Amazing Day

I attended church today at a church called La Vida y Fe:  What an experience.  I spoke a little about it a couple of weeks ago, but then I was only able to stay for an hour.  Today I was able to stay for he entire service:  al 2 1/2 hours!  After the praise team led singing for an hour, there were some prayers and more music.  The pastor started preaching some time a bit after 10:30. He preached for a little over an hour and the service ended at noon!  Other than being very repetitive, the sermon was quite good.  He preached about our being works of God with a purpose and always with the opportunity to do more with our lives for the glory of God.  That were each created for the purpose of doing good works and when we fulfill pour purpose, our lives will be blessed.  The music was excellent and included the spanish version of many praise songs that I know,  and many Hillsong spanish praise songs.  The praise team leader was a woman who song with incredible passion and conviction and the lead guitarist was one of the best I have heard as part of a church praise team.  In fact, one of the women at the project had given me a Hillsong CD and many of the songs on the CD were ones that were sung at the service; however I believe that the praise team offered better interpretations of the songs than I hear on the CD.

After the service I had lunch with my friend Andrea.  If you read my blog entries from my time in Spain, you will remember my describing this over the top Italian fellow: well that was Andrea.  We learned through Facebook that we were both in Guatemala and have been trying to set up a way of meeting.  Well last night while I was settling down to have dinner and watch TV there was a knock at the door and it was Andrea.  Needless to say, I was completely blown away!  He was only in Antigua for a couple of days, so we spent quite a bit of time talking last  night, and then met for lunch this afternoon.  Since returning from the Camino, he has met up with several other of our Camino companions in various parts of the world.  

This past week was a good one at the project.  I have set up a reading room and started reading groups for the mothers to be able to practice reading.  The women are excited about it and look forward to the time.  One of the goals will be to also help them to start reading to their children.  Reading is not a common past time here in Guatemala and efforts are underway to try to get the people to start reading more.  I have four groups for the women:  2 beginner groups and 2 advanced.  I'm using a combination of children's books that we have, passages from the Scriptures and some writing from latin-american women writers that I found on the internet.  Last week I started labeling the books based on their reading level so that the women will be able to choose books to read on their own.  We have also arranged the room to create as nice an atmosphere as possible so that it is inviting and a comfortable place, that way reading will not seem like a chore but will be associated with relaxation and tranquility.

Hasta Luego

photo links

The following links should bring you directly to my photo albums on Facebook.

Lent:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007889&id=1398931251&l=a1f417d1b4

Holy Saturday:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007892&id=1398931251&l=eb2b6f64bb

Making an "Alfombra:"  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007833&id=1398931251&l=d4d3091dec

Alfombras:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007829&id=1398931251&l=cfe1bdb9f5

Guatemala:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006358&id=1398931251&l=f73db83aa7

Camino de Santiago:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001509&id=1398931251&l=aa6efbf0fd

I was beginning to loose my excitement about being at Camino Seguro, the lack f structure, no clear direction as to what I was suppose to do, and no moral compass giving direction to the work  I realized that if I need it to be something different, then I would have to take the initiative.  So, this week I resented an idea to the woman who oversees the women's center.  I asked her if I could create reading groups for the women to have the opportunity to practice their reading skills and offer assistance and encouragement to one another.  The women currently learn to read by writing simple sentences over and over, but that is neither very exciting or advances them along.  The coordinator agreed, and on Monday morning I begin the first of four groups.  There will be a beginning and advanced groups on Mondays, and again on Thursdays.  Since most for the women are Christian, I will use a number of short Bible passages in a simple translation as well as short stories and poems with encouraging messages.  And of course a key piece from the Bible will be Proverbs 31 (see the previous post).  I'm am really excited about the groups, making my going to the project more satisfying.

I find it hard to believe that I am half way through my time here in Guatemala.  I have 6 weeks remaining before returning to the States.  I love the apartment we are renting and I will sorely miss it when I leave!

Beauty

Beauty is the 65 year old woman looking older than her years and learning to read and write.

Beauty is the 38 year old woman, missing most of her front teeth and the remaining ones decaying, as she carefully considers what letter comes next as she attempts to print her own first name.

Beauty is the 33-year old mother of 7 children as she attempts to complete her math lesson while attending to her 3-year old and nursing her 18-month old.

Beauty is the woman whose blouse is covered with permanent stains as well as those from her morning of working in the dump, coming to learn how to do simple addition.

       "A woman of noble character, who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies....She is clothed with strength and dignity...." (Prv. 31:10, 25)

Beauty are the women who despite their life in the city dump are committed to improving themselves and providing a better life for their children.  

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the God who created all of these women in God's own image has pronounced them good and beautiful.

Happy Easter

Easter was not quite what I expected.  before going to the english-speaking fellowship that I attend, I want to go to a full service with Easter music, flowers, a celebration of the Resurrection.  I also anticipated that the streets would be decorated in celebration of Easter.  What I found was that the streets were silent and empty and the church I planned to attend was closed.  The black and purple Lenten banners were still hanging from windows.  At the fellowship gathering I learned that the big day here in Antigua is Good Friday.  In fact the biggest processions take place on Good Friday.  The day of Resurrection sees less of the celebration and enthusiasm that is seen earlier in the week.  Elizabeth told me that things are better then they used to be and now some of the priests do preach a message of hope on Easter Sunday. Stores were open and things seemed like business as usual.  It felt rather anti-climatic given all that had been going on during the week.  

Later today there will be two processions, but not much more to recognize what I believe to be the height of the Christian year.  In the afternoon I did hear some bells ringing.  

The church where I did find a service was at what looked like a storefront protestant church called La Vida Y Fe.  It turned out to be a large warehouse-type space, seating between 100-200 people.  There was a praise team led primarily by the pastor.  There was singing and praising that lasted for an hour, interspersed with prayers and exhortations by the pastor.  After an hour someone joined the pastor and began to interpret into english what the pastor was saying.  I had to leave at that point in order to get to the english-speaking service because I was leading that.  I look forward to going again to La Vida and being able to remain for the whole time.

All in all I am still processing the whole Easter experience in Antigua and what it means for the people.

Hasta Luego.

Holy Week

Today is Friday of Holy Week, and like all of Lent, Holy Week is something one must experience in Antigua to really appreciate the contrasts and complexities of the observances.  I will do my best to describe in words what the expereince is like, but I will also post photos and video clips to bring you closer into the exppereince.

So, let me describe for Holy Thursday in La Antigua.  But, first you need to know that now that Holy Week is here, processions are everyday and will conclude with the large procession on Easter.  Each day a procession begins at a different church and has a different theme and a different route.  Wednesday was "Jesus Nazareno del Milagro," yesterday was "Jesus Nazareno del Perdon," and today's is "Jesus Nazareno de la Merced."  They usually begin early morning and last until anywhere between 10:30 pm and 1:00 am.  Yesterday's began at 1:00 in the afternoon and was not concluded until almost 12 midnight.  The procession for today began at 4:00 this morning and is suppose to conclude at 2:00 this afternoon.  

As I mentioned in another post, the people and will make "alfombras,"  in the streets for the procession to pass over. Picture carpets of flowers and colored sand or sawdust instead of palm branches.  Because the procession last night did not completely conclude until after midnight (that includes the cleaning crew following behind the procession to clean up all the trampled alfombras) some people began making their alfombras for today's procession last night.

Well, back to Holy Thursday.  I went out early in the morning to walk around and take some photos in a part of town I had never been to.  In that section people were already hard at work creating their alfombras.  I was there between 8:30 and 9:00, and it was obvious that some of the folks had already been at work for several hours.  I took some photos and made a few video clips of the community and festive nature of alfombra creation.  It is a community affair in that neighbors work together to create the alfombra that will cover the street in front of their homes.  In addition there was often music playing:  Some played recordings of the processional music, while one group was playing "oldies" from the States.  Vendors were out selling little toys and cotton candy and others had set carts, booths and makeshift kitchens in the park and church courtyard, cooking and selling tortillas, and a variety of hot foods.

In the afternoon around 1:00 I went to my language school to watch the beginning of the procession from the San francisco Church.  The procession was scheduled to pass in front of the school upon its return to the church.  The scheduled time was 10:30 pm.  Work started on our school alfombra just before 2:00 in the afternoon and was not completed until around 7:30 or 8:00.  I worked for most of the day, but returned home about 7:00 to get something to eat.  The finished product was absolutely amazing to behold.  On either end we had the school logo and in the middle were representations of Jesus praying and "Jesus the Good Shepherd."  That evening as people were walking around viewing the alfombras, many people stopped to view ours and commented on how striking it was.  The others on our street were also beautiful, but were less intricate and made with flowers and evergreens.  The others also took far less time to make and therefore were not started until just about 2 hours before the procession was due to pass.

The making of an alfombra is a very exciting and interesting experience.  Everyone knows that once the procession passes over, the alfombras they are completely destroyed.  But yet, there is a love and devotion that goes into creating these incredible works of art.  I know that for myself, as I was doing my part there was only the fleeting thought that what I was doing would be destroyed in just a few short hours, never to be seen again.  The beauty and creativity put forth in a few hours, viewed by many, only to be gone forever within a few short minutes.  It was not a futile effort and it reminded me of the transitory nature of life itself.  However, although life is transitory, a life lived well is never a life lived in vain.

The life of an alfombra consists of the creation of the alfombra, viewing the finished product and watching others enjoy it, watching the procession pass over and destroy it, and then seeing the cleaning crew come along and shovel away the remains into a dump truck.  And in that experience my emotions were many:  The joy of creating something that had a specific purpose (at the time we did not know what the end product was going to be or what it would look like, we were only told where to put the different colors); there was also a sense of joy and some pride upon seeing the finished design, mixed with a feeling of awe.  And as I watched the procession pass over, it was a bittersweet experience: sadness as the image was brushed away by the shuffling of hundreds of feet over it carrying the image of Jesus carrying his cross; but also a satisfaction that the alfombra had served the purpose for which it was created.  It was in a word a sacramental moment.  And after all, it that not what life is all about? Making something of our lives and living it in such a way as to fulfill the purpose for which God placed us on this earth, and in so doing experiencing the grace of God.

An alfombra has a short but beautiful life span: born of the devotion and love of many hands, admired by many, everyone knowing that within a few short hours it will have passed from existence.  But for the devote Roman Catholics (and some others) the alfombra will serve the purpose of carpeting the path of the representation of the Savior and the Holy Mother.

As I said early on, words just cannot convey the experience:  You had to be there.  And I'm glad I was!

To view the photos and video clip just click on the Facebook link in menu on the left.

Hasta Luego,

Enjoy a blessed Day of the Resurrection

New Home

I am no longer with my home-stay family, but moved last Wednesday into an apartment here in La Antigua.  I was approached by one of the other volunteers who was looking for someone to share an apartment he had found.  The price seemed a little high when he told me about it, but upon seeing decided that it was well worth the price.  It is a two bedroom apartment with two bathrooms.  All utilities are included, which also includes trash pick up, a television with cable (about 70 channels, about 15 from the States, including HBO and Cinemax; regrettable no Sci-Fi channel!) internet access, and a washing machine.  The place is also fully furnished including all dishes and cookware, sheets, and towels.  In order to get it for the price we negotiated, the cleaning lady is not included (we told the owner that we each have hands and can do the cleaning ourselves).  Rather than an apartment, it feels more like a small house.  There is a small enclosed patio in the back where the washing machine is located and there is a nice patio table with two chairs.  I really like the place and in fact living here will save me a little bit of money because I no longer have to go someplace and buy food in order to use their free internet, and I no longer have to pay to have my laundry done.  Although I will no longer have meals provided, a bowl of cereal works well for breakfast, and since lunch is served at the project, instead of bringing my own, I will eat what is served there.  The real food expense then becomes dinner, but rice, beans, avocados and vegetables can go a long way.  I am currently waiting for my frijoles to cook (an all day endeavor!).  The rent was $600/month, but the owner was willing to let us have it for $500, $250 each.  Everything is negotiable in Guatemala!

The place is really nice and quite comfortable, and I also really like having a bathroom and shower that are indoors; no more walking through the cold early morning air to get to the shower.  Now if I want to take a shower at night, there will be light other then moonlight

My room-mate is from New York, and when I leave in May, he will remain in the apartment until he leaves in July.  

Hasta luego from my new digs!

Reflection

Who Is More Deserving?

Who is more deserving, who should receive the coin in my hand?

Do I help the mother with two children who sits with hand outstretched just a few yards from another woman who sits alone also with hand outstretched?

Do I help the mother with two young children by her side or the one who who soon will have another baby to join the one that sits by her side?

Who is more deserving, who should be helped?

Do I help the the man blind man who sits day after day, sometimes offering music in return for some type of donation?

Or perhaps I need to offer my coin to the man who sits on the curb beside his crutches?   But what about the man who sits beside the device that helps him to move his legless body?

Who is more deserving, who needs the help?

Should I give the coin to the elderly woman who sits in the midday sun with a cloth over her face as shelter from the heat?  Or perhaps the child who stands alone when he should be in school.

Who is more deserving, who should receive the single pitiful coin that I can offer? 

Jesus said that the poor would always be with us?  

But did he mean like this?  Homeless, rejected, ignored, passed by with out even a glance.  

Desperate people coming each day to work at the same corner or patch of ground in hopes of some act of kindness, charity, goodness, or guilt from those who pass by.  

Who is more deserving, who should receive the coin I hold in my hand?