What happens in a year?

A good friend shared this quote with me this morning:
"You know that it's made a big impact when even though it's been awhile, you still cry talking about it"

A year ago today Fr. Dean Brackley SJ passed away. Until the moment cancer took his life away, Fr. Dean worked with the people of El Salvador spreading the message of love and solidarity. The Casa would not exist without him.
A year ago today we were finally nearing the end of 10 days straight of rain. A time that broke my heart more than ever before.
A year later, I celebrate the life of a true hero and I remember El Salvador with as much passion as the day I left.

"Yesterday I was sitting in Starbucks.
Ugh.
And as I sat there sipping my coffee, I looked up at the black and white photography mural on the wall.
It looked to stereotypical "Latin America"
Coffee finca... looked just like the one near my amigo Rigo's house.
Basket of coffee beans.
And that man, you could only see the back of his head and the sack of beans he carried on his back. And I longed to see his face, hear his story, collectively heal his pain.
And then I thought about that time our vigilante William took us to the top of the mountains
and we looked down at all of Tepecoyo, chewing on ripe coffee beans.
And amongst the maíz, beans, and coffee...huge machines.
What are we doing to our Mother Earth?
Another sip of coffee, because somehow that will stop the tears from forming in my eyes?
And then that silly "Lime Tree" song that we always listened to came on shuffle.
And I remembered Katie's poem about that little house on the finca where the dueño lives
And how much money he makes, while little boys and old men slave away...
just so they can (hope) to survive another day.
And a year ago today, I was living in the midst of a Natural Disaster
And the amount of tears I cried was about the same as the amount of rain that fell for 10 days straight.
And I thought I'd never see my Mama Angelica again, and now I just want it to be May
So I can go back and hold her hand forever
It hit me out of nowhere, I had to go outside and ball my eyes out.
And that homeless man asked me for change
How much in this world I want to change!
And Padre Dean passed away a year ago today (!Presente!)
And even though I never met him, I know my heart's much bigger because of what he said and did.
And it was all just too much.
All because I have this stupid addiction to coffee
El Salvador, siempre en mi corazón"

‎"The response from those who hope to advance the cause of humanity can only be to globalize solidarity, that is, to globalize the practice of love"

Please Support Tortillas for Tepecoyo!!!

So if you're reading this...it probably means you've been reading my blog since August while I was studying abroad in El Salvador. First of all, thank you so much for listening to my random rants and thoughts throughout the semester. It means a lot to know that people care about what I was up to while I was abroad. Second of all, I would like to ask a favor of all of you.
Upon my return home, my praxis partners and I decided to start a website in hopes of raising some funds for Angelica an the comedor. Angelica does some really amazing work and has been doing so for the past 11 years. However, the prices of corn, rice, beans, and vegetables have risen significantly following heavy rains this past October that left El Salvador in a state of Natural Disaster. As a result, Angelica has been struggling to provide the children with the food they need. Now, more than ever, Angelica needs outside support.

Katie, Ella, and I started Tortillas for Tepecoyo in hopes of ensuring that the kids of Tepecoyo don't go hungry. When the kids have food to eat they have more energy and are healthier which also means they do better in school. All of the kids we met while in El Salvador were incredibly smart and love going to school. We want to make sure they can keep going to class with a smile on their face for many years to come.

If you could take the time to check out Tortillas for Tepecoyo at http://tortillasfortep.blogspot.com I would greatly appreciate it.
$1 buys 1 meal for a child
$5 feeds one child for an entire week
$25 funds the comedor for a day

Any donation, no matter how small, will have a positive impact on the comedor and the lives of the children that Angelica feeds everyday.

One other favor I have to ask is if you could please send on the link to any family, friends, or coworkers that might be interested in donating.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you so much for all of your support!!!!

Paz y amor from Tepecoyo 

El Salvador 2011

So this is my ever small attempt at explaining everything I learned and experienced in El Salvador. I learned a lot but Father Dean Brackley summarizes perfectly what it is that happens to us when we are part of the Casa. Disfruta/Enjoy!!!