Oaxaca, Mexico - Leaving is Hard

Sunday, November 16 – 10:40 p.m.

Totally off topic, but a fun factoid: I'm told that if your house is in course of construction here, you don't have to pay taxes on it. So, there are a lot of houses with rebar sticking out of the top in preparation for “adding another floor.” Or whatever. Makes you chuckle, no?

We are all packed up and ready to go in the morning. It was cold today as our hosts Tom and

Wendy and Ronny and Susie took us touristing to thank us for our hard work. I hope to get a

chance to write all about it on the plane, but must get to bed now.

Monday, November 17 – 3 p.m.

We're on the plane in Mexico City, bound for Los Cabos and Sacramento. The air quality in

Mexico City leaves a lot to be desired. The beautiful, snow-capped peaks aren't even visible

from the ground...and they aren't that far away! The city is covered with a thick brown blanket of smog. In the daylight, it's incredible how expansive the city is. It is huge, and it's surrounded by mountains. I guess there is nowhere for the air pollution to go. [Perhaps it is only like this at certain times of the year. That's my hope, anyway.]

So, yesterday, we got to see the Oaxaca that the tourists see when they come. Mitla is a lovely village in the mountains with ruins right in the middle and tons of vendors selling their wares (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitla). Little shops and boutiques, very clean, very picturesque, very tourist-friendly, with nice little hotels and things. Quaint would be the word.

Mitla
Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

The weather was beautiful, though blustery and cold. By “cold,” I mean a light sweater would be nice, or a long-sleeved shirt. On the drive up to Mitla, there are lots of places where Mezcal (or Mescal), tequila's cousin, is made, and it looked WAY more prosperous than the villages we've been in, I'll tell you what. It was sort of like driving through the Sonoma Valley wine country, but with a high desert landscape and more modest construction. The countryside is rugged and beautiful and romantic, just like in the movies. I half expected to see desperados riding over the hills with pistols firing and bandoliers flying and sombreros flopping. Or at least Clint Eastwood. Or maybe Antonio Banderas. Okay. Don't get me started.

We then went to “old town” Oaxaca to go to the indoor market there. That particular area looks very European/Spanish colonial. We went to the plaza, where there is a huge and impressive Catholic church. There was a festival going on, with lots more of those French tourists. Sidewalk restaurants and cafes, expensive shops, nice hotels. Dancers on the plaza in traditional garb, dancing to...mariachi music! Special for the tourists!

Yum!
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We had a delicious dinner at one of the restaurants and made a few last-minute purchases. For some of us, those purchases had to do with staying warm. I have a quite beautiful and soft alpaca wrap that I got that night from a street vendor. Well, they said it was alpaca, and maybe it is. Or maybe it isn't. I love it anyway.

We remarked that this is the Oaxaca that you see on travel-logs. It really is very lovely, charming, romantic, and all that.

If you visited Oaxaca, you would be picked up at the airport, whisked to your hotel, encouraged to wander about the plaza with the lovely architecture and the majestic church. You might go on excursions to Mitla and Monte Alban, and maybe you would spend a couple of days at Puerto Angel (the beach on the other side of the mountain range). You would have a wonderful time.

Leaving, maybe you would spot a not-so-great neighborhood with lots of graffiti (because when you landed it was night-time, but now it's mid-day), and you would say to yourself that every city has places like that...tsk, tsk. But you could overlook that; because, all in all, Oaxaca would make a good impression on you. You'd love to come back someday and see more. You'd be getting your pictures ready to show your friends so they could drool. And who could blame you?

But you wouldn't have seen the Oaxaca our team saw. Nope. Not even if you were that very nice suntanned couple from New Zealand that I met at the airport today on their way to Mexico City for the third leg of their fabulous vacation.

And so the mission to Oaxaca was over, and we all made our way back to our homes and “real” lives. But the experience stays with you, and you are a different person when you leave than you were when you arrived. It's all about perspective. With great appreciation, I thank all of you who were on the team. It was a superb team. Tom and Wendy Hogan, thank you for your hard work in facilitating transportation, arranging meals, and all the different logistical nightmares that came up. You were up to the task each time. What a blessing you are! And to the people of my church, The Gateway, thank you for your support and encouragement and prayers. I couldn't have gone to Oaxaca without you!

Leaving Oaxaca.

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Oaxaca, Mexico - Days 8 & 9, Luis Palau Festival!

I had hoped to be able to minister hope and healing at the Luis Palau festival. Would it happen? The adventure continues:

Saturday, November 15 – 8:55 a.m.

I didn't get a chance to journal on Friday! The Palau festival was quite an experience. Big inflatable jumpy things for the kids, face painting, clowns, and so on. Very huge sports field area. The medical tents were set up to the right of the stage (dentistry, optometry, general practice, ear-nose-throat, osteo). It was very well organized. Folks could be seen and get their meds at the pharmacy or their glasses or whatever right there on the spot, no charge. How big a blessing is that? [Our docs and nurses and pharmacy folks were very busy both Friday and Saturday. It is so wonderful of them to give of themselves in this way!]

The waiting area.
Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Medical teams at work.
Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

I had been tagged to cut hair with Renee yesterday, and I got there 2 hours later than she did, because our driver needed to go check out a wheelchair for a CP patient in “old” town – very pretty and touristy with actual street signs on the corner buildings and everything. The building colors are very bright here...lapis and teal and coral and goldenrod and rust and so forth.

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Anyway, we arrived at the festival grounds, and I found Renee. There we were, parked in the middle of about 50 professional hairdressers! Yikes. ROFL! Business was understandably a little slow for us, though Renee gives great haircuts. I did a trim on a woman with curly hair, and I must say she looked great...and she loved it, which is way more important than me thinking she looked great. With Renee's okay, I decided to join Glen (from Vancouver) on a prayer walk. He is a rabid prayer warrior.

Next thing you know, we're chatting with a young lady who is working at a library booth, and Glen asked her if she knew Jesus. Just like that. She said, "Not yet." Not yet. What an "open door" answer! So he asked her if she'd like to. And she said yes! We prayed with her, and she was positively beaming. Later in the day, she was still beaming and gave us big hugs, and her friend took her picture with us. In the evening, Glen ran into Sol again, and she had brought a friend with her. And he introduced her to Jesus, too. Just like that. Way to go, Glen!

6:25 p.m.

Richard's group (Mike and Bill and Annie) came back from the remote villages, and Suzie asked them to come dance at the medical tent today, and they did. A crowd gathered, as you can imagine, to see the Indians from Los Estados Unidos.

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Their regalia was a huge hit, and Mike played a beautiful prayer on the flute. 

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Bill gave his moving testimony.

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Richard spoke to the people about how Jesus was a tribal man, had dark hair and dark eyes, and came to save all peoples from all tribes.The Creator has created all the different peoples for a purpose, that the local indigenous peoples are the keepers of the land, and they should no longer be ashamed of their culture and the color of their skin, but they should embrace it as their identity. The Europeans came and brought religion (Christianity) to the people, but they didn't realize that it was wrong to rob them of their identity. We all know better now, don't we? Please? Jesus, the savior of all mankind, came to redeem all peoples and cultures – not to make them European...

The amazing Richard Twiss.
Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

The looks on the faces of the people as Richard spoke were indescribable, as though a light had gone on in their spirits as tears shone in their eyes. It was hugely impactful and touched my heart greatly. I feel as though there is a great chasm between them and me that can only be bridged through reconciliation.

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.
(The photographer in the picture is the immensely talented Carl LaCasse.)

On the way home to the YWAM base, Esau (YWAM director in Oaxaca) pulled over and stopped the van. He had heard Richard's message, and he wanted to talk to him about it. Esau said that everything Richard had said was very true for Oaxaca. He said the indigenous people are ashamed of their identity and suffer greatly at the hands of the established church, even still. Their culture, dance, and so on are considered sinful and are repressed. [That breaks my heart.]

Esau invited Richard to come back to bring his message to the villages. He said he would personally escort Richard. Esau's voice was so full of emotion at what he desires to bring to his people. I teared up. It was a God moment.

But back to the Palau festival. We were given permission to set up a “free prayer” area in our medical tent today! Amazing! Glen ministered to the men, and I prayed for the ladies, mostly. Just like home. We put up a little sign, and an astounding thing happened. People started lining up for prayer! It was one after another for hours and hours. Some came for prayer for healing for themselves and/or their children, some came for encouragement, some came for deliverance/freedom from curses or addictions. I used my (very) limited Spanish to tell them who I was, where I came from to pray for them, that I speak very little Spanish but understand a bit more, and that I would be praying in English. They were all okay with that and seemed appreciative of my hobbled efforts to communicate with them.

But here's the really cool part: The Holy Spirit helped me to really understand what they were saying, just enough to be able to pray for them. Both the ladies with pain in their backs and necks reported immediate improvement, as did those with arthritis and so forth. Woohoo! Talk about encouraging! There were so many people, it's hard to chronicle them, but they were almost universally visibly moved by the Holy Spirit, and I believe they felt loved and cared for. Praise God! That is what I came for. He made a way for me to minister help, hope, and healing to the people, even though I am not anywhere near coming close to approaching the hope of being fluent in their language. [Note: My eyes are tearing up even now as I remember this amazing moment in time!] And, actually, a few of the people I prayed with spoke broken Spanish themselves, being indigenous from the villages.

Flashback to last night (Friday) at the festival: Richard's group opened in prayer (We missed that part because of the traffic...bummer...). There was music by several Christian artists who are very popular in the area. Interesting thing, though, I haven't heard any mariachi music down here. It's all been conga-based. Obviously, since I love drums, I've enjoyed it very much!

Luis Palau spoke for about 45 minutes. There were thousands of people on the soccer field. The organizers were expecting 100,000 people to attend the festival, and I'm sure at least half that many attended just last night (with the largest crowd expected Saturday night). After Palau spoke, he invited the crowd to join him in a brief prayer. There were Palau workers interspersed throughout the crowd, wearing bright orange “amigo” vests. So, if you had prayed the prayer for salvation, or if you wanted prayer for something else, you would find the nearest “amigo.” Way more intimate and less showy than a huge altar call. I liked it.

The music started up again after we left, and we could hear it all the way over at YWAM. Right now (Saturday evening) I can hear the music as I sit here writing, so that means they have started up for tonight. Our contribution to the festival is over.

I felt good today and had lots of energy and feel as though it's been a good day. A beautiful day. A Kingdom day. Woohoo! Dios es amor. And I'm hungry. I only had time for a slice of fresh pineapple at lunch today, because people were waiting for prayer. I'm feeling really blessed. Silly me. I thought I was coming here to bless others.

Oaxaca, Mexico - Day 7, Monte Alban

Tom and Wendy Hogan arranged a variety of experiences for our group, including an opportunity to see some beautiful parts of the region. The adventure continues with Day 7:

Thursday, November 3 – 3:10 p.m.

Today, we visited the ruins at Monte Alban (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Albán), perched high on a mountaintop and overlooking Oaxaca, one of the earliest cities in Mezoamerica. Please do check out the link. You'll want to go see it for yourself. It is amazing. Like “Apocalypto.” Breathtaking. There was such a presence to the place, such a sense of history and former greatness. Such wonderful food for the imagination. Huge, huge area of ruins, only 15% of which has been excavated. Want to go on a dig? I took some pictures, but even the panoramic ones don't come close to portraying the expanse of the place. 

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

The vendors outside the gates were relentless as only the vendors in this part of the world can be, and I'm sure I overpaid for the few trinkets I purchased, but I'm happy to help the local economy (That's how I choose to look at it...). Even turning my pockets inside out to show I had no dollars left didn't deter them!

When we got back to headquarters, I put my feet up. Although I am feeling much better (praise God!), my ankles are still very swollen. I feel old and in the way. But I am not! The doc is up and about today, though he looks pretty weak. Others are experiencing head cold symptoms. I wonder if that might not be from all the dust...both from pouring pisos and from breathing the regular air. It was very, very hazy this morning; however, the breeze has picked up, and that has cleared the air somewhat. There are a few clouds in the sky.

I've been thinking a lot about the culture of honor. The arrogance of Norte Americanos can be astounding, including some of us, perhaps even me. But I hope not. I don't want people to flinch at my questions or comments (as our guide did at some of the insensitive questions posed to him today). Relationship is everything. If you come here (or anywhere) with an “agenda,” you are malodorous. All that to say, yes, we missionaries come with a wonderful message of forgiveness and freedom and reconciliation. But we would benefit from learning about other cultures, too, in order to understand the people we are coming to see...their religion, economy, history, social systems, language, etc...before coming to them and (in their eyes, anyway) trying to change that. Who could blame folks for thinking we are trying to superimpose our culture over theirs?

I think it's wonderful that so much evangelism is done in the context of culture now, that Native Americans can drum and dance their prayers, for instance, without condemnation from other believers who don't “get it.” Well, enough of that soapbox. It's good to honor others. We can't expect them to want to have anything to do with us if we don't.

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

We drove past some tourist resorts on the way up the mountain to Monte Alban, with fabulous panoramic views of the valley. That is most certainly a different view of what Oaxaca is like than you would get in the villages! There were lots of French tourists at Monte Alban, by the way. I thought that was interesting. Bet they didn't know I could understand their snide remarks...heh heh... And people think Americans are rude.

More local flavor: The tortilla truck just went by. It's a car, actually. Anyway, it has a blaring loudspeaker that lauds the quality of the product (Tortillas! Calientitas!) as it slowly progresses up the street. The woman across the street comes out in the morning with her tortilla towel to buy her morning tortillas. Makes me smile. It's a heartwarming sight and reminds me of my grandmother, for some reason.

There's a church service next door at 6 each morning. The singing wakes us up, just in case we have learned to sleep through the roosters. We get up at 6 or 6:30, which is a good time to get up when you've got a large group of folks needing to be ready to leave by 8 a.m. Okay, 8:30. Well, will we be loading up around 9? We'll try to be there around 10 for sure. And we arrive at 11:30. That's close enough, eh? I hope this makes you chuckle, or at least smile knowingly. I like it here. The people are wonderful, and the brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we have worked are incredible. Such beautiful hearts.

Tomorrow, the Palau festival begins!

Oaxaca, Mexico - Day 6, Clinic at the Dump

What an adventure! Pouring floors one day, medical clinic the next. We continue with...

Day 6

Wednesday, November 12 – 5:40 p.m.

We went out to the dump to set up a one-day, walk-up medical clinic. The folks were already eagerly waiting when we got there. We had a waiting area where the kids could color, get their faces painted, etc. They loved it. There were three exam rooms set up, and even free haircuts (compliments of Renee from Reno...she's an amazing human dynamo!).

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Unfortunately, I got to feeling so poorly that I had to lie down. Well, actually, one of the nurses insisted that I stop my assigned task, lie down, and put my feet up. I protested, but not very energetically. No, it wasn't the food or water (well, maybe just not enough water)! My ankles ballooned up, and I had a fever. The medicos started me on some wicked antibiotics and tylenol, and I was quickly on the road to recovery. Yes!

The kids were so cute with their balloon “hats” and “swords” and so on. Many people received prayer, and some made decisions to follow Christ. So awesome!

Photo by Chris. All Rights reserved

It's a great frustration to me that my Spanish is so limited. Note to self: Learn some more Spanish! The folks find my efforts amusing (hey, anything for a laugh, and happy to provide it...), and I find that I am beginning to understand better than I thought I would be able to, which is a wonderful and miraculous thing.

We stopped at the mall (I know. That sounds so normal, doesn't it?) to pick up some more supplies on the way home, so I grabbed a coconut ice cream bar...yum! Delicious and refreshing, with the added benefit of being creamy and...coconutty. Come on. Those are so, so good. [I understand that some folks don't like coconut at all. Go figure!]

I'm supposed to do tear-down after dinner tonight (clear and wash tables, scrape dishes, sweep/mop the dining room and kitchen, take out the trash, etc.). I hope I can do it, as I feel as though the illness let the team down today. There's a separate team that does dishes (wash in detergent and bleach, rinse off suds, rinse in bleach water, dry, put away) and a team that does set-up (set the table for the next meal). This, I know how to do! We're all encouraged to take turns, and there's a sign-up sheet on the wall in the dining room. There's a small amount of grumbling about the chores, but I find that they help with our bonding as teammates. I don't mind pitching in. It actually helps me to feel more useful.

Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

One of the docs is on IV antibiotics, very ill. I hope he will get well soon!

By the way, Lolita (You'll remember that she's our chef) outdid herself tonight. We had an authentic Oaxacan feast with “tlayudas,” these giant tortillas filled with cheese and onions and black beans, then folded over and toasted over coals. Really good, and with the traditional Christmas drink, “ponche,” which is like hot apple cider but with lots of different fruits. It's very yummy. There were also half-moon shaped pies with chorizo and some with cheese. And barbecued flank steak to put in the clayudas. I don't think anybody will need a midnight snack!

And, yeah! I was able to do my assigned tear-down work, no problem. Woohoo! Tomorrow's going to be a fun day.

Next: Monte Alban

Oaxaca, Mexico - Day 5, Pisos and Tostadas

It's “missions month” in a lot of churches, so I'm recapping my mission to Oaxaca, Mexico. An amazing experience! The adventure continues with...

Day 5 -

Tuesday, November 11 – 11:35 p.m. (What am I doing up so late?!)

Woohoo! We finished all the pisos today! The work went so smoothly, well organized. And I'll tell you what: Pastor Marcelino and his guys work hard and fast. I don't know how they can lift those 5-gallon buckets of water and sand and gravel up onto their shoulders to dump in the mixer all day long. Amazing.

Working hard!
Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

And having fun!
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The folks we encountered today at the village were very open and friendly. We're getting more comfortable with them, they're getting more comfortable with us. One of the families even went to the store to get some purified water to make Tang for all of us (around 30 people). They bought disposable plastic glasses and everything. I'm sure that was difficult for them to afford. Then, when we were finished with the work and were resting a bit at the church site, here they came with home-made tostadas for us! I was very moved by that. Such generosity and hospitality! They could have eaten for a week on what they fed us, I'm sure.

Fresh tostadas. They were delicious!
Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Mindful of the cultural need to accept what's offered (per last night's talk), we partook of everything -- fresh cabbage, ungloved hands, and all (Had it been treated for bacteria? At the YWAM base and at the restaurants, everything fresh is treated for bacteria. But, in the villages, not so much. We understood that we were taking a risk, but we went with it). The tostadas were very delicious. [None of us who chose to honor this sacrificial gift became ill from it. There was one person who didn't partake. That person became ill. Isn't that interesting? Do bring your hand sanitizer, though. You don't want to spread anything you might have brought with you to the rest of the team.]

We did coloring, face painting, fingernails, balloons, etc., with the kids at the village in the

afternoon today. They had a great time, and their parents also came. It was a festival atmosphere.

Crayons. An amazing treat for these kids! Bring some with you.
Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

So beautiful, and just as precious.
Photo by Chris. All Rights Reserved.

Later in the evening, back at YWAM, we packaged and labeled medications for the medical clinic tomorrow at the dump site.

Note: There is no way I could drive down here – they are crazy! Never mind the lanes; split the difference! Cut everybody off, pass on the right...reminds me of our days in Puerto Rico. I love it. Seriously. I'm beginning to love Oaxaca. The weather is perfect, but it's very dusty. If you have respiratory issues, that and the altitude are things to consider. Just sayin'. Forewarned is forearmed, right?

Next up: Medical clinic at the dump.

Oaxaca, Mexico - Day 4, Pisos in Manantial

Day 4 – Monday. The work begins!

Monday, November 10 – 6:40 p.m.

Can't believe I forgot to mention the fried grasshoppers yesterday at the restaurant...spicy,

crunchy, a tiny bit soft in the middle, and actually quite good. Also can't believe I ate those! But, really, they were quite tasty. Really!

Today, we got up with the roosters – it was still a bit dark – to get ready to pour pisos (cement floors) at Manantial.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs, country fries with chilis (everything is with chilis), toast and/or tortillas, cereal – lots of good food.

Before heading out to the village, we had to go unload a truck of materials for the Luis Palau festival (tracts, handouts, Book of Hope materials) that's coming up this weekend, so we were late arriving at Manantial – just in time for a sandwich, and then we started hauling gravel and shoveling sand for the cement. Here, we are talking about hauling by hand, in five-gallon buckets, assembly-line style. It is hard work, in the sun, dusty.

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

It's hard to stay properly hydrated at this altitude, too, even though I'm drinking lots of water. We are on a hillside, up above Oaxaca City somewhere. We are especially grateful that Jose Manuel has obtained a gas-powered cement mixer. It means we will not have to mix all the cement by hand, which will make the job go much faster (also easier, I would imagine).

RJ took charge of the actual pouring and spreading, since he is a contractor and knows what to do. Because we got started so late, we only got one piso done today, but the other two homes have been prepped and are ready for pouring. That should make tomorrow's work go faster.

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Peggy says that the houses they work on in Nicaragua are much poorer, but that's kind of hard to wrap my head around. She says they are lean-to's with corrugated metal walls. There are lots of those here, too, but the homes whose floors we are pouring are cinder block. Window openings but no windows. Door openings but no doors. Walls and a corrugated metal roof, a couple of rooms for multiple generations, dirt floor, “kitchen” outside, etc. No electricity, no running water. Deeply rutted, dirt lane. Looks as though it must wash out consistently during the rainy season. Stateside, you'd be thinking this was the most abject poverty, that's for sure. As I say, hard to imagine that it's more spartan in Nicaragua.

The main drag.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The families are very excited and grateful to be getting rid of their dirt floors! Pastor Marcelino, from the church where we went on Sunday, has established an outreach church to the indigenous inhabitants of Manantial. The church building consists of a cement pad with no walls and a corrugated roof. Marcelino says there is a strong spirit of witchcraft in the area that brings division and strife. Not all the neighbors get along, and some even refused a piso. We hope that the help we are providing to a handful of families will not cause them to be ostracized.

Back at YWAM, there was meatball/vegetable broth with rice for dinner. As always, very good.

Never has a shower felt so good!

Answer to prayer: The rest of the team arrived today – Suzie S. (Suzie is RJ's wife. She

is a flight nurse.) and the docs (Dr. N. and Dr. B., both from Redding, CA) – with bins and bins of medications. Potential trouble bringing those in. At customs, they opened all the bins, but it was as though the meds were absolutely invisible – just as we had asked Papa. So, thank you, Papa.

I am missing my husband and family today. Very much. Wendy says that loneliness hangs over this area in a very heavy way. Yep.

Note: Regarding time/punctuality here – forget about it. I'm assuming that school and work start on time, but it seems as though everything is always behind schedule (Schedules appear to be more like suggestions)...way behind schedule. I'm not talking about a few minutes. Relationship is what it's all about, not getting there “on time.” The key to dealing with this, for a Type 1 such as myself, is to remember to be flexible. It's very difficult, but I think I'm coping relatively well. I wonder if the others agree...

We had a special speaker tonight, Bob Sundberg. It was a very good talk about the more than 150 separate indigenous peoples in the area, do's and don'ts, and so on. It would have been wonderful to have this information right away, before going out there, but I appreciate these hints as to how not to behave! We don't want to be arrogant gringos. This is their land, and we are their guests.

Observation: It's hard to come on a trip like this as a “hanger on” with someone else's team. All the planning was done in Redding for our sub-set, so there isn't a job that “belongs” to me – not that I'm having any trouble staying busy, pitching in here and there, that's for sure! Heather from Colorado is in the same situation, only she didn't even know a single person at all. Very brave of her. She is a unique young woman.

I heard today that only those who are fluent in Spanish will be allowed to do prayer ministry at the Palau (www.palau.org) festival. That makes total sense, on one hand, but who knows? Perhaps I'll be able to team up with someone like I did with Susie at the church on Sunday. That was awesome – the Holy Spirit is not restricted by language barriers. And we will see what He has in mind, eh?

We have to get up even earlier tomorrow, as we have to get out to the work site and pour at least three pisos – turns out we have four more to do, as five were promised (rather than three). And if you say you are going to do something, you have to get it done in order to not destroy the relationship-building that's happening.

Gifts are being prepared for tomorrow's families. Clothing, socks, toys, coloring books, hair

gizmos, etc.

By the way, we drove through a retail-type area today on our way to the job site. There was a Sam's Club and McDonald's and Burger King and a mall and theater multi-plex. Weird disconnect there. Quite a stark contrast to the job site! I'm thinking we ought to be doing more ministry in the inner cities back home. Just a thought.

Next up: What a team!

Oaxaca, Mexico - Day 3, An Obsession with Food

My adventure in Oaxaca continues with Day 3 of my diary:

Sunday, November 9 – 6:55 p.m.

Whew! What a day! First things first. Remember what I said about no gardens and lawns?

Darling, we were just not in the right neighborhood! We drove by some incredibly beautiful

villas today, with gorgeous doors and painted stucco walls and huge wooden gates. Just like

in the other movies...the ones with folks who have a little more money.

Back to last night. Excellent dinner! Homemade taquitos with guacamole and salsa verde

and mole negro and fresh sour cream, with a dessert of chopped apples and pineapple and

raisins and nuts and cream and a little sugar – yummy. [Please pardon all the talk about

food...I was just getting used to Oaxacan food, and I was clearly enjoying it. You would, too.] Lolita is a genius. She is also cooking for a lot of people. Four teams, about 35 people.

Ours is the largest team at 13 people. This is the first group hosted by Tom and Wendy

Hogan, our Forward Edge International (FEI henceforth – www.forwardedge.org)

coordinators. They have just started at this new post, and it's a bit much for a starter. So

far, so good, though.

Richard Twiss's group [www.wiconi.com] arrived last night, so it's a bit more crowded in the

girls' bedroom. (I'm in the top double, by the door, which was unfortunate last night, as the

door was open for ventilation, the light was on in the next room, then the streetlight was

shining in my eyes, and, of course, there were the folks loudly playing cards...cards! On a

missions trip! I am in mock shock!...in the adjoining sitting room – but I digress.) Richard's is

a ministry of reconciliation to indigenous peoples all over the world. His presence seems to

bring peace to a room.

Breakfast this morning was tamales and fruit and chicken mole negro in banana

leaves...and hot chocolate! Yea! Lolita said that this is a traditional Sunday morning meal.

As usual, outstanding.

Breakfast
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We went to church in a small town nearby [“Nearby” is a relative term in Oaxaca, as it

seems to take an hour to get anywhere you go. The traffic is terrible, and let's not even discuss the driving! The speed bumps are gargantuan. If you don't slow down enough, you will leave your axle behind and flip your vehicle. I'm sure the bumps are for the public safety.] What a wonderful experience church was! The worship team was very much like our own setup, very good worship time. Ronny preached in English for our sakes, even though he is fluent in Spanish [Ronny and Susie G. are old hats at this missions thing, and what nice people], and Tom translated.

There was prayer time after the message, and I was invited to help with that. It was an honor to pray alongside my Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters. Susie and I ministered together – she is fluent in Spanish and very sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. We prayed for Saul, a little boy with severe scoliosis, a deformed hip, and a leg that isn't growing – the sweetest child, and he needs a miracle. His parents can't afford the $35K (in Mexico) surgery he needs to keep his spine from totally collapsing. His organs are already being impacted. We also prayed with a young wife who just became a believer in Jesus today. Hooray! Forgiveness prayers are so powerful, and she wept as she experienced the freedom that can only be found through inner healing. It was wonderful. It was impactful. There was no hesitation or request for deep explanation for intellectual understanding; there was only openness and willingness to go wherever the Holy Spirit wanted to go. How can you stop the tears from flowing at such an enormous moment? God is so good.

After church, we drove to Santa Maria del Tule. Very picturesque, quaint, with a street

market and an impressive civic building and an even more impressive church on the plaza.

There is a huge tree that is reputed to be 2,000 years old there, and it is next to the church

(http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/rbarnett/rbtuletree.html). We all went to a

quite nice restaurant for lunch. I had horchada and chicken estofado (with plantain mole).

And then Mexican coffee, which was delicious (boiled in a clay pot with cinnamon). We did

a little shopping at the market, but nobody would barter. Hmph.

Dinner was soft tacos (chicken) covered with salsa verde and lettuce and sour cream – light

and scrumptious, but I'd better not eat at all tomorrow. I've probably gained five pounds

already!

Tomorrow, we pour pisos to replace dirt floors in homes. It will be hard work. The pisos are

very important for sanitation purposes, and for comfort, too.

Next up: The work begins.

Oaxaca, Mexico - Day 2, The Fun Begins!

If you've never been on a foreign mission, you ought to give it a try. You'll see the world through different eyes. And so, we continue with Day 2 of my adventure in Oaxaca, Mexico:


Saturday, November 8 – 4:25 p.m.


When we arrived at YWAM (Youth With a Mission – www.ywamoaxaca.org) headquarters last night at about 11 p.m., there was a hot meal waiting for us. Is that nice, or what? Chicken rolls and pasta and carrots and fresh tortilla chips with salsa verde. And cantaloupe water. We've all been drilled not to drink the water! But we were assured that it's purified, so I tried the cantaloupe water. Yummy. Delicious, even. Very refreshing.


Then, it was time for bed. Peggy [a classmate of Harry's who has been going on mission trips for years to Nicaragua and invited me along on this one. She runs the pharmacy on the medical missions] and I are bunk mates. She's in the lower, and I'm in the upper. I feel a little closed-in in lowers, so this works for me. Ours is the only double bunk in the room. The other four are triples. Yikes! Nosebleeds!


Also, add up all those ladies...in one room...with one bathroom. On the plus side, there is an actual bath-room. Huzzah! (Don't forget to put the toilet paper in the little trash can instead of down the toilet...sewer system leaves much to be desired, I'm told. And take very short showers.)


Anyhow, comfy mattress, no apparent bed bug problems this morning [We had been warned about possible bed bug issues.]...a bit stiff, though. Probably a combination of carrying luggage from gate to gate [The mission bins were the checked luggage. Other than that, we were allowed one piece of carry-on weighing no more than 20 lbs., plus a small backpack.] and not moving all night. Anyhoo...


After breakfast this morning (huevos, tortillas, coffee, black beans, papaya, peaches), we went to the dumps to work with the kids. Skits, songs, coloring – frankly, I felt very superfluous until the face painting started. The kids loved it, and, somehow, it didn't seem to loom so large that my espanol es por nada. I can paint rainbows and flowers and stars and hearts in any language. I thought I was going to be stampeded by little girls wanting face paints. It was tons of fun. 


We had lunch with the kids – how can you say "No, thanks?" You just can't. So, we'll see if there are any “repercussions!” Guava water is outstanding, and the sandwiches were like french rolls cut in half, “buttered” with black bean puree, with fresh queso on top. Very good. [We had also been warned not to eat anything not prepared either by Lolita, our wonderful cook, or in a reputable eating establishment. There were no repercussions that I know of. Thank you, Lord!] 


The kids are terminally cute...I want to take half a dozen of them home with me. We've supported Compassion International kids at the church, but to meet them in person touches my heart. They are so open, so sweet, so loving, so eager.

Adorable!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

On the way back to the base, we stopped at a Oaxacan pottery “factory” – a family operation where the traditional black pottery is made. We got a demonstration, which was very interesting. The process is basically done by hand, with a potter's wheel made of two discs, one inverted on the other, turned manually. The process takes days, and the technique is passed from generation to generation. I hope that we'll also be able to see how the brightly-colored animals are made. I understand those are very popular, too, but are
not something made “only here” from “time immemorial.”

Made by hand.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

After it's fired, it's black.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We stopped at a chocolateria on the way back, as well as a place to exchange dollars into pesos (12 pesos to one American dollar). We had some traditional Mexican hot chocolate – very creamy and delicious and cinnamon-y and not-too-sweet. [Bear with me here, all you sophisticated travelers. Pretend you don't already know all this stuff.] Note to self:  Pick up a molinillo [tool for mixing and frothing hot chocolate] to take home.


We're a bit tired, not surprising, having just arrived late last night and hitting the ground running early in the morning. But it's been a good day so far. A very good day. A word about the storefronts and architecture and walls and so forth – just like in the movies, and lots of graffiti...some looks like “tags,” but there's also a lot that qualifies as art (in my opinion, anyway, but what do I know?). I hope to be able to go for a walk with some folks so I can take pictures. 


We are not allowed to go out at night unless it's in a group, and even in the daylight we mustn't walk the neighborhood by ourselves. But the neighborhood seems – and feels – nice enough. Again, what do I know? Anyway, the houses are mainly cinder-block based, 2-story, wrought iron over the windows (and you get the impression it isn't strictly decorative), with tall walls (brick or cinder block) surrounding the property. Courtyards, not much in the way of gardens or lawns. I'm sure it isn't like that everywhere, but that's what I've seen so far. Lots of dust, even though the rainy season just ended. [Later learned that the rainwater is collected in cisterns. From there, it is pumped up to the roof into a sort of filtration tank, and from there it runs through the house by gravity. Assuming the house has running water and electricity, of course, which isn't the case in the villages. When the cistern runs dry, the water truck is summoned to fill it up. Must be expensive. Our particular house had hot water from “on demand” little heaters that heat the water as it goes through the pipes...don't take the first shower in the morning!]


Next up:  A day of rest and sightseeing!