04.29.06
Posted in AV 2005-06 at 10:13 am by osavolor
Well I just spent the last half and hour or so writting up this blog thing only to have it disappear before my eyes. To be honest I would like nothing more then to just throw this computer to the floor. However, in my tieme here in Chulucanas I have learned patience. Therefore I will try to rewrite what I had written before. I apoligize if its a little short. Today we had the privelledge of being able to go and see the ordination of two new Augustinian priests in Morropon. Monsignor took the lead in the mass dressed in his bishop costume. It was a lovely ceremony with the cathedral filled with family, friends, and random people like us. It was great to be able to meet and greet so many Augustinians from all over Peru. There is definatly something about these Augies that they all have in common, they are all wonderfully nice people. We were able to share a mass and lunch with them and had a very nice time. The strange thing is that this might be a typical Saturday for us. But only in the fact that there is no such thing as a typical day in Chulucanas. One week to the next is a new adventure with new things to learn everyday. It is something that I have come to love about being down here. Never really knowing what type of interesting and amazing circumstance you will find yourself in from one day to the next. This is always true in our teaching.
Currently we are teaching first grade through sixth grade in Santa Rita in Morropon. We are teaching English to around 500 hundred children every Thursday and Friday. The trip to get out to Morropon is an interesting one that begins with a 5:45 wake up call, which is mighty early for me. Then we hop in a car and head to the bridge. Now the bridge is really only half a bridge, with a set of stairs in the middle. After getting out of the the car we could either be getting to these stairs on foot, donkey cart, or boat depending on how high the river is. Once up and across the bridge we jump into a mototaxi and head to school. All in all this takes about an hour to an hour and a half. I teach 5th and share 2nd grade with Katie. Let me tell you these kids have lots of energy just not so much motivation. I guess its just a difference a see between the education system in the US and here. Its tough to explain but its definatly a disadvantage for these kids. On example is when Katie and I were teaching the English alphabet to the second graders. They were having a difficult time and it was very frustrating. Then the teacher comes to us and says that its going to be very hard to teach these kids the English alphabet when they don’t know the Spanish one yet. What?!?!? They don’t know the SPANISH ALPHABET in second grade. So sometimes its frustrating trying to teach these kids. But I am seeing some improvement and that gives me hope.
With our time left here dwindling down I find myself wondering what have I done here. Have I done any good at all? Its a tough question that I still struggle to find the answer to. But Kevin Martin told me one good piece of advice, look at the relationships you’ve made down here and the good you’ve gotten and given from them. That is something that is tough to quantify but I know its out there. Maybe I won’t be able to really see it all till I’ve left this place. But I know that I am making every day I have left here count and not regretting anything. I hope this has given you some insight in to the madness I live in down here in Peru. I miss you all and can’t wait to see you. CÃao y cuidate.
Brendo
Brenden Alexander - Peru
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04.27.06
Posted in AV 2005-06 at 10:14 am by osavolor
well hello everyone! hope everyone is doing well. things in cali are just starting to heat up again, and i dont just mean the weather…wink, wink. im just kidding, but things are good out here. honestly ive been dreading writing this “blog”, but now that im sitting down to write it everything is just flowing right out. before i get too free and nonchalant with my words…i guess ill just write about what ive learned so far.
expectations are a funny thing. coming into this program i obvi (i know how you guys love that abbreviation) had a few of them. meeting fun people, check. experiencing the west coast, check. fine tuning my nursing skills, check. finding an inner spirituality, check. finding myself, check. but by making a list like that and checking them off one by one doesn’t do any of them justice nor does it truly help you to understand my experience this year any better.
each one of us will honestly have a life changing year, and each due to different aspects of the experience that is THE Augustian Volunteers. i would like to share with you the aspect that has truly changed me and undoubtedly made me a better person…my roommates.
living with six people in san diego, california volunteering and doing good. cant ask for much more than that. i realized that quickly during orientation 2005 when we all just clicked. im sure that you all noticed it. i mean you obvi heard us everyday…laughing, joking, being a lil rowdy (of which i had nothing to do with), and just plain ole havin a good time. all my fears just disappeared and i thought “this is gonna be an exciting year”. and believe me it has. from birthday celebrations to lazy movie days to wed nite 80’s nites in Pb to happy hours to beach days, need i say more?! but believe me we are so much more than that.
to call the five people that i live with “roommates” would be doing you a disservice. so im gonna let you see them a little more clearly.
first i will start with the notorious justin knabb, aka justy. first of all the fact that he has allowed me to refer to him with that name from pretty much day 1 shows that hes got a kooky, fun side. and we have definitely all seen “justy”. but unfortunately im sure that everyone has not been able to appreciate his hardworking, dedicated, and independent nature. while delivering a speech i am defintely jealous of his connection, enthusiasm, and genuine empathy for the people of waslala. he is one of the most goal oriented people i know and whether he knows it or not he has helped me to start making a few lifetime goals of my own. thanks justy
next on my list is ms. maureen “moe” eichler. as evident through our height difference, moe and I are very different people, and believe me that could be one of the best things that ever happens to a person. living with moe has helped me view things in a different light from discussions on religion to our social justice talks. debating and questioning is the best way to reaffirm your beliefs, so for that thanks moe. besides that moe also puts her all into everything that she does, and the funny thing is most of the time we have no idea that she is even doing it. not once would she ever demand appreciation for any of the extra jobs or duties that she has taken on. she is the epitome of what it means to be inspiring. hope ya never forget it moe.
alrighty, now its time for my good friend abigail ronck. one of the most intelligient, genuine, sassy ladies i know. all of you are quite aware of her ridiculous writing skills, but her intelligence goes way beyond that. her spanish skills astound me everytime i am at the orphanage with her, and not because she can speak so well. its because she takes the time to purposely interact with the children as well as the wonderful women and men that work there. in my eyes she has a tough job in the baby room, and thats making people leave when its too crowded. imagine trying to tear students or other visitors away from those beautiful children. well let me tell you abby does it with such grace. something that i dont know if she realizes that she possesses. one day you’ll see abby
charles connolly III, intimidating name for such a fun-loving guy. That may sound a lil corny, but deal with it chuck because it’s the truth. You have been like a brother I never had; although wait I do have a lil brother now, haha. The wrestling, joking, movie dates (platonic of course), and being your wingman - what more can I say?! But to be honest there is more. You are extremely aware of the ladies in the house and make every effort to comfort and “deal” with us, which we all can admit isn’t an easy task. And besides all of that his knowledge of history, sports, and the current world events astounds me - I mean this kid read WAR AND PEACE in a few months!!! Impressive.
Last and definitely not least is my personal roommate, miss laura mcdonagh. Sharing the smallest room out of all of the houses, we have definitely gotten to know each other well. All I can say is that laura personifies sweetness, from single-handedly decorating and baking for each of our birthdays to the fact that she sleeps with Splenda in her bed. I have no doubt that laura would do anything for each one of us is we asked. Laura is also modest to a fault. Studying takes extreme discipline under normal circumstances, but to accomplish that in our house well she deserves a medal.
Well there you have it my friends! Of course I could go on for pages after pages, but I wanted to give you just enough to see at least half of what I see and have learned from these 5 amazing, gifted people. And of course my work at St.Vincent’s has begun to mold me into the nurse I hope to become, but these people have helped me find the me that I’ve been searching for and that I want to strive to become.
THANK YOU JUSTY, MOE, CHUCK, AB, & LAURA!!!
I love you all. Muah*
Ashley Zigarelli - San Diego
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04.20.06
Posted in AV 2005-06 at 10:19 am by osavolor
In preparation for Easter, I recently went to the Stations of the Cross at the Marianhill Monastery Cloisters on Good Friday. This community was founded in 1882 by a Trappist abbot and was taken over in 1909 by the Marianhill Missionary order. It is now situated in the slum quarter of Pinetown (about 20 minutes outside Durban) and has developed into an important training center for Black South Africans. Having heard about the Stations early in Lent, I marked it on my calendar and was looking forward to it even before I really knew what it was about.
We arrived on Friday morning and soon, a locked door was opened for us, an entry into the beautiful gardens on the inside of the cloisters… a reflective setting for what we were about to witness and participate in. The German priest who lead the Stations with the help of two young African brothers prefaced the meditation by telling us that ten years ago, the Archdiocese of Durban had used HIV/AIDS as the Stations theme, using adapted, real-life stories to reflect each Station of the Cross from the Gospel in a modern way. They were able to use genuine names and life situations of those infected and affected by this disease and because of this unexpected version of the Stations, I was deeply affected in a way I was not anticipating; it’s meaning went beyond just praying the Stations of the Cross. As the priest spoke, I could think of someone I know or have taken care of that would fit the appropriate Station. So instead of using the people in their reflections, and with my ministry to HIV/AIDS in mind, I am going to create my own reflection with those who have become a part of my life here in South Africa.
The First Station of the Cross… Jesus is condemned to death. Ntombizonke’s mother, severely affected by post-partum depression, comes to the hospice with Thulani, the baby’s father. She is disinterested in the baby, not wanting to hold or even look at her AIDS affected, beautiful child. Thulani is surprisingly HIV negative, leaving me 99.9% sure the mother is positive. I do my first HIV test, after having just learned how to earlier that day. The lines on both tests turn red within the 5 minutes required to wait, indicating she is HIV positive. I counsel her about how it will affect her life, who her support systems are, how she will now take care of herself. Yet, just like Jesus, she received a death sentence that day in the small room we sat in.
The Fifth Station of the Cross… Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross. Mzwakhe, weakened by the constant diarrhea and vomiting, only has enough energy to make slight movements in his bed without assistance. So getting him from the bed to the wheelchair, from the wheelchair to the car, and from the car to his small home down the side of a mountain was quite a physical challenge. He could not do it alone. Despite the fact that I worried about his physical well-being even if it was just for a one night pass out from the hospice, I knew the emotional benefits of spending a night at home with his wife and children would heal him in a way no medication could. So we carried this man of about 100 lbs. down a steep dirt path to a small home made of tin, mud, and wood. Just like Jesus, Mzwakhe could not do it alone.
The Twelfth Station of the Cross… Jesus dies on the cross. The gift of the lives of Joseph, Roy, Bongekile, Shalazile, Zodwa, Thulisile, Mhakosi, Rose, Sibusiso, Qomofuka, Nontobeko, Zandile, Dumisani, Roseline, Tholasile, Malcolm, Stanley, Bulelani, Bonisiwe, Tholakele, Ngenzeni…. and so many more. Just like Jesus, they died on their cross… the burden of AIDS.
Each Station now has more incredible meaning for me… keeping in my mind and heart those from my ministry here whose sacred lives and deaths fit so appropriately into each step of Christ’s path right before He died for us.
Let us be mindful of the new life in this Easter!
peace, tierney
Tierney Echelmeier - South Africa
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04.05.06
Posted in AV 2005-06 at 10:23 am by osavolor
Hello All,
Just wanted to share with you a link to the Merrimack College Campus Ministry website. The campus ministers at Merrimack asked the six volunteers serving in South Africa this year to write a reflection based upon the Sunday readings. If you are interested in seeing what they have to say go to this link: http://www.merrimack.edu/generator.php?id=2256 and scroll to the bottom of the page. Each week’s reflection is written by a different volunteer. We hope you enjoy them as much as we have.
Peace,
April
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