A letter from Tracey King-Ortega in Nicaragua
Fall 2013
I wasn’t prepared for this. How is it that a place where I’ve been living over a decade no longer feels like home? Everything around me seems grungy and worn down: the trash strewn about, the children begging at stoplights, our leaky roof. After nearly six months in the U.S., I know I’ve been spoiled. Living with my mom again was luxurious, and now, back in Nicaragua, all I see is what is wrong with the place. It feels as if just about everything is harder here. I’ve traveled back and forth between Central America and U. S. often as regional liaison, so I’m surprised at how hard this transition has been. In my first weeks back, now with my two-year-old and newborn twins to care for, the burdens of daily life here have been overwhelming.
I feel as if I’m experiencing Nicaragua for the first time, again. When we first experience the third world, our initial response tends to see only the deficiencies, what’s wrong, what’s missing or what needs fixing. I see that kind of approach with mission teams all the time. It is with the best of intentions, wanting to make things better, but looking at it through our “first-world” lenses, we tend to judge.
But then when we’ve dedicated ourselves to a place and a people, been there awhile, developed relationships with the people, and gotten used to the rhythms and idiosyncrasies of daily life, we then begin to see the strengths of that place, the unique gifts it has to offer and how our lives are enriched because of it.
My oldest daughter, Catherine, dressed in a huipil, a traditional costume of her native Nicaragua for cultural appreciation day at her preschool.
After being back for more than a month and feeling more settled, my perspective has shifted. Rather than feeling annoyed by the challenges, I am thankful that I continue to be pushed by seeing difficult realities and find ways that I may contribute positively. I am also incredibly grateful that my children are being raised here. My hope is that doing so will give them a unique sensitivity to others, a better awareness of the world around them and an ability to navigate through life, wherever it may take them.
However, this different perspective is not meant to romanticize poverty. There is nothing romantic about it. The kids may have smiles on their faces, reminding us that material things aren’t the key to happiness, but I don’t know how a mother sleeps at night when she can’t afford to send her kids to school or is unsure where their next meal will come from. Poverty sucks. It is difficult beyond my imagination, and in its worst form it claims our hope.
Therefore while embracing the beauty of this place, I also aim to work toward alleviating its poverty. Over the past couple of years, Presbyterian World Mission has been working diligently on developing a new strategic direction. In consultation with international partners, mission co-workers and many others involved in mission at home and abroad, we are beginning to focus our work on three critical global issues: 1) addressing the root causes of poverty (especially as it impacts women and children); 2) partnering in evangelism to share the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ; and 3) working for reconciliation amidst cultures of violence, including our own. In helping us to move forward in these areas, my role as regional liaison is to serve as a resource in equipping Presbyterians to respond faithfully and effectively to these issues, while inspiring and building connections for prayerful service.
Because of my personal experience living in Nicaragua and seeing poverty all around me, the focus that we are developing on poverty alleviation helps me to feel a little less impotent. As we move forward and seek to focus better, our collective impact will be enhanced. But how we go about doing that is extremely important.
A better way of doing development work. Leaders from a community where CEPAD does development work sharing their dreams.
The book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor and Yourself is a helpful resource in understanding the bigger picture, different responses to poverty and their impact. If we see poverty only as a lack of resources, as we often do when first observing poverty, we think the solution lies in our providing those resources. But poverty is much more complex than that, as When Helping Hurts explains. In looking at how we are involved in development work, the books suggests “Instead of starting with people's needs (What's wrong with you and how can I fix you?), begin discovering the assets of the community. Asking what gifts and resources they have affirms their dignity and contributes to overcoming their poverty of being”(127).
Several of our partners in Central America are doing just that, accompanying rural communities in their own process of “assets-based development.” Local partners that we work with, like CEPAD and CIEETS in Nicaragua and Heifer in Honduras, are transforming situations of poverty by taking the long view in helping strengthen local leadership and organization, so that community members take ownership of the changes that they see need to happen. As global citizens, and Christians committed to mission in partnership, I invite you to learn more about the powerful work of our partners and to seek ways to support these kinds of processes.
Presbyterian World Mission believes that “Faithful discipleship in a globalized world requires us to focus our attention on women and children, and to support communities as they mobilize to address the root causes of poverty” and in this focus on poverty commit to the following:
- We will work to ensure access by women and children to a quality education and health services;
- We will advocate just economic and trade policies that affect the poor;
- We will support an increased role for women in Church and society, including within the PC(USA), prioritizing women for leadership development opportunities;
- We will encourage consumer investment, economic and political choices that are life-giving toward “the least of these”; and,
- We will prayerfully examine our personal and communal practices regarding our use of wealth.
As I am now reorienting myself into my work with this new focus, I want to thank those of you who faithfully support me. I in no way do this work alone. I welcome others who wish to join me in this ministry through prayer, correspondence and financial commitment. Together we can find ways to make a lasting difference.
Blessings and peace,
Tracey King-Ortega
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 12
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