A Letter

Dear Friends,

I am blessed to share that my Easter season was very filled with the spirit and presence of Christ. Through these past few months as I struggle with my understanding of poverty and injustice I unfortunately witness everyday, I was reminded of the humanity of Jesus and the suffering he endured carrying the cross for us.

Working the past 5 months in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Managua, Nicaragua (the second poorest country next to Haiti in the Western hemisphere), I sadly report that I have been a witness to much suffering of the Nicaraguan people. I see their struggle especially as I watch them experience hardship through a very deficient education system due to a teacher strike that is currently in its sixth week and as I realize how desperate and eager these young people are to learn. Most of my time is spent working in the neighborhood library, and there have been several occasions when young kids have come in to the library simply asking me to teach them something. When I ask what it is they want to learn, they just respond by shouting “Anything! It doesn’t matter!” In the case of one girl who is probably seven or eight and came to the library asking me to teaching her something, I was left stuck not knowing where to begin because she didn’t know such simple things as reading or writing because she had never been to school. I saw the suffering face of Christ as I held the hand of Itatia, a young girl who explained to me that she was abandoned by her mother at a young age, and the only thing she receives from her mothers is about $2.50 a week to provide for her meals. I witness Christ’s crucifixion as I visit with people in the neighborhood bringing books and stories from the library, but only to find that their houses are nothing more than a roof and walls with dirt floors, little or no furniture, and no running water or electricity. I see suffering in those that are sick with parasites, colds, or broken bones, but do not receive the necessary treatment from the public doctors.

But amidst all this, I can genuinely say that I have also experienced many “resurrection moments”…those times that despite all the suffering, despair, and doubt, I see the face of the risen Christ…those times when I know that he is alive, and see his love covering this place fully and completely. He lives vibrantly in the young children of my neighborhood that rush to my front door as soon as I come home from a day at the library asking to read stories together and telling me about their days or what they learned in school. I see the face of the risen Christ in the way that my neighbors give so freely of themselves and their time, but also in whatever it is they have…like the time one of the neighbors kindly distributed mangos to those on the block who didn’t have a mango tree. I see Him in the devout faith and persistent prayer I have learned and experienced from my community.

So when long to walk through the door of my comfy Marietta home, I realize how I am learning and becoming more fully human but in a way that leads me to Christ and the foot of his cross. I more fully understand His suffering as I see the suffering of my brothers and sister in Nicaragua, but also find hope in way Christ lives here through faith and love. Either way, I am deeply grateful for this experience, but also for your continued support and prayers.

Most sincerely,

Mary Densmore
Jesuit Volunteers International
ADPL MN 161
Managua, Nicaragua