Posadas, Pachas, and Prayers

Feliz Navidad friends, family and loved ones! For unto us a Savior is born- Hallelujia!

Since I have been horrible at this blog thing, I have decided to write a Christmas blog, then rewind and recap the last two months!  Am very sorry for my absence but here is what I have been up to the past few weeks…

December 17^th-20^th, the four of us YAVs and Marcia (our site coordinator) met here in Xela for our own little Christmas retreat. We got lots of rest, watched lots of Christmas movies, discussed the books we had read over the previous few weeks, cooked a delicious Christmas lunch, exchanged secret Santa gifts, and I gave a presentation on feminist theology. There was also a lot of laughter involved throughout the entire retreat! (Below: Austin, myself, Julianne, Marcia and Jackie with our prepared feast!)

Upon my return to my host family, I learned just how beautiful Christmas is here in Guatemala! The week before Christmas is celebrated by Posadas. The word “Posada” is defined as “a government operated or approved inn offering moderately priced rooms to tourists.” However, the word “posada” has a different meaning for the church! Each evening, members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church would meet at a church member’s house. The children would dress up: Mary would wear a white cloak, Joseph a cowboy hat (very cute!) and there would be several children wearing colorful cloaks to represent the kings. The rest of us would wear santa hats or reindeer ears, and follow behind the children. At the front of the crowd was always a child holding a star. In addition, we would all hold sparklers, and some would hold lanterns with candles in them.

We paraded through the neighborhood for about twenty minutes- singing carols all the way! Once we arrived at another church member’s  house, a couple people would step inside and we engaged in a sing-a-long. The people on the inside would sing “Who is knocking on the door? ” And the rest of us would sing the story of Mary’s pregnancy and the need to get her a room.

Once the song was finished, we would step inside and sing some more. Than; the Padre would read some scripture and give a short message. We sang some more and recited the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles Creed. After all of this, the family served a small meal and a hot drink (usually ponche- a cider drink with papaya, pineapple, and apple- yum!). The remainder of the evenings were filled with laughter, children running around, more Christmas music, and good fellowship. The next night, we always met at the former house, the children got dressed, and we caroled to the next house. (Below: the children singing and patiently waiting for dinner. Behind them is an example of a Nativity scene found in most houses this time of year) 

Christmas Eve at midnight is when Christmas is celebrated here. So last night, our evening started at 8pm. We went to church and had the final Posada. Then the children acted out the nativity scene. Following the performance, we had mass and sang “Silent Night” by candlelight. (Below: St. Mark’s church during the candlelight vigil; my host family and I)

After the service, we went back to our house for “ un rattito”(a quick minute that usually lasts much longer than that) and opened gifts to/from each other. I bought each of my host sisters a blouse and my host mother a dress. They gave me a purse and a scarf- very thoughtful!

Next, we went over to my host-father’s parent’s house, where we ate pachas: rice, chicken and sweet olives in a delicious sauce wrapped up in banana leaves. After this, we made our way over to my host-mother’s parent’s house. Around midnight, we all gathered around the Christmas tree with the nativity scene and said a prayer. Each person prayed for what they were thankful for. I expressed my thanks for this experience in Guatemala and the family that I have been placed with. One of my aunts expressed thanks for my presence. This prayer was followed by the Lord’sPrayer and the Apostle’s Creed. Then one of my aunts placed baby Jesus in the manger scene. (Below: Pacha!; the Christmas tree and Nativity scene at my grandmother’s house)

As we were praying, fireworks began going off like crazy! We all stood up and hugged each other. There were many “Feliz Navidads” and “Dios Se Bendistes.” There was hardly a dry eye in the room- it was a beautiful experience. Afterwards, we all went outside and watched the fireworks. I have never seen such a display- fireworks in every direction! The show went on for about thirty minutes. I stood there praying for each and every blessing in my life- including those of you reading this blog. I am told that the same tradition takes place at New Years- and I look forward to it! (Below: My host mother and grandmother on Christmas Eve)

We then stepped inside and ate…yup, more pachas! And the children opened their gifts, including my two year old 2nd cousin who loved the tennis shoes I bought him! Then we popped open some bubbly and shared in some more fellowship. (Below: my 2nd cousin, Victor, opening his gift from me!) 

After arriving back at our house around 2am, we all crashed until the next morning when we ate- you guessed it- pachas! Then at noon, we went back over to my host mother’s parent’s house and said another prayer around the Nativity scene. Then we ate lunch (not pachas this time, but chicken and rice) and watched the kids play with all of their new toys. We did, however, have pachas for dinner(: (Below: Victor and I on Christmas day- with the scarf my family gave me;- my cousin, host sisters and I on Christmas day)

My prayer this day is that we all remember our blessings- no matter how big or small. Please know that I am grateful for your presence in my life- I am grateful that our paths have crossed…however that has happened. Know that there is someone in another country who is thankful for the blessing of your love and friendship.

Feliz Navidad, dear ones! Dios Se Bendiste! Love, Kristi

“For Every time there is a season…a time to embrace…” Ecclesiastes 3:5b

Hello from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala! After a long four weeks in San Juan Del Obispo and a one week stint in Pachaj, I am settled in to my new home for the next 9 ½ months! The last six weeks have been a complete whirlwind but I am happy to finally be settled in and getting in to a routine.

I apologize for being incommunicado, but living in very rural areas does not really offer much opportunity to be on the internet. That being said- this is a very long series of blog posts, my apologies! Now that I have internet in my house, I promise to be more in touch!

Before I explain everything I have been doing for the past six weeks, it is with a humbled and grateful heart that I let you know that, in just a short three months, I have been able to raise the total $8,000 necessary for my stay here in Guatemala!

I want to thank you for whatever ways you have supported me, be they words of encouragement, financial donations, warm hugs at my send off, prayers, or even a fleeting thought regarding my time here. I have most certainly had a faith-enriching experience. I praise our maker for such supportive people in my life! Goodness and mercy surely flow!

For the four weeks we were in language school in San Juan, we stayed with host families in town. My host mother during this time was Rosa- she is 48 and runs a daycare center out of her home (which was fun to help with in the afternoons, but made studying a bit difficult!).  My former host father’s name is Chico- he is 68 and a gardener in Antigua. My host sister was Les- she is 16, very good at math, and hopes to be an accountant one day. My host brother was Oto- he is 12 and is very in to soccer these days. We watched a few games together and he got me really excited about Xela’s team “XelaWho.” (Below: my family in San Jaun from L to R: Chilo, Oto, Rosa, Lys & Tanya (a family friend; my room; myself with the kids in Rosa's school)

During language school, my routine was to wake up and eat breakfast at 7, then walk to school, which ran from 8am to noon. At noon, I would return home and have lunch with my host mom, brother, and all of the children at Rosa’s daycare (which totaled 18-25 on any given day!). In the afternoons, I would either play with the children, head to the small town café to study, or take a bus in to Antigua for activities with the school and/or our site coordinator, Marcia. In the evenings I would return home and have dinner with my family. Often, we would play a game afterwards, such as “Uno” or “Loteria” (the equivalent of “Bingo”).

Language school went well. It was, of course, challenging, but I feel that I can adequately communicate here in Xela. People speak very fast here, but I feel that I am making slow progress every day! Once things settle down a bit more, I hope to take a weekly class in order to improve my grammar. I really enjoyed working with my teacher, Carmen. She is a law student who is taking a bit of time off to teach. She has a long-term boyfriend and promised to keep me updated, as they hope to be married next fall! (Below: Carmen and I & The teachers and students goofing off on the last day of school)

Along with language school, we took part in several cultural experiences throughout the country. One Saturday, we climbed the volcano “Picaya.” It was about an hour and a half up the mountain and once we got there, we got stuck in the rain! It was very cold at the top, but we could stand in or near crevices that had steam coming out of them because of the lava below- this kept us pretty warm! 

We also climbed “Cerro de la Cruz,” “The Hill of the Cross,” which gives a breathtaking view of the city of Antigua. It’s a good workout too!

One Friday, we visited a group called “Corazon de Mujer,” “The heart of the Woman.” Guatemala has a sad history of civil violence that ended within the last thirty years, but the effects are still evident. The indigenous Mayan population found themselves victims of a horrendous genocide. Even now, as it is safe for them to return to their homes, some refuse. This group, Corazon de Mujer, is made up of several Mayan women who weave for a living. Their products are scarfs, headbands, table runners, purses, etc. Basically anything you can make from woven material. Pictured below is a picture of myself with the two women who made the scarf and headband I bought.

Guatemala is also known for exporting Macadamia nuts. That being said, one of the after school programs offered a trip to the macadamia nut farm. While there, we learned the process of making macadamian butter, candles, and natural oils. 

I’ve also had the opportunity to learn some salsa around town! They offer free classes on Monday and Tuesdays. I’ve learned the Pachata, Salsa, and Merengue. Once I get more settled in, I hope to take more classes!

We also took a field trip to Guatemala City, where we had a Bible study with the staff of CEDEPCA. CEDEPCA stands for “Centro Evangelico de Estudios Pastorales en Centro America.” CEDEPCA is an ecumenical program in Guatemala that hosts visiting groups from the states, provides education on women’s issues, facilitates emergency assistance during times of crisis (such as landslides and earthquakes), provides assistance to working single parents and works fervently with community ministry programs. There is some chance that I will assist with groups visiting from the United States in the future.

We also visited an immigration office in the Capital. This office assists several groups of people: individuals who have been deported from the states after living there for years (and sometimes decades) and need assistance with finding any family members in Guatemala; individuals who have migrated from other countries and have found themselves hungry and without shelter; and individuals who have been manipulated by coyotes and have been captured, kept under house arrest, and sometimes forced in to prostitution (this group mostly consists of women and children). The goal of this office is not to smuggle individuals into the states (as some might assume). Rather, the goal is to care for those who are living on the streets and have no place to go. Much like First Presbyterian Church’s Stewpot program ( http://www.thestewpot.org/ ), The Migrant office offers breakfast and dinner and a place to sleep. During the day, patrons are expected to go out into town and find work. Social workers and volunteers assist the patrons in networking, finding jobs, and locating family members.

We also visited Ventanas Abiertas (“Open Windows”), where Young Adult Volunteer Austin Langley will be working. This is a program in San Miguel Duenas which provides after school programs and character building to children in the surrounding areas. The program offers after school tutoring, computer lessons, community projects, and education to parents. Below is a picture I snapped of a group of donors- not sure if it is Kerrville, Texas, does anyone know??

Another program we visited near the Antigua area is “Common Hope,” where Young Adult Volunteer Julianne Blaha will be working. This program, in Ciudad Vieja, was founded by Americans and provides a plethora of services. They have a large dorm where they host international volunteers. They are in the process of expanding their library, which is available for use by the children involved in the program. They train teachers and volunteers that work in schools they sponsor and offer literacy classes, breast feeding courses, and computer literacy classes to parents. http://www.commonhope.org/ 

We also visited Young Adult volunteer Jackie Wonsey’s hometown of Pachaj, where  she will be  working in a women’s shelter as well as a clinic for Indigenous women and children who do not have easy access to medical aid. This clinic has a regular doctor and nurse who bring supplies from larger cities and educate the women on proper nutrition, breast feeding, and vaccinations.

Independence Day in Guatemala happened to be September 15^th. We had a wonderfully cultural day where we watched the parade and had a barbeque in the afternoon with friends of our site coordinator, Marcia. There were parades throughout the entire day with bright colors and school bands, some of which included members of our host siblings! (see below)

After four weeks of living with my language school host family, we said a very tearful goodbye and they gave me a pair of earrings as a parting gift. I miss them dearly and look forward to visiting when I am in the Antigua area again.

The weekend before we left for Pachaj, Julianne and I decided we needed a break! We found a group of people we had met throughout the month and took a shuttle to Monterrico, a beach town on the Pacific coast. There, we relaxed, caught some sun, swam, and took in a breathtaking sunset. (see above)

From there, we headed to Pachaj- a very rural town about thirty minutes outside of Xela. We lived in Pachaj to get a better idea of what a rural part of Guatemala looks like. Julianne and I lived with a family of seven: Great grandmother, grandmother, two daughters, one son-in-law, and two little boys, Benjamin and Bryan. This Mayan family was very sweet and spoke not only Spanish, but also Quiche, an indigenous language (I picked up a few phrases- but not too many, because my head was so full of Spanish!). Jackie and Austin lived with another Mayan family of four. (see Julianne and I's family above)

While in Pachaj, we participated in more cultural experiences. One day, we were given a tour of Xela (very helpful for me!), another day, we talked about the 30-year war and the conflict between Catholic and Evangelical churches. We relaxed one day, and then we visited one of my favorite sites thus far: Fuentes Georginas. Fuentes Georginas are a set of natural springs in Zunil, about an hour outside of Xela. This was a much needed relaxing morning, and I enjoyed it thoroughly! (see above)

The next morning, I would have participated in a Mayan ceremony with the rest of the girls…but I was in bed nursing a terrible bought with food poisoning. The only conclusion we have come to is that Austin and I drank some homemade juice with fruit that had been cut with a dirty knife. Julianne and Jackie never came down with the issues Austin and I had- and it only took about 24 hours for both of us to recover. Attached is a picture of the outhouse I had to use during this time… I will spare you all the details, but it was probably the worst place to come down with food poisoning! (Above: infamous toilet above; below: our second Spanish school in Pachaj)

This past Sunday was difficult for me because the other three girls left Xela and went to their sites for the year. Watching them drive off, knowing that two of them would be four hours away from me and that I was on my own was a tough pill to swallow. Things are getting real now- the experience I have been interested in since age 18 has begun!

But my sadness was short lived because a taxi soon picked me up and took me to San Marcos Episcopal Church- where I was welcomed with open arms!! The Presbyterian Church in Guatemala is very different than that of the PC(USA). Here, Presbyterianism is considered more Evangelical than Reformed. For this reason, I am ecstatic to be working and building community at San Marcos because it is the closest practice to Presbyterianism in the area. Shortly after being greeted by everyone, the Padre asked me to preach at the English service in two weeks- so I’m hittin’ the ground running! In addition to preaching, I am also volunteering at the church’s lunch program. http://stmarksxela.org/

On Tuesday, I met about 30 individuals who come to San Marcos every day for lunch and social interaction. Enrique is a 55 year old recovering alcoholic. He claims God alone is responsible for his recovery- for he stumbled into a church drunkenly 30 years ago and has never been the same. He has two daughters, age 16 and 18- one who is single and pregnant with her second child. He has no other family but those at his church and San Marcos’ lunch program. He makes his living by leatherwork- making saddles and belts.

Norway is a 48-year old woman who has found herself homeless in the last week. She has no family but finds comfort in the company of those at the lunch program. Thanks to networking among this group, Norway is looking in to housing options this week through a local community ministry.

Juan is a deaf and mute mid 50-year-old who finds spiritual, physical, and relational nourishment in the company of the members of the lunch program. He has one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever seen.  

I am very excited about this ministry- I will be building community with those whom society often deems “the least of these” by sharing a meal, playing games, and giving them a space to tell their stories. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

On Monday, I began my work at Ceipa. As a reminder, Ceipa is a program which offers education to children who are behind in their studies because they have had to work to provide adequate income for their families. In the morning, 90% of these children work in markets. In the afternoons, they attend one of the four schools in the area that are conveniently held in markets.

At least for now, my schedule is to volunteer at San Marcos’ lunch program Monday through Friday from 10:30am to 1:30pm. From 2pm to 5:30pm, I will be working at one of three schools held in markets. On Tuesday, I visited the Ceipa School at the terminal (where all the buses run and the biggest market in town is). This school has about 50 children in it, ages 8 to 18. Several of the 18 year olds have a USA equivalent of a second grade education. My responsibilities here include crowd control, facilitating teaching lesson plans (-once my Spanish is more secure!), one-on-one tutoring with those who need it, and offering English classes every once in a while. In addition, once the director of Ceipa found out that I have my Bachelor’s in psychology, he asked that I consider counseling with some of the students one-on-one. Unfortunately, domestic violence runs rampant here in Guatemala. And because the culture is thus that children are very close with their mothers here- they are more likely to open up to a female counselor than a male one…so I hope I can be of assistance, I will keep you posted!

The children at these schools are precious. Andrea is an 8 year old girl, and three of her siblings attend the same school as her. Andrea and her siblings work at the market with their mother in the mornings, selling fruit and chickens they have raised in their house. After school, Andrea and her siblings ride the bus home together to help cook dinner for their older siblings.

Gloria is a 17 year old mother of two who works with her mother in the market in the mornings. In the afternoons, her mother keeps her sons and continues to sell the vegetables from their garden so that Gloria can go to school for three hours to learn how to read and offer her children a better future.

These beautiful children have a thirst for knowledge, but little opportunity. I pray that I will share a small part in facilitating their dreams this year.

My current house is very much in the center of town, but I am excited for the change of scenery! My host family is wonderful!!  I have three host sisters: Marilyn (17), Karen (15), and Stephanie (13). Marilyn is in her first of six years of study- she wants to be a doctor. Karen wants to be a teacher and will start her studies in this specialty next year. Stephanie (lovingly called “Funny”) still has time to decide what she wants to do. My host mom (Maria) has 7 brothers and sisters...and I have about 27 cousins! BIG family and lots of names to remember- but I’m trying! We will have lunch nearly every Sunday with the majority of my family, and I am really looking forward to these future gatherings! (Above: my family from L to R: Maria, Karen, Marilyn and Stephanie; my room)

Yesterday, two of my host siblings accompanied me to the store to buy a few things. I thanked them for the company by buying them each a bottle of nail polish and tomorrow their mom promised we could watch a movie, paint nails, and have pizza for dinner. Being the youngest of two, and the youngest cousin of six girls, it’s nice to be a big sister for once, I’m enjoying it thoroughly!

…So that is what I have been up to for the past six weeks!!

If you’ve been following the weather lately, you know that we have been getting very heavy rains here in Central America! Hurricane Irwin hit a few days ago, followed by Jova- which is causing severe damage to Mexico. Because of this, school has been cancelled for the remainder of the week, so I have not been volunteering in the afternoons, but organizing my room, spending time with my family, and getting to know the individuals at San Marcos’ lunch program. We have also experienced several earthquakes- the damage mostly affecting the southeastern part of the country. I ask for your prayers, as this weather has caused severe flooding and landslides in several cities, leaving many people homeless and, some, without family members.

As always, I want to thank you for your support and prayers as I get settled here in Guatemala and pursue the calling that God placed on my heart long ago. I hope to learn much from the people here about life, love, family, and faith as I embrace this experience. Dios Se Bendiste, until we meet again!

Love, Kristi

Let the adventure begin...

Buenos tardes! I have made it to Guatemala!

As my first entry states, I am taking part in the PC(USA’s) Young Adult Volunteer program in Xela, Guatemala. This is a program for young adults that I have been interested in for several years, and the timing finally felt right! For more information on the Young Adult Volunteer Program (YAV), please visit http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/yav/

Here is a rundown of what I have been up to since I wrapped up CPE at Parkland Hospital in Dallas and left for my Young Adult Volunteer Orientation in Stony Point, New York:

On Monday August 22^nd, I said a tearful goodbye to my family at Dallas Love Field airport and arrived in Newark about 3 hours later, where I met up with about 30 other YAVs who are going to be living all over the world next year. Once there, we were shuttled about an hour and a half to Stony Point, New York. Stony Point is a Presbyterian Conference Center, to read more about it, you can visit http://www.stonypointcenter.org/

While at Stony Point, 69 of us YAVs met together to worship and be oriented on what we might expect while out of our countries or home towns.  Our week included daily worship and Bible study, sessions on critical cultural competency, regular meetings with our small groups, lots of paperwork, a rundown of safety, gender issues, self-care, and the importance of communication during conflict. We also talked about living in God’s mission, globalization, culture shock and personality types. Worship was my favorite part of the week, as was walking around the beautiful countryside of New York (to hear some of the music sung during YAV worship, visit http://yavalumni.wordpress.com/ scroll down and on the right, you will see a “YAVA Sing!” section- click on any of the songs selected to hear them).

All was going according to plan (minus the earthquake)-  but then came Irene! Because of this natural disaster, the majority of our flights were postponed. Thus, the four of us Guatemala YAVs did not fly out of New York until Wednesday at 5:30am. We arrived by noon and hit the ground running with our site coordinator, Marcia. Once in Guatemala City, Marcia met us at the airport and we took a shuttle to Antigua- where we are staying at the Donde Monica, a quaint little restaurant/hotel where the four of us are sharing two rooms and a bathroom (http://dondemonica.com/antigua.php).

After getting settled in Wednesday afternoon, we had a typical Guatemalan lunch, buffet style. I had beef with potatoes and tomato sauce, rice, and tortillas. Then we went to a little coffee shop where Marcia answered several questions and gave us a rundown of our schedules over the course of the next year. After lunch, we went back to the Donde Monica- where we were all asleep by 9pm!  



Thursday morning, Julianne and I went for a walk (and got lost- go figure!). Then the four of us sat down for a delicious Guatemalan breakfast- café, eggs, black beans, tortillas, and rice. Then our tour guide Marco showed up. We spent the next three hours running around town learning some of the history of Antigua. We went to several parks, a couple of cathedrals, and a jade shop (apparently Guatemala is very well known for its jade). After arriving back at our hotel, we met up with Marcia and ran some errands: exchanging money, this and that at the grocery store, and the market- where we got really interesting and funky fruit! First, we had “Licha,” which has a strange resemblance to a sea urchin but is delicious on the inside- sort of tastes like starfruit (see above). Then we had some “guanava,” which is green and roughly textured on the outside but very tart and tangy on the inside. A Mayan woman also told me about “hoja santa,” “holy leaf,” which, when sliced and placed in boiling water, can help prevent kidney stones. Those of you who know my history with kidney stones know I was all over that! (see below)

 After the market, we stopped by Marcia’s house, picked her family up, and met up with another family friend of theirs at a nice restaurant where I had the tastiest bananas foster I’ve ever had!

So that’s pretty much the rundown! Tomorrow, we are going to hang out here at the hotel and get to know each other a little more. Saturday morning, we are getting up very early to climb an active volcano (“Pichak”) that overlooks the city of Guatemala. Saturday afternoon, we are scheduled to leave for the city of San Juan del Obispo where will move in with our host families for the next five weeks. The schedule for these next five weeks is to go to four hours of Spanish school in the morning- and study/participate in activities in the afternoon. Marcia tells us that we will also have several “field trips” during these five weeks, including visiting our next set of host families once we finish Spanish school, a school/immigrant center, a coffee plantation, and various non-profits in the surrounding areas.

It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks, but I am so happy to be here! I want to reiterate my thanks to all of you who have supported me throughout this process- prayerfully, psychologically, and financially. I am truly fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family in my life.

 I am easily contactable via this blog, facebook, email, or skype (“Kristi Click”). I am trying to get a Picasa photo album up, but haven’t quite figured it out yet- stay tuned! I will try and upload another post asap. Until then- Vaya con Dios!

Love, Kristi

The Guatemala YAVs! (Julianne, Jackie, Austin & me)







My small group at orientation (Ariel, Sean, Tricia & Christina)



Leaving on a jet plane...

I am excited to share with you that I have been chosen by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to serve for one year as a Young Adult Volunteer in Guatemala. I leave September 1^st and will return early August of 2012.

Through the Young Adult Volunteer program (YAV) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), I will be joining over 70 other young adults serving at 16 different sites both here in the United States and around the world. During the 2011-2012 year, I will be a Young Adult Volunteer in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Quetzaltenango, or Xela (“Shela”) is a city of about 300,000 people (the second largest in Guatemala), located along a major highway 4 hours west of Guatemala City.  The population of Xela is a combination of ladinos (people who don’t identify themselves as Mayan), and Maya Quiche people. 

I will leave Dallas and fly to Stony Point, New York this August 22^{nd f}or a one week orientation with all YAV participants, then on to my country of service. Once in Guatemala, three other YAVs and I will spend five weeks in Antigua at a rigorous language school. From there, we will go to our assigned placements and live with our host families for the rest of the year. Every six weeks, the 4 YAV participants in Guatemala will meet to debrief and process our experiences.  

In Xela, I will be working with Ceipa (www.ceipa-ac.org) and Iglesia Episcopal San Marcos, through contacts with CEDEPCA (Centro Evangelico de Estudios Pastorales en Centro America (www.cedepca.org). Each weekday morning I will work at Ceipa with their elementary education program.  They have small schools for children who work and have gotten behind in their education, so they are now too old for their grade at public school. I will be in the classroom each morning, supporting the teacher however is needed and spending some one-on-one time with the students in a tutoring and mentoring setting.  After school each day I will go to the Iglesia Episcopal San Marcos which has a lunch program for elderly which is a collaborative effort to provide food - and equally as important, provide a social space - for elderly people of scarce economic resources.  There I will spend time with those who come to the lunch as well as those who prepare the lunch, and I will have the opportunity to lead activities with them.  The Episcopal Church will be my host family’s church, as well as mine, and I may have other responsibilities there. 

As a Young Adult Volunteer, I will participate actively in the life of my local church as well as the life of my host family, while studying spirituality, addressing social and economic injustices, mutual mission, and personal growth and direction.

I know that this year’s experience is going to be life-changing for me.  It will involve living outside my comfort zone and what is familiar to me.  It will involve focusing on the needs of others.  It will involve journeying in faith and trusting God in new ways.  I ask for your prayerful support over the next year. I will be in touch as soon as possible to let everyone know I've landed safely!!

With much love and affection,

                                                            Kristi Click