why I'm afraid

I am afraid of abandonment, not positive why, but abandonment is something I've struggled with as a kid. Maybe it stems from feeling that I didn't belong. Possibly it has to do with feelings of inadequacy.

Done

We are done with our term in Colombia so there will be no new posts. :)

Going down the Toilet Bowl

October 7, 2009

Dear Friends,

A Fall Update:

Water Park Fun: Today the five of us went to a local water park. They had added some new huge slides. We named one of them "the toilet bowl" because of the big round bowl in the middle where you spun around several times until you reached the bottom of the bowl and dropped down a hole and shot out the drain into a pool below. Click on our blog to see photos of the water park and more.

Starting a new school year. Our kids are beginning to settle into a new school year, after a summer full of sleeping in, swimming, traveling for a week to an MCC retreat in the beautiful coffee region, hosting Barb’s Mom in Cali, and traveling with Steve’s parents to Cartagena and Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast.

Schools closed for the cold virus. Joel and Ian's school was closed for a week for the common cold...they really panic about that here. They had an epidemiologist come to the school, and since 40% of the kids, including both of ours, had symptoms of colds...runny noses etc, they closed the school with only the day before notice. The school staff spent the week scrubbing the school...and told the parents to bleach their floors at home etc. So the kids went back last Thurs and Friday, and are now off all of this week and the following Monday for tourism week. Most of the kids will be left alone while their parents work...no money or time off for tourism. Anna's school is off for tourism week too...her school is a bit wealthier so maybe some of those kids will get to do something touristy.

Barb’s health talks. In addition to the health classes I give on occasion at local churches, I am going to do some work with the Y as well. They want me to talk with the kids and the Moms about AIDS and nutrition and family planning etc. I am looking forward to it. I am also on a tennis team of sorts and we have a big tournament this weekend in Bogota, which should be really fun. (I pay for this as it is not part of my work…)

Steve’s work with churches. I have been leading a series of conflict resolution classes at two local Mennonite churches as part of a larger congregational planning process. One of the churches has had some deeply entrenched conflict, and we are working at some issues that have been building up for years. Tomorrow my Colombian co-worker and I are leading a mediation session between two leaders of the church. It is very rewarding to be part of this process and see long-festering wounds begin to be addressed and healed. I love being in Cali and am savoring every day.

Joel. Joel is beginning to work on making letters and taking small steps towards reading and writing. We really need to work with him more on perfecting these skills which he will need when before he enters first grade in the US next fall. Joel especially loves jumping curbs on his bike and is now learning to rollerblade. There are a couple of other kids his age in our small apartment complex, and Joel spends his free time with them in constant motion.

Anna. Anna enjoys being one of 13 students in her 8^th grade class. Her school, like Ian and Joel’s, has open walled classrooms in a tropical setting. She studies hard, makes good grades, and sometimes goes to classmate’s houses after school to work on projects, cook, and hang out. Anna is taking piano lessons and goes to a tennis clinic two days a week. She takes pride in her Spanish and especially enjoys correcting her parents.

Ian. This year Ian switched to a Presbyterian school where Joel has been attending. It has a more traditional academic program than the Waldorf school where he was last year. He is taking physics, chemistry, biology, and philosophy just to name a few. He plays volley ball 3 days a week at school. He is going to take advantage of the “tourism week” holiday by volunteering at the YMCA near our house, completing community service hours he needs for his school in the US. He is going to do some sort of computer work, which is his main interest right now. Ian is still counting down the days until our return to the US in June.

YMCA-Colombia. The Y is totally unlike any we have seen in the US. There are no weight rooms, no swimming pool or sauna. The staff and volunteers work with kids who work... very poor kids, as young as 6, who are on street corners selling packs of gum, etc. The kids go to the Y in the mornings, eat breakfast and get help with school work and hear talks about Christian values...and then head off to work on the street after lunch. All seniors in high school in Colombia do 80 hours of community service, so agencies like the YMCA have a steady stream of young, inexperienced volunteers like Ian to coordinate. We were very impressed with the Y’s work and dedication.

US Colombia Base agreement. One issue in the news a lot here is the US-Colombia military base agreement. The US has maintained a military base in Ecuador for surveillance, anti-drug operations, and for launching any kind of military offensive in the region. Ecuador decided not to renew its lease agreement, so the US is looking for a new country in which to base the soldiers and equipment. Colombia is the US biggest military ally in Latin America, and it probably going to host the US operations. However, this has been somewhat controversial and generated a lot of debate here. If Obama and (Colombian President) Uribe were to ask our opinion, we think investing in rural economic development, health services, and education would do more to solve the armed conflict than adding more soldiers and weapons.

The drought. We have had a dry 6 months here, with water being cut off often in most of the city. With the hot climate here, we are especially thankful that our apartment has a large water tank that holds enough water for a week, for those of us on the upper floor. There are some advantages to living on the 4th floor!

Thankful in Cali,

Barb, Steve, Ian, Anna and Joel

Monkeys

Six Derthicks, ranging in age from 6 to 77, headed out early from our beach hotel in Santa Marta, to the Tayrona National Park on Colombia's northern Caribbean coast. Our plan was to take a short hike to the ocean, and maybe see some monkeys. The jungle was hot and sticky and Tarzan movie-like with vines to swing and tall trees that shaded the trail. At one point, a very loud noise, coming from a rather small insect, echoed through the forest. After hiking 15 minutes, and hearing Joel ask about the monkeys every 30 seconds, I heard the branches above us crack. I looked up and saw a large group of monkeys leaping from tree to tree, swinging on the vines. As we continued on the rather long, short hike, we saw several more groups of monkeys, including the endangered Titis. After a short discussion with Anna on endangered animals and protecting the jungle, we dunked our sweaty bodies in the ocean, ate a great lunch, and then hiked out. What a day! -Barb

cartagena

We had a great trip to Cartagena, on the Carribean Coast in the northern part of Colombia. We flew there from Cali with our family and Steve's parents. Cartagena is one of the oldest cities in Colombia. The city was originally surrounded by a large wall and moat, which protected it from invaders. As extra protection, a huge fort, the largest fort in the Americas built by the Spaniards, protected the city. The fort has secret tunels and views from all sides, and it was never taken by invaders. (last photo). Because of the wall and fort, a very large section of the old colonial city remains intact and you can stroll along the streets and get lost in time...

Cartagena Vacation

Two days ago we left for cartagena with my grandparents. Today we went to the beach, saw tree climbers, still men, tradicional dancers, and amazing break-dancers. I ate pasta with a natural strawberry smoothie. My MCC fried Torin has joined us today and is spending the night. I am writing this from his iPod Touch. Now we are watching the Discovery Channel special on the Amazon. -Ian

Cali Intersection

My friend Giovanny says any big intersection is a microcosm of life in Cali. “You have people in their cars which are like protected bubbles. They are just trying to get from point A to point B without having any contact with the world. Some of the drivers have visited Italy, but have never stepped foot in the impoverished neighborhood a kilometer from their house.”

As the cars and buses pull up to the traffic light, venders begin to approach. There are eight and nine year olds selling ten cent boxes of chewing gum. Women display small cardboard boxes with phone cards and pirated DVD’s.

Dark skinned Colombians from the Pacific coast walk in between the vehicles lifting up avocados, mangoes, and pineapples as high as the bus windows. Ragged teenagers frantically wash windows, hoping to earn a dime before the light changes. Street artists also spring into action, captivating their audience for three minute with everything from juggling machetes to standing motionless as a silver painted statue of liberty. Standing quietly on the side of the intersection there are sometimes families holing up handmade signs that say “desplazados.” This is the term given to the four million Colombians who have been displaced by the armed conflict and who generally seek refuge in the city.

As the light turns from red to yellow to green a few drivers hand a coin out the window as they accelerate amidst the honking and exhaust. The venders slip back under a shade tree as quickly as they appeared, and wait for the light to change again. -Steve