A new day in Venezuela

1/27/10

by Victoria Locke

¨¨Dios, Dios mio eres Tu. From the dawn I will search for You. My soul is thirsty for You, my flesh longs for You, in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water, to see Your power and Your glory, to see You in Your sanctuary. Because Your lovingkindness/mercy is better than my life, my lips will praise You. I will bless You with my life, and in your name I will lift my hands...with jubilant lips my mouth will praise You, when I remember You in my bed,when i meditate on You in the watches of the night.Because You have been my help, in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul clings to You; Your right hand has sustained me.¨¨
- psalm 63: 1-8.

There has been a drought here in Venezuela for about a year. Not only the land but the team gets thirsty, which was especially true when we arrived here. In addition to a picture of physical thirst, in me a thirst and longing for Him also sustains itself,to have more of Him every day.

Last night, sitting on the bunk bed that Lauren and I share, I could hear through the open window-panels the sounds of dogs barking, car alarms, people shouting from the windows, children shrieking, and fireworks. This is normal for every night here in Charallave, Venezuela toward the final part of baseball season, in the nightly games between the Leones of Caracas and the Magallanes from Valencia.The name of the team from Valencia never sticks too well and so I make up other names for them which make our host sister laugh. Here in Venezuela they are about as passionate about baseball as people in Mexico are of soccer or as people in the USA are of American football.

We have been learning many new Venezuelen words. For instance, ¨¨nevera¨¨ is refrigerator instead of ¨¨refrigerador¨¨, ¨¨poseta¨¨ is toilet instead of ¨¨servicio¨¨, ¨¨culto¨¨ is worship service instead of ¨¨servicio¨¨, and ¨¨cambur¨¨ is banana instead of ¨¨banano¨¨. There is a new kind of fruit that grows here and in Colombia that I have never tried before named a ¨¨parchita¨¨. It is yellow-green and round with a thick husk that I think is pale yellow on the inside, and when you open it with a knife, inside there are dark, watermelon-seed-sized seeds surrounded by an orange pulp. When you dump the pulp and seeds into the blender with water and just the right amount of sugar, it makes my favorite taste of fruit juice so far. There are almond, mango, and palm trees, as well as beautiful flowering bushes. The sun shines very bright,and because it is not yet the hottest time of year,there is still a breeze that courses through the land, and dry mountains line the view from the side of the church. Charallave is more in the valley, while Caracas is higher in altitude and cooler. Buses and taxis and cars beep and rumble their way down the streets,while the pedestrians hurry along on the thick, uneven sidewalks and the vendors stay along the sides of the sidewalks, selling their wares.

Each day Lorena (this is Lauren´s Spanish name here) and I walk down a main street and turn left down another street, rounding another corner to reach la Iglesia Shalom Menonita. As a team we have been getting together for these first weeks for different things, the principle reason being to plan English classes. There are a few things we are sure that we are going to do: teach English classes to people of the church, assist with teaching and watching children during the church service each Sunday, and work on building relationships. There are other ideas in the works- such as going to people in the campo (the country) with a group here, preaching, helping with a recreation group, or doing a skit.

Prayer requests: Pray that the Lord gives the team strength and ànimo (motivation, energy, delight) to fully love others each day,and that He would help us have the discernment and ànimo to know how to serve Him and the others here at Shalom (how and where to immerse ourselves). Pray that Irene´s knee will heal because she fell on it today and scraped it, and that He would put us out of our comfort zones, and that as He does, He will give us the grace and capacity to serve in His strength. Pray also that He will help give us liveliness, creativity, diligence,and good ideas for every class of English and of Sunday school (and of any other that comes up) that we need to plan and help us organize those ideas and put them into action. This Monday the English classes are to start and we are struggling a little with how to pace and structure them. Praise Him that our flight here went well, and for, on the whole, the good health that we have, and for the bright sunshine and the people to love and serve, and for things to do (I do not believe we will be bored at all!). Pray for the country of Venezuela, as there has been a drought here for a year or so and they are rationing water and electricity because they have such low water levels. Pray for Venezuela´s spiritual thirst as well, and for the continued ministry and growth of His church here in Shalom and in the country. Pray also about Jon and Anthony moving into the upstairs of the church (they are staying with a host family but are likely moving soon) and for Irene as she then moves out of the church and into a different host home; that they as well as the involved people of the church will adjust well to the move. And pray for continued protection for the team as we walk about the streets and live among the people here in Venezuela.

Y un Feliz Año Nuevo

Lauren Yutzy

Let all that I am praise the Lord;
With my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
Let all that I am praise the Lord;
May I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all of my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle´s!
-Psalm 103:1-5

One afternoon Vicki and I were lavamos un bol de baño con los dedos (washing a bowl of icing with our fingers) when a relative of our host family dropped in for a visit. We offered to share the sticky bowl of goodness with her and the next thing I knew she had smeared big globs of icing on our noses! I´ve not one to meekly take anything so I got a fingerful of icing and repaid the favor! I love the people here! I´ve been here for over 4 weeks and I still can´t believe how friendly everyone is. Despite the fact I can barely speak the language, people are still eager to talk and find someway to communicate which has been a huge blessing to me. They aren´t shy about laughing at my poor Spanish skills and with correcting me which I´m very grateful for. Everyone at the church wants us to succeed in learning Spanish and they have been very encouraging.

For New Years, Julio, the administrator of the church (Jon and Anthony´s host dad) invited the team to his house. Julio´s family and friends came over and from 10-12 we hung out, danced and joked around. We counted down to the new year and Julio lead us into it with a prayer. Then the fireworks started. From what I´ve seen (and mostly heard) Hondurans like their fireworks, the louder the better. Cohetes are especially popular despite the fact that they are illegal. Rare are the days I do not hear cohetes set off in the neighborhood of my host family. Cohetes are used at anytime during the day since they are only a loud boom and no pretty lights (I do not understand the attraction!). After the fireworks, around 1, it was time to eat! We had Jamaica juice (which is Hibiscus flower juice), pan, arroz, ensalada, y pollo. I got to bed around 2:30. The next day we had a piñata (I think it was the 5th one for Jon and Anthony) before everyone loaded into cars for the beach! The beach was beautiful with palm trees and a bright blue sky. I was extremely excited to lay out and get tan, which I did right next to a girl in jeans, sneakers and a t-shirt in the shade. I think I was the only person on the beach sunbathing!
While here I am having all sorts of experiences that I am learning from. One of the more humbling experiences was a night I forgot that the water has been shutting off at 9:30 for my host family. I was in the middle of taking a shower when the water shut off. Fortunately for me the shower head doesn´t work instead the faucet fills a bucket which you scoop out of to shower with. So I used what was left in the bucket to finish showering, without really thinking about it. Unfortunately for my host family, I used up all of the water and so no one else could take a shower that night! They forgave me though and the next night they reminded me to shower earlier! Another experience that I enjoyed much more was when Vicki and I made a card for our host grandmother when she wasn´t feeling well. We happened to put Psalm 103:1-5 on the card. When she got it, she prasied God and told us that Psalm 103 has been a significant life scripture for her for years! We did not have any idea of this when we wrote the card! Gracias a Dios!
This might be the last week of classes for the team because next week we might be going to La Ceiba and Copan to visit someone our team was in training with!
Prayer requests: safety and good health (Vicki and I both have colds and I am now an expert with Spanish vocabulary that pertains to colds)
Patience and good attitudes as we continue to learn the language

Thanks for reading! Dios le bendiga!

A Merry Christmas

Anthony Troyer
December 29th (evening to be precise)

I guess celebrating a holiday in the same way for 21 years gives one certain ideas of how it is supposed to work. Christmas this year was radically different for all of us, and though I can't speak for everyone, this is what Jon and I experienced.

We were told on the 23rd that we would be having many guests over for a Christmas Eve "fiesta". At least, that's what we thought we heard. When we came down to check on dinner early the following evening, we were informed that the meal would begin sometime after midnight, because it is the Christmas meal. Apparently, eating early Christmas morning is a tradition all over Honduras. To pass the time, we went and bought some fireworks with the oldest son Julio Andres. Fireworks are another Christmas tradition here. They're technically illegal, but no one seems to mind. We live in a very populated but compact "subdivision" and the number of fireworks that went off that night was incredible. Family, family of family, neighbors and friends began arriving around 10 from all over the country.

We were out front, lighting off another round of firecrackers when Xiomara began the countdown. 10, 9, 8, and everyone picked it up, excitement building. "Merry Christmas" we all shouted and hugs were given all around. Right on the heals of midnight, came bigger grander fireworks, complete with the excitement of mishaps and failed launches. We finally sat down to eat at around 12:30. The meal was filled with laughter, stories, random applause, and a time of reflection on God's grace during the previous year.

And, of course, no fiesta would be complete without the piñata. This was the third time we've experienced this joyful event in the last three weeks, and it hasn't gotten old yet. Everyone who wants to, takes a turn blindly flailing at the moving target, hoping to make contact. If someone does manage to break it open early, they just tape it shut and keep rotating through the people. The best part of this tradition is the mad dash for the candy at the end. The adults tend to be more crazy than the kids, and this particular evening one lady ended up on her back as everyone collided under the piñata to make sure they got enough. Jon and I finally settled down for bed around 3:30 to the sounds of riotess laughter and fireworks.

(Pictured are our host parents Julio and Xiomara in the front, and our neighbor Pablo. Notice the tape on the piñata...someone got lucky and actually hit it.)

When you are blindfolded, you are completely at the mercy of the group. 

They seem to keep their distance, though, if you swing wildly enough.

The next day consisted of a very downplayed gift exchange (by American standards) and a family trip to the beach, another yearly tradition for this group. The mix of food, fútbol, and swimming was fantastic. Christmas night wasn't a night to party though because we had church the next day which means getting up at very early (see the previous post).

Celebrating the 25th in Honduras felt much more like New Year's or even the Fourth of July than Christmas. 80 degree weather, fireworks, and the beach have never been a part of my Christmas experience before, but I'm sure I could get used to it. Ultimately, though, the core aspects of both celebrations are the same: family, fun, and a little baby born two thousand years ago as a sacrifice for you and me.

It is December 29th, and I am looking forward to seeing what the celebration of New Year's will look like. We will be traveling to La Ceiba (a coastal town) to celebrate with Julio's side of the family. It is about a 2 hour trip and will allow us to see some more of this beautiful country. We also hope to hook up with Konrad who trained with us in Pennsylvania and is serving in La Ceiba. Blessings to all as you enter the new year. Thanks for taking the time to keep up with us and share in our experiences. As always, we love to hear from home and welcome all emails and comments.

Dios le bendiga!

Live From Honduras

(Disclaimer: This is originally from 12/21 not 12/29) 

Hi everyone,

I hope you're all surviving the snow. We're a little 

chilly here too, it's gotten down to 70 degrees because 

of the rain. Brr... at least according to the locals.

Anthony and I are staying together at the home of the 

church co-ordinator, Julio Almendarez, and his family: 

wife Xiomara, sons Julio 15 and Daniel 11, and daughter 
Andrea 4.  They are a fun and crazy bunch. Never a dull 

moment. Andrea is a lively little thing, very fond of 

demonstrating the considerable volume of her vocal 

abilities. As I write, she's singing, "Grande y Fuerte es 

Nuestro Dios" at the top of her lungs. I think she got 

her father's gift of gab, but hasn't yet learned that 

there is a setting between off and jet-engine. As a 

family, they're pretty busy. Julio plays electric bass 

for the school praise band. Our neighbors (who are part 

of our extended family in that we share a car so our 

schedule is their schedule) are part of the chorus and 

the dance team as well as the praise band. And then 

there is Julio who is at almost every church function 

(of which there are many).

As such, Anthony and I have a rather full schedule. 

We get up almost every morning at 5:30 to get the three 

kids off to their private Christian bi-lingual school, 

pick up Irene at her house, pick up Lauren and Vicki at 

their house, and get to the church around 8:00 to have 

a team devotions time before class starts at 8:30. Class 

ends at 12:00 when Carmen, our other next door neighbor, 

and Irene set out lunch. Then around 1:00, we repeat the 

process in reverse. Drop off the girls, pick up the kids, 

return home. Saturday is church day for the Amor Viviente 

church, and it is a doosy of a day. We wake up at 4:20 so 

Julio can open the church complex (open pavilion which 

serves as sanctuary in the middle of a field with a house 

which functions as church offices and class rooms). 
Then we sweep out the sanctuary, set up 300 folding 

chairs, rake the fallen leaves, arrange the construction 

cones for parking, and place all the other unsundry items. 

Thankfully, another team takes care of sound equipment. 

Church starts at 3:30 and lasts til 5:30 or 6:00 after 

which there is some sort of meal. It's usually 7:30 by 

the time we get home.

The language training is a little different from what I 

was expecting. There is no school. One of the members 

of the church agreed to create a curriculm to tutor all 

four of us Americans. This provided quite the unexpected 

challenge for our teacher since all of us are at very 

different places. Lauren has had limited Spanish training 

and while enthusiatic to learn, still needs heavy 

emphasis on the basics. Anthony has the basics, but 

needs more vocab and practice talking in tenses other 

than the present. Vicki needs practice speaking. She 

knows how to conjugate verbs and has a large vocabulary, 

but she has difficulty speaking in the moment. I need a 

Honduran high school Spanish course. I can speak, I just 

need to refine my grammar, build my vocab, and learn how 

to talk like a native rather than a gringo. Our teacher, 

Edna, has been very accommodating, trying hard to figure 

out how to challenge Vicki and I, and she has very kindly 

started assigning Vicki and I different material than 

Anthony and Lauren. When we do a common project now, 
it's talking together or writing invidually which provide 

a means for us to work at our own levels.

All in all, I am very grateful to be here in Honduras. 

I love getting to know the people in our church and host 

family, and I hope that continues. Pray that we as a YES 

team, would be able to bless our friends here in Honduras 

as much as they are blessing us. Pray that we would not 

only learn the language from them but we would learn from 

their example as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 

Pray for us as a team that God would continue to grow us 

together, that we would be a support to one another and 

not be in competition with one another. And pray for me 

as I struggle to feel like I'm doing much as a leader 

when my schedule and most other decisions are determined 

by others.

Thanks for reading,

Jon

Hi! We're Eastern Mennonite Missions' YES team to Venezuela for 2009-2010. Jonathan Landis leads the team, and the rest of the intrepid explorers include Vicki Locke, Anthony Troyer, Irene Menendez, and Lauren Yutzy. We're excited to see what God does in us and through us in the next nine months. Thanks for following our exploits!