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| Luz y Libertad |
Last week, the Religion classes went on an outing to the Base Christian Community of Luz y Libertad (Light and Freedom). Four energetic and passionate women spoke to the students about their community involvement and the way they view Christianity. Their inspiring personal testimonies and worldview were both touching and thought-provoking.
Through their studies of Christianity, they came to realize that women´s low position in Mexican society is counter to the the teachings of Jesus, and yet for centuries the Bible has been used to suppress women. Their goal is to change this misrepresentation of the Bible. They want encourage and provide the necessary tools for Mexican women to gain independence. Traditional laws and customs have always required women to be homemakers with very few alternatives. However, the women of Luz y Libertad know the liberation that can come from financial independence and hope to spark a desire in other women to break free from the societal norms that keep them repressed.
With the support of their church, the women of Luz y Libertad teach nutrition to other women in their community. We thankfully got to sample some of the products of their nutrition classes for lunch. They prepared an incredible meal of ceviche, veggie burgers, pozole (a traditional Mexican soup), and roasted vegetables. ¡Que rico!
The women also give self-esteem classes which opens the door for women in the community to share and discuss common issues that arise from a male-dominated society. Additionally, the women teach arts and crafts. This class aims to provide an alternative to complete financial dependence on husbands by teaching other women how to make gorgeous bags and clothes that can be sold from the home, thus giving the women an opportunity to make money of their own.
The trip to Luz y Libertad was inspiring, encouraging and muy delicioso!
By Molly Bryant
International Resident Assistant
CGE: Mexico
Through their studies of Christianity, they came to realize that women´s low position in Mexican society is counter to the the teachings of Jesus, and yet for centuries the Bible has been used to suppress women. Their goal is to change this misrepresentation of the Bible. They want encourage and provide the necessary tools for Mexican women to gain independence. Traditional laws and customs have always required women to be homemakers with very few alternatives. However, the women of Luz y Libertad know the liberation that can come from financial independence and hope to spark a desire in other women to break free from the societal norms that keep them repressed.
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| Makela and Lisa digging into the veggie burgers |
The women also give self-esteem classes which opens the door for women in the community to share and discuss common issues that arise from a male-dominated society. Additionally, the women teach arts and crafts. This class aims to provide an alternative to complete financial dependence on husbands by teaching other women how to make gorgeous bags and clothes that can be sold from the home, thus giving the women an opportunity to make money of their own.
The trip to Luz y Libertad was inspiring, encouraging and muy delicioso!
By Molly Bryant
International Resident Assistant
CGE: Mexico
One thing that came through very strongly was the women’s commitment and experience in changing their own lives. For example, when Éus started attending base Christian community meetings, her husband noticed the profound change in her behavior and personality: “I don’t know what they gave you or did to you, but you’re not the same,” he remarked (and not in a positive way). In their experience, when women come and share their ideas and lived experience with other women, there is a support system and a collective conscientization that occurs that can counter the sexist messages they’ve received. “I taught my son to wash, cook, iron, sweep, mop, make a bed,” Éus comments, “but this created conflict with my husband.” “He’s a man!” he said. She replied: “We all five of us live in this household and we all have to do the chores.” Similarly, Alma talked about how getting rid of her husband’s name affected her. “I’m not a dog where people can call me ‘of person,’” she remarked. And so, in contrary to traditional church teachings, which they described succinctly as “obey your husband; carry your cross,” Luz y Libertad teaches workshops that not only challenge women to think differently, but to act differently. And they have fabulous models in each of women we spoke with.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was a great excursion because I thought that the women in Luz and Libertad had a lot of great knowledge for helping women and people in their community. I really liked this excursion because the women made me feel like its okay to be Catholic because before I came to Mexico I didn't like admitting to people that I was Catholic because I don't follow the Roman Catholic views that are preached in the church. The Luz y Libertad made me realize that I can still be Catholic but have my own opinion on things or think differently of thing because that is how they are they don't think it is necessary to go to all the holy days and follow all the rules of the church because they believe that God is in them always and the holy days are not going to change that. I really liked this view because it related to my view of God. I also really liked the food that they prepared and I love that they have so many great recipe's for women that are at such low costs. If they wouldn't have told me that I was eating soy meat I wouldn't have known because the recipe's are so good they don't even taste like soy. Its such a great thing that they can teach other women about such good recipe's and to save money because I have seen the small communities and I have witnessed how much the people need options like this to survive and it also is a way for woman to have a support group to come to when they need help. The Luz y Libertad Women are really strong and wonderful women and to meet people like them is so inspirational!!
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