Alondra’s Prayer
Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord´s angel came down from heaven…The angel said to the women, “Don´t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isn´t here! God has raised him to life…” The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28:2,5,8
Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord´s angel came down from heaven…The angel said to the women, “Don´t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was nailed to a cross. He isn´t here! God has raised him to life…” The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. Matthew 28:2,5,8
Bishop Ulises Muñoz of the Pentecostal Church of Chile had just returned home from the hospital after a car accident when his four year old granddaughter, Alondra, came to visit. He was bruised and sore, but “gracias a Dios” (thanks be to God) he hadn´t suffered any major injuries. Alondra’s mother explained that they needed to be gentle with Grandpa until he recovered. Alondra slipped into her grandparents’ room and stood tall next to her grandpa as he lay in bed. She spoke sternly and wagged her finger making clear her disapproval of his misbehavior: “What game do you think you were playing? Did you do this so the police and the firemen would come and everyone would make a fuss about you?” Then Alondra asked her grandpa what part of his body didn´t hurt because she was going to pray and ask God for his healing. The Bishop dutifully reached out his hand, and Alondra bowed her head, holding his pinky finger as she began: “This little piggy went to market!” (Of course, it was the Spanish version which says: “This little finger bought an egg!”) By the time Alondra had finished her prayer with “wee, wee, wee all the way home,” she had given the healing gifts of mirth and play in the midst of pain and trauma.
The bus ride from Talca to Curicó normally takes about an hour, but in the days after the February 27th, 2010 earthquake with the bridges gone and fissures crisscrossing the Pan American highway, the trip took nearly five hours. Acsa, a young nursing student, and I worked on an “emotional first aid” handout to share with parents and Sunday school teachers in the communities devastated by the earthquake and tsunami while we rode the bus. In a STAR 1 course (Seminar in Trauma Awareness and Resilience – Eastern Mennonite University) offered by the Shalom Center in partnership with the Brookfield Institute of Massachusetts, we learned strategies to help people emotionally in the aftermath of a traumatic experience. One technique was a hand massage whereby people could explore different feelings related to each finger. We learned that the nerve endings in each finger are connected to different parts of the brain where these feelings are processed. I remembered the story of Alondra. Little did she know that, as she held each of her grandfather’s fingers, she was also helping to heal the emotional trauma of the accident by creating new neural pathways.
Acsa and I put Alondra´s “This little piggy” prayer together with the hand massage and a few other trauma healing tips to create a healing technique that could be used even with small children. In the year after the earthquake, hundreds of children and parents throughout Chile learned “Alondra´s prayer” as the Shalom Center staff led emotional first aid workshops in the “Doors of Hope” post-earthquake/tsunami recovery effort of the Pentecostal Church of Chile.
The women who went to the tomb were terrified by the second earthquake described in the gospel of Matthew account of the crucifixion. When they heard about the resurrection, they ran to tell the disciples “frightened and yet very happy.” I have been frightened by catastrophic circumstances, and yet, I, too, have been very happy to be sharing the Good News of healing, peace, joy and solidarity on behalf of each of you. As someone in Chile said to me recently, “you are truly one of us now; you have lived our pain, cried our tears, and helped us to stand again.” In the resurrection after the earthquakes of life, we are given the opportunity of being there for each other, the frightening and yet very happy privilege of giving the gift of our witness and presence.
Alondra’s prayer
An adaption of the prayer “Putting ourselves in God’s hands.”
*This finger is the smallest one, that’s why we need to take care of it.
(Gently massage the pinky finger.)
*This finger breathes deep and lets the air out slowly.
(Gently massage the ring finger. Breathe in with the child and show him or her how to exhale slowly. Repeat several times if calming is needed.)
*This little finger quiets down when it counts its brothers and sisters.
(Ask the child to count his or her fingers and then massage the middle finger. For small children, they may repeat as you count. Older children count fingers from one to ten and then backwards, ten to one.)
*This little finger points to everything blue.
(Ask the child to use his or her index finger to point at and name everything blue within sight. Massage the index finger of the other hand.)
*This little finger wants lots of hugs.
(Have the child hold his or her thumb with the other hand. Then massage the thumb. If appropriate, give the child a hug.)
*Shake your hands to finish this prayer
And say “thank you God for your loving care.”
(Shake both hands with fingers lose. It is best to repeat the story massaging the opposite hand as well. School age children may be taught to repeat the massage to themselves when they have any of the feelings described below.)
Elena Huegel is a missionary with the Pentecostal Church of Chile (IPC). She serves as an environmental and Christian education specialist.
Alondra’s prayer created by Acsa Luna and Elena Huegel
Based on an idea by Alondra Muñoz
and materials from the STAR program of Eastern Mennonite University
and the Brookfield Institute