Hello again,
I’ve put together an update here in Ecuador - I hope you enjoy it.
Current Events in Ecuador
Things seem to be calm overall here in Ecuador, compared to the previous months. The government and the indigenous representatives are continuing to meet and try to work out agreements. The Covid situation hasn't changed - it seems to be similar to the States. So there isn't too much to share on this front.
More about Mission in Ecuador
The effort is currently on establishing ministries and projects that grow out of accompaniment, but sprout outside the ballpark. That are complementary and that augment what currently exists. There's an inherent call to conversion, a return to origins and rebirth, including in the church, and that takes listening first of all. My time in Chontal has confirmed it over the years, and I'm looking at Mindo as another parallel location, especially for its intercultural possibilities.
I'm still in the listening and discovery phase, as things do change each time I return, and I also need time to re-adapt. I still plan on visiting brother Darwin, a Capuchin in Quito, as well as the Franciscan sisters who are in Puerto Quito. I also still would like to visit Pd Julian Delgado, who is the first personal connection I had to Ecuador back in 2010. If possible, I might consider visiting the indigenous community in Riobamba, but that seems less likely these days. Maybe just because I'm a little tired!
Visa
I'm still considering four options for visa. Pd Moises, the local parish priest in Chontal, is supposed to be talking to the bishop this week to put in a word for me. The next step would be to contact the bishop's secretary to set up a one-on-one meeting with the bishop. If positive, that would produce an official recommendation letter, and the ball would get rolling on the visa. But I'm not so sure that Moises will follow through, and even if he doesn't, I'd still try to set up a meeting with the bishop with the reference.
I'm still curious to see if something could come together on the professional visa front, though it might be a lot more expensive. I'll be looking directly into that this week.
The third and fourth options are the tourist visa that I already have, either leaving Ecuador in October, or extending the visa another 3 months until January. The problem with this visa is that, either way, once I leave Ecuador, I wouldn't be able to return until the following July. So, the religious or professional visas have a real advantage in that I could come and go as I please.
Quito
The time in Quito at my friend Rosa's place was good for getting re-acclimated for several days. I met some new people from the States who were students as well.
One of the teachers in the school is an officially trained Shaman, trained by one of the indigenous tribes in Ecuador, the Tsachilas, to give spiritual / emotional "cleanings". He did a cleaning on someone, and I was able to observe. I don't believe in, for example, the movement of positive and negative energies based on the natural elements and their responses. But it was very interesting to observe (he's a great teacher), and there could very well be not just a placebo effect on helping people psychologically and emotionally, but the psych-emotional benefit of ceremony and the stimulation of senses that occur during the cleaning ceremony, to give a person a feeling of emotional reset.
Unfortunately, there is also the problem of potentially embracing the whole of it, which is most common here in Ecuador. Although the shaman claims that his ceremony is not a form of religious ceremony, but rather a spiritual/psychological cleaning, and that there are others who take it too far to the next step of religion, I see even the healing side as being superstitious. It doesn't harm someone like me, who participates to observe and understand. But if people believe in it, then they enter a confusion zone that ends up not paying off in the way they anticipated. A more scientific approach has a methodology and thought-out process to determine effectiveness of anything, and there's nothing like a methodological, reasoned approach here. People just believe, or have piece-meal thought processes, or have a selective, low sample memory of successes. There are complicated reasons for the continuing of curanderos, shamans, and other forms of alternative healings, which I could go into in a larger space and maybe try to write a whole thesis, but certainly a significant piece is *trust*. People here are more likely to trust in the traditional/natural from their own backgrounds, than in the modern/artificial, which comes from other countries. And this is part of the central role of this Barriers to Bridges effort: that these two extremes develop relationship and trust, so that each side can benefit from the other, and new life (culture, society, development, etc) can start to germinate.
About a 25-minute walk away, there's a great lookout over the valley east of Quito, where there are always great views: https://photos.app.goo.gl/s2atHz5bwkMQ72Kz9
The quote on the wall behind the tree reads, "I prefer to open my eyes out of curiosity, than to close them out of conviction."
There are new bus schedules for getting around the places I typically go, but they haven't changed too much. Prices are a little bit higher as well. But with that, I left Quito to spend time in Mindo on my type of quasi-retreat.
Mindo
I spent 11 days in Mindo this time, in part because I was already so behind on a lot of practical organizational and writing aspects of the mission. I hadn't had a retreat in almost a year and a half - since the last time I was in Mindo the year before.
It was a good time, and I'm glad I took the time, though it was a bit of an economic hit. Included was a mix of prayer, writing and drawing and organizing, meeting with people, looking for possibilities for longer term renting, and enjoying the amazing nature that is around.
As I mentioned last year, there is a place called "The Invisible Monastery" here in Mindo, that I guess you can reach after a long walk and crossing over a suspension footbridge. (Photos at the end.) I like to think of my retreat time here, that all of this area is my invisible monastery. Amidst the prayer in the chapels here and in other moments, I made a lot of progress in clarifying my personal vocation here, organizing more vision, and also organizing the tools that I use. It's almost done, and there's a little more to go to have it finished, so I'm still in a bit of pause mode as I work to get it finished. It's absolutely important to me to get it finished, so I try to make it a priority amidst all the activity going on while in Chontal, but that's difficult. So, I'm writing this after returning again to Mindo for a few days, as this report is another piece that I'm behind on!
This first time in Mindo, I caught up with a lot of people that I know. I also met some new guests from France and Poland at the hotel I stay. It seems I always quickly make friends with folks visiting from Europe and the States here, and that's a part of the reason that I see opportunity for bridging here in Mindo.
There is a new parish priest here in Mindo. The previous priest - who was Haitian - was very social and open. Several of us had gone and played basketball together, and there were other activities going on. That would have been a decent opportunity to present some of what I do and connect to the parish. However, he was transferred and there is a new priest that apparently is not so social. Some friends introduced me to him and he was pleasant, but later on another day, he took off from the church doorway when he saw me passing by. Clergy have their own personalities, and a lot of things can be happening in someone's life that one is not privy to. It doesn't bode well for collaborating in the parish, as typically clergy here want people under their auspices, working in the things they think are important. But one thing I would like to do is be a part of any parish outreach to the sick and elderly and disabled, where I could visit homes. That would probably be where I start in the conversation.
There was a Filipino-American man who had been living in Mindo for a few years, working with university students on research and starting social and language activities. He was making plans to build a place to live and stay there, with some big plans. He was active in the church, had connections with the Jesuit project in Quito, and we knew a few people in common. He had some money, and it showed - he had a very active social life, was good at bringing people together, and was well known across the bigger names and places in Mindo. (We would have differences in lifestyle and vision.) But unfortunately, a few months ago, although only about 60 years old and healthy, he suddenly and unexpectedly died. People were shocked and some are still grieving. It was a surprise and shock to me.
A few things came to mind for me: one, we don't know the day and hour, and we live life with God not knowing if this will be our last day in this life. Even as someone who hasn't had his own real home for the last 17 years, I still have to remind myself: our home isn't here. Two, I had been thinking of starting to make some end-of-life plans for myself before coming to Ecuador, and those thoughts returned. More than just what I would like for myself at the end of my life, they are just as much to help the people that I know to manage and navigate that phase with as much peace as possible. And, three, I don't want my presence and any of my activity in Mindo to be thought of as a replacement of this man, or picking up where he left off. So, although there might be some similarities (like in language or technology), I'll have to distinguish my vision.
I spent some time looking for longer-term places to stay, as well. I have one place with an offer, which seems like a good offer. Another place is a little expensive, but wants to keep the conversation going. This time that I'm here (as I'm writing), I'm hoping to check out two more options. We'll see what God provides, if it's the way to go.
The time wrapped up well, though I wish I had about a week more! The plan was to return again soon for a few days, and repeat this each week or two. And that's what I'm doing now as I'm writing this.
The views here are amazing as always. Here are pictures and videos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dufFkKEP92mDw1kv9
Within those, here are some specific ones:
The Invisible Monastery: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ErrqZyrq6y5Ens2C6
Here's a simple view walking along the path, and there's a swarm of bees off to the side in the second video. I went by there very quietly!: https://photos.app.goo.gl/nbwn1ZASy35dEMeS7
Do you want a Discovery-channel like experience of leaf-cutter ants? I was amazed with some of the ant activity I encountered along the way, and put together about 25 minutes of video. It's fascinating!: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mPW4C7y1nHSSNeAX8
If you've never seen a stick bug before, here you go. It's the best camouflage: https://photos.app.goo.gl/EayVAtrLh55rCRCKA
Finally, I went to a concert of an orchestra from Quito, joined up with a group who play an indigenous musical instrument in the zamphonia family. It's basically a one-piece zamphonia (pan-flute), whose notes are understood by indigenous tradition to be related to emotional healing. One of the members of the group is a friend who plays and teaches a variety of instruments, and we talked about potential of him coming to Chontal to teach lessons in an instrument.: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sVBEmyGT9SiXP6hT9
Happenings in Chontal
I've spent over two weeks in Chontal, getting caught up on what is the same and what has changed.
Agustín
I arrived to hear some sad news on a few fronts. Agustín, a 45-50ish year-old staple in the pueblo who was partly deaf and speech-impaired, had died unexpectedly while in a hospital in Quito. It broke my heart, as he and his mother lived alone, and people with disabilities and seniors, though not outrightly deliberately abused, are rather neglected or left behind, or just are not given the priority you would see in the States. I always had time for Agustín, though most others didn't, and he was always welcome to blare his drum in the Christmas novenas when I was directing them. A few years ago at Christmas, I was able to give the extra donated money we raised in the Christmas fundraiser in little bits to some of the folks more in need in the pueblo, and here's a photo of Agustin with the 20 I was able to give him.
Here's one from Christmas 2014, Agustín with his drum:
Juanito
Also, Juanito, the deaf and speech-impaired senior who was living alone and raising his own yucca and papaya among other foods, had been transported to live in a senior care facility in the city of Ibarra. That's actually good news for him, but I don't know if I'll be able to get out there to visit him, as it's a 5-hour bus trip away, in one direction. Maybe if I get out there to meet with the bishop I can schedule to stay over with some acquaintances and get to visit him.
Visiting
While I've been going about these days in Chontal gradually visiting homes up to all the corners of the community, I've dedicated myself to give priority to visiting people in the pueblo who are sick or dying or are suffering effects of disability or old age.
Guillermo
I came to find out that an old friend, Guillermo, has been struggling with cancer for about 6 months or so, and was just returning from Quito, where he had been on morphine. He has a cancerous tumor on the left side of his head, behind his eye, which has now grown and disfigured not only the side of his head and his left eye, but has left him blind in both eyes and with loss of some brain activity. He is very gaunt now, but able to sit up and have conversations at times. However, it's impossible for him to find any rest, and he is sleep-deprived each night as anxiety snowballs to force him out of bed to pace around. Apparently, he refused the offer of surgery early on, which is highly risky, and has hoped in prayer and natural remedies to sure the cancer, which haven't done so. He was on morphine in Quito, but he didn't want to drift off into death that way, and rather wanted to return home to be with family and have conversations while he can, while looking for any possibility for a natural or supernatural remedy. The only treatment he has right now are some pills for pain and for sleeping, while he also receives Vitamin B shots (which knock him out). He has tried just about everything that people have offered to help him sleep, but nothing has worked. He looks to prayer for help to be sent, and we do that together.
I first met Guillermo about 10 years ago. He's a soft-spoken man, the brother of the husband in the family that I usually stay with. He had lived a bit further up the mountain, but would come down each weekend to sell produce, and we would sit on the bench outside his locale and have conversations. So, when I first visited him the other day, we started out with a good, hearty laugh. He said it was the first time that he had smiled or laughed in 6 months. I visit Guillermo each day in a house in the pueblo to accompany and listen to him, to pray with him, and to share with him the thoughts and stories that he wants me to share. It's to prepare and accompany him during what are likely his last weeks in this life, to enter into death in and with the company of Jesus, and share in his resurrection on the other side. Our conversations are private, but I'll say that so many other people - ancestors, family, friends, acquaintances, etc. - have gone before him (and us) so that we invite all of them to come and accompany Guillermo in his time of letting go into death in and with Jesus, while holding the slight possibility that God might have other plans. So may it be for each of us in our turns.
María
I've been able to visit Maria a few times, and will continue to return. She, too, is suffering from the long haul of cancer treatment, its physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual effects. She is mostly bed-ridden now and extremely thin, though she's fully alert and eating fine. Her cancer treatment was put on pause because of side effects, especially kidney effects. The idea is to wait a while (I don't know how long) so that the kidneys can get into a better condition, and then return to treatment. It's worn her down, and she doesn't like to think too much about the future. It's her prayers to God at night that allow her to get past her anxiety about all that has happened and what the future might hold - it is the only way she can fall sleep at night… Just like with Guillermo, I accompany and listen a lot, but folks here in this pueblo have difficulty opening up and talking without an external stimulus. Sadly, it's part of their culture. So, I share stories and perspectives of the road, and that helps to stimulate more sharing, dispel a lot of the confusion and fear, and often open the door for elements from Scripture come up as opportunities to touch God's grace. Allowing the person the space to say what they are thinking without judgment is opposed to the culture here, and yet it's the most important thing for a healthy mental state in times of crises. I aim to create and stimulate that type of space, and we include prayer to bring our hearts and conversation together with God's.
Eduardo
The family of the woman who has been president of the church for many years includes a senior, Eduardo, who has just also returned from Quito, where he was very sick for a few months. He is now doing pretty well, while getting up and going about, though he's very thin. I guess he doesn't know it, but he has colon cancer that has metastasized through his whole body. As in the other cases you're reading about here, and in my experience from before, there probably isn't going to be a whole lot of palliative care beyond natural remedies. Things are likely going to become very difficult in the following month, and so I'm starting to stop by and say hello.
Ximena
Ximena and her children seem to be doing well. Ximena and another woman have a restaurant business that opens on weekends. Her house has been turned into 2 living units, so that one is rented out to school teachers. Her upstairs, where she and her children are staying, is still a work in progress. Esteban has some health struggles, including some depression, but doesn't seem to be in crisis.
Rafaela
I made a visit to the Bosmediano family, who lives next to Maria and Jimmi. (The husband is also one of the sons of Eduardo - most everyone is related somehow in Chontal.) They have their own struggles, including with their daughter Rafaela, who now is almost 5 years old. Born with disabilities, she was supposed to have open heart surgery back in 2019. However, they found that they couldn't do that surgery because of risks due to her deformed tooth growth. So, she first needed tooth and jaw surgery. But then, they found she had a thyroid problem they need to be addressed and controlled before the tooth surgery. That happened just as the pandemic began, and then all the interaction with doctors and hospitals stopped. They haven't returned to that path. Rafaela is very intelligent, but she has never developed correct speech while suffering from jaw and tooth problems that have caused bouts of swelling and infection. She has difficulty pronouncing words, and although her family does understand her, she will have problems when she starts school, unfortunately. Hopefully, there can be some access to speech therapy (I'm not sure that there is here), and yet a lot depends on the willpower of her parents. Hopefully they consider re-starting the process with medical attention at the hospital.
Marta
I also visited Marta, a senior woman who had a house in severe need of repair. Next to her house, on property he owns, her son has built the first floor of a double locale, with plans to build living space above it for him and his mother. He knocked down her house on her property, and I'm not sure what the plans are. Marta currently lives in one of the unfinished locales, while the other is destined to be her son's mechanic shop. Only the next door locale construction has running water, and both have bathrooms but no kitchen. So, she has to work with that for now. Who knows when the top floor will ever get finished, she shrugs. There seems to be some tension and disagreement with her son's wife… Marta has also had a very large neck goiter for a long time, and now it seems to be even larger. Her other daughter-in-law has mentioned that she has at times gotten up the courage to follow through on medical attention, but then falls off the path. It is typical of life in this zone: being poor and far away from benefits of the city, the obstacles pile up and others have set the example before to give in to despair and presume that somehow things will be ok. It needs a catalyst to not give up on the advocacy, but you are struggling not just against the resistances inside one person, but from a whole culture that passes gossip and voices that slowly hack away at confidence.
More Visiting
On the positive side, I visited more homes and caught up with some folks, including Tania and her family. Tania was one of the leaders of the kids/youth group we had some years ago, and is now a college-educated child-care specialist, working full-time in the daycare center in the next village over. The family has a lot of pets, including a parrot, rabbits, furry chickens, wild turkeys, chihuahuas, and ducks. Here you can see a few photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QbvHcYbYWTghArJWA
Brandon, the grandson of Eduardo, has his 10th birthday party. I had an old football that I had brought a few years ago, and I gave it to him for a birthday gift. Here you can see Brandon getting the traditional head-pushed-into-the-cake for his birthday, lol: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WL3PimBdd6Q29SDr5
In this video, you can see his father Luis and sister Scarleth. In a fundraiser back in 2015 or so, we helped the family pay for her medical treatment, where she was born with her hips disjointed and they had to be reset. Thanks to the doctors and hospital, her family and friends and our help too, Scarleth can walk and run like any other girl her age. Here's a picture of them both in 2015, with the "papaya": https://photos.app.goo.gl/T6YXSExSk5E2UWQ4A
Kids
And of course, there are a lot of games with kids. We had some fun making a slow-motion video here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4K5qBqprnjyjqp8S8
And here you can see a typical day of kids and youth out on the field after school: https://photos.app.goo.gl/zRyWaxAksqq8TREX6
The laughs and fun are endless each day! So much so, you need a break from it :) But hopefully we can resurrect the scavenger hunt idea that I had last time, before Covid knocked me out. Anyway, I talk more about the kids in my reflection at the end.
Sick
I typically stay in a house that belongs to a family in Chontal that is basically a hotel. The husband is currently the political president of the community. Since the "White House" in Ecuador is called Carondolet, I tell people that I'm staying in Carondolet. That's in part because the parish house is still being rented out to young medical staff, so there's no other place for me to stay, practically speaking, yet. The wife just had a birthday party amongst family: https://photos.app.goo.gl/aexFADVqHecc8SqA9.
That night, I got sick for about 3 days with traveler's sickness. Someone else was vomiting that night, too. So, something happened with the food, but I'm recovered now. I had brought donuts from the bakery as a dessert (as no one had gotten a cake or dessert), and it got blamed on those. Honest self-investigation is not a strength. :)
New Construction
One of the first things I noted when I arrived off the bus in Chontal was more construction. There are more home businesses showing up, with a few more constructed businesses/homes. In fact, right in the middle of the main street, a new building was constructed with a bar and fancy neon sign. Because of the noise, the community had the folks move their bar operation to the small bar attached to the volleyball courts, in the main stadium. But there are several new businesses, including a few more tiendas (there used to be just 2 or 3), and two new ice-cream shops - a complete novelty. And all the stores are also selling ice cream now. There is also more construction a little further outside of the pueblo, with some owners from Quito building something for tourism. So, some things are changing.
The question I had was, where will the money come from to fill the hands of the local people in order to sustain all the businesses? Apparently, there is more money in the pueblo now, due primarily to two things: one, this zone has become probably the prime source of a fruit called naranjilla in all of Ecuador, so people are investing in that; two, a mine has recently opened up nearby, creating some steady jobs and income.
One of the new additions to the community, outside of a few new children, is a new cemetery. The one that has been used is actually part of the adjacent village, about a 25 minute walk under the hot sun, typically. And the costs have skyrocketed, for whatever reason. So, the community of Chontal has decided to build its own cemetery in the village, on a plot of land by the great (and dirty) Guayllabamba River. People will rest forever by the sound of the river. https://photos.app.goo.gl/KsKhd7a4XAGptyJA6
Nature and Scenery
Here are a variety of scenic photos of Chontal, be sure to check them out: https://photos.app.goo.gl/TMg2wMN5A786cocK6
They include photos from a visit to Chontal River, at the lower entrance. Further up the river is a better - and safer - location. Down here, in contrast, large rocks have returned to fall periodically over the years, making this lower part not the best for entering. In fact, the family that I stay with, who had the birthday party, lost a 10-year-old son about 20 years ago at this location. He was lying out relaxing on a rock, and, incredibly, a large rock fell from above and landed directly on him, immediately taking his life. The family doesn't talk about it to this day, but a memorial cross remains near the river.
Where in Ministry
I went out with the priest Pd Moises on a few journeys in the parish area, which usually take a while riding through the mountain and country-side. One day, we visited a man who wanted to learn more about the Bible, we visited a small community to meet with kids briefly for catechesis, and we spent some time at the big fiestas of Garcia Moreno. My first visit to this zone back 12 years ago - and the following year - was to the fiestas of Garcia Moreno. I wasn't so up for the long events, but I accompanied him to go see the volleyball in the day. We ran into several folks we knew from Chontal and beyond, including Rosa and some of her staff and a student from the Spanish school in Quito! I took a picture of one of our group with the leader of the famous band Don Medardo y Sus Players, who was playing that night for the fiestas. This band is probably the most nationally recognized and acclaimed Ecuadorian band, and has been around for a generations. The leader is the son of the original Don Medardo.
On another day, I accompanied Moises to Chontal Alto, up in the mountain, for a procession and Mass honoring la Virgen del Cisne. That took the whole day as well.
There wasn't much new to observe, except to reaffirm again that I can't really partner with the clergy in this zone - something I've known for some years now. We certainly have contrasting views of Christian life, as individuals and as a community, how is it planted and grown and sustained, as far as where priorities lie with regard to doctrine and other structures versus and human/divine relationships and love. Very typically, clergy prioritize the good support and execution of ceremonies and other structures, and the knowledge of doctrine, while I would prioritize relationship of the ceremonies and structures to life, and relation of the Gospel to life. I think the former approach is based on the rewards of human power and effort, while mine is focused on the real-life relationship between human vulnerability/inability and God's power in mercy. I think that the clergy just ultimately like to be served, with themselves at the center. I'm interested in the people, and their well-being and growth. And the contrast is very sensible…
In Chontal, there's a senior woman who struggles to walk because of a stroke many years ago. She had typically had a wheelchair that her husband pushed to bring her to church. This time, they left the wheelchair up in the mountain, and she had to somehow walk with the help of her husband and granddaughter from where she stays to the church. She was absolutely wiped by the effort by the time she entered the church. After Mass, under the hot sun, the granddaughter was left to help her alone back home, one tedious, short, awkward step at a time. I walked over to help out, and as we tried to walk together under the blazing sun, it was clear she was getting gassed with every few steps. I looked around: there was a truck in the street. Another drives by. Another car parked in the street not too far away. And the priest was chatting it up nearby, with his car sitting idle. Not a single person offered to help. I asked her husband, can she get into a car? Yes, she can. But everyone seemed to poo-poo the idea. I finally asked her, pointing over the priest's car about 20 feet away: I can drive; do you want a ride? Yes, she said, in her own way. So, I went and asked the priest for the keys, pulled his car over, she got in, and we dropped her off about 100 feet away at her.
I suppose this kind of sums up the difference between the clergy and me. This is what I mean about community, and what makes it: a top-down survival of the fittest, or a level-out community of brothers and sisters who give and receive freely. And it's in this context that I've tried to navigate all these years to be a catalyst of communion.
Splitting Time
Anyway, I'm aiming for more of a balance between time and ministry in Chontal, and somewhere else like Mindo. The internet in Chontal is extraordinarily slow and unstable, and electricity can go at almost any time. (The water also has been going or trickling several days a week.) So Chontal really isn't a place for doing any significant online work or connection. But really, if there were a resemblance of Christian community there, I do believe those things could be overcome or overlooked.
Latino Immigrants in Boston
I'm not doing any online teaching or language activities yet, as the I'm not settled into any place with good internet. I'll review this once/if things settle out that way.
Online Workshops and Teaching Videos
The online workshops and teaching videos are still available - come on by and check them out by clicking on an image below.
I am still continuing to develop these workshops and teaching videos. As the foundation is accompaniment in life, there are a few that you might find beneficial in this pandemic, and if you are experiencing a life transition. I'm continuing to offer the Pandemic ReBirth Workshop, as well as the Tree of Life. Feel free to contact me directly if you're interested. And you can share the link freely as well.
I’m also aiming to put together another Food in the Desert video soon, and hope to be able to move forward in publishing the fourth book in the spiritual reflection series. (Yes, I've been writing that for months! But it will eventually get done!)
Health
My hip arthritis has been ok, and I've been able to get around fine, with a little pain and discomfort. I've played running sports with kids at a light to mid-level effort.
I'll be looking to start and keep some regular basic exercise regime. It's usually difficult to maintain while I'm in the midst of travel, but as things settle a bit, I can get some more focused exercise in.
On August 16, I took a bout of traveler's sickness and was out of commission for a few days. I'm back up and going now.
Finally, I did handover about 1000 pills of 200-mg Ibuprofen to the medical clinic here in Chontal. The staff were grateful as they had been out of Ibuprofen for quite some time, and it is typically their most dispensed medication.
Financials
There are no significant changes in the B2B financial situation. Here are the links to the financials.
I am also including a list of my monthly expenses here. As noted in the July update, these are now *personal* expenses that don't show up on the B2B ledger. So I'm including these here if you're interested in seeing how much I'm spending.
July 19-31 $306.29
August 1-19 $467.46
TOTAL July 19 to Aug 19 $773.75
Costs are currently high because of some higher short-term lodging and other expenses in Quito and Mindo over a 2.5-week period. I expect the monthly expenses to come down significantly.
Here are the current financials for Barriers to Bridges (I’m still working on updating the balance sheet).
Reflection & Vision
I'm going to focus on continuing visiting people in Chontal, especially those who are sick and in difficulties. I've been invited to do some preaching now and then at the Mass as well, though I don't know that it finds real support. I'll also be considering what might be possible with young adults, youth, and kids. However, I can't be fully based in Chontal, in part because there isn't enough stability to stay connected to the outside, and also I need some separate space from the clergy there in order to grow ministries that are complementary and augment the sacraments.
I'm in Mindo now exploring different places to stay for a longer stretch. I hope to be ready to go forward with something if it seems to make sense for me to rent a place there.
I'm looking to finish the Visa search, and also visit folks I still haven't yet, including brother Darwin in Quito and the Franciscan sisters in Puerto Quito. Lots to do!
**************
In my stay in Quito, I realized it was time to get my hair cut. A friend clued me in on a local barber named Henry, so I planned to go by. On my first attempt in the early evening, I couldn't tell if he was open. So, I went around 10am the next morning.
As it happened, I was the first client at 10:05am, just after he had opened. Good timing, I thought. I noticed he had a Bible opened up on his shelf as well. He was happy to greet me and give me a seat, and right away I could tell by his accent that he wasn't Ecuadorian - he was Colombian.
So, we got to talking, and he described how he had to leave Colombia as a refugee. He wouldn't pay the local gangs the tax they required for him to operate his barbershop. He's been in Ecuador for about 7 years, and recently lost a temporary visa to the US, where he had dreamed of going. Without a wife or kids, and with no family in Ecuador, he mentioned, "And today is my birthday." I was his first client on his birthday. He was going out to lunch, but then working in the evening. He didn't have to say much more, I could sense his loneliness. He knows what it's like to live on the outside.
He asked me about my life, I gave him the short and quick. He asked, "Why didn't you become a priest?" I told him, "Because I couldn't fit inside of a box." And right away, his face lit up, and he said, "The whole world is your parish!" He understood. And, I gave me a big birthday tip to start his day.
When I go to the placed called Mindo to spend some retreat time, although I do visit a retreat center about once a day, I don’t stay there. I'm in the hostel, the church, the restaurants, out in nature, visiting people, and spending plenty of time on my own in prayer and reflection and writing. There is a place that is a far walk through the jungle-like vegetation to a solitary spot by a river where I go each time I'm here. Right nearby is a private place called the "Invisible Monastery". That's my retreat. It's all over the place with God. And so the whole place is like a monastery.
Jesus lives on the outside because he's originally from the outside. To follow him, we have to leave something very valuable behind. In fact, we have to leave everything behind. It is not easy, and can be scary to think about. So much so, Christians usually skip over or ignore that fundamental reality. It's certainly not easy for us - as we grew up - to think about living on the outside, about not having a home or possessions here in this world. But here's where we can get hope: if we do follow Jesus, we get to be on the inside with God. We get God's home, God's classroom, God's place of work and recreation.
Disciples of Jesus live on the outside.
And the whole world is ours.
Everything belongs to you, Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God. (1 Cor 3:21-23)
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A while back, on several occasions, Pope Francis spoke about the most important action for parenting:
"Parents, can you ‘waste time’ with your children? It is one of the most important things that you can do each day."
"Waste time with your children, so that they can realize that love is always free."
At another time, he wrote, "A society can be judged by the way it treats its children."
This is all-important to me because this is one of the principle things that I do in the pueblo: waste time with the kids. And what he says is true: it shows them that they are loved, because wasting time with anyone says that they are worth your time, and that is the greatest sign of love. Jesus wasted the first 30 years of his life with people. It's the foundation of love, and it's the foundation of a disciple of Jesus.
When a major media company decided to do a documentary on Mister Rodgers, the woman who was going to be the main presenter decided to do some research on him first. She got a hold of a bunch of his shows, and decided to watch them in her room, in private. Her kids had to come in from time to time with typical kids questions or problems, and each time, to the thorough amazement of their mother, they would sit quietly and watch Mister Rodgers. It became a trend in her house, to the point where they would all watch Mister Rodgers together. The mother was utterly baffled, because her children never responded to the older shows they offered them to watch. But they couldn’t get enough of Mister Rodgers. So, one day, while watching together, the mother decided to ask one of her children: why do they like watching Mister Rodgers so much? The kid looked at her funny, as if surprised that she didn't know. "Mom," she said, "kids know when adults like them."
So, whether playing sports on the field, or games on the street, or chatting and listening in the stores and sidewalks and homes, the kids in Chontal all are receiving the same message: you are important to me. I love you. They know.
And the adults notice.
But what they maybe don't notice is that I am saying something to them. I am preaching by my example, breaking out of the norm and flipping the script upside down in a society and culture where parents are too busy and above their children, and treat children as their servants. Coming down and entering the world of children is the same thing that Jesus did for us, and his action is also a preaching to us:
Follow me.
My time with the children is a very real part of my preaching to the while community.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (1 Cor 11:1)
If parents follow that example and those words, I'm pretty sure that a door to something brand new opens up in their lives. Something that brings a new light, and different way of looking at things, and new feelings of satisfaction and peace. Something that turns things upside down - or rather, provides the sense of things finally being in place when they are right side up. A door opens into a different state of living, that makes anywhere and everywhere feel like a new and renewed place.
It opens into the kingdom of heaven.
"Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these. (Mt 19:14) … Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 18:3-4)
Closing
Thanks for reading. Again, I hope it all helps you enter into the experience. Feel free to comment or reach out anytime, and I'll post again when it's time.
-Jerome