Typical Sunday in Bolivia

Greetings from Cochabamba.
We had the joy of hosting John Reis this weekend. He is a theology professor at Carroll College in Montana and was exploring the possibility of bringing down students for an immersion experience here in the barrio. Since we are a likely place for folks to come visit we invited him out for the weekend. He came out on Saturday afternoon and we took a tour of the barrio of C'ara C'ara with Maryknoll Fr. Ken Moody. It is a barrio built around the city garbage dump which has been a source of great controversry here in the area because of the conflict of what it does to the environment and the financial stability that it gives to the barrios. Afterwards we had a quick dinner and then went to Santa Vera Cruz for a Marian fiesta with live music and dancing.
This morning we went up the hill to the barrios of La Rivera and Costa Nera for Mass which was followed by an OTB meeting. The OTB is the local barrio association which is a combo of Town Hall meeting and Town Council meeting. We have been asked to build a chapel in the barrios and are trying to get land donated to build it and are working with the OTBs to facilitate the process. With the changes in the Constitution and other local issues this may be quite the challenge but we hope that it works out.
Afterwards we went over the mountain to a place that has a wonderful overlook of the barrio. There was another OTB meeting going on and we went behind them to get a few photos for John to show his students back home. As we were there several young men came over to ask us who we were and what we were doing there since it was a closed meeting. While not exactly threatening it was clear they did not want us there. I explained we were just there for a photo but they were not impressed. After I said I was the priest from the barrio their attitude changed quickly and they welcomed us and introduced us to the President who invited us from front and asked me to address the folks and let them know what was going on with the Church. Afterwards the leaders asked us about the possibility of catechism classes for the kids and they asked me to come to an OTB meeting next week where we will discuss other possibiliites for work in their barrio of El Liberdad.
Just another typical Sunday morning in Bolivia.
Thanks again for all your prayers and support for our work here in Bolivia.

Recent Events

Hello everyone. Sorry it has been such a long time since my last blog but I was in Guatemala for a week for Maryknoll's Latin American Region Assembly and then things have been very busy since I returned to Cochabamba. The meeting was held in Antigua, Guatemala, a colonial city with a rich history. I enjoyed the meeting for 2 main reasons: it was a chance to meet the other Maryknollers in the region that I did not know and it also gave me a deeper sense of the priorities and the issues that face Maryknoll in the future. The meeting was characterized by a wonderful spirit as we were able to look at the future with both realism and hope. Everyone went forth with a renewed spirit as they returned to their missions.
Since I arrived back home in Coch things have been very busy. I arrived home on Friday of the Feast of Santa Vera Cruz. That is the parish that our chapel is a part of as well as the feast of our own barrio of Nueva Vera Cruz. We had 5 guests for the weekend since we wanted to share the fullness of the fiesta with them. This serves as a major gathering of the indiginous in the area since there is a Pre Incan festival of the planting that precedes the arrivial of the first missioners here. Several thousands gathered at the Church for the fiesta which offered the opportunity of offering prayers for the success of the agricultural life here. It is also an opportunity to gather for fun, games and the occassional picking of pockets ( which I experienced Sunday afternoon).
It was a good time to see the inculturation of the gospel with the indiginous beliefs of the people here and to see the way people try to live their lives of faith.
Soon we will be hosting the summer rush of short term missioners and volunteers many of whom are coming for the summer (North American summer, it is winter here). Several will be working with us here in our barrio. I will update you soon on how they enjoy their time here.
Again thanks for all your prayers and support. It is always wonderful to hear news from home so please keep in touch.

Holy Thursday in Bolivia, Jueves Santo en Bolivia

Sorry it has been so long since the last post but things have been busy and I take off for the Maryknoll Latin America Assembly in Guatemala this morning. I want to take some time to share with you the experience of Holy Week here in Nueva Vera Cruz. I celebrated the Triduum at La Rivefra and Costanera, two small barrios I serve in. We held Holy Thursday in the house of one of the catechists. The night before we had shown a video of the life of Jesus to prepare people for the Triduum. I was able to celebrate most of the mass in Quechua which the language most common in that barrio. When it came time for the washing of the feet I was able to wash the feet of everyone present since we were a small gathering. I had my first experience of washing the feet of people who hadn't been prepared beforehand so it was the actual washing of feet that had seen the work of the day. What an honor it was to symbolically show my desire to serve the needs of the people. I explained that the washing was a simple rendering of where our hearts are supposed to be in the service of others. It was a wonderful continuation of the Holy Week which which is so different than what I am used to but also so in touch with the simple people that the Lord dealt with every day in his ministry.

Domingo de Ramos, Palm Sunday in Bolivia

I just celebrated my first Palm Sunday here in Cochabamba. We started with a procession from each of our centers and then continued with Mass at the chapel. We had a small but hearty crowd for the procession down the mountain from La Rivera. We also had a number of older people and mothers with newborns who had trouble keeping up. About 1/2 way through the procession I turned around and saw a good number of people missing. My question was answered a minute later when a number of truffis (taxis) past us by carrying half the procession!Processing at 9,000 feet isn't easy. We had a Penance Service for Holy Week last night and I told the people it was a wonderful opportunity for 2 reasons: it is an experince of God's love and if they went to Confession in Quechua I would have no idea what their sins were. I trust that they were satisfied although I hardly understood anything that they said. As I said, I don't understand them but God forgives them any way. May this Holy Week be a great blessing for all of us as we follow in the footsteps of the Lord.

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.