More Than A Mural

When our Kaya Center opened in February of 2009 with the start of the Bolivian school year, we were happily located in a large rental house that we thought would accommodate us for at least two years.  When the end of the school year came and the house was bursting with new kids, it was clear that another year in that space was not in the cards.  Our search for a larger space yielded an incredible find: an abandoned school campus in just the right location with an abundance of space and cheap rent to boot!

While this space was a dream find, it wasnít exactly without its issues.  It was quite deteriorated and needed a lot of TLC.  Since we moved in this past February, weíve been busy painting, repairing, and doing everything possible to make the space look and feel inviting.  This past week, we added a critical piece:  a beautiful mural alongside the sports court.

The idea for the mural started when we considered how to use team members from Highrock Church of Arlington, MA, my home church.  One of the team members was a gifted artist, so we thought this would be a great way to put her talents to use.  So, we gathered the kids, solicited their design ideas, and sent the ideas to the States to be incorporated into an artistic plan.  Then we waited anxiously for the team to arrive.

As Iíve learned over the years working in this field, great joy and anticipation are frequently mixed with tragedy and loss.  This was no less the case this past week.  Shortly before the team arrived, we learned about Eric, a boy who lived in one of our homes several years ago.  Eric had a complicated history and he chose to return to the streets.  Despite years of continued visits with Eric in the streets, he never wanted to leave the streets and come back to our home.  It was extraordinarily painful watching him approach adulthood, dirty, high on drugs, and living a life of crime.  Itís our policy to never give up hope, but Eric was killed this past month when he was pushed off a high bridge by another kid.

As this was heavy on our hearts, we learned of another tragedy just as the Highrock team was en route to Bolivia.  Two dear friends from Highrock ñ both extraordinary examples of servant leaders - were traveling to support another ministry in Sri Lanka when they were in a terrible bus accident ñ coincidentally when the bus drove off of a high bridge.  One was killed and the other is in critical condition fighting for his life.

Feeling helpless, stunned, and overwhelmed with sadness, we thrust ourselves into painting this wall, grateful for the ability to see tangible results of our efforts each day.  The first day, the team artist and I started sketching the design onto the wall.  The next day, a few more people joined us to begin painting.  Little by little, more people ñ kids, staff, and volunteers alike - joined in the process and the initial design was transformed into something far more magnificent than originally imagined.  Painting the wall became contagious and everyone around at one moment or another came to it for solace, adding something new.

Looking out the window now at the end result, Iím amazed.  On the surface I see the different scenes of Bolivia ñ from the jungle region to the altiplano, from Lake Titicaca to the Amazon basin to the requisite soccer game.  Beneath it lies communal grief transformed into beauty.  Iím duly reminded why itís our policy to never give up hope.

To anyone who now visits out new campus, the mural is a focal point.  Itís what you first notice when you enter our gate.  Itís hardly the Sistine Chapel, but itís a fitting tribute to what weíre trying to do here:  have hope amidst tragedy, turn loss and grief into something productive, and achieve transformation through communal effort and collaboration.