Here are the redefined goals I have for this mission and below is how I have progressed in each in the last few weeks.
1. Continuing to visit sick people in the clinic and in their homes
2. Regularly participating in the parish and at Mass, especially through singing with the choir at San Marcos
3. Developing an English portion of “Juguemos a Leer” on Saturday mornings
4. Helping to plan and improve the program with the “Grupo de la Tercera Edad” on Thursday mornings
5. Building rapport with the staff of the various clinics within the Foundation: supporting their efforts and listening to their concerns as part of the pastoral team
6. Participating with “Club de Amigas” on Sunday evenings
7. Supporting volunteers in the social work department: by getting to know them personally, visiting their classes from time to time, and being part of their major events to affirm the ways in which they reach out to the community
8. Growing as a mission team and seeking ways to help each other in our individual efforts and mission projects
Progress in these goals:
1. I am continuing to do pastoral visits. I also made updated reports for each home visit to have a file for each patient. Last Wednesday January 20th, I presented a case to the doctors at their meeting. As a result, the patient came to the clinic to see a doctor on Monday January 25th.
2.The choir is now singing Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings at Masses. I also am spending time with the families of some of the women in the choir. I have begun to facilitate Skype conversations between children of the parish here and in the United States. These conversations will take place on some Wednesday and Sunday evenings when I am in homes in the parish. My father, Brian Krebs directs religious education with a parish in North Dakota that will be working with us. The purpose of these conversations is to build ties between this community and one in the United States as an intercultural and language exchange.
3.Saturday January 23, 2010, Raquel and I led our first “Juguemos a Leer” class. We divided the 17 kids into two reading levels. We made nametags, and they learned how to say “my name is________” in English. I took pictures of each child with their name so we can begin remembering them. Kids can join the class until the end of January, so once we are full, I will make nametags for the kids with their names and pictures on them. We have weekly meetings set up for Thursdays at 12:30pm to discuss what we have prepared for the coming Saturday. Each child pays 50 pesos enrollment and 30 pesos per class. Raquel and I decided that 10 pesos per child per session will go toward paying for supplies for the classes. I need to prepare a space in the auditorium to conduct my bilingual component of the class.
4.Laura Vega, Abrana, and I plan to meet every Wednesday at 11am to prepare for the “Grupo de Tercera Edad.” We would like to plan 2 months in advance to be able to have activities with presenters from other places. Laura and I met on Wednesday Jan 20, and made many plans for the improvement of the Grupo de la Tercera Edad. This Thursday January 21, 2010, the Grupo de la Tercera Edad met and agreed to each save 1 peso every day to bring to the club to be able to pay for food and other things that the group wants to do. Linda Wasserman presented the first of a series of 15 minute English lessons. We elected a board: president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer. I took pictures of each of these people to make nametags. There are other support people that were selected to be part of the leadership for the group. I have their names and pictures also. I made copies of the handwritten lists that Abrana had of the names, addresses, and birthdays of the group. I will type this up so it is functional for attendance and records. I will update basic medical records as part of this database. I am creating an attendance board so people can record when they come to the group since there is concern about people coming just when there are give-aways involved. I will be supporting the group’s outing on Monday February 8th to Casa Club. We have bus transportation to and from the clinic and we will eat lunch there.
5.When I come to the Fomerrey 35, I walk through the clinic to greet the staff. I know all of them by name, and I am continuing to support them.
6.The Sister who has been leading the “Club de Amigas” is no longer in Guadalupe, so the group is becoming self-sufficient. I am preparing to give a talk to the group on Sunday February 7th about spirituality. I meet with the group two Sunday evenings a month and we choose a different discussion theme each time.
7. I attended one of Abrana’s parenting classes. I also met two Autistic children that Raquel has in “Apoyo Escolar.” I will begin teaching these two children about 10 minutes of English on Thursday afternoons at 1pm at request of their mother and Raquel.
8. We now have set aside Mondays at 7pm for our group prayer time at home for which we take turns leading. I have been available to discuss the diabetes program with Mike that he has been working on. Paula invited me to accompany her on her HIV/AIDS course on February 17-19 from 2-6pm. I intend on doing this so I have the background to brainstorm with her when she is preparing her workshops. I am working with Linda to support her efforts of teaching English with the “Grupo de la Tercera Edad.” We continue to be in discussion with Sisters Angeles and Beatriz.
This update above was especially for all of my bosses so they don't think I am lazy. My dad told me a story about monkeys. It seems like everyone around here is trying to get me to carry their monkeys around and they're starting to get heavy and give me headaches. I appreciate home oh so much more after being in thisenvironment. I appreciate your love and support. Andrea
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
I feel ashamed that I have taken so long to write a blog....
Since I last wrote, I went to the Huasteca the week before Christmas which included being part of killing chickens and a big hog, which was a neat experience. Just picture me scraping off the skin and hair off of the big hog...it was quite a process. Then, Dec. 25th, my dad flew in and spent about 5 days with us here. He helped us to refocus with the mission and it was really good to reconnect with him and see a friendly face. I picked the guitar up again today, as I have not played much recently. I am also making a lot of progress on my application for Alliance for Catholic Education which is a masters in education through Notre Dame.
What I'd like to post now is the proposal that I sent to my higher-ups about what I want to be doing here. It was as positive of a document I could put together. There were many drafts that were less optimistic that came before it, so enjoy...
I know it is important to have an organized approach to this mission. I have been drafting my thoughts as I come to understand the community of Fomerrey 35 and the surrounding parish of San Rafael. Tere Mañon, Dra. Granados, and Sister Beatriz are waiting for a particular proposal for a project that I will take on personally. Just as you do, I also want my time in this mission to be productive, and I want to be in agreement with all of you that I am using my time in a meaningful manner.
Through discussions with Fernando Ferrara, I understand that his highest priority for me is to have opportunities to grow and change as a person through interactions with the community. I think we would agree that so far, I have been very successful in this regard, but that it is a work in process. Most of my personal development in Monterrey has occurred through my interactions with people from the choir of Señoras at San Marcos, and from the sick and elderly people that I have visited. I have also spent quite a bit of time with the Sisters, and Priests of the Holy Cross in Guadalupe where I am part of a group of young women who discuss issues, and provide a faith support structure to each other called Club de Amigas. I spend a lot of my time with these three groups of people, and those interactions are all very worthwhile of my time.
At this point, I do not think it is wise to plan out and implement a major individual project that I begin from scratch. I do have interest in working with the Social Work department on many of the initiatives that they have in mind to improve the involvement of the Clinic with the community. In addition to continuing to visit sick people in their homes, and representing the team by singing with the choir at San Marcos, I have interest in assisting with “Juguemos a Leer.” This program is designed for 5-8 year old children learning to read in English and Spanish. Raquel, the director of this program for more than 5 years is interested in having Mike and me lead a one hour rotation of English while she works with the other half of the kids on Spanish each Saturday morning. We are still finalizing details, but have committed to working with her in this program. In addition, I want to help improve the program with the Grupo de la Tercera Edad on Thursday mornings led by Abrana, another woman from the community who does wonderful work. I want to continue to be supportive of the efforts of the Social Work department because it is the major means through which the clinic reaches out to the community. This may include cleaning up the physical appearance of the clinic to create a more welcoming atmosphere for the community center. I feel strongly that our volunteers who are currently working through the clinic for community outreach need more support. This may include teaching them to use the computer in the social work offices, and it will include being present for their main events when they need extra support. I want to have a schedule that is flexible enough to accommodate their needs, my needs and that of the team as a whole.
I ask for your comments and help in the following efforts to support the community:
1. Continuing to visit sick people in their homes
2. Representing the mission team to the parish through singing with the choir at San Marcos and regularly participating in mass there
3. Developing an English portion of “Juguemos a Leer” on Saturday mornings
4. Helping to plan and improve the program with the Grupo de la Tercera Edad on Thursday mornings
5. Building rapport with the staff of the various clinics within the Foundation, supporting their efforts and listening to their concerns as part of the pastoral team
6. Participating with Club de Amigas
7. Supporting volunteers in the social work departments by getting to know them personally, visiting their classes from time to time, and being part of their major events to affirm the ways in which they reach out to the community
8. Grow as a mission team and seek ways to help each other in our individual efforts and mission projects
As a missionary who will be here for a limited time, I feel that my time is more worthwhile spent in supporting those people in the clinic who have vision and motivation to make things better for the clinic. There are many needs in the community, and rather than providing new programs that may or may not serve the needs of the community, I intend on keeping alert to the needs that surface through personal interactions with people. I have learned that the American manner of implementing programming before creating relationships will not be successful here in Mexico, because the most important way that I can extend the healing presence of Jesus Christ in this community is by creating relationships. In order to flourish as I would like to during this time in Mexico, I need to be trusted. I intend to be at the clinic most afternoons during the week, and I generally will spend weekend mornings in the community as well. I would like to spend 3 mornings during the week away from the clinic as preparation time for the projects I will be involved in as well as personal time for reflection. I plan on developing a more concrete schedule for myself, so I can be more accountable to you all. I chose to be part of this program, and I am pouring my heart into creating relationships with the community, especially through my involvement at the parish, and it is important to take time to make sure I can keep putting forth that effort.
Above all, creating a sustainable 'mission team' is more important than any individual project I can begin. Initially it has taken a lot of energy to do this within our small group of four, within the clinic, and with the Sisters. There is still a lot of progress needed to set up the necessary support structure for missionaries to function, with the hope of flourishing in this new place. As I continue to work toward implementation of these ideas, I will continue to update you on my progress. I would appreciate your response to my personal plan, and ongoing encouragement if you agree that these things are worthwhile for me as part of this mission.
Thank you for valuing the work that we do,
Andrea Krebs
I appreciate all the ways you continue to support me and love me. It is certainly not easy to stay down here. I was thinking about all those of you who I am grateful for this Christmas Season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love, Andrea
Since I last wrote, I went to the Huasteca the week before Christmas which included being part of killing chickens and a big hog, which was a neat experience. Just picture me scraping off the skin and hair off of the big hog...it was quite a process. Then, Dec. 25th, my dad flew in and spent about 5 days with us here. He helped us to refocus with the mission and it was really good to reconnect with him and see a friendly face. I picked the guitar up again today, as I have not played much recently. I am also making a lot of progress on my application for Alliance for Catholic Education which is a masters in education through Notre Dame.
What I'd like to post now is the proposal that I sent to my higher-ups about what I want to be doing here. It was as positive of a document I could put together. There were many drafts that were less optimistic that came before it, so enjoy...
I know it is important to have an organized approach to this mission. I have been drafting my thoughts as I come to understand the community of Fomerrey 35 and the surrounding parish of San Rafael. Tere Mañon, Dra. Granados, and Sister Beatriz are waiting for a particular proposal for a project that I will take on personally. Just as you do, I also want my time in this mission to be productive, and I want to be in agreement with all of you that I am using my time in a meaningful manner.
Through discussions with Fernando Ferrara, I understand that his highest priority for me is to have opportunities to grow and change as a person through interactions with the community. I think we would agree that so far, I have been very successful in this regard, but that it is a work in process. Most of my personal development in Monterrey has occurred through my interactions with people from the choir of Señoras at San Marcos, and from the sick and elderly people that I have visited. I have also spent quite a bit of time with the Sisters, and Priests of the Holy Cross in Guadalupe where I am part of a group of young women who discuss issues, and provide a faith support structure to each other called Club de Amigas. I spend a lot of my time with these three groups of people, and those interactions are all very worthwhile of my time.
At this point, I do not think it is wise to plan out and implement a major individual project that I begin from scratch. I do have interest in working with the Social Work department on many of the initiatives that they have in mind to improve the involvement of the Clinic with the community. In addition to continuing to visit sick people in their homes, and representing the team by singing with the choir at San Marcos, I have interest in assisting with “Juguemos a Leer.” This program is designed for 5-8 year old children learning to read in English and Spanish. Raquel, the director of this program for more than 5 years is interested in having Mike and me lead a one hour rotation of English while she works with the other half of the kids on Spanish each Saturday morning. We are still finalizing details, but have committed to working with her in this program. In addition, I want to help improve the program with the Grupo de la Tercera Edad on Thursday mornings led by Abrana, another woman from the community who does wonderful work. I want to continue to be supportive of the efforts of the Social Work department because it is the major means through which the clinic reaches out to the community. This may include cleaning up the physical appearance of the clinic to create a more welcoming atmosphere for the community center. I feel strongly that our volunteers who are currently working through the clinic for community outreach need more support. This may include teaching them to use the computer in the social work offices, and it will include being present for their main events when they need extra support. I want to have a schedule that is flexible enough to accommodate their needs, my needs and that of the team as a whole.
I ask for your comments and help in the following efforts to support the community:
1. Continuing to visit sick people in their homes
2. Representing the mission team to the parish through singing with the choir at San Marcos and regularly participating in mass there
3. Developing an English portion of “Juguemos a Leer” on Saturday mornings
4. Helping to plan and improve the program with the Grupo de la Tercera Edad on Thursday mornings
5. Building rapport with the staff of the various clinics within the Foundation, supporting their efforts and listening to their concerns as part of the pastoral team
6. Participating with Club de Amigas
7. Supporting volunteers in the social work departments by getting to know them personally, visiting their classes from time to time, and being part of their major events to affirm the ways in which they reach out to the community
8. Grow as a mission team and seek ways to help each other in our individual efforts and mission projects
As a missionary who will be here for a limited time, I feel that my time is more worthwhile spent in supporting those people in the clinic who have vision and motivation to make things better for the clinic. There are many needs in the community, and rather than providing new programs that may or may not serve the needs of the community, I intend on keeping alert to the needs that surface through personal interactions with people. I have learned that the American manner of implementing programming before creating relationships will not be successful here in Mexico, because the most important way that I can extend the healing presence of Jesus Christ in this community is by creating relationships. In order to flourish as I would like to during this time in Mexico, I need to be trusted. I intend to be at the clinic most afternoons during the week, and I generally will spend weekend mornings in the community as well. I would like to spend 3 mornings during the week away from the clinic as preparation time for the projects I will be involved in as well as personal time for reflection. I plan on developing a more concrete schedule for myself, so I can be more accountable to you all. I chose to be part of this program, and I am pouring my heart into creating relationships with the community, especially through my involvement at the parish, and it is important to take time to make sure I can keep putting forth that effort.
Above all, creating a sustainable 'mission team' is more important than any individual project I can begin. Initially it has taken a lot of energy to do this within our small group of four, within the clinic, and with the Sisters. There is still a lot of progress needed to set up the necessary support structure for missionaries to function, with the hope of flourishing in this new place. As I continue to work toward implementation of these ideas, I will continue to update you on my progress. I would appreciate your response to my personal plan, and ongoing encouragement if you agree that these things are worthwhile for me as part of this mission.
Thank you for valuing the work that we do,
Andrea Krebs
I appreciate all the ways you continue to support me and love me. It is certainly not easy to stay down here. I was thinking about all those of you who I am grateful for this Christmas Season. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Love, Andrea
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