Community

It’s only been a little over a week and already I can tell that we’re going to be well taken care of and a part of the community here. It’s been humbling to see so many people reach out to us after only knowing us for several days. We’re blessed to be surrounded with loving neighbors- including the dozen kids in the barrio that come and yell for us to come out and play. Norlan lives to the right of us with his wife and two daughters. He’s incredibly patient with us while we learn Spanish and is entirely down to earth. Last week we spent a few nights sitting in a circle in the front yard telling jokes and sharing stories. One of our first nights here he invited us to his yard while his friend and daughters sang and played guitar. He’s so willing to share his life with us and find out about ours. He has a great sense of wisdom about him and I can tell that we’ll be learning a lot from him over the course of our year here. 


Norlan’s oldest daughter, Alexandra, is seven or eight. She’s very bright and quite mature for her age. She looks out for the other kids when we’re playing and is also very patient with our slow Spanish speaking.

Emilio and Sonia live behind us with their son Emilito. They’ve been keeping a close eye on us, making sure that we feel safe in the neighborhood and giving us insights to the life here.  Emilito is the most energetic six year old that I’ve ever met, and I’ve enjoyed playing with him. It’s amazing how children can bring out such joy in our lives.

At mass I appreciate the seriously long period of time dedicated to greeting each other with the sign of peace. The church is a place of community, for the people, and this is strongly felt the moment you walk through the door. It’s a decent sized parish, and yet it seems like everyone knows each other. After only two services I already recognize a good number of faces. 


These are only a few of the people that have touched our lives and with whom we will grow in friendship. Before embarking on this trip I had my worries. I was afraid that as four gringos living in a house by ourselves we would feel the stark separation between our cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Yet something much more profound  has connected us to the surrounding community, in which we will continue to find our place.