Plant sequoias

Although I’m told that it is getting cooler here, my sweat-soaked pillow every morning tells a different story.  Rain is lurking on the horizon as we move into May.  That will be another new experience; one of the many.  But life is good, and God is good.  We have had a number of ups and downs over the past couple of weeks, but we do not lose hope or faith, and we are content in the fact that this is where we are right now, and this is where we are supposed to be.  Some days feel like not a whole lot gets accomplished, or that not many things get checked off of the to-do list, but we are being taught (and hopefully learning a little) that we need to redefine our picture of success.  I read a poem by Wendell Berry recently, and I think that a couple of lines in speak to this redefinition:

                “Ask the questions that have no answers.  Invest in the millennium.  Plant sequoias.”

I hope that we have begun to sprout some seeds for results that won’t be seen for a thousand years.  But when they do, what an impressive sight they will be.  And if we get the chance to see some glimpses of that future along the way, we will be thankful for every single one of them.

                As I stated before there have been a few ups and downs over the last couple of weeks.  I’ll start with the frustrations, as I like to receive the bad news first.  If you like the opposite please skip down to the next section entitled joys, and return to this previous section at a later date.  It will be a little like a choose-your-own-adventure.

Frustrations:   When you travel to El Salvador and you pass through customs, you will receive a nice shiny sticker in your passport in exchange for a crisp $10 bill.  This sticker lets you do whatever you want in the country (with the exception of influencing the country’s political process) for a maximum of 90 days.  After this time you can face fines (I asked if you can be deported, which would mean a free plane ticket back to Canada, but haven’t received a firm answer yet) for remaining in the country.  Those wanting to stay longer than 3 months can alleviate this problem by applying for temporary residency for a 1 year period.  We were well aware of this process before arriving, and as such had prepared all of the necessary documentation, under the guidance of the El Salvadorian consulate in Vancouver.

                When Trent and I went to San Salvador last week to formally apply, we were informed that our understanding of the documentation requirements was not exactly correct.  In fact everything that we had done in Canada over a period of at least six months was wrong and unusable here.  Also, in order to evade culpability in the situation, the Immigration department ensured us that they have no connection with the consulates in other countries, and can’t be held responsible for misinformation.

                So, after trying to pull my hair out, but not being able to due to a new haircut that week, we drove to the Canadian Embassy in San Salvador, in order to plead our case.  We learned that this is not the first time that this happened then informed us of their rates to start the process again.  With a little more pleading, we received a glimmer of hope (maybe).  The Embassy is going to have a meeting with El Salvador’s Immigration, in order to see if we can use what we have, as is.

                With only a week left on our 90 day tourist sticker, we had to return the next day to San Salvador, this time with everybody.  We were able to beg for a ninety-day extension (we were told this is a one-time offer), and now with a charge of $25 per person we each received a less-shiny extension stamp.  We can definitely stay until July 23^rd, but after that...we’ll see what happens?

                Generally we have been pretty healthy over the last two months, but we have had a few clinic visits over this time.  Trent has been suffering continually with allergies to the dust and pollution in the air.  This has caused ongoing breathing and coughing problems, as well as sinus infections.  The doctor has prescribed a few different things but nothing has had a long-lasting result.  We continue to pray for relief for him, and hope that with the rain coming; maybe some of the allergens in the air will be removed.

 

Brian is on the left

                We also spent a bit of time this week at the clinic and hospital, but not for one of our group.  Our truck, as shown in a previous post has now been outfitted with a steel cage for hauling people.  Our kids, along with most of those in the villages view this structure as a jungle gym, and hang from the top sides and back at every opportunity.  We had a little accident as we were driving in San Antonio Caminos.  A little boy named Bryan (about 10 years old) was hanging on the outside of the cage (unbeknownst to us) as we drove down the road.  Somehow his leg got pinched between the wheel and the fender, bruising and scraping him pretty badly.  In the end nothing is broken or damaged badly, but little Bryan could use prayer for a speedy recovery.

                The final thing that I want to include in this section is the frustration that I feel as meet more people and hear more of their stories.  There is so much pain here!  We will include more detailed stories over time, but as a general statement so many people are carrying the burden of traumatic events in their lives.  In fact it becomes a bit surprising to hear a story that doesn’t contain hurt from death, abuse, war, poverty, addiction, or all of these things.  Trent and I have become quite friendly with a group of local drunks.  They spend all day and night sitting semi-conscious on a corner one block down from our house.  It’s easy to judge this group for the state that we find them in every day.  That is until you hear their stories.....  Jose lived in Houston for a good chunk of his adolescence where he was told by his mother that he would be a failure if he didn’t reject his language and culture, and become more like the white kids.  Later in life he became a father, but one of his sons was killed at age 13.  He asked us as coherently as he could, “How can I fill this hole in my heart?”.....

Jose

  Julio (aka Coolio) lost one of his best friends last week.  After returning from the funeral, just as he sat down to drown his sorrows he received a phone call that another close friend had just been murdered as well. No wonder they keep drinking.

I’m frustrated with the pain, with the darkness of the situations that people have gone through, with my inability to do more, and with myself for the times that I grumble and complain, and for when I’m not thankful.  The difference between me and Jose and Julio is not as big as I may think it is.

Joy – We have started a process of getting to know our friends in San Antonio Caminos.  We are meeting each family, house-by-house, and learning names, taking pictures, and asking them to give us pieces of their histories, as well as hopes for their community.  This has been an amazing opportunity to hear the dreams and goals of different people, as well as finally starting to attach names to faces and visualize family trees in the neighbourhood.  We are feeling welcomed and accepted in this process, and have even been invited to help with a little farming at the end of May (The majority of the community rents small sections of farmland in an area about a 1 hour walk from their homes).

                I also find joy in the fact that we are being invited by people in the community to do things simply as friends and neighbours should.  Winnie, Ellis, and Elias are in the same kindergarten class as a brother and sister named Joelito and Daniela.  The kids have quickly become good friends, and Carie and Kerrie have become friends with their mother Carmen.  Carmen works in the market selling underwear and socks at a small both, and she is very bubbly and kind.  Along with her husband Alex (who drives buses occasionally between San Vicente and San Salvador) they live with their two little children in Alex’s mother’s house about a 20 minute walk from our house.  Two weeks ago they invited us for dinner (all 12 of us!) in their small home, which is no small feat considering that Carmen earns between 2 and 3 dollars on a good day, and Alex only can get work occasionally.  After a delicious dinner we were invited to stay for a small church service in their home with 3 other couples.  To me it is such an honour to be included in the lives of others here, without agenda, but simply as friends.  As I sat there that evening I reflected on the journey that has brought me to this point.  This is not how I pictured my life 5 or even 2 years ago.  I’m joyful that somebody had a different picture for me.

                Finally, I’m joyful for the changes that we see God making in people’s lives.  If you started at the ‘good news’ section first, this will make more sense when you go back to read the previous section.  Our new friend Jose came to us for help the other day.  He told Trent and me that he was at the end of his rope.  He is physically, emotionally, and spiritually at rock-bottom.  He doesn’t want to drink any more, and knows that it is killing him.  His life needs to be mended.  The fortunate thing is that we live for the one who can truly mend us.  We invited Jose to come with us to church, and after assuring him that he could come in the clothes he was wearing, he came.  And he listened.  And he napped for a bit.  But he came, and we pray for his redemption.  The next day I saw him asleep on his usual corner, but that’s okay, I’m still joyful anyway.  We’re all taking baby steps.

               

Stuart