Another Mexican Moment

I went out with the missionary trainees to the market Saturday--the BIG market in Oaxaca. I bought chocolate and some Christmas presents. On Friday we went to a market in the village of Ocotlan. I purchased a leather hat for 150 pesos. That's about $15.00 US. We visited the local museum which was a former convent. There we saw the restoration work of Rodolfo Morales. We also went to one of his houses which he had restored. We were greeted at the gate by the two guard dogs--a poodle and a chiuaua. We tried to be terrified, but it didn't work. Anyway, finally someone came and opened the gate and disappeared. So we toured the place and found our gate opener in the kitchen deeply involved in cooking comida. She let us take pictures of her traditional kitchen. We talked to the resident parrot who kept calling, "Hola!" and we took pictures of some of the collages of Rodolfo Morales. Somehow he is connected to the "Hermanas Agilar" (Eagle sisters) who did a lot of sculpting. Some very strange sculptures, I must say.

Yesterday we had a pot luck dinner at church in Mitla and made home-made ice cream with a hand crank freezer. I didn't participate in this activity although I did share in its bounty. Afterwards some of the members gave testimonies and we prayed together before we left to go back to Oaxaca. On the way out of town we stopped at the home of Fausto to give him a drink made of juice, vitamins, minerals and sugars from the Aloe Vera plant. Frank Frye and David Newman also administered to him. A couple of weeks ago he was in the hospital with a very serious lung condition. They expected him to die at any moment. Frank gave him the same concoction, as well as admisistering to him. The family was there to say good bye. The doctor had not given them any hope at all. The next morning he had rallied a little and was asking for Frank's "juice." Frank took it to him and prayed for him again. The next day he was permitted to go home. Now he is home and doing better.

My classes are going great. We keep having new students although the classes are in the next to the last week. Some of the students are really learning fast. Then there are the others who need more help. I enjoy the challenge. It makes me feel really good to see the "light bulb" of understanding come into their faces. Learning a new language is not easy. These students are really doing a fine job. Some of the them are learning Engish for their jobs or to help in school. Others are here for the fun of it. I try to make learning fun. We always joke and laugh with each other. We are also learning some camp songs about God. Music and its lyrics enter the brain through a different door than some of the other methods. I try to use it when I can.

Well, back to my preparations for class tonight.