Ronald Jardin

Yesterday morning one of our neighbors came to the chapel before mass because their 2 day old child was dying and they wanted him baptized. Since it was right before mass we baptized Ronald Jardin during the liturgy. What struck me immediately was the lack of emotion in the family. Even in the opening dialogue before the beginning of mass where we make the sign of the cross on the child I realized that the mother was not holding the baby but the child was on her back. There seemed to be little connection between the dying baby and his parents and family. After the baptism we tried to convince the family to bring the child to the doctor or a clinic but I doubt that they did. The child looked premature and was not nursing so it seems the family was convinced that he was dying and simply accepted the inevitable. So is life here among the poor. The greatest goal is simple survival - to get through each day. As we continue on the journey to Holy Week I see that the message of the gospel for us this year is the power of hope. Hope may never change the circumstances of life but it can deeply touch and transform the human heart. Pray for us as we minister the power of the gospel to the poor. Pray that babies do not have to die needlessly and that somehow the love of the cross touches the lives who carry their heavy crosses every day.

Mennonites in Bolivia.

Greetings everyone from Nueva Vera Cruz. We continue on living through the rainy season with promises of mud being replaced by dust. Actually all is well as we continue with Lent and prepare for Holy week which apparently is a big celebration here.
For Palm Sunday we will have Mass at the Main Chapel in Nueva Vera Cruz but processions from three of the other barrios that we cover. When we announced it at our Liturgy at La Rivera last night they were enthused about having the Procession go down to the mountain to Nueva Vera Cruz. I told the people that it would be a wonderful procession and that I would be driving very slowly behind them in the truck. No reason for all of us to get dirty and tired before Mass.
We received a call before Mass this morning that a group of Mennonites from the US, Canada and Zimbabwe would like to come to Mass and then have a presentation on our work in the barrio. They arrived at Mass (only 1/2 an hour late which isn't bad for Bolivia) and then I gave an overview of our work in the barrio. It was good to share with them all the good things going on in the barrio and it was a good opportunity for me to try to share what we see the Lord doing in out midst.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. Please feel free to contact me - it is always good to hear from friends at home.

Our School Program

I would like to start filling people in on how we minister and live with the people here in our barrios. One of the most important things that we are able to provide is our "apoyo escolar". This is the before and after school program that we provide for about 120 kids in the barrio from the ages of 7 to 14. So many of our children have so many difficulties at home that their school work suffers greatly - they are not able to keep up with their schooling and the program offers them the chance to keep up with their work. In addition to help with their homework and tutoring they are in a safe environment and receive a hot meal. We are currently paying for the program since the local prelatura (government agency) that is supposed to pay for the program has not been forthcoming with the funding. They may start paying in several months but by then the children would be so far behind it would be very hard for them to catch up.

One of the most interesting things about the children is how they respond to affection. The vast majority crave any kind of attention and affection that they can get. With so many parents away working overseas or not involved in the family many children do not receive much affection at home. However, other children respond very differently. On Christmas morning I went to pat one of the children on the head and his instinct was to cringe and to run away. God only knows what has trained him to have this reaction. We hope and pray that our presence in the barrio and the program that we provide gives these children a brighter future and a real experience of love and acceptance.

The local government is again causing problems with the program because they want to replace all the teachers with new teachers who are from the current political party in power. Of course the those first hurt by this are the children. Thankfully, some of the families are beginning to organize and want to fight to have the teachers stay. It is so good to see them empowered and doing what is best for their children. Please pray that whatever happens is best for our children.

Thanks so much for your support and prayers. I always enjoy hearing from people back home at tgraff@maryknoll.org. If you would like to contact me on skype I am at tgraff1. If you would like to make a donation to our mission you can do it online at maryknoll.org with the attention to my name. Thanks again for everything and please keep our barrios in your prayers.