Saying "Goodbye" In Guyanese

Well, then it came. That time loomed on the horizon, and what better way to begin the painful process of separation than to go on a trip with all your coworkers!?

So that's what we did. Most of my department at the hospital came together and we went on a weekend trip up the Pomeroon river. It was a delightful weekend retreat that brought us all closer together. We discovered that we had some fiercely competitive Taboo and Pictionary players among us, and also got the chance to swim, see the Amerindian Reservation at Kabakaburi and Meg and I whipped up an All-American breakfast for everyone, complete with mini-omelettes and homefries!

There were touching goodbye presentations and words from everyone, and it was in that moment that I finally began to feel that I could let go of my struggle with the need to feel that I was accomplishing something. These folks convinced me that I had, in fact, done just that. Maybe not in any measureable way, like grant proposals accepted, reports written, or research papers submitted, as I had anticipated, but more in who I had been to them and to the patients we serve, and what that had meant to everyone. Sister Sheila Walsh, the CEO of SJMH, echoed that in her goodbye, "It may not be that you've done a lot, but you've been a lot, and that's special".

There have certainly been some more concrete accomplishments as well. I have been the programme manager for grant monies supporting five complementary care programmes offering holistic care for the poorest and most vulnerable patients in our patient population for the past two years; I have assisted in the analysis and compilation of a research study on nursing retention at SJMH; I assisted in research which aided in the development of the programme "New Light, New Sight" which offers collaboration with opthalmologists and optometrists from Canada who will come to several small villages in the interior to offer cataract and pterygium surgeries (poor vision and blindness is a particular problem among the Amerindian people, who have very limited access to surgical resources, or even primary health care); I've encouraged 10 boys to put their faces in the water and not to be afraid of the deep end in my Saturday morning ministry; I've shared my love of theatre and performing with two classes of trainees, who have improved their public speaking and confidence in addressing others as a result; and I have been present to many changes within MVC, and have shown hospitality and welcomed several visiting college and Mercy-related volunteer groups to Guyana and to our home during their stay.

That's all well and good, but it's the relationships that have been the important thing about this time, this Rare Privilege. And those have been hard to bring to a close. So what the Guyanese tell me, those wise people who have had to say goodbye to many family members and friends leaving for abroad, is not to say "goodbye", which is so final and closing; but to instead use the creole expression, "laytah!", which better expresses our hopes of running into each other again someday in the not-too-distant future. It binds us together in anticipation and plants a seed, which will blossom again when my feet touch Guyanese soil.

And maybe the hardest goodbye of all is to my dear fellow volunteer, roomie, sister from another Mister, and best bud, Meg Ups. She is a light in my life, and I don't know what my mornings will be like without her. I'll miss all our little routines and jokes, I'll miss our heart-to-hearts, spirituality nights, and maybe even our business meetings - yes, even community business can be spiced up with Meggie around. I hope you get your name on that minibus, MAGGIE - in HOT PINK. Much love and gratitude to you.

And, of course, this experience would not have been possible without the support, guidance, cooperation, and inspiring example set by the Sisters of Mercy in Guyana. This group of women has truly shown me the meaning of dedication to God in service of His chosen ones, and has encouraged me with the realization that it doesn't have to be a hard, dull, sapping task, as I initially had some fear it would be. There could also be wonderful, touching, greace-filled, light-hearted moments, and those were really the gems I treasure. So thank you for your guidance and support, and thank you to the Sisters, Associates and Volunteers internationally who kept me, our community and our ministries in your prayers. God bless each of you specially, as you have asked Him to bless us.

GRADUATION TIME!!

The end of the school year is a very busy time at Mercy Wings, and it's all topped off with the graduation of the trainees. This is a picture of the Director of the Centre (front, centre, in light blue) and some of the staff seated around her, and the graduating trainees standing behind.

These trainees are trained in General Construction, Catering and Home Management, and Child Care and Care of the Elderly. Each graduating trainee has completed the course and has passed his/her practical exams. In addition, they prepare to showcase their talents from their arts and crafts classes, which include tye-dying, fabric painting, drumming, dancing, and (my personal favourite) DRAMA!

This year 10 trainees presented a skit about their hopes and dreams for graduation. We worked together to write the skit. We talked about the kinds of jobs they would like to have and the kinds of lifestyles they would like to live 10 years into the future. We also talked about their fears or what they anticipated would be difficult about being in that particular job or position. We discussed the values people would have to have to do that kind of work, and the advice a person in the student's chosen profession might give an aspiring nurse, artist, architect, or DJ. Then we incorporated their responses into scenes of students discussing their dreams on one side of the stage, and a scene about each student's future (10 years later) on the other. At the end of the skit one of the trainees explained to the audience things that the trainees wanted their teachers, parents, and any potential employers present to know about them: for example, that they are hardworking, trustworthy individuals who are learning and growing every day. It was a very powerful skit, and although the students were EXTREMELY nervous, they did a wonderful job with it. I was very proud of them.

And then it was on to the PROM! The biggest dance of the Mercy Wings' school year was fairly well-attended and was catered by Mr. Kirkpatrick, who, I overheard, had celebrated his 70th birthday just the day before! As you can see by this picture of the guys when it ended, everyone had a great time. What a great way to end the year! Thanks for the memories, everyone! I'll miss you, trainees, teachers and administrators alike!

FIELD TRIP (Part 2)

"When you get a wound, it leaves a scar."

- Male Prison Inmate of the New Amsterdam Prison, speaking figuratively about wounds of the spirit

On the 18th of July, the students of the Mercy Wings Vocational Centre headed out once again for their yearly field trip to the New Amsterdam Prison. This is a mandatory annual field trip designed to allow the trainees to meet prisoners, hear their personal stories, and learn about the consequences of delinquent behaviour. The idea is that such exposure will make them think twice about pursuing a life of crime or delinquency after graduation from the training centre.

We had the opportunity to meet and ask questions of the Seargent of the compound, one of the Matrons of the Women's prison (the compound is separated into a male and a female division), and five inmates: two men and three women. One of the women was a gospel singer. One was a member of the Prison drama group. One of the men was a poet and recited one of his poems from memory. All of the prisoners stressed that prison was no place to live, and that message came through in their testimonies. However, one convicted thief and former drug user admitted that he felt safer and more sure of survival in prison than "outside", and was a repeat offender. "I wan' an arrest," he said. "de outside world too hard; deh I might die."

More than one prisoner told us that they were innocent of their crimes, but that the case had not come to trial in three, five, seven years, and they were being held until their cases could be tried. One was convicted of murder in self defense. The students, having seen popular movies about life in jail, focused many of their questions on the stereotypes and typical situations that those movies seem to portray. The inmates fielded these questions and brought a level of reality to those fictionalized representations. The students also learned about the importance of rules and obedience within the compound: if they are broken, the inmate can be placed on PD1 (Punishment Diet Number 1), consisting of bread and water served twice a day. There was a Punishment Diet Number 2 in the past, but resources provided by the government have grown too scant for that.

The trainees were also taken on a tour of the facility and got to meet many of the inmates in the womens' section, who were mostly all congregated for a church service offered by two Missionaries of Charity once a week. Many of them freely offered their stories and were glad for a visit and a new person to chat with. We saw the foam mats where they slept, set up dormitory-style. Some rooms contained 6-10 mats, others nearly 30. Each mat had sheets and towels on it, neatly arranged, and often had an open Bible on top.

We also saw the carpentry center, bakery and dining hall on the men's side, but did not go into any of their cells, as there were security problems and the cells are quite overcrowded. All in all, the trainees seemed receptive to the messages presented to them. But for many, I think the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to travel so far across Guyana (which they might not be able to afford otherwise) and enjoy a ferry ride across the Berbice River!

Sunday in the Park ....

This is kind of what I thought Guyana (and the Caribbean) would be like before arriving: that we would spend every Sunday afternoon listening to free steel pan concerts in the Botanical Gardens. Well, that dream finally came true one afternoon. A bunch of our friends went to enjoy some of the simple and free pleasures of life, like frisbee in the park, feeding the manatees, learning to dance from the children who were around, and playing catch and having running races with the hyperactive children. It was absolutely lovely, and left us sunburned, exhausted, and thoroughly contented ;o)

SUPPORT YOUR MOTHER!

Meg and I were invited to participate in the Environmental Protection Agency's ECOWALK one sleepy Saturday morning. The walk started around 6:30 am to make sure we could cover the route before the sun got too hot.

The walk started downtown at the Parliament building next to the bus park and ended a few miles away in the Botanical Gardens, where there were addresses by a member of the Ministry, a professor at the University of Guyana and others. The theme was "Climate Changes" and the walk was put on in order to sensitize people to the way climate change is ocurring and is affecting our planet. These changes are particularly noticeable in Guyana, where the biodiversity is affected measureably by these subtle changes.

Curry-Q!





It's not a Bar-B-Q, folks, it's a curry-Q, which means MANY different kinds of curries need to be prepared to be sold at this fund raising event.
The Mercy Wings trainees offered their food preparation and cooking skills to help a local church with this fundraiser, and to perfect their catering skills at the same time! But how do you prepare such a HUGE quantity of curries all at once? - have a cooking OVERNIGHT!

Here's a sneak peak of that catering overnight that Meg and I chaperoned at the Mercy Wings Vocational Centre in Sophia. We slept out there overnight on Friday night and the girls started preparing food again first thing (no joke, these are high school-aged children who naturally got up at 6 am and started to cook!).

Sorry my camera didn't feel like opening all the way - it must have been tired, too. The overnight was a bit restless as large beetles and mosquitoes assaulted us relentlessly. But the morning was fun watching cartoons as the girls taught us to batter fish for frying and made channa, potato, chicken and beef curries. What a great job they did! Way to go, girls!

MASHING RIVALS

The floats that pass are all followed by a sea of people all supporting whatever group/company/sponsor they march behind. They all dress in the same costume and march and dance together.

The biggest corporate rivalry underway in Guyana is the introduction of a new cell phone company, Digicell. Their supporters marched in red behind a float called "The Red Storm" to promote Digicell products and services.

Their competitor is Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T for short) who marched under the slogan "Blue Power" with a soca song blaring playing the same message. Here you can see one of the small floats that was pulled by hand behind one of the costumed dancers.

There's a lot of energy on the streets mash day - and it intensifies discussions between rival consumers in the crowd - you should hear people argue about which service is best. And the cell phone is an omnipresent and essential feature in nearly every Guyanese home - even the ones who live in the poorer areas find the money to own a phone, or even two (One from EACH company, purchased in the middle of the promotions and deals!).

One of the prettiest dancers was this young lady, a friend of mine who was volunteering at the Ministry of Health. This talented gal wore a costume that represented a fruit basket in a float about health promotion and proper nutrition. She showed people how to eat healthy through the sun and rain, and still had a smile on her face for me close to the end of the parade route!

More Mash!

Maybe I've just never been close to the base of a stilt-walker before, but this guy seemed unbelievably high! And if you could see how they danced, not just walked and kicked, but DANCED on those stilts - really amazing!

Time for some retroactive posting!

Meg, Gavin, Carl and I got dressed up in our own interpretations of Mash costumes, mostly composed of glitter on our skin and homemade celebratory t-shirts. We took to the streets in the sun and the pouring rain, and even made it into a Mash documentary (cameo, of course!).