Adolfo López Mateos Elementary
Here one of the elementary schools where Journey North has had a lot of fun visiting. Children and teachers welcome the program every year in a really warm way. Having them receive their Ambassador butterflies and letters enlightens their faces. As soon as they see the white VW arriving they run and shout to each other "the butterflies with our letters have arrived"!

Having them open their letters, seeing the map which points the far distance each Ambassador butterfly and letter comes from, is hearin exlamations like "Wow", is it possible that this letter and gift comes from so far away?" "How do they do to send it"?. The moment I tell them their letters even travel most of the distance by plane, they cannot believe it! Their faces remain paralized for some seconds.

Teachers enjoy very much seeing them run, share, comment, shout, jump when they receive every gift and letter and read every friendship sentence!.

This time, once we finished, and I prepared to say good bye, it was already leaving time for them, and it was just not possible to say good bye to each other! They ran to me, circled Rocinante, jammed with each other to get on with me, and ... well I just enjoyed being kidnapped with Rocinante in this way by them and let them come in and do what they wanted (only very carefully starting and driving the car in order not to cause an accident!, very dangerous!!!)... and could have wished this would have last longer and would keep it in my mind as it will certainly be as many other similar experiences I get everyday.

May the pictures describe a little more of the emotions I lived in this school!

The families of children in this community have full rights on the “Sierra Chincua” Sanctuary. Historically, they were assigned this territory as an ejido. Every morning, parents and grandparents leave in their trucks with their families, wives, children and even grandchildren to work at the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary. It's about 10-12 km. from their own community and borders the State of México, the neighbouring state to Michoacán.  

Butterflies Received
This school received Ambassador Butterflies from the following U.S. and Canadian Schools:

Lincoln Heights Elementary, Fuquay Varina, NC
Prairie View Elementary, Cedar Rapids, IA
Fishweir Elementary, Jacksonville, FL
Lang Ranch Elementary, Thousand Oaks, CA
Highview Elementary, Nanuet, NY
West Morgan Elementary, Trinity, AL
West Morgan Elementary, Trinity, AL
West Morgan Elementary, Trinity, AL
Bankston Elementary, Greenwood, MS
Allyson Day School, West Des Moines, IA
Clayton Bradley Academy, Maryville, TN
Clayton Bradley Academy, Maryville, TN
Orchard View School, Middlebury, IN
Bankston Elementary, Greenwood, MS
Chappell Elementary, Green Bay, WI
Harper Park Middle School, Leesburg, VA
Harper Park Middle School, Leesburg, VA
Lincoln Heights Elementary, Fuquay Varina, NC
Lincoln Heights Elementary, Fuquay Varina, NC
Lincoln Elementary, Elk River, MN
Lincoln Elementary, Elk River, MN
Meadowvale Elementary, Elk River, MN
Meadowvale Elementary, Elk River, MN
Meadowvale Elementary, Elk River, MN
Lincoln Elementary, Elk River, MN
Zimmerman Elementary, Zimmerman, MN
Zimmerman Elementary, Zimmerman, MN
Zimmerman Elementary, Zimmerman, MN
Zimmerman Elementary, Zimmerman, MN