On Family, Fires, Full Moons and Fun

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Today was a very interesting Sunday, emotional and powerful. Since the beginning of the trip we had planned for a fancy dinner tonight as a kind of celebration of our trip. Plans were made for an elite restaurant overlooking Managua for a sunset dinner. HOWEVER, (with emphasis) two nights ago, our students observed, after our fun day, how easy it was just to slip back into ‘selfish’ habits and how much they did not want that to occur. Wow! There comments kept me up all night (ok that and heartburn). Seriously, I felt so conflicted about our dinner out that I approached the group first thing the next morning to see how they felt about it. To a student they wanted to do something else…in the next few minutes a plan was hatched to invite the families of the girls at the Villa, to the Villa for a supper we could help prepare and serve to them.

The significance of this may require a little background information for some of our readers. The 16 girls who live at the Villa are from La Chureca. Their families still live there and have allowed their girls to come live in this beautiful oasis. The girls still go back to the La Chureca school each day, but the parents almost never come to the Villa (a 20 minute drive away) for some of the reasons discussed in previous blogs. I was told they have girls have only hosted their families once or twice before. This was turning into a significant event and a surprise for the girls of the Villa.

What an amazing, emotional evening. Throughout the afternoon we cleaned and prepared for the party. Then, the buses arrived with the families from La Chureca; parents, and siblings, seeing where their sisters and daughters live away from horrors of the dump. The raw feelings were visceral. The contrast between La Chureca and the Villa is beyond compare. While I cannot know what each parent was thinking, I imagine their feelings were ranging from sadness that they don’t have their daughters present to the hope they must have in the possibilities. Our students spent time eating and sharing with the parents, but as they did the stories came out. A mother and seven year old brother of two of the girls from the Villa are HIV positive. We watched as some of the parents wouldn’t eat their meals, instead asking to take it back to La Chureca to share with others. How can I possibly imagine that as I downed my food with my reckless abandon? This amazing meal, and yet, many of these adults felt too guilty (I am not sure what they felt) to even consume their food. I can’t even describe how visceral the emotion was for me.

I was asked to say a few words before dinner. It was the second time this trip I was at a loss for words. However, just before dinner we had all looked at the full moon tonight. It occured to me that the visual of the moon (or sun) is something that binds all of us together. Each of you can look tonight and see what we see, whether from Vancouver, Langley, La Chureca or the Villa. Family is something else that links us together. Tonight was about the importance of famlies.

After dinner, we took pictures of each family and quickly printed photos for the parents, a little 4 x 6 memory, perhaps even the only picture they have of their family. They were so appreciative of that little photo, because, family is important. As we printed them, the two girls helping me were choked up at the image of the mom who is HIV positive. Will this photo be showed by these girls one day? Will they say, this was our mom, our brother?

As a final image of tonight we watched as the girls hugged their mothers and got back on the bus…the hugs were deep, passionate hugs…ones I could feel as I watched from the sidelines. How surreal it must be for the girls and families to be once again separated, with moms, dads and brothers returning to the darkness, the smells and the fires of La Chureca.

Probably against better judgement, Gerry, Colton, Tyrel and I went along for the return trip to La Chureca. I don’t think I can truly find the words to describe the places we saw tonight, nor can I find a metaphor.

We only drove to the gates of La Chureca, it was not safe to drive beyond the gates, so the families would have to walk in. Even on the road that approached La Chureca the fires burned, in the distance large fires eerily illuminated the night sky. Men stared at the bus with a distant, vacant stare, a look that I honestly cannot place anywhere in my memory.

In sum, it was an amazing night to be part of...one of my students indicated that they were shocked how rare this event was and issued a challenge to future teams...skip the fun meal at the end of the trip...instead, host the families at the Villa, it will rock you.

We sit tonight with the sad reminder that tomorrow is our last day. While many of us look forward to seeing family, we are also sad that this experience is coming to an end. In case there is no blog immediately tomorrow, let me take the opportunity tonight to thank each of our many readers (some 2500 views of our blogs as of this moment) who have supported us, sent notes and comments and thought about us each day. You are truly our partners is this venture and we are excited to have shared with you.

Stay with us for a couple of more days as we plan a detailed reflection by each participant after we return home.

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Comments

[cole devries]

great experience
ive been following this blog the whole time its exciting to see ther point of view such a difference in life styles good work you guys

[Eric]

Great job on the blog last week all, I would love to see Mr. Sawatsky keeping blogging in the future and even get updates from the students as to how this trip has impacted them as reality of life in Canada sets in.