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Santa Cruz, 3rd February 2008
This is the first Sunday of February - a carnival Sunday, full of loud music, singing and dancing. How could it be differently in South America? However, if you have it all the time, you really wish for a little peace and quiet. But I will have to be patient for a bit. There are two days left until the Ash Wednesday but the carnival will last longer. Yesterday the traditional "corso" took place. It is a carnival parade which marches across the whole town. People have fun all night long. The effects of it were seen today at the morning Masses. There were only few people in our St. Anthony church. During the carnival people forget about politics and the problems of the country. The carnival is the most important. Well, this is the mentality of people here. But when the music dies away new problems will arise. The politicians will argue again, there will be blockades on the roads and strikes. The reality will come back and it will not be as colourful as the carnival parade.
Some people are having fun and some of them are coping with disasters. Heavy rainfalls in the whole country led to subsequent flood catastrophes. Our unstoppable Rio Grande has changed its way again taking away houses, villages, animals and, unfortunately, also human victims. Due to heavy rainfalls, other rivers overflew their channels. Several dozens of people are said to be dead, dozen thousands of people have left their homesteads. And the government promises help which, in reality, is very scarce. People will get more help from social organizations, from Caritas, from church organizations and from people of good will. The "great water" has not passed over our Vicariate. The El Carmen parish is cut off from the outside world. Many people from smaller villages had to be evacuated by means of boats and helicopters. A tent estate for the victims of the flood has been built in Los Troncos. El Fortin, which was destroyed by flood two years ago, remains omitted by the water. Our Bishop Anthony is very worried because of this situation. He has already visited the flood victims and assured them of the help from the church.
Brother Felix is taking care of this situation in El Fortin. The parson, Fr. Stanislaw has returned from the retreat in Cochabamba with health problems and had to be taken to hospital. Luckily the treatment is effective and he will be able to go home in a few days.
The Rio Grande waters have also broken the main road which links Santa Cruz with our Vicariate, the Beni Vicariate and the San Ignatio diocese. This is the main transit road to the Brazilian border. No car could get across the vicariate for a week. No train to the Brazilian boarder ran either. Many people had to wait over a week if they wanted to leave or get to the vicariate. Hundreds of lorries with food, vegetables, fruits and animals had lots of problems. Some of our fellow-brothers who were returning from their retreat in Cochabamba had to wait for a week to drive further. Bishop Anthony also could not come to the conference here to Santa Cruz. Till now the Rio Grande waters have gone down a little bit so a temporary crossing could be prepared. However, in the mountains it is still raining and the next great water can be expected.
Unfortunately, the annual floods in Bolivia lead to great catastrophes and tragedies. The nature is stronger than weak human hands. And the financial support from the government is still minimal. And a lot funds allotted for this aim by international organizations disappeared when they got to the hands of the ruling people.
Another misfortune in Bolivia took place last Thursday. A Boeing 327-200 from a bankrupt (national) airline LAB, chartered by military line TAM with 157 people on board made an emergency landing in a marshy terrain of a bush near Trinidad. How come there was no explosion and fuselage break? Nobody knows. All people on board survived. Moreover, among the hurt ones nobody was in danger. And how not to believe in miracles? God really loves these Bolivian people.
These days there were some personal changes in our Vicariate. They especially concern our "Tarnovians" or, in other words, "Three Musketeers" as we call them. Fr. Andrew took some time off and Fr. Paul took his place in the San Pablo parish for the time of his treatment in Poland. The other two "musketeers" became administrators of parishes: priest Mariusz in San Antonio de Lomerio and priest Kazimierz in La Asunta. Those who know Bolivia a little bit are already well informed and know where the two parishes are situated and how distant they are from each other.
There are less and less of us here in Santa Cruz. Fr. Clemente from Tirol is tomorrow going back to his homeland. Will he come back? We have no idea. He has been working in Bolivia for 40 years. He is 72 years old but he has been very active in his parish. He sometimes helped me. He filled in for me or relieved me from time to time. We will miss him for sure. But we hope that when he recovers and enjoys his Alps, he will come back to Bolivia. And now all we can do is to wish him a safe flight and some rest in Europe. Only 4 active people and one ill - 86-year-old Fr. Waldemar will stay here. "A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers" - one would like to say.
There is also "good" news. The Christmas post has finally started to come!!! The postal service has woken up. We slowly receive the Christmas postcards people sent us. Isnt it cool? Lent is coming and we... are still having Christmas atmosphere. I know that some people are waiting for my thanks but I simply did not get the wishes. But I hope that I will soon get all of them.
The rainfall and the warm weather resulted in the growth of fruits and vegetables. The conditions are perfect for the growth of everything. I almost daily take the same route to the so-called "mercado", a kind of a market place, and the stalls are full of different kinds of products. After all, it is the middle of summer here. Peaches and grapes taste the best now. They are of various kinds and colours. You can stuff yourself with them because they are relatively cheap. One kilogram of peaches or grapes costs currently about 10 bolivianos which is 1 euro... so you can really stuff yourself full. But we also do not lack vegetables. Tomatoes, yucca, potatoes are as pretty as a picture.
Thanks to the carnival our office will be closed for the next two days. My two partners do not want to work during carnival. Maybe it is good that way because I will have some time to arrange all the outstanding matters. It would be also a good opportunity to think about my health. Because from time to time something happens with my back (and not only there). Well... my young days are slowly over.
On Wednesday I have to change the altitude. I have to go to Cochabamba for two days (it is 2800 metres above sea level) to take part in a meeting of the Labour and Economy Commission of which I am a member. I feel the change of altitude every time I go there. You breathe as if you were an asthmatic. But I am happy that it is Cochabamba and not the higher situated La Paz - 3800 metres above sea level. An oxygen cylinder would be useful there.
God bless you for your kindliness and prayers!!!
I commend myself to your prayers and give you my best regards from my distant and remote Bolivia.
Tarcisio Josef Lamik, OFM
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