:: jorgefusaro.com :: » Personal/Travel

Feliz Día de las Madres: 2011

Jorge Fusaro — Mon, 09 May 2011 01:16:44 +0000

El amor de una madre es una gran bendición y necesidad para el desarrollo emocional, espiritual y social de un hijo/a. Yo estoy sumamente agradecido por todo lo que mi madre ha aportado a mi vida. Debe ser un gran privilegio sentir la creación y el desarrollo de un/a hijo/a en el vientre de una madre durante 9 meses. Es un proceso bien complejo y exacto que requiere de miles de factores para un embarazo saludable.

Sin entrar en detalles, aún me sigue convenciendo que Dios es el creador de este milagro de vida. Me encanta como el Salmista describe la concepción de una nueva criatura en Salmo 139:13-16:

Tú creaste las delicadas partes internas de mi cuerpo
y me entretejiste en el vientre de mi madre.
¡Gracias por hacerme tan maravillosamente complejo!
Tu fino trabajo es maravilloso, lo sé muy bien.
Tú me observabas mientras iba cobrando forma en secreto,
mientras se entretejían mis partes en la oscuridad de la matriz.
Me viste antes de que naciera.
Cada día de mi vida estaba registrado en tu libro.
Cada momento fue diseñado
antes de que un solo día pasara.

No importa si eres una madre joven o con muchos años de experiencia. No importa si tus hijos son recién nacidos o ya son abuelos. Lo que si importa y puede hacer toda la diferencia, según mi opinión, es que busques amar a tus hijos/as como Dios te ama a ti– incondicionalmente.

Felicidades a mi madre que es responsable, en gran parte, del hombre que soy hoy.

Felicidades a todas las madres por su compromiso, sacrificio, perseverancia, paciencia, comprensión y amor incondicional. Las admiro, las respeto y las bendigo.

Por último una oración a todas las mujeres, madres y a aquellas mujeres que desean tener hijos/as: que Dios les conceda los deseos de sus corazones (Ps 37:3-4).

Dios, te damos gracias y oramos por todas las madres. Acompáñalas en todo momento. Pon en cada madre el amor y conocimiento de Dios para que se lo enseñen a sus hijos/as, ya que no hay mejor herencia para un hijo o hija que la fe y esperanza en tus promesas. Bendice a las madres cuyos hijos/as están lejos en este día y aquellas que han perdido los suyos. A la hora de retos y desafíos, las madres necesitan de tu ayuda: para atender a la casa y al trabajo, para hacer de padre y madre en muchas ocasiones, para educar y para proveer. Continúa capacitándolas con tu gracia y sabiduría. Bendícelas hoy y siempre. Amén.

Más que una noche de música con Silvio Rodríguez

Happy Holidays Amigos

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 07:56:22 +0000

Dear friends and family!

Better late than never! I want to wish you the happiest of holidays this season. Thanks for being in my life and in my network.

On this note, I also want to thank many friends and readers for the continued support and letters of encouragement to continue writing! I confess this has been an exciting year filled with changes and projects. My apologies for not keeping up with my blog as I would like to. I do promise, you will be hearing (reading) more from me in 2011.

On a side note, I want to encourage all of you to disconnect from the online world (emails, social media, youtube, etc.) this holiday season and connect with the offline world. There are many important people and family in your life who want more of you; more presence, deeper connections, and a warm embrace. May you experience this Holiday Season vicariously in live-human interaction. Avoid “getting distracted” or “semi-engaging” the world events and festivities via the Internet. Forget posting “where you are,” “what your are doing,” or “what your status is.” Don’t post, but live-in the moment.

It is not too late to reflect on the past year and the people and experiences that have shaped you in significant ways.

Cheers to an exciting and blessed 2011!
Jorge

PS: I am still a bit behind on posting what’s been going on lately and all the photos from the Haiti trips and others. Please continue to pray for the Haitian people. Consider supporting the work of Silent Grace in Haiti.

Attention social media fellows: I think you will get a kick out of this great piece. Enjoy!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7pJA

Más que una noche de música con Silvio Rodríguez

Jorge Fusaro — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:40:41 +0000

The following article is in Spanish. If you wish to translate it, please hit the “google translate” link above.

Silvio y Jorge

El pasado Domingo, 28 de Mayo del 2010, el cantautor cubano Silvio Rodríguez, visitó La Isla Del Encanto luego de 13 años de ausencia. Silvio nos complació con un concierto magistral de casi dos horas y media. Posteriormente, tuve la oportunidad de conocer a Silvio y su esposa en el camerino, un momento de mucha alegría para un fanático de muchos años.

En los próximos días recibí un email de un primo que, a través de Facebook, supo que fui al Choliseo a ver a Silvio en concierto. En su email me escribe:

Mi primo solo para recordarte que Silvio representa todo por lo nuestra familia y la de miles de cubanos estamos en una tierra extraña, claro que gracias a dios somos libre para ir a donde uno quiera a ver lo que queramos, cosa que no se puede hacer en cuba de donde el viene a no ser que seas un comunista rabioso capaz de perseguir, censurar y chivatear a sus propios hermanos como lo ha hecho Silvio por todos estos años. Espero no te molestes conmigo.”

Pocos de ustedes sabrán que mi abuela y madre son cubanas. Nacieron en Guanabacoa, La Habana, Cuba. Le tengo mucho amor y respeto a mi familia y este artículo no es para exponer a mi primo ni hacerlo sentir mal. Puedo entender y respetar su dolor y frustración con lo que representa Silvio para él y muchos otros cubanos que viven en Cuba u otros países del mundo.

Mi contestación:

Primo,

Gracias por tu mensaje. No me molesto contigo y te agradezco hayas escrito. Entiendo y respeto tus sentimientos, que son muy tristes.

Como mi familia es cubana, siempre me he identificado mucho con la cultura. Esta pasión me ha llevado a estudiar la historia y excavar anécdotas del pasado al igual que relatos cotidianos.

El movimiento socio-político catalogado como “comunista” es controversial debido a las diversas interpretaciones que varían dependiendo de: quien lo define, quien lo promueve, quien se opone y las experiencias de cada cual.

Sin embargo, la música de Silvio trasciende el pasado de Cuba, la revolución de los 50 y 60, Fidel, Camilo, el Che, el comunismo, el marxismo y la historia de las ultimas décadas. No es catalogada como música cubana en Cuba ni en el mundo ni tampoco es música limitada a una audiencia en particular.

Silvio también le canta al amor, la esperanza, la justicia, la mujer, la paz, al ser humano, la Creación, al romanticismo, a la naturaleza, etc

La mayoría de artistas musicales (como seres humanos y en el contenido de sus líricas) representan una serie de valores que chocan conmigo. Si su conducta o mensaje fuese el único criterio, mi colección musical seria muy limitada; una colección homogénea y un poco aburrida.

Por estas razones es que puedo valorar, respetar y celebrar el arte, sin estar cien porciento de acuerdo con el artista.

Feliz Día de las Madres: 2011

The day I got robbed

Jorge Fusaro — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:44:26 +0000

I’ve shared this story dozens of time in the past two weeks. The more I repeat the event, the more real it becomes. And the more grateful I am.

A couple of weeks ago, I was robbed at gunpoint. I had recently returned from my second trip to Haiti (where I heard gunshots almost every night) and was swapping stories with a friend. After dinner, we walked to the beachside in Condado (Paseo San Juan) and sat at the ledge of the road overlooking the sea. We were just one block away from major hotels in Condado.

Suddenly, a car with four guys slammed the brakes next to us and two armed men in their 20’s got off and pointed their automatic guns at us. They screamed, “this is a robbery, don’t move or we’ll shoot!” The man in front of me shouted, “Don’t do anything stupid or I’ll blast you” while repeatedly pointing the gun at my face and the ground. After grabbing my friend’s purse (journals from Haiti, books, and gifts from Haitians to both of us) and my wallet, one of the guys cloaked his gun and asked us to jump over the ledge (12’ feet high) to land on a piece of sand between reef and the sea.

Turning your back on two armed guys (nervous and anxious, possibly drugged) who are telling you “Jump and run or I’d start shooting!” was one of the scariest moments of my life.

How do you prepare for an event like this?

I remembered my parent’s voices, “Give them everything!” “Don’t argue, fight, or challenge them!” “Don’t look a their faces.”

Thankfully, we reacted peacefully. My friend told me that I narrated every step of what I was doing: “My hands are up, it’s okay, you are in charge, calm down, and we’ll give you everything we have. I will lower my hand to get my wallet and give it to you.” Apparently, this was my way of coping with this highly stressful and frightening scenario.

I can’t give myself any credit to the way I reacted. I give all credit to God’s peace, love, and the Holy Spirit’s protection that guides me daily. I also thank my parents for always reminding me how to react if this event ever occurred.

Next day, I went to the police station to identify possible suspects from the robbery. The cop hands me a huge 600 page binder with mugshots. My response was, “en serio?,” which translates into “are you serious?”

No wonder the system doesn’t work. It is designed not to. I find it so ironic that they have hundreds of photos of criminals, but have no idea where to find them. If they are so bad, why don’t you “catch them and put them in jail” when you take their picture?

Our flawed system gave a whole new meaning to that game we all played when we were kids. Remember playing cops and robbers? Catch the robbers and then set them free. Play again. Catch. Release. Have fun and be entertained. Pathetic!

Haiti #4: Leaving to Port-Au-Prince again today!

Jorge Fusaro — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 09:03:50 +0000

You might be wondering, why so many updates on Haiti? April 12th, will mark 3 months after the earthquake struck on January 12th. Media outlets have many other “news” to broadcast and Haiti has lost center stage. Many people have made generous donations, but the restoration of Haiti, will take a lot more money and a longer time commitment.

The living conditions are terrible. Some areas and tent cities are far worse than they were last month. The rainy season has destroyed communities and tent cities, once again, displacing the displaced. There is a growing concern for sanitation, medical aid, and safety. This issues and hunger are still considered emergency issues in need of emergency assistance.

After returning from my first trip to Haiti in February, my life has become quite busy planning, working, and mobilizing. There are new updates on life (recently became an uncle to twins) and word (more to come soon!). It’s been tough to catch up with friends, supporters, and family. There is much to report and share. Stay tuned…I will try to write more posts on my blog to keep you updated.

Leaving today: April 1, 2010

Early morning, I’m going to join a team of friends from Puerto Rico, including Andrea Perez, Mitzy Rivera, and Pastor Eliacim. I’ll be on the same airplane with a team of 14 Puerto Rican doctors. Andrea and Eliacim have been in Haiti since Monday, setting up the clinic and meeting other members of the team coming via Dominican Republic. Eliacim’s ministry filled a 43 feet container at full capacity!! The container includes tons of food, water, medicines, relief aid, clothing, and 552 tents. As you all know, the rainy season in Haiti is rough and has severely affected the relief work on the ground. You can see a video interview (Anderson Cooper interviews Sean Penn) where Penn talks about a tent city with 45,000+ people.

In my previous visit, it was difficult to witness the horrendous living conditions. The photos and videos on the media do no justice to the realities on the ground. It is FAR WORSE than you think it is. Therefore, the HELP IS FAR MORE important now than it was at thte beginning.

My commitment, along with Andrea Perez (good friend, servant-leader, and missionary) is to keep Haiti on the radar so the people receive the help and the resources necessary to get back on their feet and THRIVE, NOT JUST SURVIVE. We want to fuel sustainable change in Haiti. There are visions, ideas, and plans in motion. You will hear more about it all in due time. For the moment, we covet your prayers and support. If you want to get involved email us.

Below are more photos from the first trip:

Funeral at Carrefour

Local teenagers at La Lycee Petion, now a football field behind the Cathedral in Port-Au-Prince.

When you feel a 4.8 quake at 1:30am followed by a 4.7 just ten minutes later, you want to sleep outdoors. Just in case.

Happy kids in Leogane.

Village life in Leogane.

Downtown Port-Au-Prince.

Haiti #3: On the street, when the sunsets, HIV, and photos

Jorge Fusaro — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:06:59 +0000

This past week has been intense with work, deadlines, and Haiti-related meetings. Therefore, my time to edit 3000+ photos and write new blog posts has been limited. I want to continue sharing more thoughts and reflections from our humanitarian mission trip to Haiti. Here are some excerpts from my journal.

After a couple of days on the ground, I quickly realized that the need is far greater than the help. Port-Au-Prince and the surrounding areas are destroyed. There is dust, debris, and garbage everywhere. Many times trash is burned in public places such as in sidewalks or in the middle of the street…it is intoxicating. It smells really bad. The trouble with sanitation does not stop there. Anywhere you look men and also women are urinating on the street…a serious side of need.

The streets are noisy, chaotic, dirty, and overcrowded. Being a passenger is like being part of a race…driving is insane. Never experienced anything quite like it.

Thousands of people are out in the streets with no roof, no food, and no clean water. They are displaced with no tents, no jobs, and not much to do. Many of them are wandering and watching cars and people drive by. Sometimes they sit on the same place for hours or days.

When the sun sets, around 5-6pm, everything goes dark with the exception of a few candle lights or occasional lights powered by one of the few generators in the country. It gets dark, lonely, and dangerous. Many women have been victims of rape and sexual abuse due to the circumstances and lack of security. The percentage of HIV carriers in Haiti is very high. “Haiti is one of PEPFAR’s 15 focus countries, which collectively represent approximately 50 percent of HIV infections worldwide.”

Sometimes we forget that privilege to have electricity. Most people on developing countries don’t have that luxury and half of their days are spent in darkness. When you arrive from a country such as Haiti, you realize that we have so much. Sometimes we are not happy we what we have or complain that it is not enough. Reality check!

Street in Leogane.

People on the streets.

Some streets are inaccessible by car.

Collecting mattresses for a better night sleep.

Local street vendor.

Woman praying in front of the Cathedral in Port-Au-Prince.

Locals Kency and Esai and one of our nurses, Varleen.

Haiti #2: The team and more photos from Port-Au-Prince

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 06:08:19 +0000

Many have asked about our team. I was part of a team of 17 people led by Pastor Jean Pierre Milleroy from (BBC) Beraca Baptist Church in Brooklyn, NY. BBC is a predominantly Haitian community with 800+ members. BBC has been serving and ministering in Haiti for many years. When the earthquake struck, they quickly responded.

I couldn’t have asked for a better group to go and serve in Haiti. I was the only white (Latino), non-Haitian, and non-Creole speaking member. Each and every one brought so much love and compassion to the mission. We were brought together in our desire to serve.

More photos from Haiti:

Cathedral Port-Au-Prince.

Aid, surveillance, or press.

Young woman waiting for her turn at the clinic.

Happy smiles!

Mothers and daughters leaving the clinic.

Tent city: waiting in line for food.

Edmond, team member.

Haiti #1: Back home safely and a photo preview

Jorge Fusaro — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:00:23 +0000

Excuse the cliché, but words are not enough to describe what we saw, what we did, and what needs to get done. Haitians refer to the earthquake as “the event” and I am starting to understand why. Events change us and I feel that deep within, what I saw, smelled, heard, touched, and tasted, has begun a change in me. Every trip—be it for pleasure, work, or mission—has the potential for incredible growth and change.

This is the first of several blog posts about my trip. I will be sharing stories, photos, and videos. As the team’s photographer, I was responsible to document our relief efforts and Haitian life after “the event.” We have all seen the terrible destruction, death, and chaos in the media. I felt that was an incomplete picture. I believed that in the midst of this brokenness and pain, there is joy, beauty, peace, and hope to be found. I am happy to report that was true for us.

I tried my best to capture the full range of emotions while honoring human dignity. Our hope in sharing the story is that you will better connect with the Haitian experience and be part in helping rebuild Haiti.

I am still processing images, but here is a quick preview. I will announce when photos are ready on Flickr and [maybe on] Facebook. On the next post, I will be introducing the wonderful team I served with under the leadership of Jean Pierre Mullery (Beraca Baptist Church: Brooklyn, NYC).

The team on the way to Leogane to setup the clinic.

Flore, one of the nurses

Joe and Ketlyan

Patients waiting for care at the clinic

Mother and daughter at the clinic

Subscribe to the blog and receive updates by email.

My Haiti Trip: Postponed…

Jorge Fusaro — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:15:55 +0000

Dear friends, family, and supporters:

I have sad news. My trip to Haiti, scheduled for February 8th, has been postponed. I don’t know the full details, but I trust the decision is in God’s best interest. On a positive note, it gives me more time to prepare and raise support. For those of you just tuning in, I was chosen as the documentary photographer to join a team of 30 relief workers, nurses, doctors, and humanitarian specialists leaving to Haiti on February 8th. We are hoping to leave soon and distribute bundles of relief medicines, supplies, and resources in Port-Au-Prince and nearby towns.

I also want to take this opportunity to THANK all supporters. This is the first time I raise financial support for a humanitarian relief trip and was overwhelmingly surprised by the quick and generous response. Thanks you for the positive thoughts, prayers, and donations.

Lets continue to pray and support Haiti. This is only the beginning of a long process of reconstruction.

Five Days After Being Unplugged from Technology + a New Resolution

Jorge Fusaro — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:12:13 +0000

Outdoor Hammock by Royal Botania

Some of my online friends pointed out that I was “disconnected” and MIA for 5-6 days. I really had no idea. By no means, did I plan to take a break from the web during the first days of the year. I got caught up with people, conversation, and social events.

And I am so glad I did.

Did I miss being online? No.
Did I consider going online? No.
Did the “break” have an effect on me? Yes.

Becoming unconsciously unplugged was an unexpected gift. My mind, body, and spirit received the adequate rest to welcome the New Year with new energy and a renewed focus.

Truth is, I did not feel withdrawn from what was happening on the Twitter stream or the live feeds on Facebook.

In fact, I felt more connected with others and myself.

This small break reminded me, that even tough I appreciate and love my online community; it is incapable of replacing face-to-face conversation and the warmth of human interaction.

So, I’ve added another resolution for this New Year: spend less time online and more time offline.

How will I accomplish this?

Share my resolution publicly (just did).
Have my personal coach keep me accountable.
Set limits/boundaries: spend a maximum of 3 hrs a day online.
Stay off the computer on Saturdays.
Set rules, measure, and monitor my time online. (Still working on details/software)
Try to use the phone more rather than texting/emailing/tweeting/FB messaging.

That’s it for now. I am sure more practical ideas will come to mind as I figure out what works best.

What do you do to monitor the time you spend online?

Share in the comment section below. Thanks!