Señor, te damos gracias...

I want to tell you about Semillas de Mostaza, the after-school program I am working at this year in Arbolito.  But first, I need to start with a quote.  It's from (go figure) Sports Illustrated, October 2012 (thanks for sending it Mom and Dad!!).  Davey Johnson, manager of the NL East Champion Washington Nationals, said regarding the loss of two of his children, ''I try to look on it that I was blessed for as long as I had them.  They were joys.  But it's also the way I've lived my life.  I'm going to enjoy the right now.  My energy is about enjoying the moment the best way I can.  Losing two kids only reaffirms how precious each moment of your life is.  You're given a gift with every opportunity''

I can't think of a better way to describe Semillas de Mostaza to you.  My hat doesn't stay on my head for more than five minutes at a time (case and point, picture).  I double as a human punching bag and a jungle gym.  My shoulders no longer carry a backpack; rather, they carry kids pretending to be monkeys like Daniel (again, see picture).  I am no longer solely responsible for myself; I'm now responsible for 60 others, many of whom are rough-housing or screaming (or both!) at any given time.  I get juked out on the concha by 10-year olds who have more soccer skill than I could ever aspire to.  And you know what's awesome about all this?  I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Now I also want to tell you about one kid in particular I've gotten to know these last few months.  Erick is one of the sweetest kids at our program.  He's a gentle kid with a great smile and a calm demeanor.  He wants to be a doctor when he grows up.  A few weeks back, Erick came to Semillas without his trademark smile, looking rather sluggish.  I casually asked him what was up.  He replied that no one was home at his house, so he hadn't eaten all day.  My heart sank.  Unfortunately, this is a reality for some of the kids at Semillas.  The program provides the kids with bread, banana, and a vitamin each day, but it does not necessarily change the situation at home or on the streets.  However, I do believe that the program has a positive impact for these kids, no matter how small of an impact it may be.  At the least, it is a safe space to study, learn, and play.  And I am certainly reminded everyday about enjoying ''the right now'', as Johnson writes.  I have, on any given weekday, 50-60 reminders that I am truly ''given a gift with every opportunity''.

We say this prayer at the end of program each day..I thought I'd include it at the end.  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, thank you for all your love and support! 

''Señor, te damos gracias por un día más de Semillas y por compartir con nuestros amigos.  Te pedimos que nos cuides, que cuides a nuestros padres, maestros, voluntarios, chicos de la calle, y a todos los que nos rodean.  Ayudanos a ser mas respetuosos y bondadosos.  Te pedimos que bendiga el pan de cada día y gracias por tu amor''.

''Lord, we give thanks for another day of Semillas and for the opportunity to share it with our friends. We ask you to care for us, to care for our parents, teachers, volunteers, children, and all those around us. Help us to be more respectful and kind. We ask you to bless our daily bread, and we thank you for your love''. 

 

Long Overdue...

The last few months at Damien House have been pretty exciting!  A medical group from the U.S. recently visited Guayaquil to perform hip and foot procedures for kids from across the country in need of reconstructive surgery.  It was a very incredible week!  The group performed about 6 to 7 surgeries each day.  I got to help a bit with pre-op translating between the doctors and Spanish-speaking patients, and I was able to observe several of the procedures as well.  Being in the operating room and being able to observe the procedures was exciting, and I continue to feel a lot confirmation in pursuing my studies in medicine next year.  I am very thankful to the surgical team for all their insight and patience in answering all my questions!  

Perhaps the most rewarding part of the week, however, was the time I had to spend with the young patients and their families both before and after surgery.  I had the privilege of meeting some extraordinary young children, many of whom have endured the long hours of waiting in pre-op several times before.  Many of the kids were excited to have visitors and were eager to hear about where we lived and what we did in the U.S.  I was excited to learn more about the kids and hear their stories.  After 2 months of struggling through Spanish, it was encouraging to be able to carry on a conversation with these kids.  The families were very welcoming and looked forward to us coming back each day.  Once again, this week showed me the importance of a ministry of presence.  The next week, I got to help translate and sit in on consultations for patients in need of the nerve decompression surgeries due to Hansen's Disease.  The small medical group that traveled to Damien House from the U.S. saw upwards of 40 patients each day, many of whom had traveled several hours from the countryside to be tested.  One elderly woman had traveled on a bus from eastern Ecuador for over 24 hours.  I learned how to test manually for nerve damage in both the arms and legs.  Our sensory perception tests from the past 2 months were helpful, and I hope that continuing to test the patients will be beneficial for the group when they return next year to perform the surgeries.  

On an unrelated note, thank you to everybody for the birthday wishes!  I got to spend the first part of the day at Damien with the med group, and the afternoon was spent in the community with neighbors.  My community mates even made me an ice cream cake—awesome!  Thankful for the challenges and simple joys I find each day at Damien!  In the last month, I have had the chance to reflect and write a bit more about my experiences here (which means more blog posts to come as soon as I can get the ''writing'' transferred to the computer!).  Thank you all for your support through this journey..talk soon!

In his book ''¡Gracias!'' (1993), which details his time spent in mission with the people of Peru and Bolivia, Henri Nouwen writes, ''More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them.  It is a privilege to have the time and the freedom to practice this simple ministry of presence.  Still, it is not as simple as it seems.  My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my own time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets.  It is difficult not to have plans...not to feel that you are working directly for social change.  But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and to drink with them, to listen to their stories, and to tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.''

In my first 3 months here in Ecuador, I have found these words to be surprisingly accurate.  This quote, along with a few others from Nouwen's book, were nestled in one of our orientation booklets, so I first read it before I arrived in-country.  I thought it was a meaningful quote at the time, but each day that passes here impresses upon me the importance of the ''ministry of presence'' that Nouwen talks about.  On the weekends here, it is difficult not to get bogged down by a list of tasks to accomplish.  There is planning to do for after-school programs, cooking and cleaning to do around the house, and a garden that I need to start paying attention to.  However, just like for Nouwen, the desire is there to simply spend time with my neighbors; to sit, talk, eat, and play with them.  Very few of them are in a hurry; many seem quite content with a chair or hammock to sit in and a conversation in the shade.  Somewhere along the line, I think I developed the mindset that Nouwen struggled with--I need to be busy and productive.  In essence, DOING > BEING.  However, Nouwen's words and the people I have been privileged to meet here have shown me a different way.  There is still a lot of work to be done, but I know that remembering to slow down and spend time forming relationships with those around me is one of the many lessons I will learn this year. 

Gracias a Dios

Amigos,

First, I have to apologize...I know I'm well short of my once-weekly update...but better late than never!  The last few weeks have been keeping me busy.  I've gotten to do a little bit of everything at Damien House--observe wound care, clean the chapel, empty out closets, and visit with the patients.  Last week, I also got to work with a young man named Jonathan on a project that he started several years ago.  The project uses a computer application to test sensory nerve function, which is often compromised by the effects of Hansen's Disease.  The hope is that our tracking of finger point perception levels from this test can be compared with results from years past in order to determine the severity of nerve damage.  A medical group from the United States is coming in late September to perform nerve decompression surgeries, so this project might serve as helpful information for the physicians in the months and years to come.  So far, we've had some problems with the computer program, but I hope to keep working on the project before the medical group arrives.

Last weekend, we got to spend some time with our RdC community mates out in Mt. Sinai, which was so much fun!  First we went downtown and saw the new Batman movie (all in Spanish! and no subtitles).  Thanks to Ana, Coli, and everyone else who helped with the dinner too--it was so good!  On Sunday, we got up early and went to mass at San Felipe in Mt. Sinai.  It was an outdoor mass, and it was fun to see all the dogs roaming through the pews and Mike jamming out on the guitar!  After communion, the priest called all the children forward to receive a blessing.  Seeing the eager smiles and joy on each of their faces was so cool to me.  I'm looking forward to heading back to Mt. Sinai next weekend with our first retreat group who is coming in from Santa Clara in California!

And now I guess I should get around to explaining the title of my post.  Hebrews 13:15 says,

''Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name''.

When I greet most of the patients at Damien in the mornings, I ask how their night or weekend was.  Without fail, it seems, most all of them conclude their response with ''Gracias a Dios'', or ''Thanks be to God''.  No matter how their day is going or what kind of struggles they are dealing with, they always remember to give thanks to God.  Hearing this phrase so often is a simple reminder for me to give thanks in all circumstances.  Even though I'm adjusting within a new culture, stumbling through Spanish, and missing family and friends from back home, I'm finding a lot of joy in these gentle conversations and reminders.

You are all in my thoughts and prayers, and thanks again for all your support!  Talk to you soon!

Poco a Poco

We´ve been in Ecuador for a little over 2 weeks now!  Our time here so far has been filled with orientation, visiting worksites and neighbors, and struggling to learn as much Spanish as I can.  It´s frustrating to not always be able to communicate with people in our community.  However, all the neighbors we´ve visited have been incredibly welcoming and supportive.  They´ve all reminded me that ¨Poco a Poco¨ (¨little by little¨), I'll learn the language, be able to communicate and find my way around.  What a great reminder of patience and determination!

I also found out my worksite assignment this past week!  In the mornings, I will be working at Padre Damien House in downtown Guayaquil.  Padre Damien is a hospital and house of dignity for individuals dealing with Hansen´s Disease (formerly known as leprosy).  I will potentially have the opportunity to assist with wound care for the patients and follow the doctor around for his daily check-ups with patients.  Perhaps most importantly, I will have the chance to spend time and build relationships with the patients.  I´m really excited about working at Damien!  More to come on this as I start work!  In the afternoons, I will be helping out (along with two other housemates) at an after-school program in the neighborhood.  The first part will involve academic activities and homework help.  Then it's time for ¨recreo¨(recess!).  Soccer is huge here in Ecuador, so I'm hoping to develop some skills!

That's it for now.  I hope everyone is doing well.  You are all in my thoughts and prayers!  Thanks for all your support!

Boston!

Amigos,

I made it safely to Boston, and we are in the second week of orientation at Boston College!  Rostro de Cristo (the group I'm going with) is doing orientation along with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps International, so I've gotten to meet a lot of great people going to places like Chile, Micronesia, Tanzania, Peru, and many others!  We are currently on day 2 of a silent retreat outside of Boston.  It's been a great time to read, reflect, and pray as our departure for Ecuador quickly approaches.  We'll return to Boston for a few days, then leave for Ecuador early Sunday morning!

The time here at orientation has been busy but a lot of fun.  We've had a lot of great speakers, and I even got to meet one of my favorite authors, Fr. James Martin, S.J. (check out his stuff!).  I also want to take this time to say thanks to all the parishioners of Sacred Heart Church and all the friends and family that helped me with my fundraising.  I couldn't be doing this without you!  Thanks to you all, I completed my fundraising goal!  I was so humbled by everyone's generosity.  Thank you so much!

Last week, we found out which houses we would be living in (Rostro volunteers are split up between two communities, Mt. Sinai and El Arbolito).  I will be living in El Arbolito with 6 other community mates.  They are all awesome!!  I'll find out more about potential work sites after the first week or two in country.

As I begin on this journey, I have many questions, hopes, joys, and worries.  I'll end with a quote from Thomas Merton, which helps to put into words the many thoughts I'm having thus far.

"My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.  I do not see the road ahead of me.  I cannot know for certain where it will end.  Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.  But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You.  And I hope that I have that desire in all that I am doing.  I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.  And I know that if I do this, You will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.  Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.  I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone".

Hope to update soon.  Thinking of you all! PEACE!

Chris