KD’s Uruguayan Adventures
December 2007 Issue
Seasons of Love
525,600 minutes: How do you measure a year?
As 2007 closes and we spend time to make resolutions for a new calendar year, it is important to take the time to reflect upon the past 12 months, or 525,600 minutes. How did you spend those minutes? With whom did you able to enjoy them with? Did you use them to their full potential? As I think about the past year of my life, there are many things to be grateful for. Christmas services with the Valdense and Lutheran churches, end of the year parties with the kids at La Obra and spending time with friends have filled these past few weeks; these new customs and events are among the blessings this year. As 2008 begins, it is a joy to look forward to the next 284,000 minutes in South America as undiscovered adventures. I look forward to sharing these with you and feel fortunate that I can share my journey with you. God Bless you as you celebrate the birth of God’s son this season.
CulturalCorner
Get to know Uruguay Grupo de Jovenes Each Thursday comes with the anticipation of a 9pm date with the Valdenses. Since September, I have been fortunate to be a part of the Valdense Church’s Young Adults group, which meets on a weekly basis to chat, drink mate, play volleyball or a participate in a devotional. This group has been a great chance for me to make great friends and get to know another part of Uruguayan culture. With excitement, this January I will be going with this group to their annual RioPlatense, a camp at which we will be able to spend a week of devotionals, games and conversations with other young adults from the Rio de Plata area.
¡Tortas Fritas!
Although this South American summer has been full of sun, I do appreciate the occasional rainy afternoon for a change of pace…and for tortas fritas! Tortas fritas are pieces of fried dough and are a rainy-day staple; the theory is that it gives people an activity to do together when they are stuck inside. Above are Cristian, Cristian and Robert with torta frita dough that we made on a rainy day in La Obra, after which our stomachs were satisfied and the depressing weather no longer brought us down. For now, I will enjoy the mid-80s and have patience for the winter to bring rain.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Sukhamano, state-siders - Rob in India
December Newsletter
Well, it's official. I've just reached a new personal record for longest time spent outside the U.S. Everything from this point on is completely uncharted territory (not that being in this particular country and living without Americans nearby isn't entirely new too). I do feel that when I crossed into the New Year, I really did enter into a new phase in my time here. Whereas December was one of the busiest Christmas seasons I can remember, this January is very calm. I returned to the C.M.S. College in the New Year to find many of the students missing and the campus virtually deserted, but more on that later.
Let me back up to where I left you off last time. Christmas in India is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Though some cues for how to celebrate have been taken from the western standards, they almost all come with a Kerala twist. Instead of giving Christmas presents, many people give Christmas cake. Instead of hanging lights from houses, people hang gigantic paper stars. There is no snow, of course, and Santa has taken on a whole new persona.
Santa (known as Father Christmas here) has a hilarious bit that he does whenever he shows up to a party. I call it "Stumblin' Mumblin' Santa." Santa enters when the music swells and the drums start pounding out a frenzy. At this point Santa dances around, but also inevitably bumps into chairs, tables, people, whatever else may be in his path. This topsy-turvy entrance isn't because Santa has had too much Christmas cheer, but rather because the Santa masks that everyone wears do not come prepared with eyeholes. Some attempts are made to fashion crude openings, but these mostly fail.
Once Santa makes it up to the stage he is given a mic and asked to say a few words, but all that comes out is mumbled gibberish. Luckily someone is always on hand to translate what Santa is saying. I initially thought that the muted tone of his words was also a byproduct of the mask, but it turns out that Santa really is just speaking nonsense. After all, the real Santa did not know how to speak (insert your choice of Indian languages). "Stumblin' Mumblin' Santa was definitely my favorite of the Kerala Christmas traditions, and I hope to continue this tradition even at home.
In the final days before I left Kottayam on Christmas break a very unique caroling opportunity presented itself. I was invited to join carolers who have been at it for over a decade and they have a very unique take on caroling. Rather than walking around the neighborhood, or visiting a hospital, or the houses of our friends, we went straight for the biggest, gaudiest, most wealthy mansions in the entire city. Some of the places were veritable palaces complete with fountains and gardens, a fleet of German made automobiles, and a small army of security guards to watch over it all. The leading sandal makers, jewelry sellers, photograph developers, and newspaper publishers of Kerala all live in Kottayam. I was bit skeptical of this plan. I mean, I wanted an inside look at the monstrous houses as much as anyone, but invading in the form of carolers didn't exactly seem in the Christmas spirit. Nevertheless, I went. At the first house we sang three songs, they clapped and then, to my great amazement, handed over a large wad of cash. One of my fellow carolers was even ready with carbon copy receipt for the exact amount. What kind of caroling is this anyway? This pattern continued until past one in the morning. Amazingly, at almost every house we visited we were warmly welcomed, even on into the wee hours.
As we hunkered down after the rounds to enjoy a little late night grub, I had to ask, "Can someone please explain why people are giving us money and what we're supposed to do with it?" Turns out all the proceeds go to a local charity (a different one each year) and the reason we visit all of the mansions is because, well, they give the most money. Ah ha, it finally makes sense. Maybe this sort of caroling does fall within the realm of Christmas spirit. The caroling continued for four days until Christmas night and the result was a handful of really tired guys and the largest donation they've collected in their eleven-year history. This is another Kerala Christmas tradition that I will never forget.
At this point I boarded a train and spent Christmas day en route to Andhra Pradesh, a neighboring state and home to one of India's tech centers, Hyderabad. We were not going to that westernized metropolis, though. We were headed for the plains and cotton fields of rural AP. For now, suffice it to say that we made it there and back safely, and it was one heck of a ride. I've devoted the feature article below to explain that experience in greater depth.
We celebrated New Year's back in Aluva, the very city where we began our journey and home to our fearless leader, Thomas John Achen. To ring in the New Year we attended a late night service at Holy Trinity Church. Midnight slipped by me completely unnoticed sometime during the prayers of the church. I was a bit surprised at how it sneaked past me. However, the contemplative beginning to this year seems appropriate.
That mood of contemplation has followed me even now that I am back in the campus. Many of the degree students are in the midst of testing and some students still have not arrived back from the holiday break. Compared to the bustle of December, I barely know what to make of this quiet. This break has given me a chance to reflect on some of the things I've done so far and ask myself how best to spend my future months here.
My regimen of classes has continued, and I'm continuing to visit the boy's home in Kanam each weekend. On the horizon, there is an international globalization conference in town next week, and I've been asked to be an official reporter, so that should keep me busy. I'm also working on putting together a Holden Evening Prayer service (a truly beautiful setting) for this season of Lent.
As always, thank you for the support, warm wishes, generous Christmas presents, and letters that you've sent my way. Though I have a wonderful and loving network of supportive friends here, it always makes my day when I get some little news from home. I wish all of you the very best in this new year.
Christmas at Parkal Mission, Andhra Pradesh
Does the Polar Express have an estranged cousin living and working in India? I think so, and I'm pretty sure we boarded that train Christmas morning en route to Parkal Mission located in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Aboard the Polar Express, passengers view magical snowy wonderlands, the like of which they've never seen. As we traveled on the Parkal Express, we traversed across the Western Ghat Mountains on the border between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The spectacular view and the drastic change from the coastal plains of Kerala seemed magical to us. On the Polar Express there are magical people aboard who elicit feelings of wonder and mystery to all who meet them. Passengers of the Parkal Express will meet the pilgrims on their way to worship Aiyapan in Shabarimala. These pilgrims, dressed entirely in black, covered from head to toe in flowers and barefoot to boot are also a great mystery. Finally, the Polar Express takes those aboard to a place unlike anything previously imagined. The Parkal Express brought us to a place we also could not have imagined. Though Andhra still counts as "South India" from the landscape to the language, from the food to the climate, it was like visiting a whole new country. For all of us, our idea of "what India is" just got a lot broader.
Kerala is covered with people and green plants. The lines between villages and cities are blurred, one just runs right into the next. Andhra, on the other hand was full of wide-open spaces, miles between villages and a color palette along the lines of sand/dirt.
After spending all Christmas Day and night on the train, we awoke to find ourselves in this new land. The air seemed a bit lighter as the humidity was almost non-existent, but the oppressive heat more than made up for any relief we may have experienced. Needless to say, there's a good reason that people here nap from 2-4, it's too hot to do anything else.
From the train station we made our way to the Parkal Mission, a mission site founded by the C.S.I. (Church of South India) about 80 years ago. The story about the foundation of the mission is actually a great one. A bishop from Andhra went to a meeting of pastors in Kerala, where the Christian presence is much greater than in AP. He explained the dire condition of life for many people in the rural areas and asked if anyone would devote themselves to this mission field. One young pastor, Rev. Eepan, stood up, pricked his finger and wrote out the words "I will commit to Andhra Pradesh" with his own blood. Some versions of the story say that he even had to prick himself multiple times to finish the message. Anyway, it's a great story, and I have no doubt that the foundation of this particular mission sight did involve quite a bit of blood, sweat and tears.
The site we visited was a home for orphaned boys, or boys without a stable home life. They ranged in age from pre-school to undergraduates. During the day while the boys were at school, we visited some nearby villages to get a feel for the "rural life." I'm afraid to say there aren't too many idyllic aspects about life on the farm here. Many farmers rely on cash crops (like cotton) that have huge initial investment costs. If the crops fail or if the market for the crops is weak, they default on the loans they took out to pay for planting in the first place and thus begins a truly deadly cycle of debt. There is also an issue with land barons. While in Kerala there are land reforms that limit how much land can be held by an individual, in AP one man can own thousands of acres and then hire these village workers into a sort of share-cropping. For the landless, this leaves them without any ability to increase their capital, organize effective labor unions or really wield any sort of power in society. Despite these desperate conditions, the people we met were very excited to show us around the village. We even got a peak at the (illegal) distillery that makes the local brand of moonshine. Now that is trust.
Back at the Mission we spent the evenings with the boys. Language presented a bit of a problem at first since these boys spoke mostly Telugu, whereas we've been only exposed to Malayalam. We did learn that "manji" means "nice" and so we got a lot of mileage out of that word. Manji food. Manji song. Manji boy, etc.
Our evening program was centered on a nightly prayer service. I loved the nightly prayer service. It would always begin with the boys singing a song. I'll take it on good faith that they knew more than one song, but the drums always overpowered the singing, and the beat was always the same. But it was a catchy beat - ::thun, tha-thun, thun::. Next we would sing a song, and then teach them that song. At first I was a little skeptical about the success teaching these songs, I mean, I worked at a summer camp. I know how resistant some kids are to learning songs. To my amazement, these little boys learned the songs twice as fast as the typical American campers, and these boys didn't even really speak English. Next we had a skit (again, very thankful for camp counselor experience) and a message from the sister (as in nun) in charge, whom we affectionately called kochamma (small mother). After praying the final prayer, everyone dashes for the dinner table. We all ate at an open-air table, which was perfect for the perfectly cool Andhra nights.
Our week in Andhra continued on like this, and we grew to love our nightly routine, but all too quickly the time passed and we had to return to our home in Kerala. The ride home was a little less magical than the ride out, especially as it came time to sleep. Crawling into my berth I found a pair of wet briefs. Not exactly my favorite bedfellow. At three in the morning, one of the pilgrims tried to crawl into bed with me, and at four the pujas (prayers) began, complete with tambourine, drum and "everybody now" choruses.
The experience at the mission really affected all of us that visited. The homey atmosphere they've created is wonderful, but the financial situation of the site remains in dire straits. Parkal Mission is not alone in this way. Also at the boy's home I visit in Kanam money is in no great supply. Buildings are falling apart, the children's clothing is falling apart, and they play cricket using crude bats and balls fashioned from coconut husks and branches. It's impossible to visit these places and not be amazed both by the quality of the kids and the utter tragedy of the living conditions.
Well, it's official. I've just reached a new personal record for longest time spent outside the U.S. Everything from this point on is completely uncharted territory (not that being in this particular country and living without Americans nearby isn't entirely new too). I do feel that when I crossed into the New Year, I really did enter into a new phase in my time here. Whereas December was one of the busiest Christmas seasons I can remember, this January is very calm. I returned to the C.M.S. College in the New Year to find many of the students missing and the campus virtually deserted, but more on that later.
Let me back up to where I left you off last time. Christmas in India is unlike anything I've ever experienced before. Though some cues for how to celebrate have been taken from the western standards, they almost all come with a Kerala twist. Instead of giving Christmas presents, many people give Christmas cake. Instead of hanging lights from houses, people hang gigantic paper stars. There is no snow, of course, and Santa has taken on a whole new persona.
Santa (known as Father Christmas here) has a hilarious bit that he does whenever he shows up to a party. I call it "Stumblin' Mumblin' Santa." Santa enters when the music swells and the drums start pounding out a frenzy. At this point Santa dances around, but also inevitably bumps into chairs, tables, people, whatever else may be in his path. This topsy-turvy entrance isn't because Santa has had too much Christmas cheer, but rather because the Santa masks that everyone wears do not come prepared with eyeholes. Some attempts are made to fashion crude openings, but these mostly fail.
Once Santa makes it up to the stage he is given a mic and asked to say a few words, but all that comes out is mumbled gibberish. Luckily someone is always on hand to translate what Santa is saying. I initially thought that the muted tone of his words was also a byproduct of the mask, but it turns out that Santa really is just speaking nonsense. After all, the real Santa did not know how to speak (insert your choice of Indian languages). "Stumblin' Mumblin' Santa was definitely my favorite of the Kerala Christmas traditions, and I hope to continue this tradition even at home.
In the final days before I left Kottayam on Christmas break a very unique caroling opportunity presented itself. I was invited to join carolers who have been at it for over a decade and they have a very unique take on caroling. Rather than walking around the neighborhood, or visiting a hospital, or the houses of our friends, we went straight for the biggest, gaudiest, most wealthy mansions in the entire city. Some of the places were veritable palaces complete with fountains and gardens, a fleet of German made automobiles, and a small army of security guards to watch over it all. The leading sandal makers, jewelry sellers, photograph developers, and newspaper publishers of Kerala all live in Kottayam. I was bit skeptical of this plan. I mean, I wanted an inside look at the monstrous houses as much as anyone, but invading in the form of carolers didn't exactly seem in the Christmas spirit. Nevertheless, I went. At the first house we sang three songs, they clapped and then, to my great amazement, handed over a large wad of cash. One of my fellow carolers was even ready with carbon copy receipt for the exact amount. What kind of caroling is this anyway? This pattern continued until past one in the morning. Amazingly, at almost every house we visited we were warmly welcomed, even on into the wee hours.
As we hunkered down after the rounds to enjoy a little late night grub, I had to ask, "Can someone please explain why people are giving us money and what we're supposed to do with it?" Turns out all the proceeds go to a local charity (a different one each year) and the reason we visit all of the mansions is because, well, they give the most money. Ah ha, it finally makes sense. Maybe this sort of caroling does fall within the realm of Christmas spirit. The caroling continued for four days until Christmas night and the result was a handful of really tired guys and the largest donation they've collected in their eleven-year history. This is another Kerala Christmas tradition that I will never forget.
At this point I boarded a train and spent Christmas day en route to Andhra Pradesh, a neighboring state and home to one of India's tech centers, Hyderabad. We were not going to that westernized metropolis, though. We were headed for the plains and cotton fields of rural AP. For now, suffice it to say that we made it there and back safely, and it was one heck of a ride. I've devoted the feature article below to explain that experience in greater depth.
We celebrated New Year's back in Aluva, the very city where we began our journey and home to our fearless leader, Thomas John Achen. To ring in the New Year we attended a late night service at Holy Trinity Church. Midnight slipped by me completely unnoticed sometime during the prayers of the church. I was a bit surprised at how it sneaked past me. However, the contemplative beginning to this year seems appropriate.
That mood of contemplation has followed me even now that I am back in the campus. Many of the degree students are in the midst of testing and some students still have not arrived back from the holiday break. Compared to the bustle of December, I barely know what to make of this quiet. This break has given me a chance to reflect on some of the things I've done so far and ask myself how best to spend my future months here.
My regimen of classes has continued, and I'm continuing to visit the boy's home in Kanam each weekend. On the horizon, there is an international globalization conference in town next week, and I've been asked to be an official reporter, so that should keep me busy. I'm also working on putting together a Holden Evening Prayer service (a truly beautiful setting) for this season of Lent.
As always, thank you for the support, warm wishes, generous Christmas presents, and letters that you've sent my way. Though I have a wonderful and loving network of supportive friends here, it always makes my day when I get some little news from home. I wish all of you the very best in this new year.
Christmas at Parkal Mission, Andhra Pradesh
Does the Polar Express have an estranged cousin living and working in India? I think so, and I'm pretty sure we boarded that train Christmas morning en route to Parkal Mission located in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Aboard the Polar Express, passengers view magical snowy wonderlands, the like of which they've never seen. As we traveled on the Parkal Express, we traversed across the Western Ghat Mountains on the border between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The spectacular view and the drastic change from the coastal plains of Kerala seemed magical to us. On the Polar Express there are magical people aboard who elicit feelings of wonder and mystery to all who meet them. Passengers of the Parkal Express will meet the pilgrims on their way to worship Aiyapan in Shabarimala. These pilgrims, dressed entirely in black, covered from head to toe in flowers and barefoot to boot are also a great mystery. Finally, the Polar Express takes those aboard to a place unlike anything previously imagined. The Parkal Express brought us to a place we also could not have imagined. Though Andhra still counts as "South India" from the landscape to the language, from the food to the climate, it was like visiting a whole new country. For all of us, our idea of "what India is" just got a lot broader.
Kerala is covered with people and green plants. The lines between villages and cities are blurred, one just runs right into the next. Andhra, on the other hand was full of wide-open spaces, miles between villages and a color palette along the lines of sand/dirt.
After spending all Christmas Day and night on the train, we awoke to find ourselves in this new land. The air seemed a bit lighter as the humidity was almost non-existent, but the oppressive heat more than made up for any relief we may have experienced. Needless to say, there's a good reason that people here nap from 2-4, it's too hot to do anything else.
From the train station we made our way to the Parkal Mission, a mission site founded by the C.S.I. (Church of South India) about 80 years ago. The story about the foundation of the mission is actually a great one. A bishop from Andhra went to a meeting of pastors in Kerala, where the Christian presence is much greater than in AP. He explained the dire condition of life for many people in the rural areas and asked if anyone would devote themselves to this mission field. One young pastor, Rev. Eepan, stood up, pricked his finger and wrote out the words "I will commit to Andhra Pradesh" with his own blood. Some versions of the story say that he even had to prick himself multiple times to finish the message. Anyway, it's a great story, and I have no doubt that the foundation of this particular mission sight did involve quite a bit of blood, sweat and tears.
The site we visited was a home for orphaned boys, or boys without a stable home life. They ranged in age from pre-school to undergraduates. During the day while the boys were at school, we visited some nearby villages to get a feel for the "rural life." I'm afraid to say there aren't too many idyllic aspects about life on the farm here. Many farmers rely on cash crops (like cotton) that have huge initial investment costs. If the crops fail or if the market for the crops is weak, they default on the loans they took out to pay for planting in the first place and thus begins a truly deadly cycle of debt. There is also an issue with land barons. While in Kerala there are land reforms that limit how much land can be held by an individual, in AP one man can own thousands of acres and then hire these village workers into a sort of share-cropping. For the landless, this leaves them without any ability to increase their capital, organize effective labor unions or really wield any sort of power in society. Despite these desperate conditions, the people we met were very excited to show us around the village. We even got a peak at the (illegal) distillery that makes the local brand of moonshine. Now that is trust.
Back at the Mission we spent the evenings with the boys. Language presented a bit of a problem at first since these boys spoke mostly Telugu, whereas we've been only exposed to Malayalam. We did learn that "manji" means "nice" and so we got a lot of mileage out of that word. Manji food. Manji song. Manji boy, etc.
Our evening program was centered on a nightly prayer service. I loved the nightly prayer service. It would always begin with the boys singing a song. I'll take it on good faith that they knew more than one song, but the drums always overpowered the singing, and the beat was always the same. But it was a catchy beat - ::thun, tha-thun, thun::. Next we would sing a song, and then teach them that song. At first I was a little skeptical about the success teaching these songs, I mean, I worked at a summer camp. I know how resistant some kids are to learning songs. To my amazement, these little boys learned the songs twice as fast as the typical American campers, and these boys didn't even really speak English. Next we had a skit (again, very thankful for camp counselor experience) and a message from the sister (as in nun) in charge, whom we affectionately called kochamma (small mother). After praying the final prayer, everyone dashes for the dinner table. We all ate at an open-air table, which was perfect for the perfectly cool Andhra nights.
Our week in Andhra continued on like this, and we grew to love our nightly routine, but all too quickly the time passed and we had to return to our home in Kerala. The ride home was a little less magical than the ride out, especially as it came time to sleep. Crawling into my berth I found a pair of wet briefs. Not exactly my favorite bedfellow. At three in the morning, one of the pilgrims tried to crawl into bed with me, and at four the pujas (prayers) began, complete with tambourine, drum and "everybody now" choruses.
The experience at the mission really affected all of us that visited. The homey atmosphere they've created is wonderful, but the financial situation of the site remains in dire straits. Parkal Mission is not alone in this way. Also at the boy's home I visit in Kanam money is in no great supply. Buildings are falling apart, the children's clothing is falling apart, and they play cricket using crude bats and balls fashioned from coconut husks and branches. It's impossible to visit these places and not be amazed both by the quality of the kids and the utter tragedy of the living conditions.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
December Newsletter - Mark in Slovakia
Ahoj and Greetings from Slovakia. Radostne Vianoce and Štastny Novy Rok
(Merry Christmas and Happy New Year). This newsletter is a little later
than expected only because of my busy Holiday!!!
I especially want to thank the many people who sent cards and packages.
I received quite a lot, more on that later though. Please continue to
support me through prayer. It helps to know that we are together in the
Lord despite however far apart we may be. Please also continue to pray
for me and the other young adult volunteers around the world. And of
course please pray for the people of Kenya and the violence that is
happening there. I know several US volunteers who are there now. They
are safe but prayer is very important for them at the moment.
December was a rather interesting and eventful month. The advent season
is rather big deal here since many more faces start to show up at church
and they have special advent services on Fridays. The Pastor had many
more projects for me to do, which included decorating; cleaning and
making things look just right for Christmas. One of the projects
involved assisting the electrician named Janko. We were installing some
new lights on the outside of the church. My Slovak is at a point where I
can converse fairly well on a basic level. I found out he lives in the
village. It seems like I'm always meeting new people and that my Slovak
is improving because many people comment on how well I speak but, to be
honest I'm only just starting to understand the language.
On December 3rd St. Mikulaš Day is celebrated, St. Mikulaš goes around
delivering small presents and candy to little children. He is sometimes
accompanied by the devil who takes their treats and whips them if they
are bad. Since all Children are Good. They get presents. In the stores
they have Chocolate figures of both St. Mikulaš and the Devil. One of
the ladies in the church, Kristina (She is like everyone’s favorite aunt
for all the volunteers in Vrbovce) brought us a small bag of goodies.
So, St. Mikulaš did visit me seeing as I’m just a big kid anyway.
Advent also marked the change in Liturgy. Just when I’m getting used to
it, they changed it on me. The people have small hymnals but it is hard
to find where things are sometimes because they know the liturgy by
heart. I tried asking the pastor once but all he said was that it was in
the book. The special advent services on Friday evenings were nice since
they are a little more relaxed than Sunday service. There were times
left open for people of the congregation to give open petitions of
prayer. It was fun to hear children pray as well as moving to hear some
of the older generation praying in tears about loved one who are ill.
The two other volunteers from Germany, Oliver and Flo went home for
Christmas Holiday. Before the Holiday I was waiting for many cards to
come but I had to wait until I arrived back to see if they came. I was
fortunate enough to be invited to spend Christmas with a Pastor’s family
in Košariska, which is another village about 25 minutes away. The wife,
Susan, was the Pastor and the husband, Evan (pronounced ee-von), owns
some property that he maintains and leases to various companies. The
family has 2 little children, a boy Adam 2 and a girl Zuzka 5. They were
very well behaved children for the most part. Children are children and
they get into mischief. I spent about 5 days with them, it was
fantastic. From the time I arrived I felt like I was part of the family.
I was constantly being asked if I was hungry. And I tried to speak as
much Slovak as I could and most people were impressed with how much I
knew. Evan speaks English very well so; I was able to have things
translated when I needed. Susan’s parents and brother came and made
cookies and dried apples to decorate the Christmas tree or Stromček. Of
course little Adam would grab them off the tree and eat them from time
to time. They arranged for me to do some touristy things in the
surrounding area as well. During my stay I got to ride a horse, see wild
deer and ram as well as eat the meat, visit a hot spring and see the
site of the famous Slovak General Štefanik. It was great experiencing a
Slovak Christmas. They also gave me some really cool gifts. Gloves, a
scarf (both of which I needed) and a book about General Štefanik. The
Children got some big plastic cars and some videos. One Czech film
called "Mach, Šebestova and the Magic Telephone" (translated in English)
they watched 5 times. The second time we watched it we figured out it
had English subtitles.
The Christmas Services was very nice and they sing many of the same
melodies of Christmas songs I know. I don’t think it really dawned on me
it was Christmas until the Christmas Day. One of the traditions I
enjoyed was that the family would sing 1 or 2 Christmas songs and prayer
before they had their family meals the day before, the day of and the
day after Christmas. It was very simple thing but I could sense God’s
presence there.
Well here are some interesting Slovak Christmas facts:
• The Traditional Slovak Meal is Karp; fish about the size of a small
turkey can be bought in the stores from huge tanks.
• It is not a Slovak meal without soup; they make a special cabbage soup
with Kolbasa (Sausage) and Huby (Mushrooms) called Kapustnica.
• Gifts are given traditionally after the family meal on the 24th.
• Slovak TV is usually filled with old Fairy Tales films from the 50's
-60's from Czech and Russia and many American TV Christmas movies that
are dubbed.
So after 5 days of Experiencing the fun and excited of Christmas in
Slovakia I headed off to Geneva, Switzerland for the Taize European
Gathering. For those of you unfamiliar with Taize, Taize is an
Ecumenical order of brothers who are devoted to prayer and dialogue
between all Christian faiths for reconciliation located in Taize,
France. Every year young people come to experience simplicity, prayer
and unity in Christ either in Taize or at one of several world
gatherings held each year. This year in Geneva there were 40,000 people
from all over Europe who came together to pray and share in the unity
only Christ can bring. I was lucky enough to arrange being able meet my
friend Kelly who is a volunteer this year like me but living in England.
We were able to enjoy this time together and share this wonderful
experience.
One of the many moving things about this event was seeing an almost
empty space the size of 2 or 3 football fields being filled with people
praying and singing in worship to God. People during this gathering are
offered places to stay from local parishes and families. I stay in
France in a Village called Divonne about 15 minutes from Geneva. I stay
with an older retired Gentle man named Xavier and with another
participant named Tomas from Poland. Both spoke very good English. We
were 2 of many other people staying in Divonne during of the event. In
the mornings we would spend time in prayer with the local church and
break into small groups to discuss the theme the verse for the day. The
songs and prayer throughout the event were in different languages and it
was moving to hear them all and know that we are all have the same faith
in Christ. It was also great getting to know and meet some many people
from around the world. It definitely expanded my definition of church
and what it means to worship God. Most people at the event spoke English
but I met a rather large group of Slovaks so I was able to speak Slovak
with them. Many of these same people were staying in Divonne as well.
I had some free time during the event to explore Geneva. Geneva is the
French part of Switzerland and was a little warmer because of the Leman
Lake. I was able to see many part of the old city that included some
churches that were part of the protestant movement. Most of you are if
you are Lutheran are only Luther and maybe Calvin but there were many
more reformers who were persecuted. Many of these reformers retreated to
Switzerland for safety. It has been insightful to see and learn more
about other aspects of the reformation.
My New Years was spent in Divonne where our parish had a time of prayer.
The prayer time was great and I felt like it was appropriate to reflect
on the past year and the coming year with song and prayer. Then of
course we celebrated, each country group was asked to share a little
something of their culture. So everyone got a little taste of Spain,
Poland, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, France, and many others.
It was one of the best new years ever. Then next day we all said
Good-bye but before we went were asked to have lunch with our hosts. So
my host was invited to have dinner at a friend of his who was also
hosting 3 girls from Poland. It was excellent we had Lamb and Potatoes,
Green Beans, Champagne, red wine, French Cheese. What a way to start off
the New Year.
I had to arrive home 2 days later only because when I arrived in
Slovakia there were no buses to my village. So I spend the night in
Bratislava and then headed back the next day. Upon Arrival I was told I
had some a lot of mail. I arrived to find at least a dozen or more cards
and several packages, I forget the exact number but it was a lot.
Amazing and overwhelming. I felt absolutely blessed. The cards and
messages were a great encouragement and I great reminder of how many
people care back home. I enjoyed packages as well, which included
"Peanut Butter" among the many other goodies. Sometimes it is the simple
things you miss. I want to send a big Thank You to all of you who sent
me a card or package. It is truly amazing to know I am loved in this way
and thought of often.
In writing this letter and in Light of Christmas, New Years and the
tragedies in Kenya, I want to share with you some of my reflections.
When we think of Christmas we think of the Christ child and how God send
his Son. This of course is a sign of Love from the Father.
"This is real Love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends,
since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one
has ever seen God. But, if we love each other, God lives in us and his
love has been brought to full expression through us." 1 John 4:10-12
This is the simplest expression of the Gospel. That since Christ loved
Us we should Love. We should desire to be like our Master. While at the
Taizé gathering many of the themes focused on Reconciliation. Looking to
Forgive and making something new out of what is broken. Just look at the
news and we see how broken the world is. We can that in the recent
events in Kenya. The example of Christ is that as his disciple we are
called to take the first step. In a letter written by one of the Taizé
Brothers they say, "It is not a matter of forgetting a painful past, or
being blind to present-day situations of injustice. The Gospel calls us
beyond the memory of wounds by forgiving, and even to rise above the
expectation of getting something in return. In this way we find the
freedom of the children of God." This statement greatly challenged me.
How am I supposed to do this? But, I remember it is not just me it is
only Christ through me that anything can happen.
It is often said, "If we think we know Jesus, READ The Gospel Again!!!"
As the New Year begins I am challenged (as I hope you are too!) to
really look at what our Master Jesus tells us about Love. Look at the
story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) or Mary Magdalene (John
8:1-11). There are of course many other stories but, look at these
stories with new eyes. We often forget how straightforward Jesus is
about how we should Love. As the called people of God we are called to
bear witness to a Kingdom of Love. Not just the Love we stereotype with
Romantic love or Give everyone a big hug type love. Jesus is talking
bigger and bolder. He is talking sacrificial love. The kind a Mother
shows to children who get on her nerves or when a father offers
forgiveness when a child has disobeyed yet again. The kind Jesus died on
a cross for.
1 John also says
"Everyone who loves God is born of God and experiences a relationship
with God. The Person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing
about God, Because God is Love – So if you don't know him you don't know
love" 1 John 4:7-9
How can we love God if we don't love our neighbors? If we are all made
in the image of God we must honor God by loving others. Before we get
discouraged we must remember that Christ sent the Holy Spirit to guide
and be with those who believe. We cannot love until the father first
loves us. Let us endeavor to love. So we pray,
Heavenly Father,
The message of the Gospel is Clear; You loved us so we can love others
It is a Love beyond just some warm and fuzzy feeling and at times it can
be difficult
Help us to understand how you want us to Love by learning more about
your example through Christ, Be with Us as we attempt and fail by our
efforts alone but, succeed when you are with us, Help us know we are
Loved as much as those who need Love
In the name of our Master and Redeemer
Jesus Christ, AMEN!!!
God's Blessings and Peace be with you,
Christ’s Servant in Slovakia
Mark
(Merry Christmas and Happy New Year). This newsletter is a little later
than expected only because of my busy Holiday!!!
I especially want to thank the many people who sent cards and packages.
I received quite a lot, more on that later though. Please continue to
support me through prayer. It helps to know that we are together in the
Lord despite however far apart we may be. Please also continue to pray
for me and the other young adult volunteers around the world. And of
course please pray for the people of Kenya and the violence that is
happening there. I know several US volunteers who are there now. They
are safe but prayer is very important for them at the moment.
December was a rather interesting and eventful month. The advent season
is rather big deal here since many more faces start to show up at church
and they have special advent services on Fridays. The Pastor had many
more projects for me to do, which included decorating; cleaning and
making things look just right for Christmas. One of the projects
involved assisting the electrician named Janko. We were installing some
new lights on the outside of the church. My Slovak is at a point where I
can converse fairly well on a basic level. I found out he lives in the
village. It seems like I'm always meeting new people and that my Slovak
is improving because many people comment on how well I speak but, to be
honest I'm only just starting to understand the language.
On December 3rd St. Mikulaš Day is celebrated, St. Mikulaš goes around
delivering small presents and candy to little children. He is sometimes
accompanied by the devil who takes their treats and whips them if they
are bad. Since all Children are Good. They get presents. In the stores
they have Chocolate figures of both St. Mikulaš and the Devil. One of
the ladies in the church, Kristina (She is like everyone’s favorite aunt
for all the volunteers in Vrbovce) brought us a small bag of goodies.
So, St. Mikulaš did visit me seeing as I’m just a big kid anyway.
Advent also marked the change in Liturgy. Just when I’m getting used to
it, they changed it on me. The people have small hymnals but it is hard
to find where things are sometimes because they know the liturgy by
heart. I tried asking the pastor once but all he said was that it was in
the book. The special advent services on Friday evenings were nice since
they are a little more relaxed than Sunday service. There were times
left open for people of the congregation to give open petitions of
prayer. It was fun to hear children pray as well as moving to hear some
of the older generation praying in tears about loved one who are ill.
The two other volunteers from Germany, Oliver and Flo went home for
Christmas Holiday. Before the Holiday I was waiting for many cards to
come but I had to wait until I arrived back to see if they came. I was
fortunate enough to be invited to spend Christmas with a Pastor’s family
in Košariska, which is another village about 25 minutes away. The wife,
Susan, was the Pastor and the husband, Evan (pronounced ee-von), owns
some property that he maintains and leases to various companies. The
family has 2 little children, a boy Adam 2 and a girl Zuzka 5. They were
very well behaved children for the most part. Children are children and
they get into mischief. I spent about 5 days with them, it was
fantastic. From the time I arrived I felt like I was part of the family.
I was constantly being asked if I was hungry. And I tried to speak as
much Slovak as I could and most people were impressed with how much I
knew. Evan speaks English very well so; I was able to have things
translated when I needed. Susan’s parents and brother came and made
cookies and dried apples to decorate the Christmas tree or Stromček. Of
course little Adam would grab them off the tree and eat them from time
to time. They arranged for me to do some touristy things in the
surrounding area as well. During my stay I got to ride a horse, see wild
deer and ram as well as eat the meat, visit a hot spring and see the
site of the famous Slovak General Štefanik. It was great experiencing a
Slovak Christmas. They also gave me some really cool gifts. Gloves, a
scarf (both of which I needed) and a book about General Štefanik. The
Children got some big plastic cars and some videos. One Czech film
called "Mach, Šebestova and the Magic Telephone" (translated in English)
they watched 5 times. The second time we watched it we figured out it
had English subtitles.
The Christmas Services was very nice and they sing many of the same
melodies of Christmas songs I know. I don’t think it really dawned on me
it was Christmas until the Christmas Day. One of the traditions I
enjoyed was that the family would sing 1 or 2 Christmas songs and prayer
before they had their family meals the day before, the day of and the
day after Christmas. It was very simple thing but I could sense God’s
presence there.
Well here are some interesting Slovak Christmas facts:
• The Traditional Slovak Meal is Karp; fish about the size of a small
turkey can be bought in the stores from huge tanks.
• It is not a Slovak meal without soup; they make a special cabbage soup
with Kolbasa (Sausage) and Huby (Mushrooms) called Kapustnica.
• Gifts are given traditionally after the family meal on the 24th.
• Slovak TV is usually filled with old Fairy Tales films from the 50's
-60's from Czech and Russia and many American TV Christmas movies that
are dubbed.
So after 5 days of Experiencing the fun and excited of Christmas in
Slovakia I headed off to Geneva, Switzerland for the Taize European
Gathering. For those of you unfamiliar with Taize, Taize is an
Ecumenical order of brothers who are devoted to prayer and dialogue
between all Christian faiths for reconciliation located in Taize,
France. Every year young people come to experience simplicity, prayer
and unity in Christ either in Taize or at one of several world
gatherings held each year. This year in Geneva there were 40,000 people
from all over Europe who came together to pray and share in the unity
only Christ can bring. I was lucky enough to arrange being able meet my
friend Kelly who is a volunteer this year like me but living in England.
We were able to enjoy this time together and share this wonderful
experience.
One of the many moving things about this event was seeing an almost
empty space the size of 2 or 3 football fields being filled with people
praying and singing in worship to God. People during this gathering are
offered places to stay from local parishes and families. I stay in
France in a Village called Divonne about 15 minutes from Geneva. I stay
with an older retired Gentle man named Xavier and with another
participant named Tomas from Poland. Both spoke very good English. We
were 2 of many other people staying in Divonne during of the event. In
the mornings we would spend time in prayer with the local church and
break into small groups to discuss the theme the verse for the day. The
songs and prayer throughout the event were in different languages and it
was moving to hear them all and know that we are all have the same faith
in Christ. It was also great getting to know and meet some many people
from around the world. It definitely expanded my definition of church
and what it means to worship God. Most people at the event spoke English
but I met a rather large group of Slovaks so I was able to speak Slovak
with them. Many of these same people were staying in Divonne as well.
I had some free time during the event to explore Geneva. Geneva is the
French part of Switzerland and was a little warmer because of the Leman
Lake. I was able to see many part of the old city that included some
churches that were part of the protestant movement. Most of you are if
you are Lutheran are only Luther and maybe Calvin but there were many
more reformers who were persecuted. Many of these reformers retreated to
Switzerland for safety. It has been insightful to see and learn more
about other aspects of the reformation.
My New Years was spent in Divonne where our parish had a time of prayer.
The prayer time was great and I felt like it was appropriate to reflect
on the past year and the coming year with song and prayer. Then of
course we celebrated, each country group was asked to share a little
something of their culture. So everyone got a little taste of Spain,
Poland, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, France, and many others.
It was one of the best new years ever. Then next day we all said
Good-bye but before we went were asked to have lunch with our hosts. So
my host was invited to have dinner at a friend of his who was also
hosting 3 girls from Poland. It was excellent we had Lamb and Potatoes,
Green Beans, Champagne, red wine, French Cheese. What a way to start off
the New Year.
I had to arrive home 2 days later only because when I arrived in
Slovakia there were no buses to my village. So I spend the night in
Bratislava and then headed back the next day. Upon Arrival I was told I
had some a lot of mail. I arrived to find at least a dozen or more cards
and several packages, I forget the exact number but it was a lot.
Amazing and overwhelming. I felt absolutely blessed. The cards and
messages were a great encouragement and I great reminder of how many
people care back home. I enjoyed packages as well, which included
"Peanut Butter" among the many other goodies. Sometimes it is the simple
things you miss. I want to send a big Thank You to all of you who sent
me a card or package. It is truly amazing to know I am loved in this way
and thought of often.
In writing this letter and in Light of Christmas, New Years and the
tragedies in Kenya, I want to share with you some of my reflections.
When we think of Christmas we think of the Christ child and how God send
his Son. This of course is a sign of Love from the Father.
"This is real Love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us
and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends,
since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one
has ever seen God. But, if we love each other, God lives in us and his
love has been brought to full expression through us." 1 John 4:10-12
This is the simplest expression of the Gospel. That since Christ loved
Us we should Love. We should desire to be like our Master. While at the
Taizé gathering many of the themes focused on Reconciliation. Looking to
Forgive and making something new out of what is broken. Just look at the
news and we see how broken the world is. We can that in the recent
events in Kenya. The example of Christ is that as his disciple we are
called to take the first step. In a letter written by one of the Taizé
Brothers they say, "It is not a matter of forgetting a painful past, or
being blind to present-day situations of injustice. The Gospel calls us
beyond the memory of wounds by forgiving, and even to rise above the
expectation of getting something in return. In this way we find the
freedom of the children of God." This statement greatly challenged me.
How am I supposed to do this? But, I remember it is not just me it is
only Christ through me that anything can happen.
It is often said, "If we think we know Jesus, READ The Gospel Again!!!"
As the New Year begins I am challenged (as I hope you are too!) to
really look at what our Master Jesus tells us about Love. Look at the
story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29-37) or Mary Magdalene (John
8:1-11). There are of course many other stories but, look at these
stories with new eyes. We often forget how straightforward Jesus is
about how we should Love. As the called people of God we are called to
bear witness to a Kingdom of Love. Not just the Love we stereotype with
Romantic love or Give everyone a big hug type love. Jesus is talking
bigger and bolder. He is talking sacrificial love. The kind a Mother
shows to children who get on her nerves or when a father offers
forgiveness when a child has disobeyed yet again. The kind Jesus died on
a cross for.
1 John also says
"Everyone who loves God is born of God and experiences a relationship
with God. The Person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing
about God, Because God is Love – So if you don't know him you don't know
love" 1 John 4:7-9
How can we love God if we don't love our neighbors? If we are all made
in the image of God we must honor God by loving others. Before we get
discouraged we must remember that Christ sent the Holy Spirit to guide
and be with those who believe. We cannot love until the father first
loves us. Let us endeavor to love. So we pray,
Heavenly Father,
The message of the Gospel is Clear; You loved us so we can love others
It is a Love beyond just some warm and fuzzy feeling and at times it can
be difficult
Help us to understand how you want us to Love by learning more about
your example through Christ, Be with Us as we attempt and fail by our
efforts alone but, succeed when you are with us, Help us know we are
Loved as much as those who need Love
In the name of our Master and Redeemer
Jesus Christ, AMEN!!!
God's Blessings and Peace be with you,
Christ’s Servant in Slovakia
Mark
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Tamworth Tribune Vol. 3 - Lindsey in the UK
Tamworth Tribune
The Life and Times of Lindsey Vol. 3 pg. 1 of 2
Church life
The past few months around the Coton Centre have been absolute madness! Christmas was a time of parties and Christmas plays and load and loads of Christmas food. Life became so full of chaos that for a while I forgot what season it was. I became so wrapped up in all the details surrounding the different events I was planning that I became a frazzled mess. I really felt disconnected from the most important detail of Christmas, the Christ child. Everything started to unravel with about a week until all the major events were to take place. I broke down, feeling like a total failure. It was at that point that Sonia, my co-worker, friend, and mentor told me the same thing she usually tells me, ‘Give it up to God’. It was at that point that I realized that I had been so busy trying to remind others why Christmas is so important, that I had managed to forget myself. I had started to work in my own strength instead of the strength that I get through my relationship with God. Of course it all feel apart. I thought I knew best how the events were supposed to run. That night I took a bit of time to pray, take a deep breathe, and trust that the problems would be worked out. And they were! The plays went well and all the parties turned out wonderfully. As I danced and sang my way around the sports hall with the kids during our Movie Premiere Holiday party, I realized something. Faith is most importantly about trust. It isn’t something that is easy for a control-freak like me to do, but if there isn’t trust there isn’t true belief. All God wanted was my whole trust, and in return he has given me gifts and experiences beyond my wildest dreams!
New british vocab
Rubber = Eraser
Faff = to futz around
Hundreds-and-thousands= sprinkles
Manky = gross, etc.
Poorly = ill
Whinge = whine
To Ponder…
16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
Vol. 3 pg. 2 of 2
Nov. Highlights
International Thanksgiving
There were 5 different countries represented at our meal in Edinburgh, Scotland. We shared food, we shared what we were thankful for, and we shared loads of laughs!
BIG Sleep Out
300 people living in cardboard boxes for 1 night.
So cold…
So POWERFUL!
Dec. Highlights
Once Upon 3 Christmas Times…
A wonderful (an involved) play with all the kids in the congregation
Coton Centre Christmas Lunch
First X-mas Cracker, yummy food, fabulous people.
Youth Cell Christmas Party
Games and giant gingerbread towers!
Christmas on the Farm
The Westwood family, late night chats (& giggles) with Kelly, amazing home cooking, and LOADS of cows!
Movie Premiere Holiday Party
Lovely sit down meal, beautiful dresses and even bowties, and a proper “after party” with our own DJ!
New Years in
Hamburg, Germany
Seeing a friend from home (Ellen), museum visits, tours, loads of Christmas Markets, delicious food, and amazing company!
The Life and Times of Lindsey Vol. 3 pg. 1 of 2
Church life
The past few months around the Coton Centre have been absolute madness! Christmas was a time of parties and Christmas plays and load and loads of Christmas food. Life became so full of chaos that for a while I forgot what season it was. I became so wrapped up in all the details surrounding the different events I was planning that I became a frazzled mess. I really felt disconnected from the most important detail of Christmas, the Christ child. Everything started to unravel with about a week until all the major events were to take place. I broke down, feeling like a total failure. It was at that point that Sonia, my co-worker, friend, and mentor told me the same thing she usually tells me, ‘Give it up to God’. It was at that point that I realized that I had been so busy trying to remind others why Christmas is so important, that I had managed to forget myself. I had started to work in my own strength instead of the strength that I get through my relationship with God. Of course it all feel apart. I thought I knew best how the events were supposed to run. That night I took a bit of time to pray, take a deep breathe, and trust that the problems would be worked out. And they were! The plays went well and all the parties turned out wonderfully. As I danced and sang my way around the sports hall with the kids during our Movie Premiere Holiday party, I realized something. Faith is most importantly about trust. It isn’t something that is easy for a control-freak like me to do, but if there isn’t trust there isn’t true belief. All God wanted was my whole trust, and in return he has given me gifts and experiences beyond my wildest dreams!
New british vocab
Rubber = Eraser
Faff = to futz around
Hundreds-and-thousands= sprinkles
Manky = gross, etc.
Poorly = ill
Whinge = whine
To Ponder…
16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
Vol. 3 pg. 2 of 2
Nov. Highlights
International Thanksgiving
There were 5 different countries represented at our meal in Edinburgh, Scotland. We shared food, we shared what we were thankful for, and we shared loads of laughs!
BIG Sleep Out
300 people living in cardboard boxes for 1 night.
So cold…
So POWERFUL!
Dec. Highlights
Once Upon 3 Christmas Times…
A wonderful (an involved) play with all the kids in the congregation
Coton Centre Christmas Lunch
First X-mas Cracker, yummy food, fabulous people.
Youth Cell Christmas Party
Games and giant gingerbread towers!
Christmas on the Farm
The Westwood family, late night chats (& giggles) with Kelly, amazing home cooking, and LOADS of cows!
Movie Premiere Holiday Party
Lovely sit down meal, beautiful dresses and even bowties, and a proper “after party” with our own DJ!
New Years in
Hamburg, Germany
Seeing a friend from home (Ellen), museum visits, tours, loads of Christmas Markets, delicious food, and amazing company!
Newsletter from December - James in Argentina
December was spent for the most part absorbed in the wonderfully fulfilling planning and painting of my first mural here. So many things happened from my first brush stroke to the last (still pending) that I am still trying to digest and figure out. Ofelia, my supervisor who is the greatest person I have ever known, and I decided to break up the mural into sections and spread it out over the course of about a week which was eventually stretched into about two weeks through unplanned events. The painting started normal enough, ups and downs, frustrations over the kids painting everything and everyone. The third day in I had brought my camera, as I had normally done, and spent the morning alternating in between painting and trying to document the progress and joy of the mural. Around noon I noticed my camera wasn’t in the place where I had set it and immediately Ofelia organized a search party going door to door with the kids that were painting and talking to parents. It came out through one child or another that the same girl that had stolen the camera of the prior volunteer here, also had stolen mine and had been planning to do so for a while. For all the joy that comes along with having a camera, getting one stolen for me at least was maybe more rewarding. What a reality shock on poverty and what it can turn people into if they allow it to. It was hard for me to know that a girl that I had been teaching guitar to for the last 3 months would steal and throw our friendship aside, but it was ever harder on Ofelia. Ofelia has a hard time in the barrio because she is so loving. She allows kids that normally are not given a chance, a chance to participate and learn, but when things like the aforementioned happen many “I told you so” are thrown in her face. It inspired so many wonderful discussions between Ofelia and I about the realities of the barrio and how loving and encouraging ,while they are the hardest to do at times, are and always will be the best actions to take.
Day 6 of the mural brought on the worst fever I have had in my life. The heat and stress finally got to me and I was in bed for 3 days hallucinating my life away. Being sick away from home is never fun, but Irma, my adopted mother here, took it as her personal responsibility to cure me. Special soups and teas, my cup always have ice in it, made whatever I had leave without doing any permanent damage. Friends from the barrio came to visit me and give me every suggestion that has ever existed on how to break a fever. Ofelia won with ice under the armpits and on my neck. I returned to paint much more slowly and with more consciousness of what my body was telling me. We are at about 99% done with the mural at the moment and we are planning on finishing it in February. End of year activities slowly took over the mural time and we decided it would be best to finish it calmly after vacation.
Christmas in Argentina was certainly distinct and beautiful. Gifts weren’t all that important to the holiday in the houses where I spent my 25th of December. It was much more important that everyone was gathered and ate the fruit salad, than who gave who what. In fact the grandest present that I saw given was an umbrella. I think the dynamic of the holiday was summed up well when I asked a little boy in the barrio if he enjoyed Christmas. Instead of listing off the cds, game systems and toys that he received, he smiled and said that it was wonderful because he threw more firecrackers this year than the last. Midnight on Christmas Eve I passed with a glass of sparkling apple cider in my hand and kissing everyone that I have ever met in the barrio on both cheeks. Love and energy in the air.
I will leave you all with a quote that I have been pondering quite a bit lately as seemingly bad things occur to me and around me, it makes them seem more valuable and beautiful.
“Our whole business therefore in this life is to restore to health the eye of the
heart whereby God may be seen”-Saint Augustine.
-james
Day 6 of the mural brought on the worst fever I have had in my life. The heat and stress finally got to me and I was in bed for 3 days hallucinating my life away. Being sick away from home is never fun, but Irma, my adopted mother here, took it as her personal responsibility to cure me. Special soups and teas, my cup always have ice in it, made whatever I had leave without doing any permanent damage. Friends from the barrio came to visit me and give me every suggestion that has ever existed on how to break a fever. Ofelia won with ice under the armpits and on my neck. I returned to paint much more slowly and with more consciousness of what my body was telling me. We are at about 99% done with the mural at the moment and we are planning on finishing it in February. End of year activities slowly took over the mural time and we decided it would be best to finish it calmly after vacation.
Christmas in Argentina was certainly distinct and beautiful. Gifts weren’t all that important to the holiday in the houses where I spent my 25th of December. It was much more important that everyone was gathered and ate the fruit salad, than who gave who what. In fact the grandest present that I saw given was an umbrella. I think the dynamic of the holiday was summed up well when I asked a little boy in the barrio if he enjoyed Christmas. Instead of listing off the cds, game systems and toys that he received, he smiled and said that it was wonderful because he threw more firecrackers this year than the last. Midnight on Christmas Eve I passed with a glass of sparkling apple cider in my hand and kissing everyone that I have ever met in the barrio on both cheeks. Love and energy in the air.
I will leave you all with a quote that I have been pondering quite a bit lately as seemingly bad things occur to me and around me, it makes them seem more valuable and beautiful.
“Our whole business therefore in this life is to restore to health the eye of the
heart whereby God may be seen”-Saint Augustine.
-james
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
