Thursday July 17, 2008 Recap

At 2 AM we all had to get up to leave Atami and take a school bus to the airport.  We arrived quite early because there was no traffic, so early that the airport wasn’t even open yet.  Once it opened we had to wait for security to come and of course nothing opened when it was supposed to; this was the beginning to a long trip home.  When we reached Houston after a three hour flight that left at 6 AM we all raced to get American food.  Then our flight home left at 1 PM leaving us to arrive in Cleveland around 4:30 PM with the time change.  I miss all our friends in El Salvador already, but I must admit that it’s good to be home.

Wednesday July 16, 2008 Recap

Our down day before returning to Northeast Ohio was not so uneventful.  In the morning breakfast was served at 8:30 AM rather than the usual 6:30 AM because we got to sleep in.  My dad took a small group to Teotepeque to see Father Mark Riley.  The rest of us hung around to swim in the pool or tan like Father Steve in the intense sun.  The some of the kids got a cabana and had hammocks hung up in them to relax in the shade.  After lunch we took a trip down to the port of La Libertad.  In the blazing heat we walked through a little market onto the pier and viewed all the sun dried fish sliced in half and gutted.  A little boy worked our group to buy bracelets or necklaces with his little pouty, sad face.  With the intention of heading to the supermarket a group of us walked into the ice cream store.  One of the cars headed to the rectory with Father Schindler.  Back at Atami some of us visited the ferocious ocean with the mighty rip tide.  Late afternoon, we rode the waterslide for the last time of the trip with the kids competing who could get the fastest time down the 300 ft twisting tunnel; I won with 21 seconds.  We had a surprise that night which was a Christian band that played El Salvadorian music.  Read the rest of this entry »

Tuesday July 15, 2008 Recap

We worked hard today to say the least.  I was dying from the heat and from hitting the project so hard.  By late a.m., tasks were wrapping up and many of us peeled off around 11:30 AM to setup for tie dye about 350 tee shirts with the children of Mizata.  The morning students end school at 11:30 AM while the afternoon classes begin at 1 PM, so we tie dyed in between resulting in two large waves of kids.  This type of tie dying is done by squirting sprits of dye onto the shirts rather than dunking them in dye.  In the break between kids coming and going, many of us did our own which we twisted the night before the traditional way which Colleen had taught us that night.  Afterward or in between, one could go into the church which is neighbor to the school and could eat “papusas” made by Mabel and some of the other women.  These are an El Salvadorian food that is made of thick tortillas filled with cheese and beans, which everyone agrees as delicious.  The afternoon band class played especially for us and some of us danced while enjoying the music.  Meanwhile some of us were back working. Read the rest of this entry »

July 15: - Morning Prayer Reflections

Today’s Reading:  1 John 4:14-15

Reflection:  Perhaps by this point in the week, many of us have started to sense something inherently good about the work we are doing here.  Side by side with our new Salvadorian friends, we are giving freely what we can of our gifts, our talents, and our time.  I might suggest here that we are tapping into and working through the graced spiritual dimension that accompanies all work.  There is something inherently good about work – something fitting to the dignity of the human person. Read the rest of this entry »

Monday, July 14 Recap

Field trip day! Our bus arrived at 8 AM and we were off to Boquera, an inactive volcano. Then we went to Divina Providacia, where Archbishop Oscar Romero lived at the end of his life and the chapel where he was assassinated while celebrating Mass. Then we went to Arbol de Dios, the art gallery of Fernando Llort’s, the most renowned El Salvadorian artist, where we ate lunch. Next we drove to Artensia de Feria, a street market to buy souvenirs. Afterward we went to the COAR school and orphanage to take a tour of the facility. Finally before going back to Atami, we went to a women’s cooperative market where the proceeds go to battered women and their children.

July 14: The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers - Morning Prayer Reflections

Today’s Reading:  James 2:12-13

Reflection:  The reading from James today speaks of mercy as it relates to how we will one day be judged by God.  I think we sometimes think of being merciful to others as something a bit negative; something that limits us in that we might be giving up something to which we are entitled.  Instead of seeing mercy as the absence of something we desire, we should view it as giving of the fullness of ourselves.  In fact, I believe the aim of mercy is not simply to forgive the other and go without something we might desire, but it’s aim is to uphold the dignity of the one in need of mercy while offering a way for them to be brought back into the fullness of the life of the one offering mercy.  Mercy upholds dignity and brings those who are apart back together as one.  This is Christ’s gift of mercy to us on the Cross – the giving of the fullness of his life to uphold the dignity of our own lives and restore us to union with Him and our Father in the Holy Spirit.

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Sunday, July 13 Recap

Today we attended mass in Mizata and experienced the differences of the language and culture again. During mass Hajna Batizy, who had been in El Salvador teaching English and doing work for Serving Christ Through His Poor, was recognized for her hard work with the people with many of her students surrounding her. Father Mark Reilly also blessed her and the children gave her a gift of a mug with sweets inside. After mass I had a doll I put into my bag that we promised to Dahlia’s daughter, one of the women who I knew from last year, and Alexandra received her doll with a huge smile on her face and thanked me with a kiss on my cheek. It is amazing how grateful a small, donated doll was for a little girl that had never had one; however cliché, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Afterward most of our group went to work except about five of us including myself and we made religious bracelets that have six colored bead as representations of different things. When we finished this somewhat chaotic adventure, our small group returned to work.

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July 13: Option for the Poor and Vulnerable - Morning Prayer Reflections

Today’s Reading:  Ezekiel 37:12b-14

Reflection:  As I was reflecting on today’s reading and preparing to write, I was sitting at COAR (Community Oscar Arnulfo Romero in El Salvador) under a little shelter, surrounded by trees, birds, animals and a cool breeze was blowing.  Through the trees I looked down the hill and saw one of the COAR kids’ houses and on the front wall was the name Casa Jean.  This house and three others are named after the four women (3 religious sisters and Jean Donovan) killed in 1980 here in El Salvador.  There’s another house there named after Archbishop Romero (as the whole place is dedicated to his life & memory).

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Saturday, July 12 Recap

Driving on the edge of the mountains, over bridges, and through tunnels is always exciting and the more we drive through this gorgeous scenery, the long drive seems to become shorter. Another exciting part is that the compactor was brought out today although it was difficult for everyone to figure out how to start it, but of course it’s El Salvador — it broke. Brick lying went very fast; I noticed the cement continually disappearing. We did the same amount of bricks that we had the first two days combined. The workers began building the septic chamber walls which was interesting in the fifteen foot hole. I will forever hold the memory of the long chain of gringos and gunancos passing bricks over a span of about fifty feet. Everyone was laughing and having a great time and so many people were willing to help. It’s Saturday, which means no school. Read the rest of this entry »

July 12: Rights and Responsibilities - Morning Prayer Reflections

Today’s Reading:  Romans 12:14-16a

Reflection:  I think this short couple verses from Romans is really calling us out concerning our stance toward “other” people, especially those whose presence in our lives present a challenge to us.  We often find that we compartmentalize certain relationships in a way that we can easily justify to ourselves different treatment depending upon the category into which they fall.  Friend is one category; enemy another; service providers could be a third; family; children; parents – perhaps in all of these we might find ourselves in subtle or drastic ways approaching with different attitudes.  To this list we can even add the poor, whether on the streets of our cities at home or here in places like Mizata and Teotepeque, or in Africa.

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