 "Doing Our Share" Sunday, November 30th, 2003 |
"Doing Our Share" Sunday, November 30th, 2003 |
Tierra Nueva Dos is a squatter community started in 1990 with a population of 5000. The words Tierra Nueva Dos mean New Land Two. Community members came from somewhere else in Guatemala to start a new life of hope. It lies five miles east of Guatemala City on a series of fingerlike ridges and ravines. Most homes have some electricity and some form of drinkable water supply. Although there are a few small businesses in TNII, most workers travel to the city by bus. SJA is in a Sister Parish relationship with members of a Catholic Church that shares the name with its community, Tierra Nueva Dos.
The two communities began their "hermanamiento", a relationship of cultural, spiritual, and personal exchange in 1993, sharing a devotion to peace, justice, and equality of all peoples, focusing on developing trust with personal, and community connections. Only after that trust was established did thoughts turn to how to help each other spiritually, politically, and materially.
When the delegation visited this summer, they were bearing six extra suitcases filled with candles. Six extremely heavy suitcases! Members of the Sister Parish Committee and the women's group in TNI and TNII make the candles. Paid for their labor, it has created a few temporary jobs with the cost of making the candles coming out of the earnings from the sale. At this time, payment is after the sale.
Primarily this money funds the south to north delegation visits. The delegates and members of the committee in TNII can work on the candles as part of their payment for the trip. Leftover money goes to support other projects the two parishes have together such as a scholarship fund, supporting the women's group, and sponsoring a children’s Christmas party.
Years ago, I attended an organizational meeting proposing a sister parish in Guatemala. Amazed by the imaginative ideas and grit of the people sitting around me, it sounded like huge project requiring more time than I was able to give at the time. Therefore, I went in another direction. Over the years, I have done “my share” by purchasing candles and stationary, each time thinking how the project has evolved. This past summer, I jumped in and again did “my share” while the delegation was in town. An experience it was, meeting the warm, compassionate, caring, people and youth and learning more about Tierra Nueva Dos, and even more about the candle project.
For more information on the summer delegation Nancy is referring to visit the Delegation Homepage.
This is some of what I learned:
Mindy Ahler-Olmstead is the SJA Sister Parish Committee Chair. 
Wanting to follow a fair trade model, SJA is trying to improve theirs. They want to be able to advance the money to TNII when placing the order, and determine fair prices for all the different sizes and shapes they are now able to make. These folks in TNII have taken classes on candle making to improve the candles they send. Thanks to all they have learned and their dedication to practicing and experimenting, there was a wider selection this year of shapes, colors, and sizes, including spheres, stars, hearts, pillars, hexagons and the traditional tapers. It is so gratifying to see how they have improved in their skills over the years.
What started as a planning meeting years ago has emerged into a wonderful relationship and bond with the people of TNII.
Even though I felt I did “my share”, and acknowledging my share was the easy part, it is still an eye opener to realize this doesn’t always cover the spiritual, political or material sides of the issue. It makes me think. What about you?
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