Week One: Religion

Hi Everyone! the lack of internet access in the village im living in is making a little impossible to update the blog and check my email, but I´m trying my best to make into La Paz once a week for internet use.

One week of Field Based Training has passed and it really flew by. The health team has been split into two groups here. Half of us are in La Paz, and the other half are in a small village with 2500 people about 5km away...guess where I am.

The town is called Yarumela and its exactly what youre probably imagining. Small houses, some made of adobe, others from stone, painted with beautiful pastels. A grid of dirt roads weave between the houses with stray dogs, cows/bulls, and people walking to and from. Around noon its blaringly hot and stays that way until 5. In the evenings a cool breeze makes being outside a little easier.

As for me, the week has been filled with interesting events. For one my fellow volunteers living in Yarumela have nicknamed me Profe. (el profesor). For some reason all the people in Yarumela think I am Honduran professor that works with the Peace Corps. I wont lie, its pretty flattering, but for some reason they all now my name and I´m not sure how that happened. The other afternoon i was locked out of my house and the nanny (Sueyapa) that works at my house couldnt hear me calling from the gate. Out of nowhere this lady from the store across the street came running over and just started screaming for the nanny: ¨Sueyapa!!! open the door! Joel is locked out!¨ I was just like wow, thanks...and who the hell are you?

My family is pretty great. My host dad is the director of the school and my host mom is a teacher. They are kind of quiet, but apparentaly i was placed with them because I talk a lot. They also seem to be pretty religious, which is pretty standard for Honduran families. As a general rule, I have decided to avoid discussing my religion with people. Not because im afraid of discrimination, but because its easier to avoid it all together. As a result, i say grace before every meal...kind of backfired. I really dont have a lot of exp with grace, so I just give it the old thank you g-d for this meal, and they take off on their own prayers. I´ve started imagining the pullstart on a lawnmower as I do it...it calms the mind. However, last night the truth surfaced and the fam learned that I was Jewish The conversation went a little like this.

Fam: So both of your parents are catholic?
Joel: No, my mom isn´t
Fam: Ohhh, is she evalgelical (said with a ¨thats too bad¨ look on their faces)
Joel: No, not evangelical, she´s Jewish
Fam: Oh, but YOU go to a church right
Joel: No, a synagogue
Fam: Is that like a church?
Joel: Yes, similar
Fam: Oh, but your DAD goes to a church
Joel: No, he goes to synagogue with us and loves it. He knows the prayers better than I do.
Fam: Ohhhh...but you´ll have a catholic wedding.
Joel: No, my girlfriend and are Having a Jewish wedding.
Fam: Is that like a catholic wedding?
Joel: Similar, except the groom steps on a glass at the end.
Fam: (giggle) oh, ok...but you´ll raise your kids caothlic
Joel: No, they will be Jewish too...

At this point the commercials ended and their telenovela (soapa opera) came back on, and all questions ended. I have to say it really wasn´t bad and very chill to talk about, they just didnt know much about it and REALLY used the church as their only frame of reference. In actuality it was leaps and bounds better than telling my host family in Santa Lucia, where the response was: ¨Ahhhhhhh, I hear their good with money¨

Other than that things are going well. Im kind of running out of timew over here so, ill post more on my next trip into the city. Thanks for all of your comments and package ideas, anything you want to send would be aweosme, but no worries.

I love and miss you all.