July 22, 2013
A juxtaposition day names today well. We culminated our trip in la campa this afternoon and returned to San Salvador in an air conditioned bus. Whoa! As one member said upon arriving at the guest house, "It's like the Taj Mahal." Fans in our room, flushing toilets, fixed walls and lights, and edible food no matter its temperature (outside the guesthouse, fresh veggies are out.) So the final hours in El Paisnal were bittersweet for some of us. This connection with the Sister Church is the reason many of us came down, but the heat and the conditions are pressing us too. I enjoyed my time there, but I was ready for the next leg of the adventure. I'm grateful my Spanish stuck with me especially in places where the English knowledge was very low.
This evening with city sounds, quieter in some ways than those of the country were a nice change as we put our thoughts together and gathered for our first reflection time. By the end of the week, reflection time might become our favorite part.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Domingo Mejor (Sunday Best)
July 21, 2013
Domingo- there is nothing like it in El Paisnal. A Catholic church dominates the "downtown" corner of this small village with its tangerine edifice and scary looking blonde Jesus on the front doors. Apart from Sunday mass, the church serves as a place to pray and that's about it. Buenas Nuevas is the other iglesia (church) in El Paisnal.
Churches and its representatives, especially priests, have an interesting relationship in El Salvador. During the late 1970s before the civil war in El Salvador officially began, priests were falling into (choosing) two camps. One camp sided with the government and therefore the priests turned a blind eye to the oppression and violence occurring all around them and to their fellow countrymen. The others sided with the people, but these priests were few and far between because a) they didn't have the courage b) they were "disappeared" or c) they were killed. El Paisnal is a community that felt the daily suffering of the war which included many deaths and disappeared men and even families. Rutilio Grande was one such priest, prominent throughout the Catholic establishment but especially vocal against the atrocities of the government. He grew up in El Paisnal and often returned to celebrate mass at the church since their was no assigned priest at the time. So upon a trip home, snipers killed him and two others in 1977. From this time and into the war, the orange Catholic church shut its doors, wanting to reduce any fear or assumptions that it would be used by the government against the campasitas (country people). Buenas Nuevas church with Pastor Chema existed in a small capacity as far as a infrastructure was concerned, but to this day, he and the church people live church IN their community, supporting and uplifting the people from their suffering.
This Sunday was no different to the mission of the church. The new English teacher, Marvin, has really connected with the kids by taking them to the park on Sunday morning. According to him, no one takes the children to the park and for him to invest the time and energy to toss a Frisbee creates great bonds. Our group joined the kids and Marvin on a very hot and humid morning to throw Frisbees and play baseball. It was welcome recreation despite the heat (and my long skirt) especially since we had lunch quickly to follow. In the midst of being with people, meals and sitting become the norm.
Sunday service at 3pm could have been a real snore (hot and post lunch sitting) but our involvement singing/leading music (two songs in English and Spanish), Gregg's powerful sermon, prayer of blessing over our delegation and communion, the service ended up being very memorable. The experience of sharing the Lord's prayer no matter what the language or communion no matter what the denominational affiliation created a real bond between us.
This night Mac and I stayed at a different family's home. This family had 15 children, many living at home still or if not, replaced by grandchildren. Either way, we met a lot of people, showed pictures of our small families and sang songs in Spanish and English...kind of. Their home was one big room the size of a typical living room with 6 large raised straw mats for beds, oh and a hammock. They gave Mac and I each a bed while the small ones and a big one slept together. I think one double size bed had 3 or 4 people on it. The mom and 3 year old daughter slept in the hammock together from 8:30pm-4am. Mac and I didn't get up that early, but when we did, the others had already prepared meals and began the day. The "kitchen" consisted of a couple thin walls and tin roof adjacent to the cinder block home. With little to offer in way of morning prep contribution, we played with a jump rope, snaking it on the ground for the little ones to jump. Oh the glee was so beautiful to see. I want to bring joy to their life, and I think being able to host provided that despite the hardship it created. That's a testament of love- tangible and explicate this trip.
Domingo- there is nothing like it in El Paisnal. A Catholic church dominates the "downtown" corner of this small village with its tangerine edifice and scary looking blonde Jesus on the front doors. Apart from Sunday mass, the church serves as a place to pray and that's about it. Buenas Nuevas is the other iglesia (church) in El Paisnal.
Churches and its representatives, especially priests, have an interesting relationship in El Salvador. During the late 1970s before the civil war in El Salvador officially began, priests were falling into (choosing) two camps. One camp sided with the government and therefore the priests turned a blind eye to the oppression and violence occurring all around them and to their fellow countrymen. The others sided with the people, but these priests were few and far between because a) they didn't have the courage b) they were "disappeared" or c) they were killed. El Paisnal is a community that felt the daily suffering of the war which included many deaths and disappeared men and even families. Rutilio Grande was one such priest, prominent throughout the Catholic establishment but especially vocal against the atrocities of the government. He grew up in El Paisnal and often returned to celebrate mass at the church since their was no assigned priest at the time. So upon a trip home, snipers killed him and two others in 1977. From this time and into the war, the orange Catholic church shut its doors, wanting to reduce any fear or assumptions that it would be used by the government against the campasitas (country people). Buenas Nuevas church with Pastor Chema existed in a small capacity as far as a infrastructure was concerned, but to this day, he and the church people live church IN their community, supporting and uplifting the people from their suffering.
This Sunday was no different to the mission of the church. The new English teacher, Marvin, has really connected with the kids by taking them to the park on Sunday morning. According to him, no one takes the children to the park and for him to invest the time and energy to toss a Frisbee creates great bonds. Our group joined the kids and Marvin on a very hot and humid morning to throw Frisbees and play baseball. It was welcome recreation despite the heat (and my long skirt) especially since we had lunch quickly to follow. In the midst of being with people, meals and sitting become the norm.
Sunday service at 3pm could have been a real snore (hot and post lunch sitting) but our involvement singing/leading music (two songs in English and Spanish), Gregg's powerful sermon, prayer of blessing over our delegation and communion, the service ended up being very memorable. The experience of sharing the Lord's prayer no matter what the language or communion no matter what the denominational affiliation created a real bond between us.
This night Mac and I stayed at a different family's home. This family had 15 children, many living at home still or if not, replaced by grandchildren. Either way, we met a lot of people, showed pictures of our small families and sang songs in Spanish and English...kind of. Their home was one big room the size of a typical living room with 6 large raised straw mats for beds, oh and a hammock. They gave Mac and I each a bed while the small ones and a big one slept together. I think one double size bed had 3 or 4 people on it. The mom and 3 year old daughter slept in the hammock together from 8:30pm-4am. Mac and I didn't get up that early, but when we did, the others had already prepared meals and began the day. The "kitchen" consisted of a couple thin walls and tin roof adjacent to the cinder block home. With little to offer in way of morning prep contribution, we played with a jump rope, snaking it on the ground for the little ones to jump. Oh the glee was so beautiful to see. I want to bring joy to their life, and I think being able to host provided that despite the hardship it created. That's a testament of love- tangible and explicate this trip.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Sister Church, Born of the Same Father
July 20, 2013
Welcome Everybody! This English greeting spoke volumes of the brothers and sisters of Buenas Nuevas Church in El Paisnal. The hugs, warm greetings of gratitude for our presence and partnership, and a sweet cup of fresh fruit for each of us invoked the beginning of genuine hospitality and delight for the nine "gringos." This sister church of Covenant UMC was greeting friends from another land, people they didn't know but hearts they did know. The beating of those hearts has been of one accord with Buenas Nuevas for the last 23 years so this reunion only reinforced the connection.
El Paisnal is a small country village north of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. Like most campas (country towns) El Paisnal experienced a great deal of poverty, unemployment, absentee fathers, and very few educational opportunities not to mention the lack of interest from many families. However, this campa also featured deep connection with each other, especially through the church. Buenas Nuevas provides English and computer classes on the weekend for kids and adults, time to play in the park as kids should but never get to otherwise, and scholarship funds for 73 children both from the church and not. And so this community bond extended to us this warm (way hot and humid) Saturday afternoon. We partnered with the youth to make 3 cajones and hand drums and with the kids to make Easter egg shakers, color with chalk and blow bubbles. The camaraderie we felt with them felt very much like brothers and sisters playing together, sharing resources to make and do really fabulous things.
We paired up at night to venture off deeper into the neighborhood to spend the evening (which gets dark at 6:30) host families, most of whom didn't speak any English. I was grateful for my partner because Mac and I surprisingly speak ok Spanish, but when words don't come, our actions, sounds, and laughter make up for it. Plus, we took Skip-Bo to play with the family of 2 children and mom and dad. We all practiced our numbers and phrases for "It's your turn." or "Discard!" The sheets that separated the garage size house into rooms provided us privacy, but we were very aware of their care covering us.
Welcome Everybody! This English greeting spoke volumes of the brothers and sisters of Buenas Nuevas Church in El Paisnal. The hugs, warm greetings of gratitude for our presence and partnership, and a sweet cup of fresh fruit for each of us invoked the beginning of genuine hospitality and delight for the nine "gringos." This sister church of Covenant UMC was greeting friends from another land, people they didn't know but hearts they did know. The beating of those hearts has been of one accord with Buenas Nuevas for the last 23 years so this reunion only reinforced the connection.
El Paisnal is a small country village north of San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador. Like most campas (country towns) El Paisnal experienced a great deal of poverty, unemployment, absentee fathers, and very few educational opportunities not to mention the lack of interest from many families. However, this campa also featured deep connection with each other, especially through the church. Buenas Nuevas provides English and computer classes on the weekend for kids and adults, time to play in the park as kids should but never get to otherwise, and scholarship funds for 73 children both from the church and not. And so this community bond extended to us this warm (way hot and humid) Saturday afternoon. We partnered with the youth to make 3 cajones and hand drums and with the kids to make Easter egg shakers, color with chalk and blow bubbles. The camaraderie we felt with them felt very much like brothers and sisters playing together, sharing resources to make and do really fabulous things.
We paired up at night to venture off deeper into the neighborhood to spend the evening (which gets dark at 6:30) host families, most of whom didn't speak any English. I was grateful for my partner because Mac and I surprisingly speak ok Spanish, but when words don't come, our actions, sounds, and laughter make up for it. Plus, we took Skip-Bo to play with the family of 2 children and mom and dad. We all practiced our numbers and phrases for "It's your turn." or "Discard!" The sheets that separated the garage size house into rooms provided us privacy, but we were very aware of their care covering us.
Plane stretches
July 19, 2013
2:37am Creep out of bed, into the last warm shower for ten days.
3:43am Meet group with extra exuberance especially after hugging Angelika, my favorite German lady
7:13am Fall asleep on a parked plane that was suppose to leave at 6am, hence the extra early arrival for the international flight
12:06: Next flight out of Denver (no problem catching a new flight)
5:43: Eat Bourbon chicken and Diet soda with ice (both of which will be non-existent in Central America)
9:31pm(MST) Pass into El Salvador, my home away from home for an experience of fellowship, cultural encounters, and a transformation of my heart
Along with my brave husband and 7 other friends from Covenant UMC and Whitworth Presbyterian, I have come on this unique trip to visit Covenant's Sister Church and encounter El Salvador. The plane stretches worked out great- no cramps in my legs and easy connection in each airport. Despite the uncertainty of missing our first connection in Denver, things worked out in even better ways. I have a feeling this will be a theme for us. And so far, flexibility has been an abundant trait amongst us. God knows we'll have opportunities to practice flexibility some more.
2:37am Creep out of bed, into the last warm shower for ten days.
3:43am Meet group with extra exuberance especially after hugging Angelika, my favorite German lady
7:13am Fall asleep on a parked plane that was suppose to leave at 6am, hence the extra early arrival for the international flight
12:06: Next flight out of Denver (no problem catching a new flight)
5:43: Eat Bourbon chicken and Diet soda with ice (both of which will be non-existent in Central America)
9:31pm(MST) Pass into El Salvador, my home away from home for an experience of fellowship, cultural encounters, and a transformation of my heart
Along with my brave husband and 7 other friends from Covenant UMC and Whitworth Presbyterian, I have come on this unique trip to visit Covenant's Sister Church and encounter El Salvador. The plane stretches worked out great- no cramps in my legs and easy connection in each airport. Despite the uncertainty of missing our first connection in Denver, things worked out in even better ways. I have a feeling this will be a theme for us. And so far, flexibility has been an abundant trait amongst us. God knows we'll have opportunities to practice flexibility some more.
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