Hello!
I’ve put together another brief update while preparing to leave for Ecuador - I hope you enjoy it.
Travel
I’m about to leave on Tuesday, July 19 for Ecuador, to stay anywhere from 3 months to 6 months, or more. Please keep me and everyone involved in your prayers, and all you who read these updates remain together in mine.
Current Events in Ecuador
For about 18 days in June, Ecuador passed through a hugely contentious political period, as the indigenous movements united to strike in the mountains areas - especially around Quito - against the national government. These strikes - paros - are meant to be a demonstration of power by road blocks that shut down important economic vias and marches and rallies in the city, and often near the government palace.
Without the space here to get into all the details, the indigenous movements in Ecuador are one of the most politically organized and powerful in the world. There were increasing tensions as both the movement and the government were at a standoff, as the paros extended into 18 days. (In comparison, in October 2019, there were paros for about a week or so.) There were conflicting reports about whether the paros were affecting the populace economically - some said yes, others no.
The main practical contentions were on a number of basic economic issues, including reducing the price of gasoline; reducing the burden of various debts held by local people due to the pandemic; repealing oil permissions in the Amazon and mining permissions in protected natural areas, and others.
Things were at a standoff and dialogue had broken down, until the Ecuadorian Catholic Bishops Conference offered to broker an agreement. The offer was accepted by both sides, and within one day, an agreement was reached on a process to come together over the course of the following 90 days and work out compromises over the various issues.
When I heard about the Bishops Conference’s offer, I thought, “This is either going to go really well, or really badly.” It went really well. I thought it was actually quite a testament to the role that the church can play as a public peacekeeper, as I read how the meeting began and ended with all sides participating in a prayer.
These tensions between Ecuador’s elected governments and the indigenous movements are not really rooted in the immediate problems, but go back in fact to the colonialization of the Americas. There isn’t space to go into that now, but hopefully new steps towards collaborations of mutual listening and fair reconciliations and compromises can be taken.
As for its affects on me and folks I know, I wouldn’t be able to go to Ecuador, as there was no way to reach Quito from the airport with the roadblocks. A friend couldn’t receive the international students that visit her, and the main road to Quito from Chontal was often blocked (though not always). I know a family in Chontal who could not reach Quito to visit a sick family member. But overall, people there were a bit divided, based on how strongly they were affected, or what their political views were. The travel advisory was raised to 3, but is back down to 2.
Finally, as noted before regarding Ximena, there is a shortage of medications in hospitals since the pandemic. Part of the agreement was to declare that a national emergency. Pharmacies have medications, but hospitals have practically nothing, so that families have to go and buy medications to bring for the service of their loved ones in the hospitals. It’s really a dire situation. Now, I can’t be a mule and bring drugs down, but I overstocked on ibuprofen to bring, to share with the medical clinic in Chontal if they’re interested.
More about Mission in Ecuador
Return to Ecuador
I’m leaving for Ecuador on July 19th, and am going to stay anywhere from 3 to 9 months - length of stay isn't fixed yet. As I mentioned before, it will depend on how some things develop, including the visa. The three paths I’ve been considering are still open: religious temporary visa, extended tourist visa, and professional visa. I now have the required documents to bring for all three options!
My apt will be a place of storage for me while gone, and I’ll be staying for a few days in Quito when I arrive, with a friend who I’ve often stayed with before. I'm looking forward to it all.
Focus and Vision
As I’ve been mentioning, the primary focus will be on picking up where I left off in Mindo and Chontal, and continue to build and clarify the bridge in grace. I hope to stay for a much more extended time than recent visits. There’s also the possibility of visiting several people and communities, including Puerto Quito, the community of Alao in Riobamba, and Pd. Julian Delgado in Mocache, who was the priest in Chontal who was responsible for pursuing the church-building through the Franciscan program in Ecuador. There may be a possibility of visiting the Amazon in accompaniment and mission as well, but less likely.
Happenings in Chontal
I've still been in contact now and then with both María Herrera and Ximena Mina, though not as much in the last month. I will see them both soon when I go to Chontal.
There are several instances of families going through some difficulties, and when I arrive I’ll gather some ideas. There can be space for a fundraiser soon. I’m looking forward to being there and doing a lot of catching up. It’s really impossible to make any concrete judgments without that.
Living in Boston
Wow, this is longest I’ve stayed in Boston in ten years, as I’ve now been here for over 15 months! As I mentioned before, I’m grateful for the friends and housing and employment I have here. There's some grieving as whenever I'm traveling, and I'll miss the friends and family that I regularly see. (And I'll miss my basement base!) But I've been ready to go for a while now.
Latino Immigrants in Boston
There had been a few puffs of smoke of continuing some small gatherings of folks who used to attend St. Anthony Shrine, but they happen in fits and starts. The Spanish Mass there has been canceled, and folks are scattered about. It’s somewhat sad, but God is always doing something. It brings to mind the prophet Ezekiel, where there comes a time for God do gather through His Word some dry bones scattered about on the ground in a plain. In chapter 37, God says to the prophet, “These bones are the people of Israel.” He asks, “Can these bones live?” And the prophet responds, “LORD, you alone know.” These things happen in God’s time, and there is a time for everything.
Language with Ecuadorians
Before leaving, I was able to make a visit to Lawrence, Mass, where a large Ecuadorian community lives. I had been doing an online Friday English class with an Ecuadorian family, and I was able to visit and have a meal with them. I also was able to visit Antonio and his wife Isidora, who are from the indigenous community of Alao. We had been hoping to catch up to practice some English and Kichwa together over the past several months, but it never materialized. But, it was good to catch up very briefly before going off to Ecuador.
Parish Accompaniment
I've still been stopping by East Boston to Most Holy Redeemer parish off and on. They are short social visits, as well as attending Mass. I haven't been doing any real ministry there, though, and I'm thinking about what I might do after my return from Ecuador.
Work at East Boston Harborside Community School
I wrapped up my work at East Boston Harborside School teaching computer literacy classes and advising and substituting classes for ESOL students. I had a wonderful connection with the students, and enjoyed the classes that I did teach. I think the students enjoyed them, too, and felt that they benefitted. One of the ways was in the way of forming a sense of belonging, being understood, and community in the classroom.
I also learned a great deal about the system of adult education and supports for immigrants in Massachusetts. As I've mentioned before, I also see a distinction between the approach and philosophy of the entities in the system, and that of Barriers to Bridges. I have ideas for going forward, to flush out more once I'm in Ecuador.
Online Workshops and Teaching Videos
The online workshops and teaching videos are still available - come on by and check them out by clicking on an image below.
I am still continuing to develop these workshops and teaching videos. As the foundation is accompaniment in life, there are a few that you might find beneficial in this pandemic, and if you are experiencing a life transition. I'm continuing to offer the Pandemic ReBirth Workshop, as well as the Tree of Life. Feel free to contact me directly if you're interested. And you can share the link freely as well.
I’m also aiming to put together another Food in the Desert video soon, and hope to be able to move forward in publishing the fourth book in the spiritual reflection series. (Yes, I've been writing that for months! But it will eventually get done!)
Health
I just had my annual physical, and my health looks good, except for a few things.
First, I'm carrying some weight I put on over the winter, and my cholesterol is right at the top limit for normal.
But, more importantly, and in part a cause of that, my left hip arthritis has been flared up since March, and has prohibited me from some activities like running (though I do bike most days) and even extensive walking. Whenever it's flared, it affects my everyday walking, sitting, and sleeping as well. I went for physical therapy in 2020, which helped at that time, but then Covid knocked me out of exercising for a few months, and I had a small flare up in the fall after starting my job with a lot of time seated at a computer. (My mattress could probably use some replacing, too). Anyway, my doctor mentioned a month ago that I'll likely need a hip replacement. I have to investigate how much that will cost with the MassHealth insurance I have…
This hip has bothered me since I was in high school. Always playing a lot of sports at that age, I remember the burning I would often get inside my left hip joint. Though noticeable, it didn't affect my activities, and would go away relatively quickly. It returned only once in a long while during adult years, as I wasn't as intense with sports. But now it seems to be coming to a head!
All of my immunizations are caught up and ready for travel. Among the standards (plus a new shingles vaccine), I've received a second Covid booster. I'm also taking a dose of Zithromax as a silver bullet in case of severe traveler’s sickness. Also, because there is currently a problem getting medications in Ecuador right now, I'm bringing some extra tubes of standard anti-fungal and anti-bacterial creams, which often prove useful, plus some extra ibuprofen. I'm bringing an extra few large bottles of ibuprofen to share in the village - I have the local medical clinic in mind.
Financials
After the last conversation I had with a tax accountant, I finally got around to addressing a short-term change. Essentially, Barriers to Bridges has been operating in a grey zone as a for-profit business of self-employment: Jerome Kiley doing business as Barriers to Bridges. It started in 2016 with the idea of obtaining 501c3 status. In 2018, I started consulting for the St. James Society in Peru, and later published books. These activities were supported with my own mission activities in Ecuador. So, it was all rolled into the one business entity: Barriers to Bridges.
But one grey area was in "donations" and "fundraising". Because B2B is not a 501c3 non-profit, these activities have always had to be personal activities (i.e., personal gifts instead of donations.) Because of the grey area, it was difficult to fit these into B2B's for-profit self-employment business model.
But the complication has increased because I'm not earning income as a B2B consultant or from the books, and that lack of income tilts B2B back in that grey toward something of a "hobby" instead of a business.
My consultant advised going and getting 501c3 status. I'm not ready for that right now, so I've decided to make some changes for the short term.
Namely, I've decided to split the whole effort Barriers to Bridges into a business part and a personal part. The business part is any mission consulting services, income from spiritual and pastoral ministries, workshops or retreats or spiritual accompaniment, or the selling of books. The rest of my activities, like travel and living with the people, volunteer activities, and donations and fundraisers, will be my own personal activities. So, both the business and personal activities will be part of the mission Barriers to Bridges, and described together on shared media like the website. But, one will be operated from the business account and books, while the other from my personal account and books.
This means a few things that are important to know:
All of my volunteer expenses for Barriers to Bridges, i.e. all those not clearly and explicitly related to the business side, are my own personal expenses and cannot be deducted. This includes travel, food, lodging, and all the supplies, tools and other expenses for volunteer ministries. Until there is income on the business side, you’ll see much less activity on the B2B financial sheets.
As it has always been, gifts to Barriers to Bridges are personal gifts, but are now accepted into my personal checking account instead of the B2B business account. I'll continue to keep accounting of all my personal expenses, and will work out a way to publish those.
Giving and fundraisers are being switched to another platform, likely GoFundMe. I'm in the process of investigating a few other possibilities. The one I use for the business, DonorBox, charges more money that GoFundMe, and is really for business entities. While this is being worked out, the “Give” buttons on the website are not active. Contact me directly if you want to make a personal gift.
I hope this situation is a temporary one, but it's also I think best right now for tax purposes to be more conservative in the grey area that B2B is in. As things unfold during this visit, I hope to have a clearer idea of how both the business and personal aspects grow, and whether a 501c3 emerges. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or comments.
Here are the current financials for Barriers to Bridges (I’m still working on updating the balance sheet).
Reflection & Vision
As the date to leave was coming up, I noticed that, although I'll still get plenty more use from my footwear on the smooth streets of Boston, it was time to update my walking and athletic footwear if I wanted to navigate rural and urban Ecuador. So, I did all my shopping and bargain hunting to find comfortable shoes that fit me well while having the required traction and ruggedness. Not bad to get 2 new pairs of shoes for a total of $100.
But in the process I noticed another pair that I think would be useful. They were just like the walking shoes I got, but they were "mid-tops" instead of low-tops, giving me more ankle and messy-mud support. It would be better to have those for a lot of rural situations. But, I could always get by with the low-tops I just bought. I had already spent $100, so I didn't want to spend another $70. But they kept coming back to my mind, like something for what I'll need. So, I said to God, "Lord, this is your work with me. If you want me to have these shoes, give me another $60. If you somehow send me another $60, I'll buy them. If not, I won't." I figured $60 because I thought I could afford another $10 from what I had to cover the $70. And that put it to rest out of my mind.
Later that same day, I arrived home and found a letter from a friend in the mail. Inside, along with a wonderful card and encouraging note, were three $20 bills.
I went online, and found the pair on sale for $58. Needless to say, they are now in my suitcase.
And I just think that I'll need those for something important…
"And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it." (Jn 14:13-14)
On the Fourth of July, I happened to be in the area of Boston where the big concert and fireworks display goes off. Hundreds of thousands of people come to this area for this hours-long event at night, which includes live works by the Boston Pops orchestra and professional performers with a half-hour professional fireworks show at the end. Back 20 years ago, I used to live across the street from the location on the Charles River where the fireworks were launched, and I was in that area for a little while, taking it in.
I felt alone there as hundreds of people filed in and out of the Esplanade, near the police, while loudspeakers broadcast the performance to the thousands of people who had arrived hours-enough early to get a seat. After a little while, and a good hour before the fireworks, I decided to leave.
I took the subway to the end of the line, where my bike was waiting for me to ride home. As I rode, though, I could here fireworks explosions up in the distance ahead. I finally arrived at Healy Field, where I and so many peers used to play Little League as a kid. The lights were on, and the stands were filled with families - Latino immigrants having a little celebration, while setting off some fireworks. Families and children mingled together, people talked to each other, drinks were opened up. I ended up meeting a number of people. Kids got to set off sparklers, and experienced adults guided some of the older youth in setting off roman candles. And every now and then, one of the adults would come out with some larger fireworks for everyone to ohh and aww over.
And I couldn't help but think of how different it was from being downtown with the professionals and the crowd. How lonely that was, compared to how at home it felt.
I often mention to folks who have the patience to put up with me that we've become too professional of a society in the United States. We need more amateur life. Amateur life is domestic life, it's family life, neighborhood life, community life. It's a small and vulnerable life. It's not based in politics or business or other institutions that make for power. It's just people with all their messy humanity. At a time when there is so much division, what reconciles barriers into bridges is not programs or organizations or schools or political or social movements. Those are the realms of the professional. Despite all their activity that has its place and value, if they are the focus, I think they leave people feeling … alone. What is at the core of reconciliation is the amateur life. Family, friendships, neighborhoods. Vulnerability. Personability.
A place to be at home.
Jesus was an amateur. The apostles were amateurs. Abraham, Moses, David, all the prophets - everyone was chosen by God as an amateur. And so they are all people of reconciliation and unity because in the personal vulnerability of amateur life - family, friends, neighborhood, community - God finds a home.
God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. (1 Cor 1:27-29)
About 15 years ago, I was in a discernment program with a Franciscan community, and one day I was walking through a part of the city of Lawrence where we lived, when I came upon a church that was condemned. I was looking at it, wondering about why it was condemned, when a homeless person who was passing by stopped to talk. He said to me he didn’t know why it had closed, but that he remembered playing bingo a lot in parish hall across the street back in the day.
I remember thinking that day about all the churches in the city of Lawrence that had been closed. I think there used to be 10 or more, and by then there were only two and a half. There was the Italian church, the Polish church, the Irish church, the German church, and on and on. Every ethnic group of immigrants had their own church - and no one dared entered the church of the “others”. Instead… well, bingo.
Lawrence is now about 70% Hispanic, and wherever I talk with Hispanic communities in the church, I mention this story about the condemned churches. With a warning: “And if you stay separate from the English speakers and the other groups like all those other immigrants did before you - the same will happen to you.”
Last week I went by the same church in Lawrence - and it’s still condemned. Nothing has changed.
There is nothing that God dislikes more than using His name and being divided. It’s why the first line of the Lord’s Prayer is uniting together saying “Our Father”, and the second is “hallowed be thy name.” It’s why Jesus prayed, “so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (Jn 17:21) The deep unity of love reveals God and His name, who God is. And if anyone uses His name and is divided? Well…
It’s always a good time to listen to where God may be calling to step out of the bingo games and cross barriers of language and culture and whatever else divides parishes and communities into the space of the “other”. God can do great things with even a little step.
Because in the communion of love that His name is revealed.
That never changes.
Closing
Thanks for reading - I hope it all helps you enter into the experience. Feel free to comment or reach out anytime, and I'll post again when it's time.
-Jerome