had learned that when the rain is too heavy many roads shut down due to high water content and slippery conditions.  Because most of the roads are cobblestone or dirt, rocks and mud quickly become slippery when it rains a lot.  In addition, because Sayulita is located right next to a river, the river can become dangerously high very quickly.  The verdict of the school day was that there was going to be a two-hour delay due to the rain.  Therefore, school was supposed to start at 10 a.m.  Unlike in the United States, it is difficult to make this information known to families.  Cells phone and internet usage was extremely spotty due to the heavy rainfall.

After doing our best to contact families about the two-hour delay, the rain still had not lightened up and the water on the streets was still very high.  Therefore, a decision was made that school would be canceled, and we would have a rain day.  As I was passing the river on my way home, I could see why it is important to be careful about the rain here.  The river had risen a tremendous amount in one night and had developed a current that was mighty.

Despite the heavy rain, it touched my heart to see how many families still made the dangerous trek into Sayulita to drop their children off at Costa Verde School before they knew about the delay and later on, the cancelation.  Many of the students at the school do not live in Sayulita but in surrounding areas that can be at least 30 minutes away.  It was great to see just how much parents and students value their education and their attendance at school.  It is a blessing to have faithful families and students as a teacher!

The deep water covering the roads!

Pots and pans to keep water off the floor of our house!

Mr. Squegeey...our best friend at the school!