Going to church in Canada was never like this.
By Gary Warren
Today I was part of a world I had never seen and because of it mine will never be the same.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Exiled from their village for conversion of religion and forced to start a village from scratch, the people of Monte Sion have come a long way.
Working in the community, comparing poor with rich and making new friends
By Lynne lafreniere
Second Year DSW Student
On to Chiapas
By Chrissy Peters
Second Year DSW Student
Travel Day: Today was another travel day. We were saying goodbye to our Cuernavaca friends and sending them on their way to Toronto and the Chiapas group was travelling to Tuxtla and from there to San Cristobal de las Casas.
Thinking back on Cuernavaca
By Chrissy Peters
Second Year DSW Student
Internally displaced by religion
By Gary Warren
March 6, 2010
We spent the day at a place called Monte Sion, a remote village of 300 'internally displaced' people. They used to live in a nearby area, but changed their religion from Traditional Catholic to Fundamentalist Christian. One of the explanations for this was that they were told that the new religion was a closer connection to God, while the Catholics had to go through a Priest. Therefore their poverty would be reduced quicker, and their other prayers answered.
First task in Chiapas - exhilarating, full of life, learning and growth.
First day in Chiapas, Mexico
Friday, March 5, 2010
Three girls, a beautiful city and one hell of a task – to take it all in!
We stared today’s Quest with a delicious breakfast and a list of directions around the breath taking city of San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The three of us worked together to figure out these directions, find our way in an unfamiliar area, we worked together as a team and encouraged each other. We explored not only what was around us but what was inside of us.
Our first evening in Chiapas
By Gary Warren
The two DSW students and the Print Journalism graduate who are with me here in Chiapas returned about 3:30 from their ‘walkabout’ around San Cristobal de Las Casas. While the Cuernavaca students (first-timers) had some concrete tasks to achieve on their first day, I expect more from these folks.
A whole new set of learning, in a different part of Mexico.
By Gary Warren
The Cuernavaca group was able to get on the planes yesterday, bound for Canada. I had warned the students there was going to be some speed bumps in the process, and it happened. One of the students who was supposed to spend another 3 weeks here had a death in her family and was unable to continue on to Chiapas with us. But our insurance plan paid for all the canceled flights, and the new flight she had to take home to be with her family. The easiest way was just to join the other students on their scheduled flight back to Canada, but nothing is ever easy here.
It’s all in your perspective.
By Gary Warren
Loyalist students receive a great education in the close-up work with people, cameras, patients, businesses, etc. But I find that rarely do they encounter challenges about the larger perspective of a system of services, health care management, and macro economics. When thinking about how to make a difference in less developed countries, what I find is the most common approach is to attempt change at the local or even individual level. Children are sponsored, schools and wells are built. Clinics are staffed. The perspective is narrow.
