A Change of Culture

Kirsten Miller
January 29, 2008
Week #9

One of the adjustments I’ve been experiencing in Venezuela is the clash that results from the United States social culture in me, meeting the social culture of Latin America. Coming from the U.S. culture, it is easy for me to evaluate my days based on how much I have accomplished or completed. The Latin American culture, however, is centered around relationships, rather than time and the accomplishment of tasks. Scheduled times are relative, activities are quickly set aside to spend time with a friend who stops by at your house, and plans seem to be changing continually to accommodate peoples’ needs. In order for me to engage more fully with the people of this culture, I need to learn to hold my time and my plans more loosely in my hands, allowing God to shape them as I go through each day. At times, this means forgetting about the list of things I have waiting to be finished, and just sitting and talking with people. If I’m always caught up in what I want to accomplish and the schedules I have lined up in my head, I am going to miss a lot of opportunities that God has for me. At times, learning this lesson is harder than other times, but I hope to return to the United States reflecting a bit more of the Venezuelan culture and mindset in my life.

Praises:
-general health of the team
-the opportunities and lessons God has brought to us

Prayer Requests:
-continued health and safety
-the renewal of our temporary visas by Feb. 26... we hope to be able to do this inside of the country
-the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our lives...that God would open and close doors as He desires
-that we would have God's eyes in considering new outreach opportunities
-Shalom: the church congregation and our relationships with them

Newsletter # 7

by Alyse Haldeman

When you hear the words, remodeling, you picture professionals, lots of fancy tools and a generally "clean" job. Well, in Venezuela, you get one out of one out of three. You can hire professionals, unfortunately, everything else depends on what you provide. In my host mother's case, she provided her living room floor to mix all the cement.
So, everyone came over to our house to help Mary Carmen last saturday to lay the bathroom floor. Little did we know, it would be quite the experience. We were under the charge of a man named Daniel, we mixed up cement, carried it to the new bathroom, dumped it, leveled it off, blocked it off and protected it from the cats. All by hand, no machines, only shovels, two tools that I don't know the names of, and elbow grease. The cement was, of course, mixed in our living room. We filled buckets full of dirt and tiny rocks from outside, carried them down steps and dumped it in the middle of the cleared room. We then added sand, cement and water. Lots of water. We got shovels and mixed it. A toss here, a cha-ca, cha-ca there and wa-la, enough cement to cover Miami. Well, our at least our entire living room floor. We filled the buckets previously filled with rocks and dirt with wet cement and carried it to the bathroom. Although the bathroom is only 20 ft. away from the living room, even the boys had trouble getting the buckets there. They were that heavy, Brett said it felt like 300 hundred pounds, mas o menos. We all ended up straddling the buckets and waddling towards the end of the hallway. We eventually made a race out of it. I think we are pretty good about making things fun. When we ran out of cement, (two times), we started the whole process over again. Plu,s when we ran out of dirt and rocks, we had to go down the street and get some more from the mountain of rocks in one lady's court yard and wheel barrow it back to my host mother's, fill the buckets with it, carry it down the steps and unload in the living room, again. I think my real mother would have freaked at the mess.
Mary Carmen and Johanna had lunch ready for us when we finished laying the floor. It was so good. The chicken and rice was AMAZING. I don't know how they make it but I'm sure it involves a lot of grease. With our arms sore and bellies full, we had the pleasure of seeing a nice new, beautifully level bathroom floor.
That day was the start off a very busy week. The Monday afterwards, we started language study, which involves a lot of traveling and many funny moments. We had to get up at 5 in the morning to get on the 30 minute long train ride to Caracas. However, where it ends in Caracas, still involves another hour to hour and 20 minutes of travel. Also, we hardly ever are able to sit, since some Venezuelans believe in running and pushing in front of you, regardless of lines. I guess you can say the same for some Americans though too. After we get off the train into Caracas, we needed to take a short train to the metro station in El Valle, where we can get on another metro that will take us to Plaza Venezuela, which is the central hub-bub of Caracas, where we get on yet another metro to Chacaito and then walk a couple blocks in order to get to our 8:45 class on time. We often feel like we are at the races in Kentucky. As soon as the doors of the metro are open, people race off to get on the their next train, regardless of whether it is leaving in 20 minutes. After all that out-running in front of everyone else and testing strengths by pushing, they are so exhausted, they just want to sit. If you sit and watch in at a metro station, you could probably tell who is not Venezuelan, by who isn't running. I don't have any pictures of the metro or train station because we aren't allowed to take any, or eat, or sit on the floor or run, but they do that anyway.
I think my favorite funny moment was when we were waiting to get on the subway at Plaza Venezuela. An empty train came by, and at that point we knew all bets on lines were off. If you wanted get on, you used any available part of your body to do so. So we were ready...
Apparantly not. We got on the train, only because the momentum behind us pushed us onto it. Which caused several very awkward situations. I felt I was up in everyone's grill around me. I stopped complaining though when I realized I couldn't hold onto anything, so if I fell, I would have a cushion in the people around me. Leave it to me to find the plus side. I am trying to do more and more of that here.
Prayer requests:
-Still for direction, we have ideas for ministry now, but what to do with them
-health and safety as we are traveling so much
Praises:
- We can now walk around with out an escort.
- Our weeks are starting to look full of activites that we are planning, and doing with our group and also with the youth and people from the church
Thanks for your support!

reflections on the fast

Venezuela Team Newsletter #6
Cassandra Klingenberg
1.12.2008

I had never fasted for three days, but at Shalom, the New Year means bringing your first and best to God. So on the morning of January 2nd, we joined church members in the sanctuary to begin a time of fasting. As a church, they pray and seek direction for the coming year. Our team also had the privilege of leading them in singing, dramas, scripture reading, and a message given by Alyse in English and translated by Kirsten into Spanish. The following is a glimpse into how I experienced and observed the Lord working through the people…

Indeed, the Lord met us on this final day of fasting. We began the third morning of fasting with worship and prayer. Hungry and thirsty, we laid it all before the Lord, knowing only he could quench the emptiness we felt inside. While lifting up our voices in praise, Edison, the worship leader began praying. As the passion in his voice grew, the music also climaxed in intensity and volume. Then un-expectantly, his voice began to break and he cried out, sobbing as he prayed. He lowered himself to the ground and fell on his knees, face-down before the Lord. The music softened and the Holy Spirit seemed to pour Himself out upon all who gathered. The members of the band stopped playing altogether and joined the others for a time of silence.

As I looked around the room, the congregation was on their knees, their faces to the ground. Some were standing with their arms wide open. Others were sitting on their chairs, waiting expectantly for the Lord to meet them there. I glance up to the very front of the room and see pastor Ceferino kneeling in front of his chair, hands folded in reverent prayer.

“Lord, you are here. You are in this place. I can feel your presence; it is so close I could reach out and touch it. It is silent. Lord, something is drawing me in. I don’t want to leave this place of peace within. You can feel the brokenness in the air as your children cry out to you, longing to be filled with your presence, prostrating themselves before you, Father. I see your body, broken, humbled, and loved.”

Bringing in the New Year

Venezuela Team Newsletter #5
Jeremy Spangler
January 4, 2008

The festivities in Charallave for welcoming in the New Year had long since started when ours began with some of the members of the church around 9:30 PM. There was a lot of noise being made throughout the city all afternoon, and even here at the church. We have come to be somewhat acquainted to the way they do things here, so we were not so concerned about the night starting any too quickly. So we were prepared for a late night and to say the least it was. We didn’t even start to think about starting the grill until after ten in the evening. Even making the food was a relational thing. We spent the evening getting to know some of the people here better and joking with them.
About eleven in the evening Kirsten was going to return to her home to spend the rest of the night with her family. Since it was dark, a small group of us walked with her back to her house. I was expecting to go there and return to the church right away, but her host mom, Carolina, met us at the door with other plans. She said to us, “Pase” as to pass through and enter her house. We were standing there and Kirsten’s host parents, Carolina and Julio, asked us if we wanted to eat with them. They already seemed determined that this was going to happen. The table was already set with traditional Venezuelan food, some of which was hallacas, a potato salad (sounds Mennonite), and pan de jamon or ham bread. We were all smiling and laughing and I was surprised by this turn of events. They finally did convince us though to sit down and eat with them. I was so amazed at their hospitality and how welcoming they were to these unexpected guests. One of Kirsten’s sisters, Kristian said ‘Buen Provecho,’ which means good appetite more or less, and we all dug into the delicious Venezuelan meal before us. We did not spend much time with them, but through the time we did I was blessed and humbled by their welcoming and servant hearts. We returned to the church to bring in the new year with a scripture and a passionate prayer in thanks for what God has done in the past year and will do in 2008.
Then the fireworks really started. Some were set of from our place at the church, and others set off all over the city. By 12:30 A.M. there was a cloud of smoke hanging over the city from all the noise making fireworks. We fell asleep on Tuesday morning to the sound of them continuing steady.

Prayer Requests

• patience with our current spanish abilities
• continued understanding of our purpose with the Shalom congregation
  

Praises

• The 3 day fast with the church and the way we saw God work through it.
  

"Vamos a morir" (We're going to die)

Venezuela YES Team Newsletter #4
By Dani Rupp
12/28/07
(***Prologue: Our team, along with about 15 members of the Shalom congregation, spent December 21 thru December 24 in a town close to Barquisimeto called Pelenque. It was a good 9 hours away from Charallave, deep in the mountains of Venezuela. The Shalom worship team led three worship services for a church there. We also spent one afternoon with the youth from that church, playing games, hanging out and having a teaching time. ***)
We unloaded from our third bus of the day, and I was not looking forward to yet another bus ride. To make things worse, we were not at a bus station, rather randomly dropped off on the side of the road. As we stood there I could only think about how ridiculous we must look- six North Americans surrounded by 15 Venezuelans and all of our stuff- pillows, blankets, bags. It was quite comical. While we waited for our next mode of transportation, I had a minute to look around and take in my surroundings. The view was breathtaking- mountains and valleys spread out as far as the eye could see. There were corn fields ready for harvesting and the ground was covered with lush grass, something I haven’t seen much of since arriving in Venezuela. I closed my eyes took a deep breath of fresh mountain air.
When I opened them, I was surprised to see a truck pulling off to the side of the road. I was confused. Where was our bus? They must just be asking for directions, I rationalized. And just as fast as this thought raced through my brain, the youth from the church started loading our belongings into the bed of the truck. Not only that, they were climbing in and told me it was time to go. I laughed. Were they serious? I realized, as my teammates started to climb up, that they were. Always up for an adventure, I eagerly and, quite “gracefully” I might add, scaled the side rails. As the truck lurched forward, everyone screamed with excitement and some of the youth started to yell “Vamos a llegar!” (We’re going to arrive!) to which I countered “No, Vamos a morir!” (No, we’re going to die!). They all thought that was hilarious and I said it jokingly, but it was quite the ride into Pelenque. I held on for dear life as we cautiously took hairpin turns and would speed of for the straight-aways, which were few and far between. It was exhilarating, and as my hands gripped the rails, the wind wiped my hair and I took in the scenery, I smiled and praised God for the chance to see some of His splendid creation.
God worked in amazing ways during this weekend. One lesson I learned was God is not limited by language barriers and He speaks in many different ways. Sometimes He speaks the loudest in silence. The first night we were in Pelenque I found myself alone, sitting on a tree branch looking over a lagoon. There was absolute silence, and I felt all my anxiety and moodiness fade away. I sensed God in a very real way as I sat in the stillness. He didn’t say anything and I, for once, was quiet, but there was a connection.
The next morning the women met for prayer. Obviously, the Venezuelan women prayed in Spanish, but it didn’t matter. We knew they were worshiping and communicating with God. Cassie especially said that despite not understanding a word, she felt the presence of God and it was a meaningful worship experience for her.
Vice versa, on Sunday our team sang Zephaniah 3:17 for special music during worship. I gave a brief introduction to the song in Spanish, Jeremy read the verse in Spanish, and we sang in English. Later we were told by a few people in the congregation that they were moved to tears by the song. They really had no idea what we were singing, but God transcended the language barriers and they were able to relate and worship with us. The members of Shalom have told us many times to pray in English because that is how we are most comfortable worshiping; they can still relate to what we are praying because language is not an obstacle for the Holy Spirit.
Not only did we connect with God in new and powerful ways, we also bonded as a team and with the people from the Shalom and Pelenque congregations. This was a great weekend away from the city, but it was also difficult as we were away from families during this holiday season. It was neat to see how when one of us was weak, the others were strong, and we grew together during those times.
Also, as a team, we have desired deeper relationships with people from the church, and this trip was a big turning point in that area. We were able to talk at length, pray, share and worship together. We also connected through laughter, teasing, and games of soccer and baseball. It is comforting to know that laughter translates into any language, especially my laugh, which is quite “unique” I’ve been told.
Overall it was an amazing Christmas gift for me to get out of the city and into a small town, overlooking spectacular mountains, deep into God’s creation. I am also thankful our team was able to have this experience, as we all grew and were stretched in new and exciting ways.
Prayer Requests
· Self discipline in digging deeper spiritually and language study
· Continued clarity in purpose
· Health
· Shalom is having a three day fast January 2 thru January 4. Please pray for them and us as we seek to begin the new year worshiping and seeking God’s will for our lives and the congregation.
Praises
· Safety in traveling
· Connecting as a team and with the church
· Seeing and hearing from God in new ways

Venezuela YES Team Newsletter #3
By Brett Klingenberg
12/20/07

On Shalom: a few observations

If I were to use one word to describe the Shalom Mennonite Church it would be family, in every sense and meaning of that word. In Shalom your past doesn’t matter, what matters is the new life you are living right now; everyone is equal and important. When you come to Shalom, you are adopted. It is even hard to tell who the parents and grandparents are of the babies because they get passed around so much, and everyone is willing to take their turn.
When Pastor Ceferino introduces me to anyone, he tells me that they are his brother or sister. The first couple of days I just figured that he had a bunch of siblings, but now I understand that his relationships with members of the congregation are deep, a connection strengthened by their passion for the Lord.
I recently met ‘Grandma’. She is the oldest person in the congregation, and apparently everyone literally considers her their own grandma. She appears to be the most popular person here and people want to sit by her and hang out.
The elders of the church here are definitely not a formal bunch. They are together often, chatting, praying a lot and at random times, and laughing. I recently saw Gorda, who is a large, strong woman; greet one of her fellow elders. She hollered ‘Hola!’, wrapped her huge arms around him, picked him up, and squeezed him as hard as she could. Relationships and prayer transcend meeting agenda’s and formalities, every time.
Last night the Church had a BBQ for the pastors, elders, staff, and worship team. Towards the end of the night, they honored their Church secretary, Ramona. She is a single lady, about 35 years old, who lives with her father who is not a part of the congregation. Ramona is always here working in the office, answering the door, helping paint, clean, and walking our team around town. She has a family here with the Church. They honored her last night with many gifts, speeches, and hugs; and even though I couldn’t understand a single thing they said, I understood that she was important and loved.
Welcome to the family.
Church Building. Sanctuary on bottom floor, classrooms on top.

Charallave

Venezuela YES team newsletter #2
Kirsten Miller
12/13/07

Hola from Venezuela!
Things are going pretty well here! We are all in the process of adjusting to our new surroundings. Charallave is a city of somewhere close to 130,000 people, located in the mountains. The temperature is usually somewhere in the 80s. In the “pueblo,” (the equivalent of “downtown”) the busy streets are lined with shops, including clothing stores, farmacias (pharmacies), fruit shops, supermercados (grocery stores), carnicerίas (meat shops), panaderίas (bakeries), zapaterίas (shoe stores), peluquerίas (beauty salons), etc. Many of the buildings here are pretty open to the outdoors, with open spaces in the windows, doors, etc. Due to the easy entrance for rodents and insects, we have to watch out for things like cockroaches, lizards and mice. The openness of the houses to the outdoors and the close proximity of the neighboring houses also results in a chorus of noises. As I lay in my bed at night, I can hear dogs barking, the television programs of our neighbors, people talking outside, music from nearby houses, and roosters crowing.
I have really enjoyed the new foods I’ve tried in Venezuela. One popular Venezuelan dish I’ve enjoyed is the arepa. It is a corn pancake that is split and filled with things like vegetables, cheese, or meat.
Since our language study in Caracas doesn’t start until January, we don’t have a lot going on right now. We have been spending time with the people from the church we are working with (Shalom Mennonite) and helping with a few work projects at the church. The plans for our days are usually decided the day before or when the time comes for something to be done. Everything is pretty laidback, including plans, the time that things start, etc.

Some prayer requests & praises:
-Praises: the safety God has provided for us, the warm friendliness of the people at Shalom
-Prayer Requests: relationships with people from the church, safety, perseverance and patience with learning Spanish, sensitivity to what God wants to do here