Conscious Kata

They say Costa Rica is a great place to go if you want to learn about conservation of the Earth. Whoever they are, they are right. What does any of the learning mean if we don't do anything with it though? If we do not allow the faces, the way of life, or the differences we encounter to change us then have we gained anything from our experiences?

Since I have been in Costa Rica I have learned so much. At times I can feel my heart beating faster with the emotion of potential. This potential makes me feel like I have power in my choices, that the way I choose to live votes for how I want others to live and how I want the Earth to flourish. In my time here I have visited a Banana plantation that sells to Dole, a permaculture farm in the middle of the rainforest, a self sustaining organic farm in Heredia, a coffee plantation that sells to Starbucks, I have heard Starbucks representatives talk about C.A.F.E. practice, I have helped release baby sea turtles into the ocean, fished with a fishing co-op, visited a taro plantation, walked through a dump city, taken the bus or walked everywhere, thrown my bathroom garbage in a trashcan rather than the toilet, taken cold showers and shopped at farmer's markets. Through all of this I have had to ask myself some very difficult question: Is a bright yellow banana worth the pesticides falling onto the playground of a nearby school? When I buy a vegetable at a cheaper price does someone not have a job in a country which couldn't compete with the market? Does organic mean it was produced justly? Does free trade mean it wasn't produced justly? How many sea turtles have eaten my trash? Can I do anything to change the life of a child in la Chureca?  

The thing is, rather than feeling overwhelmed with helplessness by all of the problems I have faced since being here I feel powerful to make a difference. It is incredible. As I live in a country that exports to the U.S., a country which I have received many benefits from in the past without knowing it, I am confronted with the hands and faces of those who provide me with those benefits, and I am seeing their cost. More than anything I am convinced that my decision to purchase locally is voting against companies that use harmful pesticides on their goods. I am convinced that by composting I am being a steward of the resources God has given me and caring for his world. It doesn't mean I will be perfect, but my experiences have taught me that its worth it to be a conscious consumer and waster.

I have realized for the first time in my life how entitled I feel to things in life. I deserve to take a 30 minute hot shower because its freezing outside. I deserve a college education because I worked hard in high school. I deserve dinner because I am hungry. I deserve for you to show up to our meeting on time because my time is valuable. Here's the thing: I don't deserve any of this. I and others do deserve basic human rights, such as the right to life. Living in a new culture and being exposed to new issues has shown me that my way of living is not the only way of living, but that more importantly is certainly not the best way of living. Most of all though, it is all the Lord's. There is no reason why I get to study abroad in Costa Rica and someone else will only get to the 8th grade. Putting the enviro twist on it, there is no reason why I get clean water when I put on the tap and the squatters next to our campus have to drink from the creek. It's all God's, and instead of being so selfish with what "I deserve" I am being challenged to manage it as if it were God's. I have not been a good caretaker of my resources and the Earth in the past, but I never had to deal with the consequences so it didn't matter to me. Now however, I see just a little bit more how our world was not created for just my wants. It's for all of us, so it's time I started treating it like it was.

Okay, so now that I want to make a difference, how exactly can I do this? Well this is where all of you, my travelling companions, teammates, friends and family come in. It's called accountability and that's what it's all about! When I get home I want to start a small garden for my family and begin a compost pile. In my daily life I want to re-use all plastic bags and plastic containers I purchase things in. And I am going to start growing some of my own herbs. These are my short term goals and I need your help to get them done. I also want to try a lot harder to purchase organic fruits and vegetables. I am a frugal person, so cheaper is always better, but a question I am grappling with is, is 30 cents less on a banana worth a human life?

Long term goals: well, one day I hope to invite you to my farm.

Sustainability has also challenged me to think about my mission as a Christian and what God is calling me to specifically do in this world. Learning about sustainability fills me with such excitement because it is so simple, so creative and so possible. I am fulfilled when I participate in caring for God's creation, but  it is not enough for me. The world needs Jesus, but what if by bringing those in need physical food and water, God could bring them his living water. I want to be used by God in a world with physical needs so that he can heal our spiritual needs. There are gardening and irrigation methods that could save the lives of millions of people on our planet and it would give me so much joy to help teach these people these methods. This cannot be the full picture though because filling stomach, even if its for life, will not give them eternal life. Helping solve the physical needs of others can foster an environment for service, questions, and most importantly it can be used by the Holy Spirit as a bridge to the salvation found in Jesus who is the only way to the Father.

The eyes of awareness have been opened and they are seeing truth for the first time. Will the arms, legs and heart respond? Will awareness breed action?

50? Wait? You are 50!?

Cumpleanos feliz Papa! Since I can't be with you, I'm sending you my love and this video. Take some time to celebrate and thank God for the 50 years he has blessed you with. I know I am.

And a country song, cause country is just quite simply the best. Okay, love you so much dad!

Procrastination is an international word

I was warned by my friend David that "procrastination is bad for your health." I didn't listen to his advice, but can anyone blame me? Is procrastination even a choice? I mean really people.  It just takes over when the perfect combination of monotone voices, simplistic content, and the world of endless distractions just one click away. It's a lethal combination. 

Most college students have mastered the art of what I will term procrastiparticipation. Procrastiparticipation is the act of procrastinating while actively giving the appearance of participation. This "participation" comes in the form of looking up from ones computer on average every 7 seconds, intervalled with a 1 second pause in typing, and then resuming. This three step process gives the impression that you are paying attention, taking notes, and pondering what the professor is presenting to you. The ratio of computer to teacher glances can drastically decrease when the professor turns their back to you. It is to you benefit if you can nod or  emit a slight  "hmmm," but be careful, only experienced procrastiparticipators should attempt this because it could get you into a question you may not know the answer to. Also, I am told that females are better at this then males. They can focus on various things at once, while males will forget to go through steps 1 and 2 (looking up and pausing typing) although this claim is still in the midst of further research.

This is the situation I find myself in right now. It's 9:45 a.m. and I am sitting in my Conservation and Human Rights course. Past weeks have taught me that 6 hours of class would be a battle of stamina, so I grabbed some NutriSnack cookies and filled up my Nalgene for sustenance before coming to class. I could tell you about what we are learning, but I would rather give you information that is way more relevant to your life and mine at this moment. No that photosynthesis isn't relevant. I mean, where would we be without it? But I'm pretty sure you will be just fine without a review in High Shool Bio.

First things first. Check out this video. It was written by a guy names Human, and the lyrics are provoking.

Imagine Human meeting aliens:

-Hi, I'm Human.

~gReeEtiNgSsss HuMAaan. WaaAt eeeeS yOurr NamE?

-Human.

~HuMAAn, wAaaAtt Eees YouRR NamE?

-Human

*Aliens get frustrated and laser blast him. KABOOM!*

The lyrics are even more impacting after you have visited a banana plantation that DOLE purchases from. I can 95% guarantee you that we have all eaten a banana from this exact plantation. Makes you ask lots of questions when pesticide planes are flying over you treating your food with chemicals that are landing on school playgrounds, on workers, and in nearby water sources. It makes you think even more when you follow up this visit by hiking 4 hours in the rain through the Caribbean rainforest until you reach a permaculture farm in the middle of nowhere that uses and re-uses everything, including human caca! So neat!

In case you don't know permaculture is derived from the words permanent and culture. It means an agricultural system intended to be sustainable and self sufficient.

The owner of Punta Mona, the farm we visited, is Stephen Brooks. He is the founder of Kopali organic products which you can find at Whole Food's. I put more new things into my mouth on a square foot of his permaculture farm in the rainforest than I have ever seen in my life. Let me just say, we are not taking advantage of the nature around us in the U.S. like we could be. Mama nature has so much to give us!

For example Jack fruit. It's the largest tree born fruit and can literally reach the size of two soccerballs. It's filamenty and slimy on the inside and has a slippery texture in your mouth. The taste was new, so I can't describe it to you, but it's an acquired one. Anything edible right from nature is worth acquiring though I think. Ok I realize that, I may regret that statement later....

Well I better get back to class. Thanks for the 15 minute distraction. On to anaerobic respiration and Botox! Woohoo!

Nicaragua - Part 2

La Chureca

La Chureca, la Chureca

I can't get you off of me.

My shirt carries the smell

of methane and burning plastic.

Where did the plastic from that bag of chips I ate end up?

My eyes are tired from your dust,

but I keep them open

so as to see you through the haze.

My feet wear the shoes

of all the little children:

Your dirt, your basura.

I washed them once,

but I can't get them off.

I've walked in your shoes for a day,

Now I carry your shoes with me for a lifetime.

Tomorrow my shirt

will smell like fresh soap,

My eyes will have rest

and again see clearly,

Will they choose to see the world as it really is?

Even my feet will find home

in cotton socks and converse shoes

But la Chureca!

I will never be able to wash you off of me.

No soap can scrub off

the tin scraps and cloth you call home.

Didn't I used to use those Disney sheets that are your wall

as a sanctuary from the boogey man?

Do they protect you from the boogey man?

No laundry machine can wash out

the mouth of the little girl eating garbage.

Why didn't I finish my dinner last night?

No shoes can hide

the discrimination you receive.

How many times have I walked right past you?

Are you as forgotten

as the waste you live off of?

No matter how many times

I splash my face in potable city water,

When I look up into the mirror

I cannot wash your face away.

Why would I want to?

You still smile,

even if you don't have teeth,

You still love,

even if it is only with a goodnight kiss.

Your children still play,

even if its with a three wheeled Tonka truck.

You still laugh,

Even if it lasts for only a moment.

You can praise God

and believe in his faithfulness,

When sometimes he only give you

His Holy Spirit as sustenance.

Don't ever leave me Chureca.

Teach me.

And maybe one day,

we will wear the same shoes.

*There is something surreal and transforming about seeing a city inside the city dump. As one of my peers put it: "When did the city dump, become dump city?" Populations in Nicaragua and other countries around the world make their living off of the waste of their neighbors. They breath in toxic chemicals everyday, die from preventable diseases because of discrimination in health centers, suffer from physical and emotional abuse and so much more. Most people don't wear shoes and walk across the dangerous garbage looking from plastic and scraps of metal to sell for meager amount of money. The cycle is vicious and is caused by so much more than poverty. Things are changing at La Chureca. In the recent years Spain has come in and started a clean up project providing temporary jobs for many of La Chureca's inhabitants. This will come at a cost. At the end of the project hundreds of families will be kicked out of La Chureca, forced to find a home and a life elsewhere, and many others will lose their jobs. You and I can make a difference. We can sponsor a child anywhere in the world who come from a similar place. Our money transforms their lives, and if we forget to pay, they don't forget that they don't get to go to school or eat that month. Another way is to look into microloans. These small loans (of $100) go to members of poor communities like La Chureca and help them get a business started. Businesses we encountered were selling snacks such as Maruchen noodles, tortillas, and salsas, or raising pigs. It seems like so little, but to these people it could keep them alive and teach them valuable life lessons about responsibility and stewardship. They may not get out of La Chureca, get new shoes, find a sturdier house, or be able to bathe in clean water, but they can live a more full and meaningful life not having to worry about where their next meal will come from. Another way you can make a difference is to appreciate all that you have. We are given so much, and we throw so much to waste. Have you ever considered re-using or recycling the tupperware peanut butter or butter comes in? Or washing out and re-using zip-loc bags. The less waste you put out there, the better world you are creating. You can make a difference. It's your choice.

Nicaragua - Part 1

Buenos dias todos! Get comfortable because you are in for a treat. Just think back on your day of 9 hours of school and work. *sigh*. This is going to be a good study break or a relaxation you might be thinking to yourself. Let't read up on Bucky's life.

Do I have your attention yet? Good! Because while your eyes were fixated on this blog I sent a forcefield through the intergalactic rays of time and space to lock you into position. Just try and move away from the computer. See? You can't.

Now, don't be mad. I am doing this for your own good. Trust me! I know that your day had been long and tiring, but I need to give you one more lesson. The forcefield only lasts for 10 minutes total and I am already used up 60 seconds, so I will cut to the chase.

After 1 month of processing my time in Nicaragua I finally managed to figure out a way to introduce all of the important parts about this country in a not so boring and low in interaction kind of way. First lesson: The History of Nicaragua. This is crucial to to understanding the politics and people of today because their history of dictatorship, revolution, civil war and corruption remains alive in those living today. You might as well stop resisting, because you WILL get this history lesson you will appreciate it. Enjoy!



Great job class! You all got an A+ for attendance and participation today. You are free to go, but I expect you all back for our next lesson on poverty.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of Nicaragua watch "Nicaragua - An Unfinished Revolution" on YouTube, or the fictitious film "Under Fire" based off of the Sandinista Revolution leading up to the fall of Somoza. Both cover in much more detail what I mention here and are quite entertaining.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdqICW_mR7g