Martin Chambers Ecuador Trust

Happy Easter! What a tremendous night we had last night at our Easter Vigil! Of course, we had been working (or at least I had) whether the rain would stay off for our bonfire and procession. And, true to form, it did not. So there we were with a large crowd in the drizzle starting the Easter Vigil. I am amazed that it all went so well – seven hours of a Mass is something to keep going but with Tito’s help on the guitar and not getting to fretted myself (in fact not fretted at all), we got through a bonfire, fireworks, a couple of songs, a procession (with the local worthies looking on from behind beer bottles), seven Old Testament readings and a New Testament one (all with drama or song or slides), a cracking sermon from yours truly, a Baptismal reflection and then the Eucharist. Meaning that we got to daylight at 6.45am just about shattered. All in all, I can thank God for being amongst such a great group of people who responded to the crazy challenge of their PP to stay up all night in Vigil. Young and old! Strangely the area is quite quiet now – I think they have all gone to bed! The Easter Vigil was, of course, preceded by Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Different from previous years, we were in the Parish Church for all these services. It was a quantum leap from other years and I did sense that, being in a well-built place, was so different from the straw huts of previous years and from the experience that Colm Hogan, my Irish brother, was having down the road in his mud-laden and recently-established Parish. Holy Thursday means Washing of Feet and, whereas in Scotland people are shy to have their feet washed, here everyone wants to offer their toes. I had 30 feet – how many apostles were there anyway, Rory? After the Mass we had prepared an Altar of Repose below in the Parish halls and that allowed for some quiet prayer and reflection. Then on Good Friday, the same as in other parts of the city, we had to put up with the rain for our main procession. Once again, the youth of San Ignacio chapel did us proud by acting out the Stations and leading us in prayer. The vital link for the success is to have our own Jose Luis (traffic cop) who brings a patrol car which we use as a microphone system for the prayers and hymns as we go along. We also had our Youth Conference on Thursday and Saturday morning and there was a good crowd on both days – our theme was HOPE and managed to discuss and act out what it meant to us who live in the midst of poverty and mud. Some great and profound responses from the youth themselves! The rains continue to batter down on us daily. Most distressing this week is the realization that Leonor’s house (known to many Scots) is about to fall down into a dam. The rains have been so strong this year and so drawn-out that slowly the path at the back of her house has become a gully which, if the rains don’t stop shortly, will get washed away. Please God, no! There were other things happening this week but I am a bit shattered and ready to sleep and/or get down the coast tomorrow for our monthly meeting with the lads.