Gatekeepers

It's not uncommon to be walking down the street here and stroll by an armed guard--outside of banks, parking lot entrances (which, on average, might hold 10 cars) and businesses.  Sometimes if, for example, there begin to be too many people in the bank waiting room, they'll ask you to wait outside and eventually direct you to enter.  Sometimes the position seems unnecessary; however, it tends to keep things a little more orderly and equitable. 

(Back to Texas) A few years ago the women in my family suffered a slight bout of insanity and decided to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving.  Do you know who the shining stars are on this day?!?! The doorkeepers!....or whichever employee is brave enough to approach the doors with a key, as the crazies wait in line outside.. at 4 in the morning..under a cold drizzle.  Hail the mighty (humble) doorkeeper!! 

As our year as YAVS began, we were challenged to think of ourselves as gate keepers.  Gate keepers.  People who opened a gate, an ebb and flow between those in the dominant center and those in the margins...I would say the old "have and have-nots", but i think it would be more accurate to say the "have and have-too-muchers."  (But that's another ramble.)  

I recently had the pleasure of giving my first teacher training and (per the request of the teachers [!]) am in the process of planning another for next week.  And yes, google search, youtube, and translation.com work miracles, but today I have been especially grateful for friends and co-workers who are also just a click away, generously sharing their expertise and resources.  Thank you Lauren, Joan, Ana, Kelly, Kay, Annie, and the rest of the Caldwell crew!  It's curious that, when I shared what i would be doing this year, many of my teacher friends expressed how they had always wanted to do something similar (eh hem... Debbie Merritt).  And thanks to technology, you really can.  Debbie and I are cooking up a plan to have teachers here observe her giving a writing lesson to her class via Skype. 

Gatekeeping.  I feel like I'm coming into my role as a gate keeper (though I can't decide if it has a hyphen or a space or is, indeed, a compound word).  It's nothing glamorous.  Once the shoppers have their hands on that 60% off Playstation, old mister who unlocked the door couldn't be farther from their minds (now it's the CASHIER!!)   As we arrived in Guatemala months ago, we shared our hopes for the year but doing so we also realized that we were most likely not going to turn the world upside down in a year... we're not going to change the system....
but we can open a door...or a gate.  And we can do it with love.

Feliz Navidad!

12 days of Christmas---Guatemalan style.



to witness true talent visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80IS1HNrt0Y

An advent prayer

Healing God, stir me from my indifference. Though the world’s brokenness sometimes feels overwhelming, give me strength to accept the challenge of pursuing your perfect peace. Amen.

(for a daily advent reflection go to: http://www.d365.org/followingthestar/)

Waiting.

Advent is a time of waiting.  My mom has a little sign at home that says
"God give me patience... but hurry.'

It reminds me of the highly acclaimed "Bruce Almighty".  A begruntled and jaded Jim Carrey grasps his steering wheel while driving down the road on a rainy night and pleads, "God.. please, give me a sign."  Immediately a truck with danger signs passes him--Yield, Wrong Way, Dead End, Do Not Enter, STOP.  But Bruce is oblivious and when his car, de repente, smashes into a pole, he smites god, thinking his prayer unanswered.   (Enter Garth Brooks in the background.)

Similarly, when we pray for patience, or peace, it doesn't necesarily come in the tangible form of a dove, or instant enlightment. Maybe, as for my friend Juli (http://www.julierinsmith.blogspot.com/) it comes in the form of being one of eight people at the breakfast table, waiting for their pancakes to be served...one...at...a...time.  Now that's an opportunity for patience!  That feeling of perturbance that starts to fester---let us see it as a signal, a sign---here's the answer to your prayer.  A chance to practice patience. How will I do?  Will I be thankful, receptive to this form of answered prayer?

There is an African Proverb that I love:

When you pray,

               move your feet. 


We can't pray for signs
without actively looking for them
or for patience
without practicing it
or for peace
without pursuing it.

move your feet.

move my feet.

peace.

Thank you

To all of my family, friends, supporters I share this blessing from the chicken bus--


May God multiply for you what you wish for me.


Love to all, Laura





Water is the theme

Wednesday Andrew and I hopped in a van outside of Pollo Campero not really sure of where we were going or what we would be doing. (Don't panic.. we went with Cedepca employees http://www.cedepca.org/) We picked up Juli, Tina and Katharine on our way to visit a tiny community outside of Huehuetenango.  Last year, before the country was pounded by tropical storm Agatha, this community was suffering terribly from a drought.   

Agua is el tema--Water is the theme, shared Roberto, who years ago approached the community, only to find 2 families living there.  The rest had followed the water...leaving their homes during the dry season in search of work on coffee plantations, or for some, beginning the journey North in hopes of providing for their family.

Cedepca has also accompanied this community over the past year, providing psycho-social support, training members to know how to respond to disasters but also just giving them a space to communicate and heal from crisis small and large.  This visit would be the review and celebration of a year of healing.  As we gathered in a  bilingual (Spanish and Mayan dialect, Aguacateco) classroom decorated with children's workthe men gravitated toward one side of the circle and the women on the other.  We began with a relaxation exercise, as most participants affirmed that they have chronic aches and often don't sleep well. 

Here we are participating in a visualization.  We were holding an orange in our hand, extending our arm, one at a time.  Rotating it to feel it's shape. Then we began to squeeze "feeling" the scent, imagining the juice running through our fingers..all of this is interupted by giggles, of course, and peeking.  Finally we drop the remains and shake off the juice, releasing tension from the body... and the room. 

   

After we relaxed our bodies and significantly 'broke the ice', we partnered up for an active listening activity in which we took turns speaking and listening.  Each partner shared an interest of theirs, and a goal for the future.  My partner, Pascual, shared that he was enjoying working on his reading and writing and hoped to continue.  He also shared that 'before' the community members fought a lot, and were very stressed because there was no money and very little food for the children.  It is difficult, he said. He was grateful for Cedepca's partnership because they help "sacar las cosas del mente"--take the things out of the brain.  Pascual shared that now families are able to understand each other and support each other.

     

The last activity that we did we each named what color of candle we were (I felt like this was a cool and respectful connection between ancient Mayan spiritual practice...and the Bible, turns out) As we were 'lit' our 'flames' danced around in the wind.  Once the leader's flame 'went out' and a member of the community came and lit it again.  We ended by bringing that flame into our hearts, to share with others and be a source of light. 

Time to eat!!!   the kitchen...

the dining room

learning about ways that they are 'trying to make the water last'.  

There is the saying:
Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish ; and you have fed him for a lifetime.
and I think there is great importance in that...building ownership, self-esteem, etc.  But this project has another saying:  

"The project doesn't teach how to fish, but to cultivate fish, because fish, there aren't any..."

Ironically this is where we ended our day... in the next town over where there is a 'nacimiento del rio'--birth of a river, or spring, gushing from the mountainside.  I was reminded of these lyrics, inspired by Amos 5:24
Let the rain go
Let the healing river flow
Let justice roll like water
Let the day begin when new life enters in
and let your people come