El Primer Retiro de YAGM (The First YAGM Retreat)

            Last week the “YAGM 5” (Kjerstin, Andrea, Emery, Kevin and me) and our country coordinator Krystle had our first of three retreats that will take place during the year.  Our destination was Colonia Valdense, Uruguay, a small town in southwestern Uruguay, close to the river that separates Uruguay and Argentina (El Rio de la Plata).  On Sunday morning (Nov. 18^th) we took a ferry to Colonia, a city right on the shore of the river.  We wandered around the city for a few hours, struggling to haul our suit cases along the beautiful cobblestone streets and drinking up the breathtaking views of the river, palm trees and colonial architecture.  

Here are some photos of the ferry ride and Colonia:

 El Rio de la Plata (The River of Silver): The border between Argentina and Uruguay

 View from the Shore in Colonia

Kevin and me hanging out on top of a colonial fortress

More colonial remains

A cute picture of fellow YAGM Kjerstin!

          We enjoyed lunch together at a restaurant in Colonia and then boarded a bus headed toward Colonia Valdense.  About an hour later, we groggily made our way off the bus and into a taxi that took us to our final destination: Centro Emmanuel.

            Centro Emmanuel is an ecumenical (Protestant) retreat center focused on spirituality and sustainable agricultural practices.  It’s essentially a small farm with cabins for lodging.  After experiencing the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires for three months, Centro Emmanuel felt like an oasis of calm and natural beauty.  It was amazing to see gently rolling green hills, cows, trees, and crops in every direction.  The other YAGMs and I noted that in many ways, the countryside of southwestern Uruguay is similar to the countryside in the Midwest, so Centro Emmanuel felt like a piece of home in a far away place.  Nevertheless, there were little clues, such as the palm trees, exotic flowers, and bamboo, which told us we “weren’t in Kansas anymore.”

           

Here are some photos of the natural beauty I am describing:

An adorable calf that I bonded with!

Kjerstin, Andrea, Kevin and Emery enjoying some oranges fresh from the tree!  Another reminder that we weren't in the Midwest . . .

            Our first night in Colonia Valdense, we walked into town for the annual “Fiesta Valdense” festival.  We watched a really long parade featuring candombe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candombe, carnaval-style dancing, Olympics-themed floats and displays of athleticism, local “royalty”, old agricultural vehicles, and “gaucho” impersonators wearing berets, capes, and riding horses http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guacho.  Apart from the clearly Uruguayan elements of the parade, we felt like we could easily be back home enjoying a summer parade. 

            The rest of the week we spent entirely at Centro Emmanuel.  In order to facilitate my reflection on the experience, I have divided my thoughts into the following categories: food, music, prayer, silence,  and learning and sharing.

Food

            We were spoiled rotten at Centro Emmanuel by the two cooks, David and Rosita.  They prepared breakfast, lunch, “merienda” (tea time) and dinner for us everyday, always involving gourmet dishes that used fresh, organic ingredients from the farm.  I was especially enchanted by the organic milk and the home-made dulce de leche (much better than my attempt).  I also enjoyed the plum jam, cheese, quinoa lasagna with basil and squash, ravioli, and canelonis. 

            On Thursday the 22^nd, Thanksgiving Day, Centro Emmanuel opened its kitchen doors to us so we could prepare a traditional thanksgiving meal, Uruguay-style.  With David’s kind and patient help, we made roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, Hawaiian fruit salad, butternut squash pie (no pumpkins to be found), and mashed squash with brown sugar and pecans.  Somehow we ended up using a ton of cream and butter courtesy of the Centro Emmanuel cows, so we created an incredibly rich meal.  Many of the dishes certainly were not prepared in the conventional style, but they were still delicious.  Sharing our favorite Thanksgiving recipes with each other was a meaningful way of celebrating the holiday and giving thanks far from home.

Photos of the Thanksgiving meal:

My homemade butternut squash (instead of pumpkin) pie!  If you can't tell, I "drew" a handprint turkey with whipped cream (cream fresh from the cows . . . yummmm)

Prayer

            We spent a lot of time praying during the week.  Praying before meals, sharing devotions, and praying individually in silence.  In our prayers we gave thanks and prayed for healing and guidance for ourselves, our loved ones back home, and our placement communities.  Andrea led a devotion that focused on human vulnerability based on a Ted Talk by social worker (yay!) Brene Brown.  The gist of the talk was that it is both important and scary to accept vulnerability, because although being vulnerable can result in getting hurt, it can also lead to joy, love, and understanding.  Being vulnerable means allowing ourselves to be seen, really seen (aka, being ourselves) and letting go of our desire for control over every aspect of our lives.  Brene explains the concept much more thoroughly and eloquently, so I recommend that you watch the video if you’re interested in learning more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

In another devotion, Kevin introduced an alternative method for prayer called “praying in color.” Praying in color means praying by drawing, and can be used as a technique for focusing and expressing oneself in prayer. It doesn’t work for everyone, but for visual people who may get easily distracted when praying in silence (e.g. me), drawing can be an effective channel for expression.  I personally found it relaxing and pleasant. 

Silence

            From Wednesday evening at 7 pm until Thursday morning at 11 am, we participated in a “silent retreat,” meaning that we did not speak to each other or listen to music during those 16 hours.  The general purpose of this period of silence was to spend time seeking internal peace, talking with God, and getting to know our authentic selves.  Each person had his or her own unique approach and his or her own goals.  I personally spent a lot of time relaxing outside, journaling, and knitting.  I used journaling as a way of praying, writing to God about all of the people in my life, nature, and my own thoughts and concerns.  I noticed that I became so much more observant of my surroundings in silence.  Free of intrusive distractions, I marveled at the natural beauty that surrounded me, noticing every detail in the sounds of the birds and insects, the colors of the trees and flowers, and the characteristics of the landscape.  I felt so grateful to be able to rest in that beautiful place. 

Learning and Sharing

            Krystle led an art activity in which she asked us each to create artwork representing four time periods: the first half of our lives, the second half our lives, our YAGM experience so far, and our hopes for the future.  We used mixed medium including pipe cleaners, bottle caps, cardboard, a glue gun and paints.  Then, one by one, we shared abbreviated versions of our life stories, using our art as guides.  It was a meaningful opportunity for us to open up to each other about the journeys that led us here and the people and things that really matter to us.  We all felt like we got to know each other better as a result. 

            Another learning experience was the workshop Krystle led about models of social change.  Some of the models were familiar to me from my social work education, and others were new.  The models are “Bandage” (meeting basic needs through material help, really important but often a temporary solution that does not address the roots of social problems), “Ladder” (providing tools and knowledge to come out of poverty, e.g. a Peace Corps volunteer teaching agricultural techniques), “Patchwork” (grassroots movements in which people get together to help themselves), “Beehive” (accompanying community groups in social struggles) and “Lighthouse” (examining causes and challenging structures, committing to favoring the poor and working together toward a new base and direction for society).  We learned that each model has advantages and limitations, and that no one model can address the world’s problems alone.  Rather, each serves a unique function that complements the functions of the other models.  Krystle’s workshop gave us the tools to reflect on and contribute to the social change efforts carried out at our volunteer placements. 

            The week we spent together at Centro Emmanuel provided much needed rest.  It was a relief to be able to speak in English again, rest our bodies, and share our experiences.  It was sad to leave beautiful Centro Emmanuel and my fellow YAGMs, but I returned to Buenos Aires last night refreshed and ready to dig back into my work.  I’m excited to see what the next 8 months bring!