Sunday, July 6, 2014

CONVIVIR (en español)

To read in English


Una palabra que me gusta en español es “convivir” o “convivencia”.

En ingles la traducción sería algo como: live with, live together with, live in company with, spend time with.

Hay algo en esa palabra que es muy espacial para mi. Me encanta que aprendiendo otra idioma te permite a entender las palabras de otra manera. Viviendo con la gente mexicana y aprendiendo español me permitió entender la palabra “convivir” diferente. ¡Tiene otro sabor en español! Pero, ¿que significa “convivir” los demás? Para mi en su sentido más positiva significa estar presente. Viviendo y conviviendo con otros, uno aprende de sus esperanzas, miedos, sueños y luchas del otro, pero en eso también se empiezan a compartir y crecer entre ellos las mismas esperanzas, los mismos miedos, sueños y las mismas luchas.

Este año escuché frecuentemente:

Hay un convivio en la escuela si quieres venir.”  

O mis hermanas host me dicen: “Va a ser muy difícil cuando te vayas porque has convivido mucho con nosotros.”

Cuando mi hermano host y yo nos despedimos me dijo: Gracias por la convivencia.” (No es algo que decimos igual en ingles. Para mi es mucho más bonito en español.)

Nota: Comida o alimentos son una parte importante de convivencia. Alrededor de la mesa o en fiestas con comida es donde he tenido la más oportunidad para convivir con mi familia. También escuché a mi jefe decir que es triste cuando la gente no son presentes en la oficina durante el tiempo de la comida para la convivencia… y que es algo importante para nosotros. Cuando alguien fallece hay una creencia que está presente por 9 días. Durante este tiempo la familia inviten a la comunidad a acompañarlos en los rezos. Después de los rezos ofrecen alimentos a todos los presentes, pero los primeros alimentos está colocados en el altar. Cuando pregunté, me dijeron que en recibiendo la comida estás conviviendo con el difunto. La misma tradición existe durante el Día de los muertos. Para mi es algo muy bonito.

Otra palabra muy parecido es “acompañar” o en ingles “accompany.” Mi programa Young Adults in Global Mission y mi iglesia ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) tiene acompañamiento como su visión de misión. “Walking and working together, we seek to accompany our companions.” [Caminando y trabajando juntos, intentamos a acompañar a nuestros compañeros.] (Para más información… en ingles, http://www.elca.org/en/Our-Work/Global-Church/Global-Mission)

A veces en mi casa se lleva a la siguiente conversación:
¿Quieres ir con nosotros”?
“Se dice, quieres venir a acompañarnos”?
En este caso es por bien de cortesía… pero ¿como se pasa de solo “ir” con alguien a algo más profundo como “acompañarnos” o “ir en compañía”? En mi caso significó aprender lo más posible de mi comunidad y aprender a propósito, pero también entender y descifrar las estructuras de poder que rodean nuestras relaciones y culturas. También significa “convivir” con ellos y llorar juntos en momentos de tristeza, reírnos juntos en momentos de alegría.

La parte difícil es que mi comunidad ha invertido un gran cantidad de energía a convivir conmigo, y yo con ellos… y ahora es tiempo de irme… A veces se siente injusto… pero quizás lo que se realiza a algo justo es si las relaciones construidas y lecciones aprendidas continúen a vivir entre nosotros y son compartidos con otros. Tantas personas me han acompañado aquí en México y por eso yo he cambiado para siempre y siempre estaré agradecida por nuestra “convivencia.”


Y ahora estoy agradecida por el tiempo que puede convivir con mi familia en EEUU. Los dos son cosas muy importantes. Hay un tiempo señalado para todo.

CONVIVIR (in English)

Leer en español


One of my favorite words in Spanish is the verb “convivir” or “convivencia.”

con: with
vivir: to live

In other words it means to: live with, live together with, live in company with, spend time with. Related words are  “convivencia” and “convivio.” A “convivio” is a get-together, party or time of fellowship.

But there is something about the word in Spanish that is special to me. One of the things that I love about learning a new language is it allows you to see certain words in a new way. That is what the Spanish language and the Mexico people have done to me with “convivir.” What does it mean to “convivir” or spend time in fellowship with someone? For me in its most positive sense it means being present with one another. As you live with each other and spend time together you learn about each other’s hopes, fears, dreams and struggles, but you also begin to share common hopes, fears, dreams and struggles.

This year I have heard this word a lot:

Hay un convivio en la escuela si quieres venir.” [There is a school party/meal/get-together if you would like to come.]

My host sisters often say that it is going to be hard to see me leave because: “Has convivido mucho con nosotros. [You have spent a lot of time with us.]

Saying goodbye to my host brother he told me “Gracias por la convivencia.” [Thank you for your fellowship.] That is something we just don’t say in English!

As a side note: Food is often an important part of convivencia. Around the dinner table or at fiestas with food is where I have had the chance to convivir most with my family. I have also heard my boss say that it is sad when coworkers can’t be present during the lunchtime and that is an important part of our work place. When someone passes away there is a belief that the family member stays in the home for 9 days. During this time the family invites friends and family to accompany them in prayers services. Following the prayer service food is offered to all those in attendance, but food is also placed on the home altar. When I asked about this I was told that in offering the food at the altar and then partaking in the food you are still “conviviendo” with the deceased. The same tradition takes place for Day of the Dead. For me this is very beautiful.

Another word that is very close is “acompañar” or to accompany. Young Adults in Global Mission and the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) has accompaniment as its model of mission. “Walking and working together, we seek to accompany our companions. (For more explanation: http://www.elca.org/en/Our-Work/Global-Church/Global-Mission)

Sometimes in my house the following conversation has taken place:“¿Quieres ir con nosotros?” [Would you like to go with us?] And another interrupts and says: “Se dice, quieres venir a acompañarnos.” [You should say, would you like to accompany us.] In this case it is for the sake of politeness… but how do we go from just “going with someone” and move to “accompanying” them or “going with them in companionship?” In my case it has meant purposely learning from host community as much as possible, but also trying to understand and decipher the structures of power that surround our relationships and our cultures. It has meant “living with them” and crying together in times of sadness, laughing together in times of joy and all the stuff in-between.

The hard part is that my host community has put so much energy into conviviendo with me and I with them… and now its time to leave. Sometimes that just seems unfair… but I guess what makes it fair is if the relationships built and lessons learned were not in vain (which I know they were not) but continue (which I pray they will). So many wonderful people have accompanied me here in Mexico and I will forever be changed and forever thankful for our “convivencia.”

And now I am thankful for the time that I will be able to spend in “convivencia” with my family back home. Both are very important and for everything there is a season. 


Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Pentecost

A few Sundays ago Anna (a fellow YAGM) and I were able to attend the English speaking Anglican/Episcopal church in Cuernavaca. We have been able to catch a ride several times throughout the year with a couple that is a good friend of the YAGM program.


Anna, Maricela, Ken and myself on our last day at St. Michaels
This Sunday was Pentecost. The celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the church.

Altar at St. Michael's and All Angels
“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wend, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting…. And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language… we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” (from Acts 2)
“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, salves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

So “in the spirit” of the Bible readings, the pastor had included the response to the readings in all the languages that the parishioners speak. Imagine. It’s an English speaking church in Mexico… The people that attend this church come from all over and have lived all over. And so with the 40 or so of us in the church all of these languages in the picture below were spoken. At once.

Excerpt from bulletin
We have been gifted the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God with us in all languages.

But sometimes we forget it. This was a very real reminder.

The gift of language. The gift of community. The gift of the Holy Spirit.


*Prayer request: For those who are forbidden from using their language.



Thursday, May 1, 2014

Favorite Things

In the spirit of Sound of Music



These are a few of my favorite things:

lemon bars

cartwheels

curling up with my blanket

iced moka lattes

music while driving in the car

the moon during the day

lemonade ice cubes

flying laterns in the night sky

cleaning and blaring music

a cool glass of water

afternoon rain showers

washing strawberries

cornfields 

watermelon juice

spanish conversations

my nieces’ smiles

fresh grown garden peas

dancing cumbia

pumpkin spiced latte on a cold day

stargazing

walks with a friend

* for these and more I am thankful *

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Domingo de ramos // Palm Sunday

This Sunday marks the beginning of Semana Santa or Holy Week in which we begin by remembering how Jesus rode into Jerusalem and was accompanied by a great procession of people. Every year I have entered the church with palm branches, but I have never been apart of a procession quite like the one I experienced this year. The priest reminded us during the sermon that the day is not only about a procession through the pueblo, but that its a time to reflect on our own lives as well. However, this year it helped me experience what it could have been like in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago. In my daily life in the US I am not used to processing through the streets and so sometimes our processions at home on Palm Stunday don't feel like they really could fit into real life. Yet, here I have been apart of many processions for various celebrations and so it felt familiar and comfortable and real.

The procession started at the church by my barrio and continuing up through several barrios or neighborhoods. We started at 10AM and didn't not arrive to the main church until almost 12PM when the mass took place.

Click here to listen to some of the music that accompanied us. I thought I would share some pictures.

Many houses are decorated with flowers and purple and white decorations. 

We met up the procession at the street corner before joining
and continuing on to through town and on to the main church. 

The representation of Jesus on a donkey was carried through the streets
and was proceeded by the "12 disciples."

The beginning of the procession.

Arriving at one of the local chapels.

Carrying the branches.

It was very hot out and so I was very thankful for those that greeted us at one
of the neighborhood chapels to handout agua de jamaica and cookies.

The procession entering the main part of town.

Mass took place outside.

My palm branch.

Blessing after mass for the palm branches.

The congregation waiting for the blessing of their palm branches. 

The congregation processing out at the end of mass.

Click here to see a video of the procession at the end of mass. 

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

IT RAINED TODAY!

IT RAINED TODAY! 

Since the beginning of November I have only seen precipitation fall from the sky two or three times- all during the day and all for short periods of time. 

This last year I saw probably more rain than my whole life. In North Carolina we had all that rain (at least 3 weeks where we didn’t have a day without rain) and then I moved to Mexico during the RAINY SEASON. And now... its just so dry. 

I started to hear the rain fall and I didn’t believe it. Sometimes when the firecrackers for fiestas are set off and then the cars drive down my cobble stone hill it sounds like rain (believe it or not!!) but this time it was real!

I went and sat downstairs under an awning just to smell the rain and feel the breeze that came with it. Today it was over 90 degrees as it has been all week. Tonight it was beautiful, cool and perfect. 

It hasn’t really rained in 5 months. And when I arrived 7 months ago that is all it did! Tonight there was something about the rain that reminded me of my first days here. Of getting soaked while visiting Teotihuacan, helping Anna return home in our flood streets (because well they turn into rivers whenever it rains!) and having a storm come down on those of us gathered at my host families house during evening prayers. And I remember so many other memories with rain: stomping in puddles with my best friends, dancing in the rain as a child.... 


We still have a few more months of dry season left, but... IT RAINED TODAY!!!! :) and I can smell it :)

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Las Mañanitas

This last Friday I was able to celebrate my birthday with my Mexican host family AND my parents and brother that came to visit. I thought I would share the Las Mañanitas birthday song and the "biting of the cake" traditions that have been a apart of my experience here. 

The video is on Google Drive so you can click on the picture that will take you there. Below you will also find the words and translation (courtesy of wikipedia...) to the Mexican birthday song that my host family sings. :)

Haz "click" en la foto para ver el video de mi cumpleaños

I was very blessed to be surrounded by so many great people for my birthday celebration and I'm thankful for all the people that wished me a happy birthday from a far. So thankful for all my wonderful family and friends! :)


Spanish originalEnglish translation
Estas son las mañanitas que cantaba el rey David.
Hoy por ser día de tu santo, te las cantamos a ti.

Despierta mi bien, despierta, mira que ya amaneció
ya los pajarillos cantan la luna ya se metió.

Qué linda está la mañana en que vengo a saludarte
venimos todos con gusto y placer a felicitarte.

Ya viene amaneciendo, ya la luz del día nos dio.
Levántate de mañana mira que ya amaneció.
This is the morning song that King David used to sing.
Today being the day of your saint, we sing it to you.

Wake up my dearest, wake up, see now that the day has dawned. The little birds are singing, the moon has finally set.

How lovely is this morning, when I come to greet you.
We all come with joy and pleasure to congratulate you.

The dawn has come my darling, and the sunlight is here for us.
Rise and shine up with the morning and you'll see that here's the dawn.