[amc] News From Lara in N. Ireland
- From: "Ray Gingerich" <RGingerich@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Austin Mennonite Church" <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 12:57:25 -0600
Hi all,
I got permission before forwarding this to the list as follows: "(That's
fine, I've no shame. Just be sure to add the disclaimer that no feelingsare
hurt if the message is deleted and not read. :) Lara)"
Ray
*****************
----- Original Message -----
From: <lesang@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 2:21 AM
Subject: some things shocking-some things fun
> Hello my friends!
> First let me say that I told you not to worry about getting too much mail
even
> though you are on my list. One month after my first update here comes the
> second. I'm also going to send 2 messages (edited) by Jennifer
Larson-Sawin
> because her updates are great and when I read the things that I did with
her, I
> am amazed that I experienced it too.
>
> So, let me tell you, my first weeks of "work" have been FULL. There is so
> much going on at Survivors that I couldn't begin to tell you it all. Jodi
and I
> wonder around and observe and get spirited away to do all kinds of things.
Last
> message I shared that I was going to be a guinea pig for the Indian head
> message. Yes. It was great. I have already let them know that I am willing
to
> help out ANY time. I might also get to have the reflexologist look at my
feet
> soon. Is there anything better than a head message and a foot massage!?
> And I get credit for this! I love social work!!
>
> There are so many exciting things happening here in the midst of the
depression
> and discouragement. It is an interesting phenomenon. Somehow, there are
enough
> people with enough hope to work at creative solutions. Tonight, I spent
the
> night at Survivors because there have been 13 suicides so far in 2004 in
this
> community and a hotline was started today. We took the first night shift.
The
> all the teens have been seriously harassed by paramilitaries because of
petty
> crime. Sad stories with parents feeling powerless to confront the paras.
>
> One thing that has been frustrating is that when we ask to attend/observe/
get
> involved with counseling related groups, we've been told it wouldn't work
> because of confidentiality. Here at Survivors there seems to be a real
distrust
> of professionals. It is understanding when I hear how many 'counselors'
have
> not been properly trained. We've been in touch with another agency that
> provides counseling and may be able to let us work a couple days there.
Jodi is
> even more impatient for that than I am. I think that we are an excellent
> balance for each other. She is often the push and I am the caution, but
the
> balance is good. It is hard sometimes to just drink teas with the random
people
> that arrive here. It is tempting to walk about and explore other places or
tag
> along with people to other agencies. I think this is really positive, but
I
> know from my time in Swaziland that it is often in the quiet boring
moments
> that connections are made and disclosures come. So, we've bought some
herbal
> tea so that we don't have so much caffeine in our systems.
>
> Brad, our supervisor is a very interesting man to talk to. We have regular
> conversations with him. He tends to tell us what is wrong with other
programs.
> It has been good to hear 'the rest of the story' but is discouraging as
well.
> The worst has been when he talks about counseling being rubbish. Um, are
you
> sure you are supposed to be our supervisor? Why participate in training us
to
> do rubbish? One of my missions is to restore some of his faith in
counselors
> and professionals in general.
>
> There have been so many highlights. I really enjoy the the sewing class. I
love
> one 72 year old woman in particular, Susan. She reminded me of my
wonderful
> Grammy. She is sparkly, spry, interested in what is going on around her,
and
> very wrinkled. Mary has befriended us and I love talking to her. She
quizzes us
> on names sometimes and likes a good laugh (as does everyone. I feel like
she has
> taken us under her wing and has been the best at suggesting classes that
we
> might be interested in. The art class was fantastic. We all painted little
oil
> paintings and they turned out better than I feared. Best of all was the
> Wednesday night set dancing. We went to the Park Inn up the road and there
was
> an accordian player who played for all the sets. The music is lively and
fun
> and it is great exercise. Our Mon. teacher was in charge and when a set
> finished, we would sit down and fan our sweaty selves. It didn't take long
> before he would be back saying he'd found partners for us and order us,
"Up!"
> We were so tired when weleft and the dancing was still going strong. We
walked
> home through a dusting of snow (the only we've gotten) and it was
beautiful.
>
> I've had some very disturbing things happen as well. The most disturbing
thing
> was meeting a man who Brendan was talking to and then later being told he
was
> the man who had ordered a 14 year old to be shot because he was breaking
and
> entering and vandalizing. Brendan had been talking to him about what
options
> were used before shooting him. It was such a blow to realize this business
man
> in his 50's who was heading to workout in the gym at the Youth Center had
order
> the death of a child that week! Jodi and I had trouble understanding that
this
> is what Brendan meant and had to ask lots of questions before we had the
story
> straight. It turns out this is the man-code name Dark Cloud-who is behind
the
> harassment of the suicide victims. The next day, we were riding in a taxi
> and had a disturbing conversation with our driver. I've found the taxi
> drivers to be very educational, so far. We ride mostly with Orchard
company who
> have mostly Catholic drivers. This man was from Value Cab and was
Protestant.
> He had soft music on and spoke in a cultured, soft voice. He talked about
how
> for the past 5 years there has been no trouble, but that it was bad before
> that. Jodie and I kept him talking, but inside I was shocked. Here we were
> meeting men who ordered deaths and visiting schools with bombs outside and
this
> man said there was nothing happening anymore. Would I tell visitors that
the US
> was peaceful while children are being killed in the streets in other
areas.
> Probably. How sad. How can we all have such different perspectives?
Brendan
> called it a Tale of Two Cities. Everything he says, no matter how
traumatic, is
> in a humorous way.
>
> I've been surprised how quickly I have felt at home. I feel like I belong
here
> even if I am still aware of being 'one of the Americans' and an outsider.
> People are so very friendly. They are what makes this a wonderful place to
be
> and to visit. I have had wonderful weekends of galavanting about-I'm
sending
> Jen's letters about those times-and feel like I am on holiday sometimes
instead
> of working. We started bringing our laptops (Maura has let me use hers) in
to
> work so we can sit in the main area and people will chat with us, but we
don't
> have nothing to do in the quiet times. I'm starting a storytellin group
using
> playback theater this week on Friday. A little nervous that no one will
show
> up, but looking forward to it!
>
> Let's see, what else? Oh yes, I have crush on a guy that comes in to
teach on
> Monday afternoons. The good news is he is a smiling cutie. The bad news is
he
> lives 1.5 hours away. The good news is he teaches at the Irish school
across
> the street. The bad news is I only see him once a week. The good news is
he is
> a primary school teacher. The worst news is his first name is Plunkett. I
just
> found out that the entire center is aware of the crush. Grrrreat!
>
> Well, look for a link to pictures and for Jen's letters forwarded. I'll
try to
> write again before a month passes.
>
> Love, Lara
-------
Austin Mennonite Church, (512) 926-3121 www.mennochurch.org
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