los hermanos - All Saints Church

LOS HERMANOS
Summer / Fall 2015
Villanueva Brigadistas Newsletter — Volume 1
Dear friends of Villanueva, Nicaragua,
We of the Sister Community Steering Committee have decided to try
a new way of communicating with you - parishioners of St. Lucy's, All
Saints, St. Andrews and others. Over the next year we will use an
addition to the bulletin, three times/year, to let you know what is
happening in Villanueva and how our parishes are supporting our
friends there. Please give one of us a call if you would like to help.
This first “Los Hermanos” (meaning “our brothers and sisters”) will
have articles on: 1) our past trip in February; 2) a future trip to come
a year from next February; 3) Julie Norman's wonderful summary of her
three months of work in Villanueva and with other “sister communities”
from the Northeast of the US and 4) an update on the project to get
an ultrasound to the clinic in Villanueva and some other interesting
project possibilities.
Please read what we offer carefully, then get back to any of us with
how we can make it better.
Craig Polhamus – 952-4227 – crpolhamus@aol.com
Meg Ksander – 472-9934 – ksander@allsaintssyracuse.org
Charles Clinton – 469-1239 – cclinton515@gmail.com
Leigh Hunt – 448-1968 – leighfhunt@aol.com
Kathy Osbelt – 416-3949 – kosbelt@sosf.org
“...And they give deeply
of themselves and their
resources as volunteers
who are proud of their
calling and dedicated to
continued learning to
serve their community
as faith-filled providers
in a struggling nation”
Dave Pasinski
In This Issue
2015 Mission Trip group photo with our Nicaraguan hosts

Dear friends of Villanueva, Nicaragua

“Brigadista!” - Visit to Villanueva
in February of this year

Ultrasound to Villanueva Clinic

Julie Norman's Report Sister
Acts and the Villanueva Brigadistas

Interested in being on the next
exposure trip in 2017?
Ultrasound
to Villanueva
Clinic
Gathering of Brigadistas in 2013
“Brigadista!” - Visit to Villanueva in February of this year
The word might evoke an image of a soldier in war who is part of a
“brigade,” but for those of us who traveled to our sister community in
Villa Nueva, Nicaragua, the word evokes a warm image of a wonderfully
committed health care provider in this small town and rural community.
These “brigadistas” train not for war, but for healing- not to kill to help
give birth. They are those persons who commit and sacrifice themselves
to see that pregnant women receive the care they need to deliver
healthy babies. And they give deeply of themselves and their resources
as volunteers who are proud of their calling and dedicated to continued
learning to serve their community as faith-filled providers in a struggling
nation.
Nine of us from St. Lucy’s and All Saints parishes had the opportunity to
meet with them from February 12-19 and came home with a deep appreciation of the dedication, skills, and caring that these many women and
few men put into their service. Although they thought that our visit was
a blessing to them because of the continued monetary support and supplies that generosity from these parishes and others - through the Missionary Appeal – has allowed us to make, it is we who received the blessing of their hospitality and the ability to witness their much appreciated
role within the national health system that simply could not provide the
same level of support since Nicaragua ranks as about the third poorest
country in the Americas.
Continued next page...
We have always said that the
Nicaraguans are the leaders of
the “Sister Community Project”
not us. So more than a year
ago when they said they needed an ultrasound machine, we
went looking. We mentioned
the need for an ultrasound at
mass at All Saints and at St.
Lucy's. Dr. Jim Sherwood, a
radiologist and parishioner at
All Saints, approached us with
an offer to help. A year later
and after many bumps in the
road, the machine is on the
way. It should arrive in Villanueva mid-summer and start
being used immediately. Congratulations to the many who
helped especially to Zach Komar and his grandfather, Leigh
Hunt, who loaded the 500
pound monster into Leigh's
pickup and took it to New Jersey from which it was put on
board ship.
The model Ultrasound sent
Julie Norman's
Report Sister
Acts and the
Villanueva
Brigadistas
I had the opportunity to
spend 2 months in Nicaragua this spring, getting to know the work
of the Villanueva Brigadistas and visiting other
sister-community projects throughout Nicaragua. Before I went, I
researched and connected with the USbased side of various
sister communities.
The goal was two-fold:
one, to find ways to
connect the work of the
All Saints / St Lucy's Villanueva partnership
to a broader network of
like-minded groups
working with Nicaraguan partners in community development; and
two, to engage in discussions with the Villanueva directiva (team
of directors) about their
plans for leadership
and project sustainability, and ideas of how
we in Syracuse can
best continue to support them.
(If you wish to read a
summary of Julie's
work, about 2 pages or
the entire report about
12 pages contact Kip)
Candida Reye with Micah Pasinski
While what we did included various meetings of support and advice and
simple exposure to both village and rural services, it was our painting and
cleaning of the “Casa Materna” – the home provided in the village for the
women who are about to deliver – that shone for us as a conjoint project
tapping everyone’s energies in a common physical project that externally
mirrored the more discreet spiritual and psychological project of ‘team
building” and “home -making.” We were grateful not only for warm hospitality in a warm clime in a cold February, but more for a vision of what
intercultural cooperation and mutual appreciation can achieve. My son,
Micah, took many photos and had won awards for some he took there,
but what was more striking was his telling his sister upon our return, ”it
was life transforming” and him switching his planned major from commercial photography to photojournalism “so I can learn how to tell these
stories.” As Dad, I couldn’t be prouder… and more grateful to our
“Brigadistas” for sharing their vison and commitment and helping all of
us grow in our appreciation of how we so concretely are connected with
this sister community and continue to learn what Pope Francis calls us all
to in build the kin-dom of God.
Dave Pasinski
Interested in being on the next
exposure trip in 2017?
Where: Our sister community in Villanueva, Nicaragua
What: The exposure trip will involve staying with a host family, enjoying
delicious Nicaraguan food, and experiencing daily life alongside our Nicaraguan brothers and sisters. The week’s itinerary will potentially include
excursions into the communities to witness the health programs we support; visits to the local school, health clinic and the Casa Materna; joining
in a monthly brigadista (health promoter) training session; a tour of the
town of Villanueva; a talk on Nicaraguan culture; and a visit the local coops (coffee, pine needle basket weaving, and eco-tourism) and hike the
trails in the mountain community of Los Altos de Ocotal. There will also
be opportunities for work projects such as helping the families of the
brigadistas build eco-stoves. Each day will consist of an activity in the
morning and a reflection/discussion in the afternoon. The itinerary will
be flexible and will adapt to the needs and interests of the group, whether it be engaging in discussion of finances with program leaders or joining
in games of street soccer with local youths.
When: The trip will take place during the public school Winter Break,
which we anticipate being the week of Monday, 2/20/17. Exact dates
are to be determined, but a likely travel itinerary would be Friday,
2/17/17 to Friday, 2/24/17.
Contribute!
If you wish to help support our
Sister Community and there
efforts, you can make a tax
deductible contribution as follows:
Make checks payable to either
St. Lucy’s Church, or
All Saints Church
Be sure to put in the memo
section: “Sister Community”
Or place your contribution in the
envelopes available in the back
of each of supporting church
This Newsletter sponsored by:
Who: Adults and youth (at least 15 years old) are welcome. Spanish language skill is a great advantage, but not a prerequisite. Travelers are expected to pay their own way. However, because we are planning this
trip over 18 months in advance, there will be adequate time for the
group to raise funds. We don’t want anyone to be excluded due to financial limitations.
Why: The personal connections formed with our brothers and sisters in
Villanueva are as valuable to them as any financial contributions we
make to their program. Encountering firsthand the faith, love and joy of
the people of this community—and the work that their faith inspires
them to do—can be a life-changing experience.
How: Potential travelers should begin planning now. If interested in
more information, please contact Charles Clinton:
cclinton515@gmail.com or 469-1239. We will need names of potential
travelers by 9/15/15 so we can begin planning this trip, preparing travelers for what to expect, and raising the necessary funds.
The church in Villanueva