50+ visitors coming

Speaking of working from home, last night Michael and I spent hours on our living room floor after the girls went to bed, putting together Welcome packets for a conference we are hosting this week.


MCC partners and staff working in advocacy throughout Latin America (including Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, Bolivia, Mexico, and US and Canada) are coming for a conference on Advocacy. Several issues will be covered, including a visit to a local Guatemalan community that lives along a river affected by a hydroelectric dam. This is also combined with a conference among MCC's Connecting Peoples programs (learning tour groups, Young Adult programs). More than 50 people will be coming to share and dialogue together this week.

This means it's been a crazy week or two finalizing details in the office, with everything from printing name tags and schedules in three languages (English, Spanish, Haitian Creole) to dealing with a last minute change of venue. Whew. But tonight and tomorrow everyone arrives, and the weeks and months of planning are put into actual motion.

Looking forward to a good and full week, followed by two more intense weeks which include another 3-night meeting we are hosting. March promises to be a full month.

El Salvador-Current Realities

You may have read something in the news this week about a disease carried by mosquitos, the zika virus, that has now spread to 25 countries. For adults, the symptoms include fever, rash, joint paint, and conjunctivitis, but more seriously there has been a connection to a serious neurological birth disorder called microcephaly, where the brain is basically much smaller than normal. Because of this, some countries, including El Salvador, have advised women to avoid becoming pregnant for the next two years, until at least 2018.

Let me say that again: they are recommending that there be no new pregnancies for the next two years.

One of our partners decided to do some education with their communities to promote awareness of standing water, where the mosquitos and their larvae are most likely to infest. There are recommendations to replace standing water every few days, and to bleach and monitor closely the pilas that usually have standing water (outdoor sinks used for washing clothes, dishes, and pretty much everything). Unfortunately, this can be both difficult and impractical in areas with little access to water.

We currently have four workers in El Salvador and about five projects. Though we live in Guatemala, our duties as Representatives also cover El Salvador.

As if the threat of disease is not enough, El Salvador has been on our radar because of a recent spike in violent deaths, a 70% increase in 2015. A huge majority of these deaths are attributed to an increase in gang violence. Some of our workers live very near these realities, working alongside people directly affected by this violence. Some statistics show that El Salvador has surpassed Honduras as the country with the highest murder rate in the world.

A very close co-worker of our staff has an 8-year old son and she is already preparing herself for the reality that within the next two years she will need to move. Why? Because they live directly across the street from a gang member, and within a couple years this child will be targeted. That is the reality of this context. It's much easier to understand the desperation of families wanting to flee their homes, even their country when there are names and faces to these situations, especially when one considers the context in which the gangs have emerged, and the role of the US in many of these situations. These issues are not as clear-cut as some would like to portray them.

Another piece of news in the last week is that the Peace Corps has withdrawn from El Salvador "due to the ongoing security environment." Granted, the Peace Corps is usually the first to leave in many countries, and is not necessarily a litmus test for when to leave, but it is still telling of the situation. They withdrew 158 volunteers from Honduras in 2012 for safety concerns as well. There had been about 113 volunteers in El Salvador in the last year or so, down to about 55 this month when the decision was made to withdraw. Currently there are about 146 volunteers in Guatemala (depending on where you get information).

For now we are monitoring the situation, checking in often with our staff, and praying for those who are affected.

The US government is not willing to leave American citizens in El Salvador, yet it's deemed necessary and acceptable that women and children be sent back to such unsafe situations. One quote I read sums it up best:

"Clearly there is a humanitarian crisis in El Salvador. It's unconscionable to send people back into the same situation."

World Fellowship Sunday

We are not Mennonites, but we have worked for Mennonites and have attended a Mennonite church for several years. We appreciate the Anabaptist perspective on many things.

(Quick history lesson: Anabaptists rejected infant baptism of the Catholic tradition and believed that baptism should be delayed until the person was old enough and able to profess their faith. Anabaptism means being baptized again.)

Today was World Fellowship Sunday. Each year in January, Anabaptist churches around the world celebrate their heritage. January 21, 1525 was when the first Anabaptist baptism took place in Switzerland, and the yearly celebration is a time to celebrate worldwide the connections among other Mennonites.

Our church here in Guatemala celebrates this with a large potluck, emphasizing the different countries represented among the congregation. The idea is to make a dish typical to each home country. Two years ago I made chocolate chip cookies. Typically American, right? (I think last year we may not have attended, since Ruby would have been a few days old).

This year we wanted to stay away from chocolate, so we went with some other American classics: baked macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and a blackberry cobbler.

It was fun to see all the countries represented, and the food was delicious!

Verenika, a Russian-Mennonite traditional dish of pasta filled with cheese.

Chile Rellenos. Delicious!

Horchata from El Salvador and delicious rice from Belize.
And there were pupusas. Yum. 

The pasta salad was actually an American dish.
Guatemala included refried beans, tortillas, and bread with shredded chicken, among other foods.

Paraguay represented with tasty sausages and potatoes. 

Ruby enjoyed the tortillas.

Popping Our Safety Bubble

We knew coming to Guatemala would be a risk. I'm talking about the danger. It was in the job description. We were warned. We knew things like Guatemala has one of the top homicide rates in the world and that burglaries are common. But we didn't really know, not more than what we could read online. We dove in, aware but not.

Recently Michael and I agreed that in the average day-to-day mundanities of our life here, things feel "normal." That is to say, it feels like we could still be living in Fresno or in some town in the States. Except for the armed guards we pass standing in front of almost every business along our street. They, of course, remind us of where we are. But in general, we don't feel threatened. Maybe I should say: we forget to feel threatened. We walk the streets pushing our girls in the stroller, nodding and greeting the guards with a "Buenos Dias," and we're on our merry way.

Except when we do feel the danger. Because, we've heard stories. Stories of past MCC workers or partners who've been assaulted, robbed, and worse. Since we've arrived we haven't had anything noteworthy happen to us specifically, but  a couple of our staff have been the victims of petty theft. It happens. We're aware. But honestly, we're in a bubble.

I've been waiting for something to happen to snap me back to the reality of, "Oh yeah, we're not in Kansas anymore." 

Today we had two such reminders that things are different here. One dealt with the hoops we have to jump through on a daily basis just to get our job done, and the other reminded us that feeling safe is a matter of perspective.

Reminder Number One

The immigration/bank/legal systems here are a pain. Royally. Because of the high incidents of trafficking the systems are tight. The other day the teller at the bank told me my signature on a document that I signed right in front of her didn't match my passport, which I was holding right in front of her, and didn't match my signature in their system. Are you kidding? I'm standing right here! Michael often has paperwork denied because he didn't dot the right i or cross the right t. Literally. In the States if we make a mistake writing a check we just cross it out and initial it. Here, they wouldn't blink before denying it. They seemed horrified that banks in the US would accept a scribbled initial. 

So, granted, we're aware of the systems and how we have to pander to them. This is just one example.

 We were supposed to go to El Salvador this week with a group of youth for a week of service. A couple days ago we realized we couldn't go because of issues with the girls' visas. We were aware of a potential problem with two of our workers' visas, but were told by the immigration office that we could pay a fine and all would be well at the border. We should have known better.

This morning we got a call from the group of 19 crammed in the MCC van at the border. Our two workers were being denied. I'll skip all the details of why and just say we had to send a driver to pick them up two hours away at the border. We're bummed that they'll be missing this event, and now we have to send them to Mexico on the opposite border to get new visa stamps.

To add to that, the border suddenly put in a height restriction pole for vehicles which apparently our van broke while trying to pass through. As I write this our van and the passengers are on the side of the road at the border, hours later, waiting to see if they will be able to pass through. Grrrr. The systems here.

Reminder Number Two

Twenty minutes after getting the above situation figured out, Michael left the office to head to the bank. He returned after a few minutes. As he was walking towards the large iron gate he noticed people standing around, seemingly a bit shaken.

We learned that just a couple minutes before, a few people who work at an NGO down the street and use our parking lot were assaulted. One of the workers stood at the opened gate waiting for another to retrieve the car and drive through. While he was waiting, three men with a gun grabbed the man at the gate. They took his laptop bag which was on his shoulder, and asked for cell phones and keys to the car. I'm unclear of what happened next, but somehow they didn't end up with the car, as seemed to be their plan. They had their own car and drove away.

This was unsettling for so many reasons. 

First, had Michael left our office just a few minutes earlier, he could have either witnessed this incident, or been a victim himself. (Maybe I should be grateful for Reason Number One). He was on the way to the bank and was carrying passports and cash. It could have been bad.

Second, our office is in a building we rent from a local Mennonite church. This week is VBS so there are children running all over the property, some mere yards from the gate. I'm unclear on the details, but one version of the story was that the robbers came inside the gate. Regardless, there were children very close to this incident, and I couldn't help but be glad we had decided not to bring the girls this morning.

Third, with the girls in swim lessons and with my half-day work schedule, I often walk along these streets alone. Usually, without much thought beyond keeping aware of my surroundings. I've been in a bit of a bubble. What hit me hardest this morning was my realization that as I'm pushing the girls in their stroller I have a false sense of security that somehow, because I'm pushing my two young girls, I'm somehow more safe. I think this would be true in the US, but here, I think having the girls could actually put a target on us. I've repeatedly been told the story of the previous rep walking with her young girls alone and being assaulted. I put that story aside in my mind. I tell myself it was a different time and maybe a fluke. But the truth is it could happen to me. People are watching. They know our routines. We're at risk every day which means I'm putting my girls at risk every day. 

Fourth, the type of pick-up truck we have is very common and in high demand. Something as simple as keeping the keys in the ignition while we hop out and unlock the gate could actually be an invitation to a potential thief. We were reminded today to be careful. It has been stolen (before our time), but thanks to a GPS system the truck was quickly recovered. I'm not sure if driving or walking is safer. (Mom, THIS is why we may have seemed a bit paranoid during your visit about keeping our doors locked while driving through town).

This afternoon I left the office to walk the few blocks to get the girls. My heart was racing and I was looking around at every person suspiciously, holding my purse close to my side. I was on edge. I got home and didn't realize Michael was in the house and he made me jump. We both feel anxious.

We're definitely NOT in Fresno anymore. Though we know these types of incidents could happen anywhere in the States, and do every day, there's an unspoken sense of lawlessness here that just feels, well, different. 

It's been quite a morning. Just another day in Guatemala. 

Perquin, El Salvador

Perquin is a small community in the eastern part of El Salvador. During the civil war of the 80s and 90s this was a remote area with guerrilla fighting and home to an anti-war radio station. Today there is a Museum of the Revolution in town as well as a lot of art. There are large, bright, colorful murals painted all throughout the town. (I found some information and history about the murals here and here).

Like I mentioned in my post yesterday, we stayed in a beautiful hotel with cabins, a hotel, and a restaurant with delicious, homemade food.

The restaurant 

We had heard that an ex-MCCer owned the hotel but didn't know much more. 

When we arrived to the hotel a book was being advertised for sale written by the owner. We had a chance to interact with him some, and we also bought his book to add to our library (see his website here).

He was a mennonite from Delaware who came to Honduras on the border of El Salvador in the early 80s with MCC to work with refugees fleeing the war in ES. Throughout the course of the next several years he lived and worked in El Salvador (with other NGOs) and spent a lot of time in conflict zones. His book tells his experiences of working and living in the midst of an intense civil war. 

Eventually, he built this hotel to employ several local people and to remain in El Salvador. The hotel and the purchase of his book supports a local school in the area that has the highest poverty rate in the country. 

The view

The hotel is beautiful, clean, comfortable, and the food was delicious. They make all of the jams and sauces. We definitely plan to stay here whenever we need to visit this area.

The purpose of our trip was to deliver our worker to her host family as well as to visit the school that we partner with (and where she will be working for the year). On the way there we ran into a parade.

We enjoyed our visit to the school. There are several amazing stories surrounding this community. This mural pictures Father Roger, a Belgian priest who arrived to El Salvador before the war and stayed and lived and worked with the people alongside the fighting. He is connected to one of our partner organizations. He too, has a book, and I've been reading that to learn more about his experiences during the war. 

 Inside the school:

 Simple instructions for using the toilet and washing hands:

 "Cuantos anos tienen?" (How old are you?) 5!

 Pre-kinder students:

We spent some time in the central plaza of this sweet community. 

We continue to enjoy visiting each of the locations throughout El Salvador and Guatemala where MCC partners and works. 

Smashed Onions and an Ant Hill (Our Trip to El Salvador)

Last weekend we traveled to El Salvador to deliver one of our new staff to her placement in the far eastern mountains of the country. First, we spent a day in San Salvador, the capital.

The main thing I learned is that I'm happy we live in Guatemala City.

The traffic was crazy.

Here's the middle of a 4-way stoplight. 

 We were stuck in this traffic jam in the middle of an intersection for several minutes. 

There was lots of honking involved.

 This lady wasn't happy with how close we got to her vegetable cart so she turned around and smashed an onion on our van. Then she turned around and ignored us.

Just a typical traffic jam, I'm sure.

 One of our happy little travelers. 

 After too much time stuck in traffic we tried to make the morning worth the hassle by visiting the central plaza of the capital where the national church and the National Palace is located. 

(Sound familiar?)

 Hazel just wanted to chase the birds.

 The church. 

 Waiting to charge our cell phones and making friends. 

 When we got to Perquin, another four hours outside of the capital, we stayed at a beautiful hotel, which I'll post about next, because there's an interesting MCC story there.

 The girls really enjoyed playing on the porch and particularly enjoyed this flower grassy area (in the picture).

One morning, while I was enjoying the hammocks on the porch, the girls were playing in this little grassy area. Suddenly, I heard screaming from Ellie.

She had kneeled down in the flower bed right in the middle of an ant's nest. 

She screamed, "Ants!" "They're biting me!", although at first I thought maybe she had been stung by bees. 

I saw there were ants crawling all over her legs so I scooped her up, ran to our room and straight to the shower, simultaneously trying to wipe whatever ants I could off her body.

I quickly stripped her down and made her stand in the shower while I tried to wipe off all the ants.

I had a couple of bites on my arms and feet and I have to admit that they did not feel good. They were pretty sharp bites.

 And this poor girl was covered. Mostly, her leg and her arm, but I imagine it wasn't comfortable.

Stay tuned for more of Perquin and El Salvador.

A Salvadoran Story

One upon a time in the country of El Salvador,

 there lived a very poor and marginalized community called La Linea. 

In 2009 Tropical Storm Ida caused damage and created mudslides that left many already poor families in this community homeless or destitute. 

 Meanwhile, about 20 minutes away (driving), stood a large parcel of beautiful, lush land.
A farm sat virtually unattended for 15 years, and was covered with all sorts of precious things:

Orange trees.

Cacao nuts.

 Corn. 

Fertile soil for gardening.

Coffee. So much coffee. 

Four years ago, with the help of MCC, this community and its church purchased this land.

There is potential for a coffee farm. Equipment. There is a church in Canada helping this community  begin cultivating coffee. 

Now, the community is waiting. Waiting for the final government papers to parcel out the land to individual families. 

There is much potential here, and so much work to be done. 

Families will have to relocate, hopefully leaving behind the gangs and community problems which have caused so much damage and hardship for these people. 

But there are leaders full of dreams and hopes. 

Young people wanting to make a difference in their community.

Prayers are coveted.