Today was an amazing day; so many relationships made and so many stories shared. I think I’m going to start putting a little break down of each day with times and all to start of my blog s for the rest of the week. I just feel like there is so much stuff jammed into each day, I may just touch on a few things but it’s probably still nice to have a background of everything.
Sun, Aug 2 (Celebrate Mass & Community Visit to La Anemona, II & VI in San Martin)
8:00AM- Breakfast at the Casa de Alexa Guesthouse (desayuno tipico- eggs, beans, plantains, bread, pineapple, melon juice)
10:00- Church in La Primera Via Anglicana, El Pital, Loudres (as the priest of this parish was on a religious retreat, our amazing Kit- priest and leader extraordinaire- gave the sermon and celebrated the Eucharist just 30min after she was asked to do so)
1:00-5:00- Meet with La Anemona (Listen to community members’ testimonies & visit community destroyed in Tropical Storm Ida)
This is where I could say so much but I don’t know where to start. The community of La Anemona is an amazing community that was displaced from their homes on Nov. 6-7, 2009, when their homes were literally washed down the mountain from Hurricane Ida. Then as a community they made the decision to move as a whole about a ½ mile down the road where they became squatters (leaving the land the owned behind). Over the last two years they have worked with Cristosal to get both water and electricity to their new community but they are still working (writing letters, petitioning) to gain rights to own the land they live on. Today, when we visited this community, several of the youth from Anemona took us on a walking tour of the area they left behind (a small road surrounded by many abandoned houses and an amazing view of the lake and surrounding mountains but a very dangerous place to live; now with sharp drop offs and crop lands destroyed by the mudslides- the crazy mix of beauty, poverty, and danger that I feel is prevalent all over El Salvador still continues to awe me).
After walking with the youth, it was soccer time and my turn to try to teach several little girls how to throw and catch a Frisbee without throwing the Frisbee into the many people and houses that crowded the busy streets (it was a pretty fantastic time all around; got a nice soccer ball to the face followed by a pretty sweet header on my part I must say it was such a blast watching these 9-13 year old girls learn the wonders of throwing and catching a Frisbee).
I want to say more about Anemona but I’m finding myself without more words to describe what I experienced and felt today so I guess I will just have to cut it short.
And now I am back at Case de Alexa, full and ready for bed after a delicious dinner of papusas (a traditional El Salvadorian dinner and one of my favorite foods ever). Good night!
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