Pots and pans play protest music

The last few weeks have been eventful for Venezuela as a whole. However, in La Caramuca the most excitement that we have had was a cacerolazo on the night of January 23, 2019.

“Cacerolazo” is derived from “cacerola”, which means either stew pot or sauce pan (English speakers may recognize the equivalent French word, “casserole”). The cacerolazo is a traditional form of political protest in Venezuela and other Latin American countries which involves the banging of kitchen pots and pans at open windows or in the street. Our cacerolazo in La Caramuca was quite noisy and lasted for some time. But, it was only a faint echo of the demonstrations that swept the country that same day, resulting in 40 dead and 850 people detained as a result of government attempts to control the marches. Four people died during demonstrations in our neighboring city of Barinas, and we remembered their families in our prayer as a church the following Sunday.

Afterschool students.

Political tensions have intensified as the international community has taken sides in the conflict between two rival groups are each claiming to be the legitimate government of Venezuela. Just a few days before Nicolas Maduro, leader of the Socialist Party that has ruled Venezuela for 20 years was to begin his second, six-year term as President of Venezuela, there was a meeting of the Lima Group, an organization of Latin American nations formed in 2017 specifically to address the growing regional problem of Venezuela’s economic collapse. The Lima Group declared that Venezuela’s 2018 presidential election was not a free election, and therefore Maduro would not be assuming office as a legitimate head of state. Also, the Lima Group said it would recognize only the opposition-led National Assembly elected in 2015 as a legitimate governing body in Venezuela.

The National Assembly agreed that Maduro should not be regarded as President of Venezuela, and invoked a clause of the national constitution which says that in the absence of a legitimately elected president, the leader of the National Assembly may assume the office of Interim President until free elections may be held. Juan Guaido, president of the Assembly, did this in a public ceremony on January 23. Thousands of people filled the streets of all of Venezuela’s major cities in support of this event. Since then, Guaido’s claim to be Interim President has been recognized by the United States, Canada, Israel, and most of the nations of Latin America and Europe. Maduro’s government is recognized by China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, Uruguay, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Cuba.

Afterschool students.

There was another wave of demonstrations throughout Venezuela on Saturday, February 2, both for and against Maduro’s regime. However, this time there was no loss of life and liberty, and we gave thanks to God for that in our February 3 worship.

Because of this turmoil, most schools in our surrounding community have not reopened since the holiday break ended on January 6. However, we have shut down our preschool only twice. Once on January 23 and the folowing Thursday and Friday, and again on Wednesday, January 30, because of a schoolteacher’s union march in Barinas for higher wages (paid on time). Despite the fact that there has been no elementary school, Luz Maria’s afterschool tutoring students have shown up every day.

Keep the water running

We had to have one of our two water pumps fixed. Our water system consists of a well, a pump to draw water from the well and move it up the hill to an underground tank; and another pump (the one we had fixed) to move water from the underground tank to three water towers that provide gravity flow to our house, the preschool and chapel, and outdoor public restrooms. The system was designed to supplement the public water supply for our complex. But there has been no public water in our community for more than two years. Not only do we relay on our well for all of our water, but we also provide water for surrounding homes that have no running water. We pray that parts and service may continue to be available for our water system.

Fixing the pump.

“Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”

The Gospel reading for our fifth Sunday of Epiphany was Matthew 8:23-27 and the Old Testament lesson was Jonah 1:1-17. The parallels between these passages include God’s control over the wind and waters, and that neither the 12 disciples nor the prophet Jonah were shining examples of perfect faith. Yet God saved them and was with them in time of trial, as He saves us and is with us always.

Sharing water.

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Hymn #651

The Lutheran Hymnal

Text: Psalm 46:10

Author: Catharine Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel, 1752, cento

Translated by: Jane Borthwick, 1855

Titled: "Stille, mein Wille"

Composer: Jean Sibelius, b. 1865, arr.

Tune: "Finlandia"