Ready to say good bye

A few weeks left.  Patujusal and Yapacani, Bolivia will no longer be our home.  We will be moving.

Our land – The community has not given us permission to sell.  The intention remains that they will take ownership when we leave.  However, we have a legal transfer agreement between ourselves and Dionicio.  Jake will request permission one more time at the next community meeting and if they still refuse, he will give legal Power of Attorney to Dionicio.  We prefer not to take this step but we feel that it is the quickest and the least painful way to transfer ownership.  The quicker ‘the gringo’ is gone, the perceived source of money is gone, the quicker things will return to normal.  We pray that everything will go smoothly.

 Our stuff – We are very thankful that the majority of our belongings were sold to people in Yapacani.  We did not have to bring any of the larger items to sell in Santa Cruz.  It gives a good feeling to know that most of it will also be used by friends. 

 Our plans – We will spend about six weeks in Alberta, visiting family and preparing for the next adventure. At the end of September we hope to be in Nicaragua.  We want to be ‘freelance volunteers’, helping where we are needed but not planning to have our own projects.  Jake will continue to work in agriculture and Marg plans to work with a number of organizations in communications.

Leaving is bitter sweet.  We know that it is time to move on.  We are thankful for the experiences and the growth that we have had in Bolivia. Our thanks and love go out to great people like Dionicio and Viviana, Luciano and Margarita, René and Rosemarie, Carlos and Roberta, Adolfo and Rosa, Freddy and Jhannyra, Juan and Rosie, Alberto and Cinthia, Adan and his parents, Carlos and Claudia, Pulomia and Francisco, the Diaz family and many, many more – all part of our Bolivian family.  We will miss you.  A dios.

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

In a country where brothels line the roads, where prostitutes receive free weekly medical checkups, where it is not unusual for a man to have a wife and a mistress, one rule remains – do not mess around with your neighbour’s wife.

In our community there are two couples.  Norberto and Felecia have been together for over 10 years.  They have two sons and they live the majority of the time in Yapacani.  Their chaco borders ours but we have never connected well with Norberto.  We question his honesty and his integrity.  He is one who will cheat the custom operators, saying that he has less land under cultivation that he actually has.  Last year he lit a fire to burn the dry grass on his land.  He returned to Yapacani and the fire crossed our land, another chaco and entered his brother-in-law’s chaco.  Carlos had planted about 5 acres of mango and the fire killed all of them.  Norberto told Carlos that it was not his fault that the fire escaped and so Carlos lost all of his investment.

 
German and Carmen are members of the Diaz family who have been very active in the church.  Carmen would like to be baptised and would like to be married but German does not show much interest in the church and does not want to be married.  They have lived together for eight years and have a seven year old daughter.  Carmen was just seventeen when Wilma was born.  German is a quiet man, following the lead of his brothers.  He has always been very supportive of us and what we have done for the community.  They have also moved to Yapacani but Carmen does come out to do her turn cooking for the men who are working in the chaco.

We are not sure about the details since the Bolivians don’t tell the details.  It seems like one time Carmen rode with Norberto to Patujusal, rather than taking the micro.  This would not be unusual.  During this time together, she was ‘molested’, although she admits that it was mutual.  During the following weeks, German, decided that he could ‘have’ another woman.  In both situations, we are not sure what happened.  At this point, Carmen moved to Santa Cruz while German and Wilma remained in Yapacani with the extended Diaz family—grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, and cousins. After some time, Carmen moved back since she preferred the rural life and became very lonely in the city.  German was very angry – at Norberto, at Carmen, at the situation.  Rumor has it that was not the first time that Norberto had been involved with another woman.  Norberto continued to contact Carmen by telephone, calling her his love.

In Bolivia, there is a system called community justice in which the community delivers the punishment or sanction as it sees fit.  If the constitution of the community calls for them to make such decisions, they will do it.  Because both couples are members of Patujusal 2, our community had thi responsibility.  This item was on the agenda of a monthly meeting --- the sanctioning of Norberto for taking advantage of Carmen.  It was decided that Norberto be banned from entering the community.  In order to decide the time for which he would be banned, each community member gave his opinion and the numbers were averaged.  He may not enter Patujusal 2 for five years.  His wife may come and go, so she can manage the farm and attend the meetings, but he may not enter.  If he does, he is subject to a 3000 boliviano ($430) fine.  If he contacts either Carmen or German in Yapacani, the fine doubles.  Such is justice in Bolivia.

When the decision was made, the two couples had to sign the document outlining the sanction.  Felecia, Carmen and Norberto were willing to sign but German had difficulty.  He finally signed but he did not think that the sanction was sufficient.  Was it because Norberto had violated Carmen as a women or whether he felt that his property was violated, we do not know.

We hope and pray that both of these relationships will be healed, that there will be healing in the community, that there will be forgiveness. 

Transition is Never Easy

Transition is never easy.  When you are working within a different culture, one that you do not always understand, it becomes even more difficult.

We made the decision to transition.  The next step is how – how do we tell the churches, how to we tell our friends, how do we tell our neighbours.  We did all that and everyone is now aware that ‘someday we plan to leave’.  We have no definite date, which is a good thing.

 Jake informed the community that we would like to sell the land and was told that the land could not be sold.  It can only be given back to the community.  That is one of these great half-truths.  The land cannot be sold but the investments or improvements of the land can be recuperated.  You may change the name but you cannot sell.  It is all semantics.  So the process of ‘recuperating our investment’ or ‘changing the name’ begins.

 
Our friend and co-worker would like to use our property for a church camp. Although it would not meet North American standards, it could easily be used for smaller groups.  His vision is to hold youth retreats, couple retreats, men’s’ retreats, women’s’ retreats etc.  He does not have the finances to bankroll a project of this size so he has collaborated with another friend, Luciano. Luciano, a man with a heart for the Lord, is a well established farmer in this area who has the finances and the desire to help Dionicio.  This proposal is our first desire but we realize that it will take time for them to gather the support of the local churches, to negotiate a reasonable ‘fee’ with the community to change the name, to write the necessary papers needed for the transfer and the operation of the camp facility.

This proposal is our first choice but we have had others show interest as well.  The problem is that they have to get the money together for the payment and most need one to two years to save that amount.

So we live in limbo – each day as it comes.  We know that this is all in God’s hands and that is the only comfort that we have.  Each day we pray for patience, for wisdom, for courage.

La cominidad abandonada

An abandoned school. An abandoned church. An abandoned community. In only seven or eight years.

September 2005. A Canadian group came to a small community called Patujusal 2 in the jungles of Bolivia. The logging company had built a road a couple of months before by taking n earth mover and ploweing the trees out. No one lived in the community since there was no water. Instead, they ived with family or on a small lot in the nearest community, Patujual 1.

It was jungle. The men had cleared small plots of land for corn and rice. Everything was done manually. There were no vehicles other than bicycles. A micro bus came in to Patjusal 1 but it did not have a consistent schedule due road conditions. They had great plans for their community – a school, a church, a well developed community.

February 2012. The school in Patujusal is closed since they are not enough students. The few
families who were supporting the school have moved to either La Pista or Yapacani. There is only one couple and one family left in church community. The rest have moved to town for an easier life and for a better education for their children. They are closer to hospitals. They have electricity and water. There are less insects and less disease problems. They can watch television.

An abandoned community.

************************
With a bit of assistance through micro credit and couple of good seasons with their crops, many earned enough enable an easier life. The first purchase was a motorbike, which enabled the men to make the trip in a day instead of walking to the bus stop to leave at 5 in the morning, enduring a 4 hour bus ride, and then returning at 7 in the evening and walking home. The second purchase was a lot in town on which they could build a brick house. Since the farm was not considered a permanent residence, improvements were not made on the house there.

Farming also changed. Large tracts of land have been cleared with earth movers and the farmers hire contract operators that own a line of farming equipment to do all the work. The farmers come to the community about once a week, monitor the crop, arrange for the work to be done, nd return to town. Rarely does the family return to the farm, even during school vacations.

The people are able to live relatively comfortably in town with the money made on the farm. Some of the men will operate a moto taxi; some women will run a produce stand or start a small business selling bread, juices, or treats. As the family becomes more economically secure, this also is abandoned. They become ‘sunshine inspectors’.

****************************
How does one ‘develop’ a community without people? In the Patujusal 2 community there are two permanent residents – and both of them are gringos. There are no more neighbours. It makes us wonder about the impact that we have had on the community and about our future.

One is never sure exactly how one impacts a community. Was our time here a benefit or a detriment – or maybe a bit of both? Did we really make any difference? Maybe we will never know. We do know that our being here changed the community. There are those that want us
to stay; there are those that want us to leave. Some think we have not given enough to the community; others think that we helped them. Much depends on expectations. We believe that the community and the church must be self-sustainable. Therefore, we have not given out ‘hands outs’ and we have not become part of the decision makers. This has been difficult in a culture where hand outs are expected and where it is also expected that we would make the
decisions in the church. If only we had known then what we know now!

So what are we going to do? This past year has been a time of change, of indecision. Should be go back home? Should we move to another country? Should we stay in Bolivia? Throughout this year it is clear that our work is finished where we are. Although I hate to admit it, the churches are probably weaker than when we came. Before they were doing things on their own, but now they want me to do lead and do the preaching. The school is gone, the people are gone –
there is not much left for us. We could be like the others and move to Yapacani but that does not fit in with our vision of taking care of the land as a gift from God. We either stay or farm or we move. That is the decision we are making. Please remember us in your prayers as we ponder this transition.

The Journey of the Chocolate Cake

Mom loved to bake. She loved cookbooks. About forty five years ago, she purchased a
dozen cookbooks, Family Favorites, to support the Hills Christian School in Hills, Minnesota from a friend, Mrs. Mina Sjaarda. Mom and I spent hours poring over the cookbook, experimenting and choosing favourites including Mrs. Sjaarda’s Chocolate Cake, found on page 91. This cake became a family favourite, gracing our table for all occasions.

A few years ago, my niece was married in Vancouver and the reception was held in the very
prestigious Waterfront Hotel. The Siebenga family was seated at one table and enjoyed a very up-scale meal. The dessert was served – not a creamy, over decorated confection, but instead, a
chocolate delicacy on a pristine white plate. We all looked at it, looked at each other, but said nothing. The master of ceremonies announces, “The dessert has been especially made by the chefs of the Waterfront from a recipe submitted by the bride. This delicious cake is a tradition of her family and was served by her grandmother every time they visited the farm. Enjoy.” Yes, it was Mrs. Sjaarda’s Chocolate Cake.

I now live in Bolivia, South America and live in a small Quechua community on the edge of the Amazon Rain Forest. We have propane stove so we have an oven in which I can bake so I introduced the North American type of cake to the community. They love cake, especially chocolate cake or banana cake. I need something that works well; that I know will work is there is a problem with the oven temperature. The dirtiest page of my cookbook is page 91, although I know the recipe by heart.

One day the ladies of the community asked me to teach them to bake cake. That sounds like an easy task except that they have no measuring spoons, no measuring cups, and no ‘normal’ oven. We use a traditional mud oven. First, we fill the oven with wood and heat it up until the inside of the oven turns red. Then we remove all the wood and let the oven cool off until the correct
temperature is reached. This is all done without an oven thermometer. You put your hand in the oven and guess! Counting to 7 works just about right.

Thankfully, the recipe doesn’t have to be exact so using their spoons works. There would be a little more of some ingredients and a little less of others, but I thought it would
all work out in the end. The local women were amazed at the ingredients needed for a cake. They thought they would use flour, sugar, eggs, and chocolate but did not understand using baking soda and baking powder. We worked together to bake the cake. It didn’t take as long to bake since the oven acted like a convection oven but it did not rise as well as one baked in a
‘normal’ oven. The taste – delicious! All the school children were thrilled to be our tasters.

I shared the recipe, along with Banana Cake and Lazy Daisy Cake, with ladies in the community but it was difficult for them to make them. Wedding presents and birthday gifts consisted of measuring cups, measuring spoons, baking pans and recipes.

The other day we attended a church anniversary in the city of Santa Cruz. Church anniversaries are large events and cake is very important. Tradition says that you purchase ones resembling wedding cakes; these can be very expensive. But an anniversary does not happen without cake. Often we discuss the amount of money spent by churches on something that doesn’t seem like a
necessity to us.

Pastor Juan and his wife, Rosie, are good friends and they invited us to the anniversary. We attended the service and enjoyed the delicious traditional chicken dinner consisting of lots of rice, a little salad, and a piece of chicken. We wondered if Juan and Rosie would purchase cakes. We didn’t think so. When the meal was over, they entered with the cakes. They looked very good but then you cannot tell since often the icing has melted in the heat. The announcement was made. These cakes were proudly made by Rosie and two other ladies of the church using the recipe of ‘Hermana Margarita’. They did an excellent job!

Chocolate cake – fromthe chefs of the Waterfront Hotel to the churches in the jungle of Bolivia. To some it may be Wacky Cake, Never Fail Chocolate Cake, Eggless Chocolate Cake – but to the Siebenga family it will always be Mrs. Sjaarda’s Chocolate Cake.