Ok, first of all, I need to apologize for the title of this post. Al Gore did his bit, but it just fit just too well not to jump on that band wagon. Please just laugh a little and we will move forward.
As most of you know, I am going to Peru this August with the Presbyterian Church. I will be going with 5 girls from across the country (yea, I'm the only dude). For more information, please see my previous post. The reason for this message is that I must raise $9,000 for this trip. When I first learned of that sum, I felt very overwhelmed, but I feel that God has reminded me of how he is involved in my life. He helped me make it through my Whitworth education with minimal debt and I have no doubts that he will guide me in this process also. Therefore, my first realization about this process is that I cannot rely solely on outside giving. During this year "in a holding pattern," I have been saving money to pay down/off my student loans. Therefore, I am confident that I can provide over half the sum needed for my YAV year. I feel that it would be completely unfair for me to ask others to make financial sacrifices if I were not willing to do the same. If you would like to contribute, the easiest way is through the YAV web donation site. Simply click my name at the bottom of this page.
If financial giving is not your thing or you are unable to monitarily support me, I still want to thank you. By simply reading this blog, you are being interested in my life and I am so grateful for that. Please keep this entire experience in your thoughts and prayers. I am truly unable to express my excitement for this experience (3 words that begin with "ex" in one sentence, alliteration overload!!!!). Thank you for being in my life and please be in contact throughout the duration of the year because I want to know what is happening at home as well as you want to know about Peru. Thank you again and please be informed about YAV and its purposes through the YAV site. You are all fantastic.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Peru
As many of you know, I have been looking for a way to serve God and other people with my life. So I have been applying with various international development agencies and churches. I am very happy to say that I will be going to Peru with the Presbyterian Church's Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program. I will be heading out on August 24 for orientation and then will leave for Peru on August 31. I am so incredibly excited. I am very happy to have an answer to the "what are you doing with your life" question. There will be 5 other YAVs traveling with me to Peru, including Anna Gray who also went on the Central America Study Program in 2008. We will be living with families for the duration of the year and will be working with organizations through a network of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) called "holding hands." At this time I do not know exactly what work I will be doing or where I will be living, but the sites are in the general region around Lima (within a few hours busing). I have to thank all of you for being supportive of me in my persuits and ask that you will keep me, the other YAVs (in Peru and other sites), and the general movement toward a better future in your prayers. Thank you all for being in my life.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.pcusa.org/yav
For more information, please visit:
http://www.pcusa.org/yav
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Life is amazing
It has been a while since I've written. I don't have much to say in particular and am watching a little of the first round of the tourney before having to get ready for work.
First, I just have to say how fopeful I am for the new administration in El Salvador. I really hope that Funes will be able to step out of the mire that has held the political establishment of that country for the last 20 and/or 200 years. He talks big, with thoughts a on reconciliation and directly quoting Romero's dream of a "preferential option for the poor." Wow, I hope that pans out. Right now Cheri, Allyn, Travis, and Glen are down there. If I hear from them, I may add some of their thoughts.
As for me, I am still in the processes about doign stuff. I am flying to Louisville next week to interview for YAV. Specifically, I am interviewing for positions in Peru and Guatemala. I am really hoping for Peru. I am really excited about the programs that they are working with. I have read some of the blogs of the current YAVs there and it gets me really excited. I am a little less excited about Guatemala, not because of anything specific, but it is based out of Xela and I am a little less excited to go back to the town I've already been to. I know it is kinda stupid and that it would be awesome if that is where God wants me to go, but just thoughts I'm having.
Well, I have to fid a way to shower and be ready in the next 45 minutes, but can't turn off the TV because the Cal State Northridge-Memphis game is amazing. I LOVE MARCH!!!!
First, I just have to say how fopeful I am for the new administration in El Salvador. I really hope that Funes will be able to step out of the mire that has held the political establishment of that country for the last 20 and/or 200 years. He talks big, with thoughts a on reconciliation and directly quoting Romero's dream of a "preferential option for the poor." Wow, I hope that pans out. Right now Cheri, Allyn, Travis, and Glen are down there. If I hear from them, I may add some of their thoughts.
As for me, I am still in the processes about doign stuff. I am flying to Louisville next week to interview for YAV. Specifically, I am interviewing for positions in Peru and Guatemala. I am really hoping for Peru. I am really excited about the programs that they are working with. I have read some of the blogs of the current YAVs there and it gets me really excited. I am a little less excited about Guatemala, not because of anything specific, but it is based out of Xela and I am a little less excited to go back to the town I've already been to. I know it is kinda stupid and that it would be awesome if that is where God wants me to go, but just thoughts I'm having.
Well, I have to fid a way to shower and be ready in the next 45 minutes, but can't turn off the TV because the Cal State Northridge-Memphis game is amazing. I LOVE MARCH!!!!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Home
Hey,
I am sorry that this blog posting has taken so long to happen. The second week of the trip was a whirlwind and my last week here in Spokane has been very full of work, JVI applications, Andrew being in town, and having the internet break at our house. So, thanks to the bucks, I'm going to get this out before work in 17 minutes.
I think my last entry was the day before I was to leave San Salvador for Ilabasco to actually observe the elections. Friday morning we had a good lecture in SS about the economic status of the country. It was by one of the FMLN diputados. He apparently had basically written the agenda for Mauricio Funes (FMLN presidential candidate). It was a good lecture, but it did make me want to know more about the ARENA platform. I know that they have some ideas and that the party is completly evil (though that is how it seems to be more and more painted). I want to see how they are planning on moving the country forward. I know that my leaninings have been and will continue to be oriented toward the left of the country, but there has to be a reason for people to lean right. I know that no matter how much I disagree with something, people do actually believe that way for a reason.
That afternoon, we piled into busses and drove to Ilabasco. There we met an organization that was working to give artistic and technical training to local kids. The had an enourmous gang problem and they had helped to GREATLY reduce the violence by working with both sides. They were really well acclaimed and were doing great work. That night we continued our awkwardness when we had dinner at a lady's house. For an organization called Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad, we have not had enough exchange or solidarity. That has been frusterating, but that is probably because many of the group do not have the sufficent spanish to make this work.
Saturday morning we headed to a town called Victoria and visited Radio Victoria. It was a small community radio that had existed since the war. They were really cool and were devoted to making good radio for the community to get news. Good opportunities for local kids too. I love small operations like this. In the afternoon, we had more meetings with various elections officials and in the evening we went back to Ilabasco and met with the local Municipal Elections Board (JEM). They showed us the voting center for the town, which was 8 blocks of the street. There were going to be 98 tables (with 450 potential voters at each table = about 44,000 voters). There was a company that had been contracted by the government to set up each voting center in the country, but here they decided that they didn't like what they company had decided and opted to set it up the classic way, which was to put the tables in a long line and allow them to move back and forth to stay out of the sun. So, we helped set up the first table and Wayne (one of the other observers of whom I've got a few funny stories, ask me some time) pretened to vote and check if they worked.
Voting day started at 5 am (an hour later than Miguelitro's group). We arrived at the center at 5:30 and each table was supposed to recieve their voting packet at 6 to be ready to start the voting process at 7. The table that was designated as "mine" (random picking) got there at 7:19 because the handing out process was taking so long. A info on how the system works. Each table has 3-5 members from the parties that have candidates and then 3-5 vigilantes (1 from each party) that was there to watch the system and make sure everyone was working well. So they set up, members of the table (JRV) voted and general voting started around 8. The day was a zoo. There were about 20,000 people who voted during the course of the day. At many points it felt more like a fair than a voting center. Quite an odd situation. There were long lines, no one knew which table they were to vote at. There were quibbles about whether or not to allow DUIs (ID cards) and all kinds of stuff. One woman didn't get to vote because someone had already voted as her. Another man found his dad that had died 5 years ago on the voting list. But for the most part things in Ilabasco went decently smoothly. It was very interesting seeing the salvadorian system because it is completly based upon mistrust. Everything is done in the presence of multiple parties and therefore everyone is making sure that their interests aren't getting screwed. It is also interesting seeing how you vote for the party not the individual because it puts so much more power in the hands of the party. It is also interesting because the parties do basically all the transportation on voting day. There is no public transport on that day and so it is hard to imagine that there sin't propaganda of some sort happening on these busses/trucks/etc. There is a lot of other stories, ask me some time. But in all, these elections went well but there is a long way to go. As far as I know, no one died which is good. So, thumbs up for the future.
After voting day, we went back to San Salvador for writing reports, listening to reports, a press conference and some dancing with the Whitworth El Salvador trip. On wednesday, Mike and I hopped on busses and went to Honduras. It took longer than we thought it would and so we didn't end up at our home stays until thrusday morning. It was fun to talk into the house and have my family be totally surprized. The time there was really good. I was only in Quebraditas for 48 hours, but it was the perfect amount of time. I got to play soccer, see my host sister's new baby (she was barely pregnant and we didn't even know last time), pick coffee, take lots of pictures, and just be present with them. This time was hard though. I would say that the family and the town are in a worse position than they were last year. The rains of this fall ruined the country's corn/beans/rice crops and the coffee crop was smaller and of a lower quality. The bridge to the town got washed out and so they can only come/go during nice weather. One of the hardest parts for me was knowing where I was there. I wasn't there to help, to do school, but just visit. How can you justify 2 trips to see people that have never left their country? Just some of the stuff that has been running through my mind.
After leaving Quebraditas, we had another long day of travel, then sunday went to the beach, sunday night I got really sick, monday flew home, tuesday started working again at the bucks. Yea that does mean I was picking coffee on friday and selling it on tuesday. Quite a turn around. Now I am trying to figure out what this trip meant to me. Where I am I going to go with it? I just finished a few applications to some organizations that could send me back for 1-2 years. So we will see. You have been reading for quite a while now, so I'm going to call it. I am going to try to write a little here and there, but I won't be sending out mass emails, so keep up if you want. Thank you all for your prayers. If you want to hear more, let me know. We can get coffee or I'll cook for you or something. Paz de cristo
Here are some pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027393&l=f02b4&id=59400432
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027089&l=2fc02&id=59400432
I am sorry that this blog posting has taken so long to happen. The second week of the trip was a whirlwind and my last week here in Spokane has been very full of work, JVI applications, Andrew being in town, and having the internet break at our house. So, thanks to the bucks, I'm going to get this out before work in 17 minutes.
I think my last entry was the day before I was to leave San Salvador for Ilabasco to actually observe the elections. Friday morning we had a good lecture in SS about the economic status of the country. It was by one of the FMLN diputados. He apparently had basically written the agenda for Mauricio Funes (FMLN presidential candidate). It was a good lecture, but it did make me want to know more about the ARENA platform. I know that they have some ideas and that the party is completly evil (though that is how it seems to be more and more painted). I want to see how they are planning on moving the country forward. I know that my leaninings have been and will continue to be oriented toward the left of the country, but there has to be a reason for people to lean right. I know that no matter how much I disagree with something, people do actually believe that way for a reason.
That afternoon, we piled into busses and drove to Ilabasco. There we met an organization that was working to give artistic and technical training to local kids. The had an enourmous gang problem and they had helped to GREATLY reduce the violence by working with both sides. They were really well acclaimed and were doing great work. That night we continued our awkwardness when we had dinner at a lady's house. For an organization called Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad, we have not had enough exchange or solidarity. That has been frusterating, but that is probably because many of the group do not have the sufficent spanish to make this work.
Saturday morning we headed to a town called Victoria and visited Radio Victoria. It was a small community radio that had existed since the war. They were really cool and were devoted to making good radio for the community to get news. Good opportunities for local kids too. I love small operations like this. In the afternoon, we had more meetings with various elections officials and in the evening we went back to Ilabasco and met with the local Municipal Elections Board (JEM). They showed us the voting center for the town, which was 8 blocks of the street. There were going to be 98 tables (with 450 potential voters at each table = about 44,000 voters). There was a company that had been contracted by the government to set up each voting center in the country, but here they decided that they didn't like what they company had decided and opted to set it up the classic way, which was to put the tables in a long line and allow them to move back and forth to stay out of the sun. So, we helped set up the first table and Wayne (one of the other observers of whom I've got a few funny stories, ask me some time) pretened to vote and check if they worked.
Voting day started at 5 am (an hour later than Miguelitro's group). We arrived at the center at 5:30 and each table was supposed to recieve their voting packet at 6 to be ready to start the voting process at 7. The table that was designated as "mine" (random picking) got there at 7:19 because the handing out process was taking so long. A info on how the system works. Each table has 3-5 members from the parties that have candidates and then 3-5 vigilantes (1 from each party) that was there to watch the system and make sure everyone was working well. So they set up, members of the table (JRV) voted and general voting started around 8. The day was a zoo. There were about 20,000 people who voted during the course of the day. At many points it felt more like a fair than a voting center. Quite an odd situation. There were long lines, no one knew which table they were to vote at. There were quibbles about whether or not to allow DUIs (ID cards) and all kinds of stuff. One woman didn't get to vote because someone had already voted as her. Another man found his dad that had died 5 years ago on the voting list. But for the most part things in Ilabasco went decently smoothly. It was very interesting seeing the salvadorian system because it is completly based upon mistrust. Everything is done in the presence of multiple parties and therefore everyone is making sure that their interests aren't getting screwed. It is also interesting seeing how you vote for the party not the individual because it puts so much more power in the hands of the party. It is also interesting because the parties do basically all the transportation on voting day. There is no public transport on that day and so it is hard to imagine that there sin't propaganda of some sort happening on these busses/trucks/etc. There is a lot of other stories, ask me some time. But in all, these elections went well but there is a long way to go. As far as I know, no one died which is good. So, thumbs up for the future.
After voting day, we went back to San Salvador for writing reports, listening to reports, a press conference and some dancing with the Whitworth El Salvador trip. On wednesday, Mike and I hopped on busses and went to Honduras. It took longer than we thought it would and so we didn't end up at our home stays until thrusday morning. It was fun to talk into the house and have my family be totally surprized. The time there was really good. I was only in Quebraditas for 48 hours, but it was the perfect amount of time. I got to play soccer, see my host sister's new baby (she was barely pregnant and we didn't even know last time), pick coffee, take lots of pictures, and just be present with them. This time was hard though. I would say that the family and the town are in a worse position than they were last year. The rains of this fall ruined the country's corn/beans/rice crops and the coffee crop was smaller and of a lower quality. The bridge to the town got washed out and so they can only come/go during nice weather. One of the hardest parts for me was knowing where I was there. I wasn't there to help, to do school, but just visit. How can you justify 2 trips to see people that have never left their country? Just some of the stuff that has been running through my mind.
After leaving Quebraditas, we had another long day of travel, then sunday went to the beach, sunday night I got really sick, monday flew home, tuesday started working again at the bucks. Yea that does mean I was picking coffee on friday and selling it on tuesday. Quite a turn around. Now I am trying to figure out what this trip meant to me. Where I am I going to go with it? I just finished a few applications to some organizations that could send me back for 1-2 years. So we will see. You have been reading for quite a while now, so I'm going to call it. I am going to try to write a little here and there, but I won't be sending out mass emails, so keep up if you want. Thank you all for your prayers. If you want to hear more, let me know. We can get coffee or I'll cook for you or something. Paz de cristo
Here are some pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027393&l=f02b4&id=59400432
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027089&l=2fc02&id=59400432
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Training
Hey
wow, two blog postings in two days. amazing. Yesterday was a good day. I went with mike and a few other members of our group (including the director) to first go to a women´s organization. that was really cool beacuse they worked with up to 5000 women with subjects like credit but also unionization. it was sad because the day before the embassy had told us that CAFTA had done a lot to help unions, but then they told us that there were actually none (we later found out that there is only one union in El Salvador). It was sad because they told us how the jobs had been shipped to china since the quotas had been lifted and that they feared losing their jobs. therefore fewer and fewer complaints were being logged because people were afraid to tell their supervizors and get canned. but the organization was very strong and it was really impressive to hear their stories and they way that they were still happy about life.
In the afternoon we met with a doctor at the state run hospital (Hospital Rosales) who is also the president of the only union which is medical union. They have been fighing for better wages for the doctors and nurses but are also fighting against privitization because it would raise the price for normal people. He said that the government had been trying to privitize it (and thus be able to put more money in the pockets of the ARENA elite) for a while, but they are well organized and so they can stop the onslaught. He had a very impressive story of how he had been laid off for his work. We also got a tour of the hospital which was cool to see the work it was doing but also sad to see the people that were there who were in bad shape. In the evening, we figured out that the business trip from whitworth was only a couple blocks away and we headed over there to hang out.
today we spent basically all day in training. it was good because i now understand how the voting process works and feel like i am ready to observe it. it was long and tedious, but it will be interesting. there are definetly some major problems with the system. there is no public transportation on sunday (voting day) but instead the government gave the parties a lot of money to arrange free rides for anyone who was going to need it. so therefore the parties are driving people to the polls. also, everyone has an ID card here called a DUI (yea, giggle a little). They come to where they are supposed to vote and show the DUI and get their ballot, but besides the pictures, there is not much of a way to distinguish if the person is actually the one in the picture (everyone is dark skinned, has black hair, dark eyes, and a mustache). so, those are just a few of the problems. So, i will have stuff to do.
after training a few of us went to a museum of popular art and saw some cool miniature figrues. it was awesome. then tonight we are having a big CIS party. should be a blast. then tomorrow (friday) we´ll be off to the town to start getting ready to observe (I am now going to a town called Ilibasco not Cojutapece). anyway, lots of love and check out new pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027089&l=2fc02&id=59400432
wow, two blog postings in two days. amazing. Yesterday was a good day. I went with mike and a few other members of our group (including the director) to first go to a women´s organization. that was really cool beacuse they worked with up to 5000 women with subjects like credit but also unionization. it was sad because the day before the embassy had told us that CAFTA had done a lot to help unions, but then they told us that there were actually none (we later found out that there is only one union in El Salvador). It was sad because they told us how the jobs had been shipped to china since the quotas had been lifted and that they feared losing their jobs. therefore fewer and fewer complaints were being logged because people were afraid to tell their supervizors and get canned. but the organization was very strong and it was really impressive to hear their stories and they way that they were still happy about life.
In the afternoon we met with a doctor at the state run hospital (Hospital Rosales) who is also the president of the only union which is medical union. They have been fighing for better wages for the doctors and nurses but are also fighting against privitization because it would raise the price for normal people. He said that the government had been trying to privitize it (and thus be able to put more money in the pockets of the ARENA elite) for a while, but they are well organized and so they can stop the onslaught. He had a very impressive story of how he had been laid off for his work. We also got a tour of the hospital which was cool to see the work it was doing but also sad to see the people that were there who were in bad shape. In the evening, we figured out that the business trip from whitworth was only a couple blocks away and we headed over there to hang out.
today we spent basically all day in training. it was good because i now understand how the voting process works and feel like i am ready to observe it. it was long and tedious, but it will be interesting. there are definetly some major problems with the system. there is no public transportation on sunday (voting day) but instead the government gave the parties a lot of money to arrange free rides for anyone who was going to need it. so therefore the parties are driving people to the polls. also, everyone has an ID card here called a DUI (yea, giggle a little). They come to where they are supposed to vote and show the DUI and get their ballot, but besides the pictures, there is not much of a way to distinguish if the person is actually the one in the picture (everyone is dark skinned, has black hair, dark eyes, and a mustache). so, those are just a few of the problems. So, i will have stuff to do.
after training a few of us went to a museum of popular art and saw some cool miniature figrues. it was awesome. then tonight we are having a big CIS party. should be a blast. then tomorrow (friday) we´ll be off to the town to start getting ready to observe (I am now going to a town called Ilibasco not Cojutapece). anyway, lots of love and check out new pics
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027089&l=2fc02&id=59400432
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Few days in, less confusion
Hey
First i need to clarify that any mispellings or mistakes that you read in this blog have nothing to do with my intillegence or inability to use the english language. simply the screen is so awful and fuzzy that i can´t really rad what i am writing. anyway, my life....
travel day went off without a hitch. all my flights were simple and we arrived in san salvador at about 630 am local time. So mike and i caught a cab from the airport and went into town. we didn´t know what was going on or where to go or anything, so we were going to have the cabbie bring us to an internet cafe (ok, i just switched computers so it should be better). But it was too early in the morning, so we asked him if there were any hostels around and so he took us to one. it turned out to be the peace corps hangout. so we booked the night, chilled with the volunteers for a little, took a nap, etc. we decided to try to go to the beach for the afternoon and so we went to where i remebered seeing the bus, but that didn´t really work and so we got some directions from a few dudes and ended up on a 5 bus trip around teh city. it was fun to be on the busses again, but no beach. so we bought a few things from the grocery store and started sitting on a bench right in front of the national cathedral. after a while, we started talking to some guy who was into politics, but was from the right. it was really interesting to hear his point of view and he was really cool. it made for a good argument but a very respectful one. and as in normal latin american hospitality if we need some place to crash, we now have one. once he left, we were fending off a drunk guy who kissed my hand in gratitude for nixon when a truck full of lucha libre wrestlers pulled up. one of them walked over and started talking to us in american english and he turned out to be a gringo from maryland. he gave us free tickets to the show. so then we went to a little of mass at a large, modern-ish catholic church just a few blocks from the cathedral. it was really beautiful, but once the sermon started, we realized that the acoustics were so echoy that we couldn´t understand anything and were starting to fall asleep, so we left for lucha libre. that was awesome. it started out kinda slow, but it got nuts. the last two fights were crazy. they broke the mat and so the final part, they were just running around the crowd hitting each other with chairs and throwing eachother into doors. it was great. then we got a ride back from the wrestling gringo (who was backpacking for 12 years and always loved it and so now works at a surf shop in MD and comes down in the winter to surf and fight). great first day.
monday morning we checked in with the organization and our hotel. we got our observation credentials. In my picture for mine, i was smiling too much the first time and had to do it mas serio. then we went back to the UCA, which was good. it was strange going again because i knew was to expect but at the same time, it was still very powerfull. then we had an orientation and we started to get to know the people that we are working with. CIS has representatives from all around the world and from lots of different walks of life. It has been really neat hearing all of the different perspectives on development and different ways that it is being done. I have met a guy who was working with human rights reparations in guatemala, a woman who has a masters in conflict resolution in sub sarahan africa and a couple of aussies who are just nuts (and lots more). it is really a great group of poeple, but i to all the CASPers, i do miss you guys more.
tuesday morning we had a meeting with a woman on polls that have been held to get a general feel for the political leanings of teh country (which is against ARENA and toward the FMLN). In the afternoon, we went to the embassy and got fed the same poo that we usually get fed there. then last night, richie and jeff came over and it was good to hear what they are up to (which is observing for the FMLN).
Today i am off to learn some about labor unions and women´s rights and then tomorrow is our big training day. friday afternoon i´ll be heading out to a town called Cojutapeque to begin preparing for actual elections and then will be back here on sunday night.
As for me, i am doing quite well. at first, it didn´t feel right. my spanish was rusty, it was hot, i was tired, but after talking with the guy in the park and lucha libre, i have felt much more comfortable. I have been blessed by the group that we are working with (it is strange because it is so multi-generational) and i fell good. so, please pray for a good election and pray that i keep rolling because this has been great so far.
lots of love
First i need to clarify that any mispellings or mistakes that you read in this blog have nothing to do with my intillegence or inability to use the english language. simply the screen is so awful and fuzzy that i can´t really rad what i am writing. anyway, my life....
travel day went off without a hitch. all my flights were simple and we arrived in san salvador at about 630 am local time. So mike and i caught a cab from the airport and went into town. we didn´t know what was going on or where to go or anything, so we were going to have the cabbie bring us to an internet cafe (ok, i just switched computers so it should be better). But it was too early in the morning, so we asked him if there were any hostels around and so he took us to one. it turned out to be the peace corps hangout. so we booked the night, chilled with the volunteers for a little, took a nap, etc. we decided to try to go to the beach for the afternoon and so we went to where i remebered seeing the bus, but that didn´t really work and so we got some directions from a few dudes and ended up on a 5 bus trip around teh city. it was fun to be on the busses again, but no beach. so we bought a few things from the grocery store and started sitting on a bench right in front of the national cathedral. after a while, we started talking to some guy who was into politics, but was from the right. it was really interesting to hear his point of view and he was really cool. it made for a good argument but a very respectful one. and as in normal latin american hospitality if we need some place to crash, we now have one. once he left, we were fending off a drunk guy who kissed my hand in gratitude for nixon when a truck full of lucha libre wrestlers pulled up. one of them walked over and started talking to us in american english and he turned out to be a gringo from maryland. he gave us free tickets to the show. so then we went to a little of mass at a large, modern-ish catholic church just a few blocks from the cathedral. it was really beautiful, but once the sermon started, we realized that the acoustics were so echoy that we couldn´t understand anything and were starting to fall asleep, so we left for lucha libre. that was awesome. it started out kinda slow, but it got nuts. the last two fights were crazy. they broke the mat and so the final part, they were just running around the crowd hitting each other with chairs and throwing eachother into doors. it was great. then we got a ride back from the wrestling gringo (who was backpacking for 12 years and always loved it and so now works at a surf shop in MD and comes down in the winter to surf and fight). great first day.
monday morning we checked in with the organization and our hotel. we got our observation credentials. In my picture for mine, i was smiling too much the first time and had to do it mas serio. then we went back to the UCA, which was good. it was strange going again because i knew was to expect but at the same time, it was still very powerfull. then we had an orientation and we started to get to know the people that we are working with. CIS has representatives from all around the world and from lots of different walks of life. It has been really neat hearing all of the different perspectives on development and different ways that it is being done. I have met a guy who was working with human rights reparations in guatemala, a woman who has a masters in conflict resolution in sub sarahan africa and a couple of aussies who are just nuts (and lots more). it is really a great group of poeple, but i to all the CASPers, i do miss you guys more.
tuesday morning we had a meeting with a woman on polls that have been held to get a general feel for the political leanings of teh country (which is against ARENA and toward the FMLN). In the afternoon, we went to the embassy and got fed the same poo that we usually get fed there. then last night, richie and jeff came over and it was good to hear what they are up to (which is observing for the FMLN).
Today i am off to learn some about labor unions and women´s rights and then tomorrow is our big training day. friday afternoon i´ll be heading out to a town called Cojutapeque to begin preparing for actual elections and then will be back here on sunday night.
As for me, i am doing quite well. at first, it didn´t feel right. my spanish was rusty, it was hot, i was tired, but after talking with the guy in the park and lucha libre, i have felt much more comfortable. I have been blessed by the group that we are working with (it is strange because it is so multi-generational) and i fell good. so, please pray for a good election and pray that i keep rolling because this has been great so far.
lots of love
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Leavning on a Jet Plane
So, Caitlin is coming to pick me up for the airport in about an hour. I am really being hit with the realization that I have NO idea what is in store for me, but that is a good thing. I kinda know what the organization is about, I know when/where to show up to start, but that is about it. I am so excited to just live again. That is one of my favorite things about the latin culture is the knowledge that what you are doing is the most important thing. You would never hear of someone saying "dude, I'd love to talk, but dinner is on and I've got to get home" or something. I am just excited to turn off my cell phone, ipod, and computer, leave my keys with Alice, and put on my traveln' Chacos. It just feels right again.
Last night some of the most amazing people one could know put on a "going away party" for me. I would say that it was a little more of an "I want to go too" party, but that is why I love them. But in natural conversation, Kelsey asked me what my goals for this trip were, so I thought I would share a little of them with you.
1) I want this to be a different trip. This is not CASP 2008. It is a different purpose, different people, different time, etc. When I was a freshman in high school on my first AMOR mission trip, there was a kid who kept comparing EVERYTHING to "last year." It drove me crazy. I don't want to be that. I feel that I did have a very open mind last time because I had no expectations. I am now going back to places that have changed me. I can't be going back to get the same feelings or to have the same thoughts, but rather completely new ones. For example, monday afternoon, I will be either visiting the site where Romero was murdered or the UCA where the Jesuits were slain. Both were incredibly difficult locations before and I have had problems thinking about what it will be like to go back and if I can put myself through it again. I don't want to become calloused, but I need to treat these like new experiences. I think the same can be said about going to Honduras. It will be different and that is good.
2) Be all about people. I don't have homework, I don't have reading that I have to do, I don't have a structured journal to keep up. It didn't keep me from people last time, it shouldn't this time.
3) By the time I come back, I want to know why I went. Honestly, right now, it feels like I am going for more selfish reasons than anything else. I am there to "help" the country, but what gives me that right? What makes me the authority? Is it because I have a degree in Cross Cultural Studies from Whitworth, is it because I have the magic blue passport, or is it because I can actually help. Also, why am I going to Honduras? I want to see these people that have helped shape who I am, but is it being too pompous to travel half way around the world twice in a year to see these people that have never been further than a 3 hour bus ride from their village? Am I bringing anything to them or is this just for me? How can I bring something of value to their lives?
4) I also want to know if this is what I am supposed to do more of.
So, that is just a few thoughts to kill some time today. Thank you all for send off messages and prayers. I love you each dearly.
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