May 7, 2007

Dear Friends,

For several years our mission assignment has led us to work with partners. We have seen changes in lives take place for instance when a family receives a cow through Heifer Project.  Nevertheless, we are constantly challenged by new needs and aspirations of the people that we work with when they fall outside of the scope of the organization that we work through. At the same time, these challenges give our mission presence a creative twist and in the long run lead to a better and more holistic response.

The other day Gloria came across a reflection written about indigenous people in the United States that spoke to us. “If ye don’t know the past, then ye will not have a future.  If ye don’t know where your people have been, then ye won’t know where your people are going.”  This quote, by Forrest Carter in The Education of a Little Tree, speaks volumes to us. Indigenous people make up about 10 percent of the population in the country and illiteracy rates among indigenous people are about 80 percent. Oral traditions pass down the culture from one generation to another and are crucial for the survival of the culture.

Accompanying people means walking with them not only now but also as they rediscover their past and as they look toward the future. This type of accompaniment is part of a process of building up their identity and self-confidence as they face new challenges for the first time. As this rediscovery takes place, a wide range of activities become possible future action, which may challenge the established focuses of the partner that we work through. Time and again we have experienced this challenge to respond as the people’s perception of their real needs change. This challenge is exciting as it becomes translated into a specific creative action whether it be helping someone further their education, helping a community become organized in order to achieve a common goal or something as simple as using an improved stove to cook on.

Pacuala Garcia, Eluterio's wife, cooks here on a traditional cooking stove in the Garcias' former home.

Eluterio is a village leader in the indigenous village of Chonco. He has been very active in coordinating the housing project that the community has undertaken.  After working on a self-construction housing project he and others in the community have become open to a wide range of other possible changes in the community. For centuries people have cooked on a stove that’s little more than a raised platform for an open fire (see photo). How is it that at this point in time there is an acceptance of changing such a basic tradition?

In this case the path to the future for the people in the community of Chonco is one affected by a globalized world.  While there may be many new opportunities for them there also will be fewer and fewer natural resources on which to depend.  Eluterio may not understand all of the reasons for this but the basic economics and labor-saving convenience of using much less firewood does make sense to him. Getting the smoke out of the house and women standing up more while cooking will be added benefits becoming part of the new tradition to be passed on in the future. 

Eluterio in his new home. This particular stove, which costs about 75 dollars, was developed here in Honduras and is sponsored by the Honduran Association for Development (AHDESA). 

One of the lessons learned for us is that when looking backward to look toward the future, change can come down to what is sound economically, culturally friendly and easy to demonstrate and replicate. The clay pots for cooking over stones are less available so some change was necessary in order to be able to continue with the cultural tradition of cooking corn for tortillas as a main staple of the diet. Mayan descendants believe they come from corn as their written tradition, the Popol Vuh says.

As an innovative leader he wanted the "eco-stove" to be demonstrated in his house.  Now after seeing its benefits many more people want to build the same type of stove. 

As we have many challenges we have many rewards and are able to give thanks.  Thank you for your support and for your prayers.

Tim and Gloria Wheeler

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.59