monicalynn

A fun Friday night for Alysson (the other long-term volunteer) and I included ice cream, popcorn, and a movie! We watched Food, Inc - a documentary about the U.S. food system. But more than that, it touches on so many issues that affect the U.S. and the world (health, manipulation in the government, immigration, human rights, workers rights, disparity between rich and poor, the interconnectedness of every country and the world market, etc). I could go on and on about how I feel but it's probably better that you just watch the movie yourself. I know documentaries can have a slant to them and not tell the other side of the story (and I haven't done my homework to check the accuracy of the film), however I still highly recommend the movie as it really makes ... read more

Went to mass at the church nearby here in La Gloria. They had a beautiful scene set up with an empty tomb and a statue of Jesus with arms outstretched. After mass, I went to a nearby community where I have a lot of amiguitos (little friends) to hand out Easter eggs with candy. The kids were pretty excited and it was great to see their smiles and laughter. Then, went back to La Gloria and went to a birthday party for someone who I just met that morning (a friend of Uriel, who lives in the Esperanza complex with me). Minutes after arriving, we went up the stairs to enter the house and I felt my first earthquake!! At first, I thought I was dizzy, and then I realized everyone else was shaking and things ... read more

This morning, I went with Eduardo (the volunteer coordinator - main person I work with) and his family to the community where his mom lives to participate in the way of the cross for Good Friday. There were men dressed as soldiers, Jesus, the other two men who were crucified, women and men following Jesus. We walked from one church to another about 6 blocks away stopping periodically for each of the stations of the cross. Afterwards we went to a seafood restaurant for shrimp/fish tacos! I got to meet Eduardo's mom, brothers and sister, and get to know his wife (Sulemma) and kids (Brian and Andrea) better. After lunch, we returned to his mom's house and hung out a bit and then went to Sulemma's parent's house. There were sooo many cute kids to play ... read more

One of the evening activities for groups is going to a migrant house. This is a transition home for migrants who have either been deported from the U.S. or are coming to Tijuana/U.S. from other parts of Mexico (or some other countries in Latin America). We usually go for a short tour, talk with a director or someone in charge about issues the migrants face and what they do at the house, and then we eat dinner with the migrants and have a chance to chat with them and listen to their stories. It can be intimidating at first, but these men (this house is only for men and there is another one for women and children) are so kind and friendly. Talking with them and hearing stories from the directors really makes you think about ... read more

Here we go on another adventure!! About a week ago, I arrived in Tijuana (first time I crossed the border on foot and it was super easy). For those who don't know exactly what I'm doing, a brief explanation: I'm working with a non-profit called Esperanza International for about 6 months. I have worked with them during spring break for the past three years with a group from USC and absolutely love the workers and families involved. Esperanza's main goal is self-sustaining, self-help community development. They work in 7 communities around Tijuana - helping the families to form community organizations and come up with solutions to their problems. The main task, or at least the most visible task, is building sturdy, long-lasting homes. Esperanza has volunteer groups come down throughout the year (most from the US ... read more

We are in a small town called Esquipulas for Christmas! It is a popular religious pilgrimage site because of the crucifix in the basilica which has a black Christ. Took 4 buses and about 10 hours to get here but we made it in time to find our hotel, clean up, and go to 10 pm mass on Christmas Eve. The church is beautiful and much larger than most other churches we've seen in Central America. History of Esquipulas - the town was founded by the Spaniards in mid 1500s. We've heard different things about why it is a black Christ so I don't want to write the wrong thing here. Will update later. But anyway, the crucifix was installed in 1595 and was accredited with miraculous powers. "But after the bishop of Guatemala, Pardo de ... read more