Camino: Following the Way

A Blessed Christmas Celebration

2009-12-20T11:41:00.003-05:00

God just keeps showing up for the Field of Grace ministry, and for whatever reason I continue to be amazed and astounded! Last night I held a Christmas celebration for all the folks who had completed a survey and indicated that they wanted to be kept informed of Field of Grace activities. I mailed out nearly 80 invitations, and by Saturday afternoon I had received confirmation for 78 persons (adults and children) who would be attending. As it turned out, there was also scheduled for last night a snow storm. A number of folks called to see if the event was still on, and the response was "yes." Despite the snow, folks started arriving prior to the 6:30 hor d'oeuvres time and continued to arrive. From a rough count I received, it looks we had approximately 30-35 people in attendance. We played ice breakers, sang songs and generally had a really good time. Many folks expressed their thanks and some indicated that it would be the only Christmas celebration that their family would have. We had fun, folks were able to get to know others who had expressed an interest in the ministry and there was a sense that a community was beginning to from. Some of the interesting stories included a man who had come with his lady friend, not knowing anything really about the church. It turns out that I had met his son when I had the table at the Farmer's Market over the summer and was asking people to complete a survey for me. This young boy came up and wanted to do one, but I told him that he would not be able to put any contact information without his parent's permission. He indicated that he would get permission and return another week. One week when I was not there, he did indeed return and completed the contact information. A number of other occasions, he would visit the table to say "hi." As a result of the information he provided, I sent a Christmas invitation to his father. At the celebration I explained to his father how it had come about for him to be invited the gathering. This man was one of those who was very thankful to have been invited and has been searching for a faith community of which he could be a part. The night was amazing and the catering by the hotel was fabulous. (If you are ever offered the option of having a "mash potato bar" at a catered event do not pass on this incredible opportunity for those who love mashed potatoes--white and sweet!) The food was great, the decorations great and the fellowship between strangers incredible. Throughout the night and into today, I could do nothing but praise God for having provided another event beyond my expectations! People were excited about the Field of Grace ministry and the upcoming opportunities and a number completed the response sheet indicating their interest to participate in the small groups that will begin in the new year. I shared the mission and vision with them and let them know that the birth date for the church is Christmas Eve 2010: This also generated a degree of excitement among the folks. I'm thankful my coach encouraged me to do a Christmas mixer rather than a the small prayer time I was going to offer on Christmas Eve and the small luncheon similar to the Thanksgiving luncheon. And thankful for his advice to have it catered at a nice place. I give praise and thanks to God for continuing to show up and shape this new ministry! This event has definitely tuaght me to think bigger and to expect more from God! Photos will be posted on Facebook by day's end. Hasta Luego.

2009-11-30T18:01:00.002-05:00

I am posting the reflection that I placed in the Field of Grace newsletter today. "Then he told his servants, 'We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren't up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.' The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on-every place filled."

Matthew 22:9-10

This passage very aptly describes the Thanksgiving Luncheon that we had planned last week for college students and others. Flyers had been posted on the campuses and e-mails sent to staff whom I knew, asking them to share the information with students with whom they had contact. We even had the event posted in the local newspaper. We had the capacity to seat and feed 24 persons, and I would have been happy if 15 to 20 attended. The two turkeys were ready, the rolls heated, homemade cranberry sauce, the sweet potato pie awaiting the first cut (O.K., I was waiting for that pie to be cut!). And we waited. Well, nearly an hour after the posted start time no one had arrived. So, following the lead of the passage above, I invited one of the helpers to come with me to walk through downtown Wilkes-Barre to offer an invitation to whomever we met. One of the other helpers remained at the site and her task was to invite anyone who passed by to come in and enjoy a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal, free of charge. And so rather than waiting for people to come to us, we went out and took our invitation to the people. First to arrive there were two young women walking with a baby, and their male friend; then the two youths who had been skateboarding across the street; men from the transitional home next door, and a steady stream of folk continued to arrive until most of the food had been consumed, and we had run out of plates. Blessings were exchanged, prayers requested, laughter and stories shared, and new relationships formed. Was it the luncheon that this slightly OCD control freak had planned? No. Was it more than I could have expected? Most definitely, yes! I was reminded once again, that even my best best plans, or no match for the plans of God. And, that at times I will need to step outside of what I would like to happen and be willing to follow an entirely different approach that God has laid out. The day was a wonderful one and I am so thankful for the direction it took. Sure, it would have been great to have hosted the students, but those who did attend were ones who really needed a meal and company that day. One was an older woman who after over 30 years of marriage found herself "evicted" (her term) by her husband and feeling forsaken by her family. She never imagined that after so many years of marriage she would find herself in her current situation. She was so thankful for the meal that was offered and hugged me tight as she repeatedly voiced her disbelief at her situation. She firmly pressed money into my hand saying that she felt that she needed to give something to support our efforts. When I later looked at what she had given me it was a crumpled $1 bill, probably more than she could afford to give away. As I looked at the bill I was reminded of Jesus' story of the poor woman who placed all that she had into the offering plate in the temple. Another young woman who felt that God had led her to the luncheon, also felt compelled to give something to support the ministry. She herself had been homeless not too long ago and is currently trying to find employment to support herself and her daughter. As we were cleaning up, she left us only to return several minutes later. She went into the prayer room and left a couple of dollars as a love offering in the donation box. Women, men, young, old, homeless, seeking employment: each one that came in had a story, and I am thankful that God allowed me to journey with them for that short span of time. Several asked about the ministry, taking away literature and wanting to know about other gatherings and Bible studies. Some ate their meal, said "thank you" and were on their way. I may never see many of them again, but I am thankful that our ministry was able to offer a moment of refuge and community, regardless of how brief. Hasta Luego

Continued Blessings

2009-11-05T22:33:00.002-05:00

God just continues blessing this ministry! He has provided us with a space which we are able to use rent-free. The owner only asks that we contribute something towards the cost of utilities. The space consists of two rooms: One we will use for gatherings, Bible studies, fellowship activities. In the back space we have created a prayer room which we will use for weekly Taize services. We will also open it up a couple of days a week for people who just want to come in for private prayer. Another blessing came this morning while I was at the gym. The trainer knows that I am a pastor and has allowed me to place flyers at the club and also offered to allow me to use the club for a fundraiser. Well, this morning we were talking and the conversation came around to churches. He indicated that he has been put off by other Christians at the club who have been quite aggressive in their approach to trying to get him to attend church, and that I haven't been like the others. He stated that he would like to attend gathering that our church will have because I haven't been trying to "recruit" him. He has been really turned off by the hard sell approach of others. I'm thankful to God for the opportunity we had to talk and look forward future conversations and his participation in our community. Please continue to pray for the ministry and that God will use me to reach others in this community who are looking for a place to belong. Hasta Luego

I Love this Place!

2009-10-20T19:54:00.003-04:00

I LOVE IT HERE! I'm in love with this area: It's probably the first place that I have served in that I would consider staying for a LONG time. I was thinking about why that is. First, it's a really nice are and even with the 6% sales tax, the cost of living is pretty low (monthly rents for apartments start in the 400's). I think the other reason is that I have had the time to get to know the community and make connections with folks other than folks who will be part of the congregation. In most other communities my first and primary contacts were with the church folk. Since there is no church yet, I have been able to cultivate some other connections. I've switched gyms and am part of a smaller club where the owner really works at building a sense of community among those of us who work out there. Sunday there was a paintball outing, but I couldn't go because of other commitments. I'm also just really comfortable here and feel really at home. People have been fantastic and I'm learning my way around. It's a great area for walking and mornings when I don't go to the gym I take my bike out to ride through the park and along the dike. I really like it here! Things are going well, and next week I'll have the first group meeting of all the folks I have been meeting and telling about the church. It will be a time of informal conversation about the mission and vision of the church and a time for them to ask any question they have. The free pizza should provide an incentive for them to come! Next Friday I also hope to begin weekly Taize services for the students (and faculty) on the two college campuses downtown. I continue to be so thankful to God for calling me to plant a new church in this area, and continue t pray that I woudl be faithful and up to the task. But of course, since it was God who called me here, I need to remind myself that God will provide what I need to accomplish the task. Hasta Luego The search goes on for a music director, but I am confident that God will send the right person at the right time.

Update

2009-10-08T19:36:00.002-04:00

I am on so many sites that it's a challenge keeping them all updated. I just finished signing up for a PayPal account for Field of Grace so that our web master can add a donation button to the website. I have also just finished creating a donation page on FirstGiving so that we can promote the ministry and request donations and financial partners. I'm going to try to put that link here on my blog page. One of the things that was emphasized a new church planter training was the importance of raising funds to help finance the ministry in the early stages. This will take some of the financial pressures off while the congregation is still small and growing. If we can have significant resources in the bank then the folks can focus on the ministry and growing in their understanding about giving and not worried about raising money to fund the ministry. I have finally finished the draft for my Ministry Action Plan and am in the process of getting a three-year budget worked out. Although planting a church is hard work and am enjoying it and loving being here in the Wilkes-Barre area. I think this is probably one of the first times in my ministry that I have lived in a town where I felt that I might like to live for a long time. We'll see what God has planned. Fr now I am enjoying being here and working with God to bring this church to birth. The planned birth date for our first public worship service is Dec. 24, 2010. I will be working really hard to make as many contacts as possible so that we can have at least 200 people at that first service. I have a contact list of about 60 people and at the end of this month will have a "Pizza with the Pastor" gathering to meet and talk with them about the ministry and answer any questions they have. I will also start Taize services at the end of this month and will offer them every Friday evening. Those will be specifically geared towards reaching the college students in town. There is a space that I can borrow for all of these gatherings, but there is also a sace that I would like to lease and eventually buy to serve as a permanent ministry site for us. It would not provide worship space but woudl be a great mission and outreach center. There are two buildings on the lot. One would serve as office and administrative space and could be used for small group meetings, Bible study, etc. There is also a room that could be finished off to serve as a prayer room and could be used for the Taize services. The building is fully furnished ad equipped and is in move in condition. The other building needs quite a bit of work, but with some "green" renovation my dream would be to place "Grace Cafe" on the upper floor and offer snacks and free internet access to the community. The lower level could be used for youth group and to provide educational enrichment programs to children and adults. So please keep this in prayer. The space meets all of our criteria for serving the downtown area. It sits on the edge of Wilkes University and is within walking distance of Kings College. It is on a busy street and has great visibility and it is on a couple of well-travelled bus routes. I love this space but need to move through United Methodist process in order to sign a lease. Church starting and leasing property is a new process for folks here so there need to be meeting and lots of discussion. Prayers, prayers, prayers, please! Well, let's see if I can get this donation link uploaded. Blessings and hasta luego, Marcelle

Love this Journey

2009-08-28T21:33:00.002-04:00

It's been a while, but things are going well in Wilkes-Barre. Right now I am sitting in the airport in Phoenix waiting for my 10:30 pm overnight flight to Philly and then to Scranton. I have been at church planter training in Twin Peaks, CA and it has been great! It filled in a lot of gaps I have had in terms of some of the specifics I needed to know in order to proceed with the work in W-B. While in the airport, I am using the time to take the information I have learned and begin writing my new church proposal and my strategic plan.

In addition to the practical information that I received at the training, I think the most valuable take-away came in the form of the theological perspective the was presented. It has really helped me to adjust my approach to thinking about the church plant which in turn will keep me focused on the right objectives.

1. Missio dei: God's mission. A church plant is all about participating in God's loving work in a particular area, and the ministry in which a planter engages is Jesus' ministry, not the planter's. The work of the planter is to help people in their area to know that they are already loved, saved and accepted by the work of Jesus on the cross. My role is to guide them to see and accept that fact. God loves them and wants to restore a loving relationship with them, so how can I represent that radical love of Christ.

The answer is, by engaging in "Incarnational Evangelism," living out the love of Christ in the cultural context of the people. Not approaching them with all kinds of "God talk," but listening to their needs and engaging them in their context, no matter what that is. Farmer's Market, bowling alley, in the park, where ever, and then remembering that it is not my job to convert them, the Holy Spirit will do that. My job is to provide an environment where they can experience the love and presence of God.

I don't have to save them, I don't have to convert them: what a relief! My job is simply to love them in such a way that the Holy Spirit can begin to work in their heart.

As a result of the training, I have a lot of ideas on how to approach the ministry in W-B, and how I need to live out an incarnational approach to evangelism: loving them and being the representative of Christ among them.

So now, my focus will not be so much on starting a church, by looking at the ways in which I can most effectively share that love of Christ with the ethnic persons of W-B, especially those persons who are in inter-racial relationships and have bi-racial children. I know from experience (friends and relatives) how difficult it is for these children to find a place of belonging and where they feel they fit in. Field of Grace Community of Faith will be the place where they will experience the full embrace and love of the God who created them in God's own image.

I have lots of work to do, but I am excited and energized for what lies ahead. I also realize that it's going to be a lot of hard work. Part of that work will be navigating the expectations of supervisors who will be looking for numbers and wanting to know when the church is going to get started. Unfortunately, none of them have attended the trainings, so I will have to do some educating as I explain the approach that I will be following.

Pray for me that I will remain open and responsive to God's agenda and not charging ahead with my own. And pray that God would grant me the voice and the grace to engage folks in their context, stepping out beyond my own introverted nature.

Hasta Luego.

2009-07-31T18:37:00.002-04:00

Wow, there is so much to do in starting a new church, it both almost overwhelming as well as very exciting! This week I am in Chicago attending the School of Congregational Development. I just finished m last session of my ministry track, called the Pre-Launch. It was ed by a pastor who was very successful doing a new church start and is a very resourceful fellow. The sessions wee great and provided me with a lot of information I was lacking in terms of these first few months. One of the things I will try to get started on while I am here is my ministry plan. I had started one before, but was not quite sure what were some of the activities I needed to be engaged in doing. I have a much better idea now and want to put it down on paper before my head bursts with all the information. I also learned that for the most part I am on the right track. In addition to my ministry plan I want to start working on funding sources that will help me to have the funds needed to fund the music ministry position. Although I have reviewed dozens of resumes, there have been few that would meet the needs of the Field of Grace ministry. There is one that looks very promising and I would like to offer him the position, but I have not been able to obtain any clips or videos of his work. Someone I know might also be interested in the position, but there is more conversation that would need to happen around that. Being here has also connected me with people and resources that I needed for the FoG ministry. I met one woman who is willing to edit my Spanish translations of the website and met another who might be able to connect me with someone to do any translations I need. Right now as I try to make sure everything I produce is in English and Spanish, it takes some time. There are still some translations needed on the website, but it is mostly complete. The website logo is also now done and I am very excited because it provides us with a way of branding ourselves and increasing our visibility. Check us out at www.FieldofGraceUMC.org. Well, before heading to dinner, I'm going to work a little on my ministry plan and also give the fellow a call about our music position. Hasta Luego

2009-07-09T19:17:00.002-04:00

When starting a new church it is very important to offer activities to the community that not only meet the needs of the community but help to raise the visibility of the new church. Along those lines I had been reflecting on what type of non-threatening ministry Field of Grace could offer to the community in order to start to build relationships with folks who live in this area. One of my thoughts had been to offer some type of financial program that was from a Christian perspective. Well today I was speaking to a friend of mine and he told me about the Financial Peace University (first part of the blessing). It sounded like a great program and one that would be a good thing for our church to offer. I went to the website and was very impressed by what I read. Then came the shocker: The cost for the kit to offer the 13-week training was $299. After I caught my breath, I knew that I would have to decide between paying for the kit myself or getting the bank information from our treasurer in order to pay for the program. (they do not accept credit cards because their whole premise revolves around helping people to make sound financial decisions.) I decided to wait on the program and gave them a call to find out if they had bilingual material. In the course of the conversation, the very nice rep on the other end told me that because we are a new church start and the company understands the financial restraints of small and new churches, he would sign Field of Grace for the program and we would not have to pay the $299. for the facilitator's kit!!!! (second part of the blessing). We would just need to try to sign up at least five families to take part in the course. Field of Grace is registered and we will offer the course starting in September. The timing could not be more perfect: Next week is our first week at the Wilkes-Barre farmer's Market where we will have a table to distribute information and survey folks about what they would like to see a church offer to the community. The rep has sent me the promotional materials and next week we can start promoting the event to those at the Market. After the conversation, I was overjoyed and almost moved to tears of joy as I just kept thanking God for responding in such a way to our need to offer something to the community. Our God is absolutely amazing and always faithful! Today I was also blessed with meeting a woman who runs a Christian T-shirt store called "3:16 Athletic Wear." I was thinking about ordering a green shirt with the Field of Grace name and our tag line, "The church as God intended it to be." I wanted something to wear while at the Farmer's Market and to wear around town. She had a t-shirt of a nice shade of green and said that she could create the t-shirt in just a few minutes while I waited. We googled the sunflower graphic that I have been using and in a few minutes I had a really nice t-shirt with our name and a logo on the front and our tag line on the back. It looks really great! Ask and you shall receive, knock and the door will be opened, often with God providing beyond what one is seeking. Thank God for unexpected blessings! Hasta Luego

An Angel in Disguise

2009-07-04T22:49:00.005-04:00

I had the most interesting encounter today. I had gone to the UPS Store to mail a few items only to discover that the store was closed. Thinking I had arrived before their 10:00 opening time I decided I would go back home and then return. As I was leaving I saw an older woman approaching the store and I told her that it was closed. She asked what where I was going and I told her that I was going to return home and then come back a little late. She asked if I would like to sit on her steps and wait with her until the store opened: I declined and then she asked again and if I would have a cup of tea. I said "yes" and accompanied her to her home. This dear soul was named Agnes, and she told me stories of growing up in England during the war (WWII) and coming to the US with American soldier whom she had married. It was a delightful time hearing of her life since coming to the States as she showed me many photographs of her children and grandchildren-of whom she was very proud. She repeatedly invited me to stop by anytime for a visit, and I told her I would. With the slightest hint of a British accent still in her voice, Agnes shared her stories, her life with this complete stranger. She even surprised herself that she was sharing so much. I enjoyed the time and feel blessed to have met this wonderful woman. I will indeed stop by to see her again. May God bless you with an unexpected encounter. Hasta Luego.

First Steps

2009-07-02T08:49:00.003-04:00

I now have business cards that I can hand out and Field of Grace has a page on Facebook. I am now working on trying to get a website uploaded. I tried working with a "green" group but that did not work out because their software would not allow me to create a website nor make any changes to the domain name so that I could use another website host. So I have asked for a refund for the hosting services as well as the domain name registration. I am now using a pastor who was part of a new church start and works with other new churches in designing and hosting their websites. What a 360 degree difference. He is very accommodating and willing to work with all of my ideas and requests, including making the site bilingual. It should be up and running in about two weeks. I have registered for the UMC School of Congregational Development training later this month, and will also register for new church start training to take place in August. I have lots of ideas about what I need and want to do but need the training and a coach to determine the best course of action. On Sunday I will have the first meeting with the remnant of folks from the closed churches. I hope to gather an initial group of 12 to start meeting and to serve as the core group. These folks I will then deploy to serve as the group leaders for 6-8 additional groups. We will use the Wesley class meeting format with a little updating, and will follow a multiplication model for discipleship and evangelism. Please keep us in prayer as we move forward, sepecially that God would send us someone (bilingual) to lead our music ministry. I will also plan to spend 1-2 hours each afternoon on Spanish review. Hasta Luego.

Stll adjusting

2009-06-28T10:35:00.002-04:00

Wow, I can't believe I've been back in the States for almost a month. It's been a very interesting past few weeks: adjusting to being back in the States, attending a four day meeting upon my return; preparing to move to a new state, moving and doing the ground work for the church I am starting. I am in PA, moved on June 14, and I have some of my belongings here. The majority of my stuff is in my storage container in MA. I will call this week to have it moved down to teh Scranton storage facility. Since the apartment I am in is fullu furnished, I don't need to take anything our of storage except for some of my ministry resources. I really do love being here in the Wilkes-Barre area although it has only been a two weeks. But i am very excited about the new church start. Last night I conplete our Facebook page as well as started a group page for us. Our page and group are callred Field of Grace Community of Faith. We will be a multi-ethnic/multi-cultural church seeking to represent the Reign of God on earth: radical hospitality and and no divisions based on color, ethnicity or social/economic status. I've contracted with a Christian web-hosting site and the fellow who runs it will design and post a web-page for us. I tried to do it myself through a secular green group, but ran into too many problems with their software. Paul will design it and host it for us at a very reasonable price and he will also be able to make it a bi-lingual site. Since we will be a multi-cultural church, it is very important that all that we do be in English and Spanish. Over time we will add additional languages depending on the needs of the congregation. Next week we will have our first "official" gathering as the Field of Grace Community. We will gather as a small group at my apartment following a Wesleyan class meeting format. These first few months it will be essential for me to work with the folks to help shape our identity as Field of Grace and to help them to develop ownership of the values and priorities of the community. They will then become the class leaders for groups that I will ask them to develop in their own homes. At this time, it looks like we will have an initial core group of about 6-8 people. I'm impatient and as with all of my other caminos, God is teaching me to be patient and not run ahead of where he is leading me and what he is doing. So I am intentionally trying to practice patience and attending: paying attention to what God is doing and then aligning my steps with His. Keep me in prayer: Every now and then I find myself jumping ahead and God reminding me to pull myself back. Also keep this conception period of Field of Grace in prayer that we would listen closely to God in preparation for our birth into a church faithfully serving the greater Wilkes-Barre, PA area. Hasta Luego.

Heading Home

2009-05-30T12:44:00.002-04:00

Today is my last day in Antigua and it is a day of cleaning, washing, reserving my shuttle to the airport, finishing my packing. My flight is at 8:00 Sunday morning and I will need to take the 5:00 shuttle.

I have truly enjoyed my time here and can't believe it has come to an end so quickly. There are certain things that I will definitely miss about being here; there are other things that I will not miss at all.

What I will not miss about Guatemala/Antigua:

--the pollution

--periods of no electricity or water

--having to buy a "garrafon" (5 gallons) of drinking water each week

--things that bite in the middle of the night

--very large spiders

--firecrackers going off all the time

Things that I will definitely miss:

--the affection and generosity of the people

--the lovely disposition of the people

--banana bread

--the fact that almost all prices are negotiable: there's always a "discuento y buen precio para ti."

--free movies and dinner combinations

--meeting new people from around the world

--tamales

--the women of the literacy program

--the view of the volcanoes

--new friends

I have loved my time here and have formed some good relationship with some Guatemaltecos/as. I know that if/when I return, I will have friends here. However I am looking forward to my new camino and the new church start in Wilkes-Barre, PA. While here in Antigua I have been able to do a few reparations, including creating a bilingual brochure to advertise a mid-week bilingual dinner and Bible study; and I have also posted on every imaginable online job site a posting for a music director (preferably one who speaks Spanish). My first hit was from a fellow in the Philippines with quite a bit of experience. I need to write him and ask if he speaks Spanish. I have planned out the Bible study topics for 10 weeks and planned my sermon topics for the next three months. I am ready to be in Wilkes-Barre and start making connections in the community.

Sad to be leaving Antigua, but excited and ready to start the new journey in PA.

Hasta Luego

Que Les Vaya Bien

2009-05-29T10:26:00.002-04:00

Well, yesterday was my last day at Camino Seguro. On Wednesday the women gave me a wonderful "despedida,"--the common practice in many Latin countries of having a good-bye celebration when someone is going away. It really tore at my heart: not just having to say good-by, but particularly the sadness and concern of some of the women that no one would continue to help them with their reading, and for some that they would not get help when they struggle with math. I reassured them that the other teachers would help them and that at some point another volunteer would come (as of my leaving it was still unclear when or if another volunteer would be able to come to the women's program).

The last two days were days of hugs and kisses, tears and gifts, homemade cards and prayers.I also now own more jewelry than I have ever owned. These women who have so very little buying some small token for me to have as a remembrance of them, or using their scant resources to make a piece of jewelry for me. Some wanted to take a picture with me so that I would remember them. I have tried to think about what parting gift to give to them, and have decided upon purchasing some office supplies as well as some items for the reading room: an alphabet chart, and once I am back in the States I will order several copies of some of my favorite children's' books. In order for the women to practice reading together, there needs to be at least four copies of each book, and for the most part they only have one copy of each. They also need more early reader books for the women who are just starting to read. For sure I will order a few copies of "The Runaway Bunny," in Spanish, and I fund a site with some other really good stories (they teach some type of lesson) that are in Spanish.

I will really miss the women, but have their gifts and many pictures for remembering them. (The pictures are posted on my Facebook site.) Although I had mixed feeling about Camino Seguro when I first started, my time with the women's literacy program turned out to be a true blessing. More important than what satisfaction I was able to receive, was the fact that I was able to share my gifts and love with the women in a way that helped them to feel encouraged and supported. My love for them is great, and for that reason, I would consider returning to that program at some point to visit with them or bring a team for a visit.

Hasta Luego

Managed to stay healthy for my entire stay here in Guatemala, but now I have come down with a cold!

Last Few Days.

2009-05-22T21:09:00.002-04:00

I'm in my last few days here in Guatemala. Next week is my last week at the project. I will finish up on Thursday and use Friday and Saturday to prepare for heading home on Sunday. My flight leaves at 8:00 am which means I should take the 4:00 shuttle. I really don't want to hang out at the airport for all that time, not do I want to be up at 3:00. I'm pretty sure taking the 5:00 shuttle will get me there still with plenty of time to spare.

As I reflect on my time here, a phrase used by someone at the small church I attended stays in my mind. When we were discussing the number of people begging in the streets of Antigua, and how difficult it is to walk by not knowing who to give to, he commented that he does not give to those he considers to be "professional beggars."

What exactly is a "professional beggar?" Are there people who choose to be poor and therefore decide that they want to provide for themselves and their children by sitting on hot sidewalks all day long breathing in the fumes and exhaust from the inordinate number of cars and buses that are on the roads of Antigua? Do these women, children, disabled and elderly folks decide that they would prefer to spend their days looking at hundreds of people pass them by who barely notice their existence? Is there some reward to watching other people walk by eating the sandwich or some delicious treat from the ice cream store while one's children look on with hunger in their eyes? Professional Beggar: I wonder what type of benefits entice someone to choose that line of work? Is there special training that one must receive before taking up their place on the street corner, or in the middle of the park, or at the entrance way of the church?

"Professional Beggar:" May God lead us all to work towards the day when no one will need or want to take such a position.

Hasta Luego

Mother's Day

2009-05-15T00:26:00.002-04:00

Today we celebrated Mother's Day with the mothers of Camino Seguro. It was such a beautiful day. It was such a lessing to see the women laughing and enjoying themselves, having a day where they were served a lovely breakfast and treated to good music, dancing, laughter and fellowship with one another. They didn't have to look after children and all attention was focused on them. They particularly loved the dancing competition and also dancing with the male staff of the program. But I think that the part that received the greatest response from the women was when each male present had to stand before the group as the women shouted for them to do a "sexy turn!" Some of the guys really had a great time trying to solicit the loudest response from the women!

For 3 short hours the women were able to forget everything and just enjoy themselves and one another.

Hasta Luego

Continued Prayers

2009-05-11T22:01:00.002-04:00

I just returned from visiting my friend Fiona in the hospital. She is doing well but will require anywhere from 3-6 weeks for recovery. Please continue to keep her in your prayers. She and a friend were robbed at knife point and while they were trying to run away fell over a ledge, with Fiona shattering a vertebrae.

Fiona and her friend were visiting a common tourist site called "The Cross." When walking north in Antigua this cross can be seen up on a hillside. It is one of the "must see" places of Antigua. Unfortunately the thieves also know that there are lots of tourists there. I was warned by a friend that the best time to go is very early in the morning (7:00 am or before) to avoid trouble with thieves. Fiona was there in the mid-afternoon and the police had gone on a lunch break. The friend who was with her suffered an eye injury as the result of the thief punching her in the eye.

Fiona was in good spirits and thankful that her injuries were not worse. She says that tomorrow the doctors want her to try to walk.

Keep her in prayer as she embarks on her journey back to good health. Thanks!

Hasta Luego

2009-05-10T16:28:00.002-04:00

I left the service at Iglesia del Camino a little early so that I could go to the little group that I had been attending at St. Michael's. I was going to tell them that I would no longer be with them, but I didn't have the heart to do so. The faithful three were there along with myself and two visitors. I did tell them that I have started to attend another church, but that I would still come to the service, but a little later to provide the Eucharist.

What a contrast to the service at la Iglesia del Camino where it was standing room only again this Sunday. The Bible study that I attended on Wednesday night had between 90 and 95 people present; and the Mother's Day celebration yesterday must have had nearly 100 people present. I posted a video clip from the celebration on my Facebook page.

I ask for continued prayers for my friend Fiona. I went to the hospital this afternoon, but was told she was in surgery. I can only imagine what she must be going through. First the trauma of being attacked, but then to have it in a foreign country and to be far from family and friends. She has been in language school for the past few weeks, but I don't know about the strength of her Spanish for this type of situation. I know that I would be at a lost.

I continue to give thanks that my stay here in Guatemala has been without incident. A number of people that I know have not been fortunate. In addition to Fiona's situation, other people I know have had wallets stolen, computers stolen, handbags sliced open (a common occurrence here), had stomach problems, parasites, lice and undiagnosed illnesses. I am daily grateful to God for my safety and well-being for these past couple of months.

My heart is heavy thinking about Fiona and her situation, and so I keep praying for her physical as well as emotional healing. I will try calling the hospital later to see if there is any word, and then if possible return to the hospital later this afternoon. Keep her in prayer. Thanks.

Hasta Luego

Prayers Needed

2009-05-09T22:48:00.002-04:00

Please keep Fiona Smith in your prayers. Fiona is a woman I've met here in Antigua who is from England and traveling around Central and South America. She was scheduled to leave Antigua on Monday to continue her travels. Today I received an e-mail from Fiona's housemate informing me that yesterday she was attacked here in Antigua and suffered a broken back requiring surgery. She is in a hospital here in Antigua and I am hoping to be able to visit her tomorrow. Please pray for her physical and emotional healing over the days ahead.

Hasta Luego

Jewelry Day

2009-05-09T20:19:00.002-04:00

Jewelry day is very exciting at the women's program. I think I mentioned before that many of the women have learned to make jewelry using recycled materials (magazines and paper) and have been selling the items as a way of making income. As a result, many of the women no longer have to rely on working in the garbage dump to support themselves and their families.

On Thursdays the women bring their jewelry in to have it inventoried and put on display in the back room. All the women (and those of us who work there) are very expected to see what is being brought in. The women gather around each other admiring what each has done and marveling at how someone has used different color combinations of paper and beads, or impressed at the originality and uniqueness of some item that a woman has made for the first time. They are quite encouraging of one another in their praise of each other's work.

They do bring in some incredible pieces of jewelry/art and some of these women demonstrate an incredible gift for choosing colors and designing their jewelry. The other day one woman brought in some rigs that she had made for the first time. She only made two because it was a new venture for her. These rings were absolutely amazing! When I looked at them a I thought they were made of tiny wooden beads, but they wee in fact made from tiny beads which she had made from paper. ¡Qué calidad! They were incredible.

If I had more disposable cash I would certainly be buying more of their jewelry. Not only because of the quality and originality, but also because it would support the women in realizing their dreams to better their own lives and that of their children. In fact, one of the pastors in Wilkes Barre has expressed an interest in our working towards selling the jewelry in PA. We will work more on this once I am there.

Hasta Luego.

Great Night

2009-05-06T23:35:00.002-04:00

I went to the Wed. evening Bile Study at La Iglesia del Camino and what an evening. The Bible study is called Cuerpo y Alma-Body and Soul, and consists of a potluck dinner followed by Bible study. I was expecting maybe 12 or so people (thinking about Bible study in the States; to my surprise there were probably between 60 and 80 people there. The evening started wiht the praise team leading worship and while they sang (with words projected in English & Spanish) people were served buffet style. The team continued to play as people were eating. After dinner, people were asked to work as a group at their tables on the Bible study question that were on a handout. After working in small groups for about 45 minutes, there was large group sharing of the responses. It was only a sharing out with no opportunity for folks to respond to what others had said, and the pastor indicated whether or not the responses were the "correct" answers. As with everything else in the church, the Bible study was also bilingual. The whole evening lasted about two hours, but afterwards people hung around chatting. I met a woman who invited me to another gathering that meets every Thursday evening, so I will attend that tomorrow.

The blessings of the evening were several. First the ability to gather with other Christians and study the Word. The second was the dinner itself. It was quite good, but it also will provide me with a very good meal once each week at the time when my funds are low and I can't afford to buy too much for preparing meals at home. The other blessing was the opportunity to meet some Christians and have some fellowship with like-minded people, something that does not happen when I am interacting with the other volunteers. In fact, I don't attend any of the social gatherings for the volunteers because they are usually focused on drinking and talk how drunk they got or how late they stayed out. Just not my thing.

On Saturday the church is hosting a fiesta in celebration of Mother's day, but it will be a celebration for all women. It will include a time of praise, teaching, music, Hebrew dancing and "more." I have invited some women I know and am looking forward to the time.

Although my time here in Guatemala is almost over, I am thankful to God for providing this Christian community for my last few weeks here.

Hasta Luego

Iglesia del Camino

2009-05-03T15:55:00.002-04:00

Today I worshipped at Iglesia del Camino which I discovered quite by accident on the Internet when I was looking for movie schedules. It was a great worship experience: totally bilingual. There were over 100 people there and it was standing room only. The music was really good and the praise leader was quite skilled at moving between the English and Spanish verses of each song (which were projected). After service I asked her where she obtained her bilingual lyrics because I would like a resource for my new church. She handed me the copies she had used during the service and said that if I need any songs in particular I could send her an e-mail! Some were already translated when she arrived; when she wants to use new songs she has a translator with whom she works.

The church is quite active and offers several Bible study opportunities. I hope to attend the mid-week gathering which includes a potluck supper, and also the Saturday afternoon gathering which is in Spanish. The church also offers a number of opportunities for volunteering and assisting in the ministry. Next week they will pass out information on the ministries that are available.

I really like the service and the format, and I found the people to be very friendly. The congregation was an even balance of foreigners and Guatemalans, including a Korean fellow. Some parts of the service were in English and interpreted into Spanish; other parts were in Spanish and interpreted into English. There was also Sunday school for the kids (tons of kids!). The age mix was also very diverse. To a certain extent, it resembled the church I hope to have in Wilkes-Barre.

I think I will find myself there every week until I leave Guatemala.

Hasta Luego

Inspiration

2009-05-03T10:51:00.002-04:00

"E" is a 75 year old woman who stands about four feet tall and has an incredible smile. She is always pleasant and the day just lights up when enters a room and greets everyone. E is a petite woman and when she entered the Women's Literacy program three years ago she signed her name by placing her thumb print on documents. Three years ago as E was watching television she saw a story about a woman in her 90's who was learning to read and write. She felt that if this woman could do it then so could she. At that point she joined the literacy program so that she too could learn to read and write.

E travels 1 1/2 hours to the program every afternoon on the bus. Mind you, this is no Peter Pan or Greyhound bus that she is taking. It is more likely one of the chicken buses, which is just that, a bus the poorer people take to get around and on which they can bring their animals. They are usually four people to a seat and as many people as possible are squeezed in: sitting, standing, hanging out the door. Think of an old yellow school bus with worn down tires, poor maintenance and belching black fumes: this is E's commute everyday to the program, and after three hours at the project, her ride back home again. Violence and robbery are common on the buses, yet this committed tiny 75 year old woman rides the buses twice each day, everyday, because she wants to learn to read and write.

After three years, E is now reading and writing at about a fifth grade level. She is in the beginner's reading group, but really should be in the advanced group. I've told her that but she just laughs and says, "O no, seño (a word used to indicate respect)!" and tells me that she is not that good a reader. In fact, in the beginning group she is often reading ahead or helping the other women in the group.

E is such a delightful woman and such an inspiration. Would any of us be willing to follow her example of determination and commitment to pursue our dreams?

Hasta Luego

Amazing Day

2009-04-26T16:32:00.002-04:00

I attended church today at a church called La Vida y Fe: What an experience. I spoke a little about it a couple of weeks ago, but then I was only able to stay for an hour. Today I was able to stay for he entire service: al 2 1/2 hours! After the praise team led singing for an hour, there were some prayers and more music. The pastor started preaching some time a bit after 10:30. He preached for a little over an hour and the service ended at noon! Other than being very repetitive, the sermon was quite good. He preached about our being works of God with a purpose and always with the opportunity to do more with our lives for the glory of God. That were each created for the purpose of doing good works and when we fulfill pour purpose, our lives will be blessed. The music was excellent and included the spanish version of many praise songs that I know, and many Hillsong spanish praise songs. The praise team leader was a woman who song with incredible passion and conviction and the lead guitarist was one of the best I have heard as part of a church praise team. In fact, one of the women at the project had given me a Hillsong CD and many of the songs on the CD were ones that were sung at the service; however I believe that the praise team offered better interpretations of the songs than I hear on the CD.

After the service I had lunch with my friend Andrea. If you read my blog entries from my time in Spain, you will remember my describing this over the top Italian fellow: well that was Andrea. We learned through Facebook that we were both in Guatemala and have been trying to set up a way of meeting. Well last night while I was settling down to have dinner and watch TV there was a knock at the door and it was Andrea. Needless to say, I was completely blown away! He was only in Antigua for a couple of days, so we spent quite a bit of time talking last night, and then met for lunch this afternoon. Since returning from the Camino, he has met up with several other of our Camino companions in various parts of the world.

This past week was a good one at the project. I have set up a reading room and started reading groups for the mothers to be able to practice reading. The women are excited about it and look forward to the time. One of the goals will be to also help them to start reading to their children. Reading is not a common past time here in Guatemala and efforts are underway to try to get the people to start reading more. I have four groups for the women: 2 beginner groups and 2 advanced. I'm using a combination of children's books that we have, passages from the Scriptures and some writing from latin-american women writers that I found on the internet. Last week I started labeling the books based on their reading level so that the women will be able to choose books to read on their own. We have also arranged the room to create as nice an atmosphere as possible so that it is inviting and a comfortable place, that way reading will not seem like a chore but will be associated with relaxation and tranquility.

Hasta Luego

photo links

2009-04-19T11:03:00.002-04:00

The following links should bring you directly to my photo albums on Facebook.

Lent: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007889&id=1398931251&l=a1f417d1b4

Holy Saturday: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007892&id=1398931251&l=eb2b6f64bb

Making an "Alfombra:" http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007833&id=1398931251&l=d4d3091dec

Alfombras: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2007829&id=1398931251&l=cfe1bdb9f5

Guatemala: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006358&id=1398931251&l=f73db83aa7

Camino de Santiago: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001509&id=1398931251&l=aa6efbf0fd

2009-04-19T10:42:00.002-04:00

I was beginning to loose my excitement about being at Camino Seguro, the lack f structure, no clear direction as to what I was suppose to do, and no moral compass giving direction to the work I realized that if I need it to be something different, then I would have to take the initiative. So, this week I resented an idea to the woman who oversees the women's center. I asked her if I could create reading groups for the women to have the opportunity to practice their reading skills and offer assistance and encouragement to one another. The women currently learn to read by writing simple sentences over and over, but that is neither very exciting or advances them along. The coordinator agreed, and on Monday morning I begin the first of four groups. There will be a beginning and advanced groups on Mondays, and again on Thursdays. Since most for the women are Christian, I will use a number of short Bible passages in a simple translation as well as short stories and poems with encouraging messages. And of course a key piece from the Bible will be Proverbs 31 (see the previous post). I'm am really excited about the groups, making my going to the project more satisfying.

I find it hard to believe that I am half way through my time here in Guatemala. I have 6 weeks remaining before returning to the States. I love the apartment we are renting and I will sorely miss it when I leave!

Beauty

2009-04-19T10:24:00.003-04:00

Beauty is the 65 year old woman looking older than her years and learning to read and write.

Beauty is the 38 year old woman, missing most of her front teeth and the remaining ones decaying, as she carefully considers what letter comes next as she attempts to print her own first name.

Beauty is the 33-year old mother of 7 children as she attempts to complete her math lesson while attending to her 3-year old and nursing her 18-month old.

Beauty is the woman whose blouse is covered with permanent stains as well as those from her morning of working in the dump, coming to learn how to do simple addition.

"A woman of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies....She is clothed with strength and dignity...." (Prv. 31:10, 25)

Beauty are the women who despite their life in the city dump are committed to improving themselves and providing a better life for their children.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the God who created all of these women in God's own image has pronounced them good and beautiful.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T15:19:00.002-04:00

Easter was not quite what I expected. before going to the english-speaking fellowship that I attend, I want to go to a full service with Easter music, flowers, a celebration of the Resurrection. I also anticipated that the streets would be decorated in celebration of Easter. What I found was that the streets were silent and empty and the church I planned to attend was closed. The black and purple Lenten banners were still hanging from windows. At the fellowship gathering I learned that the big day here in Antigua is Good Friday. In fact the biggest processions take place on Good Friday. The day of Resurrection sees less of the celebration and enthusiasm that is seen earlier in the week. Elizabeth told me that things are better then they used to be and now some of the priests do preach a message of hope on Easter Sunday. Stores were open and things seemed like business as usual. It felt rather anti-climatic given all that had been going on during the week.

Later today there will be two processions, but not much more to recognize what I believe to be the height of the Christian year. In the afternoon I did hear some bells ringing.

The church where I did find a service was at what looked like a storefront protestant church called La Vida Y Fe. It turned out to be a large warehouse-type space, seating between 100-200 people. There was a praise team led primarily by the pastor. There was singing and praising that lasted for an hour, interspersed with prayers and exhortations by the pastor. After an hour someone joined the pastor and began to interpret into english what the pastor was saying. I had to leave at that point in order to get to the english-speaking service because I was leading that. I look forward to going again to La Vida and being able to remain for the whole time.

All in all I am still processing the whole Easter experience in Antigua and what it means for the people.

Hasta Luego.

Holy Week

2009-04-10T10:54:00.003-04:00

Today is Friday of Holy Week, and like all of Lent, Holy Week is something one must experience in Antigua to really appreciate the contrasts and complexities of the observances. I will do my best to describe in words what the expereince is like, but I will also post photos and video clips to bring you closer into the exppereince.

So, let me describe for Holy Thursday in La Antigua. But, first you need to know that now that Holy Week is here, processions are everyday and will conclude with the large procession on Easter. Each day a procession begins at a different church and has a different theme and a different route. Wednesday was "Jesus Nazareno del Milagro," yesterday was "Jesus Nazareno del Perdon," and today's is "Jesus Nazareno de la Merced." They usually begin early morning and last until anywhere between 10:30 pm and 1:00 am. Yesterday's began at 1:00 in the afternoon and was not concluded until almost 12 midnight. The procession for today began at 4:00 this morning and is suppose to conclude at 2:00 this afternoon.

As I mentioned in another post, the people and will make "alfombras," in the streets for the procession to pass over. Picture carpets of flowers and colored sand or sawdust instead of palm branches. Because the procession last night did not completely conclude until after midnight (that includes the cleaning crew following behind the procession to clean up all the trampled alfombras) some people began making their alfombras for today's procession last night.

Well, back to Holy Thursday. I went out early in the morning to walk around and take some photos in a part of town I had never been to. In that section people were already hard at work creating their alfombras. I was there between 8:30 and 9:00, and it was obvious that some of the folks had already been at work for several hours. I took some photos and made a few video clips of the community and festive nature of alfombra creation. It is a community affair in that neighbors work together to create the alfombra that will cover the street in front of their homes. In addition there was often music playing: Some played recordings of the processional music, while one group was playing "oldies" from the States. Vendors were out selling little toys and cotton candy and others had set carts, booths and makeshift kitchens in the park and church courtyard, cooking and selling tortillas, and a variety of hot foods.

In the afternoon around 1:00 I went to my language school to watch the beginning of the procession from the San francisco Church. The procession was scheduled to pass in front of the school upon its return to the church. The scheduled time was 10:30 pm. Work started on our school alfombra just before 2:00 in the afternoon and was not completed until around 7:30 or 8:00. I worked for most of the day, but returned home about 7:00 to get something to eat. The finished product was absolutely amazing to behold. On either end we had the school logo and in the middle were representations of Jesus praying and "Jesus the Good Shepherd." That evening as people were walking around viewing the alfombras, many people stopped to view ours and commented on how striking it was. The others on our street were also beautiful, but were less intricate and made with flowers and evergreens. The others also took far less time to make and therefore were not started until just about 2 hours before the procession was due to pass.

The making of an alfombra is a very exciting and interesting experience. Everyone knows that once the procession passes over, the alfombras they are completely destroyed. But yet, there is a love and devotion that goes into creating these incredible works of art. I know that for myself, as I was doing my part there was only the fleeting thought that what I was doing would be destroyed in just a few short hours, never to be seen again. The beauty and creativity put forth in a few hours, viewed by many, only to be gone forever within a few short minutes. It was not a futile effort and it reminded me of the transitory nature of life itself. However, although life is transitory, a life lived well is never a life lived in vain.

The life of an alfombra consists of the creation of the alfombra, viewing the finished product and watching others enjoy it, watching the procession pass over and destroy it, and then seeing the cleaning crew come along and shovel away the remains into a dump truck. And in that experience my emotions were many: The joy of creating something that had a specific purpose (at the time we did not know what the end product was going to be or what it would look like, we were only told where to put the different colors); there was also a sense of joy and some pride upon seeing the finished design, mixed with a feeling of awe. And as I watched the procession pass over, it was a bittersweet experience: sadness as the image was brushed away by the shuffling of hundreds of feet over it carrying the image of Jesus carrying his cross; but also a satisfaction that the alfombra had served the purpose for which it was created. It was in a word a sacramental moment. And after all, it that not what life is all about? Making something of our lives and living it in such a way as to fulfill the purpose for which God placed us on this earth, and in so doing experiencing the grace of God.

An alfombra has a short but beautiful life span: born of the devotion and love of many hands, admired by many, everyone knowing that within a few short hours it will have passed from existence. But for the devote Roman Catholics (and some others) the alfombra will serve the purpose of carpeting the path of the representation of the Savior and the Holy Mother.

As I said early on, words just cannot convey the experience: You had to be there. And I'm glad I was!

To view the photos and video clip just click on the Facebook link in menu on the left.

Hasta Luego,

Enjoy a blessed Day of the Resurrection

New Home

2009-04-06T14:26:00.002-04:00

I am no longer with my home-stay family, but moved last Wednesday into an apartment here in La Antigua. I was approached by one of the other volunteers who was looking for someone to share an apartment he had found. The price seemed a little high when he told me about it, but upon seeing decided that it was well worth the price. It is a two bedroom apartment with two bathrooms. All utilities are included, which also includes trash pick up, a television with cable (about 70 channels, about 15 from the States, including HBO and Cinemax; regrettable no Sci-Fi channel!) internet access, and a washing machine. The place is also fully furnished including all dishes and cookware, sheets, and towels. In order to get it for the price we negotiated, the cleaning lady is not included (we told the owner that we each have hands and can do the cleaning ourselves). Rather than an apartment, it feels more like a small house. There is a small enclosed patio in the back where the washing machine is located and there is a nice patio table with two chairs. I really like the place and in fact living here will save me a little bit of money because I no longer have to go someplace and buy food in order to use their free internet, and I no longer have to pay to have my laundry done. Although I will no longer have meals provided, a bowl of cereal works well for breakfast, and since lunch is served at the project, instead of bringing my own, I will eat what is served there. The real food expense then becomes dinner, but rice, beans, avocados and vegetables can go a long way. I am currently waiting for my frijoles to cook (an all day endeavor!). The rent was $600/month, but the owner was willing to let us have it for $500, $250 each. Everything is negotiable in Guatemala!

The place is really nice and quite comfortable, and I also really like having a bathroom and shower that are indoors; no more walking through the cold early morning air to get to the shower. Now if I want to take a shower at night, there will be light other then moonlight

My room-mate is from New York, and when I leave in May, he will remain in the apartment until he leaves in July.

Hasta luego from my new digs!

Reflection

2009-04-05T20:30:00.002-04:00

Who Is More Deserving?

Who is more deserving, who should receive the coin in my hand?

Do I help the mother with two children who sits with hand outstretched just a few yards from another woman who sits alone also with hand outstretched?

Do I help the mother with two young children by her side or the one who who soon will have another baby to join the one that sits by her side?

Who is more deserving, who should be helped?

Do I help the the man blind man who sits day after day, sometimes offering music in return for some type of donation?

Or perhaps I need to offer my coin to the man who sits on the curb beside his crutches? But what about the man who sits beside the device that helps him to move his legless body?

Who is more deserving, who needs the help?

Should I give the coin to the elderly woman who sits in the midday sun with a cloth over her face as shelter from the heat? Or perhaps the child who stands alone when he should be in school.

Who is more deserving, who should receive the single pitiful coin that I can offer?

Jesus said that the poor would always be with us?

But did he mean like this? Homeless, rejected, ignored, passed by with out even a glance.

Desperate people coming each day to work at the same corner or patch of ground in hopes of some act of kindness, charity, goodness, or guilt from those who pass by.

Who is more deserving, who should receive the coin I hold in my hand?

Violence in Guatamala City

2009-03-29T11:17:00.003-04:00

This week was a short week for the volunteers of Camino Seguro due to shootings in the capital. On Tuesday afternoon we were informed that the school might be closed on Wednesday due to the murder of four bus drivers that morning. Unfortunately the killing of bus drivers is a common occurrence it he capital, but the four that morning brought the total to 30 for this year. There was concern not only for the safety of volunteers and Camino children and families, but also concern that the bus drivers might go on strike as a way of demanding that the government do something.

The reason for the shootings? Extortion by the gangs of Guatemala City. The gangs in the capital are large and very organized and they charge business and individuals to pay them "impuestos", taxes, to keep form being killed. When people refuse to pay, the "mareros" kill them. Because the buses are so heavily travelled, they carry a large amount of money from the cash fares people pay when they board. As a result, imposing impuestos on the buses can be very profitable for the mareros. Their approach is to board the bus and demand an impuesto; if the driver and/or passengers refuse, they are killed on the spot. In the case of Tuesday morning , four buses in different parts of the city were boarded between 6 am and 9:30 am. As a result everyone was sent home early on Tuesday, and we were told that we would not come in Wednesday and again for Thursday.

People are worried because this year's killings are more than last year, and the violence seems to be increasing. Last week a Korean couple was found murdered in their home and there was at least one other murder. Even the churches are not immune. Last week, one of the churches was approached and told to pay an impuesto. The pastor has refused, and now folks are waiting to see what might happen. Please keep that church and their pastor in your prayers that God would protect and deliver them who would attempt to hold control over one of God's churches.

Most people believe that the government is ineffectual in dealing with the gangs and that the gangs out-number and are better armed than the police. There is also the widespread belief that because of corruption in the government, there is little motivation to address the issue.

And so the people carry on, riding the buses, trying to make a living and hoping that all will be well. Just as so many people depend on the buses for getting to work (many coming from outside the capital), the capital's economy and functioning are just as dependent on the folks being able to get to work. If the bus drivers were to refuse to drive, and workers were not able to get into the city or travel around the city, there would be a great deal of chaos. If you live in a large metropolitan center such as Boston, try to imagine all the public transportation shutting down for a day or two.

Going back to the church that was threatened, I heard from someone in the city that some of the churches had started to think about how to respond. It looks like they might try to plan some type of prayer service at the church. They do not want to do anything that might bring more attention to the gangs, since that is what they love. For the sake of the church that was threatened, and for the sake of the unity of the body of Christ, I pray that they do respond in some way. My feeling is that there needs to be some type of visible witness that they church only bows down to God and no other, and that the people of God are a united force against evil.

For the time being, Camino volunteers have been advised not to use buses. The only other option is to use taxis--which sometimes have their own way of extorting money out of foreigners.

Please pray for the peace of the city, not only Guatemala City, but other cities where evil seeks to gain a foothold.

Hasta Luego.

Pictures

2009-03-22T20:08:00.001-04:00

I have added a Facebook Badge to my homepage. If you click on it, (in the menu bar on the left) you will be brought directly to my Facebook page and will be able to view my Camino and Guatemala photos.

Hasta Luego.

End of the Second Week

2009-03-22T11:33:00.003-04:00

This has been a very interesting week. I spent most mornings helping with the mothers and the afternoons helping in a third grade class. I do a lot of one-on-one work with a woman named "Betty." Betty is 51 years old and is just learning to read and write; she is probably at about a second grade level. Betty is amazing to watch: She puts so much effort into writing her practice exercises and really wants them to be correct. During English class this week, she copied down everything that the teacher wrote on the board, even though she could not understand most of it.

Betty is a small Guatamalteca, who wears traditional clothing and who stands a bit under 5 feet tall. She has an infectious smile and always has something humorous to share. When she is having difficulty doing her exercises, she blames it on not having had her coffee that morning. Betty is also a woman of faith and so for some of her writing exercises I give her simple Bible verses to copy. If I can find some simply written Bible texts, I will bring those for her to practice her reading. Like many of the other people of faith that I have met here, there confidence in God is the source of their strength and encouragement.

"Murray" is a young man about 17 years old. He is in the senior high class that I have sometimes be in. Murray often brings Christian CD's to play while the students are doing their homework, and carries his Bible in his backpack. Murray was visibly upset the other day, when one of the other boys was playing a secular rap CD and later a popular secular radio station. He is actively involved in his church and sings in the choir. He can often be heard singing in the classroom or as he walks by outside. Please keep Murray and two of his friends in your prayers. Murray said that they are all going through some difficulties and has asked for prayers for family and the families of his friends. I asked him if it would be OK if I shared the request with my friends, and he greatly appreciated that others would be invited to pray for them. So please keep "Murray," "James," and "George" and their families in prayer that God would grant them deliverance from their current struggles.

I also ask for prayers for the many people who are on the streets of Antigua begging for food and money. It is so difficult to walk by them everyday-sometimes more than once a day, knowing that I don't have the resources with me to be able to give something to each one. It is an overwhelming sight, especially the mothers who are there with their very young children. Children who are able to walk and talk, are also at work along side their parents asking for food and money. Regrettably, one becomes somewhat accustomed to the fact that every day at the same spot will be the same blind fellow with no legs holding out his hand for some type of offering; or that the elderly woman with tattered clothing will always be in front of the ruins of one of the churches hoping that someone will respond to her pleas for assistance. I guess, I could use another street--most of the people are on 4a. Calle-one of the streets for tourists who want to shop. However, habit and a fear of getting loss keep me on 4a. Calle; but also to take another street would be to deny the reality that there are many in this tourist-ladened town who have no visible means of self-sufficiency.

And where is the church in the midst of the hunger, the spousal abuse, the poverty? Well, according to some of the Guatamaltecos with whom I've spoken, the church, in general, is not being very helpful. Many have of negative view for two reasons: 1. Some feel that the Roman Catholic Church is not doing enough to help the people, and in some cases, i.e. spousal abuse, the church through its rigid teachings often leaves people in dangerous situations. 2. In terms of the Protestant Church-the majority being evangelical churches, some people believe that in those churches the primary concern of he pastors is gaining more money and material possessions for themselves. Like the government and most other structures in Guatemala, some people eye the church with suspicion and see just as much corruption there that they see in other aspects of the society.

Here in Antigua, I have been hard pressed to find a Protestant church to attend. There is a large one in Guate, but it would require taking a bus and a cab to get there; and I have been advises over and over again not to travel alone into Guate (unfortunately, there is a serious problem with gangs, and just the other day a cab driver along with a police officer swindled approximately 280Q (about $35) out of some volunteers from the project.). A friend of my homestay attends an evangelical church, and if I can find out more about it, I will ask about attending with her. I have also received information about the Primitive Methodist Church here in Guatemala, and will be in touch with the contact to see if there is a church near to Antigua.

But all in all, the Church needs a more visible and more gospel-oriented presence here. By that I mean that people need to see the churches out and addressing the most pressing needs of the people. Here in Antigua there is one church that runs a medical facility and works with those with physical and mental disabilities. It also happens to be the church that provides space to the St. Mark's Ecumenical Fellowship. That is the worhip service that I attended last week. It consisted of 11 people and caters to english-speaking tourists. It is lead by a former RC nun-Elizabeth, using the Book of Common Prayer. There is no communion because there is no ordained person. I told Elizabeth that I am ordained in the UMC and would be willing to assist and also consecrate the sacraments if she would like. And rather than a sermon, it is a time of each sharing his/her reflection on the scriptures that have been read.

I think that is all for now.

Tonight, it's off to see "The Dark Knight." There is a place here that offers free movies with dinner. Last week I saw "Mama Mia," and had a great dinner for 42Q, a little over $5. If one does not have anything to eat or drink, the movie costs 15Q, a little less than $2.00. Can't beat that! (The exchange rate is $1=8Q.)

Hasta Luego

Reflection

2009-03-22T11:01:00.002-04:00

Jesus Says...

Jesus says, "let the children come to me..."

The 10-year old boy whose clothes are dirty and smell of garbage;

the 9-year old girl who can barely reach the sink as she scrubs and washes clothes to make them clean.

Jesus says, "let the children come to me..."

The 11-year old girl who must now care for a child of her own;

the girl who studiously copies from others the answers for her homework.

Jesus says, "let the children come to me..."

The 10-year old boy who hungrily and hastily eats the food discarded by others;

the baby who lies limply in his mother's arms as she begs for money for food.

Jesus says, "let the children come to me..."

Those with flees, those with lice; those covered with unexplained bruises and those covered with bites from rats within their home; those who shriek regularly for no apparent reason. Those who make their home in the city dump and whom others view only as garbage.

Jesus loves all the little children: All the children of the world.

"People will know you are my followers by your love."

Photos

2009-03-21T20:39:00.003-04:00

Finally, as promised, here are the urls to my photo albums on Facebook.

Guatemala: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006358&id=1398931251&l=f73db83aa7

Santiago: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001509&id=1398931251&l=aa6efbf0fd

The links are not active, so you will need to copy the information into your browser and click "enter."

Hasta Luego

First Week

2009-03-12T20:18:00.003-04:00

This has been my first week volunteering at the project and it has been very interesting. The first day I spent the entire day in one of the classrooms. The first half of the day the teacher had high school students; the second half of the day she had third graders. At the end of the day, I was a bit disappointed, because of what seemed to me a lack of teaching or instruction with the students. The next day at a volunteer meeting we were reminded that the program is not a school, but a "reinforcement center." The explanation served to slightly abate my sense of disappointment. However, I still believe that the students would receive more teaching because of the disadvantages they face in school compared to children whose circumstances are different.

The second day, I spent the morning in the Women's Literacy Program and I loved it there. The center helps the mothers of children in the program to learn to read and write, as well as teaching them basic math skills. Many of the women have also learned how to make jewelry from materials they collect at the dump. They create beautiful pieces made of recycled materials and have been able to sell those pieces, making more more with a few sales than they can make after days of working in the dump. Subsequently, the women are in the process of creating their own cooperative for selling their jewelry. It is very exciting being with them, and today watching how they carry out their "business." My assignment from this time forward with be with the women, first working with them only in the mornings, and within the next week of so, working with them for the entire day.

Tomorrow, there are no classes because of staff and volunteer training. One of the speakers we are expecting is Patch Adams, (no, not Robin Williams!). On Saturday, I begin my weekly Spanish classes for 3 hours each Saturday.

The week at the project has been very interesting. While there is hope that the children are receiving an opportunity for changing their life circumstances, there is still an underlying sadness for me. As I watch them voraciously eat their meals, knowing that the meal they receive at the project may be the best or only meal they receive that day. As I watch the children eating their lunch, often if a child does not want the rest of her meal, she will give it to another who will eagerly eat it along with what she already has (the servings are large servings, even for an adult.) Today I watched one little girl receiving meat from other students and placing it in plastic bag she had in her "mochila," backpack. Meat is something that most kids do not receive on any kind of regular basis at home, even those who are not poor.

The other and probably greatest sadness for me is that there is no Christian education. It is a secular program, and there really is no teaching for the children on their value as creations of God, or on the fact that God loves them. Instead, Hanley Denning, the founder has an almost venerated status. Her picture hangs in every classroom, and in the corridors there are either large paintings or photographs of her.

Today, it also occurred to me what a challenge it is for me to be in a completely non-Christian environment with little contact with other Christians. There really are no apparent values that bind the volunteers together in terms of why they are here and what motivates them to offer help to the children. The conversations are also a bit limited and usually center around parties and drinking, and going out drinking. I realize a part of it has to do with my "advanced" age compared to the majority of them, but part of it, I believe, has to do with the fact the the motivating factor for their being here is that it gives them something to do while they try to figure out what to do with the life. Or maybe, I'm just out of touch with the life of 20-somethings.

This week contained a lot of images and impressions, so I share in the next post a reflection with you as a summary of my week.

Hasta Luego

Volcan Pacayo

2009-03-08T13:01:00.002-04:00

Why did Marcelle climb Volcan Pacayo? Because it was there.

Yesterday there was a group trip to visit and climb Volcan Pacayo, the smallest of the active volcanoes in Guatemala. Antigua is bordered by Volcan del Fuego to the west, and one of the largest,Volcan de Agua to the south. It is quite a beautiful and magnificent site.

For our school trip we made the hour-drive to Volcan Pacayo and were led by our guide up the side of the volcano. It took about 90 minutes to climb. The guide was only allowed to take us up to a certain point because of the risk of going further. There had been an eruption 8 says ago and there was a lot of soft and loose dried lava. However, if there were those who wanted to continue higher, they could do so, but without the guide. So, a large group of us headed up to a level just a few hundred meters below the crater at the top. it was basically on top of a mound of dried lava from a few days ago. It was quite amazing to climb as well as difficult. It was like trying to walk in very deep snow, as my feet sunk with each step. Where there was not the "sand" there were the lava stones and rocks which were not very secure. (the reason that the guides were not allowed to bring us any higher was because there had been an avalanche of loose stones a couple of weeks ago and 12 people were hurt.) It was probably not the wisest thing I have ever done, but once we reached the landing, it was well worth the risk and the climb. It was quite hot and there was a fissure that we could look into and see the red and glowing flames beneath the surface. Some people place their walking sticks above the fissure and they ignited within seconds! It was worth the climb and the risk. Coming down was also a bit dicey, but we basically made it in one piece. We then hiked down the volcano in the dark, which in itself was also quite an adventure. And yes, I did take pictures.

Hasta Luego,

Marcelle

Life in Guatemala

2009-03-08T12:12:00.002-04:00

I decided it would probable be a good idea to tell you a little about life here in Guatemala. First of all, it is a very beautiful country. I am living in Antigua, a town full of ruins from the colonial days of Guatemala. The streets are cobblestone, making for very bumpy rides. People who do not have cars travel by chicken buses (literally) or by the very abundant elaborately decorated school buses. These are usually packed beyond capacity. All along hte streets of Antigua are many vendors, selling everything from traditional Guatemalan clothing to candy, papaya, and all kinds of other "stuff!"

I live on 7ma. Calle Oriente, No. 29, and it is just a two minute walk to the school where I have Spanish classes, La Union. There are a quite a few people in my language school, but it is just many of many throughout the town. Antigua is a very popular spot for tourists, some here for a while, others just passing through as they tour around Latin America. Subsequently, many of these tourists are taking language classes so that they can better communicate with the locals. The schools also provide opportunities for building community among the students. la Union sponsors various "actividades" so that we have opportunities to improve our language abilities as well as learn more about the culture.

As one walks along hte streets, it is amazing the number of tourist who are here from all over the world. Things are especially busy now because people are here in anticipation of "Semana Santa"-Holy Week. Easter is a big deal here in Antigua and thousands will flock to the city for the Semana Santa celebrations, in particular the processions. Every Sunday there are now processions during "Cuaresma," Lent. These offer a prelude to what will happen during Semana Santa. A major part of the processions -and one of the reasons so many people come to Antigua during this time, are the "alfombras." These are made with colored sand and sawdust arranged into beautiful designs and them sprayed with water to keep them from blowing away in the wind. Each home or business on the streets through which the processions pass, will create an alfombra in the road in front of their home for the procession to pass over. The designs are very elaborate and can be quite big, sometimes taking up the road for an entire block. I am told that on Holy Thursday my language school will be creating an alfombra and all the students are invited to participate in its creation. If I don't have to be at the project working, I hope to take part.

Because of the influx of people during this time, and especially Semana Santa, many local leave town. The police have also set up check points at all entrances to the town and they charge a tax to enter to all who are not residents of Antigua. This has proved to be a big money maker for the town. However, many residents have mixed feeling about it: It ties up traffic, but also, they are not so sure where the money is going.

Just being here a week, I have heard a lot about corruption in the government and other policies and practices that seem unfair or unjust. For example, there are many poor people living at the Guatemala City dump (where I will do my volunteer work). The people there earn what little money they can by collecting those items that can be recycled (milk jugs, cardboard, tin) and selling them to companies. Not only do they not make much money for their work (less than $1 dollar for two days of work to fill one large bag) they must pay the municipal workers in order to "work" in the "basureo," dump. The municipality has set a clinic and day care for the people, but again, they are charged for the services. As a result many of hte people go without medical treatment, and children who are able to walk are also workers along side their parents.

Another point of irritation is the new power plant at the foot of the Pacayo Volcano. Electricity is generated using the underground heat of the Volcano. The plant was built with donations from Israel, and the energy is used to power Mexico and El Salvador, not Guatemala.

The other interesting thing about Antigua (I do not know yet if the same holds true for Guatemala City) is the number of United States expatriates living here. It is quite astonishing. Many came for vacation or as part of trying to figure out what to do with their life and ended up remaining. Some are here until their money runs out, others have made a life here, have married and are raising (bilingual) children. In fact, the majority of the people in my language school are people in their twenties who are searching for something in life. At this point, all of the people whom I have met who are also here to volunteer with Camino Seguro are teenagers and people in their twenties. I am the "old lady" of the volunteers, and even the paid staff. Most of the volunteer staff and paid staff are "estadounidodenos" (US citizens) in their twenties.

These are just some of the tidbits that I have learned in my first week. As the weeks pass, and I learn more about "Life in Guatemala," I will share my findings with you.

Continuing The Way

2009-03-03T18:42:00.002-05:00

Well, I actually did return to the States,from Spain, although I neglected to mention that. Having lived so simply for my time on the Camino, upon returning there was a bit of culture shock. As I unpacked some belonging to use in my new residence I was shocked by the number of hangers I owned. Why does any one individual need so many hangers for so many clothes?!? Within two weeks of returning, I headed to Rwanda for a second time to visit my sponsored child Emmanuel, and then headed back again in February. I am currently in Guatemala, having arrived yesterday after a snow delay in Boston. I will be here for the next three months doing volunteer work for Camino Seguro (Safe Passage) which works with children whose family live in the city dump of Guatemala City. My expectation is that the experience will teach me more about the lives and circumstances of persons who because of lack of options find themselves in a life of poverty. My prayer is that my own understanding, and resposne to the issue of poverty will be vastly different, including my own lifestyle of privilege. Today, my first full day in Guatemala, I registered at La Union Langauge School and had my first session with my teacher. We will meet for 5 hours/day for 5 days. The model at the school is one of one-on-one instruction. For 5 hours it is just me and my maestra. It is 5 hours of converstation which involvers her correcting my mistakes. For tomorrow she wants us to spend time on vocabulary and grammar review. There are lots of folks from all over the world at the school. Some are here while visting Guatemala or Central America. Others like me are here to learn the language in preparation for volunteer work. As part of our learning, the school schedules a variety of activities that will not only help us to learn the language but also expose us to various aspects of the culture. Our activity today was to visit an artisan cooperative of 5 Mayan families who work to teach and preserve the Mayan culture. They demosntrated a Mayan wedding, including dressing some of the student in traditonal Mayan wedding garb. We were then treated to the traditonal dish that is served at weddings and is a tradional food in Guatemala. It is a mildly spicy dish called pipián. It is made with chili and contains beans and was served with boiled chicken. We also were able to shop among the many crafted items that they had made. For my three months here, I am living at the home of Julita Lima along with two other women from the States and 2 young Guatemalan girls. Next week when I begin my volunteer work, it will be in Guatemala City, about 45 minutes away. There is a bus provided by the program that brings us into the city each day and then returns us to La Antigua at the end of the day. Even after only one day, I already love it here and look forward to the next three months. As I contemplate the fact that I am actually here in Guatemala and will be here for three months, I just feel amazed and astounded that God would allow me to have such an experience!!! Marcelle Dotson is actually in Guatemala!!! In fact, if I had not gone to France and then to Spain to follow the Camino, I probably owuld not have had the faith nor courage to take this step. Thanks be to God who always provides opportunities for us to stretch and grow beyond the limits of our imagination! Hasta Luego, Marcelle

Safe & Sound

2008-08-21T13:51:00.002-04:00

First, let me just let everyone know that I am safe and sound. I arrived in Santiago on Sunday and it was a wonderful experience. I am not scheduled to leave Spain until Saturday, so I was not anywhere in the vicinty of the plane crash in Bajaras. I am currently in Finisterr. It took 3 days to arrive here and it was more exciting for me to arrive here than it was to arrive in Santiago. Part of it is because, Santiago was part of a joruney, and the arrival to the cathedral was not an end point for me, as it was for others. It had always been about the journey and not the destination. Finisterr, however, holds sigificance, because it is arrival at the "end of the world," and the opportuiyt to experince the majesty of God while looking out to the Atlantic ocean. It will also be an opprtuiyt to watch the sun set over the Atlantic. A number of us will head to the coast tonight for the traditonal watching the sunset and burning of clothes we have worn on the Camino. The ritual signifies a doing away with the old and the beginning of a new life. For some it also involves bathing in the waters of hte Atlantic. For me, I will use the opportunity to remember my baptism and give thanks to God for a safe journey and a continued guidance in the Camino that continues in life beyond this experience. A passage of scriptues says that God will giove us the desires of our heart. As I began the Way of St. James, last year in France, and continued this year, the comment I often heard was, "I cant´t imagine ever doing something like that." In journeying along the Camino, a major lesson for me has been if I can imagine it, and can be open to the possibility, it is only a few steps before the possiblity becomes reality. I have come to believe that imagination is our ability to be open to the dreams and possibilities God places in our heart. If I am open to the possibilites, God usually has a way of making the possibilty a reality. I have learned to not place limitations on God by saying, "I can´t imagine doing...," because once I make that statement, I close myself to whattever dreams and possibilities God has for me. A pilgrim tha I met shared with me another way of hearing the scriture to which I referred earlier. For her, and I agree, it is when we are open that GOd will place desires within our heart, and then God will turn those desires into reality. And so, my dream is to remain oopen to the desires and dreams God places within my heart, and to be ready to follwo them wherever God might lead: France, Spain, Africa, Guatemala....God will place desires/dreams within your heart; may you be open to allowing God to turn them into reality. Dream it, believe that it is possible, and watch God make it real. I am all walked out, and will not be going to Muxia, there is no need. I just made my reservation to fly back to the States and tomorrow I will take a bus back to Santiago, have dinner with some friends and fly out on Saturday morning. God bless you all, and may you be blessed as you follow your Camino.

Almost There

2008-08-15T11:58:00.002-04:00

Well, today I arrived in Azua. Not much here except hords of pilgrims! Some will reach Santiago tomorrow, others like myself will reach there on Sunday. The last couple of days travelling the Camino have been very interesting. At this point there are many more pilgrims on the road and the word I have chosen to describe the situation is "hords." Every where one looks or turns, there are pilgrims. The increase in numbers is for a couple of reasons: One, several of hte other routes have converrged into one. The other reason is that we have reached the 100k point and in order to receive the Compestela, many new pilgrims are joining the journey. There is now a feelilng of frenzy as all of these people rush their way to Santiago. I have been travelling at my regular meditative pace, but two days ago when I arrived at the out beyond city limit albergue I had chosen, the two places were full and had no more beds. My only option was to walk another two hours to the next town, arriving there a bit after 5. When I walked up to the albergue there were a number of people sitting outside. A couple of people I recognized informed me that everything in that village was full and that everything in Portomarin (the large town 2 hours away) was also full. These 2 persons had ordered a taxi to take them to Portomarin and had been informed that there was a private albergue with a few beds left, of course it would cost more than a public albergue, which is usually free or up 8 euros. They invited me to share the taxi with them to go to Portomarin and the driver contacted a private albergue that had some beds. They invited me to share a room with them and we were able to reserve three beds in a private room for 45 euros. As the taxi drove us to Portomarin, we passed scores of pilgrims who were making their way to the town not knowing that everything was full. As it turned out, the town opened up the sports center and the opverflow of pilgrims were housed there for the night. They had to sleep on the floor, which was OK for those who had a proper sleeping bag and perhaps a mat. For those like myself who have only a sleep sack, it was going to be an uncomforatable night. I continue to thank God for the couple and their invitation to share the taxi and a room. They are a father and daughter from Norway. The father, Ragnar, is 74 and wanted to travel the Camino, but his wife did not want him to go alone, so his daughter, Kari, decided to come with him. This has been the most time they have every spent together and they are enjoying it a great deal. Yesterday, I was concerned that I might face a similar situation of no bed. Again I had chosen an albergue in a small village beyond city limits, but thanks be to God, I was able to get the next to last bed. The Camino at this stage, for some, has become more otr less a competition to get a bed for the albergue fills up. The sign that no pilgrim wants to see, after a long tiring walk, is "Completo." The struggle at this stage ios not to get caught up in the frenzy. The books I read, and folks with whom I had spoken early in the journey all talked about the great numebrs of pèople who join the Caminio in the last 100k and the difficulty in securing a bed, I just didn´t think it would be this crazy. Some people are literally starting to walk at 4 or 5 in the morning in order to arrive at an albergue by 11 or 12 so that they can stand in line for a bed. You must understand, the sun does not rise until after 7! So these folks are walking in the dark, using their flashlights trying to find and follow the yellow arrows that indicate the path. Amazing!!!! A couplñe of times I was beginning to become frustrated and a little TO'd that the late comers were receiving the same consideration for a bed as those who have been walking for several weeks. But then God reminded of hte parable of the workers who all receeived that same wages, even though some of them did not start working unitl the end of the day. At that point, my rigtheous indignation cooled down. I do, however, have to keep reminding myself of that parable to keep my attitude in check! Well, I have my little albergues picked out for the next couple of days, and by the grace of God, I will have a bed for the next three nights. Since I plan to spend a rest day in Santiago, I will stay in a place Sunday night which will allow me to stay two nights. The general rule in albergues is that you are only allowed to stay one night unless you are ill and unable to walk. Until next time.

Unbelievable

2008-08-12T10:53:00.002-04:00

Today is Tuesday and I arrived in Triascatela between 2 and 2:30. The albegue I had hoped to stay in was full, and so was my second choice. I found one that was not on any of my list and it turned out to be quite nice. It has a lodge feel to it and has a dining dining area as well as a separate room with several computers for internet. It may be the best albergue I have stayed in thus far. But what truly amazes me is taht yesterday when I was reviewing the stages I have left, I realized that I will be in Santiago on Sunday! Time has gone by so quickly, I thought I had a couple of weeks before I reached arrived. Unbelievable! If I leave a little ealrier thatn usual on Sunday, I should be able to arrive in Santiago in time to catch a morning worship service. I still can´t beleive that I am almost there. Once there, I will have the rest of Sunday to explore and will take Monday as a rest day to explore and manke travel arrangements for the return home. On Tuesday, I will head out for Finesterra (the End of the World), it should take me 3 day to get there. Once there, I will decide whether I will walk another day to Muxia, or take the bus. Today´s walk was begin with a steep uphill climb into O´Cebeiros, and as we were entering the province of Galicia, we were greeted by the famous Galician rains. To say the least, it was not an easy climb in the cold and the rain, and being so high up gusty winds. But it was worth it because having entered Galicia, we have entered the last province of the Camino, of which Santiago is the capital. The language here willbe differenct: in addition to Spanish, the people speak the Galician dialect which has some resemblance to Portuguese. It is also an area where many of the ancient non-Christian religious tradtions ahve survived. Subsequently, one see not only Christian artifacts beingsold, but a variety of others, of which I am not familiar. There is a strong sense ofhte mystical here in the region and culture aspects that have a strong Celtic flavor. I´m looking forward to my rest day in Santiago to explore the culture and food a bit more. I want to send up another prayer request. This one is for Martina who is from Holland. She is a heavy-et woman and has asthma and so the climbing presetns her with some difficulties. She would really like to make it to Santiago, so please keep her in prayer as she tries to manage her asthma whild negotiating the difficult climbs, high altitude, and probably more hot weather. Over the past several weeks, I have seen some incredible churches and cathedrals that are just magnificent to behold. It makes one wonder about the faith and dedication of the people of ancient times to have built such incredible structures, structures that are trully meant to glorify teh majesty of God. But despite all their beauty, there was another structure that impressed me even more. (Rob, if you´re reading this, I think you´ll understand.) The structure that imporessed me more than the churches was teh Castle of hte Templars. I must confess, I was totally blown away by the structure, not because it was in any way beautiful, only because it brought to mind every fantasy and adventure book I´ve ever read or film I´ve ever seen. I was reliving portions of Robin Hood, LOTR, Man in the Iron Mask; you name it, and as I went thorugh the castle, scenes from all of these went through my head! Waht can I say?!?

2008-08-10T10:54:00.000-04:00

Please pray for Michael. He started walking from Germanyin April, and although we are about 10 days form Santiago, he is not sure he can keep going. He is feeling physically and emotionally at his limit. To make matters worse, he is suffering from pain that extends from his hip and down his leg. Please pray for healing and restoration of his spirit that he may continue. Please also pray for the spouses that were convinced by their husbands or campanions to make this journey. I do not think that walking the Camino is the dream vacation they always hoped for. I met one Japanese woman who was saying that she doesn´t even like the outdoors. She prefers to be at home watching TV, but her husband convinced her to come on the Camino for their vacation. For a couple of the other woman it is obvious that the Camino is starting to take a toll on them as I watch them struggle to keep up with their husbands, and struggle on the difficult climbs. One woman has been walking with her husband since they left Holland in April. These women are of a retired age and I do not think the Camino was what they had planned for their retired status. Pray for their encouragement as well as healing for the ones experiencing physical difficulties. Pray for Bernard from England. He joined the Camino yesterday and walked his first stage today. He came because someone said it would be a good idea, but he had no idea what it was or what it would be like. He sees no point in it and is not sure if he will continue. He is not thrilled with the dormitory style living arrangments, and trying to sleep with 40-60 other people in the room. Maybe God brought him to this journey for a reason: pray for revelation. And pray for Leonardo a 15 year old boy from Italy walking with his family. He is delightful for his age and has a proficient command of the Spanish and English languages. There are more and more people joining the Camino at this stage in order to fulfill the requirement of walking or biking the last 100-200K in order to receive the Compostela from the Cathedral. We are currently in Villafranca. In ancient times, if pilgrims made it this far and due to illness or phyiscal hardship cold go no further, thye could pass through the arch of the Iglesia de Santiago here in the village for dispensation and still receive the Compostela. Micheal thinks he may follow the traditon! I´m off to visit the church and take a small tour around town beofre maybe taking a small nap. Tomorrow will be a day of difficult climbing so I want to be well-rested. Ciao!

2008-08-09T10:24:00.002-04:00

This afternoon I arrived in Ponferrada, following one of the steeper climbs on the Camino, if not the steepest. What makes this stage of the journey particularly significant is that it was alñong this stage that I came to the Cruz de Ferro, the Cross of Iron. For centuries, pilgrims have carried rocks from their homes to lay at the foot of this cross, those roacks presenting thier burdens, intercessions, petitions or other prayers. It is an amazing sight to see this mound of rocks and stones leading up to the cross. In addtion to the rocks, folks have places other objects there: pictures, stuffed animal, a pck of cigarettes and a lighter, articles of clothing, and the list goes on and on. Fot some people, it is a symbolic gestrue to be able to leave something at the Cruz de Ferro. For others, the objects hold a particular meaning. I had a rock that I had been carrying since last year: Chris and Richard, my prayers are with you and your families as you face some challenging times. Karen, there is one there for you as you go through this time of loss, and there is one for my family whom I miss. I was also able to obtain some really nice shots of hte sun rising behind the cross. Some of you will get to see these. The depth of the human need to believe that there is some power beyond oneself to aid in time of need is absolutely amazing to me. Whether or not people can claim or acknowledge a belief in God, they have a need to beleive that "something" is out there to help. It is obvious in so many ways along the Camino. Conversations, fences that line the highway or a wooded path, on which people place crosses that they have fashioned, some of them quite creative and elaborate, made from items that people find on the ground around. So many people and so many stories: Armado, who took it upon himslef to be my personal tour guide while I was in Astorga two days ago. He recognized that I was a pilgrim, left his bicycle outside a shop and proceeded to take me to some of the important cultural sights of the city. In his opinion, Astorga has the most cultural attractions of any town on the Camino. Armado is very proud of his hometown. Africa, who today directed me to the correct path when I was heading in the wrong direction, and then proceeded to escort me along a shorter path to the albergue. Michael, who started the Camino in Munich, Germany and has been walking for the past several months. Despite tendinitis and times of discourgament, he still hopes to make it to Santiago. The human spirit is an amazing thing and I give God thanks for its many manifestations. Blessings to all.

Discipline

2008-08-06T09:26:00.002-04:00

I left Leon this morning around 7:00 amd arrived here in San Martin around 1:30, a distance of a about 24K. All is well with the body; no aches or pains anywhere. The dayof rest in Leon gave my feet the time aanbd rest theyt needed to finish healing and be ready to hit the road again. As a result I am able to walk at a comfortable pace that is close to my pace wihtout a fully loaded back pack. The temptation in this is that because I can cover approx. 20-25K by 1:00, I know that I could easily cover 35-40k by the close of the afternoon. It is taking a conscious act of diicpline not to puch myself to "go the extra miles." The only reason to go the extra distance would be to prove myself right in being able to do it, and to feed my need to succeed. It is a very deliberate effort ont he part of this goal oriented, task oriented over achiever, to allow herself to go as far as needed and not push for the extra. I realize that if I were to go for the extra kilometers it would no purpose other than feed my ego. 100% done well is usually enough; there really is no need to always strive for 200%. That is a lesson that is often difficult for me to accept. The Camino is offering me an opportunity to not follow my usual practice of being an over achiever. When I reach my destination and my "work" is completed for the day, I am accepting that it is OK to stop, and not to keep going just beacuse there is still more time available and I could accomplish more. And so, I will try to continue to stop at what ever location I am able to reach by 2 or 3. I will stay conscious of not getting pulled into the midst that many have that they must travel as great a distance as they can every day. I will remember the differentiation that Herriman makes between a pilgrim and a tourist, and not turn my Camino experience into a race for the miles. The bigger challenge will be when I return to the "real" world, where the majority mindset is about over working, over acheiving and pushing for more; trying to fit as much as possible into a limited amount of time, and feeling guilty (or made to feel guilty) when the 200% is not acheived. No Thanks! Buen Camino my friends, and my your journey be one that takes place in a "relaxed manner" at a pace that is healthy and nurturing of your spirit.

Another Saint

2008-08-03T11:32:00.002-04:00

Today I travelled the approx. 30 k from Calzadillo de los Hermaillos to Puente Villarente. I left the albergue just before 6 because I knew the distance was long and I was concerned about the heat. Usually, wif I leave around 7 in the morning the air is cool and sometimes cold. This morning at 6 the air was already warm. I tturned out to be a very hot day. I have decided that each day I will try to complete my walking by 2:00 in hte afternoon. After 1:00 the heat starts to become quite unbearable, and it stays very hot well into the evvening. Staying here at the albergue is a man from Belguim called Herriman. He is 64 years old and three years ago suffered a stroke, and four years ago lost his wife. As a resuslt of hte stroke, he does not have full use of the right side of his body and has a little difficulty with speech. Herriman walks wiht a cane and has thus far covered almost 2000K on the Camino. His plan is to make it Santiago. Herriman is quite the theologian and philosopher and shared his view on what a "real" pilgrim is campared to the "tourists" on the Camino. In his opinion the real pilgrim is the one who is here exploring the inner life and listening for God and watching for God. The toursist are competing to see how many kilometers they can cover each day. Because of his stroke, he is only able to cover about 1 mile/hour., and if he can will try to cover 4K in a day. He states that this allows him to see everything around him and to consider what is going on. He also cannot wear his boots because they are too small. Instead he is walking in soft canvass shoes. This he says allows him to feel every rock along the path. The rocks he compares to the sins in our life of which we must be aware. We try to avoid the bigs ones, but it´s the little ones that often cause us to hurt others. Herriman does not believe in coincidences, but believes that God brings people together for a reason. He talked about the various people God has introduced into his life along the Camino to help him when he needed it. After finishing the Camino, Herriman will got to Fatima and then on to another destination. I wish you could meet him. He is trully an amazing man. I´m well. The blisters are healed and I jsut have a couple of small (but annoying) sore spots on my feet. Other than the heat, the walking is very relaxing and enjoyable. Seeking to stop walking each day at 2:00 will be a good personal care move on my part. Since this "winter girl" is not so keen on hot weather any way, starting early in the morning and ending early in the day will serve both my body and mind well. Others (perhaps the "tourists" push thmesleves to try to cover as much distancce eah day as possible and push themsleves in the afternoon heat. Personally, I do not think this is a wise thing to do. Pilgrims have been known ot die on thCamino from heart-attacks and pushing themsleves too hard. On hte more challenging roads, thare are civil patrol guards patroling the route for any pilgrims who are having difficulty and need a ride. Well, I´m a little more than half the way to Santiago. I cannot beleive how fast time has gone by. My pilgrim passport is half full of stamps. Many of these are ones I collected from churches and other palces along the way that were providing stamps just for stopping by. I bought another passport in case my ohter becomes full before I reach Santiago. We often say that we are like children when it copmes to collecting all these extra stamps. One day a band of Us stood outsied the window of the Unitversity of Navarre because the guard said that we could obtain a stamp there. And we did! I will arrive in Leon tomorrow and will stay there an for my rest day (for real this time!) Blessings.

Amazing People

2008-08-01T11:10:00.003-04:00

Along the Camino, one meets many incredible people. Some are pilgrims, others are folks one meets along the way while walking. Let me introduce you to three of them. The first is Miguel Martinez. As I was searching for the albergue in Itero, an older gentleman came from what appeared to be a garage, took hold of my arm and was trying to lead me into the space. I had no idea what he was saying because he was not using full sentence. The garage was covered in pictures, and of course as a wary American, I was very suspicious. He gave me a slip of paper with his name and address on it, and finally said some words I could understand. He wanted to me send him a letter and when I reached Santiago, he wanted me to embrace the saint for him. (It is the custom that when pilgrims arrive in Santiago, they go the the statue of hte saint embrace it.) Miguel is 91 years old and his hobby is collecting all manner of pictures and putting them up in this space. He has pictures from magazines, pictures of a relgious nature, and many pictures of himself with pilgrims. Every inch of space of the walls and ceiling is covered with pictures. I later brought Mart (Holland) to also meet him. Mart loves to talk and wants everyone´s e-mail so that he can correspond. I knew he would love to meet Sn. Martinez, and he was delighted. Sr. Martinez also gave him one of the slips of paper with his address. He has a small notebook with many copies and gives them to pilgrims as they pass by. The paper containes contact information, as well as his age and the request to embrace the Santiago for him. Alejandro Sandoval Ortega: As I was walking to Villacazar de Sirga I saw an older gentleman walking towards me. He was dressed in a vest and cap and wlked with a cane. Because of his dress and the fact that he was writng in a small notebook, I thought he migh be buird watching. As I aproached him, he asked if I ws a pilgrim on my way to Santiago. When I responded yes, he asked me to woite my name and country in his little noebook. He wore a couple of badges with his nmae of them and each said in Spanish "friend of pilgrims." As he encounters pilgrims along the road he greets them and obtains their name and country and then sends them off with a blessing. As I looked at the notebook, I could see that he had many many names of people that he had encountered. Marie Felicité: I met marie today as I was walking to Terradillos. I noticed a woman walking ahead of me who seemed a bit overdressed for hte weather. It was quite warm and she was wearing a fleeced-lined hat and scarf, a jacket, plus a jacket around her waist. When I passed her, I said hello, and she called and aksed if I was "Marcelle." I said yes, and she said tha a man in Belorado had told her about me. From her description; I think it was Olivier, a Frenchman I had met along the way. He had probably told her about me because she too is a black woman. When I saw her again a little later of the road, she told me that she was from France and that she is intending to go all the way to Santiago. She walks a bit each day, and then a taxi meets her at her ending point and drives her back to her starting point. The next day, the taxi takes her to the ending point of the previous day to begin the next stage. Today, I travlelled about 32K, her itineray had her ending point about 45 minutes from my own. She was moving along at a pace that suited her and seemed to be doing well. She did not appear to be to hot in all her clothing. Marie Felicité appeared to be at least 60 years old and was a delightful woman. Three different people, in three different towns, a blessing each one of them: Miguel, Alejandro and Marie Felicité. May you be blessed with an unexpected encounter this day.

The Meseta

2008-07-29T10:39:00.003-04:00

I did not stay the extra day in Burgos as anticipated. To try to secure housing and transportation to hear the monks was more a complicated process than I was willing to engage. Also, I saw much of what I wanted to see in Burgos while there yesterday afternoon. I will take my rest day in a smaller quieter village in a couple of days.We made the 30k trek across the Meseta today and it was gruelling. The day started off very cold, but then it warmed up and stayed hot. The last 10k had quite a bit of climbing and was exhausting. We are now in Hotanas and once I finish this post, will settle down for a relaxing rest on my bed. This is very nice albergue and a huge improvment over last night. We were in a cabin like facility with about 70 other people, and many folks kept talking even after lights out, in most albergues the lights automatically go out between 10 and 10:15. To top it off the guy in the bunk above me snored VERY loudly as well as the woman in the bunk next to me. I left my earplugs at home because I did not thinnk I would need them. And, it was very cold all night. Needless to say, I did not get very much sleep and was quite tired trying to cross the Meseta. Tomorrow I will opt for a shorter trek and spend the afternoon resting. Cr5ossing the Meseta can be very difficult for some people. One of my travelling partners said that if she had to cross it alone she would be in tears. It can be a very lonely and discouraging walk becuse there are no signs of civilization and not trees for seeking shelter from the sun. The terrain stretches out in all directions as one walks across a very hot abnd stony road. Needless to say ther are no homes, no animals, no cars,a nd not even the sound of traffic in the distance. One can feel completely alone and abandoned, especially when there are no other pilgrims in sight. Or, one can enter into a meditative mode of walking and just keep taking one step after aother, listening to the sound of your footsteps, listening to the sound of the waling poles as they click against the rocks, listenting for the occasional bird in the tall wheat fields. The mind can wander without restraint or focus on a particular thought or image. When one then lookos at the time, 1 or 2 hours has passed. But there is a great feeling of joy and releif when one finally sees a sign that the village is nearby. Usually one looks for a church tower. Today that first thing that appeared was a cell phone tower. That made a number of us laugh when we were talking about it at the albergue. Another image that was a common topic of conversation for a numebr of us a few weeks ago, waas the fact that we felt very much like the fellowship of companions in LOTR. We talked how we started out as one fellwoship and then were separarted into different smaller goups, all still heading towards the same goal. And as in LOTR, some opf us found ourselve reunited whem we did not expect to see each toher again. When four of us arrived in Burgos yesterday, it like a family reunion as we saw a number of pilgrims that we had not seen for quite a while. many were taking their rest day in Burgos and it was nice to have an opportunity to catch up. Isnt wonderful that the same thuing often happens in our lifr journey as well. God brings people back into our lives at a moment when we least expect it and often for a reason we were not anticipating. While I have used up my euro. Until next time.

2008-07-27T15:11:00.002-04:00

I am now in a lovely albergue in Ages. We went an addtional 3.5K beyond the recommended stop becuase we were told that this one would be better. It certainly is. Unfortunatley , many others did not know how nice this albergue is and so htey stayed at other places. The positive side is that although this albergue sleeps apprx. 60 people, there are only 8 of us here. Translation: no waiting for the shower or a space on the clothesline to dry one´s clothes. Leaving this morning at 6:40 we were able to cover the 28k in about 7 hours, althopugh it was quite hot and a good deal of climbing. Tomorrow we head to Burgos where I plan to spend an extra day for a rest day. There is a beautiful cathedral as well as the monestary of monks who have recorded a number of Gregorian Chanat albums. I hope to attend one of their services. Following my rest day I willhead out over the dreaded Maseta. All pilgsrims talk about this stretch of the Camino. It is 18 K across a very hot area where there are no towns and no place to stop, rest, and no shade. Basically, a mini desert. The plan is to leave very early in the morning in order to try to cover as much ground as possible before it becomes too hot. Because it is flat, if I move at a steady pace, I should be able to make the trek in about 5 or 6 hours. A listle bit more about the Camino community: Language lessons aboud. All aroundone can hear people teaching each other words of thier native tongue, or teaching those who do not speak Spanish some of the necesssary words and phrases. For those who do not speak the Spanish language, others are mor ehtan willing to serve as translators. That role is also necessary in mixed groups where someone does not know the language being spoken. I cannot begin to describe for you the expereince of being on the Camino. I wish more folk from the United States c/would take the opportunity to follow this amazing path. Most everyone on the Caminos talks about being here for reasons fo discovery; dicosveries about themselves, aboust what they are to do next with theri life, etc. There are some who are here for other reasons: to recover from a broken relationship, to pust their life back together after substance abuse, to meet a mate, to lose weight (I think I could come up with some better ways of losing weight!). I invite any who are reading this to consider is sGod is callig you into a time discovery who you are in the eyes of God, discovering your own physical, spiritual or emotional limits, discovering what it is like to be fully reliant on God. Or, just to know what it is like to explore and experience the incredble majesty of God revealed on the open road. There is a freedom that cannot be describedand in the midst one can discover the song that God has placed within each heart. The song that has been accompanying me the past couple of days is "By Your Side" from Godspell. If you don´t klnow the play or movie, it is the song one of the disciples sings when the Jesus character is preparing to leave them, it is her request to go with him to the place he is going and to endure the hardship of walking with a pebble in her shoe until she can join him. May God bless you on whatever path you are following, and may your camino be filled with unexpected revelations of God.

Hospitality

2008-07-26T14:53:00.002-04:00

Pardon any typos, the key board language has been changed. I just wanted to write an update on my stay here at the albergue in Belorado. We came here because of posters we saw along the route, and what a great decision it was. We knew that there was no set cost and that a donation would be requested for the bed. But when we arrived, we learned that dinner was available also for a donation. The hospitaleros called us up to dinner and we were treated to a formal sit-down dinner that was out of this world. They work very hard here to provide not only a good place to stay but a good atmosphere as well. Fernanado is the American hospitalero and is originally from Brazil. As with many hospitaleros, he was a pilgrim and has returned to volunteer at an albergue. He has lived in Laconia, NH and is very familiar with the Boston area. He has such a wonderful spirit and is quite delightful. Since dinner was early (7:30), folks are sitting on the terrace relaxing before going to bed. Most of us will turn in by 10:00, even though the sun will just be setting. There is a student band wandering the neighborhood playing music, the sun is still bright in the sky (9:05) and all is quiet and relaxed. Goodnight.

Family Groups

2008-07-26T10:33:00.002-04:00

Yesterday and today I noticed that there are a number of families taking the Camino. There is one family of four,+ mother, father adn two children, probably ages 10 and 12, and another mother who is travelling with her young daughter. There is also a Koren mother travelling wth her young son. Our own Camino family groups and bands continue to reconfigure as people come and go. Yesterday we said goodbye to Eva and Gunn who returned to Sweden, and in a couple of days when we reach Burgos, Marisol of Spain and Marie of Finland will return to their homes. Yesterday was a relgious holiday and all shops and businesses were closed. The hospitaleros of the albergues hosted a special luncheon for hte pilgrims free of charge in honor of the holiday and the fact that finding food for lunch would have been difficult. There was a DJ and lots of music and dancing, and great fun! Of all the pilgrims that attended the luncheon, only about 8 were people with whom I began the Camino. The majority were people I had never seen along the way. For those of us who started out at the same time, it is a sad time as we say goodbye to new old friends and realize the journey will be very different from this point on. It's a bit sad when one realizes that one will reach Santiago without those with whom one started the journey. There is also sadness for those who leave realizing that they will not be able to reach Santiago this year with the friends they have met along the way. Relationships form quickly and bonds are strong, and a lot of email addresses have been exchanged, and a lot of group pictures taken. We each have a great picture of the Camino Back Pack Girls! One of the wonderful aspects of the Camino are the pilgrim blessings we receive at hte churches. Many are sure to include the pilgrims and their families in the prayers, and then their is a special blessing fo hte pilgrims. Most times, the pilgrims are asked to come forward to receive the blessing. At one church, after the blessigs, the priest greeted each individual pilgrim in their own language and gave each a prayer card in their native tongue. I am today in Belorado and tomorrow head for Altapuerco.

Community reformed

2008-07-24T10:26:00.002-04:00

Our Camino comunity is in the process of changing and reconfiguring. Several who started out last week from St. Jean are no longer with us. Of the Italian group, one remains: the wonderful Andrea. Some of his companions have returned to Italy and one has taken the bus to Leon from where he will continue walking to Santiago. There are others who have returned home and others who are "shrinking" the Camino in order to cover more distance in fewer days in order to to finish in the number of days they have left before they have to return to obligations at home. As people adjust their pace, change their stopping points the community is reconfiguring itself and new sub groups are forming. My walking companion of several days, Marjan, has moved on ahead and is trying to cover more ground in order to reach Santiago in less than the alloted time so that he can catch his return flight home. Today I wlaked wiht Mijon form Korea and we are sharing a room in a very nice albergue in Asofra. She too is hoping to go all the way to Santiago. A number f other folks will be leaving ina few days because of time contraints, Their plan is to return to complete the trip in the future. Some of left becuase they have thye have found the journey to be too strenuous. According to informati that Marjan shared with me, only 15% of the people who start out for Santiago will arrive there. There have been some very gruellings days because of the heat and made worse by the climbing. The blister I have I believe have come form not giving my shoes a proper breaking in. Thank you for your prayers for Johannes, I saw him yesterday and he had a pair of boots that someone else had left behind at one of the albergues. Over these past few days people continue to assess what they really need and what they can live without. Many things are bing left behind (pilgrim equivalent to a yard sale) or being mailed home. One of the things tha has become very clear to me over the past week is that there is much more balance in my life as I travel the Camino: balance between the spiritual life, the emotional care, and physical care. There is time for everything, including spending time with new friends just sitting and laughing or eating together. We laugh a lot and take a lot of silly pictures of each other! Well, I´m going to relax for a little and review tomorrow´s itinerary before heading off to dinner. Believe me when I say, I could take a permanent liking to the freedom of life on the road. The freeedom of it is very intoxicating, and the people and stories one encounters along the way is very enriching.

2008-07-21T11:41:00.002-04:00

We arrived in Los Arcos this afternoon and have finished the afternoon routine of shower and laundry before finding a place for dinner. There was a notice for one place in town that is serving a "pilgrim Menu," which varies from place to place, but is usually a meal at a price lower thatn the regular dinner price. The one problem we encounter, however, is that Spaniard don´t usually have dinner unti 8:00, and most pilgrims as very very hungry when they enter into town between 3 & 5. An observation: Community on the Camino is formed in some facinating ways. Some folks conect around nationality and common language, some connect around common language,e ven if they are not for the same country. At times, that common language may not be their native tongue. There is a German woman travelling with an Spanish man, neither speaks the language of the other, so they use Italian. When a large group of people come together for a meal or fellowship, the language that is most common among the majority is the language that is spoken. Iftwo folks want to communicate with each ohter and neither knows the language of hte other, the default language is often a broken english. It´s very interesting to observe to be a part of. Today was a nice day for wqalking, temperature wise, but like many of the previous days the walk itself was on the grueling side. On the 20k journey, we traveled the last 12k with no town, no place to stop and rest, and nothing but sun and racky roads through vinyards in the mountains. At the beginning of today´s journey was a fountain, but unlike all th others, this one is famous because it dispense wine form one spout and water from another. If you would like to see pilgrims who visit the fountain, there is a webcam site at www.irache.com. Please continue to pray for shoes for Johannes. Blessings.

Lighten Up

2008-07-20T11:23:00.002-04:00

I have arrived in Estella. I have had my shower, the laundry is done and after this post it's off to dinner. This morning in order totry to lighten up my pack I left a number of things behind at the other albergue: It's odd how many things we hold onto in our life that we really can do without. The day's weather was good but there was also some more climbing over rocky terrain, leading me to acknowledge that often times in life we must go through some very difficult situations in order to arrive at a place that is much better for us. As much as we may wish that we didn't have to expereince the difficult "rocky climbs," during that time if we are observant we might just see the hidden blessings. As I ended in the last post (when my time ran out), the body is holding up well, except for my aching feet! Tony, if you read this, thanks for the arms, gluts, hamstrings, back and shoulders, especially the shoulders!!!!! Believe me when I find a new trainer, there will be no moans, groans or any complaints about shoulder work! Chuck L. If you are reading this, thanks for the scarf: it has been a life saver during these hot days. It comes in handy when I reach a fountain with ice cold water: It brings great refreshment to a hot face and neck. I want to ask you all to pray for three persons: Pavel who is here searching, but not quite sure for what. For Marjan that he would see the world as a less miserable place and would begin to see some of the good in the world and for his own life. Johannes: that he would find healing and direction and that his needs for a better and better fittting pair of shoes would be met. The shoes he wears are his father's and they are slighty too small and today the soul came off as we were walking. All three of these fellows have had some difficult times (drugs, alcohol, broken relationships) and need a portion of God's healing spirit and transformation. Blessings.

I made it!

2008-07-19T23:52:00.002-04:00

After a long and difficult journey, I arrived yesterday in Puente La Reina. I was a 25K trip that was hot and required traversing and climbing a very rocky terrain. Most of hte time it felt like crossing the desert: everything was so brown and there was the heat form the sun above and the heat fromthe rocks below. Everyon dragged in hot and exhausted. When four of us arrived at the first albergue in town. we werre told that there were only 2 beds left. So Marjan and I decided to go the next one. It was a a little difficult to find and we had to climb a very steep driveway. but once we arrived. we discovered a very nice place with a swimming pool. And, for 9 Euros we received a very good meal. A few observations: Unlike the French route, the stops here are not designated by churches. In fact I am seeing far fewer churches than I did in France. In order to see some of hte churches, one has to detour off the route and that may add an hour to a already difficult journey. The sense of community is very strong. In several spots aolng the way, there are memorials set up for pilgrim who died whil making hte journey. Those who knew them have set up crosses or some other type of observance, sometimes incuding a picture. Incribed at the site is thier namce age and the date of death. As others pass, they stop for reflection or prayer and place a stone, flower or some other object on the the spot. Ther are a number of people who are walking hte Camio but shoose not to carry their bags. Instead, they hire a cab and their bags dropped off at each stop. Of course because theyr are carrying nothing but their lunch, they move much faster than the rest of us. Andrea is our Camino "clown." He is a fellow from Italy who speaks only Italian, but just bout everyone knows him because he is very outgoing and always joking. It´s alway great to arrive at a site and be welcomed by his over the top greeetings. People learn the names and home countries of others very quickly. I´ve already met a number of folks from all over the States: CT, WI, WA, and even one United Methodist. Well. today will be a shorter walk.

Day 2

2008-07-17T12:38:00.002-04:00

This afternoon I arrived in Zubiri and am staying the night here (way better accomodations than last night-it ws very cold and drafty in the space we selpt in-even with 100 people sharing the space: It was a very old structure and had the appearance of an old church.) I walked with Marjan from Slovania, and because we talked a little too much took a few too many breaks and pictures, it started to get late and we decided it was better not to continue the 5k to Larrsoana. Leaving a little early tomorrow will allow me to spend some time in Pamploma (the running of the bulls happened a couple of weeks ago!) before heading to Cizur Menor. I continue to be amazed at how quickly community and relationships form aong those on the Camino. Today Eva fro Sweden gave me a bracelet becuse she did not beleive we would see each other again before she headed back home. She and her companion will not be going to Santiago. When one arrives in a town, one is greeted by other pilgrims as though as by old friends. It´s a wonderful experience. It nurtures my sense of familiarity and haveig returned to somethng I know. I´m looking forward to travelling deeper into Spain over the days ahead and the experiences and encounters that await. The most challenging part right now is getting my mouth to respond in spanish and not french when asking a question or responding to a question. What comes out is usually a mixture of both languages. The fact that most of the people I meet speak more than their native tongue is also an incentive for me to keep improving my own abilities. ¡Hasta Luego! Love, MD

2008-07-16T12:12:00.002-04:00

I arrived in Roncevalles around 3:30 or 4:00 this afternoon, having left St. Jean at 7:00 am. I have a bed, I have dinner reservations and my laundry is done. I can relax a little before dinner at 7:00, and then at 8:00 will attend a special mass for pilgrims at the local church. The walk was all uphill and a challenging one. It was made easier by the fact that the weather was pleasnat and I had two very interestng travelling companions: Pavel (very talkative) from Poland via London, and Marjan from Slovania. We had good conversation and kept one another from thinking about the challenges of the climb. Tomorow´s walk will be a little shorter and I think mostly on downhill, which has challenges of its own. My feet are a little sore, but all in all it was a good day. The place where we are staying is dormitory style, and must hold nearly 100+ people. I think nearly all the beds are filled. There´s very little space to move around and taking a shower was a challenge: 2 showers for all the women and 2 for all the men. There was also not enough room on the clothes line for me to hand my clothes to dry, but fortunately I brought my own. Blessings of this day: good companions, beautiful French countryside, arrival in Spain, a bed to sleep in, dinner, being able to go to worship, time to relax. A bientot. Love, Marcelle

2008-07-15T12:20:00.003-04:00

Je suis arrivee! I am now in St. Jean Pied de Port. I would have been here yesterday, but the airline had trouble getting my backpack to me. They finally delivered it early this afternoon at my hotel in Bayonne and I was able to catch the train to St. Jean. It is really great being beack here, and for some reason there is this wonderful but strange sense of familiarity. Iin a very odd way, the past year seems like it was just an interlude or intermission; time spent in passing until I could return to the rest of my journey. Now that I am here, I am filled great expectation of the adventures and encounters that God has in store for me. I have already met some very nice people, and last night as I went to bed there was a display of fireworks taking place over the church in Bayonne. Tomorrow early, I head out over the Pyrenees to Roncevalles. Not only is it the beginning of the Camino Frances, it is also the most difficult stage. It is a straight climb up the Pyrenees and I will need to carry all food and water supplies for the day, since there really are not places to re-stock until I descend into Spain. It should take me about 8 hours to make the journey. It's great to be back and I look forward to keeping everyone up to date with how things are going. There will be greater access in Spain to internet than there was in France. I leave you with the Song of the Pilgrims that I learned in France: Tous les matins, nous prenon le Chemin; Tous les matins nous allons plus loin. Jour apres jour la route nouw appelle. C'est la voix de Compostelle. Ulreia, Ultreia, Esus e la, Deus adjuta nos. Every morning we travel the Chemin; Every morning we go farther along. Day after day, the the path calls us; It is the voice of Compostelle. All the way to Santiago. All the way to Santiago (rough translation, no one really knows the origin of this word or how to translate it.) Jesus is there, God (can't figure out the origin or translation of this word. It might be somethig to the effect of God "goes with" or "joins") us. A bientot! Love, Marcelle

2008-07-12T20:15:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it! A year has passed and I am on my way back to St.Jean Pied de Port to begin the Spanish stage of the Camino. I fly out tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon and am schedule to arrive in France on Monday morning. I will begin walking on Tuesday morning and anticipate that the journey will take approximately 5 weeks. I am so excited and can't wait to be back in France, to begin walking again, and looking forward to the new people I will meet. I'm also looking forward to what God will reveal during the journey. Last year I learned a lot about myself: my strengths, my "growing edges" and what God can do when I place myself completely in his hands. That was probably the most life altering revelation and the one that enable me to take this year of sabbatical for additional listening. So, my dear friends, Ultreia! Onward to Santiago.

Love,

Marcelle

PS: PLease remember that one I am in France, and I will be on a French keyboard, so expect a number of "typos!" My guess is that once I cross over into Spain, the typos will be worse!

St. Jean Pied de Port

2007-09-14T03:31:00.000-04:00

Hello Folks: Yesterday afternoon I reached St. Jean Pied de Port, the last stage of the routes travelling through France. Fter not seeing many pilgrims at all for the past several weeks, suddenly it was like arriving at the Grand Central Station for pilgrims. Pilgrims form all the various routes were converging into the town either ending their French journey to begin theri Spanish journey, others others just beginning to follow the Camino Frances. There were a few like myself who would not be continuing on to Compostella, but planning to continue at a future date. It has been a most amazing journey of spiritual and physical challenge. I will rest and visit the town today before heading out this afternoon to begin my journey back to the states. St. Jean Pied de Port is an incredible city on a hill souronded by an ancient wall and offers incredible views of the Basque region. I have met people from various regions of the world, and last night had the fun time of manuevering between three langauges as I ate with a Canadian couple and a gentleman from Spain. He spoke Spanish and French, and thye sppoke only English! It was quite interesting as my brain tried to adjust from French to Spanish and translate into English! I have truly enjoyed this journey and wish that I could continue on to Compostella at this time, however the year's wait will afford me the time to prepare for a very different cultural experience as well as make adjustments in my gear. I've learned a lot about long distance hiking that will serve me well next year, and I have learned a lot about myself that I hope will serve me well for a lifetime. Well the Pilgrim accueil is gracious enough to provide internet access for us, but ask tht we not spend more than 15 minutes, so I must say "a bientot," unitl I see you in the states. Many thanks for all the prayers and words of encouragement. Blessings and Peace, Marcelle

Coming to a close

2007-09-07T11:35:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks: Next Thursday I will reach St. Jean Pied de Port, the last stage of the Vezelay route. Because it will be the middle of September, thqat does not give me enough time to continue onthrough Spain. What I will do insteqd is return to the USA, and plan to return next year to walk the Camino Frances through Spain. This has been an exciting yet very challenge in journey and a break before continuing on through Spain will give me time to reflect on this past journey and do some debriefing. I have met some folks along the way who have travelled from their home conutires (Holland and Belgium) and are continuing on to Copostella. There are slightly older and like most folks on the road to compostella qre retired or between jobs and able to take the necessary " months. In fact the majority of the people who make the pilgrimage to Compostella are in their 60's & 70's. I am currently in Mont de Marsan and have 6 more stages to complete. Physically I have held up rather well, but over the past week, I have developed a couple of blisters (one on each foot) which make walking a bit uncomfortable. I count myself as quite fortunate since most people develop thier blisters within the first week. Today is a rest day and I am using it to nurse my feet, do internet communication and try to make arrangements for my return to the States. I am so thankful thq God haq allowed me to hqve this experience: it hqs been once of both physical and spiritual challenge. There have also been the emotional challenges of spending long days alone either walking through poruing rain, or blistering heat. One of things that I have missed the most is music. I learned some songs at Taize that served as pryqers along the way, and their were some words to songs that I placed o index cards to sing and pray along the way. However, ther were some days that the I just wanted to hear or sing somthing else, especially since the Taize songs are quite short and the words that I could remember from my others were limited. When I just needed something else for a change of pace and help me get through those last few kilometers, there was Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer!" This pilrimqge has been a blessing and I look forward to shqring it with you. Blessigns, Marcelle

A new town

2007-08-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

Hi Everyone: I am now in Mussoudan, and beleive it or not, they hqve an internet store cqlled "Stargate." Some of you will understqnd the great humour in that! Just a brief note since I need to get back to the refuge to pay for tonight's lodging. Yersterday was not a fun dqy. Heavy rain all day, and at once point I had to seek shelter from hail. To top it off, last night's lodging was in wht the Frech call a "bungalow;" This is basically a large tent with a kitchen area and attached bath. It was a long and cold night. There are some place that I stay and wish I could remain longer. Last night I could'nt wait for morning to arrive so I could be on my way. Blessings and Peace, Marcelle

Back Again

2007-08-28T11:09:00.000-04:00

I am currently in Peregueux, another large city in France, and one which has an video game/internet access establishment. Believe it or not, I have completed 21 of the 36 stages in France. I have 15 stages left to go. Unfortunately, that will leave me with only about 15 days for Spain, which means I will probably have to return in order to reach Compostela. C'est la vie! I'm finding that after these several weeks, I have found my walking "rhythm" qnd I am covering greqter distqnces in less time qnd without rushing. Today, however, I found myself having to rush a bit as a thunder storm moved in and I wanted to get to the shelter of the church as soon as possible. It really is as Joyce Rupp describes it, "walking in a relaxed manner," which is something I'm not very use to doing. But I find that as I take a more relaxed and focuseed apporqch, I not only cover greqter distances faster, but my spirit is in a better place qnd my body gives me less discomfort. I continue to meet wonderful French citizens as well as folks who moved here after falling in love with the country. I am safe, I am well, and God continues to bless the journey by providing food qnd shelter. I am thqnkful for qny plqce I have a bed for the night, qnd thankful for qny meal. That means eqting quite a few things I never eat when I'm in the States. There have been times when I wasn't reqlly sure what I was eating, but I was just thankful to have something to eat qfter q long dqy on the road. I give thanks to God for all blessings, big and small and unfamiliar! Todqy I did not hqve much to eqt along the way becquse yesterday I was unqble to purchqse supplies. Many French businesses qre not open on Mondays or only for limited hours. Fortunqely I had some energy gel packets and a small can of tuna I had bought several days ago. Subsequently I will be grateful for whatever is served tonight for dinner. Well, need to write Mom to let her know all is well. Until the next time. Blessings and Peace, Marcelle

Continued Summary

2007-08-23T11:13:00.000-04:00

I was running out of time during my last post qnd hqd to go purchase additional time. Using a French keyboqrd mqkes typing a bit slower. So the summqry continues. The Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle: This has been qn incrdible journey! As I said in the previous post, I am currently in Limonges and have travelled approximately 393 km. There are .62km/mile. Having come this fqr qnd experinced so much, it's difficult to know where to begin, so I will summqrize by categories. I. Walking: This is indeed a challenge. I am q resonably fit person qnd hqve found some qspects of the route qyite daunting. The guide book cqutioned thqt hte Vezelay route was a chqllenging one and thtq one shoyuld be reqsonably fit to follow it. Most times I am going through grassy fields or forests. Sometimes it's along motorways. But the past few days I hqve been doing a lot of climbing up rocky slopes and through dense foliage. At times I felt as though I were climbing my way out of the Amazon Jungle! It's daubting, but qt the same time quite exhilarating! Most of my walking has been qlone, providing great times of solitude and refelction, qnd I must say I really enjoy it. Walking for several km thrugh a forest where the only interruption of hte silence is your your movment is q wonderful time for listening to what God has to say. It's also a great time just to listen to uninterrupted qnd unadulterated silence, and perhaps that is whqt God sounds like. II. Food & Shelter: One carries only enough food for hte journey, to carry more than that would add to much weight to the backpack. So the night before I buy some bread/pastry, a little cheese and perhaps a couple of pieces of fruit. Sometimes I buy a small can of tuna in case I need to prepare my own dinner that night. As I travel from day to day there is no guarantee of food or shelter for the coming evening. Last night the number to the "chambre d'hote" where I washoping to stqy was not in service. Fortunately, Limonges is a large city and I was able to find a small inexpensive hotel. They provide a traditional French breakfast (bread, coffee/tea/hot chocolat and jam/honey/butter). But dinner last night qnd lunch qnd dinner tonight are up to me to find. Again in this large city, thqt is much easier thqn in some places. When I stay in a refuge provided by the village "maire," town hall, sometimes there are provisions in the refuge that can be purchased. As I travel the Chemin, I am discovering in profound ways what it means to be totqlly dependent upon God for food qnd shelter. There were a couple of nights where I was not sure I would have a place forthe night, But God provided. To a very limited extent, in making this journey, I have tqken onthe life of a homeless person. Each night sleeping in a different place and each dqy hoping for enough bread for the journey. III. Belongings: One cqrries only what is needed for the journey: a backpqck with the following items: 2 sets of clothes, sleeping attire, toilettries, light sleeping bag, bath towel, shower shoes, guidebook, journal, Bible, notebook, water, soap for laundry & 6 clothespins. I also carry a small first aid kit, very small flashlight, compass. IV. Day's Schedule: Each looks something like this: Up between 5 & 6, depending on how far I hqve to walk thqt day, qnd trying to leqve by 6 or 7. Pilgrims must be out to the gites/refuges by 8:00. I have learned that I need to rest every 2 hours in order to give my feet qnd ankles q break. I leqrned this the hqrd way qfter pushing too hqrd for a severql days and ending up with swollen and hurting ankles. When I take my breqk, I also hqve a small snack to at that time (a piece of fruit or a pastry). Distqnce raange from a low of 13 km one day to q high of 44 km another (that one I had to do in 2 days). Usually, I'm travelling between 19 to 30 km per day. Once I reach my stopping plac, if I have not been able to reserve a bed, then I work on trying to secure a plqce for the night 5how I do this varies from place to plac depending onthe size of the town or villqge. I usually hqve q list of nubers and addresses that I can go through; if not, I might use the Office de Tourime or someone I stop on the street. Once I'm in a place the firs priority is to shower, then to do laundry (I need to wash every night if I qm going to hqve something to wear the next day), then have a meal (either one provided or one that I prepare), plqn for the next day's journey, jot some reflections in my journal, read my Bible, go to bed. Bed time is usuqlly between 9:15 and 9:30, depending on how late dinner was. You should also know thqt it does not get dark until qfter 9:30pm. Prayer time is all along the route, tqking time to qlso listen. There you hqve it, the thumb nail sketch of this pilgrim's life. Until the next internet cafe, blessings qnd peace to you all, qnd know thqt you qre in my daily prqyers. Love, Marcelle

Finally internet

2007-08-23T10:40:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks: I am in Limonges where I finqlly hqve internet qccess. Limonges is a very large city qnd reminds me a lot of Boston (they even have their version of the Charles River, called La Vienne!). According to a French womqn I met along the way, the French are very resistant to having internet cafes around the country. Well, how about some summaries: First, Taize was a wonderful experience. The week I was there, there were approximqtly 4500 people there. They were expecting even more the following week. Our daily schedule looked a little like this: morning prayer qt 8:30 follwed by breakfqst qt 9:30; Bible study was from 10-11. Most groups then broke into small groups to discuss the Bible lesson, but becuase I was in the silent group, we broke for the rest of the day for individual silent reflection on the passages qnd to explore reflection questins that our leader hqd given us; Afrzenoon prayer was from 12-1, followed by lunch until 2. The other groups then had their second small group time. Between 3 and 7:00, there were various workshops. Dinner was at 7 followed by evening prayer at 8:30. Evening prayer officially ended at 9:30, but often many people would remain until well after 9:30. At the Friday night candlelight, there was the acceptqnce of q new brother into the order and observance of Easter vigil (the Taize practice is to observe Easter vigil every Friday and celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday). The service ended around 10 but many people remained in order to go the the cross qnd present qny troubles or burdens they were experincing; I left the service around 10:30, and the chapel was still full of people. Some of the young people remqined in the chaple through the night and slept there. It was an incredible experince. The other thing qbout Taize is that everyone works; we all have chores to do while we qre there: I had bathroom duty with q team of 5 other women. They were mostly Portuguese qnd we had a great time cleaning together. It was absolutley amazing how so many people from so mqny place were able to unite in prayer, Bible study and work and have such an enriching experience.

I'm here!

2007-07-31T10:13:00.000-04:00

I am now at Taize! I arrived on Sundqy morning after a shuttle ride to downtown Lyon, a train to Macon, and then a bus to Taize! It is beatiful here and quite qn experience. If there are typing errors in this message, you will hqve to excuse them: I am using a French keyboard and the layout is quite different from an American one. I am at a library in the village next to Taize, and they are only open on Tuedays from 3:00 until 4:30. There are probably a couple of thousand people here, including a contingent of approximqtlet 68 that came with Bishop D. from the New Jersey Conference. The prayer times are quite an expereince: there is no way to describe how a couple of thousand people of different tongues can unite their voices so beautifully singing songs in languages other than their own. The landscape is beautiful and the weather is very pleasant: warm with a gentle breeeze. Everyone is part of a small group. The one I have chosen is a group which wishes to spend the week in silence. We have separate sleeping quarters and we eat separately from the rest of the adults (all adults eat separtely from the youth). Instead of group Bible study, we have a one hour introduction session and then we are given an assigment for reflection on our own. We have been asked to set aside two one-hour blocks for personal prayer and reflection. These are to be designated times at designated locations. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week. Since today is the only day that the library is open, I probably will not be able to make another post until I reach Vezelay (the beginning town for my Camino pilgrimage) on Monday. I am well and keeping your all in prayer. Blessings.

Why I'm Traveling El Camino

2007-07-19T23:31:00.000-04:00

Dear Friends: I am posting my first entry in response to a question I received. The question was "Why are you taking this pilgrimage?" Well first a description. El Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, is a pilgrimage to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, located in northwestern Spain. It has been one of the most important Christian pilgrimages since medieval times and has existed for over 1000 years. Tradition has it that it is the burial site of the apostle James. I'm going for a number of reasons: One to walk the path of thousands of Christians before me; second, to use the time for reflection as to where God is leading my life, and lastly for the emotional, spiritual and physical challenge it will provide. With my position, I have very few opportunities to spend extended periods of quiet reflection and look forward to having dedicated time with God without the many distractions that are common in every day life. In the left menu bar you will see a link that will lead you to a site which will provide more information about the Camino de Santiago.--Blessings, MD.