I think Charlotte is going to talk about specifics of what we did on Wednesday, so I’ll fill you in on today (Thursday) and then make some general observations about my first visit to this culture.
Today was our “fun day”, meaning that we got a break from Megan ;0) Our translators for the week have been Makendy, Jon and Papito, and they picked us up from the hotel at 10:30 this morning. These young men have been so amazing and so much fun! We went to a small nature reserve-type place, where the owner and creator of this place introduced us to many native species of plants, telling us all about their medicinal qualities. It reminded me of First Nations friends who know so much about our native plants in Ontario. It is so cool how God created so that we could actually survive off of the land, and use her plants as treatments for common medical problems. We then went on a riverboat ride to the intersection of said river and the ocean. We beached the boat on the freshwater side (the river side) but in a few short steps we were able to walk in the ocean and collect sea shells. What a beautiful place! Isolated and quiet, except for the roar of the surf.
Now we are back at the hotel and the kids and leaders are catching up on some much needed quiet time. Some kids are sleeping, others are reading. And most of the adults are lounging by the pool (painting, reading, reflecting, writing).
A few thoughts are mulling around in my mind currently. While I have been on several similar trips, this one stands out for a few reasons…
Reason number one is Megan. What an intelligent, gifted, friendly, hilarious and loving person! I have known Megan for about 10 years (I think), but my interactions with her were back in Canada, doing youth ministry. She was amazing at youth min, but I would definitely say that she is even more in her element here, doing this community development work. She is teaching us all so much about how to come alongside, rather than give handouts. I have never worked personally with a missionary who has grasped this concept better than Megan has. As a result, she has really empowered the communities that she works in. Charlotte can attest to the difference, because Charlotte visited Acension 10 years ago, and the village was in a much different place. Megan gets to know her community, works with the community leaders, and allows the people themselves to improve their village. But not just that – everywhere Megan goes, she has conversations with people – from little 2 year olds to very old men and women. Each time she talks with someone, she translates for us and she adds in, “I learn so much from _______”, or “__________ inspires me so much”. She truly honours those around her. I love it.
Another difference I’ve noticed is that it seems as though every continent except North America has a much better grasp on what “community” should look and feel like. I could talk about community in Christian terms, but even non-Christians seem to do community well here. I believe one part of the reason community is more dominant here is that people here (and in so many other places that I’ve visited outside of North America) do not have the option to live life in isolation. In North America, it is so easy to isolate ourselves and do life solo. We have our individual houses. In our houses we have heat and a/c so that when the weather isn’t nice, we can just stay inside. We have multiple rooms in our houses that allow us to escape from people we don’t really feel like being around. We have appliances that make cooking and cleaning quick affairs, as opposed to drawn out tasks. So, over time, our culture has put a higher value on comfort than on community. This is sad. Who was it that had the original horrible idea that we could live better in our own separate large houses? The North American experiment of isolation living pales in comparison to the joyful community living that is found elsewhere. Surely we too would find more joy if we did community better. How can we bring about change in North America – or even just in Simcoe County – so that we too can experience the multitude of benefits that living communally brings?
The testimonies – Megan has arranged it so that we have been blessed to hear the stories of at least 6 people. 4 of those have been teenagers/young adults. What an impact this sharing of stories has had upon us all! A few common themes stand out: the majority of these beautiful people were abandoned by their parents at a young age (middle-school age). They ended up taking care of their younger siblings (sometimes up to 7 siblings). Almost everyone came to love Jesus because a friend invited them to church/youth group. They all gave Jesus a chance and He brought about incredible changes, as only He can. I am praying these stories are having a lasting impact upon our youth – they definitely are having an impact upon the adult leaders.
Alright, now I’ll really stop. I don’t want to make you all think that Adam and Elijah slacked off by only writing a paragraph for their combined post… Thanks to you all for your support, prayers and thoughts. We are all making the most of every moment and putting your time and energy and money to good use.
Erin.