Below are the 3 most recent journal entries recorded in sipsara's LiveJournal:

Friday, August 20th, 2004
9:12 am	No end in sight In my last week in Los Espinos, Renata and I received many beautiful fairwells and were given a chance to share a few words in the church as well. But what impressed me the most was the fact that life continued as always. The tortillas and bread still had to be made, the water containers filled, the dirty clothes cleaned, and the meals cooked. That more then anything is what I enjoyed in my last few days in Los Espinos, sharing with the family and the community in these simple ways. Well the day has arrived to say goodbye to El Salvador, but I cannot bring myself to do it. The closest I can come is "See ya later" and I feel in my heart that that is the truth. It has been a difficult week filled with much emotion. My time here and the people I met have changed me and there is no end in sight. There is no end in sight to the changes, the growths, the learning, the companionship, nor the solidarity. This experience is not going to end when I leave this country and I thank God for that. (Comment on this)
Wednesday, July 28th, 2004
11:00 pm	Nearing the end It is very hard for me to believe that it is almost August and in three short weeks I will be back in the United States getting ready for one more year at the University. It is difficult for me to recap all that I have done in the past weeks here in the campo, but to name a few, I have: taught English classes to every grade in the school (gr. 1-9); spoken on the radio about youth and education in El Salvador (yes in Spanish!); collected trash in the street for the "Campaña de limpieza" (Community Clean-up); played countless games of fútbol (soccer), bate (softball), UNO, and Burro (Salvadoran version of Old Maid); danced a LOT; learned to wash my clothes by hand; had countless conversations on just about every topic under the sun with my host family and various memebers of the community. The most important thing that I have done here thus far, however, was really to not DO anything, but rather to BE! This has also been my biggest challenge, to just BE here accompanying the people of Los Espinos. But from this companionship I have gained something I consider extremely valuable- friendships. Special and unique friendships with my family members and various individuals in the community who will always be with me no matter where I am. I want to share with you a little bit of the reality of the youth in Los Espinos so that you might gain, as I have, an appriciation for the abundance of opportunities available to us in the United States that are often taken for granted. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to observe and participate in a "Congreso de Jovenes" (Youth Congress) in which youth groups from various communities in the area joined to present the difficulties that they face in their particular cantón. The group from Los Espinos, myself included, did a sociodrama that illustrated a reality that, for me, is incomprehensibly unjust. The drama was based on a student looking to continue thier studies past the ninth grade (an accomplishment that is nothing more then a pipe dream for many young men and women in Los Espinos). In the drama, as in reality, a group of students graduated elementary school and only a startlingly small proportion were able to continue on to high school in the neighboring city of Triunfo. The reasons for students not continuing school included disinterest, lack of financial resources and the necesity to stay at home to support the family. Those who did go to high school were faced with the uncertainty of transport, and additional strains on their studies. In the end, one student found work after graduating high school cleaning bathrooms for less then minimun wage. The students from Los Espinos who to to high school have to hike each day, crossing a small river that grows each rainfall. I have walked this trail various times and am about to do so now as I return to Los Espinos after being in San Salvador for 3 days. It is a steep and slippery trail and I cannot imagine hiking it twice a day, five days a week just to go to school. The reality of the youth of Los Espinos is so different then anything I have every been exposed to before and I write this not for you to feel sorry for these people, but simply to share this REALITY with you. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2004
11:16 am	After being in El Salvador for a little over two weeks, there is already so much to share. The first week in San Salvador was busy and very valuable. Here we learned first hand of this tiny country and the people and history that make it so special. The activities of the week gave me a lot to think about in relation to the way I view the world, salvadorans and myself. This past week, however I have been immersed in the simple and awesome life of the campo (the very rural areas). I have been fortunate to have been placed in a community that is full of hope amidst conditions that some might consider unbearable. I am living with Don Alcides, a strong and amiable man, two of his children, and two of his grandchildren. Thus far my time in Los Espinos has been both inspirational and humbling. The people of the community are very welcoming and curious about me. I have to admit that, though I have not done much official work with APSIES, I am enjoying learning the life of the campo and playing with the young children. This week Renata (Renee) and I will begin teaching english classes in the school of Los Espinos and I am extremely excited for the opportunity to work more closely with the children of the community. As far as what I have done so far, I am learning to make tortillas and often help the women of the community make sweet bread that is delicious. I have been involved in formation and strategic meetings for APSIES and a subsection of the Network for the Water Defense in El Salvador. Working with the youth of Los Espinos is inspirational and I look forward to getting more involved in the community as time goes on. It is a true blessing to have this opportunity to be with the people of El Salvador in a unique way. (11 Comments |Comment on this)