National Advocacy Center
  • Who We Are
    • About
    • Staff & Advisory Board
    • Partners
    • Good Shepherd Sisters
    • Of Note News >
      • Of Note Archives 2022
      • Of Note Archives 2021
      • Of Note Archives 2020
      • Of Note Archives 2019
      • Of Note Archives 2018
      • Of Note Archives 2017
      • Of Note Archives 2016
      • Of Note Archives 2015
    • Contact
  • Act for Justice
    • Road to Justice
    • Human Trafficking Conference >
      • HT Packet & Digital Toolkit
    • Giving
    • Outreach
  • Issues
    • Central America
    • Economic Justice
    • End Racism
    • Human Trafficking >
      • Know the Signs
      • Trafficking Resources
    • Immigration & Refugees
    • Muslim Relations
    • Women & Children
  • Resources
    • Advocacy Tools
    • Analysis for Action
    • Poetry Library

Day 15 / A Day at the Beach, A New Friend

3/26/2019

2 Comments

 
Picture
The day began with having breakfast with Jose Artiga, lead organizer for the Interfaith Roots Pilgrimage. Now he is busily planning the next event.

December 2020 will mark the 40th anniversary of the rape and murder of four Catholic missionaries from the United States working in El Salvador. They were Maryknoll Sisters Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, Ursuline Dorothy Kazel, and lay missionary Jean Donovan.

Jose plans to organize an event during the first week of December 2020 to honor their memory. He invited me to join by phone for quarterly meetings to prepare for the event.

After breakfast, Alvin, a cab driver picked me up to drive to a nearby beach. Along the way we saw rows and rows of African palm trees along both sides of the highway for miles and miles. The trees produce palm oil which is in high demand. However, they are a non-native plant that require extensive use of pesticides. They also displace native workers and their lifestyle. Alvin claims the trees kill (matar) the soil.

Alvin and I spent the day walking along the beach, exploring the area, and having a nice lunch together. He proudly showed me several pictures of his family. One photo really touched me. He is sitting and his wife is standing behind him. Her hands are draped lovingly over his shoulders. That one photo showed what a wonderful relationship they have.

With three children, Alvin has to drive his cab everyday of the week. He had a couple of accidents that were not his fault. Unfortunately, his car was totaled each time. So he is on his third car with debts and interest on loans. When Alvin was talking about his family, he seemed so young and alive. When he spoke of his economic problems, he seemed much older and sadder.

But I believe we both enjoyed the day. Alvin served as my cabdriver, my friend, my Spanish instructor, and, although fortunately not needed, I am sure he would also have served as my bodyguard.

Alvin shared with me the full names of all his family - his wife's and those of his three children. Alvin wanted me to know their names. I was reminded how the Latino culture is highly family centered.

Tomorrow marks another turning point. I leave to meet with Good Shepherd Sisters in another part of the country.

My trip to Central America is going much too quickly!

2 Comments
shareit.onl link
12/14/2022 09:22:46 am

hanks for sharing the article, and more importantly, your personal experience of mindfully using our emotions as data about our inner state and knowing when it’s better to de-escalate by taking a time out are great tools. Appreciate you reading and sharing your story since I can certainly relate and I think others can to

Reply
mxplayer.pro link
12/14/2022 11:41:07 am

haring the article, and more importantly, your personal experience of mindfully using our emotions as data about our inner state and knowing when it’s better to de-escalate by taking a time out are great tools. Appreciate you reading and sharing your story since I can certainly relate and I think others can to

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Lawrence E. Couch serves as the director and lobbyist for the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd.


    RSS Feed

    Want more? Sign up for updates, resources, action alerts. Rise Up & Act for Justice.
    Sign Up

    Archives

    March 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    August 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018

    Categories

    All
    Archdiocese Of Washington
    Border
    Catholic Charities
    Catholic Social Teaching
    Congress
    COVID
    COVID-19
    Detention Center
    Family Separation
    First Flight
    Fraudulent Elections
    Fr. Melo
    George Floyd
    Hhs
    Honduras
    Human Rights
    Human Trafficking
    Juan Orlando Hernandez
    Larry Couch
    Martin Luther King
    National Advocacy Center
    Pandemic
    Poem
    Poetry
    Race
    Racism
    Rooster
    Sex Trafficking
    Sisters Of The Good Shepherd
    Social Justice
    Tornillo

NAC Quick Links

Ways to Act

Reach out to your elected officials and others on important policy decisions impacting the common good.
Act for Justice

Stay Informed

​Our email network alerts you to legislative news and directly connects you with lawmakers.
Sign Up

Advocacy Tools

Learn how to personally advocate for change and access other advocacy resources.
Access Tools

Our Issues

We advocate for laws that benefit the marginalized, especially families, women and children.  
Learn More

Contact

National Advocacy Center
of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd

504 Hexton Hill Road
​Silver Spring, MD  20904

Phone 301.622.6838 | Fax 301.384.1025
E-mail us
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Website design adapted and modified by Perisphere Media.