What I am doing here

http://www.rostrodecristo.org/ can probably give you a better explanation than I can. I am continually learning what my purpose here actually is. From what I have gathered I am living in a Cristo-centered intentional community with ten other Americans. My house in the Arbolito neighborhood consists of five besides myself. Another house has five. The other house is about a mile away in the area called Antonio Jose de Sucre. A strip of more dangerous territory is an obstacle that exists half way into our cross-neighborhood walk. We take buses if we are alone. We don´t attempt it at night. The city our neighborhoods are located in is Duran. It is right across a bridge from Guayaquil. The city is poor, our neighborhoods are poorer.
As volunteers we live amongst them, work in their city, listen to their stories. We are here to learn - about Ecuadorians, about ourselves, about the world we live in and the way we affect it (intentionally or unintentionally, negatively or positively). They have much to show us and we have much to learn. Hopefully I can put together a good post in the future about what they get from us. but it is too complicated for part of a post.
Our days are divided into morning worksites and afternoon programs. Some work mornings in shelters, others in schools. I work as the logistical coordinator for the program. There were positions that were available, people felt called to different worksites, I felt called to the connections between the worksites. We had a very long discernment process. As logistics coordinator I also am the point person for the 26 retreat groups we will have during the course of the year. The first retreat group comes down friday from Santa Clara University. My dad says their nickname´s the Broncos. He likes guessing university mascots. I´ll ask them when they arrive.
In the afternoon I work with two other volunteers at Manos Abiertos afterschool program. The name means "open hands". The program is held in a morning school in the 28 de Agosto neighborhood. Here neighborhoods often are named after the date in which they gained recognition. 28 de Agosto, the date just passed. There were parties there but I had to miss them. Steve and Julia, my co-workers at Manos, attended. They said it was fun, but when we describe things as fun to other volunteers it usually means it was crazy and surreal. 28 de Agosto is a landfill. The people there have practially nothing. One bedroom cane houses are the norm, in contrast to the neighborhoods we live in where one bedroom cane houses are every third home or so. I don´t believe they have the deeds to their lands in 28 de Agosto. It either used to be or still is an invastion commuity, meaning whoever owns the land can come in at any time and bulldoze their homes. I will find that out and get back to you. At the afterschool program we do critical thinking exercises with them, have recreo and play with them, then we give them a charla about a value we hope they would live by: respect, kindness, accountability, etc. Then we give them bread, sometimes a banana, a vitamin, water, and they go home and so do me, Steve, and Julia.
In the volunteer houses at night we take turns cooking, cleaning, and leading nightly spiritual reflections. Sometimes it gets intense, sometimes we just talk about America (sometimes it gets intense). Most times we just enjoy each others company. Its a blessing to be here with the other volunteers. We challenge each other to continually grow as people every day. Some times it is difficult. It is always rewarding. We genuinely care for one another. There would be no other possible way of doing this year if we did not.
I care for all of you reading this. That is why I am taking this time to communicate what I am going through with you. More posts will follow. Until then.