Patience

This will be a short post, but hopefully sweet.  I figure short is better than nothing at all!  Time has been flying by here in Duran, and we now have one month left until the new year-long volunteers arrive and my compañeros and I head back to the U.S.  Family and friends, I can't wait to see you all in August and share this experience with you in person.  But until then, I'll be trying to soak up every moment I get to spend with neighbors here in Arbolito, patients at Damien House, and kids at Semillas.  I've been reflecting a lot on another passage from Henri Nouwen, and find the theme, patience, to be very appropriate leading into these crazy weeks ahead.  Nouwen writes, in Living the Moment to the Fullest, 

''Patience is a hard discipline.  It is not just waiting until something happens over which we have no control: the arrival of the bus, the end of the rain, the return of a friend, the resolution of a conflict.  Patience is not a waiting passivity until someone else does something.  Patience asks us to live the moment to the fullest, to be completely present to the moment, to taste the here and now, to be where we are.  When we are impatient we try to get away from where we are.  We behave as if the real thing will happen tomorrow, later and somewhere else.  Let's be patient and trust that the treaure we look for is hidden in the ground on which we stand.'' 

You are all in my thoughts and prayers!  Que Dios le bendiga!

Cristobal

The Last Few Months...

So maybe yesterday was a blessing in disguise.  I spent most of the day in bed with a fever, chills, and the aches.  It finally got bad enough last night that Chase and Jazzy (I owe you guys!)drove me to the hospital to get a blood test for Dengue Fever (which, thankfully, came back negative).  I feel a lot better today, but am still relegated to the house.  Anyway, the blessing: I now have no excuse for not writing a blog post with all this time on my hands.  I know what you're all thinking: his last blog was in November?!  Is he still alive?  Yes.  And I will try to give at least some clarity to the last several months filled with grillos, rain, retreat groups, and of course, black paint on Carnaval.

            I will start by going back to December (just for you, Taylor Swift).  I took an overnight bus with my housemates to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, where we stayed with some awesome volunteers at the Centro de Muchachos Trabajadores.  Muchachos is a foundation dedicated to working with street children and providing educational opportunities for the kids.  We also climbed Mt. Pinchincha, with spectacular views of the city and surrounding mountainside (see pics!).  It was an awesome trip, thanks Muchachos vols for your hospitality!

 

            The next weekend, I led my first retreat group here in Arbolito.  A big part of the Rostro de Cristo program is hosting high school and college groups that come down to Ecuador for a week to experience life here.  I was blessed to spend a week with 12 awesome students and 2 incredible leaders from Assumption College in Worcester, MA.  The goal of their time here, much like our goal as year-long volunteers, is not so much to complete any specific project but to enter into relationship and ''be'' with the people.  They got to spend time at neighbors' houses, Damien House hospital where I work, and after-school programs.  It was an awesome week for me, and I think it was an impactful week for the kids as well!

            After my group left, my family came to visit!  It was such a blessing to have my Mom, Dad, bro Dan, and his girlfriend Tracy here!  We took a trip to Puerto Lopez, a sleepy little surf town on the coast.  We checked out ''Isla de la Plata'', a mini-Galapogos, and did some snorkeling with some really old turtles.  We also got to do a little surfing on the last 2 days...no wetsuit, in December....it was a strange feeling for this kid from Wisconsin.  One of the coolest parts of having them here, though, was the opportunity for them to meet the patients at Damien House, the kids at our after-school program, and the many incredible neighbors who have welcomed me into their homes this year.  It was a special time for me to spend with my family, and I think my family really enjoyed getting to know Arbolito as well!

 

 

            A few weeks later, perhaps my favorite Ecuadorian holiday took place.  The name: Carnaval.  The purpose: Douse anyone within range with water and paint in the 3 or so days before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.  I found no other purpose for the holiday, but I fully participated (see picture). 

   

                               

The couple days off of work also allowed my housemate Chase and I to travel to the campo (country) with our neighbor Elyer to visit his family.  Elyer, the first medical student from his village of Santo Domingo, lives with his Aunt here in Arbolito while he takes classes.  Chase and I spent two days with his family in Santo Domingo, playing soccer and basketball, jumping into the river, walking through his farm to pick all kinds of fruits I had never heard the name of, and yes, drinking from a coconut.  It was a beautiful place!  Thanks to Elyer and his fam for their hospitality!

    

            Experiencing the Lenten season and Easter here in Arbolito was really cool.  Shortly after Christmas, 3 Italian priests were sent here to Duran and began celebrating mass in Arbolito.  Padre Juan Pablo has been the main priest here at our church in Artbolito, and he has injected a lot of life into the parish with his enthusiasm, and most notably, with his sense of humor.  The youth group is growing again, I've been helping with guitar lessons for the youngsters, and the people are responding to a priest who is taking a genuine interest in their barrio.  On Friday evenings during Lent, Padre Juan Pablo led the Via Cruces, a stations of the cross through the streets of Arbolito.  We would usually start at the Church with a handful of people, and by the end we might have 50 or 60 people, all carrying candles and walking together.  It was a powerful experience for me, and humbling to see the reverence the people of Ecuador hold for the solemnity of Jesus's passion.  These words, written by a former Rostro de Cristo volunteer, speak to that identification with the Passion of Christ.

            It is impossible to spend time in Duran, Ecuador without witnessing the joy that radiates from the people.  At first of course, what jumps out is the poverty, the heartache, the pain and sorrow.  It's hard to imagine finding hope in that setting.  But as you start to meet people and they allow you to enter their lives, their hope is contagious.  At the same time, their pain is very real, and every day can be a struggle just for survival.  For that reason the Passion of Christ is very relevant for them.  But just as real is the hope that it brings, for Christ conquered death!  He was condemned and crucified, something the people of Duran know all too well.  But he rose from the dead!  He has proven that good conquers evil, that life conquers death, that there is always hope in every circumstance.  Change may come slow, but it will come.  We may be poor, but have each other.  We may have a small house, and struggle to put bread on the table, but our family is united.  Life is hard, but God is always on our side.  Christ has risen, alleluia!!! Resucito! Aleluya!

            After our celebration of Easter, my second retreat group, from Xaverian Brothers High School, arrived for their week in Ecuador.  It was such a well-led group and I had an awesome week being with the kids.  Seeing my surroundings from 13 new perspectives was a refreshing change for me.  Thank you Xaverian Bros!

            Tomorrow is the return to school for many kids here in Ecuador after their vacations during the rainy season.  From roughly January through April, it rains.  A lot.  When it rains, all the creatures come out.  Snakes, rats, frogs, mosquitos, and, most notably, GRILLOS!  Grillos are like grasshoppers..harmless, unless they find your clothes, which they eat holes through.  The worst night of grillos, I remember looking up at the streetlight and thinking it looked exactly like the streetlight  back outside my house in Wisconsin when it was snowing.  But these weren't snowflakes, they were grillos.  Around that time, our guard also killed the biggest snake I have seen outside of a zoo with his machete.  Yikes.  I think it says a lot about our neighbors here; even though it rains, the streets flood, everything turns to mud, they keep on; they are resilient.  During the rainy season, with kids not in school, the attendance at Semillas de Mostaza, our after-school program, jumped up significantly.  For several weeks, we averaged more than 100 kids a day.  Fun, but absolute madness.  With 3 of us volunteers, Ricardo, and a handful of ''ayudantes'', we had our plates full.  Some days, all I could do was try to keep the kids in one spot to do a word search.  Needless to say, a couple of my activity plans that might have worked with smaller groups were a disaster with the numbers we had.  Even now, with our numbers back down a bit, I have days where behavior issues leave me exhausted and fed up.  I wonder if the kids are actually learning anything from my activities.  Basically, I wonder on days like those, if my efforts are worthwhile.  Reading ''Tattoos on the Heart'', by Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., helped change my outlook a bit.  He wrote, ''All Jesus asks is 'where are you standing'? And after chilling defeat and soul-numbing failure, He asks again, 'Are you still standing there'?''  I have tried to begin to see my job not so much in terms of success and failure, but in terms of where my feet are.  Yes, I still try to plan good, educational activities.  But I am reminded that my biggest duty is to stand with these kids as a role model, friend, peer.  Someone who cares about them.  It's not easy.  It's something I will most likely struggle with  until my last day there.  But I know that standing with them is worthwhile.

            So, that is a little glimpse into the past few months.  I want to tell you all about Damien House and the work of Sr. Annie, it's founder, but I will save that for my next post.  Next week, I will be working for a morning or two at Casa Don Bosco, a Salesian-run shelter for street boys.  I will be accompanying two social workers as they visit the families of the boys who live and learn there.  It's something new for me, and exciting, so I'll keep you posted.  It's crazy to think, but we've been here in Ecuador for over 9 months now.  With a little over 3 months to go, I know our time here is rapidly coming to a close.  It will be a wild 3 months, with many retreat groups and preparations for the new year-long  Rostro de Cristo volunteers arriving in July (shout-out to the 3 vols coming from Creighton!).  I can't promise very quick Facebook responses, but know that you all will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers!  Thanks for all your love and support.  Cuidense mucho!

Cristobal

The kids at Semillas call me Nasuti, a defenseman on the local soccer team Emelec…any resemblance??

Playing a little guitar before Mass with two of my best friends and teachers down here, Frixon and Ricardo.

                                     

 

                  

       

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!