Lessons in Limosna and Confidence with Maxi

A few weeks ago, on Thursday, February 28^th, El Arca held its monthly “encuentro de espiritualidad” (spirituality gathering) in the home, with a focus on the significance of Lent.  We discussed three important liturgical themes during the season of lent: oracion (prayer), penitencia (repentance) and limosna (charity), but we certainly made these serious themes fun!  By Osvaldo’s request, we opened the “encuentro” with an icebreaker to his all-time favorite song, “Bienvenido Amor” by Argentine singer Palito Ortegas (he listens to Palito Ortegas almost every day).  We played a musical-chairs-esque game in which we danced in pairs for a while until the music stopped, and we had to ask each other a question (e.g. what did you do this summer?), and then when the music started again, we switched partners and started over again.  

Later on, we discussed the central themes of lent in small groups, with one group for each theme.  I was in the charity group.  We talked about how charity is much more than just giving alms in church on Sunday; it’s really anything you can offer of yourself to benefit others or to demonstrate love for God.  We created a brief skit to illustrate this concept to the rest of the group.  

Today, a few weeks later, I witnessed a beautiful example of limosna in Maxi.  We were walking to the bus stop on the way to our weekly basketball game, and we passed an elderly man who was struggling to step down from the curb in order to cross the street.  I barely noticed him, my mind having wandered elsewhere as it tends to do.  But Maxi certainly noticed him.  Maxi was so drawn to this elderly man that he offered to help him down from the curb.  The man eagerly accepted his offer and thanked him with a big, somewhat astounded smile.  We said goodbye and continued on our way, and I was overwhelmed with pride of Maxi. I congratulated him for being so considerate and pointed out that it was a perfect example of the acts of limosna we had discussed in the “encuentro.” Maxi was really proud of himself too.  It was a feel-good moment.  
 
But this wasn’t the first time that Maxi’s compassionate, giving nature had been illuminated to me.  He has a remarkable way of interacting with people, always greeting people even if he doesn’t know them that well, and asking not only how they are but also how their brother, boyfriend, girlfriend, mother etc. are doing!  Maxi inspires me to herd my thoughts back to the here and now so I too can be attentive to the needs and feelings of others.  
 

I felt proud of Maxi for another reason today.  When we got to the basketball court, unfortunately the regular crew of boys weren’t there to play with us, so we spent the whole time practicing shots.  In the past Maxi has gotten discouraged and bored really quickly when we do this because he struggles to make shots and would rather be playing a game with the neighborhood boys.  But today Maxi accepted the absence of the boys quite maturely and patiently, determinedly practiced shots with me.  His practice must be paying off, because he made about 60% of the shots!  This was a huge increase from past weeks, and much more impressive than my own percentage of successes!

I firmly believe that if Maxi can work up enough self-confidence, he is capable of so many things.  If he convinces himself that he can’t do something, he will just get frustrated and give up, but today he was on a roll!  I’ve seen this with reading and writing, too.  Maxi understands Spanish phonetics really well, but he lacks fluidity in processing phonemes and stringing them into words.  Recently, he has started working with Micaela, a new volunteer who is studying occupational therapy, on reading and writing, and he is really enjoying their sessions!  Now when he asks me what something says, I think twice before telling him and challenge him to figure it out himself.  

I could really learn from my own advice to Maxi.  He reminds me of the importance of self-confidence, something that I too struggle with.  But if Maxi has confidence, I can muster up confidence too!

¡El Papa es Argentino! ¡El Papa es Argentino!

Undoubtedly you have all heard the news about the new Pope, Francisco I, who was previously a Cardinal and the Archbishop of Buenos Aires.  Being in Argentina during this historic appointment has been a memorable experience.  Previously I paid very little attention to the Pope, but now I belong to a Catholic community (El Arca)  which places great importance on the Pope. 

On the day of his appointment (March 13^th), I happened to arrive at the El Arca home mere minutes before the announcement.  Maxi ran to the door to let me in and he and Rosi yelled “come Lisa, come Lisa!  They’re going to elect the new Pope!”  I found the two of them plus Osvaldo (whose nap had been interrupted for the occasion and was therefore a bit disheveled) sitting in front of the TV, watching the live coverage of the last few hours of the Vatican conclave.  When they announced the new Pope, Rosi was incredulous.  She kept saying “no, no” over and over again, and when the news had sunk in, she was ecstatic!  Maxi and Osvaldo got excited too, and I tried my best to share in their joy in spite of my lack of investment in the matter.  



Speculators on the papal conclave never predicted that Bergoglio would be appointed, and much less Argentines themselves!  Bergoglio marks a lot of firsts for the Vatican.  He’s the first Pope from Latin America, the first Pope to come from the Jesuit Order and the first Pope to be named Francis (or Francisco in Spanish).  Only Bergoglio knows why he chose the name Francis, but journalists have speculated that he chose it for St. Francis of Assisi or for a different St. Francis, the one who started the Jesuit order.  If so, Francis seems to be a fitting name for Bergoglio by virtue of his consistent solidarity with the poor throughout his career.  Bergoglio spent a lot of time visiting villas (slums), especially the notorious Villa 31, located in the retiro neighborhood in the federal capital, right next door to the train and omnibus stations.  Bergoglio is also known for a lifestyle that challenges traditional notions of church hierarchy.  As a cardinal, he dressed merely as a priest, and he lived in an apartment instead of a palace.  He also always got around using public transportation.  I wonder whether he’ll insist on continuing this habit now that he’s the Pope!  

Padre Pepe, who gives mass at the El Arca chapel about once a month and was the person responsible for introducing Osvaldo to El Arca, received phone calls from journalists last week asking for information about Bergoglio, who was until recently Pepe’s superior.  Even Pastor Angel, the pastor of El Santo Sacramento, was approached by newspapers via email, asking him if he had been friends with Bergoglio.  I suddenly find myself in the unexpected situation of knowing several people who know the Pope personally!  

While the El Arca community rejoices, I’m not exactly sure how to feel. I feel happy and excited for their sake, but because I am not Roman Catholic, the news can never have as much meaning for me as it does for them.  I have also recently learned of a controversial aspect of Bergoglio that detracts from the saintly image the rest of his history paints.  Bergoglio has been accused of not doing enough to save persecuted priests during the fascist dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983) and for taking a generally passive stance toward the human rights abuses of said dictatorship.  It is difficult to know what to believe, however, when the facts are so hazy.  Whether he really “deserves” the appointment or not (and who am I to decide that?), and although I do not personally believe that the Pope is the ultimate Christian authority, Francisco I will undeniably have a huge influence on the world.  For that reason, even as a Protestant, I have no qualms with praying for him as he requested in his first papal address

Train Vendors

            As my blog posts clearly indicate, the opportunity to volunteer in Buenos Aires for a year is a huge blessing and privilege.  That doesn’t mean, however, that it is always easy.  Living in a big, foreign city takes its toll, even if you’re living outside the federal capital like me.  There are certain aspects of city life that depress me at times, and the vendors and beggars on the Buenos Aires trains are a great example.

 Every time I ride a train, there are multiple people selling things (everything from alfajores (Argentine cookies) to notebooks to tissues) or begging for money. Those who beg often narrate a woeful story, possibly involving a disease or injury.  They will narrate out loud or pass out little slips of paper with their stories written out. Seeing them wander back and forth from car to car fills me with an acute sense of brokenness.  I put myself in their shoes, imagining what it would be like to depend on the kindness and whims of strangers for a salary.  I imagine the numbing weariness they must feel as the result of chanting the same schpiel over and over up and down the train cars, only to be ignored by the majority of the people they pass.  I too am guilty of ignoring the vendors and beggars sometimes.  Occasionally I will donate a few coins if I am feeling particularly compassionate or motivated, but most of the time I try to avoid eye contact.  It`s terrible to acknowledge that I form part of a society that would rather pretend that this social reality doesn`t exist than make eye contact with fellow human beings.

The feeling of brokenness is most severe when the people selling or begging are children.  The reality that anyone has to depend on sales or begging on the trains to survive is unjust in itself, but when the people engaged in the activity belong to a vulnerable population (e.g. children), it’s even worse.  I lament the impact that missing school in order to support their families must have on their development.  

I have noticed a silver lining, however, among the vendors: camaraderie.  Often the vendors do not work in isolation, but rather form a part of a network.  Even if it’s not a formal network, the vendors certainly coordinate in their own way.  One day while riding the train I observed a group of male vendors chatting, laughing and teasing each other, planning out who would sell in which car and when (or at least that’s what I think they were doing).  I didn’t follow the conversation too well, but I understood their laughter.  They were having fun with their peers, lightening the load of a day’s work with the companionship of others and a dose of silliness.  I have observed this with kids too.  They’ll take breaks selling to horse around together and compare sales.  Witnessing this joy in a seemingly dire situation reminds me that although the poverty they experience is unjust, it would also be arrogant for me to assume that my way of life would be “better for them” than the lifestyle they lead now.  They might not be learning in conventional ways, but they are undoubtedly learning a lot and may have a sense of belonging and community on the trains that I could never understand. 

Basketball with Maxi, or When I Pretend to be a Teenage boy from Boulogne

Those of you who know me well know that I tend to avoid sports that involve balls.  I generally don’t have the coordination necessary to throw and catch with any consistency, and moreover, these sports simply don’t interest me.  Here in Argentina, however, playing basketball has become a weekly activity that has really strengthened the bond between Maxi and me. 

Every Monday we go to Campo 2, a municipal park located about ten blocks from the El Arca home.  If we’re lucky, there will be a group of boys (ages ten to twenty, roughly) there and we’ll all play a game together.  Maxi always feels much more motivated and has much more fun if there are enough people to play a game.  Maxi’s “don” (talent/gift) for being friendly and sociable really shines in this context.  He loves hanging out with the other guys, and whenever we walk around the neighborhood together to run errands, he greets almost everyone we see.  He knows the whole neighborhood!  And he always asks each person how they’re doing and how their family is doing.  There’s usually also a brief mention of soccer because Maxi is a die-hard fan of River. 

At first I felt uncomfortable playing basketball with a bunch of boys I didn’t know.  I felt really self-conscious about being a blonde girl in the midst of a bunch of Argentine boys.  But in reality they have never questioned or protested my presence, nor have they been rude to me in any way.  If anything, I feel like Maxi’s shadow, because it’s Maxi who does the real socializing!  His self-confidence and bravery in asking people he doesn’t know if they want to play a game has inspired me, and in turn I have become more confident in my interactions with people.  I think spending so much time with Maxi has helped me to worry less about what others think of me and simply talk to people, even if they give me weird looks. 

To my surprise, I have really started to enjoy these basketball games!  It’s such good exercise, and we all get really enthusiastic about it.  It’s fun to pretend that I’m just another local boy hanging out at the park.  It also makes me happy to see how good it is for Maxi.  He often gets in trouble for being antsy and disruptive in the home, and sports are a great outlet for his energy.  Plus, it makes him happy, and that alone should make it worth it.  When we return, Maxi always proudly reports how many baskets he shot, and although he almost always overestimates, I just go with it and let him have his moment of glory. 

Basketball with Maxi, or When Lisa Pretends to be a Teenage boy from Boulogne

Those of you who know me well know that I tend to avoid sports that involve balls.  I generally don’t have the coordination necessary to throw and catch with any consistency, and moreover, these sports simply don’t interest me.  Here in Argentina, however, playing basketball has become a weekly activity that has really strengthened the bond between Maxi and me. 

Every Monday we go to Campo 2, a municipal park located about ten blocks from the El Arca home.  If we’re lucky, there will be a group of boys (ages ten to twenty, roughly) there and we’ll all play a game together.  Maxi always feels much more motivated and has much more fun if there are enough people to play a game.  Maxi’s “don” (talent/gift) for being friendly and sociable really shines in this context.  He loves hanging out with the other guys, greeting them with fist-bumps, and calling out their names during the game.    Maxi's "don" also surfaces whenever we walk around the neighborhood together to run errands, because he greets almost everyone we see.  He knows the whole neighborhood (and they know him)!  He always asks each person how they’re doing and how their family is doing.  There’s usually also a brief mention of soccer because Maxi is a die-hard fan of River. 

At first I felt uncomfortable playing basketball with a bunch of boys I didn’t know.  I felt really self-conscious about being a blonde girl in the midst of a bunch of Argentine boys.  But in reality they have never questioned or protested my presence, nor have they been rude to me in any way.  If anything, I feel like Maxi’s shadow, because it’s Maxi who does the real socializing!  His self-confidence and bravery in asking people he doesn’t know if they want to play a game has inspired me, and in turn I have become more confident in my interactions with people.  I think spending so much time with Maxi has helped me to worry less about what others think of me and simply talk to people, even if they give me weird looks. 

To my surprise, I have really started to enjoy these basketball games!  It’s such good exercise, and we all get really enthusiastic about it.  It’s fun to pretend that I’m just another local boy hanging out at the park.  It also makes me happy to see how good it is for Maxi.  He often gets in trouble for being antsy and disruptive in the home, and sports are a great outlet for his energy.  Plus, it makes him happy, and that alone should make it worth it.  When we return, Maxi always proudly reports how many baskets he shot, and although he almost always overestimates, I just go with it and let him have his moment of glory. 

Lisa’s Cooking Adventures Continued: Thank you David for the cookbook!

In January I was able to retrieve the Christmas package that my family had sent me (which was an ordeal I can tell you about later if you ask me), and in addition to charming presents like a Twin Cities- themed dish towel and a Minnesota T-shirt, the package included a cook book from my brother, David!  My mom told me that David came up with this idea on his own, which is really impressive, because it was spot on! 

Just look how excited I am about this cook book!

Unfortunately, a lot of the recipes are so fancy that the ingredients are impossible to find here and/or are really expensive, but I have been able to try out a few!

Braise Lentils!  The secret ingredient is butter.  Yummmm

 

Vegetable biryani, or my attempt . . .

 

The sponge cake I made for Cristina's birthday, using homemade apple jam given to me by Chabela!

 

So, in conclusion, thanks for the rad cook book, bro!

 

Not your Average Friday Night: An Adventure Featuring Pitch Darkness, Torrential Rain, and a Tango Bar

Last Friday was the most adventurous Friday night I have had in quite a while!  I usually keep things simple and relaxed (aka watching episodes of the BBC show “Jeeves and Wooster” on youtube in my pajamas while drinking tea), but this Friday I had plans to go to the theater with Lena, Corni, and Mirta, another friend that I met through El Arca!

Mirta, unlike many other El Arca friends, is in fact a citizen of Argentina (ha!).  She is a member of the Catholic Church that the El Arca residents attend on Sundays and is a good friend of the community in general.  At the annual spirituality retreat in October, Mirta helped Padre Dani with the musical aspect of the programming because she is a singer.  Mirta’s talents do not end with singing, however.  By day she fixes computers and is the loving mom of 8-year old Azul (who is so much fun!), and by night (on the weekends anyway) she acts and sings at “Teatro Ciego” (Blind Theater) in the capital.  

Teatro Ciego is like any other theater except that it puts on shows in complete darkness in order to simulate blindness for the audience.  The actors, some of whom are blind and others who are seeing, use sound affects, smells, and even a bit of touch (e.g. light rain falling on the audience) to help “construct” the scenery.  Corni, Lena and I were guided into the dark theater and to our seats by one of the actors, and for the next 90 minutes, we saw absolutely nothing.  I don’t think I have ever experienced such piercing darkness for so long.  I wondered after the fact how they achieved such darkness in a city building- they must have some secret.  The first few moments of darkness were shocking and a little unnerving.  I remember thinking to myself “so this is what it’s like to be blind-!”  I don’t think I truly comprehended what it meant to be blind before because I was simply incapable of imagining not being able to see.  Of course, just because I spent 90 minutes in a dark theater doesn’t mean I really know what it’s like to be blind, but I feel like I now have an enhanced empathy for blind people.

The theater has multiple shows going on during one season, and Mirta’s show is called “Luces de Libertad” (Lights of Liberty).  It’s a historical fiction piece about the revolution of 1810 in Argentina, told through a love story between a slave and a soldier.  Mirta played the slave.  I noticed during the performance that not only does Mirta have a beautiful singing voice- she also has a beautiful speaking voice!  I don’t think I really appreciated that beforehand because when I talk to people I tend to focus more on the person’s face than on how the person’s voice sounds.  

After the show, Mirta’s friend and fellow actor Ramiro showed us a nearby bar where Corni was able to express her love for beer (she already knows more about Quilmes, an Argentine beer, than the Argentines at El Arca).  Because I’m a wimp when it comes to alcohol, I opted for an icy Bailey’s drink.  During our time at the bar, which had a quintessential Buenos Aires feel complete with live tango music, Corni’s sense of humor really shone, and we all ended up laughing a ton.  

Ramiro, me, Lena and Corni (taken with Mirta's phone)  We need a photo with Mirta!!!

Here's a photo with Mirta (which was taken last night after the girls' trivia test):

Kait, Mirta, Romina, Rosi, Corni, me and Lena

 

I have found this year that laughter in general is so important.  I always remember that laughing more is supposed to make you live longer (or is that just an old wives’ tale?) and am reminded of that classic scene in “Mary Poppins” in which everyone laughs so hard they float to the ceiling.  There’s nothing more exhilarating than laughing so hard it hurts and feeling that you’ll never be able to stop.  Laughing makes me feel so alive and so comforted.  It’s like a reminder that in spite of the sadness and frustration I experience at times, I do have the ability to feel joy within me.  

 As the saying goes, we need to be able to laugh so we don’t cry, to really enjoy what makes life hilarious, even when there are so many reasons to feel depressed about the state of the world.  Also, if you stop to think about laughter, like I did the other day, it’s a really weird phenomenon!  It’s this bizarre noise that comes out of our mouths, and each person’s noise is unique!  I think I often associate people’s laughs with their personalities- your laugh makes you you!

Our adventure didn’t end at the bar.  On the long, 1 AM bus ride back to my house where I had invited Lena and Corni to spend the night, it started to pour.  During the last several blocks before our stop, the bus inched along and kept making disconcerting noises as if the engine were about to die.  Luckily, we made it to our bus stop, but during the four block walk to my house, we got absolutely soaked.  We were in need of a real “arca” (ark)!  All things considered, it was a really fun and meaningful evening, and I’m glad I shook up my schedule a bit and left the next Jeeves and Wooster episode for some other time. 

El Arca’s Horizons Expand Beyond Buenos Aires: A Community of International Friends

El Arca Argentina, by virtue of belonging to an international federation of L’Arche communities, has a lot of contacts around the world.  Our director Patricia has regular communication with international L’Arche employees , the home receives cards and gifts from other L’Arche communities around the world, and in June of 2012, Patricia and Dani (workshop attendee) attended the international L’Arche conference in Atlanta, Georgia.  The most meaningful international connections that El Arca makes, however, are with the assistants from across the world who come to share daily life with the residents of the home.

             

Assistants have come to El Arca from Austria, France, the United States, and Colombia, and probably other places I don’t know about!  When I came back from my YAGM retreat, there were two visitors from Germany to greet me at El Arca!  Magdalena and Cornelia both graduated with degrees in special education in December, and before they start teaching in September, they are taking advantage of their free time to travel and volunteer in South America!  They are particularly interested in approaching projects that invest in the lives of people with disabilities, such as El Arca.  Cornelia was already familiar with L’Arche because she spent a year living in a L’Arche community in France, and Magdalena had spent six months volunteering in a residence for people with disabilities in Venezuela.  Those enriching experiences plus their academic expertise in special education and their energetic enthusiasm make Cornelia (Corni) and Magdalena (Lena) a dynamic duo!  

Here they are sitting beneath the "Cuaresma" (Lent) Poster: Lena (left) and Corni (right)

            

 Unfortunately, Corni and Lena could only stay for a month (they leave on Monday), but their short time with us has been so positive in so many ways!  They have tackled the project of organizing the house head on, one cupboard at a time, created a special game for Marcos, taught the acogidos in the workshop about numbers and prices, cooked delicious meals, and given us the gift of their affable presence.  In addition to being so helpful to El Arca, I personally have enjoyed their company, as they are roughly my age (25 and 26), and are just fun to talk to!  Corni has a quirky sense of humor that always makes me laugh, and it’s so impressive that she can deliver her jokes so smoothly considering the fact that she came to Argentina knowing very little Spanish.  She has been studying every day and is learning at a rapid pace!

Last night at the “Noche de Hogar” (the Home Night, which happens every Tuesday), we did something special to thank Corni and Lena for all they have offered during this month.  Each person had the opportunity to express thanks in his or her own way, and then we gave them a send-off blessing by placing our hands on their heads while praying “Our Father.”  Next, we had the girls play a trivia game, El Arca style!  We told them that their pilot, Osvaldo, wouldn’t give them their plane tickets unless they could answer all of the questions correctly.  Sandra asked them the trivia questions in two categories: Argentina and the El Arca home.  Luckily for them, Osvaldo was satisfied with all of their answers!  But before he could hand over the tickets, we sprung another challenge on them.  In blind folds, they had to work together to identify various objects from around the house, including the cleaning product “Cif,” one of Osvaldo’s diapers, a “bombilla” (the metal straw used to drink mate), and Sandra’s school notebook.  Again, luckily for them, they rocked it, and Osvaldo handed over their tickets, very officially made by me.  

Sandra the "azafata" (flight attendant) tries to stump the Germans.  Could you name five provinces of Argentina?  Two typical Argentine foods?  Two of Sandra's dreams?  What Osvaldo likes most other than soccer and food?  

What's the mystery object? 

One of Osvaldo's diapers

"What could they have possibly given us as farewell gifts?"

Oh, our very own personalized mates!  Mission accomplished!

But that’s not all!  No El Arca farewell celebration would be complete without a duet sung by Maxi and Lisa, a precedence that started with Padre Dani’s farewell party back in December.  We’ve got the routine down now.  We put on our shiny vests and sunglasses and grab our fake microphones.  Then, someone introduces us to the “crowd” and we come out to sing “Sweet Maria,” a song by Padre Dani’s former band “Dragon’s Dream.”  But of course this time we changed the lyrics to Sweet Cornelia and Sweet Magdalena.  As usual, we were a hit. 

It is truly amazing and beautiful how quickly Lena and Corni adapted to the El Arca lifestyle and bonded with each of the acogidos and other volunteers.  They're just another example of how the communion between people with and without disabilities that unfolds in El Arca transcends boundaries of language, culture and nationality.  This longing to belong to a community of love, humility, and growth brings us together.  Otherwise this eclectic group of people from around the world would never have met.  

Just a few days before Lena and Corni depart for the next destination on their South American journey (Uruguay), a new assistant from Colombia will be arriving!  David is a musical therapist and is planning on living in the home for the next year.  We are all looking forward to his arrival, especially since Kait is currently the only live-in assistant in the home.  It will be a relief once Kait has a full-time partner in the home to help her out!  I’m really interested to learn about Colombia and to see how David will incorporate his musical therapy talents into the life of the home!  

So, as is customary for El Arca, we say goodbye to two friends but welcome a new one!