mother/teacher/guidance counselor

From a mother/teacher/guidance counselor’s perspective, it has been a nightmare trying to get Ryan college credit in this country (either through AP testing or CLEP testing).  It is just another reminder that “we aren’t in Kansas anymore”.  Ryan took 2 CLEP tests while in the US last year and did well.  He’d love to take that type of test again but nowhere in Paraguay (or in Brazil or Argentina) do they offer those tests.  In Paraguay there is only one approved site for the AP test – the American school in Asuncion.  After several talks with their guidance counselor and a letter to the director, the school will only order tests their own students are signed up for.  They will order an extra for Ryan, but they will not order a different subject for Ryan.  This policy is frustrating because Ryan is not taking the same classes that their students are taking. In the end, Ryan decided to take a stab in the dark and sign up for three tests for which he hasn’t taken the courses.

Thankfully there was someone from the states coming this way and I was able to order prep materials.  Our team mate put them on the bus in Asuncion to be dropped off in our town (this is how we do things since there’s no mail delivery services).  Tuesday Jeff went to the gas station (aka bus stop) and waited two hours from 8-10pm for the bus which was supposed to arrive at 8:30.  It never came so Jeff came home.  It must have come through much later because the next day, upon inquiring, we learned it was in a town 1 ½ hours beyond our town.  That terminal said they would put our package on the bus Wednesday.  But it rained Wednesday and no buses traveled that day.  Thursday the roads were still too muddy for a bus to travel.  Friday Jeff was told by a worker at the bus terminal that he had physically put the package on the bus.  Jeff waited an hour for the bus but when it arrived there was no package for us.  Jeff was so frustrated after talking to the terminal worker who said they would not deliver a package to a town that did not have a proper terminal (ours doubles as a gas station). 

Thankfully Tuesday a team mate was coming to our town and was able to pick up our package and hand deliver it to us.  Ryan is now hard at work studying. He will take three AP tests beginning of May and the SAT beginning of June.  I am always so blessed by this guy’s diligence.