Some hard things

Daily we continue to learn about the struggles of the people here in El Salvador and recently for me some of the stories we hear about have become reality. While the majority of our experience here has been wonderful and inspirational for us as well there are things we learn that just plain makes us sad, since we are in a poor position to change the reality of life here.

We have heard that between 600 and 700 Salvadorians leave for the U.S. per day (that's right per day). Recently two intelligent individuals that I have come to know have done just that, leave for the U.S. A mountain of feelings overwelhem me with this news as it is sad to know that so few jobs exist here to keep young men and women here in the country (as many who leave are young). Having read about so many leaving is obviously different than knowing them, and from my perspective I will probably see many more follow in the footsteps of those who have left before them.

I'd rather not get into the politics of this situation as the feelings of sadness are much more present at this time. I have now visited communities on both ends of the situation with poverty and wealth yet the situation remains the same, no opportunities for consistant work for a majority of the community. People sit in their houses and the differiences is how much ¨stuff¨ the have around them. The wealthy communities that I have visited are recieving hundreds of thousands of dollars from family they have in the US. Houses resembling those from US suburbs can be found in several cities throughout the country here but not far from them are other tin roof, dirt floor, one room homes that don't have the same fortune.

We have found ourselves living around poverty and seeing great poverty in a country that refuses to acknowledge it's existence. It presense is very loud and very clear with a deafening saddness that makes me uncertain of my role in it's existance.

On a happier note we are coming home soon to visit family and friends for the first time in over 7 months! We are looking foreword to our return but definately have grown attactched to our comunities here as well as the food (yey Frijoles y Tortillas!). Additionally we are excited about new opportunities for us here in El Salvador as our spanish and connects grow as well.
-posted by Tom

Pupusas and photos

Without a computer near us it is easy to neglect our blogsite. So, for those of you who continue to read, thank you!

Well, as it usually happens we have a lot to write about but not alot of time, right now at least. So, we will leave you with a few photos and highlights…..

Tom has been quick to learn how to make a beautiful, round tortilla, not to mention a pupusa that can hold it’s own.

On the otherhand I have struggled in the tortilla /pupusa making area. Yes, they are edible, but frequently are not round and someitmes far from it!

As you can see in the photos Tom's pupusas are round, where mine are square. I think I will start a new fad here....square pupusas....it will be a hit!! Oh, by the way this was our first time making pupusas.

Don't know what a pupusa is??

El Salvador is famous for their pupusas. A pupusa is a thick, hand-made corn tortilla that is stuffed with one or more of the following: cheese, beans, pork, loroco (the nacional flower), spinach, etc…. These tasty treats can be bought for around .35 cents per pupusa (or as low as .20 in the campo). Don’t worry Marge, Jude or whoever else comes to visit this meal will be on us!!

More to come soon....Salvadoran soon
-posted by Melissa

It's a whole different world

At the beginning of May we traveled back to Guatemala for the first time since coming to El Salvador in order to visit Shirley, Tom’s sister-in-law, who is back visiting the orphanage in Santa Apolonia. For Tom it was his first trip back to the orphanage in nearly 11 years and many things have changed. Obviously the kids are no longer the same as most of them have grown and left the orphanage, but we did get the chance to meet some familiar faces that knew him from when he visited the orphanage. The kids at the orphanage were great, full of energy and excitement, although REALLY draining. We’d like to send out some major PROPS for Tim and Shirley who must have had their patience strained constantly during their time spent there but we also know why you come back. It’s a great place with tremendous love and support for anyone who walks through their doors. While it was great to go back to Guatemala and especially nice to see Shirley again, we both noticed that something had changed about the feeling of Guatemala for us. We noticed that we are being to feel more at home in El Salvador and when the time came to return we were both happy to be back.

Last weekend we went with Gloria to visit her son (Julio), his wife and two kids, who live in the Department of La Libertad. If we had a car it probably would have taken us 2 hours to get there, but by bus and doing lots of waiting it took us 6. We also met Gloria’s mother, who is 75 years old and a spitfire. Although she has few teeth (that I could see) she talked more than anyone we’ve met thus far and really views life differently than her daughter (isn’t that usually the case). She is a very religious (Catholic) woman and with Gloria’s non-catholic more universal views of life, they had some interesting conversations. Gloria listened very well to her mother and does a great job of mediating as well as validating. Her mother also surprised Gloria a bit with saying that she was thinking of traveling to Nicaragua in August with a friend because she has never been there and she’s not getting any younger. Look out Nicaragua!

While we stayed with the family in their 3 room house, Julio and his wife gave us their bed to sleep in, while they slept on the floor (we thought in hammocks with their kids but found out later it was the floor). The hospitality of Salvadorans is amazing and really feels overwhelming at times. Gloria woke up in the morning with something crawling over her and we awoke some moments later to find the dogs in the room and having killed one of the mice. Another mouse (although these could have been classified as rats due to there size, about 6 or more inches each) we saw the run up along a basket near our bed before Gloria grabbed it in a shirt and took it outside (perhaps for the dogs). This all happened at about 4:30am yet Tom and I were so exhausted (and perhaps a little used to events like these) that we went back to sleep. Even though we were able to sleep in a bed, it was hard to sleep in a place that was strange to us. After we woke up, the morning consisted of hanging out with the family and getting to know them. Tom helped/watched Julio build a couple benches, with very minimal tools (a saw, hammer, few nails, and a type of hatchet). After getting everyone packed up we left their house by 11am in order to arrive back home at a descent time.

Finally we are in awe of how fast time has gone here. We have begun to be comfortable with our routines, life in the campo and have grown accustomed to the culture here. Soon we will be on a plane (in 9 weeks) to visit family and friends in Minnesota. The tickets were just purchased yesterday!! It feels like we are still experiencing a lot of culture shock here yet soon we will be experiencing culture shock in the states. Things that once seemed important in the US (such as my routine visits, at least two times a week, to Caribou coffee) now seems insignificant to the life we are living. We still have a lot to learn about the culture and the people here that make it so fantastic…..how do you live off of 1 or 2 dollars a day?? Many of you probably wonder what it is like to live in the country of a third world country and will have lots of questions for us when we return (which we will answer as best we can). Still, it is something that is hard to be explained and easier to experience through living. As one of the Salvadoran workers of CRISPAZ stated ¨It’s a whole different world¨.

-posted by Melissa

A little bit of livin' from Guillermo Ungo

Upon returning to Guillermo Ungo from San Salvador on the 13^th of April, the week started off with something a little too familiar and once again I was stung by a scorpion. Actually it stung me twice, so I must have really made it angry. It was hiding within our clothing and when I set the clothing on my leg…BAM…a sting. Wow, this time it really hurt, I set off a couple F-bombs and was bent over in pain. (It’s a good thing the family doesn’t understand those words, actually Gloria and I were talking later and I did end up teaching her a few words…..she said it was important for her to know them! Ha!). Although there was no tingly sensation or numbness, there was a lot of pain that lasted for a few hours. The sting was the start of it, I have had a number of scrapes, blisters, and bruises (let’s just say that Tom has been my doctor this week) and he has been wonderful!! I have been continuing to work in the clinic, accompanying the doctor and the secretary, talking to people, and just getting to know my surroundings. When I am not in the clinic I am out with Gloria attending meetings about women’s rights and how to bring those issues back to the rural area. I usually get lost within the meetings, due to rapid speaking and not understanding a lot of the words; however, little by little I am learning more and look forward to the daily interactions with those in our community.

As for Tom he continues to teach English in the school, and also is starting to become more involved within the community development, but similar to my work, it is a slow process. I do want to add that when we are walking to school, the clinic or wherever, there is usually children who say ¨Salud Thomas¨, which is a form of saying hello. This is definitely something that brings a smile to our faces. Tom is also continuing to take guitar lessons from the neighbor Luis, and Luis has told him that he has plans for Tom to join his group rather soon! So Tom has been practicing a lot, and would actually look foreword to being a part of a music group once again. Hopefully he will be able to play something when we come back to the states for a visit in August!!

We haven’t given much history on our family structure with whom we are staying, so here it goes… Gloria, our host mom, lives in a three room house with two of her daughters (she has 8 kids total), Fatima (14) and Ana (8). Gabriel (11, her granddaughter) was also staying there, but has since moved next door. Next door (which is 15 feet away) lives Nena (Gloria’s oldest daughter), Walter (14, Nena’s oldest son), Gabriel (mentioned above, her niece), and Carolina (Nena’s youngest, 4). Gloria, whom I work with through the Defensoras Populares, is an outgoing, independent woman, who just turned the big 50. We celebrated with fried chicken, French fries, beers and friends, it was just what everybody needed. Gloria said this was the first time she had celebrated her birthday, but turning 50 is a big deal, so why not!! There are many cute stories about the family, but it is hard to find time to tell them all. From the smiles and giggles we get daily from Carolina and Ana, to Walter tagging along with Tom with Guitar lessons, as well as the evening English lessons that Fatima, Walter, and Gabby continue to ask for gives us a feeling of truly being a part of this family. In fact when we return from the city Gloria usually says that her ¨hijos¨ (kids) have returned. We definitely have been blessed to live with such a giving family.

-posted by Melissa