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.

Mid-Mexico Moment

It's been a while since I've written. I've been getting the classes going. They are running smoothly. I teach classes in Oaxaca and Mitla--two classes an evening. Kendal Geno and Daniel Smith have been learning to tutor and teach English. I let them tutor individually and from time to time they teach group activities. They have been very helpful.

Last Sunday we went to Hierve el Agua, a park in the mountains. It has natural mineral springs as well as cascades of mineral deposits that seem to flow down the mountain side in a tremendous solid waterfall. Because of my double vision and trifocals, I didn't do much exploring, but I did get Kendal to take pictures for me of his hike up to the top of the "falls."

We stopped in Mitla before going and picked up a few of the Saints there. We had 19 in the van. The roads were narrow and wound around the mountains in zigzags. The scenery was beautiful, of course, as in most mountainous areas. On the way home, it was dark and at one point Frank yelled, "Did you see that?" He backed up the van and I expected to see something extraordinary--some rare animal, or maybe a lost child. But no, it was a tarantula. It was maybe 5 inches in diameter. I don't know how Frank saw it in the dark. Anyway, we stopped and took photos. Even me. The natives in the back were probably thinking, "CRAZY GRINGOS!"

My Spanish always improves when I come to Mexico. I'm remembering more and more of it and learning new words. I can carry on a somewhat limited conversation with sales people in stores if they talk slowly. There are so many American stores down here now, that the states don't seem that far away. On one shopping trip we went to Sam's Club, Office Depot and Burger King. We could have gone to KFC, Pizza Hut, or McDonalds. We went to a movie theater where most of the movies were in English. However there were none playing at the time we arrived that we cared to see.

Tomorrow we are supposed to go out to a place where they make tapestries. Maybe I can find some miniature ones. People are always trying to sell me big things. I have to tell them, "No tengo espacio in mi maleta." (I have no space in my suitcase.) They usually laugh and wander off to another tourist. The other day someone tried to sell me a huge gorgeous plant outside of the grocery store. Sadly, that wouldn't fit either, and even if it did, I imagine customs would have a problem with it.

In this beautiful land, it's easy to see the handiwork of God. I never tire of looking at the scenery as we drive to Mitla from Oaxaca, or even as I look out the windows of my third story "penthouse" room. This is the rainy season and there are constantly huge and brilliant rainbows. Yesterday we saw one that seemed so close and so big we could have walked inside it or climbed it. What beauty!!

I still have a little over two weeks here. I hope to be able to make a difference in the lives of others--to let the Light of Christ shine through me.

Until later--