Quick-ish update of Sept/Oct

Sorry, for falling behind on my bi-monthly posts. We are already in the end of November, I can't believe it. I was in the states for 3 weeks at the end of September into the first part of October. I was able to spend 2 weeks with my family, surprise my dad for his 70th birthday and I spent 1 week visiting friends in LA. I also attended my year-end apprenticeship retreat with others who have completed their first year with InnerCHANGE. We were from 5 different teams, Guatemala, Miami, Minneapolis, San Fransisco and LA. It was a time to reflect on the last year together, hear each others experiences and take a break from our context. I was super blessed, encouraged and refreshed going into my second year. Even though we don't work directly with each other it was such a joy to be with like minded people.

When I returned to Guatemala, the school year had finished. The kids are out of school until mid-January which has opened up our schedule quite a bit. We have kept some weekly rhythms like bible study and games in the park on Fridays, but it has also allowed for some spontaneity. I have tried to have lunch with various families each week over the last month and found myself playing every possible form of tag for hours in the park.  I finally found a used bookstore and bought a few kids books, so I have spent some one on one time reading together with kids who are in the park with their parents. I have enjoyed the unplanned and unscheduled time to play, chat or just hang out for awhile with no real plans.

Hector, the 16 year old who was living with me moved out and has decided to live with a family he knows from the park. Another young man, Pedro, moved in a couple weeks ago. He is 21, with a full-time job and is studying in university. He had previously lived with my teammate Chris before Chris got married this summer. He has been part of the community for several years and met German and Karla when he was working in the park. He came to Xela from a village about 2 hours away when he was much younger. A couple months ago, as a team we visited his home and met his grandparents who raised him. It has been a blessing to have him live with me and support him in this practical way.

July

July was full of various trainings that our team has received on various topics. We had a follow-up session on the opportunity to visit and work in the jails. There has been a change in leadership and we have had to get permission and clearance to enter, from people in Guatemala City. We are still waiting on the ok but have been praying if we want to do a formal bible study or do more informal types of visits to build relationships and get to know the women or men inside. I personally have never visited a jail here or in the states so it would be my first time working in this type of environment. I'm open and curious but also imagine I would have a lot to learn.

We had a two-day training on Restoratives Practices and how they are used in small groups and to resolve conflict. It touches a bit on the theme of restorative justice, but it is much more than that and is something we hope to put into practice with the kids and families we work with. You can use small groups to touch on themes such as bullying, self-esteem, discipline, parenting etc. It is all about creating an environment where people feel seen, heard and known. I think it is something that could serve us well, but besides tutoring we also hope to help these kids develop socially, mentally and emotionally.

The training we had today touched on the topic of parenting and how we can support the parents. From sharing with them skills and knowledge to also creating space for them to feel supported. Whether it be in a workshop or support group, all the parents we know could benefit from both practical information and emotional support.

We continue to seek ways to help and support the families we work with. Obviously education is important for the kids, but there are so many other needs we encounter as we build relationships and spend time with them. We are constantly learning how to best serve and love all those we encounter.

El Salvador

We continued our Central American tour with two days in El Salvador after visiting Honduras (see post below). Jose joined us because he grew up there during the civil war and gave us a tour of people and places significant during this time. We first visited many places associated with Monseñor Oscar Romero. He was a catholic archbishop who had become a voice for the poor and indigenous people. He was someone who was speaking out against injustice and calling for peace, but was murdered while giving a mass by the army. We also visited the cathedral where they held his funeral with 70,000 people in attendance. Jose was there that day with his younger brother and dad when the army started shooting down on the crowd form surrounding rooftops. Around 200 people were killed that day and Jose described the fear, panic, confusion and courage of many. Many people flooded into the cathedral to find refugee and safety, while the body of Monseñor Romero was rushed quickly inside to be buried out of fear the army would try to take it.  

Jose joined the opposition to fight against the army and government who were accused of several massacres of civilians in various villages. Religious leaders were also targeted who spoke out against the injustice. Priests and nuns were killed in their homes, while attending meetings, performing mass, gunned down in the street etc. We visited a museum of martyrs which included the spiritual mentor of Jose, Mother Sylvia who was killed by the army for her support of the opposition. Jose told us of death squads that would round up all the leaders from the village and kill them, hoping to deter others from joining the opposition, but it had the opposite effect. There are also accounts of kids being kidnapped at age 12 and being used by the army as soldiers. It was a terrible time in the history of El Salvador and unfortunately similar things happened in Guatemala during the civil war here. However, it was a privilege to hear Jose's stories and experiences and honor those that died for their faith.

Honduras

Some of our team, including me got to visit the InnerCHANGE team that works in Honduras. It consists officially of a couple who have been with IC for over 20 years. He is from El Salvador and she is from Mexico and they started their journey with IC in San Fransisco. Now they are working in a poor neighborhood up in the hills above the capital city, that was built in 1998 after the devastation of Hurricane Mitch. As the population grows, houses are built further and further up the hill/mountain. The roads are unmaintained and luckily we had a truck with 4-wheel drive. There are still places without electricity and running water and not a single doctor for tens of thousands of people. It is a very under-served community, but we visited an awesome youth center in the neighborhood, Jose and Celida are helping to build a new church and school. Celida and volunteers cook twice a week for kids who most likely eat very little day to day or sometimes nothing at all. The view of the city is amazing from that high up, both during the day and at night. It was an honor to see their ministry, neighborhood and hear their hopes and dreams. 

We also held a half-day activity for a few people who live in the same neighborhood as Celida and Jose and are interested in joining the team there. They are young people that are already involved in many ways in the community, but would officially join and be mentored by the IC family. I was encouraged by how these awesome people with a passion for their own community are discerning a call to join and serve as missionaries. It isn't just about the work we do, but the work we allow God to do in us. 

We spent a whole day visiting the family of a now grown man, who met IC people 20 years who were working in SF when he immigrated to the states. He has been waiting to take them to visit his hometown and meet his family for 15 years. It was out in the country and home to several young people that the IC team met in SF when they were working with gang members and in juvenile hall. It was a town that a good number of young people have and continue to leave, for the US. We were gifted with breakfast, lunch, snacks, fresh mangos and lemons from their fruit trees. We dropped by 5 homes and ran out of time to visit 2 more. At the last house they gave us two live chickens that would become a very tasty soup the next day. The hospitality was unmatched and an honor to receive. 

When kids get to be kids

This was a pretty full month for us. Each of us took a two day personal retreat at various times throughout the month and then we ended last week with a team retreat. Our time was spent reflecting on the past, visioning for the future and getting to know each other better. It was our first time away as a team of 7 and my first team retreat. The team here in Xela has been around for 11 years and is starting to enter new frontier with our work with girls and their families. This month we had two activities with the kids outside of our "normal" schedule. We had a chance to take almost 30 kids to play soccer thanks to a group visiting from the states. Everyone was super excited and some of the girls showed up with matching pony tails and color-coordinated outfits. We kept rotating all the kids between the teenage boys and the little 6-7 yr olds so everyone got a chance to play. As a team we realized how important and fun it was for them to have an opportunity to do something outside of their normal routine. Following up on this, yesterday Liz, Chris and I took some of the older girls to play some arcade games in the mall and eat ice cream. Again, they had lots of energy due to their excitement and enjoyed this special outing. While it might seem normal to see a group of pre-teen girls hanging out at the mall, these girls spend 7 days a week working or taking care of siblings. An outing like this is a rare opportunity. A couple hours to act their age, run around laughing and being silly is a fun gift to give them.  We are hoping to do something similar with the younger ones because we have about 7 kids under the age of 9.

Also this month we had a team activity for the community to help raise awareness about the risks of child labor. Each member of the team focused on an area of risk including, teenage pregnancy, human trafficking, crime/violence, sexual harassment, absence from school, drug/alcohol abuse and my topic was child prostitution. We each did research on our topic and were ready to share with passer-byers. It was important to us not just to share statistics, but also share stories of hope from our work with the kids in the park. Helping to humanize the children who are forced to work sometimes starting at the age of 5 or 6 due to economic reasons and sharing that despite this, with love and support they can have a better future and can be an exception to the statistics.  This is why we do the work we do.

It is the little things

Over the last 7 months here I have learned that the little things matter. The question that circulates regularly through my mind is “Am I doing enough?” Trying to talk to people in the park sometimes meant we stood in silence, sometimes we sat in silence, but we did it together admittedly awkwardly. The people I stop to acknowledge in the park are often viewed more as scenery and less as people. Usually selling things and easily brushed of by others, I would stop and acknowledge their existence as a human, valuable to me and to God.  Even if I don’t have much to say I’ll stop if just for a moment to say hi to a friend.  This little thing matters.

A lot of our ministry and even the culture centers around hospitality. I have a house with a good size kitchen and a nice table that I wish was full a little more often. Lunch is the big meal here usually served with a form of meat, rice, veggies and of course tortillas. I have space for guests and the resources to make sure anyone who eats in my house can eat until they are full. Sometimes for families that work in the park there is not enough food for the families or the kids. In my home, there is enough food for people to have as much as they need or like. For people I share meals with, it is my gift to them. This little thing matters.

As a team we offer friendships and relationships that are safe and free of violence or abuse. Domestic abuse and child abuse are in nearly every home. We offer examples of marriages, family and friendships that are free from these things. We provide places where kids can spend time without experiencing violence and can feel sincere love, free of abuse.  We hope the kids we know feel safe, appreciated, valued, loved and encouraged when they spend time with us. We are positive loving adults in their lives without the presence of any form of abuse. This little thing matters.

Semana Santa/Holy Week/Easter

I learned here that the celebration of Easter lasts a whole week and is used by most to travel with family. There are a variety of parades passing through the city, depicting parts of the Easter Story throughout the week, but I was only able to catch one on Friday. People carried a giant statue of Jesus being carried to the grave, complete with a marching band following closely behind. In some smaller towns they have their own traditions such as running through town looking for Judas and then eventually hanging an effigy of him. It one form or another people spend the week re-telling the story Jesus from Palm Sunday, to Resurrection Sunday.

I was able to spend the weekend in Panajachel with a friend. It is on Lake Atitlan which is a gorgeous lake surrounded by 3 volcanoes about 2 hours away from Xela. It was very crowded with concerts, party boats and parties being hosted by beer companies. Probably the closest I will ever get to spring break in Mexico :) There were so many types of handicrafts being sold. The main drag was a giant outdoor market, with restaurants and coffee shops scattered in between. The lake is surrounded by lots of little towns with water taxi's carrying people between them. I know some towns are smaller and more isolated and other are lager and more touristy, but the lake view is hard to beat from wherever you are.

I have finished my Spanish classes in the morning and will now have some free time before our afternoon tutoring with the kids. Some of the time hopefully will be spent getting more physical activity, something that I have been craving, either at a gym, class or outdoors. I will also be able to dedicate my time fully to team and ministry things. Some of that will be team activities/meetings in the morning and some of it is still to be determined.  I'm excited to see what this new mini-chapter will look like as I continue to immerse myself in my new surroundings.

Valentine's Day and a new roommate

For once I celebrated Valentine's Day!! Here is it the day of love and friendship so everyone is included! We had a team dinner and small gift exchange. The kids from tutoring surprised my team with a party that they organized themselves. I gave and received some chocolate so this tradition is the same, but it is fun to be able to celebrate yours friends too. This way single people are included :)

Later that night I received some sad news that a teacher at my school had passed away suddenly. I didn't know him very well, but my school isn't very big, 6 teachers or so, so it hit everyone hard. Here they have the wake right away and it was held at my school all through the night until the next day which was the burial. The casket is not open, but there is a window built into it so people can see the face and say their goodbyes or grieve. Here the family of the deceased serves food to all the guests that come to the house or this case the school for the wake. I was explaining to my friend and the other teachers that it is the opposite in the states because everyone brings food for the family so they don't have to cook. There is a large procession to the cemetery with the crowd of people walking behind the casket which is either being carried or driven slowly in a van. There is a small ceremony or prayer time and then the person is buried right then and there, probably less than 24hrs after they died.

I also have a temporary roommate. One of the guys we know from the park who shines shoes needed a place to stay. He is 15, works all day in the park and eats his meals over at my teammate's house. He has become part of our IC family and is hoping he can go back to school soon. He is chill and respectful and I have only had to tell him to clean his bathroom and do his laundry :) His mom passed away and his dad abandoned the family. He has younger siblings who are living with his grandma 2 hours away in a small village and he sends money to her to help take care of his siblings. I know he feels a lot of responsibility to take care of them. Hopefully with some support this will be a good step in the right direction for him towards a more hopeful future.

A Mayan Ceremony

I was invited to a Mayan ceremony/ritual by the owner of my school. My teacher and I both went and it was the first time for both of us. It was quite the experience. First, we hiked a little ways through the hills to find a stone altar. There were about 20 people with us and these altars which are made specifically for different types of Mayan ceremonies. They decorated the altar which also had a cross, with flowers, and food including chocolate, bread and a type of traditional rice drink. Next they formed a large circle with pieces of wood and some type of material that would burn. The circle was filled with some food, gum, they sprinkled sugar, placed more chocolate and bread on top to form a small pile. Around the outside were different colors of flowers representing different elements of the earth. The final thing before they set it all on fire was the lamb. Yep, I witnessed my first animal sacrifice. I won't go into detail, but it was alive when they started, cut into pieces, placed on the pile and finally burned with the rest of the things. While the large fire was burning there were lots of types of prayers and petitions and the lady who I came with had to walk/dance around the fire 13 times. It was a ceremony for her because she was being given the gift/job of becoming a shaman of sorts. At one point she had to hold the head of the sheep and later its heart, but I'm not sure what meaning this part had. People threw different colored candles into the fire, sugar, alcohol all representing a different type of petition I think as the leader instructed/prayed. The ceremony lasted about 3 hours total until everything had burned and then we had a snack afterwards. It was definitely a new experience for me and something I didn't not expect, but I was glad I had the opportunity. Chalk it up to a new cultural experience. Mayan Ritual. Check.

Orientation here in Xela

This whole week we hosted an Apprenticeship Orientation here in Xela. It is the orientation for people who are committing to at least a year with an IC team. Mine was held in San Francisco before I came to Guatemala. It was the first ever one in Spanish and held here in Latin America. We had guests from Honduras, Venezuela, and our IC Directors from England. It was a week full of learning, reflection, and celebration as 3 new missionaries joined our team here in Xela. All of them are from here,  Liz, who is the finance of Chris, Yudi, who is the sister of German and Julio who is Yudi's son. We are now a officially a team of 7!

Unfortunately last week there was also a shooting near the park in the middle of the afternoon. One man was killed, and one woman was injured. There were many kids and families that we work with who also witnessed what happened. Many are still traumatized and scared. The man left behind 4 kids and the woman is the daughter-in-law of a family we work with. As things settle down this week and our schedule returns back to normal to please for our connections and relationship with those we know in the park affected by this tragedy. 

A fun thing they do for birthdays here is wake up the person early with firecrackers and singing. This week, I got to participate in this fun little gathering and afterwards we had hot chocolate and pastries. A not so fun thing they do for your birthday in Honduras is throw raw eggs at you. I prefer Guatemala. 

On the last day of orientation we all went to some hot springs about 45 outside of Xela. While the water wasn't super hot, I guess now isn't the best season, I enjoyed being in the water and the surrounding area was lush, green and beautiful. 

Happy New Year!

From December..

I'm late updating late this month because unfortunately I was sick two different times. The first time was earlier this month when I contracted the inevitable stomach/intestinal infection. After a couple weeks I finally got some antibiotics which helped a lot. Then last week leading up to Xmas I caught a bad cold and was pretty much in bed for 4 days. I'm still staying with a family so they graciously cooked me soup and toast for a few days. By the 24th, Christmas Eve which is when they celebrate here I had enough energy to be present for the activities which included a late night party with homemade tamales, music, dancing, a gift exchange and fireworks at midnight. The whole neighborhood was lit up with fireworks which we watched from a balcony, then the games began and the party was just getting started. I made it until about 1:30am but everyone was going strong when I went to bed.

Before I got sick Liz and I hosted a sugar cookie making party for some girls who work in the park. We baked together and decorated them with frosting and sprinkles. It was a fun holiday activity for the girls and who doesn't love sugar cookies. We took over Chris's house with 11 people plus Liz and I. Hopefully when I am able to rent a house I'll have the space to host events like this. McDonalds hosted pictures with Santa in the park and they gave free pictures to some of the kids we worked with. We walked around telling who we could and gathering up the kiddos. They were super cute and really excited about getting their own printed photo with Santa. It was a huge blessing to them. It was fun to see them celebrate in this small way we take for granted.

I plan to spend New Years with my friend/spanish teacher who is with her family about 2 hours from here. She lives closer to the coast so the weather is much warmer and more humid then here. It will just be for a few days, but I'm looking forward to a change of scenery and change of weather :) I get nostalgic towards the end of the year because I enjoy the reflection of the past year and the anticipation of the next. I'm thankful for so many things and all of the experiences I had with friends and family.  I forget how much can happen in a year, like moving to Guatemala! Whether it is the end or beginning or both I hope this next year greets you with joy, hope and strength.