Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Real Update

1/17/2011

Im sorry I couldn’t fill you guys in on everything before. Ill try and make up for it now.
In December I held a Christmas show. I started with about 30 kids and slowly the number dwindled and I ended up with 12 girls and one boy. Do I feel defeated? No. That night was amazing. Many times I have questioned what I am doing here and then there are moments of clarity. The jovenes show was one of those moments. We had been rehearsing for about a month and what began as once a week practice soon became an everyday thing. The jovenes that stayed with me wanted to reunite. It made them happy and it made me happy.

The jovenes sent out invitations to the campo. My mom sent me some Christmas bells and lights. (Thanks mommy dearest)
That night the whole town came out. The kids sang 8 songs and I was filled with joy. The community had never had a Christmas show before, never had a childrens show before.

The kids were filled with pride and it made my heart smile.

Not a big change. Maybe not even a small change.

A moment.

A moment that will live in my heart and in the hearts of those 13 children.

I had another moment of clarity today. You see my town has been without water for about a month.
La bomba broke. All the people in the town stayed with their arms crossed except this one luchadora named Gladys. God bless her.
She fought and got our bomba fixed for about 18,000 pesos. Got the sindico to pay for it.

Finally when the water was released people got greedy and the water didn’t reach many homes because some wanted to fill up every single tanke that they had.
One of the other women told Gladdys to go home that she didn’t have say over anything and this broke her heart and she swore to never help the community again.
You see she is the one that helped me solicit education to get the kids another professor. We were supposed to go again tomorrow.

In campo people talk- they talk a lot. They also chismed and said that the water didn’t go down because my project partner had hogged it all. This hurt her because her and her husband are the reason the town has any water at all.

How quickly people are able to tear down when they have gotten what they wanted.

So you see Dominga and Gladdys are the two essential women in my community. Without them no one moves. Its unfortunate but it’s the way it is for now.
The community takes them for granted and both of them want to give up.
Today I spoke to them both individually and then together.
I explained to them that what they do many do not have the courage to do. That they do things for the good of doing good. That if they give up they will not be happy because they are truly happy when they are helping. Its something that God has given them. And it is the spirit that pushes them. People will always talk but they cannot make them feel inferior without their consent.

We talked about many things until we came to an understanding.

When I left them and Dominga had decided to let her husband be in the water committee I was forming and Gladdys decided to go with me to solicit education again. I felt good.

I felt like I had accomplished something. A lot of times we look for big things and we over see that it’s in the small connections that we make a difference.

Without these two women I wouldn’t be here because they are the ones that fought to bring me here.

It is important that we stay strong and united.

Everywhere we go there are negatives trying to tear us down, keep us away from what we are supposed to be doing.

Remember that these deferments only have the power if we give it to them.

I hope and pray that my town can come together and get organized enough to start a water directive. One that will work.

I hope and pray that I will be able to bring this community a latrine project.

I hope and pray that we will get more professors for the kids.

I hope and pray that more men and women will stand up and luchar to better the community.

Somos mas fuerte unidos.

All my love!

Live True.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Updates








Hola mi gente

I know its been a while since Ive posted. Merry Christmas- Happy New Years!!!
I hope that you are well and happy and feeling blessed. I cant believe its 2011. I must say that i did not feel the change as much over here. Holidays are weird. Christmas didnt feel like christmas- it was just like any other day except we had way more food.

It was sad to be without my family. But im proud of myself i did not allow myself to wallow in tears. I know that i had it in me to ball but i only allowed myself a few tears. Me estoy madurando!!! Plus my mom got me a great christmas present... a flight home in March!!!!

Im coming home March 10th people get excited!!!! I know im excited =)

So... I moved out of my host family's house and moved into my own home!!!!
I am so happy to have my own space. Even though i can still hear my dona yelling at everyone from where i am its still great.
Ive only been on my own for a little over a weeek but i feel the change already.
The move took a week- my uncle changed a wooden wall to block and me and my dad painted a couple of rooms.
Paint makes everything better. haha

I have about 5 rooms. My room, family room, dining room, kitchen, and another room to wash the dishes. Hardly any furniture to fill it but its great. Here we sit on plastic chairs until i can save up for a mesedora =)

My project partner took me shopping for my furniture which was really nice of her and her husband. They are really great with me. My project partner is my best friend in my site.

I have a fridge with a freezer! A bed. And a 4 burner stove and tank.
Went shopping for food this weekend and spent all of my money. Now i have 300 pesos left to last me until the end of the month. Hmm... may be a problem seeing as i have to pay for me and my project partner to get to IST at the end of the month.
May have to pull from my US account. =/
Dont worry floks ill be alright.


Anyways i have to run but i will try and write soon. There is still a lot left to tell. Will write soon.

Until then... enjoy the photos!

There are pictures from the christmas show i put on with my jovenes.
Picture of my family. Me riding a burro. And me with two of my good friends out here Estacy and Robin.

Love u!!!! Take care of yourselves!