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.

Lent in Bolivia

Hello All,
I hope that this finds you well and enjoying the beginnings of Lent. I am not sure how Lent is celebrated ehre in Bolivia but I will keep you informed.
Just 2 short stories that might give you a clearer insight into my experiences here. I was blessing house in La Rivera last week. We would bless one house and one of the kids of the barrio would run ahead to see if the family in the next house wanted their house blessed. One of the kids ran up to the neighbor and asked if they wanted their house blessed and the old man who lives there laughed and said "Why would a priest come here?" He didn't believe that anyone would come up the mountain to a new and poor barrio to serve. I pray that our presence there shows the love of the Lord and the Church for the people there. I have to admit as I was walking through the mud and the rain the question "Why would a priest come here?" went through my mind as well.
Also last week I was visting a family who live in a 1 room house with a dirt floor as many families here live in. The young mother (she looks about 17) had a 2 month old baby with her. I asked the her the baby's name and she said "Bruce". This not being a usual Spanish name I asked her why Bruce. She said that he wants to be American. Such is the perception of many people that the US is the answer to so many of their needs. About 1/2 of the working adults in our barrio are working overseas primarily in Spain, Venezuala, Argentina, Brazil and the US. This wreaks havoc on family life but so often people feel they have no alternative. Please pray for us especially for our children who suffer so much.
Our school program is up and running and it looks like we will have a number of short term volunteers coming down to work in the area.
Thanks for all your prayers and feel free to post a greeting here on the blog.
Much love.

Greetings

Hello all,
We are in the midst of a mild (?) rainy season here in Cochabamba. But mud is still mud. The barrio has no paved streets so getting around is quite the adventure. Than God for 4 wheel drive and our trusty truck.
Our school starts here on Monday morning which I am really looking forward to. It is a wonderful opportunity for us to get to know the families in our various barrios and to see the different possibilities that there are for ministering to the families in the area. The program is sponsored by the local governemnt but they informed us that they do not have the money to open the program for the first 3 months. But by then the students would be very hard pressed to keep up with their classes. So, we took it upon ourselves to raise the money ourselves for the teachers, food etc. for the program to open on time. It is a program that is of vital importance to the children and their studies ' we also provide the only hot meal most of them will have that day. It is certainly worth the sacrifice for the help we are able to offer these very poor children.A few friends have sent donations which we are using for the program. Thanks so much for helping these poorest of the poor children.
It is good to be able to hear from friends and family and keep them informed about our life here. It is certainly full of daily challenges but also daily rewards.
Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

Back in Bolivia

Hello Everyone,
I arrived back home here in Bolivia yesterday after a week's visit with my brother and sister-in-law in Florida. It was a 2 day trip there and back but well worth the effort. We had 3 days in Boca Raton and 3 days in Hollywood. Both very different but very beautiful and relaxing. I did not realize how much I needed a break and it was very good to be with family again.
It is Super Bowl Sunday here (not quite the same as the States) but all the Maryknollers in the area are having a bar-b-q and party here this afternoon. I will return to the barrio afterwards.
Thanks again for all your support and prayers.