Thoughts on Disparity, and on Navidad!

I spent this Sunday morning at Jenny's house after singing at weekly Sunday Mass in Arbolito. Her three little boys Oscar, Luis, and Nico, are absolutely adorable, and they're starting to feel like my little brothers (They call me ñañita - Ecua way of saying lil sister). Oscarito loves to sing, especially when he has an audience. Sunday morning, he put on the Aventura concert DVD (Aventura is a really popular bachata group from Puerto Rico), and stood next to the TV with a fake microphone singing each and every one of the songs. If I moved from my chair or diverted my attention, he got very upset, haha.

After watching his full-length concert and wrestling with the little ones a bit, I was sitting on the bunk bed in the kitchen where Jenny was cooking lunch (yep, the boys' bedroom also happens to be the kitchen). I love Jenny and look up to her so much. She is a strong, faithful woman and an amazing mother. I love talking to her - we can always be honest with eachother. On this particular day, her mother-in-law who lives just around the corner was over, too, and we were all talking about the retreat groups that Rostro de Cristo hosts. This year, we having a total of 27 groups come down from US high schools and colleges. Much of their time here is spent in our neighborhoods, getting to know the neighbors and the worksites where we volunteers work. Jenny's house is always a memorable spot because she asks the retreat groups hard questions like "So, why did you come here?"

Maria Teresa, Jenny's mother-in-law, is a strong woman too. She asked me on Sunday, "So, can you explain to me what this whole retreat experience is supposed to be about?" So she asked me what exactly this retreat experience meant to the retreatants. I tried to explain to her what it was supposed to mean, but I felt almost a little silly. Basically, it’s to take us out of our culture and allow us to learn from another one. It allows Americans to live and be with the poor for a week and understand at least a small piece of the great injustice in our world, to better appreciate the gifts we have been given, to use the opportunities in our lives to reach out to others, to deepen our faith and strive to see God’s face in others and be God’s face for them. That’s kind of a tall order I know. I didn’t quite know how to explain this to Maria Teresa and Jenny with out sounding like a pompous American – We come to see how you “poor people” live and then go back to our country to help other people. No…I told them that in America, we have a lot, and we don’t always appreciate it. So by coming here, we come to understand a more simple way of living…we see the way Ecuadorians value family, friendship, faith…we hopefully recognize the huge necessity in our world to use our lives to serve others in the best way we can with the talents and opportunities we’ve been given. Hopefully we recognize that in America, those talents and opportunities are abundant.

Jenny and Maria Teresa understood this and agreed that it was a valuable experience for the young Americans. But they had more questions: “So all of these kids have money, no?” “The majority do, yes,” I answered, knowing that in comparison to Jenny’s family even the poorest American retreatant would be like a millionaire. “How come they don’t give us any?” Maria Teresa asked. “I know they come here and learn from us and everything but…Look at our church for example!” She motioned with her chin across the street where the tiny, simple church sits. “If they have money, why don’t they give us a new church?” I didn’t really know what to say.

The Foundation Rostro de Cristo gives A LOT of donations and support to the neighborhoods in which we work and our partner foundations, but the most visible element of our program is the retreat program and the one year volunteer program. I have often thought about the amount of money that goes into sending the retreat groups down or sustaining our lives here for one year – it’s an enormous amount. What if we just raised all that money and donated it to our neighbors who are in such great need? The basic salary in Durán is $200 a month. $2400 a year. Just a plane ticket down here costs about $1000. The thing is, Rostro is based upon trying to employ sustainable ministry – putting programs in place that will hopefully continue; educating people (especially kids) so they can help themselves and not rely on funds coming from the U.S. It is also deeply rooted in a desire to spread awareness about social injustice, particularly to the people who have the power to make a difference (Us!) I understand this completely, and I stand 100% behind the mission of the program because I see the great good it does in the community and the inspiring effect it has on the hundreds of retreatants that pass through each year. But I still struggle a lot with these thoughts, this passion to bring about justice and serve others but not really know how to do it, this deep and horrible disparity that exists in our world between rich and poor with ME on the high end…It’s sad and sometimes disheartening. During orientation, the director Patrick told us that we'd come to a time in the year where we would question everything about the program and about being here...Hah, he was right. Here I am.

Christmas reflections

For me it is incredibly refreshing to have the privilege to be surrounded by this simple culture for a year, especially as Christmas approaches. It is impossible for the people here to be caught up in the hustle and bustle, in the commercialism and materialism that has come to characterize the holiday in many parts of the world (and just over the bridge in the richer part of Guayaquil). It’s about celebrating the birth of the Savior - a Savior who sustains them day in and day out even when their lives are incredibly difficult. It’s about being with family and friends (and even welcoming gringos who have only been here for a few months as part of that family).

It has been really hard to be far away from my family and friends during this season. And it’s been super weird to see Christmas lights and trees and ads and TV specials and all that when it’s 85 or 90 degrees outside! I always kind of chuckle when I am riding home on the bus sweating a ridiculous amount and I see a house decorated for Christmas. I feel like everyone in Ecuador got together and decided to plan Christmas in July parties or something. So funny!

Despite how hard it is to be away from home on Christmas, I have been feeling really warmed by Christmas spirit anyway. We have a Christmas tree in the house and listen to carols pretty much all the time. Last week at Nuevo Mundo, there were a number of Christmas shows and presentations. My 5th grade class who ironically enough gave me the most trouble discipline-wise this semester prepared a little concert for me and brought me cards and candy on our last day of class. Our 3rd graders performed “Little Drummer Boy” in the Prescolar (1st to 3rd grade) Christmas concert and they were ADORABLE. You couldn’t always understand what they were saying but they had the “Pa rum pa pum pum” part down, haha! Friday afternoon on the bus was hilarious – even more wild than normal. It reminded me of how it felt to ride the bus home when I was in grade school the day before a break. Don Pedro was in a great mood – he cranked up the music after we left the school parking lot, and a fiesta ensued. Everyone was just so happy, taking pictures, singing Christmas carols. My favourite part of the day is always watching the little kids get off the bus into the arms of their parents, brothers, and sisters, and on this day, it was even more special. “Feliz Navidad, nos vemos en 2009!” Just a really great day.

Thursday night our community got together to make Christmas cookies, and on Sunday we went carolling and took them around to the neighbors. I never thought I would need to put on sunblock to go Christmas carolling, but there’s a first time for everything. We had a few songs prepared for each house complete with hand motions, and we always finished up with Feliz Navidad Chicka Boom Chicka Boom (a fun version of the song I learned from my high school Spanish teacher Señor Diaz). We were a hit; the families loved us! It was by far one of my favourite things we’ve done in our time here.

Last night, we had a huge Christmas party in the retreat house with all of the guards and employees and their families. It was the most fun I’ve had in Ecuador so far. We started off with a huge dinner, and then played some Ecua party games. For example, you put a balloon between you and your partner and have to dance without letting the balloon fall. My partner was our guard Isidro – he is our gentle giant – huge, but a little reserved and so gentle and caring. We put the balloon in between our foreheads which worked until another guard Wellington popped the balloon with a needle! We also gave the guards superlatives – goofiest, best mouse killer, superhero of Arbolito – they loved it. And of course we finished the night with some salsa dancing (or salsa trying-to-dance for the gringos).

Tomorrow night we’re going to Christmas Eve Mass in the neighbourhood where Danny is playing Joseph in the Christmas play, haha! On Christmas Day we’re all getting together to exchange letters and then going carolling at Padre Damian, the leprosy hospital where Lauren and Carolyn work. The director, Sr. Annie, is having us over for dinner. Then we’re all heading out on night buses to travel for a week or so. I’m heading northeast 9 hours to Puyo, a city on the edge of the Amazon rainforest where we’ll enter the rainforest for a few days! Then we’re going to the nearby city of Baños where they have thermal baths, waterfalls, a scenic bike rides, a volcano, AND a cooler climate! We’ll be back the 31st to ring in 2009 with our neighbors!

Right now I am heading off to a teacher luncheon at Nuevo Mundo. Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my thoughts. Know that you are all in my prayers always and especially this Christmas season. Thanks as well for all of the emails, letters, packages…I feel truly blessed to be surrounded by such supportive and loving family and friends. ¡Feliz Navidad y prospero año Nuevo!