The Work of Listening

The next day I came with my work gloves and my broad -brim hat expecting to be out in the fields digging in the dirt but was called up by Frank (Paco) my team leader to visit some of the families. We visited one family who wanted to talk about some of their issues. They had started well, by great industry they had been very successful growing crops. The father was very energetic , a real farmer, and had passed that on to his sons. They had started out paying on their land, and then they had missed a payment even though they'd been making a profit on their crops. It looked like he was taking money that should have gone to land payments and put it into things that would enhance his production like paying a tractor to plow his land, buying fertilizer, etc... or spent it on family stuff. AGROS , not being a bank, depends on people paying back loans so they have money to help others in the community with projects and developing. They had to press hard, giving him a dead-line to pay the missed payment and the next one (with missed payments interest starts to pile up). They family was upset that a certain percentage of the next harvest was ear-marked for debt payment. "What will we live on?" "Can you get AGROS to lighten up". The family said the last harvest hadn't been that good, though AGROS had carefully evaluated the value of their produce. 2 things came up. One was that they were trying to help a daughter, whose husband had been killed, leaving her with 2 young children. The other was that our friend had borrowed money from friends. I was grateful for our friend Carmen who carefully worked to translate the whole story. I was thankful for Frank who is an excellent arbitrator/peace-maker.I felt like we were wrestling as we listened and prayed and asked questions and explained things.

We visited another home, that of the young woman who had died. They were ready to leave and they wanted their money back, which they'd put into the farm. They were angry and full of blame for those they thought responsible for their daughter's death. We listened ...and listened. Then Frank shared gently how the Devil's work was spreading lies. That's how he destroys people and communities. He spoke of Jesus, how his message was of how God loves us , forgives us, and calls us to Himself. That's how He heals and saves people and builds up communities. It seemed that just being there even when we had no words that God's Spirit moved through us. All through the week and even now our friends and the challenges they face there on the hard ground of Honduras move my thoughts. Sometimes it"s like a cement-mixer and sometimes like a fountain.

Each night as a team we discuss the events of the day. Sometimes I feel that this is when we really get to work as we express our hopes and fears for this village, this country, and these people. The sense that God is here, is very strong. We care, but He cares even more.

Til later, Gilberto.

Planting Watermelons and Playing Bingo

Hi all!

Today several of us are out in the fields. We're planting watermelons and it's hot. I wish I had one right now. Did I put my sun screen on? Where did I leave my water bottle? Using measuring sticks ( 2 & 1/2 feet long)we work our way down the row, making a small hole an inch deep into which we drop 2 seeds cover them and move on. The seeds are slightly red, that's from an herbicide, we have to be careful not to rub our eyes, mouths, or noses. There are tiny ants that you don't see until they bite you on the wrists or ankles. I don't know how I'd make it as a farmer, doing this kind of work all day long, every day.

A van rolls up announcing ice cream and sandwiches on it's loudspeaker. Somebody's noticed that the gringos are in town. We resist the call.

We engage in other projects too. Some help with the construction of chicken runs. Families are looking to keep the birds out of their gardens. I think of our 3 chickens back in Seattle. What fun they'd have if they could get into our garden.

The community is building a greenhouse where they will nurture baby plantains (kind of a starchy banana), which they'll sell to other communities who are starting plantations. The greenhouse is covered with a fabric that will keep out bugs and plant diseases, rocks along the base to keep out rabbits, and protection from harsh sun. There will be an decontamination chamber so that whoever comes in and out can wash off, keeping diseases out. There will be a spray irrigation set up as well. Our farmers are learning some pretty sophisticated techniques.

I like working on the greenhouse. I think it's because we're all working in pretty close proximity and are able to talk to each other as well as see what each other are doing. We are impressed by Erasmo's skill doing carpentry with a machete. I learned a technique for notching a 2 by 4 with 2 simple cuts!

Though things have been rough because of some of the problems I mentioned in the previous letter, there have been breakthroughs. Catalino, one of the farmers who has succeeded in growing high quality plantains was able, with help from Agros, to negociate a contract with a major distributor. He now has standing orders for his fruit as soon as it comes ripe.

Getting enough water has been a continual challenge for the village. A plan is in the works to look at drilling a well. This will require a scientific survey and would be expensive. If successful it would be a major benefit to the community which now depends on an insufficient source of water piped from miles away.

While some of us were in the fields others were with mothers and children around the community center. Barbara introduced a game that caught on like wildfire: Alphabet Bingo. Whenever someone got a bingo, they received a crown. Vive Jorge el Primero! Vive Maria la Primera!... Even kids who didn't know their alphabet before were starting to get it. Later we had adults joining in, too. One of our group had made coloring books using photos from the previous trip made very,very light. Perfect for coloring. The whole village turned out to be full of artists!

Getting these kids into school and staying there through elementary levels, I think may be one of the biggest changes in the lives of these people. This year a teacher has started coming out to the village, teaching first through fifth grades. Sixth graders go to a school in the little town two miles down the road. There's a high school about 10 miles away.

Bye for now! Gilberto.

Agros, Bethany, & Nuevo Amanecer.

Hola Amigos!

Much hotter here in North Honduras. San Pedro Sula is in the broad flat of stretch of the country that extends northward to the Carribean, The "Mosquito Coast". This is where Chiquita Banana grew up. You can read about the history of the United Fruit Company in a book called "Prision Verde" by Ramon Amaya Amador. San Pedro Sula is the commercial center of Honduras, lots of "maquiladoras" ( tax free foreign factories) here , lots of crime, lots of AIDS cases, but mainly just a lot of people and a lot going on.

My friends , a team of 8 from my church in Seattle, Bethany Presbyterian, had arrived just a couple hours before me. They had just dug themselves out of the snow and ice. I was very happy to see them.

We headed out the next morning for Jesus de Otoro, a fair sized town not in the guide books, between Siguatepeque and Esperanza. This will be our base, since it's just over an hour from the community of Nuevo Amanecer where our farmer friends live.

It's a bumpy ride down a dirt road. We pass oxen pulling a cart with wheels and axles taken from an old car, yards decorated with laundry hung on the fences and guarded by skinny sleeping dogs and strutting roosters, hillsides dotted with maguey (century plant)... dry and dusty and dead looking but brightened by yellow and purple and red blossoms (trees here wait for the dry season to bloom... more pollinators). We get to the driveway, I recognize a twisted "kneeling " tree. That's my " Bearing Tree" or reference point here. At the end of the road is the soccer field, and the ground from which the adobe bricks were cut, bricks used to build this village.

We clamor out of the bus and up the trail, over the creek ( nearly dry now), under a giant gangly Higuera ( fig tree), and around the back side of the hill where Nuevo Amanecer sits.

Despite the green and yellow balloons strung up around the space outside the community center and the smiles on the faces of our friends, I can feel a little tension. Earlier we learned that a young woman had died only a couple of days ago. She suddenly fell ill back in November and had to be taken to hospital where she was in a coma for a time and had to undergo dialysis. The doctors could not say what caused her illness, beyond saying that she died of kidney failure. Unfortunately, her family have accused a neghbor of giving her a drink that caused the illness that killed her. They have threatened this woman and are demanding that she leave. They see the Devil's hand in the death of their daughter. We are seeing the Enemy spreading lies that threaten to tear apart the community and the work of many over years and years.

Even though this is an agricultural project with material goals of developing the land , building houses, growing and selling produce, paying off loans, etc. We are reminded that the major work is spiritual, building unity, encouraging hope, growing vision, nurturing love, learning to forgive, ... All of us have renewed our commitment to pray for our friends. We realize more than ever that we are here to help people talk, to be listeners, to provide emotional and spiritual support.

My Bible study in Psalms 78:9-25 reminds me of the role of faith in every human effort. If God's people break covenant, no matter how strong, no matter how well equipped , they won't finish the fight.We have to live God's way. We've got to remember who he is and what he's done in our lives and others.

I think of the agronomist, Enrique and the social worker, Sandra who are here almost every day dealing with these issues and am very grateful.

Til later, Gilberto.

Back in San Jose

Hi friends!

I've been pretty busy. Berta , who runs the Hostel "The Corner" is our new grandma. We invited her to share our breakfast the other day and learned how she raised her kids by herself after divorcing her alcoholic husband by keeping up this place. When she saw our Bible, she told us how God had guided her life and how she always looked for ways to serve Him. Well when we got up around 5 am to catch the bus for San Jose, She was up too. She wanted to pray with us before we left. Putting it together in Spanish when I'm kind of emotional is hard, but God helped me. All that probably explains why things went so well getting back to San Jose.

Once in town,we found our way to the hostel on the city bus (way cheaper than the taxi). This time we stayed at the Quaker hostel/peace center " Casa Ridgway". It's a great place to meet people who really care about the making the world better for the poor and the other creatures that get walked on. They've got a great "Peace" Library, talks on current issues by people in the know, & free breakfast. Breakfast is a great time to connect with people. Jane met some Mexican environmental activists who had just been to the volcanic island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua where she was going and was able to get some guidance on making bus connections and getting through some rough neighborhoods safely.

We found a great vegetarian restaurant called Shakti. The special is a good choice and a good price. We were in the part of town close to Plaza de la Democracia where there are a couple of good museums, namely the National Historical Museum and the Museum of Modern Art and Design. The Modern Art museum had a couple video pieces that impressed us. One was of a Guatemalan artist, who had done a performance art protest against the government during the years of violent oppression in her country. She carried a bowl of blood that she stepped into and walked along the street leaving bloody footprints up to gates and steps leading to centers of government power. She stepped into the bowl every few steps then lifted and carried it farther. The prints were ever fresh. Another video showed a beach with waves of the sea washing up. You could see small hermit crabs crawling up the beach as a poem was read about human pressure on the environment (like plastic trash that will remain out there for eons) forcing creatures to adapt. As you watched you notice the shells of the crabs looked a little different... You know, that last crab was wearing a plastic bottle cap!

We took a taxi to Parque La Merced, where we caught the TUASA bus for Alajuela (stops at the airport). I sent Jane off to Nicaragua and I caught a flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Through the window, I watch the map of Costa Rica, unfolded beneath me... someday I'm going to see where that river goes... maybe I'll climb that mountain...perhaps I'll eat a watermelon from that farm...

Hasta pronto!(see you soon!), Gilberto.

Catching Waves and Waving at Monkeys

Hola Amigos,

Today was our last day on the Osa Peninsula and we were like fishermen casting about for that little pull followed by a wild ride. Our first cast was early in the morning into Herrera Botanical Gardens. We met Tom the owner and guide who over the past 20 years has been transforming what had been an old cow pasture back into the jungle that it had once been. He came down here with the Amigos program ( like Peace Corps), stayed on to start a guide service with a friend, and started this project as a way of showing the value of keeping the forest as forest and showcasing the many trees and plants that can benefit both humans and wild creatures. We hung out on his veranda at first munching on one of the fruits of the jungle "custard apple" while watching 2 trees, one full of white face monkeys and the other with "howler monkeys". I learned that if you want to get along, you don`t show your teeth when you smile or look at them directly ( they consider that a sign of agression) also scratching yourself and leaning to one side and then to the other indicates that you feel at ease ( however don`t try this at home). I learned a lot about trees and plants, one curious fact I`ll share is about the passion-fruit. It has little nubbins on the vine which are" fake butterfly eggs". The butterflies see them and think someones already been here so they don`t lay any more and thus save the vine from destructive caterpillars.

We took our siesta then for a couple hours. For gringos the siesta is the time when your almost dead from the heat and pass out hopefully in some horizontal shady spot. Later we went off looking to do some kayaking in the mangrove swamps here, but unfortunately the tide was out and that place would be mostly mud. So we lit out for the beach we met some friends on the way who dropped us off at Playa Plantares. A beautiful sandy and empty beach with great waves rolling in. We splashed about as the sun set gloriously over the palms. We walked home as dusk settled lit up by millions of tiny lightning bugs. Then another friend picked us up.

Hasta luego, see you soon. Gilberto.

Costa Rica

Hi All

Trip down went well. Was able to see my sister while on lay over. Somehow she`is managing with 40 kids 4 to 5 years old in her class. One of those Texas charter schools. It was great seeing her, it has been 4 years.

I got into San jose 4 hours before Jane. I had not seen her for 2 weeks! When you connect with someone after being apart so long and so far it seemed to me a miracle to find her in all that space and time. I was very happy to see her.

we are way down south in Costa Rica. the bus ride was 8 hours. We found a great place to stay in Pto. Jimenez "Cabines The Corner", managed by a lovely grandmother, Berta. Today we took a Collectivo, a cattle truck with seats, over miles of rough dirt road. I was standing the whole way. I have more sympathy for cows than ever before. We then hiked out to Cabo Matapalo, which is a favorite for surfers and naturalists, several long stretches of beautiful and almost deserted beaches. We saw monkeys, squirrel monkeys, white-face m., and howlers. Brown pelicans, herons, parrots, even a hummingbird that was taking a bath in a creek.

More later the computer use time is up.

Hasta la manana, Gilberto.

Back to Central America

Hola Amigos,

Sorry to be so long getting back to writing. It is on my list to do more of. Well, we are heading back again to C.A. Actually Jane is already in Nicaragua, where she has been part of a team teaching spiritual ministry to Nicaraguan staff of Young Life there. They are preparing these young Christians to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and more active in His work of transforming, healing, and strengthening, especially through prayer God's young people all over that country. Miracles have been happening!

I will rendez-vous with Jane on the 15th in San Jose, Costa Rica. We will spend some time together exploring some of the beautiful natural areas possibly Corcovado National Park from Puerto Jimenez in the south on the Pacific side or in the north in the wilds around Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui. Either way we'll be seeing a lot of jungle and wildlife.

Afterwards I will join my friends from Bethany church on the Agros team in Nuevo Amanecer, Honduras. It is now 7 years that we have been working with the farmers of this community through many ups and downs as they have been making a go of farming this patch of land, now more and more their land. They are paying off their loans and have developed the land ( planted plantain,corn,beans, yucca...dug reservoirs...built houses...installed drip irrigation...). We both have become year by year closer friends.

I will do my best to write down the story of these next days so that you, too can share in our travels.

Hasta lluego, Gilberto.