Kids jumping rope at our first bush clinic
A picnic away from the masses
Darren treating at Olopikidongue
We got a little safari on the way to doing our Serena Lodge clinic
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label service. Show all posts
Sabbath in the Mara
The lizard that lives outside the bathrooms
Children Sabbath School
Creativity in all forms
The Maasai Choir
Taking a Sabbath Hike to Olkurruk
Rock Hyrax: the marmot of Africa
ANTS!
Olopikidongue and Organization
This girl was not that thrilled that I was helping her plant a tree in front of the girl's dorm
Padre has moves
Thankfully the preceptor was much more friendly than the tree gal
Sharing coffee and "clinkies" back at the camp
Organizing clothes to give out during the week while others went to organize the medical clinic medications
Someone Turned on the Kenyan Faucet
So, if one were to go back to my meager post about Africa from last year, he or she would find that I basically only mention the drought. Well, this year Kenya made up for all lost rain and then some. Every day life was filled with people lifting up their pants tip-toeing through swamps, stranded vehicles spinning holes deeper and deeper into the soil, mud splattered faces and bodies...all thanks to the endless rain. Quite a change. We probably didn't see the same quantity of animals--safari was a bit of a challenge--I couldn't sleep in the tree house, and we had maybe one good night of star gazing. But I loved it all the same.
The drenching reminded me once again how each Kenya trip is distinctive from the rest. This was my sixth visit to the country, and I found it as fascinating as ever. I know I don't deserve to call Kenya home--my visits consist of sporadic three weeks of excitement--yet I feel a connection to the land and its people. I help treat the ailments of, play games with, sing with, tell stories to and converse with many of the same people each year. And that's what makes a home--community. I wish I could talk to more people. I wish I could stay long enough to learn their language and try to understand their customs. I admit I don't understand why they continue a lot of harmful practices they've been doing for thousands of years...but I suppose Americans are not better. In fact we seem to do a good job at creating more technology to gobble up our time and make us unhealthy (i.e. like me sitting in front of my computer right now instead of being outside exercising). We may not live in houses made of dung, but we do a pretty good job of filling our houses and lives full of dung.
Like most things, there is always a good and bad side to ones view point and to one's experiences. Here are a few of my most memorable experiences of Kenya 2006:
On the way over to Amsterdam, I sat next to a Dane. We talked almost the entire flight and I learned heaps about Denmark. The second leg of the trip I sat next to a fella with a genuine case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. He kept tugging his shirt and pulling his ticket in and out of an envelope. I didn't observe him for very long, because sleeping pills kicked in. I didn't awaken until people were standing in the aisles to get off the plane.
To start off the trip, we spent a few days on the Kenyan coast of Mombasa enjoying beach volleyball, SCUBA diving the Crab, snorkeling the Indian Ocean, crab hunting, and African dancing.
After Mombasa we flew back to Nairobi, catching a glimpse of Kilimanjaro breaking through the clouds along the way. In the city we spent some time bartering in the blue shacks, eating at Java House (Kenya's version of Starbucks...there are already seven in Nairobi, and I'm sure there are more to come!) and sleeping a night at the SDA Guesthouse. The next day we made the seven hourish journey to the safari camp. My sister, myself, and some other cool cats rode in the "Killer Bee." We kept ourselves entertained by starting a full-on food fight with Josh's Fear This Land Cruiser. First we pitched plums at them. They retaliated with water, so we struck back with Slim Jims, warm Moon Pies, and more plums. Then we brought out the big guns and launched an entire mango at them. The slimy skin and chunks of mango stuck beautifully to the windshield and side window.
Time passed and we thought the feud had ended. We were wrong. As the group made a pitstop at an overlook of the Rift Valley, Josh stealthfully purchased bags and bags of tomatoes. I unfortunately had my window wide open when the throwing began some thirty minutes later. Things were getting serious, so we picked up and threw some cow dung at them just before reaching the camp. It landed accurately on their window glass. They tried to come back at us a final time by taking out luggage from the back of their trailer and setting it on the ground. Hysterically, they pulled out one of their own suitcases and left it by the side of the road.
We stopped our road war, but the games continued during our nights at camp. I've never been in a group so willing to play group games; last year we were lucky if we got to play two nights. We laughingly played Mafia, Rook, Psychology, Rabbit, Mississippi Marbles, Fact or Crap, etc., etc. Old and young enjoyed all.
During the daytime, we were a little more serious...a little bit. I collected rocks with Daniel, Michael, and the Nliki guys in order to try to fix a road to Olopikedong'oe School (try saying THAT five times fast). We were more successful getting muddy then making a driveable throughway, but it was fun. Throughout the rest of the trip, I meandered around helping out at the clinic, aiding children's programs, and taking a lot of pictures and video. I also spent significant time eating. People often ask what we eat in Kenya. We eat everything; if you come on one of these trips, don't expect to lose weight. The camp chefs fix everything from pizza cooked over coals to almond biscotti. There is usually a gaggle of Kenyan soft drinks like Bitter Limon and Stoney Tangawezi (a ginger drink...my personal favorite) to choose from, or Milo (similar to hot chocolate) and Rooibus tea if one is in the mood for a hot drink.
I drank plenty of hot drinks this year because often it was chilly at night. We spent a lot of time warming our hands and feet around coal holders--especially after puddle jumping or off-roading in the Land Dog.
Our first Sabbath afternoon, after listening to the chants and song of the Maasai at church, and eating a scrumptious lunch, a few of us piled into the Land Dog for a muddy adventure. We plowed through marshes, ponds, and thorn bushes splattering ourselves with copious amounts of wet soil and cow poo. Disgusting, perhaps, but, oh so much fun. The Maasai just laughed and waved as we splashed up water completely drenching ourselves. Not wanting to hoard all the fun for ourselves, the following Friday we participated in a rollicking soccer game on a very uneven playing field...as in there are massive holes and mounds scattered everywhere. The African guys played as ferociously with the girls as with the guys. One fella knocked Jess to the ground. Most moved the ball down the field like cannon balls. I was impressed. My team did quite well, losing only by two points. I can't wait to play again someday.
Another of my favorite activities was handing out backpacks. On Christmas and Boxing Day we gave out backpacks to masses of school children. We had received donations to purchase the backpacks and now all of the pupils in the area have something in which to carry their books and candy :).Around Christmas, some people had to leave while others--Caleb, Jared, and Darrell--joined the group. We welcomed them, but soon had to say goodbye. Our last two days at camp we spent on safari. We spotted twenty-two lion, a family of seven cheetah, and a mileu of other creatures. Because the roads were so muddy, we spent the second morning hiking to and exploring Olkoruk Lodge--a burnt down hotel that supposedly once housed cast and crew of Out of Africa.
With high hopes, we got back in the Land Cruisers and ventured into the game park passing droves of galloping giraffe. Just after observing a topi (it's the fastest antelope-like animal) perched atop a mud mound keeping a watchful eye on a group of three lions, we decided to have a picnic. Soon after lunch, one of the trucks lodged itself into a deep watery hole directly beneath a massive "corn dog" tree. We spent hours with winches and chains unsuccessfully trying to extract it from the mire. We finally left Andy with the vehicle while we returned to camp. We called for Aaron and Caleb back at camp to come down with their heavier duty winches to get the Cruiser out. We warmed up around the coals as suddenly the day became night and rain began to pour. Even though some of the guys got lost and ran out of fuel and then later encountered a massive leopard, everybody made it out of the game park safely with all of the vehicles.
The next morning I flew back to Nairobi with my parents. It was interesting to observe all the bomas--the Masaai homes--from the air surrounded by massives amounts of open land and winding waterways. After landing, we shopped around town, took pictures of the Karen Blixen home, ate Indian food at the Sarit Center and later met the others who had driven the nine hours from camp. I went with the crew to the airport to say good-bye to those who were flying back to the States.
The next couple days I traveled with my parents and Andy and Debbie to do some more safari in Nakuru and Naivasha. Both places were full of excitement, beginning with some monkeys who lept into our Land Cruiser. They stole an abundance of peaches with the cawkiness to eat them while sitting on the vehicle's window. We laughingly shooed them out, checked into our lodge, then went back out into the wild. We drove past the typical animals: zebra, waterbuck, warthogs, etc until we came right up close to thousands of the deepest pink flamengos draping Lake Nakuru. The lake is alkaline, so they come in droves to feed from it.
We were dazzled, but it was only the beginning. Soon after looking at the flamengos, Andy spotted the first rhino of the trip. A white rhino and its baby crossed the road right in front of us. Then from higher elevation we spotted five more rhino. We saw eight in all. The blessings continued because right after our last rhino sighting, we got a great view of a leopard--another animal we had yet to see in Africa this year. We saw another leopard on our way out of the park the following day.
Thouroughly satisfied with massive animal sightings, we went to the Naivasha country club and took a large pontoon boat to go bird-watching. We saw over forty birds including pelicans, eagles, kingfishers, and hundreds of pipers.
Later that night, we drove back to Nairobi, had a final supper with all of our friends at Java House, and then painstakingly traveled the twenty hour-plus trip back home. Every year it gets harder for me to leave Kenya. I know that just like in America, life probably becomes mundane for the missionaries that stay there year after year. But I think Africa has a certain way of showing something new to those who live in and visit it, whether it be a lion eating a warthog, climate changes, or a creation of friendship with someone from a far away land.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the most spiritual Africa trip, but I did learn a lot. The experience reminded me of the importance of being outside, group interaction, including people in activities, enjoying life in all types of weather, moving on from painful experiences, being silly, keeping hope that some spiritual guys still exist, holding onto one's integrity, being culturally sensitive, connecting with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and ultimately focusing on making someone's life better physically, intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually as opposed to just focusing on gaining one's own selfish wishes.
It was a good summer...
I remember:
basking in cool humid-free mornings and evenings, sleeping on the porch, gazing up at the tall skinny trees, surfing at sunset and in the early morn, scarfing ridiculously too much food then taking a siesta and playing ball tag on days-off, navigating the winding-deer-infested road, watching the World Cup, touting around our mascot Herbert the Stuffed Dragon, scurrying all over the place for supplies, hanging off the side of a cliff in Montana, searching frantically through nasty garbage cans, digging holes and making every imaginable piece of furniture out of sand, doing rock/water yoga, parasailing over bright blue water and deep green foliage, creating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at line call, attempting to learn the life guarding dive, being inspired by the courage and spirit of my blind campers, rappelling from trees, hiding in pirate garb with hoards of other gals chanting together "yo, ho, we yo ho," FINALLY learning how to play truco (gracias Phil!!), admiring my cheerful families, being attacked and smeared with inches and inches of pudding and dirt, and then hosed by a fire truck; gasping over otters, beavers, birds of prey, and deep purple canyons while rafting; swimming through fat free salsa, skidding around the ball field in the golf cart, playing the jimbae, being pelted by and pelting balls during Medic, listening to a lot of Coldplay, laughing at the office boys, indulging in Otter Pops and soy chocolate Silk, driving the short bus, sailing at three knots, getting tippy in the Air Skiff Nautique, watching from afar the magic of a shooting star fly over a tent of a couple just engaged, having quality campfire conversations, being a part of nightly circles of song, learning about the "One Way" of purpose and grace
flying over the Cascades, exploring Pikes Place Market: visiting the first Starbucks, smelling flowers, spitting seeds from Rainier cherries, seeing a monk fish in real life, learning the art of seafood tossing, watching an amazing card manipulator, and drinking tasty Thai tea; coveting the flexible flips and turns of river and sea otters at the aquarium, my friends and I having our picture taken at the Space Needle without the top of the needle; watching a kid biff it near the UFO fountain, being nerdy in the Science Fiction Museum, and reaping the benefits from the super secret corner of REI
basking in cool humid-free mornings and evenings, sleeping on the porch, gazing up at the tall skinny trees, surfing at sunset and in the early morn, scarfing ridiculously too much food then taking a siesta and playing ball tag on days-off, navigating the winding-deer-infested road, watching the World Cup, touting around our mascot Herbert the Stuffed Dragon, scurrying all over the place for supplies, hanging off the side of a cliff in Montana, searching frantically through nasty garbage cans, digging holes and making every imaginable piece of furniture out of sand, doing rock/water yoga, parasailing over bright blue water and deep green foliage, creating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at line call, attempting to learn the life guarding dive, being inspired by the courage and spirit of my blind campers, rappelling from trees, hiding in pirate garb with hoards of other gals chanting together "yo, ho, we yo ho," FINALLY learning how to play truco (gracias Phil!!), admiring my cheerful families, being attacked and smeared with inches and inches of pudding and dirt, and then hosed by a fire truck; gasping over otters, beavers, birds of prey, and deep purple canyons while rafting; swimming through fat free salsa, skidding around the ball field in the golf cart, playing the jimbae, being pelted by and pelting balls during Medic, listening to a lot of Coldplay, laughing at the office boys, indulging in Otter Pops and soy chocolate Silk, driving the short bus, sailing at three knots, getting tippy in the Air Skiff Nautique, watching from afar the magic of a shooting star fly over a tent of a couple just engaged, having quality campfire conversations, being a part of nightly circles of song, learning about the "One Way" of purpose and grace
meeting friendly Canadians, sleeping under a picnic table and a tarp during a rain storm, observing wild goats, elk, marmots, and caribou(?) in Banff; hiking in the rain surrounded by gorgeous glaciers up to a Buddhist-flagged tea house; playing guitar while our Ramen cooked on a wood stove, spotting berried grizzly scat (after having slept without a tent between two berry bushes), crossing the continental divide, dipping in Radium thermal pools
flying over the Cascades, exploring Pikes Place Market: visiting the first Starbucks, smelling flowers, spitting seeds from Rainier cherries, seeing a monk fish in real life, learning the art of seafood tossing, watching an amazing card manipulator, and drinking tasty Thai tea; coveting the flexible flips and turns of river and sea otters at the aquarium, my friends and I having our picture taken at the Space Needle without the top of the needle; watching a kid biff it near the UFO fountain, being nerdy in the Science Fiction Museum, and reaping the benefits from the super secret corner of REI
Get Ready for a Big Catch Up on Mexican Memories-took me all afternoon to write!
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Labels:
Mexico,
service,
travel,
world mission tour
Ryan and I woke up early to go jogging around the deportiva area. We rounded the circle two times, which is about 3600 kilometers, around 2.2 miles. On the way back we stopped at a playground in La Ceiba, Pastor Vesquez’s neighborhood. By the time we got back, everyone had already eaten breakfast. I was embarrassed and knew I would have to regain rapport. I learned my lesson to always ask what time we are having breakfast or are leaving the next day when I’m at somebody’s house.
We went to la Iglesia de la Nueva Esperanza, one of Pastor Vasquez’s thirteen churches, to help renovate a baptismal area. Some other workers were there already, and we were introduced to the “jefe” Augustine. The baptismal had rocks and concrete all along the floor, so we cleared it out and made the floor even so they could later cement it. We also made a drain for the baptismal, Jessica painted the baptismal blue with clay without a brush, and the workers plastered the wall.
I discovered the art of making plaster. First two workers sift sand through a wooden frame with mesh. Second they dump some cement on the sand and mix it together by shoveling all the sand into two piles, shoveling it all back together, then shoveling all the sand in one pile while all the workers move in a circular motion. Finally they a volcano-like structure from the mixture. Last, and most precarious, one pours water into the volcano while the other workers furiously try to keep the sand-cement walls from breaking. If they do, it’s a big mess. Believe me, I know because it happened to us a couple times.
During the morning I chatted a long time with a veterinarian elder of the church who loves adventure and travel. He said he would go with us on our trip if he were younger. Instead he’ll just continue working with the Pathfinders of the church. He also said he loves tourism and told me a little about Villa Hermosa, its Olmec history, and the native drink pozol. He had Marcos, a guy working with us, bring us a pitcher to try. Pozol is made of soaked corn and cacao. The Tabasquenos drink it without any sugar. It was too bitter for most of us, but Joy liked it. Apparently they have a similar drink where she is from in Zambia, Africa.
Soon we consumed more widely appreciated vittles. Mama, a tiny, older sister of the church cooked us a huge lunch of vegetables and rice. She also brought Jamaica juice. I asked if it came from Jamaica and she said that no, it’s a type of tabesqueno flower boiled down to get the juice.
By the afternoon, all that was left to do was wire the contacts and switches—not a lot for Jessica, Joy, and I to do. So we just watched and “supported” the guys with songs and stories. I also met Roger “Roco,” Mama’s son who studied English in Belize and has a Japanese girlfriend living there. Eventually the sun started setting, so I let some workers plastering the walls use Ryan and I’s head lamps. They were fascinated by them.
The girls finally got a little excitement as we helped wire six electrical wires through a tiny manguera tube. All the Mexicans thought we couldn’t do it, but in the end we were successful and had only ripped out wall plaster two times.
When we returned to the Vasquez house, no one was home so we walked to an internet café to catch up on emails.
Friday, November 11
This morning Ryan and I woke up a little earlier so we could go jogging and still be ready for breakfast. We ate scrumptious cereal and fruit and returned with the rest of the group to the church. We arrived around nine. Roger was there to help, but the jefe wasn’t so we played hacky-sack for thirty minutes until someone came with the church key.
Today was honestly kind of slow. The previous night we asked Nancy, Neftali’s wife, if she knew anything we could do in the community because there wasn’t really anything besides wiring to finish at the church. She said she didn’t, so I scrubbed some fungus off a few walls with Roger, we talked a bit, and occasionally made cement when it was needed. Of course, Ryan was working like a beast. There seems to never ending need for electrical work wherever we go.
Roger’s mom brought us lunch again and almost started crying because we liked her food so much. She gave us tortilla chips and a guiso stew made with vegetables and soy fake meat. She is so cute. She told me yesterday that she is waiting for a visa to go to the United States. Her husband is working there already in Florida and she wants to be with him. Jessica wrote her mom who lives in Florida, so maybe she can help her find her way around. It’s a little intimidating to go to another country by yourself without knowing the language.
The girls continued watching and trying to help the guys work until they did all the wiring they could. Since there was nothing left to do with the available materials, Roger took us to La Venta Zoo and Olmec archeological site. We enjoyed looking at the spider monkeys, birds, snakes, jaguars, and especially the otters. Ryan was later dubbed “Otter Boy” because his beard makes him look like an otter and because he can imitate the “cheep, cheep” otter bark.
Having studied Mexican history I was super excited to see some of the best Olmec stone carvings in the world. A Mexican poet arranged the archeological park so the large stone pieces and jade, the Olmecs’ “gold,” would be preserved. We walked passed a jaguar face made of jade and then by various stone carvings. The biggest were the Olmec heads. The Olmecs carved them after leaders who had won a ceremonial ball game. The winner would be honored by having his head cut off and then having a large boulder carved into his likeness mixed with jaguar features. They carved the nose flat, only showed two teeth, and enlarged the ears. Jaguars were very important and godlike to the Olmecs.
Well culturally satisfied, we dropped of Roger, and returned to the Vasquez house to get ready for vespers. We went to, according to Roger, the young people’s church at La Gaviota Norte. There certainly were many young people. One girl talked to me afterwards non-stop for about thirty minutes about being a Catholic but still going to the Adventist church, studying English, etc. She was talking so fast I didn’t quite catch everything and wondered why she didn’t want to practice more English. Quien sabe? Pastor Vazquez had to leave vespers early, so we squeezed in Nancy and her two daughters in our Land Cruiser to go back home.
We ate supper after church and then Neftali brought out his guitar so we could figure out something we could sing for church. It was looking bleak until he started playing “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” The guys couldn’t remember any words to any other songs. I discovered Neftali and his daughters knew a lot of the songs I’d learned in Argentina, so I delightfully sang some of them with them until sleep time.
Saturday, November 12
We went with Pastor Vazquez to yet another church—that’s three we’ve been to so far in Villa Hermosa—for church. The church isn’t quite finished and is covered with tin and billboards for a roof. Apparently it was a special Sabbath for the club of laypeople. Therefore the service went from 8AM until 2:30PM when we stopped for lunch. During the service we sang a lot, there were various seminars, and the church had us come up front to tell about our mission and sing. Not to be cawky, but I think I’m the only one that can carry a tune in the group, so nobody else really desired to sing—especially because there was a professional group that had already sung a few songs. But we told the church we were there to praise God and sang “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” anyways. They seemed to enjoy it (sing a song in another language and it’s all good).
The meeting continued after the lunch of rice and beans, but we left with our jefe Augustine to relax in the Tabasco 2000 Park. We chatted with him about the six months he spent in Oregon working on an onion farm for seven dollars an hour. He had to travel five to seven days to get to Oregon. Then when he started working, he didn’t always know where there’d be work. Many times he’d travel over an hour to get to work, and still he had to pay rent and transportation. I wonder if he feels it was worth all the trouble. He just said that it’s hard to find a good job in Mexico. Now he works for the government and can at least be near his five children. We went to his house for coconut and then he took us to yet another church for Sociedad de Jovenes. We were a bit pooped, but enjoyed doing Bible exercises with the little kids. One of the exercises we lost, so we had to get up front and sing three songs. We sang “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” “Avancemos,” and then we taught everyone the “Halelu/Praise Ye the Lord” song that had been such a hit at La Vida, New Mexico. Again the kids (and adults) loved it, although they didn’t know the words. Like I’ve said before, kids like action.
Sunday, November 13
During the week Jessica became more and more excited for today because we were going to be helping at an SDA health fair. For that reason we decided to wait to drive on to Playa del Carmen. Unfortunately, they didn’t really need us. Oh well. In the end we supported the fair by buying popcorn, pastelitos, and horchata from the food stands set up by the various SDA churches. I also spent a long time playing with kids and talking with some nurses, Roger, the veterinarian from the church, and a guy who gave us some contacts of people who can maybe help us get from Panama to Colombia. The latter was greatly appreciated because I think that portion of the trip could logistically be our greatest challenge.
Since there was nothing for us to do, the guys went to the Vazquez’s house to do some electrical and handy-man jobs. I was really glad, because there family has done so much for us. Jessica, Joy, and I went with Roger, his sister Alex, and some of their friends to a pool outside of Villa Hermosa. We had so much fun swimming, basking in the sun, teaching pool gymnastics, eating, and chatting in the sun with Alex. We asked her what type an ideal woman is for Mexican guys. She said that unlike the Barbie waif of the states, Mexican guys prefer a thicker woman with large legs, butt, love handles, and boobs—algo para agarrar, “something to hold on to.” Maybe I need to move down here.
Above all the other activities, all of us had the most fun sliding down the tabagones! Two hours before the pool closed, we discovered a huge slide. Sliding rules aren’t nearly as stringent as they are in the USA, so we could slide down however we wanted. Nevertheless, I kept getting stuck in the middle of the slide due to my clothing. I eventually found I could fly down the tube with Joy and Jessica attached to my feet. Out we tumbled all together.
Trying to save money for the way back home, we all walked a bit, then took a tiny public transport bus to town. From there we hopped on a bus to Roger’s house. The bus had a massive, white crucifix and booming Latino club music. The club bus dropped off various friends and finally stopped near Roger and Alex’s house. While we waited for the Andrew and Ryan to pick us up, Roger let us use his computer for internet. The guys arrived, and, like so many times before, Roger and Alex’s mom fed us delicious food: quesadillas and horchata. While we waited for them to check email, Roger taught me some new words, slang, and hand signals they use in Mexico. That is the sort of thing I learn when I hang out with a native young person, and I love it. I’m just glad I had my notebook and pen to write everything down (the group always makes fun of me because I have to write down everything. I’m sure you aren’t surprised, because my emails are so long. I just don’t like to forget anything.)
After many kisses on the cheek and good-byes, we left my favorite family of Villa Hermosa. Still energized, I busted out my Yoga DVD to do with Jessica and Joy. We all laughed as we tried to “Keep our faces soft” and “Find equanimity.”
Jessica and Joy went to bed, but I stayed up until Neftali and Nancy got home. We talked about the church, Chiapas (They’d lived there for thirteen years. Apparently everyone thinks it is dangerous because there were some fights in 1994 with the guerrilleros. According to them, however, there isn’t any more danger now.), and how they often warn Mexicans not to go to the USA. They said that many separate from their families and/or leave the church. They’ll send their money back to Mexico so their families can have nice houses, but many in the end lose their faith and relationships. Others may even die because the work is so arduous. One has to decide if those risks are really worth it. For them, it seems to be a question of what is most important—money or family and faith.
Monday, November 14
We had our last extravagant meal of tacos at the Vazquez house, prayed, and then left Villa Hermosa for the ruins of Palenque—one of the greatest and accessible Mayan ruins. We drove about an hour until we reached the turn off for the ruins and came upon a great mob of people. They had signs that said things like “Money for the indigenous.” Apparently the Mayan descendants want more money—I’m not really sure. I asked a cop, but he didn’t understand why the mob was there either. He eventually told me another route to get to the ruins. Andrew was a little frustrated by the situation and all the traffic, but the route involved some off-roading which I quite enjoyed. We were all dying laughing as we drove through a mud puddle ad then later over a curb right behind the mob. Full of glee, we decided to pick up some hippie hitchhikers in the national park. Apparently Palenque is the place to be for Mexican and American hippies alike. One Anglo gal sat up front. She told us she had been studying metal working in college, but was now was in Palenque riding horses with people from all around the world. She said they were riding around Mexico “spreading seed,” whatever that means. I sat next to a Mexican hippie with four piercing in his lower lip. We drove a little and picked up a few more of their friends. My nose was suddenly strangely reminded of a boma in Masai Mara, Africa. They were really nice and friendly though. I really don’t think I’ve ever met a hippie I didn’t like. I just don’t think I could be one; only because I prefer to have bald armpits.
At the ruins, once again Joy, Andrew, and Jessica scurried quickly through the ruins while Ryan and I took our time. To tell the truth, I spent some extra time listening to a guide talk about various buildings and their history. One of the tombs in Palenque is really interesting because one can still see red paint on it. The Mayans believed the paint was toxic, so they buried their royalty in it so they wouldn’t be disturbed. When archeologists found the tombs, the bodies were still covered in red. Ryan and I looked at the Temple of Inscriptions that tells the entire story of the Mayans. Then we climbed steep stairs to the Temple of the Foliated Cross and other temples like it that overlook the whole of Palenque. They also have carvings on them that tell about various kings and serpent-jaguar gods. Like the ruins of El Tajin, Palenque has a ball court. Ryan and I decided to be super cheesy and video tape ourselves playing hacky-sack in it.
After an unmentionable event involving Ryan climbing the “Queen’s Bath,” (ask me about it when I’m back home) we met the other members of our group at the car and continued on our journey towards Playa del Carmen.
Trying to keep to our “no driving after 6PM” policy, we stopped at a town called Escarcega for the night. We were all starving, so we spent a dollar on five churros (they are kind of like donuts), to hold us over while we shopped for tomatoes, cereal, beans, tortillas, and bread. We ate peanut butter and jelly tortillas and beans and tortillas for supper and then watched my 30 Years of National Geographic DVD. I have a feeling we’ll be watching it a lot because it, besides my yoga DVD, is the only one I brought.
I had a hard time going to sleep because it was loud outside and I kept thinking about my future decisions. Whenever I start thinking about careers I get really stressed out and can’t sleep. I’m just glad God has blessed so far with what I’m doing right now.
Tuesday, November 15
Jessica, Joy, and I found a great place to do yoga in the hotel so we twisted ourselves around until my computer died. Then it was back to the road. On the way were stopped a few times for police checkpoints, but the police were always friendly and the most searching they did was looking through Andrew’s binoculars.
We arrived in Playa del Carmen a few hours before sundown. For some reason I was a little irritable from the long drive, so I walked with Andrew and Jessica to our next contact, Carlos Macias’ place at the Maranatha hotel while Joy and Ryan found a parking spot. We sat down in Carlos’ office, explained what we’d been up to, and he and his daughter told us a little about the history of his hotel and the Adventist church in Playa del Carmen. I think Andrew and Jessica were thrilled that they spoke English.
Eventually Joy and Ryan came in looking frazzled. The roads are all torn up due to the hurricane so it took them a long time to find a place to park. They were also tired, so Carlos gave us a room with three beds and he and Anabel invited us to relax and explore the town. They are such awesome people and have gone way above expectations in hospitality. (I really respect Carlos and the more people I meet who talk about him, the more exemplary he seems to be of how a man of means should support the church. He has helped monetarily construct over ten churches in the area.).
We decided our hunger and nerves were so great that we deserved our second meal out of the trip. We stopped at a miniature pizza restaurant beside our hotel. I was ecstatic because the owner was super friendly and from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I couldn’t help but chat with him a bit while Joy and Ryan tried to subtly get me to put in the order. Anyways, we became fast friends and now every time I pass him we wave to each other. He told me he’s going to return to Argentina in a year or so. He’s had his foreign travel experience, and is ready to go home. I wonder if that’s how I’ll feel in a month.
Just as Andrew and Jessica got to the restaurant with some lemonade, our pizzas came out of the oven. You know how I said there was road construction? Well, during our supper we had to yell over a guy drilling in a hole beside us. It was hilarious.
Sometimes a little separation is needed when one is in a group like ours. We haven’t had any tiffles, but it’s needed. Andrew and Jessica walked the beach and Jessica got some much needed chocolate ice cream. Joy and I roamed the shops looking a clothing, hammocks, hats, and diving shops. When then checked our email. Ryan walked about alone.
We all rejoined at the hotel and decided to call Jared. We all crowded in one tiny phone cabin. Ryan’s bum kept opening the door. The Mexican ladies had a good laugh and we went back to rest up for the morrow.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
I’m so glad I brought my hacky-sack. It has aided our group in the virtue of patience as we’ve accustomed ourselves to Mexican time. We were supposed to meet Carlos at 10, but he showed up at 11. We discussed how WMT is like the television show Survivor and how we would be the Mayan tribe of the group.
I rode with Carlos while the rest of the group followed behind. At the church we sat down with other workers of the church and discussed what needed to be done and what materials would be needed. Carlos told us we could take the day off and go to his personal cenote while he purchased materials. Cenotes are underground caves and springs that flow to the ocean. A lot of people go snorkeling and SCUBA diving in them.
Carlos’ cenote is beautiful. We had a big frank picnic by the water and then snorkled around. I had the most fun jumping off the top of the cave with Andrew, Joy, and Ryan. I actually got a little scared to dive in, but eventually did. Then I impressed the lifeguards by climbing one of the cave walls. They actually gave me a high-five. The climb was envigorating.
On the way back to the hotel, Andrew and Jess dropped the rest us off at a grocery store. We bought a ton of rice, beans, vegetables, tortillas, bread, jelly (which unfortunately dropped on the way back to the hotel), etc.
We quickly changed and ran to the ocean. Jessica, Ryan, and I dove. We felt like we were swimming in a painting because the sky was pink and the sea was bright turquoise. Then Ryan, Joy, and I walked on the beach and into town. We had a supper of pasta, Ryan and I did push-ups, and we all went to sleep content.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Joy and I woke up at 6:30 and did yoga on the upstairs deck of the hotel. Guys kept walking by. We later asked Carlos why there were so many guys and so few women. He said they are telephone company workers staying in Playa del Carmen to fix the telephone lines. Carlos must strike a deal with these companies because he said when a hurricane his in 1987, he had electricians staying in the hotel. He was the first one to get electricity in the entire city.
Ignoring his present guests, we continued our prayer twists and downward-facing dogs as we ignored them. Joy then cooked eggs and big franks to prepare us for our first work experience in Playa del Carmen.
We were so thankful for work that we could all do. While we were in Villa Hermosa, the gals were sometimes frustrated because we had nothing to do. Not so this time. We primed all the parts of the church possible. Most of the time I spent on a rusty scaffolding standing tip-toe on top of a chair with a paintbrush. For all the donors reading this, we are spending your money so we can go climbing—climbing around churches. I had fun, but by five o’clock the sun was setting and I was pooped. Thankfully we had a few breaks during the day. One was when Carlos brought us soft drinks and fruit, and another when a lady from the church brought us tamales—corn meal with chicken or peppers cooked in corn leaves. The tamales came with some really spicy sauce. Now everyone in the group knows that we aren’t the only hot tamales in town.
Back at the hotel, after a curry supper without the curry (we forgot the powder, Jessica and Andrew fell quickly asleep. We had worked really hard. Even the brothers of the church were really impressed. I was tired too, but I couldn’t let myself go to sleep like them at 7:30PM. Instead Ryan and I went to a free concert in the central park. We listened to one song, but it was too Kenny G.-esq for me. We returned down the touristy streets until we arrived at a gelato stand. We spent our own money on overpriced three dollar gelato. It was worth every penny. Ryan had coconut and tutti-frutti while I ate Oreos and cream and Nutella. Yum. Ryan said it was the best ice cream he’d ever had in his life. With sugar highs, we walked to a gazebo and I taught Ryan some swing-dancing moves. He learned really quickly and we had fun entertaining the people waling around us. Some even took pictures!
Friday, November 18, 2005
I was tired from the night before—it’s crazy how I’m dead if I go to bed after ten o’clock now—and couldn’t wake up to do yoga. Instead I ate the pancake breakfast with bananas Joy prepared. Then we started painting at the church at eight o’clock; I think I was a cranky, because I was being possessive of the roller paint brush. I think I was just sick of painting from the scaffolding, and I certainly didn’t want to use the small brush again. Thankfully I didn’t get into any squabbles over it because God gave me patience when someone would take it from me. Eventually my height won me possession of the tool, and I painted with it until we finished painting the first coats on the walls. Meanwhile Carlos Macias brought us coke, fresh orange juice, vanilla milk (that Andrew loved), and some sweet bread. We continued painting and jamming to the saxophone and dramatic Christian singing one of the workers played on a CD player. The only problem with the music is that it kept scratching and became ghetto-style.
Around noon a 23 year-old gal stopped by to clean the church. Apparently she didn’t know there was major renovation being done. She was shocked, but like all the good people we’ve met, just introduced herself, we chatted about the church, and then she grabbed a brush and big stick, and started helping us paint. At 12:30PM a group of church ladies brought us lettuce, salsa, and, one of my favorite foods from Argentina, empanadas. Unlike the Argentine empanadas of corn, lettuce, etc., these simply had beans or cheese inside, but they were very tasty.
When we’d been refreshed, we continued our work until two o’clock. We helped the cleaning lady clean the chairs and sweep out the church. Jessica couldn’t believe Latinos sweep and mop at the same time. As I swept and all the dust and trash was blown back in by the breeze she said, “Por eso, borramos con agua” (“See, that’s why we sweep the floor with water.” )
Another day of painting and we were once again covered in paint. We decided the best method to get rid of it was sand. Therefore, back at the hotel we speedily put on our bathing suits and power walked to the ocean. I was quite pooped from the past two days, so I videotaped and had everyone bury me in sand. They made me into a ginormous man with ginormous arm muscles and tiny chicken legs. Afterwards I had fun watching Jessica, Joy, and Ryan role into the ocean. Then Ryan dove into the water, except he didn’t swim out far enough and ended up diving in about a foot of water. Eventually I washed off in the ocean and we ran back to be ready for vespers at five o’clock.
I was so happy to see how bright the church looked and see the members worshipping after all of our work. Carlos had the church thank us. I just hope their church grows in unity and long-term members. The cleaning girl told me their church membership and unity has gone down recently. She says it’s difficult to get long-term members because a lot of people come to Playa del Carmen, sometimes separating from their families, and work awhile. But the city is somewhat Americanized and most people prefer the culture of their home towns, so they eventually return.
I find it hard to imagine the church having any problems. The members we’ve met and worked with are some of the nicest people with whom we’ve come in contact.
After church we returned for some Ramen noodles and fried eggs and vegetables. I read to the group about Elisha from Prophets and Kings. The chapter speaks about how the little tasks we have prepare us for the future. I think our experience now is preparing us for future mission work whether at home our in foreign lands.
Thanks for the week
Andrew: Carlos Macias and all the people he’s met here at Playa del Carmen; cenote; big franks
Joy: a nice place to stay
Ryan: for a bed (his first one on the trip)
Jessica: free hotel by the beach and that we are all working for the Lord
Lorelei: the beach and all the people I’ve met in the church and outside the church
We went to la Iglesia de la Nueva Esperanza, one of Pastor Vasquez’s thirteen churches, to help renovate a baptismal area. Some other workers were there already, and we were introduced to the “jefe” Augustine. The baptismal had rocks and concrete all along the floor, so we cleared it out and made the floor even so they could later cement it. We also made a drain for the baptismal, Jessica painted the baptismal blue with clay without a brush, and the workers plastered the wall.
I discovered the art of making plaster. First two workers sift sand through a wooden frame with mesh. Second they dump some cement on the sand and mix it together by shoveling all the sand into two piles, shoveling it all back together, then shoveling all the sand in one pile while all the workers move in a circular motion. Finally they a volcano-like structure from the mixture. Last, and most precarious, one pours water into the volcano while the other workers furiously try to keep the sand-cement walls from breaking. If they do, it’s a big mess. Believe me, I know because it happened to us a couple times.
During the morning I chatted a long time with a veterinarian elder of the church who loves adventure and travel. He said he would go with us on our trip if he were younger. Instead he’ll just continue working with the Pathfinders of the church. He also said he loves tourism and told me a little about Villa Hermosa, its Olmec history, and the native drink pozol. He had Marcos, a guy working with us, bring us a pitcher to try. Pozol is made of soaked corn and cacao. The Tabasquenos drink it without any sugar. It was too bitter for most of us, but Joy liked it. Apparently they have a similar drink where she is from in Zambia, Africa.
Soon we consumed more widely appreciated vittles. Mama, a tiny, older sister of the church cooked us a huge lunch of vegetables and rice. She also brought Jamaica juice. I asked if it came from Jamaica and she said that no, it’s a type of tabesqueno flower boiled down to get the juice.
By the afternoon, all that was left to do was wire the contacts and switches—not a lot for Jessica, Joy, and I to do. So we just watched and “supported” the guys with songs and stories. I also met Roger “Roco,” Mama’s son who studied English in Belize and has a Japanese girlfriend living there. Eventually the sun started setting, so I let some workers plastering the walls use Ryan and I’s head lamps. They were fascinated by them.
The girls finally got a little excitement as we helped wire six electrical wires through a tiny manguera tube. All the Mexicans thought we couldn’t do it, but in the end we were successful and had only ripped out wall plaster two times.
When we returned to the Vasquez house, no one was home so we walked to an internet café to catch up on emails.
Friday, November 11
This morning Ryan and I woke up a little earlier so we could go jogging and still be ready for breakfast. We ate scrumptious cereal and fruit and returned with the rest of the group to the church. We arrived around nine. Roger was there to help, but the jefe wasn’t so we played hacky-sack for thirty minutes until someone came with the church key.
Today was honestly kind of slow. The previous night we asked Nancy, Neftali’s wife, if she knew anything we could do in the community because there wasn’t really anything besides wiring to finish at the church. She said she didn’t, so I scrubbed some fungus off a few walls with Roger, we talked a bit, and occasionally made cement when it was needed. Of course, Ryan was working like a beast. There seems to never ending need for electrical work wherever we go.
Roger’s mom brought us lunch again and almost started crying because we liked her food so much. She gave us tortilla chips and a guiso stew made with vegetables and soy fake meat. She is so cute. She told me yesterday that she is waiting for a visa to go to the United States. Her husband is working there already in Florida and she wants to be with him. Jessica wrote her mom who lives in Florida, so maybe she can help her find her way around. It’s a little intimidating to go to another country by yourself without knowing the language.
The girls continued watching and trying to help the guys work until they did all the wiring they could. Since there was nothing left to do with the available materials, Roger took us to La Venta Zoo and Olmec archeological site. We enjoyed looking at the spider monkeys, birds, snakes, jaguars, and especially the otters. Ryan was later dubbed “Otter Boy” because his beard makes him look like an otter and because he can imitate the “cheep, cheep” otter bark.
Having studied Mexican history I was super excited to see some of the best Olmec stone carvings in the world. A Mexican poet arranged the archeological park so the large stone pieces and jade, the Olmecs’ “gold,” would be preserved. We walked passed a jaguar face made of jade and then by various stone carvings. The biggest were the Olmec heads. The Olmecs carved them after leaders who had won a ceremonial ball game. The winner would be honored by having his head cut off and then having a large boulder carved into his likeness mixed with jaguar features. They carved the nose flat, only showed two teeth, and enlarged the ears. Jaguars were very important and godlike to the Olmecs.
Well culturally satisfied, we dropped of Roger, and returned to the Vasquez house to get ready for vespers. We went to, according to Roger, the young people’s church at La Gaviota Norte. There certainly were many young people. One girl talked to me afterwards non-stop for about thirty minutes about being a Catholic but still going to the Adventist church, studying English, etc. She was talking so fast I didn’t quite catch everything and wondered why she didn’t want to practice more English. Quien sabe? Pastor Vazquez had to leave vespers early, so we squeezed in Nancy and her two daughters in our Land Cruiser to go back home.
We ate supper after church and then Neftali brought out his guitar so we could figure out something we could sing for church. It was looking bleak until he started playing “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.” The guys couldn’t remember any words to any other songs. I discovered Neftali and his daughters knew a lot of the songs I’d learned in Argentina, so I delightfully sang some of them with them until sleep time.
Saturday, November 12
We went with Pastor Vazquez to yet another church—that’s three we’ve been to so far in Villa Hermosa—for church. The church isn’t quite finished and is covered with tin and billboards for a roof. Apparently it was a special Sabbath for the club of laypeople. Therefore the service went from 8AM until 2:30PM when we stopped for lunch. During the service we sang a lot, there were various seminars, and the church had us come up front to tell about our mission and sing. Not to be cawky, but I think I’m the only one that can carry a tune in the group, so nobody else really desired to sing—especially because there was a professional group that had already sung a few songs. But we told the church we were there to praise God and sang “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” anyways. They seemed to enjoy it (sing a song in another language and it’s all good).
The meeting continued after the lunch of rice and beans, but we left with our jefe Augustine to relax in the Tabasco 2000 Park. We chatted with him about the six months he spent in Oregon working on an onion farm for seven dollars an hour. He had to travel five to seven days to get to Oregon. Then when he started working, he didn’t always know where there’d be work. Many times he’d travel over an hour to get to work, and still he had to pay rent and transportation. I wonder if he feels it was worth all the trouble. He just said that it’s hard to find a good job in Mexico. Now he works for the government and can at least be near his five children. We went to his house for coconut and then he took us to yet another church for Sociedad de Jovenes. We were a bit pooped, but enjoyed doing Bible exercises with the little kids. One of the exercises we lost, so we had to get up front and sing three songs. We sang “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” “Avancemos,” and then we taught everyone the “Halelu/Praise Ye the Lord” song that had been such a hit at La Vida, New Mexico. Again the kids (and adults) loved it, although they didn’t know the words. Like I’ve said before, kids like action.
Sunday, November 13
During the week Jessica became more and more excited for today because we were going to be helping at an SDA health fair. For that reason we decided to wait to drive on to Playa del Carmen. Unfortunately, they didn’t really need us. Oh well. In the end we supported the fair by buying popcorn, pastelitos, and horchata from the food stands set up by the various SDA churches. I also spent a long time playing with kids and talking with some nurses, Roger, the veterinarian from the church, and a guy who gave us some contacts of people who can maybe help us get from Panama to Colombia. The latter was greatly appreciated because I think that portion of the trip could logistically be our greatest challenge.
Since there was nothing for us to do, the guys went to the Vazquez’s house to do some electrical and handy-man jobs. I was really glad, because there family has done so much for us. Jessica, Joy, and I went with Roger, his sister Alex, and some of their friends to a pool outside of Villa Hermosa. We had so much fun swimming, basking in the sun, teaching pool gymnastics, eating, and chatting in the sun with Alex. We asked her what type an ideal woman is for Mexican guys. She said that unlike the Barbie waif of the states, Mexican guys prefer a thicker woman with large legs, butt, love handles, and boobs—algo para agarrar, “something to hold on to.” Maybe I need to move down here.Above all the other activities, all of us had the most fun sliding down the tabagones! Two hours before the pool closed, we discovered a huge slide. Sliding rules aren’t nearly as stringent as they are in the USA, so we could slide down however we wanted. Nevertheless, I kept getting stuck in the middle of the slide due to my clothing. I eventually found I could fly down the tube with Joy and Jessica attached to my feet. Out we tumbled all together.
Trying to save money for the way back home, we all walked a bit, then took a tiny public transport bus to town. From there we hopped on a bus to Roger’s house. The bus had a massive, white crucifix and booming Latino club music. The club bus dropped off various friends and finally stopped near Roger and Alex’s house. While we waited for the Andrew and Ryan to pick us up, Roger let us use his computer for internet. The guys arrived, and, like so many times before, Roger and Alex’s mom fed us delicious food: quesadillas and horchata. While we waited for them to check email, Roger taught me some new words, slang, and hand signals they use in Mexico. That is the sort of thing I learn when I hang out with a native young person, and I love it. I’m just glad I had my notebook and pen to write everything down (the group always makes fun of me because I have to write down everything. I’m sure you aren’t surprised, because my emails are so long. I just don’t like to forget anything.)
After many kisses on the cheek and good-byes, we left my favorite family of Villa Hermosa. Still energized, I busted out my Yoga DVD to do with Jessica and Joy. We all laughed as we tried to “Keep our faces soft” and “Find equanimity.”
Jessica and Joy went to bed, but I stayed up until Neftali and Nancy got home. We talked about the church, Chiapas (They’d lived there for thirteen years. Apparently everyone thinks it is dangerous because there were some fights in 1994 with the guerrilleros. According to them, however, there isn’t any more danger now.), and how they often warn Mexicans not to go to the USA. They said that many separate from their families and/or leave the church. They’ll send their money back to Mexico so their families can have nice houses, but many in the end lose their faith and relationships. Others may even die because the work is so arduous. One has to decide if those risks are really worth it. For them, it seems to be a question of what is most important—money or family and faith.
Monday, November 14
We had our last extravagant meal of tacos at the Vazquez house, prayed, and then left Villa Hermosa for the ruins of Palenque—one of the greatest and accessible Mayan ruins. We drove about an hour until we reached the turn off for the ruins and came upon a great mob of people. They had signs that said things like “Money for the indigenous.” Apparently the Mayan descendants want more money—I’m not really sure. I asked a cop, but he didn’t understand why the mob was there either. He eventually told me another route to get to the ruins. Andrew was a little frustrated by the situation and all the traffic, but the route involved some off-roading which I quite enjoyed. We were all dying laughing as we drove through a mud puddle ad then later over a curb right behind the mob. Full of glee, we decided to pick up some hippie hitchhikers in the national park. Apparently Palenque is the place to be for Mexican and American hippies alike. One Anglo gal sat up front. She told us she had been studying metal working in college, but was now was in Palenque riding horses with people from all around the world. She said they were riding around Mexico “spreading seed,” whatever that means. I sat next to a Mexican hippie with four piercing in his lower lip. We drove a little and picked up a few more of their friends. My nose was suddenly strangely reminded of a boma in Masai Mara, Africa. They were really nice and friendly though. I really don’t think I’ve ever met a hippie I didn’t like. I just don’t think I could be one; only because I prefer to have bald armpits.
At the ruins, once again Joy, Andrew, and Jessica scurried quickly through the ruins while Ryan and I took our time. To tell the truth, I spent some extra time listening to a guide talk about various buildings and their history. One of the tombs in Palenque is really interesting because one can still see red paint on it. The Mayans believed the paint was toxic, so they buried their royalty in it so they wouldn’t be disturbed. When archeologists found the tombs, the bodies were still covered in red. Ryan and I looked at the Temple of Inscriptions that tells the entire story of the Mayans. Then we climbed steep stairs to the Temple of the Foliated Cross and other temples like it that overlook the whole of Palenque. They also have carvings on them that tell about various kings and serpent-jaguar gods. Like the ruins of El Tajin, Palenque has a ball court. Ryan and I decided to be super cheesy and video tape ourselves playing hacky-sack in it.
After an unmentionable event involving Ryan climbing the “Queen’s Bath,” (ask me about it when I’m back home) we met the other members of our group at the car and continued on our journey towards Playa del Carmen.
Trying to keep to our “no driving after 6PM” policy, we stopped at a town called Escarcega for the night. We were all starving, so we spent a dollar on five churros (they are kind of like donuts), to hold us over while we shopped for tomatoes, cereal, beans, tortillas, and bread. We ate peanut butter and jelly tortillas and beans and tortillas for supper and then watched my 30 Years of National Geographic DVD. I have a feeling we’ll be watching it a lot because it, besides my yoga DVD, is the only one I brought.
I had a hard time going to sleep because it was loud outside and I kept thinking about my future decisions. Whenever I start thinking about careers I get really stressed out and can’t sleep. I’m just glad God has blessed so far with what I’m doing right now.
Tuesday, November 15
Jessica, Joy, and I found a great place to do yoga in the hotel so we twisted ourselves around until my computer died. Then it was back to the road. On the way were stopped a few times for police checkpoints, but the police were always friendly and the most searching they did was looking through Andrew’s binoculars.
We arrived in Playa del Carmen a few hours before sundown. For some reason I was a little irritable from the long drive, so I walked with Andrew and Jessica to our next contact, Carlos Macias’ place at the Maranatha hotel while Joy and Ryan found a parking spot. We sat down in Carlos’ office, explained what we’d been up to, and he and his daughter told us a little about the history of his hotel and the Adventist church in Playa del Carmen. I think Andrew and Jessica were thrilled that they spoke English.
Eventually Joy and Ryan came in looking frazzled. The roads are all torn up due to the hurricane so it took them a long time to find a place to park. They were also tired, so Carlos gave us a room with three beds and he and Anabel invited us to relax and explore the town. They are such awesome people and have gone way above expectations in hospitality. (I really respect Carlos and the more people I meet who talk about him, the more exemplary he seems to be of how a man of means should support the church. He has helped monetarily construct over ten churches in the area.).
We decided our hunger and nerves were so great that we deserved our second meal out of the trip. We stopped at a miniature pizza restaurant beside our hotel. I was ecstatic because the owner was super friendly and from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I couldn’t help but chat with him a bit while Joy and Ryan tried to subtly get me to put in the order. Anyways, we became fast friends and now every time I pass him we wave to each other. He told me he’s going to return to Argentina in a year or so. He’s had his foreign travel experience, and is ready to go home. I wonder if that’s how I’ll feel in a month.
Just as Andrew and Jessica got to the restaurant with some lemonade, our pizzas came out of the oven. You know how I said there was road construction? Well, during our supper we had to yell over a guy drilling in a hole beside us. It was hilarious.
Sometimes a little separation is needed when one is in a group like ours. We haven’t had any tiffles, but it’s needed. Andrew and Jessica walked the beach and Jessica got some much needed chocolate ice cream. Joy and I roamed the shops looking a clothing, hammocks, hats, and diving shops. When then checked our email. Ryan walked about alone.
We all rejoined at the hotel and decided to call Jared. We all crowded in one tiny phone cabin. Ryan’s bum kept opening the door. The Mexican ladies had a good laugh and we went back to rest up for the morrow.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
I’m so glad I brought my hacky-sack. It has aided our group in the virtue of patience as we’ve accustomed ourselves to Mexican time. We were supposed to meet Carlos at 10, but he showed up at 11. We discussed how WMT is like the television show Survivor and how we would be the Mayan tribe of the group.
I rode with Carlos while the rest of the group followed behind. At the church we sat down with other workers of the church and discussed what needed to be done and what materials would be needed. Carlos told us we could take the day off and go to his personal cenote while he purchased materials. Cenotes are underground caves and springs that flow to the ocean. A lot of people go snorkeling and SCUBA diving in them.
Carlos’ cenote is beautiful. We had a big frank picnic by the water and then snorkled around. I had the most fun jumping off the top of the cave with Andrew, Joy, and Ryan. I actually got a little scared to dive in, but eventually did. Then I impressed the lifeguards by climbing one of the cave walls. They actually gave me a high-five. The climb was envigorating.
On the way back to the hotel, Andrew and Jess dropped the rest us off at a grocery store. We bought a ton of rice, beans, vegetables, tortillas, bread, jelly (which unfortunately dropped on the way back to the hotel), etc.
We quickly changed and ran to the ocean. Jessica, Ryan, and I dove. We felt like we were swimming in a painting because the sky was pink and the sea was bright turquoise. Then Ryan, Joy, and I walked on the beach and into town. We had a supper of pasta, Ryan and I did push-ups, and we all went to sleep content.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Joy and I woke up at 6:30 and did yoga on the upstairs deck of the hotel. Guys kept walking by. We later asked Carlos why there were so many guys and so few women. He said they are telephone company workers staying in Playa del Carmen to fix the telephone lines. Carlos must strike a deal with these companies because he said when a hurricane his in 1987, he had electricians staying in the hotel. He was the first one to get electricity in the entire city.
Ignoring his present guests, we continued our prayer twists and downward-facing dogs as we ignored them. Joy then cooked eggs and big franks to prepare us for our first work experience in Playa del Carmen.
We were so thankful for work that we could all do. While we were in Villa Hermosa, the gals were sometimes frustrated because we had nothing to do. Not so this time. We primed all the parts of the church possible. Most of the time I spent on a rusty scaffolding standing tip-toe on top of a chair with a paintbrush. For all the donors reading this, we are spending your money so we can go climbing—climbing around churches. I had fun, but by five o’clock the sun was setting and I was pooped. Thankfully we had a few breaks during the day. One was when Carlos brought us soft drinks and fruit, and another when a lady from the church brought us tamales—corn meal with chicken or peppers cooked in corn leaves. The tamales came with some really spicy sauce. Now everyone in the group knows that we aren’t the only hot tamales in town.
Back at the hotel, after a curry supper without the curry (we forgot the powder, Jessica and Andrew fell quickly asleep. We had worked really hard. Even the brothers of the church were really impressed. I was tired too, but I couldn’t let myself go to sleep like them at 7:30PM. Instead Ryan and I went to a free concert in the central park. We listened to one song, but it was too Kenny G.-esq for me. We returned down the touristy streets until we arrived at a gelato stand. We spent our own money on overpriced three dollar gelato. It was worth every penny. Ryan had coconut and tutti-frutti while I ate Oreos and cream and Nutella. Yum. Ryan said it was the best ice cream he’d ever had in his life. With sugar highs, we walked to a gazebo and I taught Ryan some swing-dancing moves. He learned really quickly and we had fun entertaining the people waling around us. Some even took pictures!
Friday, November 18, 2005
I was tired from the night before—it’s crazy how I’m dead if I go to bed after ten o’clock now—and couldn’t wake up to do yoga. Instead I ate the pancake breakfast with bananas Joy prepared. Then we started painting at the church at eight o’clock; I think I was a cranky, because I was being possessive of the roller paint brush. I think I was just sick of painting from the scaffolding, and I certainly didn’t want to use the small brush again. Thankfully I didn’t get into any squabbles over it because God gave me patience when someone would take it from me. Eventually my height won me possession of the tool, and I painted with it until we finished painting the first coats on the walls. Meanwhile Carlos Macias brought us coke, fresh orange juice, vanilla milk (that Andrew loved), and some sweet bread. We continued painting and jamming to the saxophone and dramatic Christian singing one of the workers played on a CD player. The only problem with the music is that it kept scratching and became ghetto-style.
Around noon a 23 year-old gal stopped by to clean the church. Apparently she didn’t know there was major renovation being done. She was shocked, but like all the good people we’ve met, just introduced herself, we chatted about the church, and then she grabbed a brush and big stick, and started helping us paint. At 12:30PM a group of church ladies brought us lettuce, salsa, and, one of my favorite foods from Argentina, empanadas. Unlike the Argentine empanadas of corn, lettuce, etc., these simply had beans or cheese inside, but they were very tasty.
When we’d been refreshed, we continued our work until two o’clock. We helped the cleaning lady clean the chairs and sweep out the church. Jessica couldn’t believe Latinos sweep and mop at the same time. As I swept and all the dust and trash was blown back in by the breeze she said, “Por eso, borramos con agua” (“See, that’s why we sweep the floor with water.” )
Another day of painting and we were once again covered in paint. We decided the best method to get rid of it was sand. Therefore, back at the hotel we speedily put on our bathing suits and power walked to the ocean. I was quite pooped from the past two days, so I videotaped and had everyone bury me in sand. They made me into a ginormous man with ginormous arm muscles and tiny chicken legs. Afterwards I had fun watching Jessica, Joy, and Ryan role into the ocean. Then Ryan dove into the water, except he didn’t swim out far enough and ended up diving in about a foot of water. Eventually I washed off in the ocean and we ran back to be ready for vespers at five o’clock.
I was so happy to see how bright the church looked and see the members worshipping after all of our work. Carlos had the church thank us. I just hope their church grows in unity and long-term members. The cleaning girl told me their church membership and unity has gone down recently. She says it’s difficult to get long-term members because a lot of people come to Playa del Carmen, sometimes separating from their families, and work awhile. But the city is somewhat Americanized and most people prefer the culture of their home towns, so they eventually return.
I find it hard to imagine the church having any problems. The members we’ve met and worked with are some of the nicest people with whom we’ve come in contact.
After church we returned for some Ramen noodles and fried eggs and vegetables. I read to the group about Elisha from Prophets and Kings. The chapter speaks about how the little tasks we have prepare us for the future. I think our experience now is preparing us for future mission work whether at home our in foreign lands.
Thanks for the week
Andrew: Carlos Macias and all the people he’s met here at Playa del Carmen; cenote; big franks
Joy: a nice place to stay
Ryan: for a bed (his first one on the trip)
Jessica: free hotel by the beach and that we are all working for the Lord
Lorelei: the beach and all the people I’ve met in the church and outside the church
Back to the Southeast
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Labels:
service,
Texas,
travel,
world mission tour
No, we aren't back in Tennessee. We are in Edinburg, Texas on the border of Mexico. God has continued to bless us. Joy found a pastor on for us to stay with here, and he has been super nice. In fact, I have seen him before about years ago--in Poland! We attended the same camp meeting in Poland, he being Polish and me being with on a choir mission trip. Again, more connections everywhere. Today we went to church and Joy happened to meet some of her friends she went to highschool with in Africa.
Let me catch you up on the past few days.
Wednesday Evening
Even though I was sick, my mood turned upwards. My sister Jessica and her boyfriend Brad drove from Loma Linda, California to come see me one last time. We all ate a luxurious supper with Auntie Alice. Then we realized that Ben and Kim lived in the same town we were in. We found out the number and visited them at their house. We chatted a bit cracking up at Kim's wit and Ben's booming pastor voice. Jess and Brad had class the next day, so we said our farewells and eventually I was back at Auntie Alice's without them both. I was so happy to see them, even for a little bit.
Thursday
We had figured that it would be cheaper to drive back across the States and go down to through Mexico on the eastern coast, especially when we heard rumors of gas being $4.50/gallon. Auntie Alice, of course, had a special breakfast prepared for us. After final preparations we took off at noon for the East. We drove and drove and drove while I finished reading the final half of Out of the Silent Planet. We kept driving until four in the morning. Joy, the driver at the time, finally became exhausted. We pulled into a picnic exit about seventy miles from San Antonio. Ryan, Jessica, and I ended up sleeping outside between the car and the curb. The smell of urine wafted over from the grass to our noses. A little nasty, but we were too tired to care.
Friday
We drove and drove and drove. Along the way we made a few stops to get a gasket and bolts for our truck at a Toyota dealership and some bagels, cream cheese, and apple sauce from a grocery store. We got to Edinburg, Texas around five in the afternoon. Pastor Andrew, a nice Polish pastor who let us stay at his place, met us at Wal-Mart. Again, the guys were dying of hunger, so we told Andrew wed meet him later and we ran off to Taco Bell one last time. I was still feeling really sick, but I tried to eat a little taco and coleslaw. I still hadn't eaten half of either one when everyone else was finished, but Jessica and Joy were determined for me to finish. They left Ryan in charge to watch me while they got some errands done at Wal-Mart. He failed miserably and we followed quickly behind them. When we arrived, I had to visit Wal-Marts bathroom quickly, so a bored worker took me himself. There I stayed while they finished everything, listening to the retching of a girl pucking in the stall beside me. When I came out, they called me on a walkie-talkie asking where I was. I met them outside and we went to the Pastor's house. He had to run help a church with some technical stuff, so we waited for him outside in the warm, breezy night. There we met Noah, a talkative cute boy who kept climbing the brick mail boxes outside of their house. He brought us out some candy and some of his pictures he made. A few neighbors came by. Unsurprisingly, everyone seemed to know Noah. Pastor Andrew returned and we went to his church to watch a satellite broadcast of '05Revival by Doug Bachelor. It was about drawing close to God, and He in turn drawing close to us. Ryan, Jessica, and Andrew stayed at Pastor Andrews house, while Joy and I stayed at June's house, an older lady of the church. I took a glorious shower. Joy was very congested, so I shoved in some earplugs and dropped off to sleep.
Saturday
Today we did a Sabbath School presentation for Pastor Andrew's church. I joined a little class and had fun discussing the Church with fellow believers, especially because I've been thinking about the Church a lot. Then I met Polo who asked me all sorts of questions about our trip and if I knew what to tell people when they asked me what the gospel was. He's planning on meeting me in heaven.
At potluck we met a few Mexicans, showed some pictures, and talked with the young people of the church. Afterwards we relaxed all day at Pastor Andrews house. Joy had randomly met some of her old classmates from Africa, so they came by for some pictures and talking.
Let me catch you up on the past few days.
Wednesday Evening
Even though I was sick, my mood turned upwards. My sister Jessica and her boyfriend Brad drove from Loma Linda, California to come see me one last time. We all ate a luxurious supper with Auntie Alice. Then we realized that Ben and Kim lived in the same town we were in. We found out the number and visited them at their house. We chatted a bit cracking up at Kim's wit and Ben's booming pastor voice. Jess and Brad had class the next day, so we said our farewells and eventually I was back at Auntie Alice's without them both. I was so happy to see them, even for a little bit.
Thursday
We had figured that it would be cheaper to drive back across the States and go down to through Mexico on the eastern coast, especially when we heard rumors of gas being $4.50/gallon. Auntie Alice, of course, had a special breakfast prepared for us. After final preparations we took off at noon for the East. We drove and drove and drove while I finished reading the final half of Out of the Silent Planet. We kept driving until four in the morning. Joy, the driver at the time, finally became exhausted. We pulled into a picnic exit about seventy miles from San Antonio. Ryan, Jessica, and I ended up sleeping outside between the car and the curb. The smell of urine wafted over from the grass to our noses. A little nasty, but we were too tired to care.
Friday
We drove and drove and drove. Along the way we made a few stops to get a gasket and bolts for our truck at a Toyota dealership and some bagels, cream cheese, and apple sauce from a grocery store. We got to Edinburg, Texas around five in the afternoon. Pastor Andrew, a nice Polish pastor who let us stay at his place, met us at Wal-Mart. Again, the guys were dying of hunger, so we told Andrew wed meet him later and we ran off to Taco Bell one last time. I was still feeling really sick, but I tried to eat a little taco and coleslaw. I still hadn't eaten half of either one when everyone else was finished, but Jessica and Joy were determined for me to finish. They left Ryan in charge to watch me while they got some errands done at Wal-Mart. He failed miserably and we followed quickly behind them. When we arrived, I had to visit Wal-Marts bathroom quickly, so a bored worker took me himself. There I stayed while they finished everything, listening to the retching of a girl pucking in the stall beside me. When I came out, they called me on a walkie-talkie asking where I was. I met them outside and we went to the Pastor's house. He had to run help a church with some technical stuff, so we waited for him outside in the warm, breezy night. There we met Noah, a talkative cute boy who kept climbing the brick mail boxes outside of their house. He brought us out some candy and some of his pictures he made. A few neighbors came by. Unsurprisingly, everyone seemed to know Noah. Pastor Andrew returned and we went to his church to watch a satellite broadcast of '05Revival by Doug Bachelor. It was about drawing close to God, and He in turn drawing close to us. Ryan, Jessica, and Andrew stayed at Pastor Andrews house, while Joy and I stayed at June's house, an older lady of the church. I took a glorious shower. Joy was very congested, so I shoved in some earplugs and dropped off to sleep.
Saturday
Today we did a Sabbath School presentation for Pastor Andrew's church. I joined a little class and had fun discussing the Church with fellow believers, especially because I've been thinking about the Church a lot. Then I met Polo who asked me all sorts of questions about our trip and if I knew what to tell people when they asked me what the gospel was. He's planning on meeting me in heaven.
At potluck we met a few Mexicans, showed some pictures, and talked with the young people of the church. Afterwards we relaxed all day at Pastor Andrews house. Joy had randomly met some of her old classmates from Africa, so they came by for some pictures and talking.
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