Gracias

Coming back from Nicaragua for perhaps the 15th time, I feel that painful and poignant mixture of hope and despair. Some of the kids that we visited at Inhijambia will die--of drugs or AIDS or despair or violence. Doesn't it make you angry that we human beings are both so cruel and so selfish. and yet there are these incredible, really mind blowing beacons of hope shining out into the storms of despair and death. and sometimes, even we aer those beacons. My wife, Gail, was a guidance counselor and guidance director for many years. She had innumerable families and students tell her `we couldn't have made it without you.' We each really need to celebrate those places where our work helps change people's lives for the better.
at the same time, certainly we have deep admiration for those who work in environments that are so difficult, we cannot imagine how they do it.

So every time I visit Inhijambia in Managua, I am deeply humbled by the courage, tolerance for pain,energy, hope that flows from the staff but also flows from the children, one to another. they sang a song called Casa Abierta. I will seek out the words.

What will it take for us to prepare our souls and minds to really address the global crisis of poverty and death? That crisis is personal and political--it is about the greed of many of us westerners, but also of wealthy Nicaraguans. It is about political structures that enrich a few rather than serve everyone. The global economy impacts Nica with great power. And culture--how can people work together across different cultural divides in order to build the earth rather than destroy it.One of the more depressing sights in Nica was to see the long lines all the time at Western Union. How are we going to live better in Nica--send one of the kids to America or Costa Rica and have him/her send money home. Ok--partly hopeful, but also sad. Cant we build a world where there are decent jobs in Nicaragua.

I am back to being committed to blogging five times a week, basically Monday to Friday. I appreciate your feedback.