Ah, the Mexican routine

I´m living in a Mexican resort town, but strangely I´ve stepped into somewhat of a routine. Everyday on the way to the beach I pass my Argentine friend Luis at his pizza shop, then feel myself unusually ginormous because I´m like the tallest gal in town, I pass the same blind beggar playing guitar, the shoe shinners, and the money exchangers. Most days I do yoga in the morning, eat, then paint, paint, paint. The only difference from the USA type of routine is that my time off is peppered with walking on the beach, swimming in cenotes, or going to jazz concerts instead of rock-climbing and seeing Nickle Creek in concert. Really, it´s all the same...right.

For those who want details, here is my journal:

Saturday, November 19

Since we’ve been going to a lot of worships that the whole group hasn’t been understanding, we decided to have our own Sabbath School and read the lessons of the week. We then went to church and then gave out invitations with some young people of the church for a campaign the church began tonight. We went up and down streets avoiding dogs and talking to neighbors. Jessica and Andrew would just go up to random people and put the flyer in their hands. I had a few extra flyers when we drove back to the hotel so they did the shoved them to unsuspecting pedestrians. Afterwards, everyone in WMT went walking on the beach while I caught up on some writing. I was still writing when they returned.

We decided to support the church by going to the evening campaign. We enjoyed pastor Isaias’ message about the three steps to be happy: 1. decide to be happy 2. Treat others with happiness 3. Make Jesus your friend

On their walk, Joy had seen a stage so she wanted to check it out. We walked with her, but the jazz band was having technical difficulties. We waited on the beach looking a man on stilts half naked with white pants and a white Italian mask and other interesting characters. It was getting late, so Andrew and Jessica left. Joy and I sat on Ryan’s feet like little penguins until we gave up as well. Of course, they band started playing when we left. Joy admitted it wasn’t her best decision, but I’m glad we at least got a good walk.

Sunday, November 20

Today we returned to finish the second coat on the church walls. Once again I was up on the scaffolding trying to reach the highest places. Carlos brought us hot tamales again, but a special treat of mango juice. When we were done with the walls I didn’t want to sit around, so Ryan taught me how to chisel out places for the electrical boxes or chalupas and then how to wire them.

Joy cooked us a multi-cultural meal of American burgers and a Zambian dish, chips mayai—fried potatoes and fried eggs mixed together. Then we went to the campaign meeting to learn about how to have a happy home. I tried to maintain my happy by home by spending some time at the internet café. Apparently it was too much time, because Ryan and Joy ended up waiting for me while I spent around two hours typing and putting up photos.

Monday, November 21

Today we woke up, ate corn flakes, and watched CNN news. It’s Ryan’s week to have morning worship, so he read to us from Luke 6.

Back to Getsemani Church we returned for more painting. The guys didn’t have the material needed to finish their electrical job and there were only three brushes, so it was their turn to wait around for us. They did a good job by playing with Brenda and David a.k.a “Smiley” kids that are living beside the church because their houses were destroyed in the hurricane. Ryan took Joy’s part for a little bit while she read to us about pirate history from my Belize guidebook. Blackbeard was a pretty intense pirate.
During the morning I also talked a couple people from the church. One brother has pure Mayan background; his parent don’t even speak Spanish. He had a Mayan Bible and he, along with some other brothers, taught me a few words.

I also talked with Enrique, my favorite old guy of the church, for quite a while. He is a fascinating guy. He showed me pictures of his five daughters and his old ranch in Chiapas. His land was robbed from him in 1994 by Zapatistas. I had studied about them before and knew they were for indigenous rights, but I didn’t realze how intense they were. The things people do are a lot more poignant when one knows someone who has been affected by them. Enrique had cows, beautiful tropical land, and a nice house. He looks as his loss as really a gain, however, because he said that if it hadn’t happened he wouldn’t now be in Playa del Carmen and probably wouldn’t be part of the church. He would instead be drinking on his ranch. He said he had been healvily into drinking and hunting. Now, although he lives in a shack, he’s grateful and wants to share Christ with his daughters and divorced wife. He’s going to visit them in December, and I pray fervently that God allows him to be successful. He’s such an awesome guy and is always smiling.

We painted a ceiling and trim until around noon when we had finished the paint. We bought food on the way back to the hotel, but Carlos was there and invited us to lunch (what a nice guy!). We went to restaurant beside the hotel for typical Mexican food. Carlos and the waiter convinced me to get a cactus dish. I was very skeptical, but I like to try new things. It was delicious! Carlos says that they grow the cactus all over Mexico, but a lot of Mexicans don’t know one can eat it. They are missing out. It is sort of sweet with a green pepper texture. They mixted it with eggs, rice, and beans, and then I put it in a tortilla with a little bit of HOT sauce. I was so full by the end of the meal because we also had soup, fried plantains plantanos machos, and chocolate licuados,.

Thankfully for our stomachs, we spent most of the rest of the day walking. We explored the shore side for a long, long time. Occacisonally we had to wade through the turquoise transparent water. Along the way we say dogs and lots of tourists playing volleyball, sailing, laying out, etc. We also saw a lot of construction. The houses are built right against the water and many were heavily destroyed by the hurricane.

Eventually we stopped to swim in the ocean and work on our water gymnastics. Someday Ryan and I will get a hand-to-hand. Until then we just keep laughing while I’m bent over on his shoulders and he tries to stay out of the waves.

We walked to the hotel by the road passing lots of beach houses mostly owned by people with license plates from Texas, Oregon, Wisconsin, etc. When we got to the main part of town, Jessica, Andrew, and I decided to check our email.

Jessica was telling me some stuff on our six block walk back to the hotel and was so entrhlled that she almost walked into a beggar lady sitting on the ground. We met Joy and Ryan at the room and decided to do a little shopping. Ryan and I bought some clothes, we looked at various shops, and then returned for rest.

Thanks
Andrew: time at the ocean:
Ryan: good food
Joy: a bed to rest her weary feet
Lorelei: ocean inspired tranquility

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Mexican snow fell upon us all as we chipped away paint flakes from one of Carlos’ hotel walls that was affected by the hurricane. I looked like I had overflowing dandruff. Then the guys put sealer over the wall while I helped paint around the pool area with some Mexicans and the gals. It’s painted red and yellow which makes me think of McDonalds, which makes me think of Ronald McDonald, which makes me think of clowns, which make me uneasy, which makes me a little stressed when I see the pool. Other than that I think it looks nice.

Around noon everyone sat around trying to convince me to come back after Christmas. It seems that this is the place I should be. I’m using my major, traveling, meeting people, and we are using donated money so the mission work has to continue. We also discussed careers and they all don’t think I would be happy as a nurse. Honestly, I think I would rather do something like physical therapy or dentistry if I go the medical route. Nursing basically draws me because there is always work and it’s so flexible (although Jessica says it’s really not so much).

At one o’clock we had “dinner” with Carlos, Carlos’ wife, Anabel, and Yolanda, his sixteen year old receptionist. Her mom was the cook. She chefed up a tasty meal of vegetable soup, fruit salad, rice, and tortillas. While we ate, Anabel’s parakeet Paco whistled, sang, and even cried at us. The family loves animals. They also have two German shepherds and two Giant Snausers.

After lots of laughs, we left Carlos’ hacienda and took a quick dip in the ocean (he lives 100 meters from it) before returning to work. Around five o’clock we finished up all our painting and sealing, so we got ready for the campaign meeting.

Everyone was so happy to meet us. They met us at our car, and, like every night, shook all our hands. The talk tonight was “God has a Purpose for Your Life.” Very fitting for the discussion I had earlier with the group. After the meeting people were so fervent to talk to us and make sure we are coming back tomorrow. Berinice, a little girl that loves hugs, latched on to me like a rabbit when I was leaving.

Andrew: happy faces at church and the little kids; we feel needed and appreciated; feels like a family
Jessica: Her mom
Ryan: bought rash guard and Joy figured out email for grandma
Joy: God’s guiding us and sleep; good laughing session
Lorelei: friends that don’t mind contemplating my future with me


People at Playa
Augustine: jefe at hotel
Sandy: singer
Brenda: little pig-tailed girl
Berinice: girl that loves to hug
Enrique: sixty-six year old man from Chiapas
Mike: young guy with flyers

Wednesday, November 23

Painting, painting, and more painting. I was an Jackon Polluck painting today; I was the embodiment of action painting. In the morning I stood on a double ladder with a roller pulled out as far as it would go, and primed a whole upper side of Carlos’ hotel. After a couple hours I finished and joined Jessica and Joy painting the wall orange. Amazing how much more satisfying it was because I could actually see my progress. Plus, I felt true Tennessee pride as the wall became a conglomerate of orange and white. Go Vols!

A little after noon I went to see my Argenitne friend Luis at his pizza stand. I bought three vegetable empanadas and we talked about Argentine history with another one of his customers. When I got back the gals, they told me some guys had been hitting on them. Apparently one asked Joy is she wanted to go out dancing all night long at a club. She said, “No, I am going to church.”

We did some grocery shopping before returning to the paint. Tomorrow is thanksgiving and we want to prepare something special for ourselves and Carlos. His wife and daughter left for Los Angeles, so we want to give him a special treate.

The guys got back around four o’clock form wiring the church and shortly thereafter Carlos stopped by. Ryan and Jessica helped me finish paint the bottom part of the wall and then Carlos gave us all free soft drinks. I had one called that tastes just like my favorite soft drink of all time: Ting from Jamaica. We tahnaked him for his kindness and he ate one of our grilled cheese Jessica and Andrew had prepared.

At the meeting Isaias talked about how to have eternal life. He said that a person can’t just say they believe in God. They must also repent and convett, desiring that God help us change our lives. We chatted with David and Brenda’s mom and dad ahile and they gave us come rice pudding. The mom taught me how to make it: boil water, put in the rice and candela. Then mix with any kind of milk and that’s it. I am determined to learn how to cook!