Alright, I suppose it’s time to bring you all up to date on the happenings down here in the tropics.
First and foremost, I should mention that Bogota certainly doesn’t feel as though it lies within the tropics. October and November are unofficial “rainy season” here (the closest thing we get to a season of any type). As I type this, my neighborhood is recovering from a rainstorm that took place earlier today, the intensity of which goes unparalleled to anything I’ve ever seen before.
Secondly, since my 2 week, mid-year holiday in Peru, things have changed a bit at the ol’ Luz y Vida. After the whole Colombianita fiasco, there was a huge vacancy both at the school and at the kindergarten also run by the ministry. We were down to 3 children, and twice as many staff. Not that I’m complaining. Those were some of the most peaceful days I’ve seen in that building.
However, it was obvious that something needed to be done. The ministry threw about possibilities of working with new neighborhoods, a process of trust-building with the residents that can take months. The prospect of spending several months without children in the school was not an attractive one, but fortunately, neither was it one we would have to face.
Within a matter of weeks, we had completely repopulated the school with new children. I say we did it, but what I really mean is that the school was populated. We actually had very little to do with any of it. They seemed to find us.
Many of the kiddos hail from a neighborhood ironically named Paraiso, or “Paradise”. This was a squatter settlement up in the mountains that, by way of the squatter’s laws here in Bogota, was legitimized some years back. They now have streets, water, and electricity, but for all accounts and purposes, they still live in essentially the same economic situation as before. Therefore, they have the very same “problems” as children would who were living in a non-legitimized squatter settlement such as Colombianita.
Some other kids come from my neighborhood, Santa Fe, (For those of you who are curious, that translates as “Holy Faith”) and some are from various other parts of the city. All told, there are about 16 kids… when they all show up, that is.
This new population is markedly different from the last one. Whereas the Colombianita kids were mostly younger girls, the students we have now are primarily older boys. With the change in demographic comes a change in the way they are dealt with. Gone are the days of affectionate smiles and hugs and kisses on the cheek. With these boys, you are doing well to convince them not to hate you. They certainly present a different set of challenges. Whereas before, the focus was on overcoming learning disabilities and lack of proper education, we now spend most of our time and energy dealing with behavioral issues. Many of the children are strikingly violent and the phrase “swift to become angry” would be a gross understatement.
That is not to say, however, that there are no benefits or blessings. Many of the students, and particularly the older ones are extremely bright, and teaching them new concepts is any teacher’s dream come true. The visible results of your efforts are instantaneous. Also, if the old trade-off of affection is no longer the norm, it has been replaced with the far more difficult, and yet rewarding trade-off of respect and admiration.
Everyone who works with children knows the gratification that comes with a hug. The child sees you as someone loving and safe, but few know the joy of having one of your oldest, most hardened students- a student who, at the age of 12 is already the primary breadwinner of his fatherless household, a child who has stabbed one of his classmates and threatens to do worse, a student who lives and thrives on the streets of one of the most dangerous neighborhoods of one of the most dangerous cities of one of the most dangerous countries in the world- when that student stays after school just to talk to you, to invite you to his house to watch movies, that child sees you not as just a loving person, but a father figure. The powerful emotions and responsibilities that come with this type of relationship scare me, to be perfectly honest, and dealing with these in the States is something I am not particularly looking forward to. But, that is precisely what I am here for.
Things have also changed a bit at home. Most notably, we have two new additions to the Torre Fuerte. For those of you who read Adrienne’s blog, you should already be somewhat familiar with Jorgito. For those of you who aren’t, Jorge is a 3-year-old little boy with perpetually rosy cheeks, unruly curly hair and a tragic/comic tendency towards self-injury. For the time being, Jorge’s mother has decided that she cannot take care of him, and so he has come to live with us. However, due to our impending departure, and the concern that little Jorge needs some consistency, neither Ryan nor I are the primary caretakers. Enter Rebecca, a volunteer from New Mexico who has accepted the challenge of looking after the little guy. This means a whole new set of responsibilities for me, but I thoroughly enjoy their company.
Possibly the greatest change in my life, however, has been the unusual spike in the good-friends-Tyler-has-in-Bogota chart. Allow me to explain.
Wesley McKain has once again graced this longing continent with his presence, for which I am eternally grateful, but this time he is not alone. A few months ago, I received an email from an old friend I had met while living in Costa Rica. He had been living in Bolivia, working with the Mennonite Central Committee, and had recently accepted a transfer to where else but Bogota, Colombia. Upon hearing this most serendipitous news, I inquired as to which of the million neighborhoods he would be working in once he arrived, wanting to begin making transportation arrangements as soon as possible. As it turns out, those arrangements would never be made. Of all of the thousands of churches in this city, Steve would be working at my church, right down the road from my house, and literally 1 block from my school.
As if all of this weren’t fortunate enough, both Wes and Steve needed a roommate to split the rent with. Having never actually met each other in person, I vouched for both parties, and before I knew it, I had partially inherited a ninth-story apartment as my second home. Living with those two, augmented by the occasional visit from Ryan and Luke, feels strikingly similar to my days in the Old Oak Apartments at Olivet… just in Spanish.
Finally, for those of you who are interested, my time here is on the wane. I decided long ago to wrap things up at the end of this school year (the school year is reversed here, and class ends in December). With that in mind, I purchased my ticket home for December the 15th. Needless to say, I will miss this place and the people I’ve met here very, very, very much, but the prospect of spending Christmas with my family is at times overwhelmingly pleasant.
Well, I should be able to get one more of these post-things in here before I leave, at the rate I’m going. So, until next time,
Tyler
