| Update - February 2009 |
Symphonies of Hope– Choirs of Faith
| We were concerned for a while that we would not have time to visit Nuevo Amanecer but gratefully we were able to make 4 separate visits to help them start their little orchestra. Nuevo Amanecer is a place of dust, dirt, and heat. In the rainy season it is a place of water, mud, and heat. It is a challenge for delicate Americans like us. We were somewhat surprised to see the enthusiasm of the young people there. In many communities it is common to have many children attending the first or second meeting—but quickly they stop coming. In Nuevo Amanecer however, there has been a steady group from the beginning—and that is encouraging to see. Unfortunately Nuevo Amanecer has few strong families that are together. Out of 12 or 15 students participating in the final concert only 1 mother and father pair arrived to support their child. Perhaps some of the difficulty lies in communication—many of the parents are unable to read or write and ancient Indian languages are still a large part of daily life there. We have been visiting Nuevo Amanecer over a period of 5 years and many people there have become close friends. We are trying to make arrangements to have phone contact with them every week or so to guide them with their practices. They will have many challenges to face as they try to encourage their young people on a Godly path. We hope the best for them. Offer prayers for their families. |
| Things like: The Titanic… World War II... The existence of the Grand Canyon… About Hitler… Atom Bomb… Landing on the Moon… Pyramids of Egypt The flood—Noah’s Ark… Tower of Babel... Joseph´s dreams… The complete story of Jesus… What a Guatemalan DOES know… how to cope with nothing… (see knowing what nothing means) We take so much of our knowledge and experience for granted. As we spend time here with various children and families we have come to realize that there is a vast amount of what we might call common knowledge that isn’t common at all to most of the people here. Things like the atomic bomb, the holocaust, and the Titanic were common knowledge to us long ago when we were attending school. Grade schools here teach basic math and language and many of the superstitious legends of the country like the “Yorona” and the” Eye”, but it seems they don’t mention anything outside the borders of the country. Even more startling is that when reading basic Bible stories to the young people here we have found that many have no idea of Noah and the Ark, David and Goliath, or of Jesus feeding the five thousand… or many other common Bible stories. These stories are completely new to them. Some of these children attend church but still haven’t heard the stories so common to us. Most know who Mary and Jesus are but little more than that. Many do not have their own Bible in their home and are very excited to receive one. This year we were unable to find many whole high quality Bibles but had a number of paper back new testaments. We hope to bring more Bibles next year… hopefully and maybe some illustrated children’s Bibles. We have an English Children’s Bible that we often use to tell children stories and a few weeks ago we told Wilmer and Luis the story of creation and the story of Noah. They were very enthusiastic and excited to hear them and asked many questions about the pictures. They each asked for a Bible and I gave them the ones I had. It was refreshing to see that they were truly interested from their hearts. |
| What does nothing mean? Not enough food for the day? Not enough blankets for the night? Not enough water to wash the clothes or the dishes? Not enough physical energy for the work that needs to be done? Not enough money to pay for medicine for your very sick small child? Not enough jobs available to hire you? Not enough land on which to plant your corn… the main food that sustains your family? Not enough mercy from another person to understand your situation? Having to sell your only cow to pay for your sons to go to school? Having to sell your land… little by little to pay for medicine or food? Having holes in your roof during the rainy season? Having your entire flock of chickens die from an unknown disease in just a few days? Wearing literal rags… clothes with holes and stains because it is all you have? Wearing shoes that are open on the end with your toes overgrowing them by an inch? Living without your husband for 5 years while he goes to the U.S., maybe never to return alive? As a young child… living with a relative for 5 years, because your parents went to the U.S., to try to earn some money? All of these things are common to poorer families in Guatemala. We meet people every day who tell their story with tears running down their cheeks. We meet children with serious sad faces who have endured more hardship in their short lives than many Americans will ever suffer. But somehow the people who suffer seem to have a more mature bearing than those who haven’t. They seem to find more joy and thankfulness in the small things than we can understand. One of our children gave a bag of m&ms to a friend and he ate them one by one, over a period of hours… because it was a rare treat to have his own bag of candy. Some of the children with the hardest lives are the most respectful and have the most beautiful attitudes. Sometimes it seems that no matter how much we talk and teach about thankfulness… neither ourselves or our children will ever have the REAL thankfulness that comes from knowing what “nothing” really means. How thankful are we for the abundance we have? Can we learn from the poor how to be rich? Do we thank God for the things he has given us and for the opportunities that we have? |
| It is always interesting to have someone live with us for a while. They say you don't really know someone until you live with them. Luis and Wilmer are both teenagers (16 and 15 years old) so we weren't sure what to expect. We were all very pleasantly surprised! They both were an inspiration to us all. I never once saw them get angry. They were always cheerful and ready to help out in any way they could. They encouraged our children to be obedient and hard working and we all felt their influence. They would laugh at the problems that often caused us frustration. To them our “work” was so easy. They know what hard labor for hours in the fields is, so for them washing dishes or cleaning the camper was nothing. They were anxious to learn anything they could and needed no prompting to do their schoolwork. We looked hard for a school that would allow them to study at home and still receive a certificate but none of the schools would admit them before 18 years of age. So at the beginning of February they had to return home to enroll in their local high school. It is a hardship for their family to pay their school costs. It was 400 Q for each of them to enroll and then 200 Q each, per month, for their classes… plus books and materials. Their family already struggles to pay for medicine for Domingo’s Parkinson's disease. They attend from 8am to 6pm every Saturday and are looking for jobs for the weekdays. The frustrating thing for us to see is that the school in Malacatancito makes it mandatory to attend all of the fiestas… many of them taking place during school hours on a Saturday afternoon. That means that they are paying to go to a party on some Saturdays… and their family really doesn't want them to even be involved in these parties. There is usually alcohol, dancing, and very loud music. The director of the school maintains that they will attend and participate in all fiestas or he will not give them a certificate at the end of the year. Without an education the young people face an uncertain future of how to support themselves. The best jobs go to people with a high school or higher education. But unlike in the U.S, home schooling isn’t an option for most families. We all miss their smiles and encouragement and hope that someday when we return they can come join the team again for a time. Meanwhile we will be praying for them and hoping that they will be able to somehow get an education and still resist becoming part of the drinking and partying crowd. A sad goodbye to two remarkable young men… Please join us in praying for them and for their family. A few days before we left we were able to take a video of them playing Doxology—a song that they often played with our family. |
| This is the last time we will see Nuevo Amanecer without electricity… The last time we will eat by candlelight. The last time the nights will be completely silent except for the barking of the dogs and the sounds of the night birds. Already the lines and poles are there… Electricity is coming very soon. They are just waiting for the meters to be installed. Everyone is very excited. Many people have somehow managed to buy a television and they wait for the electric to come so that the children can watch programs. Many of these people still live in stick houses with thatched roofs. Many of the huge trees along the road have been cut down and all that remains are a line of stumps under the wires. In a place that needs trees so much how sad to see those trees gone! Many are happy that they can now have refrigeration and lights in the houses even though they may not be able to pay an electric bill. Sadly there are already people trying to take advantage of the village… selling televisions, VCRs, and blenders. I was stopped by a man with a pickup full of electronics. He said I really needed a TV and a blender… or maybe a stereo too. Now that I was to have electric I would NEED these items. He was disappointed when I said I was just visiting for a few days! A few impatient folks climbed the poles and connected directly… the boom boxes are already thrumming late at night. It will surely bring about a lot of change for this village that was so isolated before. It is too bad that not all the changes will be good ones. |
Before we left the US, we searched out some of the best Christian inspirational films in Spanish. This year we brought a portable theater with us and we have enjoyed sharing these films with many families in the villages we visit. We always start each film with a prayer and a disclaimer. The disclaimer goes something like this-We tell them that when we were married we through the TV out of the house for the destruction it brings to families. We explain that television uses sex and violence to tempt people into buying a world of things they don´t really need, and leaves people truly poor... with children unthankful, in broken relationships, and always in want. We relate to them that in our family we only watch an occasional video together as a family and only if it is a special video that teaches us about God and loving others. If any video we are presenting contains portions that are in poor taste and of no moral value we eliminate them—and while blocking the screen and muting the sound explain that they should do the same when they are watching videos with their families—or better, avoid questionable videos all together. With small battery operated inexpensive video machines videos of all sorts are rapidly reaching all parts of the globe, even the poorest and most remote of places—nearly all of the films containing messages that are completely destructive to godliness and family relationships. On our first night at the coast we wanted to offer families there a viewing of the Story of Joseph of the Bible. The original film is over 3 hours long and contains portions that are in very poor taste—but when we finish editing it the result is a 2 hour film that is really quite inspiring to watch and free of junk. As Elizabeth and I set up some benches we observed the 5 or so children sitting in the front row. I asked Elizabeth how many she thought would show up—it was 7 pm—the time that the film was supposed to start. She said she thought maybe 20 or 30 if we waited. There was a delay in starting the film because we could not start the generator. We had to piece together extension cords to stretch from a distant house. When we finished arranging the cords I looked up and saw about 200 people. By the time we started the film all of the benches were full and many were standing. The second night—when we were to finish the story of Joseph—there were even more. When the moment came in the film when Joseph was to reveal his true identity the crowd of children and adults was absolutely silent. Almost everyone was previously completely unaware of Joseph. It is a story of God, faith, family relationships, and primitive living—and was very much appreciated. |
| As we are teaching children to play violin for the first time it is necessary to hold their hand for a while to show them how to properly hold a bow—or follow properly the rhythm of a song. Sometimes when you grab a little hand it might be a bit sticky, dirty, or sweaty—that’s not too surprising for children. Other times you suddenly feel grabbed by silent messages that the little hands tell you. We ask that students are of at least 10 years of age—but even so some hands are so small and weak they can barely hold a stick used as a pretend bow. Other hands feel as bones. And still others are rough, stiff, and calloused from a life of work in the field. I find myself wishing we could solve all of the injustices that deny these little hands good health and vigor but I know that we can’t. We pray that God will show mercy to their families and encourage them to follow a path that keeps Him close at their side. It is at least a privilege to bring these small hands an opportunity that they otherwise would not have had. |
| About 2 years ago, through the help of a number persons and God’s mercy, we were able to help the community of Nuevo Amanecer obtain a new mill for grinding corn. Installing the mill on a concrete foundation and establishing a method of providing for the mills maintenance was no easy task . We wondered how the mill would be doing 2 years later. We were pleased to see that the mill is functioning well and is now used to grind corn for about 30 families daily. It is encouraging to find something that was done in the past functioning well. The community has been doing a good job of guarding a portion of the income for maintenance etc. Dear Lord…. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of bringing this blessing to these families. Continue to watch over and protect them; bring a blessing to those who helped to make this possible…Amen. |
| The trip across the border has never been one of our favorites but once in a while it has to be done. We ordered some violins for each of the small orchestras we began in Guatemala and had Joseph ship them to Tapachula, which is right on the other side of the border. He had to pay $150 in taxes to Mexico… which did not seem correct because the violins were not going to Mexico. We hope to find a less expensive means for the future. But it was our first time to shipping any quantity of items from there to here. While you will not see advertising on our pages we are still very grateful to the folks at KK Music Store, (Cecilio Instruments). They helped us keep the cost down and search out violins that were of fine quality. We are very grateful to them. We started off in the morning on our trip to Tapachula. Half way down the mountain we discovered that we had to backtrack a few miles and take a detour because the road had collapsed and they were repairing it. The trip down took about 5 hours in all. When we arrived it was about 1 pm. We thought we’d just get the packages and return quickly… Well, usually nothing is that easy in this part of the world so it wasn’t that surprising when they informed us that the bus wouldn’t be there until 8 pm. The sad part about that is that it would mean driving back in the night. It seemed that there was no choice so we found a place to park, did a little grocery shopping, and cooked dinner in the van while waiting. We imagined we’d get back home around 1 in the morning… but the bus, which turned out to be a truck didn’ t arrive until close to 10 pm. And then there were more delays. Chris tried to take a nap while they unloaded the truck, but it was difficult because there’s never a dull moment at times… Noah was standing by the truck waiting for the boxes, when a drunken man decided he liked Noah. He kept returning to the cantina for another drink and then returning to Noah to give him a hug or a not too gentle pat on the cheek. He gave him a few slaps on the back and a small slug in the stomach, rather playfully, when the man unloading the truck asked Noah if the guy was his friend. Noah said “no, I don’t know who he is” and so the truck driver called the police and asked them if they could come and remove the guy. It was hard to unload the truck with so much commotion going on. (We were waiting in the van across the road.) Within 5 minutes a truck and a car came, and out jumped about 7 policemen. Two had automatic rifles and the rest handguns. They surrounded the cantina doors, pulled out their guns, and took Noah with them to identify the trouble-maker. They told everyone not to move and to put up their hands when they went in. When Noah said, “That’s him”—in a quiet voice trying to be unnoticed--the man ran into the bathroom and locked the door. They kicked in the door and arrested him. The whole street was lined up with onlookers! Chris didn´t get much of a nap. The workers of the shipping company were glad that they could now unload in peace but none of us expected so much fuss. After that we were finally able to get the violins and unpack them from the boxes and pack them into the van. We were worried that at the border they would want more taxes but it turned out that they were too tired or drunk to care. They said it was too dangerous to drive at night so we should come with them to a hotel but from the look of them we decided it was better to take our chances on the road. In our experience borders are best when far away! We were pulled over a couple of times by the police on the way back, but the police were friendly and said there was little danger on the main highway that we were on. It is kind of nice to drive at night because there’s not much traffic and there aren’t buses constantly passing on blind curves. We didn’t reach our camper until 5 am… mission accomplished… but we were very tired. |
| We try to guard Sunday for a time of simple worship and spending special time with the families that we are close to. Sometimes there are problems—car troubles, sickness, errands—and a day that is supposed to be special becomes full of distraction. Other times however, things go well and when the day is over we feel truly refreshed. Such was the case on the day we chose to go mountain climbing with Armida´s family in Santa Rita. We have known them for 6 years and enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time together. The mountain was very steep and very high and was a bit of a struggle to climb. Coleen and Samuel stayed at the camper so that the rest of us could have someone to wave to once we reached the top. ( And Luis was still recovering from his surgery.) The view was quite remarkable and both of our families felt very blessed when the day was over. Nobody was hurt, but some of us were a bit sore afterward. |
We are now preparing to leave and we have many challenges ahead as we return to the U.S. After Joseph’s wedding we are planning to travel north through Missouri into Wisconsin for a brief visit if possible. We plan to continue serving as we travel and return to Mexico and Guatemala as soon as possible to continue our work. There is much to be done! We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible. We are also looking forward to seeing the first little orchestra in Monterrey, Mexico. From what we have heard they have been progressing well under the teaching of a very experienced violinist. Please keep us in your prayers at this time as we travel . We always love to hear from anyone… Write us a note if you get a chance. With Love from all, Chris, Coleen, Noah, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Samuel |
| Blanca and her daughter making tortillas every morning in the coast |
| Orchestra students helping to plow a field for a neighbor |
| Unloading the truck in Tapachula |
| On our way to retrieve the violins—we encountered this worker taking a rest |
| One of the New Violins |
| Dinner for 9 in our Camper |
| Luis and Wilmer practicing |
| Breezy ride to our Camper |
| The Landscape of Nuevo Amanecer—Very hot , very dry, and very dusty |
I am still confident of this; I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living; Wait for the LORD; Be strong and take Psalm 27:13-14 |
| Update # 14 |
| Symphonies of Hope Chris & Coleen Anderson In the U.S. : 608 - 313 - HOPE Message phone in U.S. : 956-781-5133 Email: chriscoleen@symphoniesofhope.org Email: chriscoleen@choirsoffaith.org |
| SymphoniesOfHope.Org ChoirsOfFaith.Org SinfoniasDeEsperanza.Org CorosDeFe.Org |
| Orchestras & Choirs Serving in God's Love |
| A Quick Summary |
| What a Young Guatemalan doesn’t know... |
| Knowing what nothing means… |
| Luis & Wilmer – Back to School in Malacas… Sad to say Goodbye |
| Visiting Nuevo Amanecer – Electricity is coming |
| Movie Night at the Coast |
| Hands |
| The Mill Still Works |
| Getting Violins from the U.S. – Trip to Tapachula… |
| Hike up the mountain |
| If the sound in the video is choppy...Pause the video and wait for it to load before viewing it. |
 |
| |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |