The One Month Anniversary

Yes friends, we have done it! All 12 of us have survived our first month living in Duran Ecuador as Rostro de Cristo volunteers। Some days it feels like Ive been here for longer, like I got the hang of everything. But then an hour will go by and I will realize that in fact I know very little in comparison to everything I have yet and need to learn. What a cool way to live life, right!

Okay, down to the nitty gritty of my life। Work. Its going pretty well if I do say so myself. My two jobs are turning out to be vastly different although they are both primarily me trying to connect with boys. My English class at Chicos de la Calle is the highlight of my mornings. The boys are smart, energetic and productive when I can channel that energy into something academic. We are flying through adjectives and some verbs. I feel so comfortable standing in front of the classroom . . . the dont intimidate me anymore.

Everyday I learn something new about one of the students home lives or past life। Some of them are going through things I would never have imagined before meeting them and I am doing my best to support them the best way I know how. If you could pray for them, for those who are trying to make positive life choices in the face of so many negative options and pressures, I would really appreciate it. I have been finding strength in my faith, and in many of you, to continue to open myself up to whatever they need. To be the space that they are looking for. Granted, sometimes they take me for quite the ride, but deep down I know that they want to be good.

So sometimes my mornings are tiring, but I get to come back home and then take off for Semillas। It is the most packed time of day for me but honestly most of the time it doesnt even feel like Im working. These kids impress me everyday and they teach me so many new things. When they complete an activity, or just play in peace with each other I find myself full of pride and wonder at who they are. I feel God in this place with more strength than I have in a long time. The way that that these kids fill me comes from something outside of myself. I feel like I am doing the right work, even when I mess up. I love seeing how proud they are of themselves too. That is a huge part of my job . . . to help them see themselves and each other the way I see them. It doesnt feel like work. It feels like love.

All in all I am really enjoying my time here। Im learning how to cook, sometimes by making some interesting and not the best tasting decisions for dinner. My Spanish feels better every day and Ive taken to laughing at myself when I sound stupid. It actually is really funny. Im taking things lighter than I usually do, not to say that Ive lost any of my intensity . . . far from it in fact. But the way I am, my forma de ser, here is much different. In the past, I have focused so much on doing, on changing, analyzing, talking it out, getting fired up about an issue and reacting to that experience. Here, maybe its a sign of my maturity . . . hahaha . . . I find myself sitting back and listening. Asking questions but not prying. My life here is not academic. Im learning yes, but Im learning who people are on a deeper level than Ive ever tried to get. I love spending time doing the things Im doing. Im looking right in front of me instead of into my own head, or my textbook, or other things. Im trying to really see where I am and who I am with. I find that I am enjoying life more and smiling a whole heck of a lot.

As always, I hope that you are all well. I am thinking and praying for you often, as is my community here. Thank you for the emails and letters and warm wishes. I hope to hear more about your lives and thoughts soon. Paz.

Broken

Vicente is 5 years old। He is small for his age, as most kids here are, with sweet expressive eyes. He isn´t very talkative but is energetic and always engaged in activities, whether it be coloring or soccer. He lives behind the school, right where our bus drops us off, in a cane house with his brother Ricardo, 9, sister Julissa, 7, and a baby less than a year old. Sweetest kids. Their mother died of cancer just a few months ago, and their father is a drug addict, pretty much mentally checked out.

Last week, on Tuesday, during recess at Manos Abiertas, Vicente fell off, or was pushed off, or got caught in, the swing। We´re not sure. All we knew was that he was on the ground crying and wailing in pain. Kasia held him for a few minutes and he just kept screaming in agony. He´d broken his arm. Danny tried to call our director, Kasia brought him back to his house with a few advil and extra bread and bananas, and I wrapped up the program for the day.

What to do? We had no emergency plan in place yet। Is it our responsibility to get him medical attention? What is our role here? Rostro de Cristo is not a medical clinic. We don´t want Manos to become a medical clinic. We don´t want to build up dependencies between the 28 de Agosto community and RdC. If we take him to the hospital, will the community begin to expect us, rely on us, to provide this type of care for every need? Will they be disempowered? Is there a way in which we can empower this family to provide for themselves? Will the drugged out father be of any help to him? On the other hand, if we don´t take him to a hospital and get him in a cast, he will be disabled in his right arm for the rest of his life.

When things are broken in Ecuador, they usually don´t get fixed। Institutions, families, buildings, or bones.

Wednesday, Vicente was back at Manos, drained of energy, with his arm limp at his side। I spent the afternoon trying to do the normal routine while playing bodyguard to prevent any further injury. Kasia talked to his father that afternoon, who was rather indifferent to the whole situation. ´Can you take him to the hospital?´ ´No, I have to stay here with the baby. ´ Would you be ok with us taking to him to the hospital tomorrow morning?´ ´Sure, whatever.´

After talking to our director, Kasia missed work to take Vicente to a medical clinic in Duran Thursday morning, with another RdC volunteer Melissa who works there। After weaving their way through the inefficient Ecuadorian health care system, much thanks to RdC´s relationship with the clinic, and paying out of her own stipend, they were able to take x-rays of Vicente´s arm. Fracture on the elbow. From there they were sent to a private children´s hospital in Guayaquil, after sitting in a traumatic emergency room for far too long, they put a soft temporary cast on Vicente´s arm, again thanks to RdC connections there. They couldn´t do a hard cast that day. No time. Would have to come back tomorrow. When they made it to Manos that afternoon, i literally jumped with joy when i saw even the soft cast on his arm. Someone did something. He got some sort of medical attention...probably more than he´d ever had in his life until this point. Resurrection.

Monday, we visited the family before Manos began to see how Vicente was doing। The whole family has pink eye. All of the kids, and the father. More brokenness that will most likely go untreated. We couldn´t let the kids come to the program for a few days because we didn´t want all of the kids to end up with pink eye. Try telling three children with no mother, druggie father, and a broken arm that they can´t come to Manos Abiertas until their eyes get better, knowing all too well that the situation is entirely out of their open hands.

This past Wednesday, over a week after the accident, Kasia was able to take Vicente to a specialist at the medical dispensario in our neighborhood। The specialist said he could make a cast for him, but they didn´t have any supplies there. The closest pharmacy that sells them is a 15 minute busride away. Kasia would have to leave Vicente at the clinic and go buy the necessary items to make a cast...but she´d have to hurry, the doctor will be leaving soon.

Gracias a Dios, Vicente has a hard cast now, and we´ve been letting other kids at Manos sign it। He thinks that´s really cool.

.....This event led to some reflection on the brokenness of our own lives and our own hearts, the brokenness of the institutions that govern life here, and the ways in which Christ is present through, and works through, our brokenness (road to Emmaus, anyone?). Luckily, we were able to fix this break , through many sacrifices. Given the malnutrition that the children in 28 de Agosto suffer, and the lack of availability to what is a crappy healthcare system anyway, this will probably happen again, in some capacity, to someone we know. We can´t fix everything. We need God to be in the brokenness......

Earning Ecua-points

Hola todos!

Soooo usually I only update this thing on the weekends when I have a good chuck of time, but I just HAD to share with you a hilarious little glimpse of my life here while it is still fresh in my mind। This morning, Melissa and I went to the house of one of our AIDS patients that we visit often. We saw him last Thursday, and we made arrangements to come back this week to spend more time there. His mom is an incredible cook, and every time we even just stop by, we leave with full tummies and food to take with us. This is the house where I think I may have eaten cow tongue last week? Anywho...

So, we had made plans to stop by at 8:30 this morning and spend a few hours there। In true latin fashion, we arrived a little late, closer to 9, and we were greeted as always with a welcoming hug. The house is lovely - small like all the houses, but this one actually has tile floors, a nice wooden dining room table, sofas in the sitting room, a little back patio, etc. Francia, the psychologist at Santa Marianita, told us that their house is nice because the father of the family has worked really hard all of his life. We had never met our patient's father before, but this morning, he was at the house, and he smiled and introduced himself as Segundo Lorenzo! I love his name - after getting to know him, I have decided that his name fits him well. He was an adorable man with such kind, welcoming eyes. He immediately embraced us and invited us to sit down at the table. We were going to share a cafecito (coffee) and desayuno (breakfast). We sat down at the dining room table, and they brought us out plates with two patties on them - they were green bananas (maduros) smashed down and fried with delicious melted cheese inside (kind of looked like flattened out cheesesticks). Next to it they placed a huge cup of coffee, and Segundo encouraged us to keep shoveling sugar into the cup, haha! After about 4 spoonfuls each, we finally convinced him it was sweet enough.

The food was delcious, and Segundo was an incredible host। We sat there for almost 3 hours, just talking. We talked about everything under the sun, and he told us the amazing story of his life. When he was a boy, he grew up in the Ecuadorian province of Ibarra. As a child, he was orphaned. He came by himself to Guayaquil and lived on the streets for 4 years in his early teens. However, he always trusted in God, and he continued to look for work. He worked hard all of his life, and now, he has an amazing house, a wonderful family, and he continues to work hard even in his age (he turned 76 on Monday). He usually works during the week, but he didn't go today so he could stay and be with us, his guests. He said that after having spent 4 years on the street in a new city in his younger days, he knows what it feels like to be a stranger somewhere. For this, he always invites foreigners to his house, and shares with them as if they were family.

He is so proud of his family, and so faithful to God -- another just incredibly inspirational person। He says that the Lord gave him an enormous heart, and because of this he always wants to be a good and generous person to everyone that he meets. He has always been a great example to his children, and to everyone. If you work hard, really hard, you can go far in life. He grew up without a father and mother, and without love, so he works everyday so that his children and grandchildren will never have to know that feeling.

I was touched by Segundo's openness and by his deep understanding of what it takes to love others and to get the most out of life। On top of this, he was so charming, and funny! He has this amazing manner of speaking that just captivates whoever who is listening, and he is soooo wise! My favorite thing was how he delighted in listening to Melissa and I talk. He laughed when we spoke Spanish to each other, because he said we sound funny, and then he would ask us to speak to each other in English so he could hear how it sounds. It was sooo cute, his eyes would light up, and he would listen so intently, laughing and then saying, "No entiendo nada!" (I don't understand anything!)

He also gave us some tips about living in Ecuador which I found hilarious। The buses that go just within our city of Duran usually cost 18 cents, and those that go to the Puntilla (where Nuevo Mundo is) and to Guayaquil cost 25 cents. Segundo asked us how much we had been paying for the buses, and of course we said, well, 18 and 25 cents. And he said something equivalent to "Nonsense!" He told us that if we are only going part of the way, to get on the 18 cent bus and give them a dime -- You are only going half the way, half of 18 is 9, you're even giving the driver a gift when you give them 10! On the 25 cent bus, give them 12. Melissa and I had never heard this before from anyone, so who knows if it's actually a common practice, but it was amusing, and so we agreed we would try it soon.

After we had finished the coffee and fried maduros which were veryyy greasy and veryyy filling, they brought out ANOTHER plate of them, and slapped another one in front of us। Somehow I ate it. By 10 am I was sooo full and thinking I didn't need another meal the whole day. We continued to talk, and after a little while, Segundo's wife came in from having gone to the doctor. She greeted us lovingly as always and asked us if we enjoyed breakfast and of course we said yes. The time passed quickly, and soon it was almost noon. I always have to leave my morning job around noon so I can go back to the house, change clothes, and catch the bus to school with the kids at 12:45. It is always a tricky thing to escape from house visits on time, because Ecuadorians are soooo welcoming that often they don't want you to leave, and they are soooo patient that they often don't understand schedules. This is definitely teaching me PATIENCE above all. I often have to start aying goodbye a half an hour before I need to leave, and even then I cut it close. Well, it was about 11:45, and I was thinking, I should tell them soon that I have to leave...when, magically, Segundo stood up and announced that it had been such a pleasure to have us, but he had to go somewhere so he had to say goodbye. I was amazed...I would actually leave there on time! A miracle!

We began to all say goodbye and as always they were sooo wonderful and loving। They told us "Aqui tienes una familia.(You have a family here)." They asked if they could be our parents here, and they told us that when our families come to visit, they will invite them to the house to eat! We hugged all of them a few times and then began to move towards the door. I thought we were safe....but then, Segundo turned to us and said "Wait, you aren't in a hurry, are you?"

My heart sank a little। "Well, yes, unfortunately...I have to catch the bus to go teach..." I began, but it was too late. "Sientense, mis hijas! (Sit down, my children!)" Segundo exclaimed. "Stay just a few minutes and eat my wife's delcious caldito de pollo (hot chicken soup)! Ya esta (it's ready right now)!" I looked at him incredulously--"Ya esta?" I asked...because in latin cultures, "Ya esta" can mean right now, or in an hour, or maybe just sometime before the sun goes down, haha. "Si si si! Ya esta!" he assured. Melissa and I looked at eachother and smiled helplessly as they pushed us toward the table.

We sat talking to our patient, and I watched the minutes pass on my watch...noon। 12:05. 12:10. 12:15. I felt myself getting nervous, and uncomfortable. I didn't want to offend them by leaving, but I can't be late to my job. Finally, at 12:18, I got the courage to stand up, and I started to say "I'm really sorry, but I have to go now..." Before I could finish, Segundo appeared rapidly from the kitchen and gently pushed me back down in my chair. "Alli viene la sopa! (Here comes the soup!)" He ran back to the kitchen and appeared with a hot bowl of soup and placed it in front of me. And at this moment began the chaos. The steam from the soup rose up and warmed my face as I bent over the bowl to begin eating. It was SCALDING. My eyes widened. I needed to consume it in about 5 minutes, but there was no way I could do it without burning my tongue off. I began to blow on the soup feverishly. Melissa laughed. "Sopla, sopla! (Blow, blow!)" they said. At this moment, Segundo's wife appeared with a bowl of soup for Melissa, and she began to blow as well. By this time, the whole family was standing around the table, as we sat there blowing forcefully on our scalding soup! As the parents encouraged us, our patient ran to the corner and turned on a fan to help out, haha! The fan blew on us, we blew on the soup, the family stood around cheering. In this moment, eating became a spectator sport.

Finally, I got brave। I lifted a spoonful to my mouth, and put it in...OK, it was still hot, but I could do it. I braced myself and began shoveling spoonful after spoonful in my mouth. It was delicious, chicken broth, with yuca (like potato), carrots, and a chicken leg in the middle. Segundo and his wife laughed as Melissa and I ate and ate. I occasionally glanced at my watch and began to eat with more gusto as each minute passed. "Ay, me tengo que ir! (I have to go!)" I exclaimed. Segundo left and returned with an old plastic butter container. "Just eat the soup, and put the chicken leg in here to take with you!" I moved the chicken leg into the container, ate a few more bites, and got up to leave. "No!" exclaimed Segundo, pointing to the bowl, where there were a few swallows left. I sighed and sat back down, and at this moment, he actually lifted to bowl to my mouth, and tilted it up! I slurped as best I could as half the soup ran into my mouth and half dribbled down my chin. Oh my gosh, I was laughing so hard inside. Finally, I slammed down the bowl, and we were all laughing. Segundo smiled with a knowing look, like he was satisfied since we had had a good, healthy lunch. Melissa put her chicken leg in the container, we whisked our things into our arms, and started to run out the door!

I looked down the street and saw a yellow bus approaching। "Can we take the yellow bus?!" I called, hoping we could. They said yes...I ran to the other side of the street to flag down the bus, Melissa followed, running out the door. Yellow buses cost 25 cents, but we were only going to be on it for less than 5 minutes. I looked at Melissa, and in that instance, our eyes both said the same thing. We were totally paying half. I quickly climbed up, placed a dime in the driver's hand, and without pausing, continued to sit down. Melissa did the same. The driver looked into his mirror, and for a minute I thought we had failed. I said "We're only going a short way." "Ah, vale (OK)," the driver replied, and with the grinding of the engine we were off!

For the first time in a half hour, Melissa and I BREATHED, looked at each other, and busted out laughing! We were both bursting with food, out of breath, and we had just paid 10 cents for a 25 cent bus ride! hahaha। We were so proud. Ten cents, not even the 12 that Segundo had instructed us to pay. We decided that once you begin to learn little secrets like that about life here, you are well on your way to being Ecuadorian. At that moment, we created what we are going to call "Ecua-points" and decided that we had earned quite a few for our boldness.

So, here I sit -- my heart is warmed by my new Ecuadorian "family" and the adorable Segundo Lopez, my stomach is full and probably will be for 3 weeks, and I am proud to know I am slowly learning to be at home here. And just like this, I go through each passing day, finding God in my life in Ecuador and, little by little, finding Ecuador in myself!