Home visits in Villa Nueva were just as fun as I expected them to be, but in a different way. I expected to see the beauty that lies in poverty. Sometimes it's a physical beauty like the houses all layered on top of one another, balanced on the side of the mountain. Sometimes the beauty of poverty shows itself in a spiritual way, like when people live their faith more deeply because they have to depend on God to provide everything.
The places I visited today were less packed together than the homes I know in Los Pinos. One home had farmland behind it and a kid with three burros. He rode the only one that wasn't saddled, which I thought was funny.
The houses in Villa Nueva, at least the part where I was today, were mostly all made of "block" (cement blocks, cemented together with cement floors). One house had tiles cemented in a design around the entryway. The houses were all at least two rooms or bigger. And everyone had a fridge. We are not in Kansas (or Los Pinos) anymore, Toto! (Although a tornado force storm did blow through today, which kept me from going to help the ladies season the meat for tomorrow's fundraising barbecue.)
I didn't end up going to the office this morning. Instead my co-worker asked me to meet her at the bus stop that goes to Villa Nueva. I don't usually ride the big yellow school buses that serve for public transportation here. I think today was my third time. I felt a little uneasy. I thought of another missionary who is spending a year here. She doesn't speak much Spanish, but she is out and about far more than I have ever ventured. I figured if she can do it, I can do it. Especially with my co-worker sitting a few seats back.
I was surprised by how many people bring a lot of big, heavy things onto the bus with them. I saw a crate of the most delicious looking avocados. They were enormous! And ladies with bags full of stuff to sell. An older man sat in front of me. He couldn't walk well, but he sat with perfect posture. He was impeccably dressed with a long sleeved button down shirt on a HOT day. He had on a hat, kind of a straw cowboy hat. I imagine he uses it for traveling. I wished I could take a picture of a man so elderly and dignified. There was a delicate beauty there.
We spent the day hiking up and down mountains. I got blisters on my toes. As we waiting for the bus to go home my calves were trembling. It was hot. The strength of the sun made it almost unbearable.0 My co-worker complained about the heat, but I didn't complain. I didn't want her to think I can't handle this job.
She showed me a road that the organization we volunteer for built. They also built many, many stairs. They have invested a lot in this community. When I got home I was talking to Fany about it. There is so much more need in Los Pinos. Why aren't they investing there? Fany had some ideas, but in general she believes that the two communites are very different. Villa Nueva is planning for and investing in its future, while she believes that many of the people of Los Pinos are living in the moment and not able to look ahead to the future.
The people of Los Pinos didn't show up to go swimming although they enjoyed it when they did go. In Villa Nueva they are having a big graduation party tomorrow. The program Familia Fuerte (strong family) started out with 18 parents. Tomorrow 14 of them will graduate from the program. That is a great statistic in my opinion. The parents learned disciple, how to show love to their children, setting boundaries, and other parenting skills - and they attended consistently! Only four did not fulfill their commitment.
We talked to those four today. They all said they would like to be part of the next class in March. One of the four did expect to graduate tomorrow after only attending the very first class. She was disappointed, saying she already bought a new dress and had an appointment at the hair salon. (I don't know anyone in Los Pinos who goes to the hair salon.)
In Los Pinos when a guest comes to visit the Mom scrambles to find money for a soda and subtly sends one of the kids to buy the guests something to drink. The kid shows up with a bottle of Coke and some cookies which you have to accept with gratitude, knowing they used their last penny to buy it. In Villa Nueva they open their refrigerator, pull out a Coke and serve you in matching glass glasses.
They are worried about their outhouses falling off the side of the mountain, but their houses stand sturdy and strong. They have water tubes leading to ditches, rather than having the grey water or "aguas negras" running everywhere. It almost seems sophisticated.
Our job is to talk to the kids and the parents. (Many homes had a working man living there!) We asked how they were doing in general. How are the kids' grades, the kids' behavior, the home situation, the job situation, is there anything they need? We talked a lot about discipline.
One of the moms is having problems getting her kids to obey. The grandmother said the kids are very obedient toward her. But the Mom said they just don't pay attention. My co-worker gave the mom a lot of excellent parenting tips, like using punishments that fit the situation. She advised them to make the punishment stronger for a worse problem and gentler for things that aren't so bad. She reminded them to always follow through on what they say. My co-worker seems to have a great rapport with the families.
The same mother who is has problems disciplining her kids was the one who thought she should graduate from the parenting classes after only attending one class. Hmmmm... I believe there could be a connection there.
We officially visited about 8 houses today. We stopped at a few more. They were families who only had kids involved in the program for youth. We didn't stay as long with them. Along the way we passed a lot of kids who know my co-worker. She lives in the area where we serve. She is young but people seem to respect her a lot.
A man stopped us along the way to talk to her about building a daycare and a church. She told him it seems like a good idea. He asked her to please present it to our organization. She said she surely would.
Afterward I told her it was a nice change to have people asking her for things. Often, people meet a North American and they instantly see money signs. It was great to have her be the one with all of the "power" today.
I got to talk to the families casually. They were all very nice and extremely welcoming. Most are very excited (almost giddy) about the graduation tomorrow. I wonder if their excitement might be because they didn't graduate from high school? The kids were super sweet. I can see myself building relationships and learning to love the people of Villa Nueva.
All day part of me was thinking, if there is more need in Los Pinos, why aren't we serving that area? I've been told by co-workers that it's due to a lack of connections within Los Pinos. But I have some connections that could would be perfect there. Fany suggested that maybe people in Los Pinos wouldn't appreciate the services as much. I hate to admit it, but she is probably right. My previous experience is that most of the people there love to receive, but are not as eager to invest their time as the people of Villa Nueva seem to be. I hope that my connections will help serve the people of Los Pinos one day.
For now I think I need to stop focusing on the differences between the two communities and be fully present where I am serving in this moment.
