Cultivating peace in prison

Sorry it's been a couple weeks. Time really seems to fly by here and I've been keeping a pretty busy schedule. I did want to let you all know though that I was finally able to start going to the prison out in Cambio Puente, about a 20 min. ride outside of Chimbote. I'm really excited about my ministry there and learning more about the prison system while accompanying the prisoners.

My first visit was two weeks ago when I accompanied Jane, one of the other IWMs whose been doing prison work through the Comision de Justicia Social (Social Justice Commission) for the past year, and Silivia who runs the prison ministry program through CJS. Silivia has been working for a long time on trying to get us permision to get back in because the administration has changed 3 different times in the past year and it's been difficult to work through all the paperwork and redtape. But, finally we at least got approval for the rest of the year (three months) and so have been able to start going on a regular basis. My initial thought was it is very open. Maybe because of the good weather, or this is just how the prisons are down here, but there are few roofs except for where the prisoner's rooms are and all the places I've seen have open courtyards to hang out as well. So far at least to me, the gaurds have been respectful and even the inmates who have a bit more freedom to wander around have been pretty friendly. This is not at all to say that life there is easy or has any kind of luxury. Just being present in the enviornment I could feel the tension and stress surrounding me. Talking with Silivia it seems that the women have a harder time than the men with being in prison and separated from their families.

So, given the very difficult reality and life of the prisoners, I am super excited to be leading meditation two days a week there! I started with just the women and was going to go on Tuesday afternoons, but then the psychologist at the prison said he would like to do meditation with the men to so I was happy to extend the practices to anyone interested. On Monday afternoons now I lead meditation and relaxation with the men, and on Tuesdays with the women. I love introducing new practices and techniques for cultivating inner peace and living in the present moment to anyone, but am especially excited about doing this in a prison environment where so many freedoms are eliminated and so much anxiety, stress, anger, and fear can exist. When I spent a week at Plum Village in France there was a sign outside my room that said "Be free where you are," and I really do beleive that when one is mindful and living in the present moment they can be free anywhere, even in the most unlikely of places like a prison. It has been an interesting challenge though to try and open prisoners up to the idea that they can be free within the confines of the prison, but like all my work here I am practicing patience and trusting that on God's time more will be open to the freedom and beauty found in the present moment. At the moment, if nothing else the individuals I work with can relax and let down their gaurd for an hour or so and be at peace, and if it helps just one person it is all worth it.

My work at the prison with the men has also been a good challenge in my call to love all my brothers as Christ. As I was walking out of my first meditation session with the men, which went very well and they seemed very receptive, Romano the psychologist told me that the majority of the men who I had just led meditation with were there on charges of sexual violation/assault. This new insight initially hit me right in the stomach and I was tempted to say well I don't want to work with these guys anymore. I feel a very strong sense of solidarity with all of my sisters and one of the realities that most angers me is sexual assault/violence/rape of women. I love working with women and feel a strong call to help bring about their liberation, but in that call I can't forget about the many men who also play a part in the prevention of our liberation and theirs. I am challenged to look deeply and remember a beautiful gatha that a dear friend and professor once taught me: "Just like me he doesn't want to suffer, just like me he wants to be loved." Yes, many of these men have done terrible things in their life and have destroyed other lives, but in this present moment, which is really all we have, we can smile at each other and see the presence of the one divine spirit that is in all of us and calls us back to community, to a better way of living. There aren't excuses for the past, but there is understanding to be found. And the beauty of the present moment is that is offers us everything completely fresh and new; there is infinite possibility. It truely is a miracle that inside a prison, surrounded by a group of men who I would be tempted to hate and condemn, I was able to realize peace and joy in the present moment, and hopefully some of them were able to realize this too. In this work, God is giving me hope in myself and in the greater power of the Spirit to awaken us all to a new and better way of life.

Poverty and Simple Living

In reading Henri Nouwen’s book ¡Gracias! I was struck by the first two sentences of his January 20th, 1982 entry: “Can we truly live with the poor? Although I live with them and share their life to some extent, I am far from poor.” The following is my own journal reflection that came from his.

El 18 de septiembre de 2009

Can I truly live with the poor without being poor? I am far from being poor and never will be able to personally experience the same reality. I do a great disservice to myself and to those I work and interact with if I try to pretend otherwise. I will always have those who can care for me, and resources that are unavailable to others. What I can do is acknowledge the privileges and wealth that I have, that are part of my reality. I can be honest. And I can not let these privileges stop me from loving. I can not let my privileges be excuses for creating distance instead of contact. I will never truly know the daily reality and burden of what it means to be poor. But I can still love. I can enter into relationship with openness and honesty and allow myself to be converted, to be challenged by those whose reality I will never fully understand but whom I can accompany none the less.

Living simply does not make me poor. To choose to live simply is not to pretend to be poor. It is a choice made to free oneself to better be in relationship. Maybe for one person she can better be in relationship with hot water, air conditioning, or electricity. But she should also be aware she has something profound to learn about love from those who have relationships and love without these amenities. Mother Theresa said “the less we have, the more we can give,” and I find this truth in my choice to live among those who have “little” as far tangible goods and services. It also reminds me of Sister Peggy (she taught my Liberation Theology course in El Salvador) who said that when the poor give it is a very different kind of gift because it is from their substance, not their excess. When I offer something, it is always what is extra, but the poor often offer all they have, at their own personal cost and sacrifice. This is the kind of love that Jesus calls us to, in really loving our brothers and sisters as our self.

Living with the poor, surrounded by poverty, does not make me poor. And that’s fine. Poverty is not the goal or mission of life; love is. I am free to love in new and profound ways when I enter into the reality of poverty. I am trying to tear down barriers, one brick at a time, to catch glimpses of my brothers and sisters on the other side. Each act I take to simplify my life can be another brick. Each time I choose the other instead of myself can be a brick. Each time I move out of my comfort zone into the unknown can be a brick. Each time I stretch myself to love, to listen, to really see someone can be another brick. And maybe together, removing one brick at a time, we will one day stand face to face without any barriers and smile at our true self reflected in the other, naked as the day we were born and full of the same joy and curiosity in exploring this new world together. Maybe this is what the kin-dom of God is like.

The Work of Others

The past week and a half I have been visiting some of the other organizations and groups in Chimbote that work to meet the needs of different populations. Below is a list of these organizations and some of the work they do. It is really inspiring and challenging for me to meet others who are doing such good work in really serving and accompanying many of the people struggling in Chimbote. I have a lot to learn from all of them.

Casa de la Mujer: Unfortunately when I went to visit here they were busy working on a campaign to get women more involved in local and national politics so they weren’t able to talk. But as the name would suggest they do a lot of work with different women’s issues and really try to empower women to take a more active role in government and work on different campaigns like women’s health, HIV/AIDS, and ending violence against women. I am hoping to go back in the next week or so to sit down and talk with them more about the work they do.

Hogar de la Paz: This is a home and center for people who are mentally and physically disabled, ranging from about age 12 or so to probably 90s. The Missionaries of Charity run the home, but rely heavily on volunteers as there are only 4 sisters and just over 70 people who live with them. This was probably one of the most challenging places for me and really demonstrated what love in action looks like, because the sisters and volunteers have to meet all of the daily needs of the people who live here including cooking and feeding, bathing, help with going to the bathroom or changing diapers, and the daily chores around the house. On top of their work with the disabled, they offer a free lunch every day for anyone who wants to come and eat.

Centro de Amar: This center is run by the Good Shepherd Sisters and offers a place of refuge, counseling, and/or companionship for female prostitutes and sex workers. They are open and available as needed and the women are free to come in when they want. The sisters offer counseling, self-esteem workshops, classes and workshops for the children of the women, and whatever else might be of help to the women. Hermana Pilla spoke with us and shared how all of the women have experienced sexual abuse and usually rape during their childhoods and how they continue to be an abused and marginalized population. She also has a great philosophy that comes from being a Good Shepherd sister: If we only helped one woman, it would all be worth it (like the Shepherd who goes after the 1 sheep and leaves the 99). It’s not about how many, it’s about how much love is shared, even with just one person.

CECOPROS: Jane, one of the other IWMs I am living with, works with this organization on media and communication. They have a radio station, publish the diocesan newspaper, and film different informational programs for the TV. Jane is currently working with them on filming some of the small towns outside Chimbote to air on TV to show the realities of the people there. For more information and links to some of their programs, check out Jane’s blog and links. (I have a link to her blog on the side).

Comicion de Justicia Social: The Social Justice Commission is also part of the archdiocese of Chimbote and was the first human rights/ social justice organization connected to the Catholic Church in Peru. They have a lot of great programs including work with prisoners (which I am really hoping to be a part of) and at-risk youth, campaigns to end racism, campaigns to get people more involved in local politics and policy making in order to create better laws, support groups, and workshops on a number of different topics. I recently attended a workshop they had on human rights and discrimination with a specific focus on the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans) community. It had a pretty good turnout and offered a good overview of Human Rights (focusing on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and then explaining and exploring questions of different sexual orientations and the discrimination and violence that exists against this population. Jane was telling me that this is the first workshop of its kind in Chimbote, which is a sign of hope in working toward the dignity and respect of all people. In such a strong machista culture anyone who varies from the socially defined roles of men and women is at risk for their own personal safety and well-being.

Padre Juanito: Padre Juanito is probably one of the best known priests in Chimbote and after visiting his church and seeing the many programs he offers I can see why. The Church complex is huge including Church, rooms for international volunteers to stay at, a gymnasium/work out room, rooms for preschool and kindergarten, rooms for youth to come and work on homework which include computers and a library with books lining all the walls, the Padre’s house, rooms for family counseling and workshops, and a number of other rooms currently under construction. They have programs for pretty much any population and age group one would be interested in working with. I met Amy, a volunteer from Ireland who has been here two years, who leads a women’s group on Friday afternoons that I am hoping to start attending. The Church is also an incredible sight that my words will not do justice to and unfortunately I did not bring a camera along on the trip. Let’s say the highlight would definitely be the altar, which is an aquarium with fish swimming around. Yep, the altar where communion is celebrated is home to many little fishies and a fishnet draped over the top. Fantastic!

Centro de la Juventud: I think this one of the extended programs of Padre Juanitos, because the guy who was showing us around took us here too, but it might be separate. This is a center for at risk youth, particularly those who have left gangs and are trying to get back on their feet. Each day they teach a different skill like sewing, cosmetology, cooking, carpentry, and one other one I can’t remember. They offer help preparing for the college entrance exam and just provide a safe space that youth can go to hang out away from their gang life.

Well, that’s all the places I’ve visited so far. My main work is with St. Francis parish, but I’m hoping to continue doing pastoral visits with Hospice a few days a week, and then maybe joining the women’s group on Friday afternoons, helping when I can with some of the other sites, and trying to get a program going in the prison. I appreciate all of your prayers and ask you to include all these wonderful organizations and peoples in your prayers as well. There is a lot of good work being done in the name of love and justice and I’m blessed to be a little part of it.

Peace and Love always

Incarnation/1

So I have to be honest and say that I really didn’t know very much at all about the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word before (or really even after) I signed up to be an Incarnate Word Missionary. But learning about the sisters, their history, and their mission and charism I am loving that this is the group that is supporting me in going to Peru! These sisters are pretty amazing. Being Incarnate Word sisters, they are all about Incarnation (duh) and being the very incarnation of the divine in the world, as well as recognizing the divine incarnate in all other beings. Beautiful. In order to clear up any potential confusion about what exactly I will be doing in Peru or perhaps thinking I am “volunteering,” “serving,” or “helping” the people in Chimbote, I can tell you exactly what my mission is: to incarnate the love of God in the world. Yep, that’s it. (although "it" does not mean a simple or easy way of life). Isn’t that great? I am here, wherever that might be, to be love and maybe hopefully inspire loves recognition of itself in others (thus by me living and embracing the divine spirit in me I hope to awaken and inspire the divine spirit in others). Now that’s a mission and vocation I can get behind.