La Esmerelda

Our week in La Esmerelda was a gift. I have been able to see past the dirt, the bugs, the poverty... and see a very beautiful community, a proud people who are beginning again after such difficulty-- refugee camps, living in the mountains, seeing family die or accepting that they are afraid to return, little food, clothes, some having only the shelter of the trees during the war...
One of my trip mates from Augustana Lutheran Church said that she was stuck by how much they have done for themselves. As she put it, if her sink is linking she calls her dad and asks how to fix the leak. The people of La Esmerelda started with nothing. They even had to clear off the land for their homes. They used each others knowledge and pieced together memories from before the war in order to learn how to build a home, find and keep water, plant and harvest crops, etc. We met one man, Don Pedro, who was a carpenter. He remembered seeing a spinning wheel that his mother used to use for her thread. He modified it (since having no electricity tends to eliminate the use of power tools) and now has a laythe for his shop and makes beautiful tables. Just one example of how resourceful, intelligent and just plain creative they are.
More later about my time in La Esmerelda. For now, know that I was struck with their abundance even in the midst of very impoverished conditions. I will write more about your brothers and sisters of La Esmerelda in the next few postings.