Giving Thanks
This morning we accomplished a lot. We had a meeting, we cooked, and we ate. Today was our Thanksgiving lunch. So we started cooking in the morning and then had a meeting. Our meeting eventually moved from the chapel to the dining room because we had to continue/start cooking. At noon we finished the meeting. We went back into the chapel where Katherine led us in prayer and we had Holy Communion. Then it was time to eat. The entire Pastoral Team was there and our Compañeros group as well. It was a huge feast and sharing it together made it even more special.
Peeling potatoes
Chopping potatoes
The turkey got done early
In my little apron
The end of the meeting
All of us together
Holy Communion
Carving the turkey
The feast
Serving up food
My plate
Getting ready to eat
Mediagua
Not soon after lunch we visited a community that is building
a new school. Two girls in Iowa raised $27,000 to built a school in Mediagua. Their
names are Maria and Niah Howard, and they are building the school in memory of
their Sarah, who died in 2010. At the end of the blog is the story about their
organization.
We arrived in the community and got to look around at all
the work that was being done. We also met with the Directiva to introduce
ourselves and explain our work. They talked about the school being built and
their hopes for the future school. About chatting, they offered us nuegados (a
sweet snack made from yucca) and horchata (a delicious rice drink).
Then we made the trek down to their only water source in the
community. It wasn’t a pleasant trek down and I couldn’t imagine doing it on a
daily basis. And the water source itself was pretty horrible. It was inside a
house-like structure. The rainwater falls onto the rusted tin roof into the
gutters and then flows into a giant cement basin. Sometimes animals fall in,
die, and decompose in the water. But that’s the only water these people have to
drink unless they want to walk all the way to Berlin to buy water. There are not
many options. So I give many thanks to God for being fortunate enough to have
running, safe water.
After visiting the water source and faucet area, we climbed
back up to the top of the hill. We said goodbye to the community and headed
back home. We had a quick reflection meeting and then it off to bed. It had
been a long day.
The 1st to 6th grade school
A view from the school
The new school
Tiles for the new school
Resting with Kathy
Nuegados
The Directiva
Walking down to the water source
The water source
The roof
Inside the water tank
The water faucet where people fill up their cantaros
Flor de fuego
One of the houses
Climbing back up
Not too sweaty
Below is information about Art for El Salvador taken directly from the website:
Art for El Salvador
Mission Statement: Through the sale and celebration of art in our home
communities here in the US, we aim to support projects of development for those
suffering from the inequalities of extreme poverty in El Salvador.
The Story: Art
for El Salvador was formed in the summer of 2010 by Niah, Maria, and Sarah
Howard. The summer of 2009 Niah and Maria had the opportunity travel to El Salvador
on a mission trip with the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas Center. The
project began the next summer as a way to give back in some small way. The
sisters set up at the local farmers market in Dallas Center and sold their own
artwork and pieces donated from friends and community members- drawings,
painted boxes, t-shirts, photographs, etc.
At the end of the first summer, the three sisters were in a
tragic car accident in which the youngest, Sarah, did not survive. It was
around Christmas in 2011 when Niah first mentioned the idea of building a
school in El Salvador in Sarah’s memory. Since then, this has been our
organization’s central focus. Even though Sarah never officially got the chance
to visit El Salvador, through this school her memory and legacy will live on
there for a long time to come.
In the fall of 2012, Art for El Salvador became a student
organization at the University of Northern Iowa. We have been extremely
fortunate to have Denise Tallakson, a professor in the College of Education, as
our ambitious, devoted, and generous advisor. At UNI, a committed community of
students and faculty has become an essential part of the project. As an
organization, we hold regular art nights to make art to sell and have hosted
several events such as our annual Art from the Heart fundraiser in the winter
and the UNI Latino Fest during fall 2013.
Since its creation in 2010, Art for El Salvador has grown
significantly to include a variety of people. From local elementary students
organizing their own art shows to college students at the University of
Northern Iowa participating in art nights, the project has become much more
than three sisters setting up at a local farmer’s market. Hundreds of people
have heard the story and become a passionate part of this effort. When the
school is built, a whole community of people will be proud and able to say that
they had a part in making it happen.
The most essential piece of Art for El Salvador is the
community aspect of it. This is not just a few people’s project; this
is not only a family’s project. This is a project that a whole community
of people have ownership in. This is Dallas Center’s project; it is UNI’s
project; this is everyone who has come to an Art Night’s project, everyone
who’s visited our stand at the farmer’s market’s project, everyone who’s
donated artwork, time, or money’s project. And this is all of your project as
well. This includes people who loved Sarah dearly and people who never even had
the chance to meet her. That is a beautiful thing and we can’t thank you enough
for your support.
I highly encourage you to check out the following links
about Art for El Salvador.
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