Poco a Poco (Little by Little)

¡Saludos a todos y todas! Greetings everyone!  

By now I have been living in Villa Ballester for exactly ten days, and I have much to tell you!  

A few hours ago I finished my second Sunday with the Santo Sacramento congregation. “Poco a poco” (little by little) I am learning the names of the kids who come to share Sunday afternoons with us, and poco a poco, we are warming up to each other and becoming friends.  Here are some photos from this Sunday and last Sunday:

Birthday celebration, 09/02: All of the members of the congregation who had birthdays in July and August!

09/09: Some of the "older" folks.  From left to right: Chabela (the pastor's wife and much, much more), Xiomara, Alejandra, me (with a goofy expression of course), Ayelen, and Anahi

08/31: Helping make the pizzas with Cristina (director of the women's residence) and Elena

During the lunch of pizza we always share after “el culto” (the service), a group of curious kids peppered me with questions about “Los Estados Unidos” (the United States) and me:  Are there schools in the United States?  Are there dogs in the United States?  Do they like soccer in the United States?  Which soccer team are you a fan of?  How did you get here?  How long did it take?  Is the U.S. close to Brazil?  Which do you like better, Argentina or the U.S.?  Did your parents name you after Lisa Simpson?  Do they watch “The Simpsons” in the U.S.?  Do you have kids?  Do you want to have kids? 

Basic knowledge about the U.S. that is so familiar and ordinary to me is exotic to these kids.  I tried my best not to laugh at their questions, appreciating their genuine desire to learn.

One of these curious kids later blew up a balloon and painted my name on it.  It was so sweet!  She also addressed me as “seño” (at least I think that’s what she was saying), which apparently is how students address teachers here.  My best guess is that it’s an abbreviation for “señora.” 

After lunch, the “chiquititos” (youngest kids) and I painted in our little “aula” (classroom) while listening to a CD of Spanish nursery songs.  The five little girls were a little over-exuberant with the paint, but luckily it was just tempera so it came off  the table easily afterward.  

El Arca

Earlier this week, from Monday til Thursday, I was volunteering at El Arca in a neighboring municipality.  I take “colectivo” (bus- it seems that every Spanish-speaking country has a different name for city bus: gua gua, ruta etc.) 314, and 25 minutes later I get off and walk a few blocks to get to “el taller” (the workshop).  Individuals with disabilities from the Buenos Aires area between the ages of 8 and 64 come to the workshop to socialize, express themselves, and develop skills.  In the mornings, they make “sopapas” (I don’t even know what these are called in English- they are for kitchen sink drains); the company that manufactures the sopapas delivers the parts to the workshop, and we assemble them and put them in sealed bags, and then later the company collects them and pays the workers. 

In the afternoon, each day of the week there is a different creative activity.  These activities include carpentry, reading literature, painting, making necklaces, and music.  In between the morning and the afternoon, everyone goes to the home just a few blocks away to eat lunch together.  Each day of the week a different pair of volunteers from the community cooks lunch for us, and what delectable lunches they have been!  I think I am in serious danger of gaining weight, but at least I will never go hungry! 

My role at “El Arca” is still a bit foggy to me, but so far I have mostly been getting to know everyone and helping out with household tasks.  Previous to this week, I had had limited experience interacting with people with developmental disabilities, and to be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about volunteering at El Arca for this reason.  But after this week, my apprehension has vanished.  There is something so special about the people at El Arca.  In comparison to alleged “normal” people, they are much more warm, open and less judgmental.  They welcomed me into their community without the slightest reservation.  And they are so affectionate!  Their propensity for affection and trust could be dangerous in other contexts because unfortunately, not everyone in the world has good intentions.  Within the context of El Arca, however, their affection is welcome and appropriate. 

The writings of Jean Vanier (founder of L’Arche/El Arca) that I skimmed this summer are starting to come alive in front of my own eyes.  Vanier said that relationships with people with disabilities bring us closer to God.  He pointed out that Jesus most identifies with the poor and the weak, and that the weakest parts of the body of Christ are the most indispensable.  I am starting to appreciate Vanier’s philosophy as I participate in the Christian community that is El Arca. 

I would love to tell you about each individual and his or her nuances, but I’m not sure if doing so would be appropriate because of how public blogs are.  I am waiting to hear from the director about how to approach this. 

So for now, hasta luego!  (until later!)