Archive for August, 2009
¡Hola, mis amigos!
By Cassie Wright
Wow … we just got back from our mission awareness trip to Guatemala a couple of days ago. (“We” being my parents, a group of teens and adults from the Church of the Risen Christ parish in Denver, Colo., and myself.) Before we left, I thought about what I wanted to get out of the trip. I really had no idea what to expect, except that we were going to be going to a very poor country, and I wanted to keep an open mind so that I could experience everything to its fullest. In the end, I decided that my goal was to see how different cultures interact with each other, as well as to learn about the culture and people of the country. I had no idea what an eye-opening, educational and wonderful experience this trip would be!
After we arrived in Guatemala City, we drove about three hours to San Lucas Tolimán. During the drive, it was almost a culture shock going from our air-conditioned houses in Denver, to seeing banks guarded by men with guns in Guatemala City, down to the little shacks that people call home in each of the cities we passed.
Cassie, her parents and Maria, the woman her mother sponsors
The staff at CFCA in San Lucas Tolimán was extremely friendly and accommodating to our group. They made us feel like one of the family at once. On our first day of work, we took a boat to Santiago Atitlán, the city where we helped build a house. Walking up the streets of Santiago and looking at all of the stores and homes, I realized just how poverty-stricken the country is. At the same time, I realized how incredibly wealthy the people are through their relationships with their families and with one another. Back at home, it’s so easy to get attached to your Blackberry, iPod and other gadgets that you neglect your relationships with the people around you and with your family. One thing that really stood out to me was that everyone was so incredibly happy even though they had little money and next to nothing by ways of physical possessions. What they do have is an exceptionally deep understanding of how their communities work, as well as a connection with the people around them.
When I was packing my suitcase at CFCA in San Lucas Tolimán, I was truly embarrassed by the amount of physical possessions I had in one suitcase. While packing for the trip, I was fretting about which pair of pants I wanted to sacrifice as work pants. After being at the work site for four days, the pants I wore really did not matter. What did matter is that I spent an invaluable amount of time with my parents.
Cassie and her parents standing outside the house they helped build in Guatemala.
I also realized that happiness does not depend on the newest electronic device that I just bought. Happiness is strengthening the relationships around me. This trip has really got me thinking about the amount of “stuff” around my home that I do not need. In the next couple of months, my goal is to purge myself of things that I don’t need and don’t use. Also, I really want to strengthen my relationships with the people that mean the most to me.
Related links:
Generosity will bring joy
Building a foundation
August 7, 2009 at 1:31 pm Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 1 comment
Bob’s notes – Visit to Colombia
Mission awareness trip to Colombia
July 19-25, 2009
From the moment they emerge from the crowded exit doors of the Eldorado Airport in Bogota, sponsors are put at ease by the poise and talent of our young CFCA co-worker, Jamie Mora. Now in the middle of post-graduate studies (languages), Jamie handles several translating jobs, plus teaching, and is the main economic support of her family. Jamie leaves no doubt that the presence of the David Malka family, her loving sponsors for 15 years, and her CFCA Bogota family, has played a major role in her life’s journey.
About Colombia
In Colombia, many people—especially in the rural areas—suffer from malnutrition, poverty and insufficient education. Colombia’s biggest challenge continues to be the struggle against guerilla warfare, city gangs and illicit drug cartels. Most of the country’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of drug traffickers.
Education costly
Public elementary education is tuition-free, and children are required to attend for five years. However, many children do not attend past age 7. Instead, they help their parents on the family farm. Parents also find it difficult to afford school supplies and various school fees. In remote areas, children may learn through radio broadcasts of school lessons.
Sponsors play a great part in the education of their sponsored children. In this picture: sponsors Nicole Mirti and Elyse Tyson with Wendy
CFCA has six projects in Colombia with 2,203 children and aging awaiting sponsors.
Colombia’s reality
Judith Bautista, coordinator of the Bogota project gave us an overview of Colombia: 7,000-plus sponsored children; squatters searching for food in local markets; very young population; we have grandmothers who are 25 years old; educational system failing and 8th graders sometimes cannot read; overcrowded—even up to 70 in a classroom; in Bogota only 1 percent of students eventually find work in the field they studied; very serious problem of domestic violence; robbery is the most common crime of teenagers; children are set up by unscrupulous adults to commit crimes because of the impunity of their age.
Our solution to some of these challenges is the CFCA communities of compassion in the neighborhoods, the love of the staff for the families and the solidarity, love and power of our mothers groups.
Spirit of Sopo
I was impressed with the great community spirit among the CFCA families of Sopo. The main sources of income are the flower industry and farming, especially dairy. CFCA walks with 430 children and their families in this community.
Mothers are meeting twice a week, once for program activities in which they read the sponsorship manual piece by piece, the other for livelihood projects planning and execution. Today, they had organized a solidarity walk through the beautiful and green countryside and the trek took the better part of two hours with a marching band, four teens on stilts as giants and stops to welcome the next group of walkers.
Motivated sponsors
I’m happy to report that members of this group sponsored five additional children during the week. Listen to these thoughts offered by sponsors on this trip:
“I think of CFCA as my surrogate parents and grandparents, knowing they will instill the religious values in my child, along with the other values.”
“I feel the Lord is calling me to go through a new door.”
“Trust in God. I am learning to trust in others…especially for love rather than having to go it alone.”
As Cristina and I head back to Guatemala via the scenic route through Lima and San Salvador, please join us in prayer and solidarity with our families in Honduras. We look forward now to seeing the groups from Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa, Kan., and Risen Christ Parish from Denver, Colo., and then our next mission awareness trip to Guatemala on Aug.1.
God’s blessings,
Bob Hentzen
August 6, 2009 at 10:56 am Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 4 comments
Honduras update
Late last week we received an update about the political crisis in Honduras from three of our five Honduran projects. All three reported they are continuing to operate and provide benefits.
Please continue to keep your sponsored friends, CFCA staff and all people of Honduras in your thoughts and prayers through this turmoil.
To read the entire news story, please refer to this link.
August 3, 2009 at 1:05 pm Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) Leave a comment
