The delegation made a quick daytrip to TNII to
participate in the Psalm Sunday processional.
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The delegation made a quick daytrip to TNII to
participate in the Psalm Sunday processional.
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In the distance, flanked by tiny plywood store fronts and houses made of rusted, corrugated tin, a procession marched slowly toward us beneath a blazing morning sun. Adults and children alike, some in their vibrant, indigenous dress, others in modern-day apparel, walked double-file along the narrow, dusty road, their voices lifted sweetly in joyous hymns.
Undaunted by dogs barking at their heels, unconcerned by an errant Holstein in their path, and undistracted by the roar of a motorcyclist weaving his way out of town along the settlement's sole street, the approaching worshippers remained steadfast in their Palm Sunday ritual.
With each advancing step, the cloud of incense obscuring bronze-faced little girls sporting their Communion-day best, grew larger. Despite our limited Spanish, we all intuitively understood the oft-repeated refrain, "Jesu Cristo, you estoy aqui", which graced our ears.
The procession turned into a small fenced plot of land housing a partially-completed, open-air church. It was framed by forehead-high corn stalks on one side, rough concrete walls on the other three, a metal roof, and dirt floors. We followed and together with our Guatemalan brothers and sisters in Christ celebrated Mass, seated on upended concrete blocks, kneeling on sun-hardened earth, and humming the familiar melody of The Sounds of Silence while they provided the "lyrics"- Hello Darkness my old friend...Our Father Who Art in Heaven...I've come to talk with you again...Hallowed be Thy Name. When the service ended we were warmly welcomed with embraces and kisses. How blessed and humbled we felt to share in such a moving and intimate worship experience.
This was our introduction to Tierra Nueva Dos -our Sister Parish in Guatemala- and the first of many precious incidents throughout our trip that not only provided a deeper understanding and appreciation for our Central American brothers and sisters, but also heightened our awareness of social justice issues, lending new insights and meaning to our lives.
The seven member SJA Sister Parish delegation is pleased to share with you what we learned, what we felt, and what touched our hearts...
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This is a composite image of Lake Atitlan and the San
Pedro volcano. There are people on the near shore of
the lake washing clothes.
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Before our visit to Tierra Nueva II, we traveled thought the
country with our Guatemalan compañ and guide par
excellence, Walter, visiting a variety of sites, towns, and
organizations to learn more about Guatemala at large. While
driving through the cobblestone village of Santiago Atitlan, we
spotted three children happily engaged in a tug-of-war game in
the narrow corridor separating two tiny houses. A long tattered
sheet of plastic, which they alternately pulled back and forth
between them, was the source of their delight. "In the first
world, people get depressed if they don't have the latest
electronic gadget," Walter observed later during one of our
evening reflections. "In Guatemala, we have nothing and yet we
continue to have hope. Because we have nothing, we save
everything. Even an old piece of plastic has a use."
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While in Antigua, the delegation viewed the creation of
many alfombras(carpets of sawdust and flowers) used in
Holy Week processionals.
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Witnessing Semana Santa -Holy Week- in Guatemala was inspirational. It is the most sacred time of the year. Townspeople work for days, creating elaborate 65 to 100 ft. long "carpets"(alfombras) made of hand-dyed sawdust, pine needles and flowers, which adorn the streets of their villages. On Good Friday, their painstaking work is destroyed in seconds under the feet of hundreds of costumed "Roman soldiers" and "Israelites", bearing massive floats of Christ and the Virgin Mary on their shoulders, as they march through town commemorating the passion and death of our Lord.
Guatemalans view the destruction of these fleeting man-made masterpieces as a reminder of the transitory nature of this world and an ultimate tribute to Christ's sacrifice for humankind. Their faith, devotion, and commitment to God in spite of their deprivation is awesome.
Throughout the country we saw children bearing huge loads of firewood secured by forehead straps, little kids protectively holding the hand of a younger sibling while transporting freshly ground cornmeal in buckets balanced on top of their heads, women carrying large pitchers of water and oversized tubs of stone-scrubbed laundry, men walking or biking great distances to the fincas(estates) where they work, machetes at their sides, hoes in their hands. Often at dusk they would still be on the road making their way back home.
We wondered about the strength of the family structure, since people's lives seemed so consumed with survival. "Everyone in the family has a special role," we were told. They work "de sol a sol" -from morning til night- but families are very strong. They quite literally eat, sleep, play, work, and pray side by side. That kind of togetherness is a powerful bond.
In Guatemala, Christ is most often represented bleeding and beaten, in agony or dead on the cross. It is as though He has accepted His fate and is almost mute. Guatemalans identify with such a Christ because of their own history of repression and persecution. Theirs is a culture of silence for fear of reprisals. Just as Christ suffered, some believe it is their lot in life to do the same.
Children are their motivation to live, and continue to endure poverty and hardship. "If we have to give our blood so our children and grandchildren can live better lives, we will do so," said Amilcar Mendez, founder of CERJ, one of several human rights organizations which we visited.
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A church in Antigua typifies some of the classic
architechure that is a contrast to the humble homes of
our friends in Tierra Nueva Dos.
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Religion is an integral part of a Guatemalan's daily life, not just a Sunday observance. Faith and Christian values are totally integrated into people's thinking and activities. In Guatemala City, we went into a church midweek only to find it filled with people, although there was no service. Some sat praying in barely audible voices, others knelt in quiet reflection. Others stood contemplating the horrific statues of Christ, bleeding and in agony before or during His crucifixion. They would touch His wounds, and lift their children up to do the same. With the same hand that had just traced the nail holes in Christ's hands and feet or the gash in his sides, adults would touch the infants resting in their arms as if to rub some of His holiness onto them.
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While based at La Casa Sacerdotal, the delegation
visited several humans rights organizations. Talking
with these people was eerie since many had received
death threats because of their activities.
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There has been a civil war raging for 35 years in Guatemala(Note: Peace accords were signed the year following this delegation) and there are many injustices. Political and economic power are in the control of a small elite who maintain structural inequities through violent and repressive means. There is a lack of access to land ownership(85% is in the hands of 3% of the people), wages are suppressed and unions are discouraged. Seventy-eight percent of the population live in poverty, unable to meet basic needs for food, housing, clothing, health care and education. Citizens are not free to speak out against their government's policies. There are disappearances and assassinations accompanied by torture that occur routinely at the hands of the Guatemalan security forces. There is forced conscription. Only 50% of Guatemalans over the age of 15 are literate.
For the very first time some of us came to realize the meaning of the phrase, "If you want peace, work for justice." We must fight not to allow ourselves to remain complacent in our own good fortune. Guatemala reminded us, in a not so gentle way, that we must put our faith even further into action.
In the last hours of our stay in Tierra Nueva II, the church community put together a beautiful pot luck feast in a spectacular send-off. As we passed through the "buffet line" our plates were piled high with samplings from the many special dishes lovingly prepared and served by our hosts.
After eating our fill, we were asked to stand as a group in the front of the congregation. The people sang and prayed over us in loud fervent voices and laid their hands on us in blessing. Then for what seemed like an eternity, each member of the community, young and old, took a turn embracing, touching, kissing us, and personally bidding us farewell. "Good-bye and safe journey, my sister in Christ", "Peace be with you", "May God accompany you". This outpouring of love moved us to tears which streamed down our faces. We cried openly and unashamed of our emotions together with our Guatemalan friends who in four short days had become as family.
At one point in the
procession of well-wishers an old woman approached. She was not
someone we recognized from our previous days in the community.
As she made her way down the line, she held each of us close
and whispered earnestly in our ears, "No nos olvide"- Don't
forget us. We have no intention of doing so. The community of
Tierra Nueva Dos is depending upon us and has great hope in our
Sister Parish relationship. It is a large responsibility we
have entered into.
"We met as friends...always starting our days with welcoming embraces, opening prayers, songs, and laughter. Working on opposite sides of the room independent of one another, both delegations drafted separate goals as a starting point. We then shared our respective ideas, which, despite our different cultures, history and circumstances, were amazingly similar with two exceptions..."
"Collaboratively developing the mission statement was a learning experience which illustrated that both parties give and receive in a Sister Parish relationship... we managed to refine and combine our individual ideas into one, unified, and mutually satisfying statement of purpose...."
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The mission statement that was created cooperatively
during the first delegation is still used today to
center both committees as the relationship progresses.
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The highlight of the trip was the 3 days spent in
Tierra Nueva Dos. For more images of TNII click here.
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