Greetings to everyone!
New photos of our youth council camping trip are posted on the photo site at right. Below, news about the past three weeks in Chimbote...
NEW MISSIONARIES
Last entry I introduced briefly my new companions in mission here: Julie, Jane and Courtney. Now, a little more detail as to where they come from and what their ministries are evolving to be here
- Jane Silcock is 22 years old and just graduated from The University of Missouri, her home state, with majors in communications and journalism. She worked there for a TV/radio station as a reporter. Here in Chimbote, she is continuing in her field by working part-time at Cecopros, a non-profit which puts out the diocesan newspaper, does TV journalism, and produces faith/justice-based videos about local issues, people and organizations. She does camera work, takes photos, edits, will write articles, and does upkeep on their website (www.cecopros.org). Jane has also joined the youth folkloric dance group at the parish and has performed in a few presenations already, the first IWM to do so, I believe. Jane`s other ministry is helping at the Center for Social Justice, where she will accompany the team on visits to the local jail along with other projects. Jane also keeps a blog, which is linked at right, will be living in Chimbote for two years.
- Julie Ramaley, 21, hails from Connecticut and just graduated in pre-med from Villanova University in Philadelphia. She intends to apply for medical school after her year of IWM service and currently splits her time between the Sisters` clinic next to our parish and a womens` hospital/birthing center called Maternidad de Marìa. Julie is a swimmer and played water polo for Villanova, and misses her pool time here. As a substitute she has begun running with me 3-4 days per week in the mornings before she heads off. Julie has been a vegetarian from an early age, though does eat fish -- so doesn`t miss out on ceviche, the local specialty. Julie is the primary assistant for our mid-level English group.
- Courtney Cranston, 21, grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, but also loves Chicago, where she graduated this year from the nursing program at Loyola University. Like me, Courtney adopted a new name--Corina--upon arrival, `Courtney` proving quite difficult for people here to pronounce. Corina works with Julie at the clinic and maternity center and also plays guitar and loves to sing. Roger has extended an invitation to join his band as a singer, which she is excited about. Corina is the primary assistant for our beginners in the English course.
RODENTS
Beginning a week or two prior to the arrival of Jane, Corina and Julie, we began having a problem with mice helping themselves to any food products not in the fridge or in plastic containers. Since then, we`ve taken both defensive (everything in plastic -- old peanut butter jars come in really handy) and offensive (mouse poison pellets) measures. For the poison, three nights in a row we left considerable quantities of pellets in the rodent-traffic areas -- all were gone in the mornings. Jane has had the most intimate contact, consistent mouse droppings in a corner of her room, plus incidences of such remains left under her pillow during our absence camping and in her sheets after a night when she slept in her bed. Needless to say, she was a little grossed out. All in all, the verdict is iffy -- either we were hosting a very large quantity of mice or the poison doesn`t work. Currently, we are coexisting.
CAMPING
As I mentioned above, I`ve posted some photos of our September 20-21 camping trip with JUMIFRA, our youth leadership council. As a reward for a series of events planned and carried out in the parish, Fr. Carlos suggested a recreation outing, and the group chose camping -- which many had never done here. Camping is not at all common here, except for maybe occasional sleeping on the beach. (I judge camping`s rarity a result of economics and the fact that the living situation of many here -- part inside, part outside -- itself resembles the US version of camping. It`s not a stretch at all to say that many families here live with less amenities (although a bit more space) than the standard RV provides, but that is another topic.) We had a great time camping at the farm of Father Carlos` uncle just outside the small town of Moro, 2 hours southeast of Chimbote in a fertile river valley. We had 2 1/2 actual tents plus one which we fabricated from sheets of plastic and wood poles -- it fell down in the morning when the guys got up, but served its purpose. In all, 15 of us, including Jane and Corina, made up the group which enjoyed the group games, hanging out by a small river, campfire songs, and hike to a nearby pre-Inca cemetery, now a small hill. For food we cooked in a pot over the fire quaker (the oatmeal/milk drink) and then chicken & rice for lunch. We returned Sunday afternoon content, tired, and filthy.
YOUTH DAY
Two weeks ago we celebrated the national youth day (23rd) by going with friends Yuri, Alex, and Colver to Nuevo Chimbote for a concert by Grupo 5, the band of the moment here in Peru. The huge plaza was quite full, the only problem was that Grupo 5 experienced some delay in coming on stage and the opening act played until 12:30, Grupo 5 not coming out until 1:00 am. We passed the time talking, people watching, and having anticuchos (skewered/grilled beef heart) but were too tired to stay much past 1:30 am.
FUNERAL
This past week, Alex`s mom died after a three-month battle with stomach cancer. I hadn`t seen Alex much lately, as he was occupied in caring for his mom and helping to run a restaurant his family had opened in his house in order to raise money for her care and treatment. A delay in diagnosis proved too much to overcome, however, and his mom died a week after returning to Chimbote after a stay in Lima in search of better treatment. We four joined a number of his friends from the choir and parish in accompanying Alex in the funeral process. Traditions vary much here from those in the US. When a person dies, that same day tents are erected in the street out front of the house for friends and family to gather, and a room within the house is transformed into the wake area, where the deceased rests in a casket next to lights, pillars, flowers, etc provided by the funeral company. For a couple days, family and friends come and go, offering their presence and support -- our choir participated by singing some songs on the first night to accompany a short prayer service performed by Father Carlos. After singing, we stayed until past midnight, sitting on chairs out in the street -- many stay all night. The whole experience seems exhausting for the family, since beside their grief they are expected to serve food and drink to the visitors periodically throughout the 2-3 days. Anyway, on the second day after his mom died we attended the funeral -- a procession with a small brass band the half-mile to the parish for mass, then additional procession out of the church for a few blocks after which we caught a cab to the parish (the two buses provided by the family were stuffed full). Burials are generally not underground here, but to save space they instead build structures five-levels high that the casket is slid into after family members have a chance to say final words of rememberance. The band plays and the family comforts each other while a cementery employee mixes a small batch of cement to seal up the tomb right then and there. Finally, we took a cab back to Alex`s house where the family served another meal and a small group of us sat and talked with Alex for a while. Alex is 27 and his mom in her late forties, and he is doing OK but definitely seeking to be with friends instead of alone. We have hung out a few times since then, including a gathering of about 15 of us from the parish downtown where we played group games in the two main plazas, walked along the ocean, and had pizza. I also joined Yuri and Alex for a visit with his family on this past Saturday -- they were making a huge pot of a dessert called Chiclayo in camp-style fire in the street in front of the house. It was my first time to try the dish, which consists of cooked fresh pumpking, sugar, water, and milk, and is eaten in a bowl like soup. Not bad -- different, but not bad.
GUITAR AND MUSIC
I have begun to meet regularly with Roger, a friend of mine and Nicole`s boyfriend, for him to give me lessons on playing guitar. He is a quite impressive guitarist, and I am learning a lot -- practice and theory. On the musical theme, I continue to practice on the quena (a flute) in free moments and am making gradual progress. For this weekend`s feast of St. Francis, patron of the parish here, our English class has been invited to sing a couple songs as a contribution to the entertainment during the lunch (following the mass during which a young man from the parish will be ordained a priest). We will sing Here I am, Lord and Amazing Grace -- Roger accompanying us on guitar and me maybe playing the zampoña for the first time in public. We had rehearsal last night with the group, and...we need some more work. But, I have faith it will turn out OK.
ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
This past Thursday, September 25, I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my arrival here in Chimbote. I actually didn`t do too much to celebrate, but did some reflecting during down moments on my time here so far. Seems to have gone quickly in some sense, but also I feel that it was so long ago that I was in the US. Next entry I will share some more thoughts on this milestone, things I do/don`t will/won`t miss, etc. I`ve been asked how I`ve changed in this year, and I honestly have a hard time coming up with a solid answer to that question. Maybe I will only know for sure when I return...
Have a blessed week.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Transitions...
Greetings from Chimbote, on a gray and cool winter day. To go with the recent photos that you can access with the link at right, here are some highlights and reflections on life here in Peru since my last blog a month ago:
FRENCH CYCLIST VISITS
As a member of the `Warm Showers List` website, I am on a list of people who are willing to host traveling cyclists with a place to stay, food, and a warm shower (we are lacking in the `warm` part at the moment, but we do have showers -- see below). I have been on the list for a few years, but was never contacted while in Oregon. Here in Chimbote, three travelers/couples have written me emails, with one visit coming to fruition. Nicolas Carron, a 30-year-old from France who has spent a year in Tennessee in grad school and is in the first month of a year-long trip around South America (partly by bike), stayed a day and night with us in August. Having trouble with his vision near Huaràz, he took a bus to Chimbote to have his eyes checked (turned out to be nothing wrong) and pick up some bike tools. We had a pleasant visit, and below you can see a photo of him as he rode away (a very light packer, I must say).
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS EVENT
In the month of August our youth council organized and pulled off two successful events for youth and adults of our community. First, on August 16, we hosted a profesor from the local national university who spoke about the sober reality of how we as a city are massively polluting the bay on which we sit. I joined teams that went to neighborhood schools ahead of time to speak with science teachers, several of whom brought with them 10-25 students, for a crowd of about 100 people including parishioners. I enjoyed the chance to enter inside the various high schools and elementary schools, to see a little of that reality. In truth, I sensed a wide range of upkeep, professionalism, order in the several schools we visited -- though nearly all the teachers we talked with were excited about the invitation and opportunity to bring students. For the event itself, JUMIFRA youth council members cleaned, set-up, welcomed, and made/served chicha morada, a very popular drink here made by boiling purple corn with cinnamon, cloves, and pineapple and then adding sugar. Though it ran a bit long, the presentation was well-done and supported by a number of graphics and photos which we displayed with a digital projector borrowed from one of the parish priests. The assembled public learned of the initial pristine condition of the bay (as late as the mid-50`s) and the causes for its steady degradation: fishing industry, steel mill, sewer, hospital waste. For example, all sewers -- 100% -- dump directly into the bay just off the shore from downtown, industrial construction has changed current patterns and increased coastal erosion, and there is no longer a beach that fronts the `tourist hotel.` We collected names and contact information from attendees, and plan to follow up with the schools themselves and with other parish events and projects. Lots to do...
COMPAÑA COMPARTIR
Next, we turned our attention briefly to the Compaña Compartir (Sharing Campaign) that is an annual initiative of the Peruvian Catholic Church to collect funds for a particular cause, maybe similar to the Catholic Charities collection. The difference is that you see the posters everywhere -- post office, stores, etc. And, though with late notice, our pastor asked the youth council to take charge of visiting the neighborhood schools to take up collections there. So, early in the week I went with Lucciani to leave official notices from the pastor requesting permission to return on Friday, August 22, to present/collect in each classroom. On Friday, teams of two young adults went to five neighborhood schools, I with Nelly to Corpus Cristi, a few doors down from my house -- the theme this year was `Toward a World Free of Drugs.` The striking part about the whole experience was the access on behalf of the church to the school system -- the letter from the pastor was all we needed. Definitely different from the US.
YOUTH MUSIC CONCERT
Following the Compaña Compartir JUMIFRA (Juventud Misionera Franciscana -- Franciscan Missionary Youth) bore down on pulling together a youth music concert for August 30th. A big event that came off quite well, aside from some confusion on who was in charge of preparing the food (a form of hotdogs, even less apetizing in my view but popular here) to sell during the event. Nonetheless, the food we sold covered much of the cost for renting the sound equipment. Although the event started late (surprised?), it featured good quality and variety of music: both youth choirs (including mine), Franciscan postulants, Cumbia singer, Christian music group, Latin American Music, an `all-star` group from both our choirs, and a local high school rock band. Our new missionaries -- Julie, Jane, and Courtney -- even joined me in our choir on their second full day in Chimbote. A lot of work cleaning up and decorating during the day, but worth it in the end. Besides music, we continued with the environmental awareness theme, making posters with anti-pollution and pro-conservation messages as decoration and running a loop of photos of local environmental pollution on a screen above the stage during the show.
NEW INCARNATE WORD MISSIONARIES
I missed some of the run-up preparations for the concert because I made a trip to Lima to meet and welcome our new IWM`s -- Julie, Jane and Courtney (Corina). They arrived at 12:30 am on Tuesday, August 26, and I met them at the airport with Sisters Mirella and Pilar. We took two taxis back to the sisters` house, where we stayed for three nights and two days for a quick orientation to Lima. Activities during our stay included a visit to the National Museum (with a sobering exhibit about the years of terrorist violence in Peru in the 80`s and 90`s), downtown Lima and the Plaza de Armas (see photo below), the Convent of Santo Domingo with the tombs of Saint Martin de Porres and Saint Rose of Lima, the Park of the Waters with its beautiful lit-up fountains, and visits to both additional houses for Incarnate Word sisters in the capital city.
On Thursday we were back in Chimbote for a welcome dinner with Emily, Nicole, and the sisters here and then a full weekend at the parish with the concert, a trip to mass at Nuevo Chimbote`s Cathedral, and their first taste of ceviche (no major damage). Since then, Jane, Julie and Courtney have gradually been visiting various sites where they might choose to devote their time in service: a Catholic radio station and video/publishing center, Hospice, the medical clinic, birthing center, women`s education center, prostitute ministry, and of course they`ve taken turns assisting with our growing English class program. Additionally, they helped with and enjoyed the Goodbye/welcome party we held in our back patio (see below). With Emily and Nicole now gone a few days, we are working to settle into our new community and routines, and its been positive so far -- I look forward to a good year ahead. You`ll hear more about each of my new housemates in future posts...
DESPEDIDA
With the welcoming of my new housemates came of course a goodbye to my companions and friends of this past year, Emily and Nicole Tardio. Both helped a ton in showing the new missionaries around, and I feel that Julie, Courtney and Jane are at least more aware and less naive than we were about safety issues and practical tips from the several conversations that the six of us shared. I feel sad to see Emily and Nicole go, after many shared adventures and laughs, but my overall feeling is one of gratitude for walking alongside them for this chapter of our lives. We most likely will find our way to a reunion back in the US at some point, so the goodbye is not forever -- as it likely was with them and their Peruvian friends. They are currently in Huaràz, Peru, and will be in Lima later today. Tomorrow they fly to Iquitos in NW Peru, where they will spend a few days in a jungle lodge on the Amazon. They are both excited and nervous -- Nicole especially about the 5:00 am canoe rides to view wildlife :). On the 19th they will be on a plane back to Cincinatti, their excited family members, and their next adventure. I pray that this experience continues to live on in their hearts, minds, and lives.
To say goodbye to the many groups of friends they`ve gotten to know here, we decided to throw a goodbye party (despedida) at our house. We cleaned, shopped (5 kilos of ground meat and 8 kilos of potatos) cooked (I made cookies, girls made hamburgers and french fries with the help of hospice friends), and cleaned. Colver and Cuder lent their music and stereo system, and we danced until almost 5 am -- OK, I ran out of energy around 2 am and mostly talked after that. For once, we were the noise of the neighborhood, but a lot of fun in all with invitees from our English class, the parish, hospice co-workers, and a few extras. On the night of their final departure, the four of us remaining IWM`s and several guys from the parish -- all went to the bus terminal to see them off, waving goodbye as a few drops of rare rain came down.
CUYADA (GUINEA PIG LUNCH FUNDRAISER)
On September 7 the parish held an annual fundraiser, this year a cuy (guinea pig) lunch). We missionaries and youth helped set up, manage food lines (Peruvians don`t wait in line well, not seeing the point) and also to peel potatoes amidst de-haired, gutted, cuyes hanging inside-out on a clothes line over our heads (see photos). Julie is a vegetarian (although she eats fish) so didn`t sample the finished product, but Jane and Courtney liked it OK. I don`t see cuy as the delicacy that it is viewed as by most Peruvians, but will eat it when served. (see photos below)
MISCELANEOUS...
With time for this session running short, a quick summary of the rest: I planned and led my first Confirmation session in Spanish on Tuesday, English class is steadily growing, we had fun watching Peru tie Argentina in soccer at Alex`s house with he and Yuri a couple days ago, I am initiating a long-term youth visiting program with members of JUMIFRA to various neighborhoods, and our electric showerheads have once again stopped working, leaving us with cold showers once again, but this time during the winter -- every day another chance to live simply :).
Until next time, God bless!
FRENCH CYCLIST VISITS
As a member of the `Warm Showers List` website, I am on a list of people who are willing to host traveling cyclists with a place to stay, food, and a warm shower (we are lacking in the `warm` part at the moment, but we do have showers -- see below). I have been on the list for a few years, but was never contacted while in Oregon. Here in Chimbote, three travelers/couples have written me emails, with one visit coming to fruition. Nicolas Carron, a 30-year-old from France who has spent a year in Tennessee in grad school and is in the first month of a year-long trip around South America (partly by bike), stayed a day and night with us in August. Having trouble with his vision near Huaràz, he took a bus to Chimbote to have his eyes checked (turned out to be nothing wrong) and pick up some bike tools. We had a pleasant visit, and below you can see a photo of him as he rode away (a very light packer, I must say).
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS EVENT
In the month of August our youth council organized and pulled off two successful events for youth and adults of our community. First, on August 16, we hosted a profesor from the local national university who spoke about the sober reality of how we as a city are massively polluting the bay on which we sit. I joined teams that went to neighborhood schools ahead of time to speak with science teachers, several of whom brought with them 10-25 students, for a crowd of about 100 people including parishioners. I enjoyed the chance to enter inside the various high schools and elementary schools, to see a little of that reality. In truth, I sensed a wide range of upkeep, professionalism, order in the several schools we visited -- though nearly all the teachers we talked with were excited about the invitation and opportunity to bring students. For the event itself, JUMIFRA youth council members cleaned, set-up, welcomed, and made/served chicha morada, a very popular drink here made by boiling purple corn with cinnamon, cloves, and pineapple and then adding sugar. Though it ran a bit long, the presentation was well-done and supported by a number of graphics and photos which we displayed with a digital projector borrowed from one of the parish priests. The assembled public learned of the initial pristine condition of the bay (as late as the mid-50`s) and the causes for its steady degradation: fishing industry, steel mill, sewer, hospital waste. For example, all sewers -- 100% -- dump directly into the bay just off the shore from downtown, industrial construction has changed current patterns and increased coastal erosion, and there is no longer a beach that fronts the `tourist hotel.` We collected names and contact information from attendees, and plan to follow up with the schools themselves and with other parish events and projects. Lots to do...
COMPAÑA COMPARTIR
Next, we turned our attention briefly to the Compaña Compartir (Sharing Campaign) that is an annual initiative of the Peruvian Catholic Church to collect funds for a particular cause, maybe similar to the Catholic Charities collection. The difference is that you see the posters everywhere -- post office, stores, etc. And, though with late notice, our pastor asked the youth council to take charge of visiting the neighborhood schools to take up collections there. So, early in the week I went with Lucciani to leave official notices from the pastor requesting permission to return on Friday, August 22, to present/collect in each classroom. On Friday, teams of two young adults went to five neighborhood schools, I with Nelly to Corpus Cristi, a few doors down from my house -- the theme this year was `Toward a World Free of Drugs.` The striking part about the whole experience was the access on behalf of the church to the school system -- the letter from the pastor was all we needed. Definitely different from the US.
YOUTH MUSIC CONCERT
Following the Compaña Compartir JUMIFRA (Juventud Misionera Franciscana -- Franciscan Missionary Youth) bore down on pulling together a youth music concert for August 30th. A big event that came off quite well, aside from some confusion on who was in charge of preparing the food (a form of hotdogs, even less apetizing in my view but popular here) to sell during the event. Nonetheless, the food we sold covered much of the cost for renting the sound equipment. Although the event started late (surprised?), it featured good quality and variety of music: both youth choirs (including mine), Franciscan postulants, Cumbia singer, Christian music group, Latin American Music, an `all-star` group from both our choirs, and a local high school rock band. Our new missionaries -- Julie, Jane, and Courtney -- even joined me in our choir on their second full day in Chimbote. A lot of work cleaning up and decorating during the day, but worth it in the end. Besides music, we continued with the environmental awareness theme, making posters with anti-pollution and pro-conservation messages as decoration and running a loop of photos of local environmental pollution on a screen above the stage during the show.
NEW INCARNATE WORD MISSIONARIES
I missed some of the run-up preparations for the concert because I made a trip to Lima to meet and welcome our new IWM`s -- Julie, Jane and Courtney (Corina). They arrived at 12:30 am on Tuesday, August 26, and I met them at the airport with Sisters Mirella and Pilar. We took two taxis back to the sisters` house, where we stayed for three nights and two days for a quick orientation to Lima. Activities during our stay included a visit to the National Museum (with a sobering exhibit about the years of terrorist violence in Peru in the 80`s and 90`s), downtown Lima and the Plaza de Armas (see photo below), the Convent of Santo Domingo with the tombs of Saint Martin de Porres and Saint Rose of Lima, the Park of the Waters with its beautiful lit-up fountains, and visits to both additional houses for Incarnate Word sisters in the capital city.
On Thursday we were back in Chimbote for a welcome dinner with Emily, Nicole, and the sisters here and then a full weekend at the parish with the concert, a trip to mass at Nuevo Chimbote`s Cathedral, and their first taste of ceviche (no major damage). Since then, Jane, Julie and Courtney have gradually been visiting various sites where they might choose to devote their time in service: a Catholic radio station and video/publishing center, Hospice, the medical clinic, birthing center, women`s education center, prostitute ministry, and of course they`ve taken turns assisting with our growing English class program. Additionally, they helped with and enjoyed the Goodbye/welcome party we held in our back patio (see below). With Emily and Nicole now gone a few days, we are working to settle into our new community and routines, and its been positive so far -- I look forward to a good year ahead. You`ll hear more about each of my new housemates in future posts...DESPEDIDA
With the welcoming of my new housemates came of course a goodbye to my companions and friends of this past year, Emily and Nicole Tardio. Both helped a ton in showing the new missionaries around, and I feel that Julie, Courtney and Jane are at least more aware and less naive than we were about safety issues and practical tips from the several conversations that the six of us shared. I feel sad to see Emily and Nicole go, after many shared adventures and laughs, but my overall feeling is one of gratitude for walking alongside them for this chapter of our lives. We most likely will find our way to a reunion back in the US at some point, so the goodbye is not forever -- as it likely was with them and their Peruvian friends. They are currently in Huaràz, Peru, and will be in Lima later today. Tomorrow they fly to Iquitos in NW Peru, where they will spend a few days in a jungle lodge on the Amazon. They are both excited and nervous -- Nicole especially about the 5:00 am canoe rides to view wildlife :). On the 19th they will be on a plane back to Cincinatti, their excited family members, and their next adventure. I pray that this experience continues to live on in their hearts, minds, and lives.
To say goodbye to the many groups of friends they`ve gotten to know here, we decided to throw a goodbye party (despedida) at our house. We cleaned, shopped (5 kilos of ground meat and 8 kilos of potatos) cooked (I made cookies, girls made hamburgers and french fries with the help of hospice friends), and cleaned. Colver and Cuder lent their music and stereo system, and we danced until almost 5 am -- OK, I ran out of energy around 2 am and mostly talked after that. For once, we were the noise of the neighborhood, but a lot of fun in all with invitees from our English class, the parish, hospice co-workers, and a few extras. On the night of their final departure, the four of us remaining IWM`s and several guys from the parish -- all went to the bus terminal to see them off, waving goodbye as a few drops of rare rain came down.
CUYADA (GUINEA PIG LUNCH FUNDRAISER)
On September 7 the parish held an annual fundraiser, this year a cuy (guinea pig) lunch). We missionaries and youth helped set up, manage food lines (Peruvians don`t wait in line well, not seeing the point) and also to peel potatoes amidst de-haired, gutted, cuyes hanging inside-out on a clothes line over our heads (see photos). Julie is a vegetarian (although she eats fish) so didn`t sample the finished product, but Jane and Courtney liked it OK. I don`t see cuy as the delicacy that it is viewed as by most Peruvians, but will eat it when served. (see photos below)
MISCELANEOUS...
With time for this session running short, a quick summary of the rest: I planned and led my first Confirmation session in Spanish on Tuesday, English class is steadily growing, we had fun watching Peru tie Argentina in soccer at Alex`s house with he and Yuri a couple days ago, I am initiating a long-term youth visiting program with members of JUMIFRA to various neighborhoods, and our electric showerheads have once again stopped working, leaving us with cold showers once again, but this time during the winter -- every day another chance to live simply :).
Until next time, God bless!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I have been away from the blogdesk for some time, but promise a thorough update of the past month within a few days. Until then, I offer the text of an article that I recently wrote for the Peruvian Incarnate Word Sisters` bulletin, in which I reflect on my experience after nearly one year here. Also, I have posted a couple of albums of recent photos which you can see by accessing the link at right. Enjoy!
THE CHIMBOTE MISSIONARY LIFE (written August 4, 2008)
I found the Incarnate Word Missionaries ad in the Response catalog of an organization called Catholic Network of Volunteer Service, or CNVS, in the spring of 2007 as I was exploring options for living and serving in Latin America for an extended period. Two previous visits to Guatemala and several service trips with youth to Tijuana had triggered and sustained this calling, this tug on my heart that did not go away even amidst the busy and fulfilling life of youth ministry in a U.S. Catholic parish. This interior stirring, combined with a growing sense of the ignorance of most US citizens (and Catholics) of life outside the US and a desire to help build bridges and encourage increased solidarity in my fellow US Christians, was plenty of motivation for sending CNVS interest forms to about 10 congregational volunteer programs. About four later I had chosen – and had been chosen by – the Incarnate Word Missionary program of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate word.
Following a three-week orientation and retreat period in San Antonio, I embarked with my fellow Peru IWM`s – Emily and Nicole Tardio, from Cincinnati, Ohio – on our adventure into the unknown. Our daily sessions and discussions at the University of the Incarnate Word had included a wide range of topics, from cross-cultural sensitivity and culture shock to CCVI history, journaling, and recommendations for living together in community. Still, we grew more and more eager to actually see our new home, city, country – what would our new life be like? Despite the best efforts of Meg and Tere, we all three feel that the true orientation was `on the job,` so to speak. What have we learned these eleven months? From the unique perspective of this August Monday morning in Chimbote, I seek to share with you some reflections as I ponder this very worthy question.
RAW FISH ISN`T THAT BAD
Though fans of sushi might already have learned this, we have come to enjoy this concoction of raw fish (can also include shellfish), garlic, lime juice, ajì (hot pepper), sweet potato, yucca, and corn. The typical Chimbotano eats ceviche multiple times each week – if not every day – usually as a mid-morning snack, at home or one of the ubiquitous formal and informal (i.e. the clean and the hygienically questionable) cevicherìas.
MOPPING THE FLOOR IS A LOSING BATTLE
Dust is a reality of life here – it keeps coming, and coming, and coming. We began by mopping the whole house each week, only to judge the effort pointless – we succeeded only in moving the dirt around and removing a few footprints. Though we now have settled into sweeping once per week and mopping occasionally, we have developed a certain dust tolerance and never go barefoot in the house.
WHAT SMELL?
Warned numerous times before our arrival how Chimbote smells strongly of fish, we were pleasantly surprised not to smell anything out of the ordinary as we got off the bus for the first time, Sister Juanita there to meet us. Nowadays, we learned, fishing periods are limited due to past over-fishing – which is bad news for the local economy but good news for local lungs. Still, we have had a taste of `the smell of money`, as they say here, for a few short periods.
TIME IS RELATIVE
I have adjusted somewhat, but I don`t think I will ever fully get used to the flexible conception of time and schedules, i.e. `Let`s say the meeting starts at 7:00 so that we will be sure to start by 7:30.` Why not just say it starts at 7:30 and actually start then? I naively ask. Because then everyone won`t arrive until 8:00. On the positive side, I love how I can organize an outing with 5-10 friends with a day`s notice.
ENGLISH IS A DIFFICULT LANGUAGE TO LEARN
As one of our steady ministries here we offer a program of English classes within the parish, now with three different levels. A couple realizations: English pronunciation is difficult, we have many expressions that make no literal sense, and teaching English is a lot more complicated than just knowing how to speak it.
PERUVIANS LOVE TO DANCE TO LOUD MUSIC
What`s a party without dancing? Well, here it wouldn`t be a party at all. I enjoy the festive culture, but the noise level of parties (like from the `social and cultural association` across the street) and life in general has taken some getting used to. We can sleep through the dogs no problem by now, though the garbage truck`s horn remains impossible to work into one`s dreams.
OUR WORK AND PRESENCE IS APPRECIATED
Though my parish work in the US was more involved, took more time, and sometimes produced more tangible `results` than my efforts here, I have experienced genuine welcome and appreciation that in my own culture we often don`t take the time to express. Especially in my first couple months here (complicated by a dislocated elbow playing basketball) I felt like I was floating a bit – looking for where I would find a niche, where I would do my `work.` Now I have more projects in mind than there is time to start, yet have adopted a slower, more patient rhythm and expectations.
CHIMBOTE IS NOT A TOURIST CITY
A major struggle for the three of us has been the general lack of security here coupled with our glaring `non-anonymity.` With few gringos around, we attract attention (especially Emily and Nicole) wherever we go. Experiences of being robbed in the street have made us more watchful and careful as to when, where, and carrying which things we will walk around. Though we are more obvious targets due to the association of gringos with money, our friends who live here also are victims of crime and have to take precautions.
PROBLEMS ARE BIG, BUT PEOPLE WANT CHANGE
The struggles that many here face – individually and as a society – can seem overwhelming and an adequate response impossible: pollution and garbage, lack of work, poverty, the humble living conditions of some hospice patients, corrupt and inefficient government, inadequate health care services, despair and drug use, gangs, crime, etc. Still, especially among the young people I have met in my work at the parish, hope and desire for change are alive and well. How do I help them take their own steps toward transforming their reality? I feel that my first year has been full of learning – now how do I convert some of my new found understanding into concrete actions that make a difference? Even that statement, I realize, reflects my own bias toward action as more important than presence.
I CAN SING?
I have loved my experience of Peruvian music here – not so much the cumbia/pop of Grupo 5 (the group of the moment) flowing out of the mototaxis and late-night parties, but my opportunity to help create music as part of a parish youth choir here. I have generally enjoyed singing in church in the past, but with an admittedly soft voice and very little confidence. Still, I was invited to join one of our two youth choirs and have seen significant improvement in both qualities. Inspired by the talented musicians in the choir and among our friends here, I have increased my guitar skills and taken up learning to play the zamponia and quena, two styles of traditional Andean flutes.
THE INCARNATE WORD SISTERS IN PERU ARE COOL
When we arrived to Jorge Chàvez airport in September, Sisters Silvia and Elia were there to meet us. Sister Juanita met our bus in Chimbote and gave us a several-day tour and orientation to our new city. Sister Pilar, Sister Hirayda and Sister Elia helped make possible the attendance of 14 Chimbote youth at a two-week youth ministry training course in Lima. The communities of Comas and San Juan Lurigancho made my stay in Lima in June – for a Peruvian reality course at the Bartholomew de las Casas Institute – both possible and a lot of fun, and Sister Teresa de Jesùs in Huancanè showed us great hospitality in cold Huancanè. Being a missionary here I have genuinely felt a welcome and included member of the IW congregational community, and I am very grateful for this and the friendships with sisters that have developed.
I LIKE MY LIFE HERE
The slow and patient rhythm, time to read and practice music during the afternoon siesta (the girls sleep a bit more than I do), the numerous chances to serve and accompany young people, not being in charge, continually improving my Spanish, friendships that have grown quickly in comparison to past experiences of moving to new places in the US, the cheap and flavorful food, the colorful chaos of the outdoor market. Chimbote is far from perfect, and there are moments when I strongly miss my family, my culture. I have been an Incarnate Word Missionary in Chimbote for almost one year of my two year term, and there is still so much to do and see and learn. I already know that when I leave I will be both excited to return home and sad to leave, to say goodbye to the people and the life I led. I do know too, however, that my experience here – given to me by the CCVI sisters – will help me live out my call as a Christian to live as a missionary of the gospel wherever I find myself in the future.
THE CHIMBOTE MISSIONARY LIFE (written August 4, 2008)
I found the Incarnate Word Missionaries ad in the Response catalog of an organization called Catholic Network of Volunteer Service, or CNVS, in the spring of 2007 as I was exploring options for living and serving in Latin America for an extended period. Two previous visits to Guatemala and several service trips with youth to Tijuana had triggered and sustained this calling, this tug on my heart that did not go away even amidst the busy and fulfilling life of youth ministry in a U.S. Catholic parish. This interior stirring, combined with a growing sense of the ignorance of most US citizens (and Catholics) of life outside the US and a desire to help build bridges and encourage increased solidarity in my fellow US Christians, was plenty of motivation for sending CNVS interest forms to about 10 congregational volunteer programs. About four later I had chosen – and had been chosen by – the Incarnate Word Missionary program of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate word.
Following a three-week orientation and retreat period in San Antonio, I embarked with my fellow Peru IWM`s – Emily and Nicole Tardio, from Cincinnati, Ohio – on our adventure into the unknown. Our daily sessions and discussions at the University of the Incarnate Word had included a wide range of topics, from cross-cultural sensitivity and culture shock to CCVI history, journaling, and recommendations for living together in community. Still, we grew more and more eager to actually see our new home, city, country – what would our new life be like? Despite the best efforts of Meg and Tere, we all three feel that the true orientation was `on the job,` so to speak. What have we learned these eleven months? From the unique perspective of this August Monday morning in Chimbote, I seek to share with you some reflections as I ponder this very worthy question.
RAW FISH ISN`T THAT BAD
Though fans of sushi might already have learned this, we have come to enjoy this concoction of raw fish (can also include shellfish), garlic, lime juice, ajì (hot pepper), sweet potato, yucca, and corn. The typical Chimbotano eats ceviche multiple times each week – if not every day – usually as a mid-morning snack, at home or one of the ubiquitous formal and informal (i.e. the clean and the hygienically questionable) cevicherìas.
MOPPING THE FLOOR IS A LOSING BATTLE
Dust is a reality of life here – it keeps coming, and coming, and coming. We began by mopping the whole house each week, only to judge the effort pointless – we succeeded only in moving the dirt around and removing a few footprints. Though we now have settled into sweeping once per week and mopping occasionally, we have developed a certain dust tolerance and never go barefoot in the house.
WHAT SMELL?
Warned numerous times before our arrival how Chimbote smells strongly of fish, we were pleasantly surprised not to smell anything out of the ordinary as we got off the bus for the first time, Sister Juanita there to meet us. Nowadays, we learned, fishing periods are limited due to past over-fishing – which is bad news for the local economy but good news for local lungs. Still, we have had a taste of `the smell of money`, as they say here, for a few short periods.
TIME IS RELATIVE
I have adjusted somewhat, but I don`t think I will ever fully get used to the flexible conception of time and schedules, i.e. `Let`s say the meeting starts at 7:00 so that we will be sure to start by 7:30.` Why not just say it starts at 7:30 and actually start then? I naively ask. Because then everyone won`t arrive until 8:00. On the positive side, I love how I can organize an outing with 5-10 friends with a day`s notice.
ENGLISH IS A DIFFICULT LANGUAGE TO LEARN
As one of our steady ministries here we offer a program of English classes within the parish, now with three different levels. A couple realizations: English pronunciation is difficult, we have many expressions that make no literal sense, and teaching English is a lot more complicated than just knowing how to speak it.
PERUVIANS LOVE TO DANCE TO LOUD MUSIC
What`s a party without dancing? Well, here it wouldn`t be a party at all. I enjoy the festive culture, but the noise level of parties (like from the `social and cultural association` across the street) and life in general has taken some getting used to. We can sleep through the dogs no problem by now, though the garbage truck`s horn remains impossible to work into one`s dreams.
OUR WORK AND PRESENCE IS APPRECIATED
Though my parish work in the US was more involved, took more time, and sometimes produced more tangible `results` than my efforts here, I have experienced genuine welcome and appreciation that in my own culture we often don`t take the time to express. Especially in my first couple months here (complicated by a dislocated elbow playing basketball) I felt like I was floating a bit – looking for where I would find a niche, where I would do my `work.` Now I have more projects in mind than there is time to start, yet have adopted a slower, more patient rhythm and expectations.
CHIMBOTE IS NOT A TOURIST CITY
A major struggle for the three of us has been the general lack of security here coupled with our glaring `non-anonymity.` With few gringos around, we attract attention (especially Emily and Nicole) wherever we go. Experiences of being robbed in the street have made us more watchful and careful as to when, where, and carrying which things we will walk around. Though we are more obvious targets due to the association of gringos with money, our friends who live here also are victims of crime and have to take precautions.
PROBLEMS ARE BIG, BUT PEOPLE WANT CHANGE
The struggles that many here face – individually and as a society – can seem overwhelming and an adequate response impossible: pollution and garbage, lack of work, poverty, the humble living conditions of some hospice patients, corrupt and inefficient government, inadequate health care services, despair and drug use, gangs, crime, etc. Still, especially among the young people I have met in my work at the parish, hope and desire for change are alive and well. How do I help them take their own steps toward transforming their reality? I feel that my first year has been full of learning – now how do I convert some of my new found understanding into concrete actions that make a difference? Even that statement, I realize, reflects my own bias toward action as more important than presence.
I CAN SING?
I have loved my experience of Peruvian music here – not so much the cumbia/pop of Grupo 5 (the group of the moment) flowing out of the mototaxis and late-night parties, but my opportunity to help create music as part of a parish youth choir here. I have generally enjoyed singing in church in the past, but with an admittedly soft voice and very little confidence. Still, I was invited to join one of our two youth choirs and have seen significant improvement in both qualities. Inspired by the talented musicians in the choir and among our friends here, I have increased my guitar skills and taken up learning to play the zamponia and quena, two styles of traditional Andean flutes.
THE INCARNATE WORD SISTERS IN PERU ARE COOL
When we arrived to Jorge Chàvez airport in September, Sisters Silvia and Elia were there to meet us. Sister Juanita met our bus in Chimbote and gave us a several-day tour and orientation to our new city. Sister Pilar, Sister Hirayda and Sister Elia helped make possible the attendance of 14 Chimbote youth at a two-week youth ministry training course in Lima. The communities of Comas and San Juan Lurigancho made my stay in Lima in June – for a Peruvian reality course at the Bartholomew de las Casas Institute – both possible and a lot of fun, and Sister Teresa de Jesùs in Huancanè showed us great hospitality in cold Huancanè. Being a missionary here I have genuinely felt a welcome and included member of the IW congregational community, and I am very grateful for this and the friendships with sisters that have developed.
I LIKE MY LIFE HERE
The slow and patient rhythm, time to read and practice music during the afternoon siesta (the girls sleep a bit more than I do), the numerous chances to serve and accompany young people, not being in charge, continually improving my Spanish, friendships that have grown quickly in comparison to past experiences of moving to new places in the US, the cheap and flavorful food, the colorful chaos of the outdoor market. Chimbote is far from perfect, and there are moments when I strongly miss my family, my culture. I have been an Incarnate Word Missionary in Chimbote for almost one year of my two year term, and there is still so much to do and see and learn. I already know that when I leave I will be both excited to return home and sad to leave, to say goodbye to the people and the life I led. I do know too, however, that my experience here – given to me by the CCVI sisters – will help me live out my call as a Christian to live as a missionary of the gospel wherever I find myself in the future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
