Another day in La Javia

Today Amber and I began our final project for praxis. We are creating a documentary video which will hopefully capture la realidad of life in La Javia, Tepecoyo, especially for the children we work with. It was a really powerful day of interviews. We visited who a woman who shared her story and about her son. Her son, age 24, has been missing for over a month now. She does not know whether he is dead or alive. It was almost unbearable to listen to her story as her other children sat around her and the tears dripped from her swollen eyes. At the end of the interview all she could say was "gracias, gracias a ustedes." She was just so happy that we were there and cared enough to take down her story and share in the "tristeza" sadness of her life. It was such a beautiful and heartwrenching experience.
Life her continues at a torrid pace. I have to read 2 books and write a paper this week, and I have a spanish presentation tomorrow which I haven't really started. Sometimes I forget I'm actually in school.
Romero's anniversary was this past weekend. We all participated in a great celebration and memorial march downtown. It was really energizing and reminded me of why I am here and my call to living a life of peace, justice, and solidarity. Thank you all for your continued love and support!

Honduras y más

Copan ruinas







Roatan beach at West End









Crazy ant eater friend from the jungle









chillin by the river




First I would like to apologize for the long awaited update from Honduras. Spring break was incredible. We started the week at the ruins of Copán. We toured the ruins and visited some hotsprings. We then traveled east to the island of Roatan. We stayed in a great backpackers hostel right on the beach. We snorkeled and went on a boat tour. The island is basically paradise and meets the standards of any Caribbean island you´ve ever seen in photographs. Then we went to La Ceiba on the mainland to Pico Bonito national forest. While there we stayed in an amazing jungle lodge over looking a roaring whitewater river. We went rafting, ziplining through the jungle, and played with their pet anteater. The whole trip was like a dream come true. I really love living out of my backpack, traveling, and meeting great people along the way.
This week, coming back to the reality of El Salvador, has been really hard. I feel like I left myself in Honduras and I´m just now starting to catch up to myself. The time we have here is already waning and we are all getting worried about final projects and making connections before it´s too late. I have to keep reminding myself to live in the moment and experience everything that I can. This weekend is the anniversary of Monseñor Romero´s death. We will participating in a great remembrance celebration along with thousands of Salvadorans. I really excited to be a part of this celebration. Tomorrow we are meeting with ex-ambassador to El Salvador, Robert White. This will be a unique opportunity to see into the workings of American politics in El Salvador during the civil war.
I have been horrible at keeping up correspondence; I apologize. If you would like a postcard please send me your address because I don't really have any one's here. Finally, I would like to throw a shout out to my dad who's birthday is tomorrow! ¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

Social Analysis of El Salvador

So we just got out of class with the head of Catholic Relief Services in El Salvador. I have learned so much about the greater social realities in just 2 hours. I would like to share some of these realities with all of you back home.

There are certain areas in the country that flood every year because the government will not build dikes. The funds are available from an international institution but will not be allowed because the area is predominately FMLN.

All the rivers and most of the underground water supplies in the country are contaminated.

Out of 100,000 births 174 mothers die from complications

there are 16,000 people reported with HIV/AIDS but it´s more like 32,000

40% of the country lives on less than $2 a day

Banco Cuscatlan, the biggest bank in the country doesn´t pay taxes and there are no property taxes in the country

1.5-2 million Salvadorans live in the USA and every year $3 BILLION are sent to El Salvador in remitences, which is larger than all international aid combined.

El Salvador is the second most violent country in the world next to Iraq, and the most violent peace time country in the world.

It is common for police to pick up kids who look like gang members, take them to a field, and kill them without trial.

48% of the wealth is held by 6-8 families

only 7 of 100 homicides go before a judge

Just some facts to chew on, because I sure am. wow.

Belice

The boat ride from Guatemala to Belize

After climbing through the rainforest

Munching on some tasty termites! They actually taste like carrots!

Hanging out at the cave entrance

This past weekend we traveled to Belize. The trip took about 10 hours—8 by microbus, 1 by boat on the open ocean and another bus into the jungle. We stayed in an enchanted valley in the middle of the rainforest/jungle. Feet from our cabins ran a crystal clear river which flowed from the mountain side. Hundreds of fish nipped at us as we swam around and dove off the dock. At the mouth of the river there was an enormous cave which we swam into. With headlamps we swam deep into the cave. After 20 minutes of swimming we came across a huge and powerful waterfall pouring from above. The whole trip was magical. Although, the dangers of the jungle did poke their little eyes once in a while. The first morning I walked into the bathroom to find a 5 inch scorpion climbing on the wall, and a tarantula in the hallway. Other than that it was a relaxing and much needed weekend away from San Salvador, and really the only reason we make this trip is because we need to leave the country to renew our visas/passports. And since the inception of CAFTA we have to leave the CA-4 (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua). Lucky for us, this trade agreement means an extra long weekend in the Belizean jungle. It was so weird to be speaking English to people in Belize. The official language of Belize is English because it was once a British colony, much like Jamaica. There are only 250,000 people living in Belize with 6 different ethnicities and languages spoken. Despite its rich tourist industry the country is desperately poor due to horrendous governmental corruption. I would love to go back someday and travel more. It’s so different than El Salvador. The people are so friendly and there aren’t as many walls. I immediately noticed the lack of barbed wire which is so prevalent here in the city.

Today I took the day off from Praxis. It was my first time to miss, but it was much needed. I developed a wicked cough and sour throat in Belize and can barely speak due to my lost voice. This week is going to go so fast, and then on Friday we’re off again for spring break. Time moves faster and faster.