Not all who wander are lost

The Nativity Scene

2011-12-24T14:34:00.027-06:00

The Nativity Scene. It’s one of the most popular scenes throughout the Christmas season and can be found all over the world. I always had several Nativities when I was a little girl. It’s something you find at many homes in El Salvador as well. It’s different at each house and location. Some Nativities are huge while others are much smaller. But they are always filled with love.

This year I got to experience the creation of the Nativity at the Pastoral House. The Nativity took several hours to create and I was able to help with a couple things as well as capture the process with photos. The emphasis in many Nativities in El Salvador is on living plants. I watched as Blanca and Jesús dragged all sorts of plants into the chapel from the back yard. I went around the yard searching for rocks. We unpacked a couple boxes where things are stored for the Nativity and also placed a couple new pieces in the Nativity.

Before I knew it, the Nativity was finished. The only thing missing was baby Jesus. But he was deliberately left out of the Nativity. It is not until Christmas Day that they place the baby Jesus in the manger. It’s a truly beautiful tradition and a beautiful Nativity.

Making room in the chapel

Just the beginning

In storage

Here we go

What I found in storage

Putting up plants

And even more plants

Looking good

Adding a path to the manger

Is it done?

An angel given to the Team by a delegation

A piece purchased this year at Nina Luz's shop

I love the Nativity in the cantaro

Adding a little more

Can you tell what's been added?

Complete with poinsettias and presents

Merry Christmas to all the communities in Berlin

May God bless you always

More nativities I saw this Christmas season

At someone's home in Berlin

At a home in the cantons

In the park in Berlin

The stage in Berlin

In Alegria

A second nativity in Alegria

Christmastime is here!

2011-12-23T11:29:00.000-06:00

I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to see what the Christmas season is like in Berlín. Obviously, it’s a lot different than Iowa. There’s no snow and it’s not nearly as cold. You don’t hear the usual Christmas songs or bake Christmas cookies. But there are Christmas decorations and lights. Various businesses and people in Berlín can “buy” a small part of the town square to decorate and advertise. There are lights, bulbs, snowman, Christmas trees, and a nativity was set up in the middle of the town square.

Even Santa Claus made an appearance. Of course, I should clarify this statement. It was a skinny, Salvadoran Santa with a somewhat scraggly beard. Also, he was an FMLN Santa, a political Santa. He came riding into town on a cart pulled by some sort of motorcycle. The cart was covered with FMLN flags and posters of Don Lito, who is the FMLN candidate for mayor next year. I guess I never knew how political Santa was.

The same night we saw Santa we went into town to the square to watch them light up all the Christmas lights for the first time. We waited for what seemed like forever, listening to people from City Hall talk endlessly about something. Finally, they turned off the main lights in the town square and turned on the Christmas lights. They were beautiful! We walked around looking at all the different lights. Then they set off fireworks. We stayed and watched for quite some time. It wasn’t Iowa, but it certainly felt like Christmas.

Setting up the nativity

Merry Christmas

Pedro's bush

Snowman without the snow

Christmas bulbs

Styrofoam nativity- love it!

Christmas tree put up by the

physical therapy foundation

Another nativity

It feels like Christmas

Ding dong!

It's Santa Claus!

FMLN Santa

He's looking skinny

Me and Santa

Santa's clowns?

Ho ho ho

I guess Santa supports Don Lito

New sign in town

The nativity

Driving into the town square

One of my second grade students

Gathered around to see Santa

All lit up

Blanca sitting by a tree

Fireworks

Yay!

My favorite

I love all the lights

Lots of people

So beautiful

Not quite a pine tree

Christmastime is here

Pedro's tree

Walking around

Feliz Navidad

One of my favorite trees

Up by the nativity

The huge pine tree

Virgin of Guadalupe procession video

2011-12-20T20:02:00.000-06:00

Our Lady of Guadalupe

2011-12-15T17:55:00.000-06:00

Monday, 12-12-11

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a procession. And if you’ve read my blog before you know that I love a good procession. Well, today was my day. Today we were celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and there was going to be a procession after mass in her honor. In El Salvador, children and sometimes adults get dressed up on this day in indigenous dress. I wasn’t aware of this until I saw several children coming to the park dressed up. They do this because the Virgin appeared to San Juan Diego, who was an indigenous man who had converted to Catholicism.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Here is some information about Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) is a celebrated Roman Catholic icon of the Virgin Mary. Under this title, she is officially proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church as the Patroness of Americas, Empress of Latin America, and Protectress of the Unborn Children.

According to Roman Catholic tradition, on December 9, 1531, Juan Diego, a recently converted Aztec indigenous peasant, had a vision of a young woman while he was on a hill in the Tepeyac desert, near Mexico City. The lady asked him to build a church exactly on the spot where they were standing. He told the local Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, who asked for proof in exchange.

Juan Diego went back later and saw the lady again. He told her that the bishop wanted proof, and she instructed Juan Diego to go to the mountain top, where he found Castillian roses, which were native to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga's hometown and could not possibly bloom during wintertime. Juan Diego cut the roses, placed them in his apron-like tilma and returned to the bishop; an imprint of the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared on the tilma from the residue of the soil and roses.

Today, the icon is displayed in the nearby Basilica of Guadalupe, now one of the most visited Catholic shrines in the world. The Virgin of Guadalupe is Mexico’s most popular religious and cultural image, with the titles “Queen of Mexico,” “Empress of the Americas,” and “Patroness of the Americas.” Both Miguel Hidalgo (in the Mexican War of Independence) and Emiliano Zapata (during the Mexican Revolution) carried flags bearing the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and Guadalupe Victoria, the first Mexican president, changed his name in honor of the icon.

Photos from the procession:

Before the procession

The church in Berlin

Very handsome

These are my little friends from the park

The Virgin of Guadalupe

A crowd begins to gather

Lots of people

Beautiful dresses

This little girl looks like a doll

Amazing eyes

Too cute

The flowers complete the outfits

Aminta's grandson

Leaving the church

We're ready

Heading to the where the procession will begin

Here comes Father Jacobo

This little guy walked with us

Dresses with the Virgin on them

Getting in place

One of my students

There's the float!

Leaving the church

From the back

The Virgin

These guys stood the whole way

The procession was more than an hour

Walking along

Carrying torches at the front of the procession

People followed behind the float

It was a beautiful night

Take our picture, please!

Walk to the cross

2011-12-10T16:24:00.001-06:00

I had a chance not too long ago to walk to the cross. The cross is a big, white cross that stands at the top of a huge hill. I say hill, but it’s more like a mountain. I’m not sure how the cross got there, but I know it’s been there for a while, and everyone in Berlín knows “la cruz” (the cross).

I had wanted to get to the cross in September when Sue and Nancy were here, but after I started the walk I had to turn back because I’d become incredibly sick. So I’m really glad I got the opportunity to go. Walking to the cross was one thing on my to-do list. I’d only been up once before and that was last year.

I walked up with the gym teacher from my school, another teacher from the school and her granddaughter, a student from my school, and several people from the US and other parts of El Salvador. The people from the US and other Salvadorans are related to the secretary at my school. I was excited to meet everyone.

We met in front of the school around 7:30am. It takes about an hour to walk up to the cross and the walk is strenuous. We wanted to get an early start to avoid the heat of the sun. After meeting and making introductions we started the trek up. While some parts of the trail aren’t too bad other parts are very steep for a long period of time. Along the way we passed lots of flowers of all sorts of colors. I saw some flowers that were very blue and some orange ones that are called flor de muerte (death flower).

Starting the trek

Up and up we go

A look down at Berlin

Keep going

I can see my house!

(Not really)

San Vicente

A race to the top

Flowers growing out of the wall

Are we there yet?

We also saw a lot of coffee. This time of the year the coffee is starting to ripen. The coffee cherries start out green, then turn yellow, and finally red. Several people were out in the coffee field (finca) picking coffee. Close to the top we passed by a coffee processing place. Lots of coffee was sitting outside to dry. I could also see the machines they use to take the skin off the coffee before it’s laid out to dry.

Coffee cherries

Picking coffee

Hard work

Posing for the camera

Private property - the coffee place

The processing area

To the right is coffee laying out to dry

Finally we made it to the cross. The air was cool and I almost felt chilly. We all found a seat underneath it and took in the view. You could see the entire town of Berlín and some of the cantons. I was able to see the pine trees that stand in the park and the church next to them. One of the teachers had brought binoculars that we passed around. Someone else had brought snacks that we enjoyed while we sat

Beautiful flowers

We made it!

You can see the whole town

A closer look

In front of the cross

There we are

Looking up

Breathtaking

After a while we started walking again. I wasn’t sure where we were going but I was excited to find out. Soon we came upon a field full of lush grass. Parts of the grass looked almost purple. We saw a small pond nearby and I told the kids that they should go for a swim. One of them actually did! Then we walked back to the meadow. I sat down and marveled at my surroundings. The air was sweet and the sky was so blue. It made me feel good to be alive.

Continuing on

A machete

Corn fields

Running across the meadow

Lush grasses

Standing by the small pond

Look!

Don't push me in!

Hundreds of flowers

Open and free

I love these flowers

Taking a rest

Blue skies smiling at me

Vibrant colors

About 30 minutes later we began our walk back to the cross. From there we headed back down the mountain to Berlín. It had been a wonderful adventure.

Heading back

Saying goodbye to the cross

A glimpse of San Vicente

A field of flowers

On our way down

Here we are!

Underneath the black diamond are the

pine trees in the park in Berlin close to

the Pastoral House

Thanksgiving Dinner

2011-12-08T15:26:00.001-06:00

Sunday, 11-27-11
I’m a little behind on my blogs but I’m trying to get caught up. While we weren’t able to celebrate Thanksgiving on the actual date, we were able to celebrate at a later date. And it turned out it was more special because we were able to celebrate with Blanca and Cecilia’s families in Alejandría. On the actual date Kathy and I had guacamole and chips for dinner. But for our special celebration we went all out.

Menu
Chicken with stuffing
Honey glazed carrots with cranberries
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Tortillas
Banana bread
Red wine
Coffee

Preparations
We went out to buy the potatoes, carrots, onions bread, and butter at the market, and started making things the night before. When we got home I worked on cutting up the bread for the stuffing so it could dry a little and Kathy worked on the banana bread. It was good to get a couple things done ahead of time.

Cutting up bread for stuffing

The makings of banana bread

Looks good!

Cooking
The next day it was time to started cooking. Kathy peeled and sliced carrots. I worked on peeling and slicing potatoes since Kathy said that would be her purgatory. Kathy got all the chicken innards out of the bag they were in and rinsed them before cooking. We debated whether or not to throw the feet into the pot and ultimately decided we’d add them for flavor and then crisp them in the oven. Then we worked on the stuffing and finally the chickens.

At some point I made the comment that it really was like Thanksgiving because the women (Kathy and me) were in the kitchen cooking while the guys (Elmer and Alejandro) were watching fútbol. Then it was time we cooked the carrots and potatoes, and before we knew it the chicken was done. We got everything into pots or bowls and loaded it all in the truck.

Guests
Not including Kathy and myself in attendance were:
Blanca – Pastoral Team
Balmore – Pastoral Team, Blanca’s husband
Ángela (Blanca’s mom)
Romulo (Blanca’s dad)
Margot (Blanca’s sister)

Cecilia – Pastoral Team
Idalia – Pastoral Team collaborator, Cecilia’s sister
Rosa – Cecilia’s mom
Alejandro – Cecilia’s brother
Elmer – Cecilia’s son
Marvin – Cecilia’s son
Freddy – Cecilia’s nephew

Look out!! She's got knives!

The boys were watching futbol

I look a little spacey peeling potatoes

The carrots were huge

Mmmm, chicken feet and organs

Bread and spices

Stuffing the chickens

Looks good!

Alejandría
When we got to Alejandría we parked the truck and carried all the food across the ravine and up to Blanca’s house. Kathy and I went straight into the kitchen and had everyone else leave. We would be the only ones working to get the meal ready. We set the food on the various comales (earthenware pans) to heat it up and got out the plates, cups, and napkins. Then we opened a bottle of wine and toasted our efforts.

Once everything was ready we set it out on a table so people could serve themselves. Kathy explained the tradition of Thanksgiving in the US and Balmore said a prayer Then it was time to eat! Everyone took turns scooping food onto their plates. We encouraged them to try a little of everything even if they didn’t like it. Foods like stuffing and gravy aren’t typical foods here. Carrots and potatoes are common but not the way we cooked them. But they all tried everything and several people cleaned their plates. We also served a little bit of red wine to everyone except the kids.

Food loaded in the back of the pickup

Fresh coffee

Heating up the food

Cheers! Salud!

The napkins I made with a turkey stamp on them

We're ready to eat!

Food please!

Rosa getting some food

Margot tried and ate all her food

Idalia got a big piece of chicken

Elmer tried to take an entire chicken

One at a time

Angela enjoying her meal

Romulo's meal was light on salt

Opening the second bottle of wine

Mmmm, delicious

My plate, with lots of mashed potatoes

Dessert & Gifts
Then it was time for dessert: banana bread from local bananas and coffee from Blanca’s family’s finca. As people ate their bread I presented Blanca and Cecilia with two photo albums. One was for Blanca’s family and the other for Cecilia’s family. The albums had pictures that I’d taken throughout the year. I wrote little comments beside each picture and put stickers in the book. It was as close to a scrapbook as I get. And I’m pleased to say that everyone loved the photo albums.

Soon it was time to return to Berlín so we loaded up the dirty dishes, leaving a lot of the leftover food behind. We carried everything back to the truck and dropped off several people at someone’s house along the way home. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving. One that I’ll never forget.

Looking at her family's album

Lots of fun

Sharing the photos with family

Good memories

Let's push this truck up the road

Freddy can do it!

Elmer's Graduation

2011-12-02T15:33:00.001-06:00

I went to my first graduation today. Cecilia’s son, Elmer, was graduating from 9th grade. He’s graduating from the boy’s school here in Berlín which is where I teach. Next year he’ll be moving on to high school (which is like 10th, 11th, and 12th grade). The celebration today started with a mass. No, the school isn’t private nor is it Catholic. But the tradition here in El Salvador, a predominantly Catholic country, is to have a mass before graduation.

The mass started around 8:15 at the Catholic Church here in Berlín. All the graduates sat toward the front with one family member, mostly mothers or grandmothers, who would be accompanying them throughout the graduation. It was a typical mass except the readings were done by teachers of the school and the homily was about graduation and its significance. When the mass ended all the graduates stood on the steps for a group picture.

Elmer and Cecilia

Waiting for the mass to start

Half of the ninth grade class

Afterwards the graduates and their companions filed outside. They lined up and there was a procession from the church to the school. Once we reached the school everyone crowded inside. The graduates and their companions had reserved seats. There were a few seats for everyone else but mostly people just stood. There were candy vendors walking around selling candy and the little snack area was open. There were several (freelance) photographers walking around. They were waiting to take pictures of the graduates in hopes of selling them to the graduates’ families.

There he is!

Getting ready to process

Mom and son

Walking to the school

The stage set up at school

One half of the graduating class

The other half sat on this side

Candy for sale

Photographers

The graduation itself was similar to those in the US. First the national anthem was played and everyone stood. The director of the school and a couple other teachers spoke about the graduates and meaning of graduation. Then it was time to call each graduate on stage to receive their diploma. The person with the graduate accompanied them on stage. This was the long and somewhat boring part. When Elmer’s name was called Kathy went up to take pictures of Cecilia and him. I stayed sitting down to save our seats.

After almost an hour of calling names the last graduate walked across the stage. Then the student who had the highest grades went up on stage to say a few words. But that didn’t last too long and soon the graduation was over. The graduates all went to the back of the school to get pictures. Cecilia went to pick up her other son’s grades and Kathy and I chatted briefly with the director of the school. Then we all walked home.

In their places

Walking up to the stage

Shaking hands

With his diploma

Elmer's diploma

What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Last day of school

2011-11-29T19:36:00.000-06:00

I finally had my last day of school. I wasn’t totally for sure what to expect although I did think I would get a little emotional. I was supposed to have five classes today but that didn’t happen. I went to my first class as usual. I read a couple books that are in English and Spanish. And then I had the kids demonstrate that they knew the colors in English by using candy (What color is this piece of candy?) When we’d finished that I let the kids write the name of an animal on the whiteboard and then I translated it into English. We had a great last class.

There weren’t many kids in my third grade section A class today. Since I didn’t have a chance to play Loteria with them last week we ended up playing today. Then I also had them tell me the colors using candy and we wrote on the whiteboard. In my other third grade class even fewer kids were there. I guess going to school the last few days is optional. So we worked on colors with the candy and discussed animals, but mostly we just talked and goofed around. It was a really relaxed day and I love just hanging out with the kids and chatting with them.

One of the most memorable things I did today involved my shirt. I had worn a pink shirt that I bought specifically for today for the kids in my classes to sign. I had my students that were in school today sign my shirt. As a tradition, the ninth graders my the school have others sign their shirts since they all go to high school next year which means a different uniform/different shirt. I know that was fun for them and I used to do the same thing when I was a camp counselor. So I figured my students would like it too. It was a ton of fun! I had them only write their first name because if they wrote all four names there wouldn’t be room on my shirt. Most of the kids followed the “only your first name” rule, but a few wrote their second name or drew something. But that’s okay. It makes the shirt special.

My second grade class

With the second grade teacher

Cleaning the classrooms

Helping out

Bulletin board at my school

Some of my second graders

Cleaning off the door

Sweeping

Some of my third graders

Playing Loteria

Very cute

About 1/3 of the class was there

Posing for the camera

Then they piled on the ground

One of the moms of my second graders had brought a piñata for the class. When I heard about it I went to watch and get pictures. They all wanted me to hit the piñata. I didn’t want to take away from their fun so I squatted down to make myself shorter and I didn’t hit it that hard. Then it was the kid’s turn. As I’m sure you can imagine, it can be dangerous when one kid is swinging a stick around near a group of other kids. But no one got hit, thank goodness. And soon the piñata burst open with all the kids falling to the floor to collect the candy.

After that it was fourth period of the day. But the class I was to teach in wasn’t there. They were getting ready for a special lunch they’d be having around noon which I was invited to. And my fifth period class had already gone. So I just hung around the school talking to people and having kids sign my shirt until lunch. Several of the fourth graders had so much fun signing my shirt that they wanted me to sign their arms. So on one arm I wrote “Alisha USA” and when they wanted another autograph I wrote “Alicia ES” which is my Spanish name and El Salvador (ES).

The pinata!

Waiting for the fun to start

There I go

The first kid

Some candy fell out

Spectators having fun too

Swing away

Whack that pinata!

More candy fell out

Having way too much fun

Someone's gonna get hurt

Who's next?

Be careful

He hit it really hard

Getting the rest of the candy out

They wanted to take a picture of me

Too cute

A few more third graders

Finally it was noon and time for the lunch to begin. Several of the moms of the class had volunteered to make lunch for the group. They brought in a pot of fresh pineapple juice, salad, rice, chicken, and tortillas. I helped hand out the drinks and then the teachers asked me to take pictures of all the students. I went around and took pictures of everyone. Then I sat down and ate lunch with them.

After lunch it was time for ice cream. Cecilia, whose son is in the class, had brought a huge box of ice cream. I helped her scoop it out and into cups for all the kids. Once all the kids got ice cream we served the moms. Several kids came back for seconds. Amazingly, we managed to go through all of the ice cream. Soon the kids began to take off. I said goodbye and helped clean up. The lunch with ice cream was a great way to end the final day of school.

Writing my name on their arms

The teacher talking to the class

Fresh pineapple juice

Serving up salad

Chicken and rice

Very cool

Look at the camera

We want to eat

Lookin' good

Cheese!

Hello there

Please don't take my picture

More of the teachers from the school

Yes, I want your photo too

Handing out napkins

Another photo!

In mid-chew

His younger brother is also in the class

One of three girls that goes to the school

Posing for the camera

Marvin, Cecilia's son

Bunny ears

My plate of food

Scooping up ice cream

The ice cream line

He wanted a picture of him eating

More please

There's Marvin again

Lots of ice cream

Although I fully expected to cry, I didn’t. I’m not sure why. I’ve definitely been teary the past couple weeks and worried about how I’d do with classes over. Last year on my last day of school I teared up during one of my classes. I wonder if it’s because I taught significantly longer this year than last; even though I’m really sad and will miss my students a lot, it seems more natural for classes to be ending. I taught the kids a lot and I learned a lot myself. All in all it was a great school year. Unforgettable.

I’ll be seeing the teachers again in a few days for a special outing so I’ll write about them at that time.

The front of my shirt

The back of my shirt

Marvin and me

Final days of school

2011-11-28T18:09:00.000-06:00

Below are a few pictures from the last couple days of school. Since I wanted to do something fun with the kids we played Lotería in all of my classes. Lotería is a Mexican bingo game that uses pictures instead of numbers and letters. The kids all recognized the game since we also played it for my birthday. When I called out each card, I first called out the word in English and then in Spanish. The kids knew several of the words I called out in English. It was fun when they recognized the words in English. To make sure everyone would win I called out all the cards. After each kid won I gave them a piece of candy. It was a lot of fun! I love my students!

Loteria

Some of the students in my 2nd grade class

They're hilarious

Picture with me and a few students

Playing Loteria

Tradition: the ninth graders draw on their uniforms

The Virgin Mary

Very artistic

Cute

Maybe his name

Some of my third grade students

Only 8 of the 28 students showed up this day

Having fun

Playing futbol

With one of my third graders

I love these kids

One of my first graders

Lots of futbol

More Loteria time

We actually stayed until after the bell rang

so we could play another round of Loteria

My fifth grade class playing Loteria

We had a good time

My sixth grade class

The kid to the right who's smiling at the

camera always likes to have his picture taken

Some of my first graders playing Loteria

They are a crazy group

22nd Anniversary of the UCA Martyrs

2011-11-22T16:32:00.064-06:00

On the night of November 16, 1989, a Salvadoran Army patrol entered the University of Central America in San Salvador and massacred six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper, and her daughter. The murders were committed because the Jesuits were voicing concerns over the atrocities of human rights violations being committed by the government during the Civil War. They were all taken from their beds in the middle of the night. Some were killed in their rooms while others were dragged outside and killed. They were all severely beaten before they were murdered and the women were also raped.

The death squads that killed these individuals and many other people during the war were known for making an example out of people. They liked to kill and display people in the way that they were “committing offenses” against the government. The Jesuits used their mind and knowledge to speak out against what the Salvadoran government was doing. Thus, many of them had their brains torn out of their heads and spread over the ground.

This past November 16 was the 22nd anniversary of the deaths of the Jesuit priests. And on Saturday, November 12 there was a special celebration at the University of Central America (UCA). Since it’s such an important event, the Pastoral Team decided to go to San Salvador with the delegation for the event.

When we arrived at the UCA the first thing we did was get some candles that we’d be using for the procession that evening. Then we went to see the “alfombras” (carpets) made of sand. I’ve seen similar carpets made during Holy Week for the Good Friday procession. They were all exquisite and I could tell a lot of time had been put into making them. The carpets featured themes of peace, justice, God, and remembrance of the victims. Many carpets had the faces of the victims in them.

Candle holder

22nd Anniversary of the Martyrs of the UCA

Memory and Justice

Working on the carpet

A heart in the middle of El Salvador

Love

I love the colors

The new dawn comes through people led by the Lord

Eyes full of hope

The housekeeper who died

Father Dean, who died recently

Soon after looking at the carpets we made our way to the area when the procession was to start. We all lit our candles and passed on the flame to those around us. There were several large, decorated palms that had been made in honor of the victims. After waiting around for about a half hour we started walking. It was then I realized that we hadn’t actually started the procession yet. We were walking to the place where we’d start the procession. We walked through the downtown streets of San Salvador and around toward the entrance of the university.

Blanca said the procession was different than last year. Usually they just walk and sing for the procession. This year they were doing the stations of the cross for the eight victims who died. We stayed for a few of the stations and then went to go find seats for the mass. There were tons of people already in the area waiting for the mass to begin, eating at the numerous food stands, and browsing at the little shops set up for the celebration. We looked at some of the booths that were set up selling artisan goods, books about the civil war, t-shirts, and other goods. We also got some food to eat.

The 7th Station of the Cross

Another station

Carrying a palm frond

Getting ready for the procession

Lots of palms

Very colorful

A palm for each person

Neither forgiveness nor forgetting

Walking a little ways

I liked the candles they had

Holding a picture of one of the priests

The mass began a little after 9pm. It was held in a big parking lot at the UCA. There was a big stage set up in front and several large screens which would display what was happening on stage during the mass. Throughout the mass they showed different shots of the priest talking, the other priests on stage, and the audience. Well over 1000 people had come to the event. Some people had chairs but everyone else just stood or sat on the ground.

There were more than 15 priests on stage. But they didn’t all say a homily. Instead, each one had a special part in the mass. For me, the best parts of the mass were when we passed the peace and took communion. When it came time to give peace everyone stood up and held hands while one of the priests said a prayer. Then we all shook hands with the people around us. For communion, the priests all went out into the audience with the host. Each was accompanied by someone holding a large lamp. Then the people in the audience could go to the closest priest to receive communion.

The entire celebration was actually a vigil, with people staying there all night singing, eating, and remembering the victims. But we didn’t stay all night. The mass ended a little after 10pm and we made it home about 12:30am. It was definitely worth the trip.

Hay que recordar para no repetir. One must remember in order to not repeat.

Picture of one of the big screens

Toward the end of the mass everyone was tired

Difficult life circumstances

2011-11-22T14:39:00.000-06:00

Saturday, 11-12-11

We journeyed back to the canton of Virginia today to continue the census. We had to leave early today from the Pastoral House because we needed to make it to a little more than 50 houses before noon. Since we were going so quickly from house to house we didn’t have as much time to chat as we did the day before. I also got to be the translator for one of the groups which meant I was really caught up in asking questions and writing on the census. But I was grateful for the opportunity to practice translating.

By 7:45am we were in Virginia and ready to visit the first house. We followed the same procedure as yesterday and we were in the same groups. And while I can’t write about each family there were several today that stuck out in my mind. I’m going to focus on a few of the families who live in difficult circumstances. Though living in the cantons is a struggle for many families, other circumstances can make life even more difficult.

Family #1
One of the families we visited today was an older couple. There are both in the 70s and even though they live on the same property they actually live in different houses. He lives in one little house and about 40 feet away is another little house where she lives. No one else lives there with them but they have children nearby who are able to help them out. And despite his age, he stills works his milpa (farm) with corn and beans.

Even though they have grown children to help take care of them, I couldn’t help but think about how different it is when people in El Salvador get older. If you live in the cantons, there’s no retirement home here that you go to when you get older. There’s also no retirement. If you can walk, you can work. And if you live in the cantons that means you’ll probably work on a milpa. When you’re an older woman living in the cantons you still have to cook, often using wood for fire and making everything from scratch. You also have to hand wash the clothes for your family. This woman probably still does the bulk of the cooking and washing for herself and her husband.

Isn't she beautiful?!

The couple with one of their sons

who was walking with us

Family #2
At one of the homes we visited today lived a mom and dad, both 28, with their four children ages 11, 8, 6, and 4 years old. Their youngest son has special needs. He was laying in a hammock when we arrived. Though I don’t know for sure, I think he has mental retardation (now called “intellectual disability”). It goes without saying that having a child with special needs can be difficult. While I don’t have a child with special needs I worked a lot in the past with children who had different intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The little boy at this home isn’t able to walk. He may or may not ever learn to walk. He may or may not be able to get a wheelchair. I’m not sure if he’s able to speak. He didn’t say anything while we were there though we weren’t there that long. He probably needs help getting dressed, using the bathroom, and bathing himself. If you’re even visited the cantons you know that bathing means a bucket shower and using the bathroom means walking outside to the outhouse. Additionally, supportive services and special education don’t really exist here in Berlín, and that’s assuming the family could even get to the city for those services. Thankfully, this boy’s family seemed to be very loving toward him. Like in the US, this may not always be the case.

He was laughing hysterically in the hammock

Mom with her four children

Dad was working in the fields

Family #3
In one of the very first houses we visited were a man and woman and several children. He is 29 and she is 24. They have four children, ages 7, 4, 2, and 4 months old. I got to the house first because I took a bit of a shortcut. The first thing I saw when I walked in was a baby in the hammock crying and crying. The mom was sweeping the floor; it may be a dirt floor but people still like to keep a tidy home. I introduced myself and she invited me inside. It was a small house that had been divided with black plastic to create a little bedroom in one area.

When everyone else got there someone told us that her husband had cancer. He wasn’t able to get out of bed to greet us because he was so weak but his wife said we could say hi to him. So Kathy, Michelle, and Mitch went back to meet him while I asked his wife the questions on the census. Then Michelle and Mitch presented her with the hammock they’d brought. It will be a help to the family since the one hanging inside the main part of their home looks pretty worn.

Then I went back to say hello to her husband. He was laying sideways on the bed in a tangle of bedding. The bed was made out of petates, a kind of reed, which is what he was laying on. There was no mattress. He was skin and bones and looked like he was in a lot of pain. Blanca gave him a small bag of acetaminophen to help a little with the pain. I told him who I was and that I would be praying for him and his family. He smiled and thanked us for visiting him.

As we walked to the next house and throughout the day we thought and talked about what it would be like to have cancer and live in the cantons. Now, it’s certainly not easy to have cancer regardless of where you live. But the conditions you live in can make a big difference.

To begin, people in the cantons don’t often visit a doctor when they have pain. Pain is a part of life. People also don’t get regular checkups so they wouldn’t be screened for any type of cancer (e.g. mammograms for women). Thus, many times when people get diagnosed with cancer, it is already too far along for any kind of treatment to be helpful. Of course, most people who live in the cantons probably aren’t going to have access to or money for treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation. So even if they catch the cancer in time, you might still die from it.

Along these same lines, you may not be able to get medication to control the pain you’re in. Maybe you’ll get some acetaminophen or ibuprofen from a pharmacy or health promoter visiting the community. But anyone who’s ever watched a loved one die from cancer knows that over-the-counter meds are not sufficient to ease their pain. If you’re really lucky you can get some morphine shots. But again, you need money for that.

So now you’re in pain and dying of cancer. How can it get any worse? Well, there’s no air-conditioning when it’s swelteringly hot and you’re inside your home, which is like an oven because it’s made out of metal. And there’s no heat to keep you warm when it’s pouring down rain and the roof leaks. You’re weak and can do nothing but lay in your bed made of reeds. If you can’t eat solids that means you’ll need to eat liquefied, or close to liquefied, foods. In the cantons that means liquefied beans, corn, rice, maybe some milk, maybe some soup broth.

If you were in this man’s place, you’d also be worrying about your family. As he is dying he will probably be thinking about his family and how they will survive without him. His wife will have to take care of the crops with the help of the 7-year old. If they don’t work their fields they won’t have any food. The kids may or may not be able to go to school. If they are needed in the fields or in the home they might not have the opportunity. While all this is happening there is nothing this man can do for his family but pray.

It is a tragic, terrible way for a person to die.
And it is not an uncommon story.

Walking around in Virginia

2011-11-21T19:07:00.000-06:00

Saturday, 11-12-11

Below are some photos of our experiences walking through the canton of Virginia to do a census of the community.

Steep climb

They had a very small home

Her baby girl is adorable

Beautiful family

Magnificent view

She was precious

Smiling for photos is not necessarily a custom here

Gatito!

Coffee out drying

I love his shirt:

"God made me groovy"

Translator at work

Wooden cross leaning against a tree

Freshly harvested beans

Not looking at the camera is also common

This little girl had beautiful eyes

We chatted outside her home

Looking very dapper

Layers of dirt

Talking to the only person home

Funky flowers

In front of their home

Perched in a tree

Dekerneling corn while sitting in a hammock

With her two grandsons

Lots of harvested corn

With his two daughters

Michelle catching a quick nap

in the back of the pickup

Virginia (that's veer-hee-nee-ah)

2011-11-19T20:10:00.001-06:00

Friday, 11-11-11

Today I went with the delegation to the canton of Virginia. The delegation was going to be walking door to door to do a census and give each of the 120 families a hammock. And indeed, using Spanish pronunciation, the canton is pronounced: veer-hee-nee-ah. This would be my first trip to Virginia. I was excited because I’ve had the opportunity to visit so many other cantons in the area but hadn’t made it yet to this one.

When we arrived in the canton the Directiva of the community had arranged a small welcome celebration for the delegation in the church. The president of the said thanks to the delegation for visiting and the delegate of the word also thanked the group and led us in prayer. Then the small choir sang a couple songs for us accompanied by a guitar and bass.

In the truck en route to Virginia

The church in Virginia

Poinsettia

Here it's known as "Pascua"

Talking to the delegation and community

Elida talking

Music

Afterward we were ready to begin the census. We split into two groups with CJ, Maria, and Cindy walking with Cecilia (Pastoral Team), Pedro (translator), and some members of the Directiva and Mitch and Michelle walking with Blanca (Pastoral Team) Kathy (translator), other members of the Directiva, and me.

At each house we were going to verify the names and ages of the people who lived in the house according to an older census. If they had children, we asked if their children went to school and, if so, what grade they were in. We asked if they owned the land their home was on, if they had a milpa, and if they owned the land their milpa was on.

Kathy started out as the translator for our group but then Blanca said that I should give it a try. Later on Kathy would have to be driving the truck while the group walked and it would be good practice for me. I wasn’t translating anything too difficult. Mainly I was asking the families the questions the delegation had and translating when the group presented their gift.

But translating is harder than just having a conversation with someone in a different language. Just because you can speak another language does not mean you’d be a good translator. And, like everything else, practice makes perfect. So I definitely have a lot of respect for people who do translating. The good ones always make it look so easy, when in fact I think it’s difficult.

Also, being the translator means you have to be paying attention and can’t be busy looking at your surroundings or having small, side conversations with people. This was hard for me since I like to chit chat with people at the houses and look around at the homes. But that’s okay, because the reason for the census was for the delegation to get to know the community better.

The first house

Homemade broom

Outside wooden washing area

Melon seeds

One of the first families we visited

I thought she was adorable

We saw many interesting things as we walked house to house. At one of the houses the family had a small tree/scrub outside their home. On it was growing some sort of spiny seed pods. I’d never seem them before so I asked what they were. They were called, “achiote.” The man who owned the tree opened one of the pods and showed me the small seeds inside. When the seeds are opened there is a reddish powder inside. People use the powder to give color to certain foods. I’ve seen people at the market selling bags of this stuff. Back at the house I looked it up and realized it was one of the best known sources for annatto. Pretty cool.

We also came upon a very organized home today, one of the most organized homes I’ve ever seen in the cantons. When I say organized, I mean organized according to US standards. Now, I’m not saying that people who live in the cantons are disorganized, but as a general rule they have different priorities. For example, when you’re worried about whether or not you’re going to have enough corn and beans to get you through the next year, you typically don’t worry about whether or not the handles of your coffee cups are all facing the same direction. But that was the case in this house. You could tell that everything had its place, and that all was in that correct place.

Soon we came upon Elida’s home. She is the delegate of the word for Virginia and is often at the Pastoral House. Inside, her daughter Lorena was working on making tortillas. Lorena has come to a couple of my English classes and I’ve helped her on homework before. She is a sweet girl. We waited around at the house for a while until Elida came with the other group so we could say hi to her. Then it was off to do the census again.

Achiote, not quite ripe

Inside the seed

Internet photo of an achiote

Happy for her hammock

I love her posture

Corn for tortillas

Walking to the next house

Inside a house with an oven in the background

Cross painted on their door

He accompanied us

A Barbie next to a Christmas tree

These girls are beautiful

Picture with mom

Good friends

Lorena making tortillas

A tool used to shuck corn

Showing me how to use the tool

When it was getting close to lunchtime we headed back toward the church. I’d heard that there was a house that had a pet squirrel close to the church. So Michelle and I decided we needed to make a visit. Inside the house in a big cage were two little squirrels. They were adorable!! The man who owned them took them out of the cage so we could hold them. Michelle, CJ, and I all held the squirrel. He was a little scared at first but calmed down after a while. I was glad we were able to make the stop.

Back at the church we ate lunch. The community had made us soup full of vegetables and chicken. It was delicious and filled us up after all the walking. There were also lots of tortillas on the table for us. We had enough time for a leisurely lunch and then it was time to start working again on the census.

Walking back toward the church

A beautiful day

Squirrel friend!

He got some lettuce

Can I have one?!

Michelle wants one too

Not sure if CJ wants one

Eating lunch- the women's table

The men's table- I ended up here

At one of the houses in the afternoon there was only a young woman at home. After talking to her we were going to get her picture, just like we did at all the other homes. She requested that Mitch be in the picture with her and she also put on a hat for the picture. I’ve seen people change clothes before having their picture taken but I’ve never seen anyone put on a hat before.

At another house we went to the family had two young children as well as two 6-month old babies. The babies were pretty chunky. Kathy wanted to hold them both and I got some good pictures of her. Then one of the babies started to slide. She didn’t drop him but I thought it was a close call. She says she had him and he wasn’t going to fall. I guess we’ll never know.

Holding a fake, homemade gun

This man's mother died recently

She wanted her picture taken with Mitch

Beans outside drying

The valley below is beautiful

Holding the two chubby babies

It's Mitch's turn

He's too cute

The turkey patrol

A wonderful family

He was thirsty

Explaining the gift of the hammock

An armadillo shell

Someone's bedroom

Not long after that both groups went for a long walk through the fields of corn and beans to get to the last house of the day. Sadly, the bean and corn crops both suffered badly this year due to the heavy October rains. But the community said thanks to the bean donations, they are at least able to harvest a little bit. It was wonderful to be able to see the beans growing in the fields and the ones people have already harvested. Hopefully next year will be better.

Helping out Michelle

Corn and beans

Doubled over corn with beans growing up the stalks

Yummy beans

A peek inside

Holding up beans that are ready to be dried

Finding someone's name on the census

The last family we visited

Ajonjoli plant, where sesame seeds come from

I like the purple flowers

Two scraped elbows

Walking back to the truck

Peace, Pedro

Do the limbo under the barbed wire!!

Not even sure what to say about this photo

Very serene

Ex-combatant testimony

2011-11-16T18:28:00.000-06:00

Thursday, 11-10-11

We had the opportunity to visit the community of Río de los Bueyes with the delegation. We were going to hear the testimonies of the people in the community who lived during the Civil War. If you have ever read “The Massacre at El Mozote” or any other books about the Civil War in El Salvador you know how brutal the war was. The testimonies we heard contained extreme violence and tragedy. With that said, please know that the testimonies that follow are graphic and disturbing.

Civil War
Here is a brief summary of the Civil War in El Salvador. The Salvadoran Civil War (1980–1992) was a conflict in El Salvador between the military-led government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a coalition of five left-wing militias. Significant tensions and violence had already existed, before the civil war’s full outbreak, over the course of the 1970s. During the course of the 12-year war an estimated 75,000 people or more were killed (probably more), 7000 people went missing, and the US government gave a staggering $6 billion to the Salvadoran government’s war effort.

Part of the Salvadoran army during the war included 5 special battalions trained in the US at the School of the Americas. The Salvadoran soldiers weren’t well-trained and were more disorganized before they attended training in the US. The most famous of those battalions trained by the US was the Atlacatl Battalion who committed some of the worst atrocities during the war including the massacre at El Mozote and the murder of the 6 Jesuit priests, their housekeep, and her daughter.

The UN Peace Commission that investigated allegations of human rights abuses after the war found that most of the atrocities (disappearances, murder, rape, torture, etc.) committed during the war were carried out by government. “Based on collected testimony the commission attributed 85% of the acts of violence to State agents (the government), which took place predominantly in rural areas. Approximately 5% of the acts of violence were attributed to the FMLN.” http://www.usip.org/publications/truth-commission-el-salvador

In accordance with the Peace Commission, the government agreed to various reforms, including dismantling paramilitary groups and death squads and replacing them with a national civil police force. Furthermore, land was to be distributed to citizens. In return, the government granted amnesty to those responsible for human-rights abuses (i.e. the government and military).

Testimony from the community
Manual, the vice-president of the Directiva, explained to us that where we were: Río de los Bueyes was an FMLN controlled area during the war and was considered a war zone. He explained that the memorial celebration held every April 30th and May 1st (which I attended) is in memory of those who were killed from their area during the war. Everyone from the community lost someone during the war. Right now the community is constructing a memorial wall in memory of those who were killed.

Listening to testimony

Hearing their stories

Juan José
The first thing he did was show us a photo of himself during the war. The photo is of him and another young man both holding M-16 assault rifles. He is 15 years old in the picture but he was 12 years old the first time he picked up a gun. He told us that if the army found you, you’d be killed. So Juan was on the run during the war with his parents and brothers and sisters. Life during the war was life on the run.

In 1985, in the area where he was, the FMLN started taking older people, women, and children out of the area and moved them to Santa Cruz to keep them safe. They constructed champas (little houses) for them. But the women in the champas often had to leave their sons behind to fight. If they were old enough to carry a gun then they were old enough to fight. Since Juan spent his life on the run and fighting he never had time for school so he never learned to read or write. This is the same case for many people. But they didn’t take up arms because they wanted to kill people. They did it because they wanted to protect themselves.

Juan finished his testimony by telling us that the people in the community tell the stories about the war to their children. They do this because they want their children to know what happened. They don’t want what happened to them to happen to their children.

Taking up arms

Blanca Alicia
Blanca was 18 years old when the war started in 1980. Everyone was poor at the beginning of the war and things were too expensive. The armed forces went house to house to recruit people for the war. Blanca decided to join the guerillas because she was poor and had nowhere to work. Some women who joined the guerillas carried guns and fought while others cooked. She worked as a cook for the guerillas. On March 12 of that year the army killed her grandmother and her two sisters. Having family members killed was one reason people joined. Many youth joined the guerillas and went to live up in the mountains. They often survived on 1 tortilla a day and maybe some roots.

In 1982 her mother and two other sisters disappeared from their home. Blanca searched for them but never found them. [Side note- Thousands people disappeared during the war. When this happened it usually meant that they had been killed and their bodies not found]. Blanca said that the army killed thousands of innocent children and older people during the war. She says the Salvadoran people need to remember those that gave their life and who struggled to help them have a better life.

In 1983 a bomb landed near to where she was staying. Some shrapnel from the bomb flew into her leg. When she recovered a little she was able to start cooking again. But to this day she still had a limp. Blanca told us that what was in the newspapers and on the radio during the war wasn’t true; it wasn’t their story. That’s another reason why it is so important to keep telling the story.

José Ramon
José began by telling us that everyone had a different experience during the war. It was the social injustice that started the war. People wanted justice. But if someone mentioned the words the government or military considered it a crime. This was why Romero was killed; he spoke out against injustice. This made people angry, and the guerillas began fighting because they wanted justice.

The zone he was in was labeled as a guerilla area. It was a dangerous area, especially in the cantons of Talpetates and Corozal (Rio de los Bueyes is a part of Corozal). If the military found them there they’d be killed. They would often ask people for their documentation. If people weren’t carrying their identification information with them they’d be killed.

The military was trained to kill and massacre people. José saw several massacres and killings committed by the army. He spoke of Major Roberto D’ Aubuisson, the founder of the right wing ARENA party, who created the death squads. These squads were responsible for the disappearances and murders of thousands of people. They especially targeted people who proclaimed social justice.

José joined the war in 1986. He met Juan José (who also spoke today) when he was 11 or 12 years old. They were in the same area but in different combat units.

Paula
Paula joined the war in 1980 when she was 6 years old. At that time she and her family went to live in the canton of Santa Cruz which is also in the municipality of Berlín. She herself first picked up a gun to fight when she was 14 years old. She said that the life they lived when they were children was very sad. They spent a lot of time hungry, tired, and cold because they lived life on the run.

Paula spent a lot of time talking about what the guerillas would eat to survive. At one point they had to stay hidden in a ravine and couldn’t leave. They were there for 24 days. They cut away the bark from the tree and ate the inside parts. They also ate mangoes they found on the ground. During this time she gave birth to one of her children. The baby had breast milk and also little bits of mango. She fed her other children hard tortillas so they wouldn’t cry. If they cried then the army would find them. At other times during the war they would eat the roots of plants to stay alive. There was also a specific kind of flower that they would eat.

Paula lost family during the war. Two of her nephews died in combat in 1988. She also mentioned that people she knew were burned to death in 1980. That was all she wanted to say.

Members of the community that talked

Brave people

Manuel Chaves
Manuel is the vice-president of the Directiva. He was 6 years old when the war started in 1980. He wanted to continue school but wasn’t able to because of the war. When the war started the army would go house to house killing people. They’d burn clothes, houses, food, animals, and anything else they could find. They’d kill pregnant women, kids, old people, anyone. He and his family joined the guerillas for protection. One day his family knew the army was coming so they left. When they went back to their house to see if anything was left all they found was a hole in the ground; the army had dropped a bomb on their home. Shortly after that they all ran away for good.

Manuel said that he and his siblings were just little kids and didn’t fully understand what was going on. When they were hiding they didn’t have any food so their mom would give them harina (corn flour) mixed together with water so they wouldn’t cry. She’d also look for conacaste seeds to boil and eat. They’d cut out the “heart” of the banana tree to suck the liquid out of it. His mother had four children who she carried with her during the war.

In 1981 during the nearby La Quesera massacre his mother gave birth. He remembered that it was raining a lot and as soon as the baby had come out they had to start running again. They would see dead people along the way that had died from lack of food and water. There were people who’d been killed by soldiers too. They also saw dying people but couldn’t stop to help or they would be dead too. But it wasn’t just the guerillas that were killed. It was everyone. The army would drop bombs on communities. People would dig holes so they could hide inside when the planes flew overhead. These holes were called “tatus.”

Manuel said that they killed to defend themselves. To defend their mothers and children that were dying. For example, his mother is sick from nerves (probably Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) because she saw her son tortured and killed in front of her own eyes. But Manual said peoples’ deaths were not in vain. They are remembered. It is important for their community to have the remembrance celebration on April 30th and May 1st because many people died during the war. He said that people in the community have many stories to tell and the stories need to be told so they aren’t lost. People need to remember these stories.

Manuel telling his story

José Ramon
After being asked about what happened to his right arm José then told us about the loss of his arm. He said that he was with his unit getting ready to fight the army. What they did not know was that another guerilla unit was also in the area and had already fought that same particular army group. They didn’t know because there wasn’t good communication and there was a lot of disorganization.

So he and another guy went to the same place. Unfortunately, since the army had been fighting the other unit they were on alert and figured out another unit was coming. José was behind the other person he was with. He said that when they were fired at he went to shoot his gun but his right arm was gone. He looked down and saw it hanging, attached by two small pieces of skin. His gun had been broken from another bullet and he’d also been shot just under his armpit. His friend in front of him had died.

At that point he hid and then went to go back to the base area. When he returned without his friend his commander asked what had happened to the other man. When José told him that he’d been killed his commander didn’t believe him. He said the other man was too smart and too quick to be killed.

Later, his commander and some doctors got a metal plate to put in his arm to keep it attached. He said that it helped a little but he wasn’t able to use his fingers. He asked if he’d be able to fight again and they told him no. He told them that he started, so he would finish. Later he told them that they could take the dead part of his arm off. After it was removed he took a test to see if he could fight and he did very well. So he was able to fight again. Eventually he took over the unit.

He finished his story by telling us that he had an obligation to survive. Once the war was over he wanted to do something in agriculture. And now he’s a farmer.

Jose explaining the loss of his arm

Flooding
After the testimonies we went to go see the area where the waters reached the community. It was only a short walk. They took us down a path and pointed out the place where the water had finally stopped after the Lempa River flooded. Several of the homes in the area were filled with flood water back in October during the storms. A priest from another community, a Baptist church in the US, and the Pastoral Team were the only ones who helped the community during the October floods.

Memorial Wall
Then we went to go see the place where the memorial wall is being built. The wall will have the names of everyone who died in their community during the war. The community has received donations from the two delegations that have gone to visit them and listen to their testimony. The wall is very valuable to them. The group said that papers with people’s names can be destroyed, but the memorial wall will last.

Talking to Jose's daughter

The wall

A water faucet in the community

A washing station in the now dry creek

Anonymous
We returned to the truck after viewing the area where the water had risen and seen the wall being constructed. There we talked to someone who told us a story of one of the women who’d come to tell her testimony but wasn’t emotionally able to talk to us. Before she even told us her name she had broken down into tears.

Something very ugly happened to her family during the war. Her pregnant daughter was taken by the Salvadoran army, raped, and killed. Her baby was then cut out of her stomach and placed on her naked body to look like it was breastfeeding. Tragically, this was not an uncommon event during the war. Women who were caught or taken were often brutally violated by Salvadoran army. The soldiers targeted the unborn children of pregnant women when committing these atrocities.

It was an awful story to hear and a very unsettling way to end our time in the community. For me, it’s unfathomable and terrifying to think about what human beings do to each other.

The road to the community

Late in the evening

Sugarcane flowers

Delegation arrival

2011-11-11T19:57:00.000-06:00

Thursday, 11-10-11

Just a quick note to say that the First Presbyterian Church delegation from Dallas Center has arrived safely in Berlín and has had a great first couple days. To honor the delegation I’ve decided to post a few pictures of the puzzle that one of the delegates brought down last year for the Pastoral Team. They’ve been working on the puzzle for several months and finally got it finished before the delegation got here. Thanks CJ!

Kathy working hard on the puzzle

Some ant's larvae on the puzzle

Kathy, Miguel, and Ceciia working away

Cecilia working during the heavy October rain

It's getting there

Studying the pieces

She organized the puzzle pieces

Team effort

Ayote en miel

2011-11-09T22:25:00.001-06:00

Ayote en miel is a traditional food this time of the year. It is especially popular during the Day of the Dead. Below are two recipes for ayote en miel. The first is the way I’d cook it if I was in the US. The second is the way we made it here are the house, complete with photos.

Cinnamon brown sugar acorn squash
1 acorn squash
3 whole cinnamon sticks
2 ¼ cups brown sugar
2 ½ cups water

Directions:
Cut squash in half and clean out interior (take out all the seeds and stringy part). Cut each half in quarters (4 pieces). In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, water, and squash. Arrange the squash (skin down) in the sauce pan in a way that allows all the squash to be almost covered in water. Cook on medium heat for about 2 hours, check on the squash every 30-45 minutes making sure that it is not running out of water. Towards the end the sauce should be a light syrup. Let the squash cool and the syrup thicken for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

—OR—

Ayote en miel Salvadoran style
2 ayotes
1 or 1½ corn husk wrapped panela
Water
Cinnamon sticks

Directions:
Chop ayote in half with machete. Scoop out seeds using a knife and spoon. Cut into pieces using a large knife or machete. Rinse off pieces of ayote and put in a pot. Throw panela against the ground to break it into pieces. If this doesn’t work, use a rock. Put panela into the pot. Put cinnamon sticks in pot. Add some water. Cook for about 2 hours. Eat it right away and right out of the pot.

Look out! She's got a machete!

Two ayotes just waiting to be eaten

A jack-o-lantern!

Right after she cut through the ayote I screamed as

if she'd cut my foot. She let out a little noise and then

yelled, "Puchica Alicia!!"

The inside of the ayote

Ready to sacrifice the next victim

Scooping out the seeds

Ayote in the pot

Chop, chop, chop

Rinsing the ayote

There's the tongue

Ready to throw the panela

Holding half of the panela

Panela - unrefined whole cane sugar

Breaking up the panela

Ayote and panela

Cooking away

All done

Delicious

Bicentennial Celebration – First Cry of Independence

2011-11-09T18:59:00.001-06:00

Saturday, 11-5-11

History
On November 5, 1811 Salvadoran priest José Matías Delgado rang the bells of Iglesia La Merced in San Salvador, calling for insurrection and launching the 1811 Independence Movement. This was considered the First Cry of Independence. However, this insurrection was suppressed and many of its leaders were arrested and served sentences in jail. Another insurrection was launched in 1814, and again it was suppressed. Finally, on September 15, 1821 in light of unrest in Guatemala, Spanish authorities signed the “Acta de Independencia” which released Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica from Spanish rule.

Today’s Festivities
I know what you’re thinking. Didn’t we just have a celebration for something like this not too long ago? Why are there so many celebrations for things in El Salvador? Yes indeed, there always seems to be some sort of celebration or festivity here. I’ve gotten to know them very well. I said as much to Kathy when I was talking about attending the celebration with my school. “Here’s what’s going to happen,” I said to her. “I was told to be at school at 7:00am.” Kathy said, “Which means things will get started around 8:00am.” “Right,” I said. “And I’ll be to school at 7:15am.”

I continued to tell her everything that I expected would be happening during the celebration: First we’ll all walk in formation from the school to the park. The important people in Berlín and national flag will be marched onto stage and then the National Anthem will be played. Following that someone will get up on stage and recite the Salvadoran Pledge of Allegiance which the audience will repeat, line by line. Then someone from City Hall will talk briefly about the importance of this day. After that we’ll have a couple schools perform dances. Next the flag will be marched off and someone will say a couple more words about the day. Then everyone will be released.

And you know what? That’s exactly what happened. The only thing I didn’t guess was that the band would be playing afterward. But play they did, and even though I’ve heard the music more than a hundred times I still enjoy listening to them. Enjoy the pictures.

Getting Cipitio's costume on

Sihuanaba, Cipitio's mother

One last costume

Me with the three negritos

Bumble bee

Dancers waiting to go on

The important people up on stage

Scenery for the dancers

Beautiful dresses

They danced pretty well

More beautiful dresses

Dancing away

I loved this little girl

Marching the flag offstage

Sittin' with the girls

The kindergarten band

Banner for the boy's school

God, Union, Freedom

Boy's school band

Marching away

Videos from Bicentennial Festival

2011-11-09T16:08:00.000-06:00

Videos of my school's band performing for

El Salvador's Bicentennial Celebration.

I'm so proud of them!

Day of the Dead – Día de los Muertos

2011-11-08T12:56:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, 11-2-11

Back when I was trying to figure out how long to stay in El Salvador, the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) figured into my plans. I’d never been to a celebration but I’d always wanted to participate in one. I learned a lot about the Day of the Dead and Latin American beliefs about death in my grad school classes where I studied gerontology end of life care, and death. So when I had the chance to be in El Salvador during the Day of the Dead I leapt at the opportunity.

Origins
I haven’t been able to find information about the origins of Day of the Dead in El Salvador. However, I assume the origins are similar to those in Mexico since El Salvador was also occupied by Meso-American peoples. The Pipils, who are descendants of the Nahuatl-speaking Toltec and Aztec peoples of Mexico, settled in El Salvador between 1000-1500 CE and came to dominate El Salvador until the Spanish conquest in 1524.

The Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico can be traced back to the indigenous cultures of the Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations. Rituals celebrating the deaths of ancestors have been observed by these civilizations perhaps for as long as 2500–3000 years. During that time, a month long celebration was overseen by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead.

The Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations kept skulls as trophies and displayed them during the ritual. The skulls were used to symbolize death and rebirth. They were used to honor the dead, whom the Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations believed came back to visit during the month long ritual.

In the 1500’s the Spaniards arrived in Mexico and brought along their Christian beliefs and traditions. Because the Spaniards wanted to convert the Aztecs to Catholicism, they tried to abolish the rituals dedicated to the dead. However, attempts to abolish the Aztecs’ festivities and traditions failed, so the Spaniards moved the date of the rituals so that they coincided with All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1 and 2.

Day of the Dead masks used in Mexico

El Salvador Traditions
The Day of the Dead is a celebration across all El Salvador. Many businesses and banks close for the day and there are no school classes. People go to the cemeteries where the graves of loved ones are cleaned, painted, and decorated by family members. It is customary to place flowers on the graves of your deceased loved ones. Both natural and artificial flowers are used. It is also traditional to place cypress leaves wreaths for their pleasant aroma. This is a way of remembering and honoring the dead. The food usually consumed during this time is tamales as well as ayote con panela, which is squash cooked with unrefined cane sugar.

Ayote con panela

Today’s Festivities
I was told we’d be leaving this morning around 8am so I made sure I was up and moving before then. The ladies had gone out earlier to buy lots of paper and plastic flower to use to decorate the graves. As soon as everyone was here at the house we made our way down to the cemetery carrying the flowers.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I knew reading about the Day of the Dead was not the same as experiencing it. As we got closer I saw that the street was filled with vendors selling all sorts of flowers and food. I couldn’t believe all the different kinds of flowers we saw. Almost all of them were paper or plastic and had been hand made by the people selling them. A couple places had real flowers but they were much more expensive. We saw that Pedro and his wife had set up a stand to sell flowers and said hi to them.

Idalia smelling the fake flowers

Cecilia holding purple flowers

Blanca had to stay home to watch the house

On our way

Headed for the cemetery

On the street by the cemetery

Pedro's stand

Flower stand

Selling real flowers

Garland

Crowded street

So many colors

So much to choose from

Kathy and I tried to stay close to the group but we kept stopping to get pictures. Eventually we made it inside the cemetery and to the first place where we’d be decorating. Several people from Cecilias’ and Blancas’ families were there. The first graves we decorated were those of Blanca and Cecilia’s grandparents. We started with Evangelista Coreas and Ramon Cruz who are Blanca’s maternal grandparents and Cecilia’s paternal grandparents. In the same area is the grave of Ramon Alfredo Cruz who is Blanca and Cecilia’s uncle. Three of their aunts, Maria Santos, Carmen, and Maria del Rosario, are also buried nearby.

The graves had already been cleaned and repainted by someone they hired. All throughout the day you can hire adults and children to work on cleaning and painting the graves. This usually entails scrubbing clean the grave, putting a fresh coat of paint on it, and then repainting the name of the deceased on the grave. The typical colors the graves are painted are silver, white, blue, green, and yellow. Lots of kids wander around offering to paint the names on the graves for a quarter per letter. Black, gold, and silver are the colors that are typically used to paint names.

Soon everyone got to work tying flowers onto the graves and setting more flowers in front of them. Ángela, Blanca’s mom, helped decide what color flowers she wanted on her parents’ graves. Elmer helped her with her Ramon’s grave while Cecilia and Idalia worked on Evangelista’s grave. Rosa stayed for a while and then went to put flowers on her mother’s grave. Everyone tried to put the colors on the graves that their relatives had liked.

I wasn’t totally sure what I needed to be doing. I wanted to help but I didn’t know what flowers they wanted where. I noticed that only one of the three aunts had confetti on her grave. So I grabbed a bag and put some on the other two graves. After a while we’d finished the 6 graves in the area. Elmer and Alejandro went off to look at other graves and Ángela went to go work on some other graves. So Cecilia, Kathy, and I set off to another part of the cemetery where more aunts were buried.

Going inside the cemetery

Meeting at the first grave

Deciding what to do first

Holding onto some of the flowers

Everything is so close

Idalia and Cecilia working on their grandmother's grave

Elmer helping out

Decorating her father's grave

Ramon Alfredo Coreas

Maria Santos Coreas

Carmen Coreas

Evalgelista Coreas

Maria del Rosario Coreas

Along the way we saw lots of other graves and family members working on them. Each grave was decorated differently with a variety of flowers. Some graves were filled with tons of flowers. Other graves were more humble with only a few flowers. A majority of the graves had the paper and plastic flowers. I also noticed that the larger, more expensive graves often had real flowers arrangements which probably cost more. I like the plastic flowers better than the real ones. They last longer and are just as beautiful.

We made it to the next area where we decorated the graves of Blanca’s paternal grandmother and her grandmother’s sister. Apparently the two sisters lived together all of their lives. One of the sisters died and less than a month later the other sister had died as well. After that we stopped at two other relatives’ graves to put down flowers. When we’d finished we made an attempt to find Cecilia’s maternal grandmother’s grave but had no luck. I’m surprised they know where any of the graves are. The cemetery isn’t organized like the ones in the US.

Selling tamales

Real flower arrangements

A large tomb

An umbrella for some shade

Freshly painted

I like the colors

Real flowers that were stuck in the dirt

Fake flowers woven with real greenery

Lots of graves

Decorating her aunts' graves

These pink flowers look almost real

Looking out across the cemetery

Flowers we put on the gate around the grave

Don't fall in!

Her aunts' graves

Looking for the next grave

Decorating another relative's grave

Not sure what the cement is for

One last grave to decorate

This boy is painting names

Lots of flowers

Matching graves

Very colorful

Painting the grave silver

I really like this one

Standing on the grave to look at the flowers

One of my second grade students

Meeting back at the first grave

We all met back at the first gravesite around 10am. Everyone was taking off except Kathy and me. We were going to walk around the cemetery for a while to look at other graves and chat with people we knew. On our journey through the cemetery we saw lots of people from the cantons and talked with them for a while. I saw several of my students painting and selling things. I bought some juice from one of my second grade students and his sister.

We also stopped to chat with a couple people who we didn’t know as we walked. People seemed eager to tell us about whose grave they were decorating and their traditions. We spent some time talking to one woman who gave me several flowers as a gift. I noticed that as we were walking I didn’t see anyone crying or looking sad. In fact, everyone seemed to be happy. That doesn’t mean there weren’t sad people in the cemetery, but the overall tone of the day seemed to be one of cheerfulness

Walking through the cemetery is not always an easy task because there are usually lots of weeds and there’s no organization to the graves. It’s hard to avoid stepping on graves when you walk. Today all the weeds had been removed but we had to watch out for flowers and other people. Everything and everyone were very close together. Also, the dirt around many graves was built up so it looked like the person was freshly buried. I personally found it weird but it’s just one of the customs.

Painting on a name

Painting silver and blue

Filled with flowers

Some fresh greenery and confetti

Some plastic garland wrapped around the crosses

Note how he's stepping on newspaper

so as not to get the grave dirty

Each one unique

His hands were covered in gold

Not sure how this plastic bag

got drapped around the cross

Some graves were left unpainted

Lots of people

I love the silver

One of my students who was painting

The woman sitting here had lost

her husband and her son

So many colors

Bright colors

Another student of mine who was painting

Sitting on the grave and enjoying a sucker

A few real flowers in this one

Matching flower arrangements

Another unpainted grave

At 11:00am we went outside the cemetery to check out the food, flowers, and people. There were all kinds of food were being sold: pupusas, chicken, beef, french fries, atoles, juices, beer, coconuts, and sugar cane. Kathy and I both got some french fries to munch on. After snacking on those we went to get some sugar cane. It’s the time of year when the sugar cane is ready to be harvested, and raw sugar cane is a special snack. A lady standing at the sugar cane stand helped Kathy and I find a good stalk. Then the guy selling it cut it in half and we were on our way. We got Cecilia some food for lunch since she was the only one at the house and then we headed home.

Flowers for sale

So many to choose from

Presliced sugarcane

City Hall is building a new fence around the cemetery

Walking in the street

Chopping coconuts

Lots of sugarcane

Pedro walking back home from the cemetery

I had a great time at my first Day of the Dead celebration. It’s such a wonderful tradition. I love that the cemeteries are colorful and beautiful. Instead of being a place only for sadness, cemeteries can be a place of joy in remembering our loved ones and celebrating their lives. And death can be seen not just as the end of life but as a part of it.

Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy ~ Eskimo Proverb

Procession of the Saints

2011-11-04T20:10:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, 11-1-11

Today was a special day and tonight a special night. We remembered the customs of people’s grandparents and great-grandparents. Traditionally, it is said that on this day the dead are allowed to leave their graves and go to the rivers to bathe. Since the deceased are at the rivers bathing, people are not supposed to go to the rivers nor should they bathe at home. This is to respect the people who’ve died. It’s also said that at 6pm on this night the dead have a procession from the cemetery accompanied by the saints of the Catholic Church.

Family members of the deceased are supposed to light one candle for each one of their loved ones who has died. This is to give light to them as they process together in the dark. If a family doesn’t light a candle for their loved ones, they will have to walk in darkness.

Years ago it was the custom to walk to the cemetery and put a candle on the graves of each one of your family members. But as years passed the tradition was lost. The head priest in Berlín, Father Cándido, is trying to bring back some of the old customs. For the second year in a row he has led a procession to the cemetery after mass on November 1.

So tonight around 7pm after mass had ended we gathered in front of the church for the procession. We walked with our candles lit. There were over a hundred people. A small band walked along with the group playing music we often hear at funerals. But it wasn’t a time for tears. It was a time to remember and honor our loved ones that have died.

When we reached the cemetery Father Cándido spoke for a while. Then we faced west, east, north, and south. Each time we faced a direction someone said a prayer which was followed by the Our Father and Hail Mary. As Father Cándido was saying the final prayer at the end of the ceremony I looked up and saw a shooting star. It happened so fast that at first I wondered if it was real. But I’m sure I actually saw it

After Father Cándido had finished speaking Kathy and I walked with Blanca and Cecilia to their family’s graves to put down our candles. We set them down and talked about the festivities tomorrow, which is the Day of the Dead. We didn’t stay long and soon headed back home. It was time to get some rest. Tomorrow is an even more important day.

Starting the procession to the cemetery

The band that played as we walked

Imagine carrying that bass and walking

Everyone had candles

At the gates of the cemetery

Right inside the cemetery

In the background is Father Candido

Cecilia and Blanca's family

Graves of Cecilia's aunts

All lit up

A tomb close to Cecilia's family

Candles all over the cemetery

A beautiful tradition

Remembering loved ones

It was a special night

Video of the Procession of the Saints

2011-11-04T19:30:00.001-06:00

People leaving the church for

the procession to the cemetery