My vision

I wrote this in my diary in 1994 in Paraguay

My vision is to be an instrument of God in the healing of relationships.  I am called to listen to individuals in their confusion and anger, to mediate and counsel gruops towards growth and maturity, to bring people towards that holy relationship with God´s creation, and present to all the loving companionship of Christ.  This vision motivates my calling.

Telling the story

"I have been in nearly all the women´s jails  in the northern part of Chile," she told me when she caught my arm after the Roots in the Ruins: Hope in Trauma workshop.  A team of trauma healing and resilience development facilitators from the Shalom Center had come to Antofagasta on the coast of northern Chile to accompany the members of the Pentecostal Church of Chile.

"I was a drug dealer," she added. "Today you taught us that in order to be a place of healing, the church needs to be a safe space to share each other's stories.   I know this is true.

For over 20 years I was in and out of jail.  Then one day, my neighbor invited me to this church.  I came, and I discovered God's presence in a way that I had never known before.  Weeping and trembling, I told God my whole story and felt like I did not have to hide anything for the first time in my life.  When God listened to my story, my life began to change.  I no longer dealt in drugs,  I went back to my family and home, and I kept coming to church.

I thought that everything would be alright, but it wasn´t.  I realized that I needed to do something about my behavior in my family.  My children and I fought constantly.  I decided one day to tell them my story.  I shared with them how my childhood had been and confessed that I knew that theirs had been similar.  I told them stories, good and bad, that I had never revealed before.  They listened.  Together we decided to start working on creating happy experiences, a little at a time each day, for all of us to remember.

And I thought that now everything would be alright, but it wasn´t.  I began to notice the violence, not just the shootings and the shouting, but the way of thinking and of being in my "población," my neighborhood.  I could see that I had grown up and that now my children were enveloped by the ramifications of all the lacks that come with poverty.   As a member of the church, I now had a point of comparison.  I told my community story to my pastors and they encouraged me to get involved in healing my neighborhood.  I did.  I visit my  neighbors to listen to their stories and encourage them. 

God listened to me and my spirit was healed.   My children listened to me and our family was healed.  My pastors and church listened to me, I and I am helping to heal my community.

I have discovered that daring to tell and listen to our stories sets us on the path of healing."

Anonymous as told to Elena Huegel

Antofagasta, Chile

October, 2015     

The stone

THE STONE

One who was clumsy tripped on it.

The violent used it as a projectile.

The builder constructed with it.

The farmer, exhausted, used it as a seat.

To children, it was a toy.

David killed Goliath.

Michael Angelo hew it into sculpture.

In all cases

The stone was stone, but the person was different.

There is no stone in your path

you cannot transform for your use.

By Laura Lavalle (Translataed and adapted by Elena Huegel)

Dignity

Here is a video link to watch and listen to a story about Dignity that is part of the Roots in the ruins: hope in trauma program.

https://vimeo.com/168269473

Beyond our square meter

The one who never leaves home, thinks mother is the only cook.  African Proverb

Hammock of Hands

By Elena Huegel

Jan. 16, 2015

We weave a net with all our hands

To catch hope and let fear escape.

A handy net

                To cradle the world.

Bring your hands:

                Your working hands

                With cracked nails.

                Your folded hands

                Praying at the rail.

                Your grubby hands,

                With sand, shovel and pail.

                Your manicured hands

                With sculpted nails.

Together we weave a hammock of hands

To gently rock the world.

Laughter and babbling brook…

Gather in the net!

Hunger, hate and horror…

Shake, shake, shake them out!

Humming birds and wild flowers…

Gather in the net!

Word-blows and worries…

Shake, shake, shake them out!

Child-play and simple joy…

Gather in the net!

Snake fang and heart pain…

Shake, shake, shake them out!

Bear hugs and skipping rope…

Gather in the net!

Gloating, gossip and ignorance…

Shake, shake, shake them out!

Cradle the world in a

Hammock of interwoven hands.

Good-bye to Chile!

A Pueblo prayer:

Hold onto what is good,
Even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold onto what you believe,
Even if it is a tree that stands by itself.
Hold onto what you must do,
Even if it is a long way from here.
Hold onto life,
Even if it is easier to let go.
Hold onto my hand,
Even when I have gone away from you.

            There is a rock outcropping at the Shalom Center overlooking the waterfall , the tops of the coigue trees, and the Lircay River far below.  This is the end of the Shalom Trail and one particular rock juts out in a way to make a seat for me.  I have sat on this same rock for over fifteen years.

            Feelings flit in and out of my soul like the mountain breeze and clicks of the humming birds.  One nearly flew into my nose a moment ago; I had to close my eyes and blow hard to shoo her away!  The lizards, some turquoise blue fading into emerald green, others brown and yellow striped, share the rock with me.  They are so used to me that they don´t mind when  we enjoy the same sunlight and shadows.

            In the midst of good-bye parties, parting rituals, and tears, the forest is also bidding me farewell.  Today the fox trotted down the road in front of the Welcome House while I ate my breakfast, stopping several times to take me in before wandering across the circle of logs and into the berry bushes.  Yesterday I spotted the orange and black tadpoles of the "Venusto Toad," beautiful and endangered.  As the forest and I say farewell, so I also say goodbye to twenty years of life and ministry in Chile. 

In Spanish we say "adios" to say good-bye.  It literally means "unto God."

Unto God..to the pastors and pastoras who have encouraged me and opened their churches for the different activities I have led over the years.

Unto God...to  the participants and staff of the Shalom Center who have heard the call to build the Shalom Kingdom with truth, justice, mercy, dignity and peace.

Unto God...to the people of Chile, neighbors, bus drivers, post office workers, cashiers, and shop owners who have greeted me with a smile and a wave.

Unto God...to the children of Chile who share with me their play, laughter and learning. 

Unto God...to the mountain ecosystem which has intertwined its essence in my being.

Unto God... to each of you.  I carry you in my heart as precious treasures to cherish and share with others in faraway places.

            I ask for your prayers as I discern the next steps in my life.  During the next six months I will be visiting churches in the United States and preparing for a new assignment.  Please pray that God might prepare the path before my feet.

            A missionary's job is to work herself out of a job.  That means that farewells are an inherent and anticipated part of the ministry. These good-byes are particularly painful when balanced with the other half of a missionary´s job: integration and complete participation in the host culture with a commitment to deep, transformative relationships.

            I have worked hard to form  the good-byes from Chile into experiences of  learning and growing for those around me as well as myself.   As C.S. Lewis say in the movie "Shadowlands" "The pain now is part of the happiness then.  That's the deal."  So also these farewells open doorways to fresh hopes, dreams and possibilities.  Fare thee well, my friends!  

            I remind you that the the Roots in the Ruins: Hope in Trauma activities and other news will be posted on the new "Fanpage" on "Facebook".  It is called "Retoños en las ruinas: esperanza en el trauma."  You can also follow me, in English,  on my blog "From the ends of the earth."  http://colibrienchile.blogspot.cl/

            Thanks for your prayers and for being a part of my ministry, always!

Shalom,

Elena