February has been a crazy month. Crazy with work, crazy with fun outings, new beginnings, etc. On the work side of things, we started the selection process and training for our group of peer mediators in Colegio Bautista Emmanuel. It's definitely not easy to get a group of 10 people together, let alone when security is an issue. It's not terribly safe to be out past dark, and we can't let the kids take the bus at night, etc., so we've settled for meeting every Tuesday from 3:30pm - 5pm. And the teachers had an inservice day last Friday, so we were able to take advantage of that time and have a decent meeting with the peer mediators. We're still in the theory part of things ... it's like teaching 4 years of peace studies in 6 hours ... and are slowly moving on to communication exercises and the mediation process. And we're trying to keep everything in context. Josue did a really great job of giving sort of a cultural / contextual overview on Friday, and we each made a pyramid of the 5 gravest problems (in our opinions) in El Salvador. On Tuesday, then, I did the same thing, but we talked about it in the context of the colegio. It was really helpful for me to understand where the students are coming from, their opinions on things, etc. There is definitely a need for peace education, and we two crazies are moving forward with our program.
About a month ago, I had the privilege of being invited to a wedding. My friend Douglas, whom I met through my friend Carlos, is from the western region of El Salvador, Sonsonate. And he wanted to take me along a) to experience another part of El Salvador, and b) to experience a Salvadoran wedding. Man, was it fun and relaxing! I loved it. And he has two adorable daughters, Alejandra and Sofia, who came along as well. It was a huge family affair, and they were all very welcoming and friendly. I've met a couple of his family members before, so it was nice to continue to get to know them and to meet others. That Sunday, then, we zipped around to a few little towns outside Sonsonate. (Well, the wedding was actually in Nahuizalco), and from there, we went to Salcoatitan, Juayua, and Apaneca. Beautiful mountain countryside. And coffee plantations. Just gorgeous. It's so interesting/strange/sad/disturbing to live in a country that is so beautiful, but yet because of the poverty and violence, most Salvadorans don't have the chance to experience the beauty.
For all you train fans / Pennsylvanians, there's a railroad track in the middle of Sonsonate. And the train says PHILADELPHIA on it. Small world.
Not the best shot of the church, but hopefully you can see it's beautiful. The egghead standing up in the middle of the ceremony is Douglas; he was charged with taking photos and video for the day.
My favorite photo from the whole weekend. Finally figuring out camera settings ...
Town cathedral, Juayua
Shops and touristy things, Juayua
Coffee in its natural habitat. Coffee beans come from cherries. These are the cherries.
Laguna Verde, Apaneca
As if I don't get out much, Josue and Karen took me to the beach a couple weeks ago. So nice to get away and soak up some vitamin D!
Playa San Blas, La Libertad
Catching some waves. The waves eventually caught my sunglasses. Oh well.
MS. 18. Do these letters and numbers mean anything to you? Multiple Sclerosis ... voting age. Gangs? They're the two main gangs here in El Salvador, and throughout Central America. They started in Los Angeles, believe it or not, and with deportations of undocumented Mexicans and Central Americans, the violence has filtered down into these tiny and impoverished banana republics. A lot of people think Venezuela is the most dangerous country in Latin America, but in terms of people per square mile, El Salvador has a much higher rate of violence. About 7 million inhabitants in 21,049 square kilometers. Do the math.
Over the last few months, I've felt pretty safe and secure. I witnessed one assault on a bus back from a mall on the other side of San Salvador, but nothing else. Just as I was beginning to feel comfortable, things have begun to get a little warm. A couple weeks ago, the pupuseria (aka restaurant that makes pupusas) on the corner beside the youth center was robbed. There is a barber shop across the street that "has its way of settling things." To show that gangs have control of an area, they not only paint graffiti and symbols on buildings, but ask for "renta" or rent from businesses. Most business owners won't give them anything ... and then come the threats. This also happens with the buses in the city. Rent is demanded from the drivers, and if they don't give anything, threats. Assaults, sometimes homicides, etc. So, the pupuseria, where I often ate breakfast or lunch when I had early meetings or wanted to go with friends, was robbed the other week. The folks in the barber shop, according to neighbors, are informants for 18. They're asking for rent from the area businesses, and last night, there were consequences for one of the businesses. A small auto-parts shop was set on fire ... 4 doors down from the house I share with the church secretary, her brother, and her twin boys. And because the homes on our block are not very far apart (think 2 feet of space) or are like duplexes, we had to leave the house and go into the street. 3:30 in the morning. The smoke was so black and thick and the flames were coming out of the windows, and things inside the shop were exploding. It was quite the scene. At first I figured it was probably an accident. And then as I was sitting there watching the police mill around and the firefighters put out the blaze, I wondered if it was because the owner refused to pay rent to the gang ... I found out this morning that that was likely the case. There is an older woman on our street who is like a vigilante, I swear she never sleeps, and apparently she saw someone throw something into the shop, and then it started to burn.
So, today's been a little rough. Not only because of lack of sleep, but I'm a little freaked out. Like I said, I've felt pretty safe, up until now. And such privilege, to have been raised in a country, or rather, in a part of the US where the most dangerous thing that could happen is a car accident because of bad winter roads. People here have such a strong faith in God. I admit I don't. Or rather, my faith doesn't seem to be nearly as strong as theirs. And now I have an idea why.
I don't write this so you all worry. I write this because I felt like I needed to organize my thoughts, and I wanted to let you know that it's not all sunshine and teddy bears, even though that's what I often portray. I still love it here. But it's difficult sometimes.
