Happenings in ARBOLITO

Hello Everyone!

Almost at the five month mark, I am still alive and healthy (knock on wood). A little too healthy, seeing as the ¨third world diet¨ has not been working in my favor due to the overwhelming presence of carbs in the food! I am still teaching my four classes of reading, regularly visiting the Hansen´s Disease hospital, as well as tutoring a couple of students in English. In the meantime, God has also led me to take on some new projects which have brought so much meaning and joy to my time here. There are three brothers (Johnny, David, and Michael), that a fellow volunteer, Ecuadorian friend, and I have taken under our wings. In discovering that they never had homework at our after-school program, due to their not being in school, Conor found a way for them to enter into school without paying. (The $2/mon. per child was too much for their single father, who is barely around, to pay). At the ages of 8, 9, and 11, these boys had basically spent all their time in the streets as they seldom had supervision or anything else to do. Now with them being in school, we have had to face the challenge of attempting to catch them up with the rest of the children. It has been very humbling to start from the basics of reading, writing, and math and try to explain them in a whole different language! Although there have been a lot of tears on their part and a lot of frustration on both ends, their open minds and hearts (as well as their cute little faces) keep me showing up each day in the hope that we will all learn a lot from each other in this year. I can truly attest that the fruits have already been so rich.

Also, another one of my projects has included helping start, with some fellow volunteers, a women´s group in the community. It is called ¨Mujeres en Accion y Progreso¨ (Women in Action and Progress- completely chosen by them). The group is made-up of very independent women that are dedicated to making positive changes in the community, while especially validating and empowering women in the process. We now officially have a board consisting of a pres, vp, and sec. They have been very excited to finally organize, as it has been a great desire and need for a long time within this machismo dominated culture. It is so exciting for me to witness so much of what I have learned in my Chicana/o Studies and Liberation THST classes in this group. These women truly inspire me and I feel so privileged to be walking and working with them.

The after-school program ¨Semillas de Mostaza¨ is going very well. We have had over a 100 kids every day for the past month or so, and with more of them coming in, we are constantly trying to improve the program. We are in the process of creating more structure (with more planned activities for them in expanding their ways of being educated, starting a reading program, etc.) as well as trying to add greater organization to our physical space. The consistency of the program and the kids is what truly makes it for me and brings me so much life each day.

My experience here has been very much a mutual sharing with others to whatever capacity I am able to give as it is a journeying with one another and not just a one way engagement. It has been a process of learning how to be more gentle and patient with myself (especially in light of my limitations and many moments of helplessness) and with others in constantly asking for God´s grace in being met and meeting people where I/they are at.

From being away from the family at Thanksgiving, and with Christmas quickly approaching I have very much realized how difficult it is to be away from family and friends at this time of year. I am, however, not missing the big holiday rush (as it is non- existent here) and I am excited to witness how everything is uniquely celebrated here.

Wishing you a blessed holiday season!!...hopefully much cooler than what we are experiencing here!!!!


En el Paz y Cariño de Cristo,
Elena