Chicken Rides and Christian Reflection

I’ve never had 9 hours of bus-riding before. Especially not on what Salvadorans call “Chicken Buses”. Let me explain: In our travels from San Salvador to the highlands of Guatamala, four friends and I traveled on buses that resemble public school activity buses in the US except that they are bright and gaudy colors like red and green and they have racks on top where luggage, agricultural products (yes, you guessed it—chickens), and apparently (though infrequently) people ride. The buses have names like Maria, Josephina, and even Jennifer. Inside, seven or eight people ride in each row (yes, these are like activity bus seats) and near the end of the ride when the bus is overly full, many stand (it was quite a ride standing on the whole entire 3 hour return trip from the Guatemalan mountains to Guatemala City). The drivers are apparently paid by the distance they cover in a given time because we passed so many small cars coming down the mountain that I can’t count them and there were many exciting moments that the bus leaned very, very, very far over onto one side, I thought flipping was possible. So, actually there is not much real semblance to activity buses after all, but I will never look at an activity bus the same again. However, my chicken rides were part of my Salvadoran initiation.

The location of this weekend’s retreat was beautiful. It was in the high mountains overlooking Lake Atitlan in Guatemala at a retreat center called “Mount Carmel” run by a Guatemalan parish. My photos are of our views of lake Atitlan and the retreat center. Beautiful. I have also posted a picture of the group that gathered at the retreat center—we were all the VMM missioners that serve in the Central American countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. There were the Morrans, a couple with two girls ages 11 and 8, who are in their last month of a 2-year long water and sanitation project. Both are engineers, and though they have encountered many difficulties, they have realized that relationships and meaningful moments have been more important in the end anyways. Then there are Betsy and Steven. Betsy and Steven are in their latter-70s, and Steven is deaf in one ear and half-deaf in the other, but it was such a blessing to sit beside Steven on his better-ear side to hear his story of living in Central America since the 80’s in many different capacities—as a parish minister, a VMM, a teacher, etc. Wisdom that will help me down the road I am sure.

There were more individuals (including other 20-somethings who will prove to be an excellent “peer” community), but perhaps more important was the sense of community at large. The pastor that led organized the retreat around 3 of the five of Jesus’ “discourses”, a.k.a long teachings, in Matthew: Missions (Mttw 10), Parables about the Kingdom of God (Mttw 13), and Community (Mttw 18). Jesus lived and taught to demonstrate that God’s kingdom is both here and not yet (a mystery in Mttw 13) and that God’s desire is for all of us to realize that kingdom, which must be great as it is compared to a mustard seed, leaven, treasure, pearl, and net, both here and in the future.

I´m Here!

Safely in San Salvador, El Salvador and already found internet access-what about that? I arrived with my suitcases weighing 49.5 lbs and 49 lbs (the limit was 50 :-) ), and as soon as I walked around in the San Salvador airport, I had that de ja vu feeling of having been there before. I realized that while on study abroad in Latin America in spring 2006, my group and I flew from San Salvador (the airport I arrived in yesterday) to Nicaragua, so I had indeed been in the airport before. I waited outside the airport for a few minutes until I heard someone call "Jennifer"--that someone was a welcome face: my friend from Furman, Angel, who has been working with FUNDAHMER (the organization I will begin working for officially in November after language school) since early August. She and Armando, the director of FUNDAHMER, picked me and my many pounds of luggage up and we drove to the FUNDAHMER office, where I have been since then--including sleeping last night.

In addition to Angel, Betsy and Julia from VMM (who I met during my VMM training in May in Wisconsin) were welcome faces as were other American volunteers and missioners (who will become great friends, but for the time being I am just happy that they speak English or at least speak slower Spanish). Although I don't officially start language training (at a school) until Tuesday of next week, as early as my time sitting waiting to board the plane to El Salvador, I have been learning (and relearning) Spanish. I am fortunate because I have known and used a lot of the language in the past (in high school and college classes and in Latin America), so it will come back to me with practice. I can hold my own in some conversations, but there have been some funny moments like when I asked a 45-year-old whether she has a novia (which means girlfriend) when I actually meant to ask about her husband (I got both the gender and the spouse vs. dating idea wrong).

The FUNDAHMER office is in a good location in that it is in a safe community on the edge of San Salvador and that it is located next to the UCA (Central American University) and so far I have found that it has good restaurants nearby. My first meal was pupusas (which is THE authentic food of El Salvador), which are thick tortillas filled with whatever goodness you request (cheese, beans, chicken, sausage, etc). Late last evening, Armando, Betsy, Julia, and I discussed my work, where I will live, a reasonable budget, the living stipend I will receive, and any other questions I had. I get the general feeling that people are really caring about my well-being (everything from my safety to my having an enjoyable time). Several of the other volunteers have commented that Armando is a caring-Grandfather-like person.

Right now, I am sitting using my laptop in the FUNDAHMER office because they have wireless internet and a "conference room" with tables. In the morning, I will travel with several others to the location of out weekend retreat (a 12 hour trip, 5:30am to 5:30pm). Thanks to everyone who remembered me as I traveled yesterday--all is safe and good.

The Details

You notice I have named my blog “…To Live…To Work…To Learn…” Since you will be along with me on this journey, in these first 2 posts, I aim to introduce my next two years and explain my blog’s title. First, the details: I leave on September the 24th to begin 2 years as VMM (Volunteer Missionary Movement) missioner in El Salvador. I will fly into San Salvador (the capital of El Salvador) and for two days, I will travel and orient with representatives from VMM and FUNDAHMER (the organization I will be working with—more about that in a second). Then, I will join the 12 other VMM missioners that serve in Central America at a retreat in Guatemala. Here I will meet the other missioners and have a little spiritual “nourishment” to get my two years off on the right foot.

After the weekend retreat, I will travel back to San Salvador to begin 6 weeks of Spanish language school at CIS (Center for Exchange and Solidarity) in San Salvador. The opportunity for language school is a blessing not only because I will learn the language to help facilitate my life and work for the next 2 years, but also because I will learn about Salvadoran history, culture, and current events in afternoon sessions. Moreover, because my language school is located in San Salvador, I will have an adjustment period to begin becoming acclimated to life in El Salvador and for getting to know people from FUNDAHMER and other missioners and volunteers in El Salvador.

My six weeks in language school will end in November. At that time, I will begin working with FUNDAHMER, which is an organization that supports and serves impoverished Christian base communities in El Salvador. FUNDAHMER has projects involving a lot of different types of work in the base communities. (For example, a friend who also graduated from Furman in the spring is presently working with FUNDAHMER in work involving sustainable agriculture). Despite the variety of FUNDAHMER’s projects, all of their work and identity revolves around key principles of their mission: Biblical formation, theology, values-formation, human rights, empowerment, community development, accompaniment, gender equity, alternatives to poverty, and preservation of the environment. What a list! It will be interesting to see how these values play out as themes of my journey of living, working, and learning over the next 2 years.

I will be specifically involved in FUNDAHMER’s Youth to Youth Leadership Project, which will provide faith formation and leadership training to youth in El Salvador. A brutal civil war in the 1980s and the economic, political, and cultural struggles during the war’s aftermath have created pivotal and often dire situations for the young people of El Salvador. Through the Youth to Youth Leadership Project, young Salvadorans will be empowered to actively participate in their communities, the Church, and the world in spite of their social and economic limitations and will be empowered to develop and preserve their dignity and hope.