Steve's Visit, Through Steve's Eyes

[This is that Guest Blog I spoke of earlier. Steve wrote a very nice entry that I think will help you all see our site through fresh eyes again. Thanks Steve!]

I am scribbling down this guest blog entry from the airport in El Salvador, about two hours since parting from Jon & Katie in bustling San Salvador.  Julie and I spent 5 days with them at their site, their community, in El Centro.  We ended our brief trip with 2 days together in San Salvador. Although I’ve been away from the U.S. for only a week, it seems like much more.  We’ve seen and experienced a lot this week.  There is much to describe about our stay and impressions of El Salvador– the landscapes, the food, how it was great to see Jon & Katie thriving in their community, how amazing the people of El Salvador are, Jon & Katie’s project work – but I’ll try to focus these ramblings on the people of El Centro and provide an outsider’s glimpse of Jon & Katie’s experience.

When we arrived in El Centro, it was immediately clear that much of the community was expecting us.  Upon arrival, we walked to one house to pick up a mattress that a family was letting us use at Jon & Katie’s for the week, then picked up blankets from another family.  All along the way, friendly faces greeted us and stopped to chat (although, the “chatting” is limited on our end, due to our less-than-stellar Spanish).  Beatrice, one of the family members at Jon & Katie’s house, had a bracelet already made for Julie; Yoni, the son in the family, had two made for me within the first couple hours of our arrival.  For dinner one night, we had pupusas at Jesus’ kitchen.  

For our last lunch in El Centro, Belgi, a friend of Jon and Katie’s (and daughter of Jon’s counterpart, Secundino) hosted us for a very elegant and delicious meal.  She was also very gracious about the tortillas that Julie and I “helped” her make … 

ours were distinctly variable and lopsided compared to Belgi’s perfectly honed tortillas (see photos of our “creations” below, ours are the left stack).  

Katie has been organizing a bread baking day once a month with some of the women, so one day we baked about 50 loaves of zucchini bread with them in an adobe oven, using zucchini’s picked from Juancito’s crop.  There were many nice moments with the community like these throughout the week.  Because Julie and I have also been considering working or volunteering internationally, including Peace Corps, it was also important for us to see what Jon & Katie’s experiences have been and get some in-depth time with them. 

 I’d always heard that a volunteer’s success, however one wants to measure that, in the Peace Corps is completely related to situational flexibility and adaptability.  “Things won’t always work out the way you planned.  Don’t be disappointed if you have to change projects.”  

Jon’s previous blog entry about changing expectations and “goals” gets at the heart of this.  Based on my own travel and work experiences, this makes a lot of sense to me.  In fact, this has always been something that has drawn me toward considering applying for the Peace Corps.  I think Jon & Katie’s experience has been a combination of succeeding at developing and implementing important, specific projects (worm farm, environmental education projects, etc.), but also reaching their community in other equally important ways.  There is more than a volunteer can contribute to a community than developing and implementing specific projects.  How they reach out and integrate into their community.  How they become liked and respected by the community.  Do they isolate or fully immerse themselves?

Assisting nations and communities with specific infrastructure, community development, agroforestry/conservation, and education projects is probably the core mission of the Peace Corps.  This is precisely what many of us are interested in, and why we consider volunteering.  We want to help.  Naturally, we develop expectations and goals before we deploy.  However, many on-the-ground variables strongly influence how this plays out in each situation.  Culture, timing, the concept of “time” (again, culture), personalities, local funding.  My guess is that how well a volunteer integrates and fits into his or her community is probably the most important variable.  In addition to their technical abilities, determination, maturity and travel savvy, this is where Jon & Katie are succeeding and thriving.  Sure, they’ve probably hardened, and would even occasionally describe themselves as a bit jaded, but who wouldn’t be?   You’d have to be.  It’s a very intense two years, requiring a lot of mental energy, flexibility, focus, and self-evolution.  Not to mention, giving up the concept of personal space for two years. 

Jon and Katie are available (all hours, literally) to talk with, provide advice to, listen to, positively challenge and encourage, the kids.  In a community where most of the adults have not had the opportunity to achieve an education at the level of this generation’s kids, Jon & Katie are probably among the very few in the community who the kids can relate to about education.  They have also earned the respect and solid friendship of the adults, and are frequently asked for their advice and assistance on a range of matters. 

So, Jon thought he left the consulting business more than two years ago.  From where I sit, this is not exactly how things have played out.  However, the type of consulting they are engaged in may be more meaningful and satisfying.  Their previous blog entries have given us an idea of what their work projects are about.  Julie and I were able to see this important, interesting work in action.  We toured the worm farm, and helped Katie give a charla on an arts project.  However, I see their contributions also including many less tangible but equally important accomplishments and “consultations.”  Jon’s counterpart, Secundino, stops by the porch daily to catch up over a cup of coffee, bounce ideas about the worm farm and agriculture, and ask Jon to attend impromptu meetings with local officials.  Gaggles of kids stop by the house daily, to check in on the Waggoners, see what’s new and interesting, and just talk.  Katie checks their progress on school projects, advises them, and listens.  Simply being present and available matters. 

I asked Julie what her favorite part of the trip was.  She said the whole thing, but probably the most memorable was the time with Jon & Katie’s local family – the people they live with.  It’s difficult to draw the lines between “families” because of many interrelationships, but the main unit we got to know is Juana, Eliseo, Karina, Yoni, Rebecca, and Beatrice.  They were some of the most welcoming, warm people we’ve ever met, and completely opened their home to us.

As I was leaving El Centro and commenting to Jon about how the kids were so engaging, he remarked that “they will always remember your visit.  Years from now they will be talking about how ‘the aliens landed here’…”  Based on what I saw and the people I met, this is true.  It is also humbling.  Later, I thought about how it must have been when Jon & Katie first arrived in this pretty remote community, before any Gringos lived here, and how much effort it must have taken to get to the point where they are – especially after seeing how they are respected, and the differences they make in this community.

Jon & Katie, thank you for a great, meaningful visit and for sharing your life and community with us!  Que bonito!

[Due to technical difficulties, I didn't post all of the photos Steve had. I will try to use some of them in future posts. Cheers!]