Kim Kavazanjian

Piojo, Colombia

2009-06-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

The program of diaconia in the Presbiterio de la Costa Norte (the Presbytery of the Northern Cost) in the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC) is involved with helping displaced families in Colombia. One project that the diaconia program is supporting is a new farm that has been started by several displaced families from different parts of the country. As an accompanier to the IPC, I joined several members of the diaconia program on a visit to the community in Piojo.
German talked to the male farmers, who had made the trek to the municipality center, in a theological and sociological manner. First, he talked about the importance or prayer, and unity in the community through pray, as a way to build hope and trust among one another. He asked us top stand in a circle and join hands. We passed the energy around the circle squeezing the hands of those next to us. He then talked about two essential prayers that the farmers needed to pray for: 1) rain and 2) a title of the land in Piojo. The reason that we were visiting the farmers was to deliver food because they were starving from the drought. Without the rain, their crops were not growing. We prayed for rain. German then talked about the hopes and prayers that the group had to make the land legally theirs. The community is in the process with the government for ownership of the land, however, it has not been completed, so prayers are still needed.
The farmers were told that they would only receive six weeks of food from the diaconia program. They should not depend on this food. Yet, there was an understanding that they were starving, so food was delivered. A serious prayer for rain was said and felt. I prayed a steady prayer for the next 24 hours that it rain. (I also emailed friends, asking for prayers for rain in Piojo.) The great news is that the next day it rained HARD! And the rain continued steadily for the next several days. Never underestimate the power of prayer.
Later, German talked about how the group needed to work together and described different roles people can take in a group – some positive roles and many negative roles. He did an excellent job of helping guide them in thinking about how they want to work as a group. After they finished the discussion in the circle, they began to distribute the food among the thirteen families. The men worked together, measuring and weighing the food. They paid attention to make sure all the families had an equal distribution of food.
As the men were working in a casual manner, I used the opportunity to ask them a question. They had earlier told me that they only had corn and rice planted in their farms. I highly doubted that. Just as I had experienced with previous work with farmers, it seemed that maybe the men were not valuing their farm enough. So, I decided to ask them, “What are you growing?” At first they responded, “Rice and corn.” I asked them if there was anything else growing, and I ended up with quite a long list:
Yucca (Yuca)
Maiz (Corn)
Arroz (Rice)
Frijol (Beans)
Name (Name fruit)
Patilla (Watermelon)
Melon (Cantalope)
Guyama (Guyama fruit)
Tomate (Tomato)
Aji (Garlic)
Mayillgo (Another type of corn)
Aguacate (Avacado)
Mango
Ciruela (Plum)

So, it seems that there is more than just corn and rice growing …

Please pray for the farmers as they work the land and work with the government for ownership of the land.

Kim goes to Barranquilla, Colombia to do accompaniment with the Presbyterian Churches of the U.S.A. and Colombia

2009-05-28T16:24:00.000-07:00

Christine Caton and Kim Kavazanjian in Barranquilla, Colombia

My time here in Colombia has been wonderful so far. The people that I have encountered have been so warm and welcoming that I feel like I have lived here in Barranquilla for years already. It is quite an intense and amazing experience.
When I stepped through customs to the gate in the Colombian airport, Christine Caton and German Zarate greeted me with open arms. Christine and I will be accompanying together until June 30th. She has been in Barranquilla since May 1st. German is the Director of the Diaconia Program of the Presbytery of Barranquilla and Coordinator of the Acccompaniment Program in the Presbyterian Church of Colombia (IPC). The minute I was in their company, I knew that I was going to have a great time in Barranquilla.
I have experienced amazing hospitality from people. I am loving the time that I get to spend with Christine. We have only spent a week together, but I feel like I have known her for years. We are staying on the grounds of the Reformed University, which is the seminary, as well as a school for other subjects, and it is also the grounds for the Presbytery of Barranquilla. Christine and I each have our own bedroom and bathroom, and we share a kitchen that is about the size of a closet. We have been using the kitchen – we make coffee at breakfast and we cook dinner every night. In the afternoon, we go to the seminary cafeteria and get an amazing meal for about $2.50 per person!
I have been able to share life with the Colombian youth. The other night I went out dancing. I danced the salsa, merengue, and I learned the vallanato. If you don’t know already, I love to dance! So I really enjoyed my night of dancing.
German is already exposing us to much of the reality of the “least of these” in Colombia. We have talked with both indigenous people, whose communities are disappearing, and with displaced people, who are also dealing with an extremely difficult reality.

Here are some of thoughts that have been shared with me this week that I would like to share with you:

~An indigenous person asks us from the West, that we return to the way we were; back to Nature, back to Mother Earth, back to the light, back to the water; a return to spirituality instead of materialism.

~An indigenous person tells us, “We never cut big trees. Energy goes from body to body; we hug the trees.”

~An indigenous person explains, “Riches are not measured in money or hamburgers. We need to go back to the earth. Colombia is rich in diversity – cultures, languages, music. They connect us with nature.”

~German passes on to us the knowledge of an indigenous person, who once told him, “Personal Security is:
1) How are you with yourself? Are you happy? What do you not like about yourself? What are you going to do about it? What are you willing to change.
2) What is around you? What are you doing? What is your relationship with yourself and are you satisfied.
3) What is around you that is bothering you? What are those things that you are willing to transform?”

What are we willing to transform??????

Seeds in the hands of the farmers!

2008-07-29T05:55:00.001-07:00

This past Thursday and Friday, July 24th and 25th, 2008, I was in Aristobolo del Valle, Misiones, Argentina with 600 farmers from all over the province of Misiones, and some from other provinces and other countries for the Seed Fair. The Seed Fair and the Seed Movement celebrated its tenth anniversary of seed exchange in Misiones. This exchange is extremely important for the entire province and country. Here’s some background….

Under the motto “seeds in the hands of the farmers”, the Seed Fair, as part of the Seed Movement, started to take form in the year 1997, in the city San Vincente, of the province Misiones. The objective of the fair, since it’s beginning, has been the exchange of genuine seeds of Misiones, without the exchange of money. Around this time, the pharmaceutical companies began the sale of transgenetic seeds, turning themselves into seed companies. These companies who create genetically modified seeds, have manipulated organisms in a laboratory in order to modify some characteristics, for example, creating resistance in their seeds to their own herbicides. These transgenetic seeds only grow with the use of the herbicides and the entire technological package that is created by the company. The companies sell their seeds at a higher price, and also require the purchase of the entire technological package. Also, when the farmers buy the seeds from these companies, they sign a contract, which prohibits the farmer to replant the seed year after year, requiring the farmer to buy new seeds year after year.

Many farmers in Misiones still purchase these seeds when they can cultivate, save, plant and exchange their own, genuine seeds for free year after year, and decide their own destiny. These transgenetic crops create political, economic, social and cultural dependency. They also create dependency on agro-chemicals, promoting monocultures in agriculture, which threatens the environment and puts food security at danger. Agricultural biodiversity is necessary for security and knowledge of food and the independence of the people!

Oración Interreligiosa Por la Nación Argentina

2008-07-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

On June 18th, 2008, I had the opportunity, with my peers in the ELCA YAGM program, to join others in an inter-religious vigilance, in Resistencia, Argentina, in response to the current state of Argentina. Please join us in prayer….

Oración Interreligiosa Por la Nación Argentina
18 de Junio, 2008

*Padre Bueno y Misericordioso, da a nuestra pobre y limitada naturaleza tu Espíritu de Sabiduría y Amor para que sepamos construir una Nación de hermanos.

*Danos Señor, conciencia, de la responsabilidad que tenemos ante los excluidos, los marginados, los necesitados de ayuda, en el alma y en el cuerpo, las familias, los ancianos, los jóvenes, los niños y los enfermos.

*Ayúdanos Señor, para que todos los hombres y mujeres de buena voluntad nos unamos en un trabajo constante para liberar a los que viven esclavizados por la ignorancia, la justicia y la miseria.

*Ilumina Dios Todopoderosos, a todos los dirigentes, a los medios de comunicación social, a los gremios, y a todas las entidades intermedias para que trabajen con un corazón limpio y libre de otros intereses que no sean los de promover el bien común.

*Bendice Altísimo Dios, nuestro campo, las industrias, el comercio, y todas las actividades productivas y sociales, has que no falte trabajo y pan en cada hogar y los jóvenes tengan futuro en nuestra tierra Argentina.

*Concédenos conocer los caminos más propicios para lograr el crecimiento y el progreso, que todo tu pueblo necesita en esta bendita tierra crisol de razas.

*Danos Señor, un corazón agradecido y humilde para que te alabamos y te rindamos culto permanente, con Fe y Esperanza en tu Divina Providencia que todo lo puede.

*Líbranos Dios omnipotente de todo mal, bendice nuestra Nación, conviértelo en un lugar lleno de vida y progreso, para que todas las generaciones te alaben y agradezcan por tu infinita misericordia.

Inter-religious Prayer for the Country of Argentina
June 18, 2008

*Good and Merciful Father, give our poor and limited nature your Spirit of Knowledge and Love so that we may know how to build a Nation of brothers.

* Give us, Lord, conscience, of the responsibility that we have before the excluded, the marginalized, those that need help in body and soul, families, the elderly, youth, children and the sick.

* Help us, Lord, so that we, all men and women of good will, can unite ourselves in the constant work to free those who live enslaved by ignorance, injustice and misery.

*Illumine, Omnipotent God, all of the leaders, the means of social communication, the unions, and all of the intermediary entities so that they work with a heart that is clean and free of other interests, that they not be those that promote the common good.

*Bless, Most High God, our countryside, the industries, the businesses, and all of the productive and social activities that you make so that every home is not without work or bread and that that youth have a future on our Argentine land.

*Grant us to know the more suitable ways to achieve the growth and progress, that all of the village needs, in this blessed land of the melting pot of races.

*Give us, Lord, a grateful and humble heart so that we praise you and we permanently worship you, with Faith and Hope in your Divine Providence that all is possible.

*Free us, Omnipotent God, of all bad. Bless our nation. Convert it into a place full of life and progress, so that all generations praise you and thank you for your infinite compassion.

Profetas...

2008-07-01T06:55:00.000-07:00

“Profetas de un Futuro que No es Nuestro”

De vez en cuando, nos ayuda dar un paso atrás y contemplar el vasto panorama.
El Reino no solamente está más allá de nuestros esfuerzos, sino que trasciende nuestra visión.
Cumplimos en nuestra vida solamente una ínfima fracción
de la magnífica empresa que es la obra de Dios.
Nada de lo que hacemos es completo, lo cual es otra forma de decir
que el Reino siempre nos trasciende.
Ninguna declaración expresa todo lo que puede ser dicho.
Ninguna oración expresa totalmente nuestra Fe.
Ninguna confesión deviene en perfección.
Ningún programa lleva a cabo la misión de Cristo.
Ninguna meta o serie de objetivos incluye la totalidad.
Eso es lo que proponemos.
Plantamos las semillas que algún día brotarán.
Regamos las semillas que ya han sido plantadas,
sabiendo que contienen una promesa futura.
Echamos los cimientos que necesitarán posterior desarrollo.
Proveemos la levadura que produce efectos más allá de nuestras aptitudes.
No podemos hacer todo,
y al darnos cuenta de ello nos sentimos liberados.
Eso nos permite hacer algo y hacerlo muy bien.
Será incompleto pero es un comienzo,
un paso a lo largo del camino,
y una oportunidad para que la gracia del Señor aparezca y haga el resto.
Quizá nunca veremos los resultados finales.
Pero ahí está la diferencia entre el maestro de obras y el albañil.
Somos albañiles, no maestros de obra, ministros, pero no Mesías.
Somos los profetas de un futuro que no es el nuestro.

Por Oscar Romero

“Prophets of a Future Not Our Own”

It helps, now and then, to step back
and take the long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of
the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete,
which is another way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about:
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything
and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results,
but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are the workers, not master builders,
ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

By Oscar Romero

My birthday in Misiones

2008-06-30T13:27:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, June 24th, I celebrated my 27th birthday with the community “Dios Es Amor” (“God is Love”) in San Martin. Now I truly feel like my year working with the community of San Martin is complete because I was able to celebrate my birthday with the church. The women made hot chocolate and cake, both from scratch! It was delicious. Many of you are probably reading this, thinking, isn’t it too hot for hot chocolate. Well, we are actually in the winter season here. It is my first time celebrating my birthday in the winter. We had a beautiful, sunny day though. And about 20 children came for the celebration! I am so thankful for all of the women that took the time to make the cake and hot chocolate. I often say now that I have 20 mothers in San Martin. Unfortunately, the pastor, Mariela Pereyra, was not able to make it to the party on time because her car broke down, But, don’t worry we saved some cake for her and her daughter, Ingrid. One women, who has been a good friend and works as a teacher for the bible school, Viviana, was not able to make it. After waiting for two months, Viviana was finally able to go in for heart surgery to have two major valves removed, and have two new valves put in. I was able to visit her this past Friday, and she is doing great. She can now walk by herself. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as she continues to recover. I guess I had many birthday blessings!

May in Misiones

2008-05-28T04:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the secadero cooperative in Guarani, where my friend, Luis, stands as president. This visit was a distinct, Argentine experience because the secadero is the machinery involved in the first step of the processing of the yerba mate. In this step, the yerba goes through various rounds of heat, where the yerba is dried out. At the end of the drying process, three kilos of yerba will yield one kilo.
Not only does yesterday stand out in the yerba mate history books for me, but for all of Misiones. Yesterday was the first day of striking on Route 14. The yerba mate producers on Route 14 are getting paid less than the producers on Route 12. Not only are the producers asking for equal wages to the producers on Route 12, but they are asking that all producers be paid for half of the real price that is paid by the consumer. But, I did not see many farmers in Route 14 when I passed by with Luis, because apparently, there is division among the producers as to how to get the increase in wage. Here’s some background as to why….
In 2001, when Argentina had its major economic crisis, the Instituto Nacional Yerba Mate (National Institute of Yerba Mate), or INYM, was created. The purpose of INYM was to create a table for dialogue and agreements between the different stages of production of yerba mate. The tareferos (day laborers), producers, secadores, molinos (the grinding and packaging of the yerba), the state government, and the national government are all included with various representatives of each group at the table. INYM created a national law that attempted to control and regulate the price and quality of the yerba mate. However, the table is not sitting level on four legs. Some of the legs are larger than some of the others. Even though INYM claims to have a table for dialogue, it seems that some of the voices are not being heard, or that some of the groups are not well represented at this table. On Saturday, May 24th, the producers had a meeting in the secadero and decided to begin a strike and stop all production at the secadero level until they are heard from the molinos and the government. So when I visited the secadero, I was not able to see the yerba mate in production.
Please pray for all of the producers and consumers in Argentina, that the country can see some justice in all produce prices.

El Primero de Mayo

2008-05-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

I am dedicating this month’s entry to my friend Alberto in Caa-Yari, Misiones, Argentina. He, unlike others in Argentina, will not be taking today, May Day, off because he will be working his soil, yerba, tobacco, pigs, and garden. I have spent the last eight months getting to know producers in the southern-central region of the province of Misiones, Argentina. I have heard the stories of tobacco growers, yerba and tea producers, and of those trying alternative methods in order to survive on their land. I have heard too many stories about the system of slavery and indentured servitude in the region, in which large companies from the U.S. and Europe offer oppressive deals with producers to sell products from mandarins to tobacco and they are keeping the producers of Misiones in poverty.
In early April, I spent the morning with Alberto and his wife on their farm. They took me on a tour of their pig farm, and showed me where they were drying the tobacco to be sold in Alem later in the month. He explained to me the oppressive system of tobacco producing, in which he is involved. In order to grow the tobacco, the company requires that he buy the tobacco seeds, the fertilizer, the chemicals, even the compost and soil, from the company. The money spent in buying the products will be taken off the final cost of the final product of tobacco at a high rate. The company explains to Alberto exactly how to grow the tobacco, and hires workers to come to his farm to make sure that he is following all of the procedures explained to him. If he has not followed correctly, money will be taken off his final product as well. The actually growing process involves the application of dangerous chemicals, ones that inhibit the growth of the tobacco flower, to continue the growth of the leaves. This chemical is not permitted usage in the United States of America because of its toxicity level! The most frustrating aspect is the soil that the producer is required to buy. Why on earth would a producer need to buy soil that has been shipped from New York when the red soil of Misiones is known to be extremely fertile? The collection, drying, and sorting process is a while other story. After Alberto has sorted and bunched his tobacco together, he will bring it to a collective in Alem that will evaluate his crop and give him a final value. After he is given his final value, the debt that is owed will be taken off. This last year, Alberto earned about $7,000 pesos, which is equivalent to less than $2,500 U.S.D. And that is Alberto’s annual income.
How is it possible that people are spending the amount of money on cigarettes, and the tobacco companies are making billions of dollars a year, and yet Alberto comes out with $2,500 a year? It is hard for me to take in the lack of equality in this system. This year, I am working with producers to search for other methods to bring in an annual income, other than a work that not only generates very little income, but also puts its producers at risk daily. Producers suffer for not only the chemicals that they are exposed to in the producing, but also a high daily dose of second hand smoke, just from working with the crop. Producers suffer from high risks of emphysema and cancer due to the working of this crop.
Right now I am reading “Open Veins of Latin America”, by Eduardo Galeano, a Uruguayan writer. The book gives the history of the conquest of the Americas, and the economic, political and social analysis of the results of the conquest of Latin America. It is an appalling account of the oppression that has taken place in this continent of the world. In his introduction, Galeano states:
“Latin America is the region of open veins. Everything from the discovery until our times, has always been transmuted into European – or later United States – capital, as such has accumulated into distant centers of power. Everything- the soil, its fruits and its mineral-rich depths, the people and their capacity to work and to consume, natural resources and human resources. Production methods and class structure have been successfully determined from outside for each area by meshing it into the universal gearbox of capitalism. To each area has been assigned a function, always for the benefit of the foreign metropolis of the moment, and the endless chain of dependency has been endlessly extended. The chain has more than two links. In Latin America it also includes the oppression of small countries by their larger neighbors and, within each country’s frontiers, the exploitation by big cities and ports of their internal sourced of food and labor. (Four centuries ago sixteen of twenty biggest Latin American cities already existed.)”
“For those who see history as a competition, Latin America’s backwardness and poverty are merely the result of its failure. We lost; others won. But the winners happen to have won thanks to our losing; the history of Latin America’s underdevelopment is, as someone has said, an integral part of the history of world capitalism’s development. Our defeat was always implicit in the victory of others; our wealth has always generated our poverty by nourishing the prosperity of others – the empires and their native overseers. In the colonial and neocolonial alchemy, gold changes into scrap metal and food into poison.” (Galeano, Eduardo, Open Veins of Latin America, 2)
This year, I have been working with the Project on Sustainable Development and Human Promotion, through the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina and Uruguay (IELU) to work with producers in the province of Misiones, to search for alternative methods of subsistence and ways to live that are more sustainable for the producers, consumers, and the earth. However, working with producers, searching for methods to get out of the dependency system of the big international businesses is not easy. For many of the producers, growing tobacco is all that they know. Their great-grandfathers emigrated from Europe to Argentine in search for a better life, and began to grow tobacco. Also, the producers, through the dependency system of the tobacco companies and the local government, have become accustomed to someone coming in and telling them how to grow the tobacco. The producers are not actors of their own destiny. Instead, they wait for outsiders to come in and save them by telling them what to do. In this project, we are not telling the producers what to do, so the process is a slow one. We have discussions on new dreams and visions, and my prayer is that slowly the farmers will have the courage to drop what they know and go for their dreams, knowing that God is walking with them at all times in the struggle. Please keep the producers and the project in your prayers.

Luke 19: 29-48

2008-03-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.” ’ So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king
who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’
As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.’
Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, ‘It is written,
“My house shall be a house of prayer”;
but you have made it a den of robbers.’
Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.
Luke 19:29-48

Out of all of the activities that I had over Holy Week here in Misiones, Argentina, what stands out most to me is the Bible Study I was a part of in Olas Petri, the Lutheran church in Oberá (where I worship when I don’t have activities in San Martin or Caa-Yari) the Tuesday before Palm Sunday. We read the text of Luke 19:29-48, the text always read during Palm Sunday. Except we read further than I have ever heard the text read in the Presbyterian churches in the U.S.A.
Why did I not remember that after Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus cleanses the temple? All of the people were in the streets, shouting Hosanna, asking Jesus to save them. Yet, where were they just a while later when Jesus cleansed the temple? Were the people really ready to do what needed to be done to be saved and to save others? We, the people of God, look to our Messiah to save us, but are we ready to do the actions needed in order for us to have world peace and God’s kingdom on earth? Are we ready to make the necessary changes? Or, would we prefer to point the finger at the one who tells us what actions need to be changed and say, “Crucify him!”? Are we ready to make personal choices that can create peace and justice?
As world citizens and Christians, with all kinds of power, including consumer power, are we ready to make choices that affect the world? Are we ready to make choices and actions that create the world we want to live in?

MST

2008-03-01T06:18:00.001-08:00

On February 20th, 2008, I had the opportunity to visit a community of the MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra), or the Rural Landless Workers Movement, in Brazil. For me, this was an opportunity of a lifetime. When I was in my senior year at Bates College, I wrote my senior religion thesis on the MST, the role of the church in the movement, and how the MST gives Christians a new model how to live out their faith in community today. In the conclusion of my thesis I wrote, “The community is united in its poverty, living a life of liberation theology’s praxis, and working towards their own liberation. The MST is working for God’s kingdom – the brotherhood of all humanity.” The moment that I started to learn about the MST, I had the desire to experience an MST community, to more fully understand what it means to be in community working for the kingdom of God. And on February 20th, 2008 my dream came true!
I visited a community of 106 families, with 2,011 acres of land in the Paranã province of Brazil, outside of Santa Helena. The trip to the community was an experience of its own. I was driving with several agricultural technicians from an NGO based in Marechal C Rondon, Brazil, Centro de Apoio ao Pequeno Agricultor (CAPA), or Support Center for the Small Farmer, that works with small farmers on sustainable, organic farming, who work with some MST communities in the province. As we drove from Marechal C Rondon to the community, we passed by soy field after soy field, cornfield after cornfield. My eyes were opened to the reality of how large agro-business of the U.S. and other countries is ruining the entire ecosystem of Brazil and the world. Currently, less than 3 percent of the Brazilian population owns two-thirds of Brazil’s arable land! The MST is a movement that was created by the rural poor, with the support of the Catholic Church, to change the land ownership and inequality issue in Brazil. This grassroots movement has proved to be a living model of liberation theology’s idea of a grounded, healthy, successful, and liberated community. Due to the work of the people of the MST community, by 2002 more than 350,000 families in three thousand settlements have won land titles to over 20 million acres – results that far surpass the Brazilian government’s actions for land redistribution.
When we approached the MST community, the agricultural climate around us changed from mono-crop fields to lush bio-diverse land. A sign marked the change, stating that it was an MST farming community and now part of what is the Brazilian agricultural reform. First, the technicians took me to the center of the community, where there is a space for the community to have monthly community meetings and a center for the farmers to homogenize the milk that their cows produce. From the center, I looked out and saw rolling hills filled with all shades of green and brown. I felt as though I had entered into an oasis. Before even having the chance to speak with any families of farmers, I felt a sense of God’s kingdom come in that moment.
For the rest of the morning, I spent time with a family of four, father, mother, son, and daughter, who told me stories about the community’s 10-year history and its struggle for land with the Brazilian government. As they told me their story, they offered me the organic peanuts from their farm and chimarrão, their traditional tea that is served in a large gourd with a metal straw, and passed in a circle. Then they took me on a tour of their farm, which had rice, beans, peanuts, squash, corn, bananas, grapefruit, green beans, sunflowers, peppers, grass for the cows, cows and chickens.
In the afternoon, I visited with another family, a mother and her children. What stands out to me from this visit with the mother is that at one point in her conversation I asked her if her life is better now that she is on the cooperative. She looked me right in the eyes and said, “100%.” She said that not only are her living conditions better, but that now she lives with dignity.
My experience with this community has confirmed that the MST is a community that can give hope to the landless, the poor. The MST stands up to the oppressive forces in today’s world and looks to a new way of being community, a new way of living out God’s promise of new life.

“The future of history belongs to the poor and exploited. True liberation will be the work of the oppressed themselves; in them, the Lord saves history.”
-Gustavo Gutierrez, liberation theologian

To learn more about the MST, visit: www.mstbrazil.org

My Three Weeks of Camping in Panambi

2008-01-31T05:11:00.000-08:00

In the month of January, my responsibilities as the Young Adult Global Volunteer in Obera, Misiones, Argentina changed. I was a camp leader with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina and Uruguay’s (IELU) Northern District camping trips in Panambi, Misiones with Reverend Clovis Kurtz and Josh Ebener, student pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Panambi sits on the Parana River, which defines the border of Argentina and Brazil. In the three weeks that I spent camping, I was able to swim in the river and look over to my Brazilian neighbors. I could see a village with a beautiful center, with a grand church, surrounded by houses, on top of green rolling hills. I could see farms and cattle grazing on the grass. Panambi is an agricultural city, with yerba mate, tea, corn, tobacco, pine, corn, and cow farms. Olas Petri, the IELU church of Obera, has a plot of land that is owned for the purpose of church camping trips. There is land to set up tents and also a building with bathrooms and a large roof, or overhang, to provide some shelter for rain, as well as a space to eat, sing, and cook on the wood-burning stove.

The first week was a two-day, one-night camping trip with children from the ages of 6 to 11, from Obera and the surrounding villages. Youth from the church in Obera, Rodrigo, Silvia, and Marcos, were also part of the leadership team. I was blessed to have several children from San Martin, my site placement for the year, participate in these days. We spent our days swimming in the river, playing games, singing and fellowshipping together, praying together, cooking and eating together. The children seemed to have a wonderful time, and not a single one cried, which according to the pastor, is not the norm. What I especially appreciate from this week is that I now have a special bond with the girls from San Martin that attended the camp. I was blessed to have the time of fellowship with them.

The second week, was a five-day camping trip for youth from the ages 15 and up, from the entire Northern District of the IELU. The churches in Resistencia, Corrientes, Eldorado, Obera, and San Martin took part. I especially enjoyed getting to know the girls from Resistencia. Another treat for this week was that the YAGM in Resistencia, James Weber, also joined the leadership team, as well as Sergio, a seminary student from San Martin. During this week, the youth took more active roles in the daily chores required for the camp. The duties included cleaning the bathrooms, preparing and cooking the food, setting the table and cleaning the dishes. We also had a space for bible study, singing and fellowship. Perhaps my favorite part of the week was the scavenger hunt that Reverend Kurtz put together. Some of the activities during the hunt included bringing water from one container to the other, using only a cup and mouth, covering a male and female body with mud from the river, collecting snails from the river, filling balloons and plastic bags with the water from the river, collecting live ants, making a mud-man knee height, and making a skirt out of leaves from the trees. My group came in first place!

The third week was a five-day camping trip for youth from the ages of 11 to 14, from Obera and the surrounding villages. By this point, my energy was running a bit lower, and we had fewer leaders, but I made it through the week, again being blessed with the company of the youth and leaders. The youth in this age group also divided into groups and participated in the daily duties of the camp. Perhaps the moments that stick out as most memorable for this week are the walk that we took to get a beautiful view of the river, the water games, and the campfire that occurred on the last night of the trip. For the campfire, the youth came up with skits, jokes, and songs. They were so creative!

January was a distinct month for my time here in Misiones, Argentina. This is a month that will surely stay in my head and heart for the rest of the days of my life. Not only was it a time for intense fellowship with my Argentine brothers and sisters, but it was also an opportunity to commune with my God in the outdoors. I continually thank God for the daily blessings that I receive in this country.

December in Obera

2007-12-29T05:44:00.004-08:00

Living with Caro and celebrating La Noche Buena

In the end of November, I moved into a new apartment with roommates, Carolina (Caro) and Vivi, whom I met through a friend of mine who was teaching English on a Fulbright Scholarship in Obera. Caro has taken me in like a sister. Not only do we drink mate, cook and eat lunch and dinner together, wash clothes and clean the apartment together, but she also brings me along to her family’s house for lunch and siesta on the weekends. I have become an adopted member of her family. Due to my friendship with Caro, I now feel like I have truly acclimated to the culture of Obera to the point that at times I forget that I am living in another country, speaking another language, eating different food, etc. I now wash my clothes by hand, make a delicious mate, and cook guiso (a local dish, that is much like stew with beef, vegetables and rice or pasta.)
Caro and her family invited me to celebrate the Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) with them. In Argentina, families observe the birth of Christ in a very different way then the U.S. typically celebrates. First of all, Argentina is in the midst of summer, where the temperature of Obera is anywhere from 80 to 100 degrees. Typically, families gather for asado (grilled meat) for dinner anywhere from 9 to 11pm. When the clock strikes 12, fireworks are set off, and champagne is shared. I was blessed to be able to share this experience with Caro and her family. After sharing some champagne with the family, we headed out to visit other families. It was amazing to me that children and grandparents were up with their families at 2am celebrating Christmas Day! Then, I joined Caro, and all the other young people of Obera, in the streets for drinks and dancing. We danced until 5am, when I then went to the Christmas Sunrise service, the Swedish tradition celebrated in the Lutheran Church here, with its Swedish heritage.

Drinking mate with Caro in the plaza

La Escuelita Biblica and Christmas in San Martin

I have been involved with the activities with the children and the bible school in San Martin. For the week leading up to Christmas, the church in San Martin, “Dios Es Amor,” had a week long bible school, which lasted for two hours in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. During the bible school, the children heard the story of Christ’s birth, made Christmas trees and other Christmas decorations, and rehearsed the nativity scene for the Christmas service. The older children also memorized versus of Christmas poems, to recite in the Christmas service, which I believe comes from the Finish or German Christmas tradition. We had over fifty children attend the bible school, which was quite impressive for the size of the community.
On December 23rd, “Dios Es Amor” celebrated Christmas. The church was filled to the brim, with people standing outside of the church. A church with normally 40 people now held 180. We sang Christmas carols and watched the nativity play and heard the children recite their versus. Then we had the Christmas raffle, which the church members had put together to raise money for the church community. And then Papa Noelle (Santa Clause) visited the children in the church. After the children received candy from Papa Noelle, the community shared sparkling cider and sweet bread, toasting to Christ’s birth.

Christmas was a different experience for me this year, however I was blessed to be able to share in the preparing of the way and celebration of the birth of Jesus with my new family members in Christ.

Children's Bible School in San Martin

“Let the Star of the Morning Rise”
from “Guerrillas of Grace” by Ted Loder

Lord God,
In the deepest night
There rises the star of morning,
of birth,
the herald of a new day you are making,
a day of great joy dawning
in yet faint shafts
of light and love.

I hear whispers of peace in the stillness,
fresh breezes of promise
stirring,
winter sparrows
chirping of life,
a baby’s cry
of need
and hope –
Christmas!

In the darkness I see the light
and find it in comfort,
confidence,
cause for celebration,
for the darkness cannot overcome it;
and I rejoice to nourish it
in myself,
in other people,
in the world
for the sake of him
in whom it was born
and shines forever,
even Jesus the Christ.

Caa-Yari

2007-11-30T05:31:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, November 27th, 2007, the Project for Sustainable Development and Human Promotion, through the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Argentina and Uruguay (IELU), met with the farmers of the community Caa-Yari, which sits on the outskirts of Oberá, in the province of Misiones, Argentina. The role of the project is to accompany farmers in their own organizing, promoting their own dignity and creating sustainable development. During the meeting, the farmers began comparing prices of La Feria Franca (the open vegetable market of Misiones), the local supermarket, and the prices that the producers of Caa-Yari currently sell their vegetables at. The farmers noticed that within their own community, they were selling their products at different prices. The farmers began to discuss the importance of setting a standard price, so that they cannot not only create community among themselves, instead of competition, but also so that they can set a fair and just price for their products.
Later, we did a group dynamic. The group stayed in a circle, as it had been throughout the meeting. We passed a ball of string around. When each person tossed the string, s/he said what his/her dream for the farm is. There were many tears shed, as the farmers not only talked about their dreams, but also about their current reality of the farms that they live on. After each person said their dream, they held one side of the string, and threw the ball to someone else in the room. After the string was tossed, a large web was created, with each of us connected. We noticed what happens when tension is put in one area of the string and what happens when some people drop the string. We noticed the importance of us all holding an equal amount of weight on the string. To me, this a beautiful image of us as the body of Christ that is fully connected and dependent on all the parts of the body. We each have different functions and gifts, but we need each other to keep the web taught.
Please read our dreams, and pray these dreams with us. All of us are connected to this great web of life, whether that means as consumers or producers.

Our Dreams:

• Que mis hijos sean comprometidos en la chacra

That my children be committed to the farm.

• Tranquilizarse

That that farm can give me peace.

• Que mis hijos tengan el sueño de volver a sus raíces, volver a la chacra, ¡que funciona, y tengan algo para su futuro

That my children have dreams of returning to their roots, return to the farm, the farm works, so that they (my children) have something for their future.

• Poder quedarse en la chacra y no en la ciudad, que haya mas gente con voluntad, que puedan trabajar dignamente

To be able to stay on the farm and not the city, that there are more people with determination and that they are able to work on the farm with honour.

• Seguir luchando. Antes tenia el sueño de que todo iba cambiar, pero hoy le aconsejo a mis hijos, hijas que busquen trabajo afuera. Pero sigo apostando a tener un futuro con la chacra. Es muy importante el rol de la Iglesia, es bueno que nos estén acompañando y tenemos que estar mas en esto.

To keep fighting. Before I had the dream that everything was going to change, but today I advise my sons and daughters to look for work outside. But I continue betting that there will be a future with the farm. The role of the church is very important, it is good that it is accompanying us and we are better in this.

• Juntarnos y tener más. Poder juntos y poner en práctica.

To get together and have more. To be able to get together and put it into practice.

• Así como hay bailando por un sueño, nosotros hacemos “Trabajando por un sueño” siempre pensé mientras duermo mis plantas crecen. Y tengo algo. En la ciudad podemos tener un trabajo, pero que pasa cuando nos quedamos sin, en la chacra nunca te quedas sin trabajo. Algo se va a comer

This is how I dance with my dream, that we are: “working for a dream.” While I sleep, I always think of plants growing. And I have something. We can have work in the city, but something can happen when we situate ourselves without the farm. In the farm I am never without work. There is always something to eat.

• Estar en la chacra y seguir estando, y que las chacras sigan estando. Hoy todo se vende, yo quiero que quede por mis hijos, por mis nietos. Tenemos que tener diversificación hasta en la forestación. Por que el pino crece, pero después no crece nada, y que le dejamos a nuestros hijos. Plantar árboles. Volver a sembrar futuros montes: guatambú, anchico, hasta canela.

To be on the farm and to continue to be there, that the farms continue to be. Today we sell every thing, I want my children to stay, for my grandchildren. We have to have diversification until we have forestation. Why does the pine grow, but later nothing grows? And what do we leave for our children? To plant trees. To return to plant the future forests; to plant guatambú, anchico, up to canela (native trees of the area).

• Yo considero que es el rol de la Iglesia, acompañar esto pero también del estado y de todos.

I consider, what is the role of the church? To accompany this but also to be and to be of all people.

• Ayudar a mi hijo, seguir cultivando cuidando la tierra.

To help my children, to continue cultivating and taking care of the earth.

• La iglesia debería también ser una vos por el uso y abuso de los agroquímicos.

The church must also be a voice for the use and abuse of agro-chemicals.

• Descansar

To rest.

• Estar en la chacra y que este mi hijo

To be on the farm, and that my son be on the farm.

• Que la chacra sea con producciones y que siga en la familia, y que se quede en la familia.

That the farm be with production and that it continue in the family. And that my family can stay on the farm.

• Que salga bien lo que estamos ideando, empezando. Que podamos vender nuestro producto.

That every thing come out well that we are going, starting. That we can sell our product.

• Que Dios nos dé salud. Trabajo y el futuro para mis hijos. Que mi esposo mejore, por que si el esta enfermos toda la familia esta mal.

That God give us health. I work and the future for my children. That my wife get better, because if she is sick all of the family is bad.

• Mi abuelo me aconsejo plantar eucaliptos, será para mi futuro, yo probé vivir en la ciudad pero no me hallo. Es mejor en la chacra.

My grandfather advised me to plant eucalyptus. It will be for my future. I tried to live in the city but it did not let me. It is better on the farm.

• Mi deseo para el futuro que no haya más roundap, ni más tabaco, es una guerra. Más oportunidad de trabajar mejor.

My desire for the future is that there be no more roundup (a genetically engineered agrochemical), nor more tobacco, it is war. More opportunities to work the farm better.

• Mi deseo como consumidora; que las chacras den vidas a las futuras generaciones, y me gustaría que haya mas consumidores comprometidos y que apoyen por la mejor vida, una calidad buena de vida de los productores.

My desire, as a consumer, is that the farms give life to the future generations. And I would like for consumers to be more committed and that they support this better life, a better quality of life for the farmers.

May all of our dreams be realized!

El Foro de la Tierra - The Forum of the Earth

2007-11-27T11:32:00.000-08:00

¡Alerta! ¡Alerta! ¡Alerta que camina la marcha campesina por América Latina!

Watch out! Watch out! Watch out for the farmer march in Latin America!

This past Friday, November 23rd, I took part the Forum of the Earth. The Forum was a space for farmers, with, or without, land to share their struggles and to reflect with other farmers in other parts of the province of Misiones, Argentina, as well as from Paraguay and Chile.
During the forum, each community shared with the forum the issues that the community is facing, based on lack of land, water, or forest. Not only did adults participate in the forum, but the future generations of Misiones were also present. The forum was opened with music from children from the community of the Guarani (the indigenous people of the province). They sang about their hopes and dreams for a future where they can again live on their land peacefully, with their own land and rights. Students from a local school also attended. And sons and daughters of farmers and other solidarity workers involved in the movement were also present.
Of course, mate was present. Whenever this drink, filled with Yerba mate is shared, I always feel a greater sense of community. And I cannot think of a better place to drink it than with those who work the yerba of the red earth of Misiones. For me, mate is a symbol of how the Argentina understands what it means to be community. It is a way for all people to meet on an equal level and to share with one another. With the mate, farmers and solidarity workers were meeting each other, wherever they are in the struggle. Some have been involved in the movement for years, and for others this was their first forum or organized meeting with other farmers.
After each community shared, they marked their area on a large map of Misiones. After all of the communities shared, it was quite impressive to see all of the communities that are actively in the struggle to claim their rights to their land and their survival. It is amazing to me to hear about how deforestation due to outside multinationals is ruining the land and way of life of these people!
After each community shared, we took to the streets of Misiones, chanting, ¨¡Alerta! ¡Alerta! ¡Alerta que camina la marcha campesina por América Latina!¨ For me, this is a clear sign of how I am accompanying the people of Misiones this year. First, I had the opportunity listen to their stories. Then, I had the opportunity to walk with them, to be with them in their struggle.
It was impossible for me to forget that I am an U.S. citizen during the forum. One of the technicians that I work with in the Seed Movement kept telling his friends, ¨She´s a Yankee! Can you believe it?!¨ Yes, I am a citizen of the United States. Yes, my country is doing much damage to the people of Misiones. But, my role is to listen and then share these stories with others from the U.S. so that we can learn how to be better stewards to God´s creation, to be better neighbors. My friend later followed his Yankee comment with, ¨But she´s in the struggle with us!¨ This is the ministry of presence.
The forum has made me think even more about the ways in which my country’s consumption affects the lives of the farmers in Argentina, and really all of God´s creation. Issues of deforestation and global warming were mentioned various times during the forum. When I think about the amount of paper the U.S. uses, and how it contributes to the deforestation of this area, this alone makes me cringe.
As a Christian that is beginning to enter this Advent season, I am pondering how to bring awareness to my U.S. brothers and sisters about the contradicting message of consumerism that my country brings to the world during this Christmas season. Is this how Christ wants us to celebrate his coming to this earth? I encourage my brothers and sisters to meditate on this new reign of God that Christ promises to bring, and how we as Christ´s body can celebrate its coming with joy and hope. Let us prepare ourselves for this new year.

¨Help Me to Believe in Beginnings¨ by Ted Loder

God of history and of my heart,
So much has happened to me during these whirlwind days:
I´ve known death and birth;
I´ve been brave and scared;
I´ve hurt, I´ve helped;
I´ve been honest, I´ve lied;
I´ve destroyed; I´ve created;
I´ve been with people, I´ve been lonely;
I´ve been loval, I´ve betrayed;
I´ve decided, I´ve waffled;
I´ve laughed and I´ve cried.
You know my frail heart and my frayed history-
And now another day begins.

Oh God, help me to believe in beginnings
and in my beginning again,
no matter how often I´ve failed before.

Help me to make beginnings:
To begin going out of my weary mind into fresh dreams,
daring to make my own bold tracks in the land of now;
to begin forgiving
that I may experience mercy;
to begin questioning the unquestionable
that I may know truth;
to begin disciplining
that I may create beauty;
to begin sacrificing
that I may accomplish justice;
to begin risking
that I may make peace;
to begin loving
that I may realize joy.

Help me to be a beginning for others,
to be a singer to the songless,
a storyteller to the aimless,
a befriender of the friendless;
to become a beginning of hope for the despairing,
of assurance to the doubting,
to reconciliation for the divided;
to become a beginning of freedom for the oppressed,
of comfort for the sorrowing,
of friendship for the forgotten;
to become a beginning of the beauty for the forlorn,
of sweetness for the soured,
of gentleness for the angry,
of wholeness for the broken,
of peace for the frightened and violent of the earth.

Help me to believe in beginnings,
to make a beginning,
to be a beginning,
so that I may not just grow old,
but grow new
each day this wild, amazing life
you call me to live
with the passion of Jesus Christ.

October in Misiones

2007-10-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

Campamento de Jovenes –
In the second weekend of October, I joined the Confirmation Class and youth from Olas Petri, the IELU´s church of Oberá, on a camping trip in Panambí. We left Oberá on Saturday afternoon, with a clear sky. After a two hour ride on the public bus, we arrived to Panambí, a small town of Misiones, and walked to our campsite. After pitching our tents, we took a walk down to the Uruguay River, which separates Argentina from Brazil. Some of us sat along the river and drank tereré, and others played some soccer on the municipality´s soccer field. I think I may love tereré even more than mate, if that´s possible. Tereré is the summer version of mate, and it is of Paraguan origin. The Yerba mate is poured into a cup, instead of a mate. Then, instead of hot water, you drink the mate through the bombilla with juice of your choice. I think my favorite may be lemon-lime. It is a wonderful way to pass the time, passing the tereré, while chatting. However, do not be fooled, plenty of mate was had that weekend as well. (And in the pastor´s giant mate!) In the evening, we had guiso, or stew, played games, sang songs and fellowshipped some more.
On Sunday, Clovis Kurtz, one of the co-pastors of Olas Petri, led a workshop on justice with the youth. They seemed to be very moved by his group dynamic. We continued with songs. The rest of the afternoon was followed with more time to drink tereré and mate, play games or rest. In the evening, the rain started to come down hard. But that did not stop us from playing our planned game for the evening in the rain. My group won the game! That evening I decided to try to sleep in my tent. After sleeping in my tent for several hours, I woke up to a wet feeling. I moved my sleeping bag to the bathroom, where several other girls were also sleeping. I must say that it was an interesting experience sleeping there. And a whole lot drier!
We finished up Monday morning with some songs, games and taking down our tents. We had some choripan (grilled sausage in bread – my favorite Argentine dish!) for lunch, and caught our bus back to Oberá. It was a great experience being with the youth for weekend. They welcomed me with open arms, and always included me, as if I had always been a member of the group. I look forward to camping with them again in January.

San Martín´s congregation ¨Dios Es Amor¨ –
I have continued to get involved in the life of the church in San Martín. I have joined Mariela Pereyra, the pastor, making visits with her, in organizing different church events, and accompanying her with her First Communion Classes. I have enjoyed getting to know some of the families on a more intimate level, and look forward to deepen my relationships with the members in the remainder of my time here.
Perhaps the highlight of my time with ¨Dios Es Amor¨ (the IELU church in San Martín) was this past Saturday, when I helped with the children’s bible school. It was the first time that I took the bus, and spent time in San Martin without the pastor. My friend Michela had asked to join me, and I will admit that it was nice to have an Argentine friend accompanying me on the journey. When Michela and I arrived, the children greeted us and Norma, the woman leading the school, asked me to open with prayer. This was the first time for me to pray on the spot in Spanish! We spent the hour and a half with the children making picture frames for their moms for Mother´s Day (which occurs on the third Sunday of October, because it is spring for them now, not in May). And I taught them the song, ¨The more we get together¨ in Spanish and English. Then two of the teenage girls who were helping, Diana and Andrea, walked Michela and I back to the bus stop. We waited for over an hour for a bus to stop for us. The buses were so full from people traveling to visit their family for Mother´s Day that they were not stopping to pick us up! Finally, we had enough luck that one stopped for us..

Friends in Oberá –
Over the last month, I have made some wonderful friends in Oberá. I have met a girl, Lauren, who is from Nebraska, who has spent here last eight months in Oberá, teaching English through a Fulbright Scholarship. She and I have spent many afternoons and evenings together cooking or drinking mate. She has introduced me to some really nice Argentines close to my age that are studying English at the school where Lauren teaches in Oberá. This past week was the first time that I had some friends over to my house for lunch. I cooked pasta for my friends Naty, Michela and Lauren. Now my apartment feels like home, because I have shared my table with others. I have enjoyed the several evenings that I have spent with them going for walks to the Parque de las Naciones with mate or tereré.

La Feria de las Semillas - Oberá

2007-10-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

On September 25th, I attended the Seeds Fair of Oberá, Misiones. The purpose of the seeds fairs is to create an open forum for local farmers of small farms (chacras) to exchange knowledge and seeds. The fair is part of the Seed Movement - a movement created by farmers, agricultural technicians, and organizers in the province of Misiones, that is working towards sustainable alternatives to the dominant forces of the transgenetic and hybrid seeds of the major companies in the U.S.
In the morning, several farmers and technicians gave talks on issues of water conservation, deforestation, and the problems that pine trees create in the province. In the afternoon, the farmers exchanged seeds and plants with one another to create or maintain the biodiversity of their small farms. My supervisor, Malena Parras, and I shared a biblical reflection with the group, as church organizers that are supporting and accompanying farmers in the Seed Movement. Here is our reflection in Spanish and English:

Buenos días, compañeros y compañeras. Queremos compartir una breve reflexión. Cada uno ve un tema desde su punto de vista. Nuestra ventana es la palabra de Dios. Venimos de la IELU. Queremos compartir la lectura de Marcos 4:30-32.

También decía: ¿A qué compararemos el reino de Dios, o con qué parábola lo describiremos? Es como un grano de mostaza, el cual, cuando se siembra en la tierra, aunque es más pequeño que todas las semillas que hay en la tierra, sin embargo, cuando es sembrado, crece y llega a ser más grande que todas las hortalizas y echa grandes ramas, tanto que LAS AVES DEL CIELO pueden ANIDAR BAJO SU SOMBRA.

¿Que piensan ustedes que puede ser en sus chacras la semilla mas pequeña que crecer tan grande hasta que los pájaros del cielo se cobijan a su sombra?

Cuando estábamos reflexionando nosotros sobre de esta lectura, identificábamos que los pequeños productores son como estas semillas y pueden ser las semillas de la esperanza. Vemos que las chacras pueden ser un modelo de la mayor justicia, equidad y respeto de la creación de Dios. Como la semilla de mostaza es lo mas pequeña, pero crece mucho, queremos que las chacras crecen en la justicia y la esperanza para los que miran desde afuera. Ustedes, pequeñas productores, no solamente siembran semillas, pero también, siembran su vida, cultura, economía e historia. El Reino de Dios, nosotros vemos las chacras que mas diversificadas con mas respeto a la creación, a las personan que convivan y a las que están alrededor. EN cambios, hay otros modelos que están en contra, por el uso de los agro tóxicos, porque no respetan el suelo, representan un esclavitud para el trabajador, porque no recibe su precio justo para su producto.

Así, al principio dijimos que esto e nuestro punto de vista, hay muchos otros puntos de vistas. Por eso decimos, que sólo entre todos sabemos todo. Y tenemos que compartir nuestras ideas y aprender entre todos.

¡Esperamos que podamos ser semillas de la esperanza hoy y para siempre! En el nombre de Cristo, Amen.

Good morning companions. We would like to share a short reflection. Everyone sees a theme from their point of view. Our window is the word of God. We come from the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (Argentina & Uruguay). We would like to share the passage from Mark 4:30-32.

He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’

What do you think could be the smallest seed in your small farms that could grow so that the birds of the air can make nest in the shade?

When we reflected on this passage, we identified that the small farmers are like these small seeds and that you can be the seeds of hope. We see that the small farms can be a model of the best justice, equality and respect of the creation of God. Just as the mustard seed is the smallest, but grows much, we want the small farms to grow in justice and hope for those that are looking from outside. You all, small producers, not only sow the seeds, but you also sow your life, your culture, your economy and your history. We see that the Reign of God is the small farms that are more diverse, that have more respect for creation, for the people who live in the farms and for those who live around the farms. However, there are other models that are against creation, those that use toxic agricultural chemicals, those that do not respect the soil, and those that represent slavery for the worker, because they do not receive a fair price for their product.

In the beginning, we said that this is our point of view, and there are many points of view. We say this because only between all of us can we know everything. And we have to share our ideas and learn from each other.

We hope that you can be seeds of hope for today and forever! In the name of Christ, Amen.

¡SEMILLAS EN MANOS DE LOS PRODUCTORES!

SEEDS IN THE HANDS OF THE FARMERS!

Beginnings

2007-09-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

I have been in Argentina for two weeks now. For my first week, I was in Buenos Aires for an orientation with the other Young Adult Global Mission folks who will also be spending a year in a Lutheran church placement in Argentina or Uruguay. We were housed at the Lutheran seminary in Buenos Aires, ISEDET, and spent the week visiting various Lutheran organizations and other groups that are working to promote the peace and justice.
One of the groups that we visited during our orientation was Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo. We went to the mothers´ weekly Thursday march in La Plaza de Mayo, where they still ask the government, 30 years later, where their children are today. The mothers began gathering around the plaza when the government was disappearing their children during the Dirty War in the late 1970s. These sons and daughters were mostly in their teens, twenties, and thirties, and were often youth that had a new vision for their country, a vision that differed from the current social order of that time. Many of the groups of youth that were targeted were church groups.
After witnessing a march around the plaza, we had the opportunity to meet with some of the mothers and hear their own personal stories. They spoke about the power and importance of names and telling stories to keep the memory of what happened alive. 30,000 people disappeared in that time! Just as we say for the Holocaust, ¨Never Forget¨, it is important that this struggle stay alive – that the government not only acknowledge what it did, but tell the families of the disappeared where their children are, and who killed them. To this day, we still do not know where the bodies are, nor do we know who the potential killers are. Yet, places have been discovered to be much like the concentration camps that one would find in Europe.
It is also important for the citizens of the U.S to be aware of the ways in which our government played a role in the Dirty War. Much of the problems at the time were around issues of money and trade, and the U.S. government wanted to keep Argentina in its control. At that time, the U.S. had created a military base, known as the School of the Americas, now currently known as WHINSEC (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation), to train Latin Americans techniques of torture and other ways to dehumanize the people of Latin America who were fighting for their human rights and dignity.
As you can imagine, these women had powerful stories to tell and to this day understand what their children were fighting for – a just world. The mothers are involved in current projects of advocacy that they believe their children would have been rallying and organizing for today. They held a banner that read, ¨¡Distribucion de la Riqueza Ya!¨ (Distribution of the Wealth Now!).
This past week, I moved to Obera, Argentina, which is the northeastern province of Argentina. It sits on the border of Brazil and Paraguay. I will be working with IELU (United Evangelical Lutheran Church)´s Project for Human Promotion and Sustainable Development and with the congregation ¨Dios Es Amor,¨ a church community located in the rural outskirts of Obera. So far I have been spending my time with my facilitators, Maria Elena Parras and Pastor Mariela Pereyra. I have been accompanying them in their daily work, further acquainting myself with the projects and communities that I will be involved with this year.
For me, the highlight of my week was when Tito, one of the small farmers that is involved with the Project for Human Promotion and Sustainable Development, invited me to join him on a ride out to his farm to check on the Yerba mate (Argentina´s tea), tea, lemons, and bananas growing on his farm. We took an hour ride out through the rolling hills of the red earth of the province of Misiones. I had a chance to hear more about Tito´s life story and the life of a small farmer in Misiones. I enjoyed the visit to the farm, where we checked on his new Yerba, which unfortunately is not growing well due to the lack of rain these last few months, and harvested some of the lemons from his trees.
What strikes me right now is the number of pine tress that are growing in the province. In the 70s, the government attempted to help the region by distributing pine trees as a raw material for the area, for paper, firewood and furniture. However, the pine tree is not a native plant, and takes too much water from the ground. It is both a mystery to me and the farmers as to why the government would choose to plant pine over a native plant to the area. This is one of the areas that small farmers are working on – asking the government for native trees instead of pine trees. Yet, the government seems to be taking its time in listening to the farmers´ request. I am just beginning to understand the struggle of farming out here in Misiones, and I know that I will have more to say about it in the future.