Final Chapter November 6th and 7th

Friday November 6
We started our day as always with devotions but today was special as we sang together and shared communion together. As Jan led I was once again reminded of the blessed communion of the saints of God. Here I was with people I had met less than a week ago bonded in the faith and through our service together sharing deeply around the Lord’s Table. Every mission’s trip impresses me with the fellowship of the saints as I worship in strange languages and in various cultural modes but this was all in English and with Americans yet the beauty of the fellowship in the body of Christ stood out in a heartening manner.
After breakfast we headed back to the school we visited the day before to finish up about 25 more screenings. The students were all assembled on the basketball court for morning exercises. They were being led by a young woman standing on a platform and bending and stretching to a Mexican sounding version of the joined in the gyrations with a group of students. The tables were quickly set up and we completed the work we needed to do and as everyone packed our equipment in the van I finished entering the data and saving it to various flash drives. We were then escorted back to the basketball court where a long table had been set up at one end. We were invited to sit behind it although with all of us and the Mexican volunteers we were soon spread out along the entire end or the court. The children performed a flag ceremony similar to one we witnessed the first day in Buenos Aires and then after some speeches and introduction of dignitaries who were on hand we were all presented with gifts and certificates of appreciation from the Mexican Board of Health. While this was being taken care of some students started serving us tamales and bottles of soda for lunch.
As soon as the ceremony was complete we headed for the van and the jeep tamales and gift bags in hand because we had a long trip back to Oaxaca ahead of us. The trip from sea level to 6000 feet is almost always longer than the trip down especially if you get behind a heavily loaded double tanker heading up the winding two lane highway. Back at the motel I took a minute to finish the good lunch before getting out and retrieving my suitcase. I had gotten my small suitcase and book bag stuffed into the large suitcase. The pottery in the gift bag required me to take out my book bag and pack it there along with some clothing items to cushion it.
The trip up was thankfully uneventful except for the stop at the Pemex gas station for a rest stop and a Magnum bar. Just as we were about to leave Bill spotted one of those double tractor trailers. It was right in front of the gas station doing about 3 mph over a very steep tope. JoEllen was looking for her sun glasses but at Bill’s admonition she shoved the van into reverse to back out of the parking spot. Throwing it into drive she lurched ahead closing fast on Bruce who was just negotiating the Jeep out of the parking area onto the highway. We all cheered as we sped in front of the tractor trailer which was still straining to get hindmost tires over the speed bump. We did not encounter any more delays and were in Oaxaca well before dark which was our goal.
Malcomb who was the team member unable to come at the last minute had requested we purchase a mortar and pestle for a friend who had done him a great favor so we decided before supper to go into the center of the city to look for one before we had supper. The street was all dug up in front of the only parking garage we knew would stay open long enough to shop and eat. The construction also made a parking lot of all the streets around it. We decided to split up and some shop and some take the van back to the bed and breakfast and come back by taxi. I elected to shop, not because I like to shop but because it was about a ten or twelve block walk and after the long car ride that day I needed it. We managed to find the desired object at a very reasonable price but it ended up being about twenty pounds of solid rock with three legs, an animal face carved in one side and a stone pestle. Immediate concerns were how we would carry it and how we would get it on the plane.
We arrived at the hotel terrace where we were to meet for dinner. I went inside the hotel for a minute and as I was walking back to the table I heard a voice behind me say, “Hi Art!” It was my friend Debbie who was the driving force to get me into serving with Wycliffe missionaries in Mexico last year. She had just arrived back in Mexico from the US the night before. I had emailed her about where we might be and she and our mutual friend Abby had managed to find me. I took a little teasing about always hugging young women who approach me on the Zocalo. The first day on the Zocalo I had run into Maya who is the German girl who had helped out in Mitla so this was just a chance to have some fun teasing Art. JoEllen and the rest of the team arrived just about that time. Everyone was introduced and about then Nate, Abby’s husband arrived. We pulled up another table to accommodate everyone and were soon enjoying a delicious and friendly meal together. Part of our dinner time was dedicated to recounting the highs and lows of our week together. My low point was Monday morning because I was so exhausted from the transition from Mitla to Oaxaca to Tehuantepec. My highlights were the Covenant Church service in Tehuantepec on Sunday night and the communion service Jan led on Friday morning.
We engaged two taxis to ferry us back to the Pasado de Chencho and after some last minute rearranging of luggage fell into bed for our last night in Mexico. Wake up was 5:30 for a 6 AM departure. JoEllen arrived about 5:50 and when Bruce arrived at 6:00 we had already packed the van. We gathered alongside the van for a prayer of gratitude for a safe and profitable trip and for blessings on those who were staying and then headed for the aeropuerta. Everything went fine until Rodney tried to get the twenty pound stone mortar carried on. I guess it qualified as some kind of weapon, a concept one could hardly argue with. He had to head back out to the desk in a rush. They bagged it but could not promise it would make the luggage compartment on this plane nor were they at all sure it would pass customs in the US. Rodney made it back in time for the departure. His stone package also made the flight and sailed through customs in Houston. After immigration and customs we held a short conversation and following more goodbyes I headed for Gate E as the Kansas City group headed the other way for Gate D.
After a hamburger and a milk shake I took time to blog and then boarded an on-time flight for PHL, It arrived there on time and my son Duncan was waiting to pick me up.

November 3rd, 4th and 5th

November 3 Tuesday
We were up early for devotions and had breakfast at the hotel. Dr. Elidia who I met last year met us at the hotel along with Carmello and a couple of other Mexican volunteers. We headed up the road toward Oaxaca but soon turned off on a gravel road. The sign said that Buenos Aires was 13 kilometers. We were soon passing km. posts as we wound back and forth through the mountains. It was basically a one-lane road but we were able to pass the occasional oncoming traffic even a bus which we understand makes on run in the morning and another at night to a town that is past Buenos Aires. The scenery was spectacular and the conversation lively as the van made its way through the dusty wake of the Jeep ahead driven by the short term missionary on our team Bruce. There were unguarded drop offs and culverts along the way but none were really scary.
Soon we arrived at the town which was perhaps a little bigger than we were expecting. A left hand turn down a steep dusty road brought the school into view and another sharp left turn through a narrow gait brought us into the actual school yard. Inside the fence were several buildings, two of which held the three main classrooms. We waited near the basketball court as the children assembled. Bruce amused them teaching them “Good morning” in English and a few other phrases like “How are you?” and “fine!”
Chairs were set up under one basket and a loud speaker system along one side. Opposite the microphone the kids in their uniforms formed two lines almost the length of the court with their teachers standing behind them. A color guard of about 7 students formed near the loud speakers dressed like the rest of the students except for the addition of white gloves. The director of the school approached from the office building carrying a Mexican flag and it was presented to the child with the leather flag holder. As the color guard marched in great style around the court making sharp turns in the corners and tossing in a few goose steps at appropriated times the children sang a song to the flag led by a child at the mike. Everyone saluted the entire time the flag was in motion. Once the flag was dismissed we were all introduced by our leader JoEllen and some speeches occurred.
We began to screen the children after some amount of setting up and deciding in which room each part of the screening would take place. The first step in the process was to have each child wash their hands with sanitary gel. That was my job which was not a problem the first day with the older children. Sometimes I demonstrated so they got the idea and then instructed them to take off their shoes and step on the scale. I had cheat sheet cards and started to get the hang of it after a while. Next I would have them step onto the height measuring device and record that. “Ponte los zapatos .” was the next instruction, “Put on your shoes.” Then they were off to the eye exam. Before they left the room I would check to see if everything was complete. Then they would go to the next classroom for hemoglobin which required a finger sticking and then on to the doctors for a short examination. Each child carried a sheet on which the results were recorded and when finished the sheets would come back to me to entered in a data base.
At lunch time we walked down the steep dirt road to a building where children from distant villages were housed on school days. Transportation on a daily basis is impractical so they stay there on school days. We had packed a picnic lunch so we set up a table and made sandwiches. After lunch it was back to the classrooms to screen more children. Late in the afternoon we left for the hotel and I took the opportunity of the bumpy road home to drift off into a beautiful afternoon siesta (nap).
We had dinner at the hotel and then made a few Skype calls and checked email and then turned in.
Wednesday November 4
Today was much like yesterday. We returned to Buenos Aires with a day’s experience behind us and a clear idea of what our responsibilities were and where they would be performed. We had no ceremony to begin the day so we got right to work. At lunch we were served the same lunch as the boarding students. It came on a cafeteria tray that took me right back to my days in elementary school in the US. There is where the similarity ended. We had a very good vegetable mix that had a type of squash as a basis. We were also served rice and a container of yogurt. A bunch of tiny bananas were also served along with a typical drink made from a gourd which I did not try choosing instead to stick with my bottled water. Soon it was back to work and we were able to finish early so when we arrived back at the hotel we had a few minutes to rest before supper. It was our night to dine at the Asador which features a thatched roof palopa that is probably large enough to seat 30 or more. We were the only party there so the service was great. After the usual questions about what is in this and what is in that two men ordered the “Cowboy” some kind of steak and potato that came in quarter, half, and I think three quarter and full kilo. Since a kilo is over two pounds most folks order the quarter. Dr. Bill was thinking about the medio but settled for the quarto. I got a prime rib which like the Cowboy was served on a small cast iron grille pan. By the time we got home I was ready to sleep.
Thursday November 5
Today we visited another school and got set up rather quickly. We did make one change because our original sequence had the kids leaving one room and then returning for further testing. We were supposed to have about 25 but ended up with closer to fifty. The Mexican workers have been visiting this school which is very close to our hotel so there were not too many left to do. We had two vision stations, two hemoglobin, and two doctors examining. I started on the height and weight but a Mexican volunteer took over so I was able to concentrate on the recording. I was getting pretty used to the Mexican appellation so was able to keep up. When we were finished we headed for the place I had wanted to go since last year, THE BEACH! The restaurant featured two large palopas right on the beach although they were set back several hundred yards from the Pacific. We put in our order and headed off for a walk on the beach. It was blowing about 30 or 40 knots from the north. The Pacific is south so the sand was being blown out into the surf what little there was with that much off shore wind. Of course I had to get my feet wet and the bottom of my pant legs. This was not the greatest day at the beach. Attempts to get pictures of the group with the water as a backdrop were severely hampered by all of us ducking to keep the sand out of our eyes. We trekked back to the restaurant but although the wood fired oven was belching clouds of smoke our food was nowhere near ready. I took my turn in a hammock hanging near one of our tables and we snacked on salsa and a kind of chip very popular in the isthmus. When my order arrived it was a fish about the size of a porgy covered with tomatoes and onions. Of course the head was still on as was the tail and the dorsal fins were about two inches long and spiky. As I dug into it I found a very tasty white meat and although it was about four times the portion size to which I am accustomed I enjoyed it thoroughly.
We arrived back at the hotel and after a short break met in the restaurant to have dessert together. I was one of three to have the banana split. Mexican ice cream is not the same as we have in NJ but this particular dish was delightful. I had down loaded almost everyone’s pictures to my computer so I presented the slide shows at one end of the table as we ate. After some Skyping I returned to the room where Rodney was watching a modern Robin Hood in English with Spanish subtitles. I chose to do that instead of blogging and it was fun to brush up on some Spanish words.

november 1st and 2nd

November 1
Awaking before the alarm I lay there listening to the sounds of the city, roosters crowing cars passing on the street below my open windows and the inevitable barking of the perros. Oddly enough one of my first thoughts was of some online banking I needed to attend to. I got ready and went down to the lounge area and did what I needed to do and then Cindy checked her email. It was time for devotions and prayer. I presented some thoughts from Hebrews 5:8 about Jesus’ prayer life and the answer he received to His prayer in Gethsemane. He was delivered from death but not until after the cross and three days in the grave.
Breakfast followed and it had been two days since I had oatmeal so I inquired about avena and got a positive answer. Oatmeal in Mexico is served sometimes almost as a warm drink. Today I got a bowl of cream with butter floating on the top and grains of oats filling the bottom portion and a banana on the side. After slicing the banana into the milk I proceeded to enjoy a hearty breakfast finishing up with some Day of the Dead bread. Loaves of bread prepared for Day of the Dead come in many creative designs. This was one of the simplest with a plastic face on a spike decorating one spot on the top crust.
After breakfast we loaded the van and headed out of the city toward the Pacific coast. The road is primarily a two lane highway which has almost no dotted lines. Since it was Sunday morning there was little traffic and the primary barrier to moving more quickly was the endless string curves back and forth and forth and back. Nausea is a real concern for anyone prone to motion sickness and group members use a variety of medical remedies and preventative measures. The scenery is breath taking as we follow a deep river gorge from about 6000 ft. down to sea level. One stop at a rest station produced the necessary refreshment to continue. For me it was a Magnum Classic bar which is like a dark chocolate Dove bar on a stick.
We arrived at our hotel Quichoba in Tehuantepec after about four and a half hours of travel and had about twenty minutes before supper in the restaurant. Then we had about forty five minutes to get ready for church. Scheduled for Five o’clock some sound systems problems held it up until 5:30. I was happy that the singing went on and on and on. Two different worship leaders led and the words were projected on the wall from an overhead projector which was a real help for someone with as small a vocabulary in Spanish as mine. Two of our group gave testimonies. Cindy read hers in Spanish and Bruce who is a short term missionary here translated for Bill. The JoEllen read a sermon prepared by Malcolm who was unable at the last minute to accompany us. After a list of announcements by Carmello, the pastor, we adjourned to the church yard for delicious tamales which were served from a large galvanized wash tub. They were in being steamed in several large pots over open fires in the yard when we had arrived. During the service whiffs of wood smoke were wafted into the auditorium as a forecast of the good things to come. A warm coffee drink with doses of cinnamon and sugar was served in white foam cups. Soon it was time to head back. To explain how tired I was I did not even join the group headed for the Pemex where a case of frozen Magnum bars was waiting. After a short cell phone conversation with Ann in MT. I did gain enough energy to get the Wi-Fi code from the desk. The signal in my room was weak so I sat on a stray backless resin chair near the back door to the office to delete most of my email messages and respond to two.
Then after plugging in everything that needed recharging Rodney I checked with Rodney, my roommate and an EMT from Kansas City about stetting the alarm and deciding on 6:15 AM as in 6:15 in the middle of the night. I then fell into bed and was soon fast asleep.

November 2nd
The cell phone alarm awoke me from a deep sleep and since it was on the dresser I was up immediately. Devotions were scheduled for 7:00 and after a frustrating search for things in my luggage which had never really recovered from my hasty departure from Mitla it was all dumped on the bed. Things I thought I would not need were packed in the smaller bag leaving me lots of room now in the larger one. We were all out in the van by 9:00 AM and on the way to a small church in the village of Mixtequilla. When we arrived children and adults were gathered waiting for screening. It took some time to configure the equipment according to available electric outlets and soon we were operating to do health screenings. My job of recording was not needed so I had time after the set up to catch up on my blog. Young faces appear all around the screen but soon leave when they see only English text and no action on the screen.
As the morning progressed I started showing some of the videos I had taken in Oaxaca. Even some of the parents came to watch and one little guy who couldn’t see ended up on my knee. We were finished early in the afternoon and so we opened our cooler and shared lunch with some of the Mexican volunteers. They had taken care of all the registration, heights and weights and were trained to do hemoglobin and sugar levels by Rodney and Jan. We left and headed for what had been described as a Mexican swimming hole. It turned out to be a warm spring that was contained by stone walls about three feet higher than the water level. Every few yards were stone steps leading into the crystal clear 80 degree water. Only three brave souls went in, Rodney, Bill and Art. The bottom was sandy although there were boulders and other stones on the bottom. When I first sat on the edge to put my feet in to test the water a swarm of half inch long fish swarmed out. Soon three inch fish actually began to nibble my toes and tickle. I was able to actually video them.
I came out for a while and sat with my huge hotel towel around my shoulders. When I ventured I put it down near Jan and Cindy. Coming out some time later I grabbed it and went up the hill only to discover that I had a tiny pink towel in my hands. Embarrassed I quickly returned it next to some ladies sandals and bewildered I began to search for my towel. JoEllen asked if the man sitting nearby had it. He did! I tried to get a better had to go. “Mi toalla”, I began wondering if he would be belligerant. He jumped to his feet obviously embarrassed handed it to me while heading for the little pink one. Carmello told him I had taken his and we all laughed about it for some time. On the way home we stopped in downtown Tehuantepec. A couple of us had worn shorts so we really looked like Amercanos not that the tall white people did not stand out before.
We got home and had dinner at the hotel and then we made some Skype calls. Of course mine was to Montana. While watching the world series I caught up on my blog and talked to Rodney.

Friday October 30
I will try to catch you up on the 29th but am going on to the 30th. Was up early this morning and had a good chat with Ann. The day started with the usual kids for individual help. I actually started employing some of them to help start dismantling the room. My room which doubled as the Art room is not a permanent FES room it is only borrowed so all FES stuff had to be moved out. As Soon as the kids arrived I took over the opening exercises because Linda had to go up to Oaxaca for some urgent visa business. I spoke about Jesus being the chief corner stone and urged everyone to be sure their faith was planted on Him so that He would not be a rock of offense. We then all walked to auditorium where the instruments were set up for the closing program. Melinda led the music rehearsal and then I did a couple of walkthroughs of the play because that was the first time the microphones were there. I also gave them a pep talk about the need to imagine themselves as the characters they were playing or they would never get the audience to imagine it either.
Back at the school a bit later than planned we took time for the Bible lesson. I was filling in for Linda who was still in Oaxaca. The theme of the FES was prayer so I used Hebrews 5:8ff and tied it in with Jesus prayer in Gethsemane. After recess we started serious work to tear apart the room. We had wanted to use the diet soda mentos explosion for a volcano eruption and Linda had located some so we watched her class set that off. I was invited out to lunch but declined because I still had work to do in the apartment and get ready for a devotional talk at the program.
I was hardly ready when it was time to head for the auditorium but head there I did. My first part was to give a devotional thought from Psalm 18 which the older kids had been memorizing. I focused on the verse that indicated that God stoops to make us great. My voice broke a few times but I was able to get through it. Each teacher had a chance to have their kids perform. The students sang the songs they had practiced and the Stone Soup play was far beyond any of the practices and a big hit with the parents. Our teen age aide Rusty did a fantastic job on the slide show and Linda closed with a time for recognizing those who helped make the three weeks a success. Gifts were given to the teacher and aides and then it was time to enjoy some stone soup and ground cake with gummy worms for desert.
Without rushing my goodbyes too much I soon headed for the apartment for the final packing and getting it all cleaned out. All but the medicine chest that is. I discovered the next morning that my toothbrush, razor and shaving cream were all left behind. I had extra of everything but shaving cream and in all the shopping today forgot to get some. Joel helped with the last few things and Beth stopped by and finished taking all of the stuff out of the fridge and freezer. By that time Abby and Nate and Heidi were all in Joel’s pickup waiting to head for Oaxaca.
When I was on the way to the truck I realized I had not left a shirt out and was wearing a white tee. I unzipped the suitcase in the back of the truck and managed to get a shirt out. The ride to Oaxaca was one of animated conversation about Ann, the clousura and many other topics. Fortin hill overlooks the city of Oaxaca and there is a terraced, open aired restaurant there with spectacular views of the city lights. We ate there and continued our conversation long passed my estimated time of arrival at the bed and breakfast where I was to meet my new team from the Covenant Church. I decided not to even look at my watch and surmise that their plane was late and they had not arrived. They had of course arrived on time and were all asleep when I got there around 10:30

Saturday October 31
Did not sleep very well last night but got enough to get by on. Was out of the room by 7:00 and saw Cindy walking around the court yard. She told me the time I needed to be in the lounge so I got my computer on the WI-Fi which I was unable to do last night probably because it gets turned off. I met the team members that were not here last year Rodney, Bill, Jan and Bruce. JoEllen led us last year and will again this year. We had devotions led by Jan and then had breakfast. The Pasado Chencho http://www.mexonline.com/chencho.htm is the bed and breakfast where we are staying and they have a beautiful building and good menu. After breakfast we met to view the latest DVD’s of the Covenant in Mexico and discuss our concerns and aspirations.
We then drove closer to town and did some sightseeing and shopping. JoEllen is very knowledgeable in the history and culture of Oaxaca. We had lunch at a sidewalk café in the Zocalo. The Zocalo is the main square of Oaxaca and has a beautiful park with huge towering trees. In the center is a high ornate bandstand and around it there are many fountains. The buildings on all sides are characterized by high arches. One side holds government offices the other three sides feature hotels and sidewalk restaurants. As you eat venders ply their wares at your tables and musicians hold forth with a variety of portable instruments and then solicit change for the diners for their performances. The afternoon was taken up with more shopping and sightseeing and then a stop at the Italian Coffee company for what was advertised as light supper but ended up to be more in the line of frappes and deserts.
As we were getting ready to leave a brass band was coming down the street followed by a group of 30 or so masqueraders dancing and swaying to the music. Just passed the restaurant in the middle of an intersection they stopped and the dancers showed their very best steps there on the pavement while traffic came to a standstill. We eventually made our way back to the parking garage and then on to the bed and breakfast. I was exhausted. Nothing makes me more tired than shopping. I took a half hour nap and then succeeded in getting back on the web. I called Ann on Skype but as soon as I got to my room I lost the net. I sat on the balcony and talked to her for awhile and then came into the lounge where the rest of the team was watching a movie on VHS. We called Malcolm on Skype. He was supposed to be with us but could not come at the last minute. He was back in KC carving pumpkins and passing out Halloween candy. We then called my sister Carol and her husband Alan. They were also unable to come with us this year. Tomorrow we will head out early for Tehuantepec so I am going to try to post this before the internet goes off.

Wednesday October 28

At FES we are starting to practice seriously for our closing program on Friday. The children who have been in music in two small groups got together for today’s practice. I sat in to help and was so blessed by the work Melinda had done with the students over the past two weeks. A song called “Trust and Obey” (not the old hymn) was so worshipful and sweet as the kids sang and accompanied themselves on the instruments. At rock class we erupted our film case core and clay outside volcanoes. The recipe of vinegar, Joy dish detergent and red food coloring was a real hit when we added baking soda to the mix. I had put a small table outside and covered it with plastic. By the time we were finished we had “lava” running down to the ground on all sides. The cardboard bases got a little delaminated but all the work was worth the effort. We practiced the Stone Soup play in the auditorium and it is starting to take shape.

At lunch I started making lists of things I need to finish before I leave on Friday. My friends Joel and Heidi wanted to go out to eat and since Friday is the only night left they offered to take me to Oaxaca Friday and drop me off at the bed and breakfast after dinner in Oaxaca. That is where I will meet the Covenant group when they get in from the airport. I was invited to go to supper Friday night and then to the airport to meet the team but I would not be able to get there in time after finishing here. While talking to Joel and Heidi today I found out that Joel had to pick up someone at the airport tonight. I offered to drive up with him to keep him company so as soon as Gym was over we left for Oaxaca. Joel needed to do some shopping for a cookout tomorrow night so we went to Sam’s Club. What a trip that was. I don’t even shop Sam’s at home.

Of interest also today was an email I received from Wycliffe, the mission I am serving under here in Mitla. They have an urgent need for someone or some couple to help Mickey and Barb in Cameroon. Mickey and Barb were the host and hostess for our team in Cameroon in April and we talked then about future trips. I feel like a man in my twenties with so many life changing decisions to be made. Well, God has a plan; I will trust Him to show me where to go from here. I am guessing it will be MT in the near future for one of the holidays.

Monday October 26

The day dawned a bit cloudy but was soon sunny. For rocks today we experimented with chocolate chips. The idea was to pretend that the chips were examples of little rocks. It was sort of a mixed analogy but we placed several milk chocolate chips in one bag, the same of white chocolate in another and butterscotch in a third. With those ingredients it is almost impossible for an experiment to fail. The idea was to apply warmth and pressure from your hand and squeeze them into a blob. The blob was put on a sheet of wax paper and pressed into a layer (of rock). One by one the three layers were built into an example of sedimentary rock. Then the layers were put in a plastic bag and immersed in ice water to cool and harden the “rock”. When all the concepts were thoroughly assimilated a lesson reinforcing tasty treat was enjoyed by us all. Uses of rocks were taught in another lesson. Do you like to eat rocks? Well our food would be a little tasteless without salt crystals. Gluing some sand to paper also illustrated how it could be used in a variety of ways for making things smooth or taking off old paint (from your pencil).
Our Stone soup play practice ended the AM session.

For lunch I decided to have the rest of my enchilada from the restaurant on Sunday. I steamed it for several minutes in a large pot. I don’t have a microwave so that is what I do. When I opened the package it was not my enchilada but half of Abby’s omelet. It was very good. I thought later I could have put it in the freezer and given it to her Friday. By the time I thought of it, it was gone! For the afternoon Gym session we had water day. We played games with water balloons such as balloon toss and a relay race where the first person ran down and got a water balloon from the bucket and came back and broke it on the other team. The second person could not leave until the balloon had burst. We had a good time but were not as wet by the end of the day as I had expected.

After dark, it comes about 6:00 PM now; I walked over to town for some produce. On the way back I stopped for a Magnum bar. The dark chocolate and the vanilla ice cream combined to make a perfect hors d’oeuvre. While the stuff was soaking I made a light supper.

Tuesday October 27

With the time change I have been waking up earlier and then I usually can get a start-your-day-right call to Montana. Such was the case today. At school I read to the children about the eruption of Mt. Pelee in Martinique. That was a ghastly story but I adlibbed a little to soften some of the gory details. For rocks studies I had duct taped a film container to a piece of cardboard for each student. Their job was to take clay and build a mountain around it so we could put some baking soda and red vinegar in it to simulate a volcanic explosion. We did well to finish as much as we did and we will try them out tomorrow. The students worked on a word find and I instructed a little about what part they would have in the closing program. I need to write those parts out tonight so they have time to learn them before Friday.

During Gym this afternoon a small marching band came up the narrow road on the other side of the school. I often hear them but never get to see them. I walked half way across the field and tried a long shot video. Some of the members saw me and waved. We are getting close to Day of the Dead and there is a lot of music and fireworks to celebrate. After school I walked over town to see if I could get some Thank You cards in Spanish at the Christian book store. I started by saying my Spanish was very bad and after several minutes of looking the proprietor and I decided she did not have exactimente que querero. I walked up to the papelaria (stationery store). My poor grasp of the language got me introduced to a young woman who spoke English but did not help me find any thank you notes in Spanish. I stopped in another store for some grape juice and managed to get the right amount of money out for the purchase. That is always better than holding out a handful of money and letting the vendor choose. After I returned home I designed my own cards on the computer and had supper. I printed a sample card and then went over to the school to get it off the printer. By that time of night the gate to the Center is locked on this side of the street and the gate to the school yard is locked on the other side of the rocky dirt road. The card sample came out looking good so I can print some more tomorrow.

October 24 Saturday

I was awakened by the sound of a sick cow. It was not an actual sick cow but standing out from the barking dogs and the crowing roosters and the other sounds of the city sirens and traffic’s hum was this moan of a horn that kept getting closer and closer until I was fully awake and then it started to fade in the distance. I learned later that it was the propane truck alerting all in the early Saturday morning that if they needed their propane tanks filled that was the time to get out to the street to flag down the truck. Nate has a tank up on the roof and the vender has to come into the inner courtyard, scale a ladder to the roof with a piece of line in his hand that can be lowered to a companion by the truck in the street. The hose is attached to the line and the hose is then hoisted to the rooftop to complete the filling operation. Awake now for the day, I took time to read awhile in bed and then slipped downstairs to call Ann on the internet phone.

Soon I heard Abby in the kitchen and Nate came down and we had a leisurely breakfast of granola, toast and local honey. By the time we had eaten and cleaned up and gotten ready to start the day’s activities it was afternoon. Nate was trying to get some computer issues settled and we talked while that was happening. Our goal for the day was to locate a park with some hiking trails near the end of one of the city bus routes. Nate assured me that we might get lost but that was OK by me. Abby made some sandwiches and put them in the freezer while she continued to do some laundry but soon we had packed a light lunch in my small backpack and with each of us carrying a water bottle set out.

The busses never cease to fascinate me. Detours for construction or any number of other reasons are common. When some of these busses need to turn from one narrow city street to another it appears inevitable that the corner of one of the buildings will contact a side view mirror but it never happens. Watching the drivers maneuver through the obstacles of pedestrians and other vehicles while they count their change and fill their coin dispensers is fun for me to watch. Topes (speed bumps) some 18 inches high and more than two feet across are also objects never to be overlooked. Just when you see one coming you think the driver has overlooked the brakes are applied to just the right degree for the bus to ply the obstacle without sending the riders to the roof. A little bounce into the air for the riders is however perfectly OK.

We disembarked at the end of the line and got a nod in the direction of a narrow street. We headed down it but it soon ended with no park in sight. Asking directions again we were told to go back to the first right. That was a steep gravel road the led down past various sizes of homes and wound farther and farther into the valley. The sun was hot and I put on my safari hat and hoped we would not have to retrace our steps up the steep incline. Further inquiry indicated that we were on the right road but probably had ridden the wrong bus to the end of its line. Soon the dirt road became paved and the houses became obviously much more expensive. Soon we spotted a beautiful park on the corner and after washing up chose a table in the shade to eat our sandwiches. After exploring the park we headed off in a different direction to reconnect to the bus route. As we passed a small store (miscellany) I suggested we stop for a Magnum bar similar to a Dove bar on a stick and one of my favorite treats in Mexico. As walked along the tree shaded sidewalk on our trek to the bus line we enjoyed a cool and tasty ice cream desert.

Another interesting bus ride ensued and we were soon climbing the hill back to the house. I suggested to Abby that we go out for tacos that evening. When she asked Nate about the idea the broad smile on his face indicated an unqualified yes. About 7 o’clock we decided to drive to one of their favorite tacorias so we climbed into the car and pulled through the electronically operated gate and headed down the hill. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal which we washed down with a Sangria soda visited the Wal-Mart type store in the same plaza before heading home. Back at the house Abby wanted to look at more of my pictures of Africa, Montana, Ann’s visit to NJ and our trip to Michigan. We did that, turned back the clocks for the Mexican version of fall back and turned in for the night.

Sunday October 25

I awoke from a deep sleep to the sound of my phone alarm. It was 7:30 and breakfast was scheduled for 8:00 AM. I did not want to get up but I needed to be all packed and ready by nine so I struggled to get awake. For some reason I checked my watch and found it was only 6:30. My phone knew I was in Mexico but had not fallen back. I lay awake and then read my Bible for awhile and got up and started laying out my clothes and packing. Then I checked email and about 8:00 I wandered downstairs. Abby was reading and we chatted for a few minutes and when I asked about breakfast she said she was going to make omelets about 8:00. I mentioned that it was 8:15 and she thought the living room clock which Nate and I had set back was still on the old time. About that time Nate appeared and we all had granola and fresh baked muffins with honey.

We got down to the bus stop at the bottom of the hill just in time to catch the bus we needed. It wove through the city in a familiar pattern and suddenly I realized we were heading up to the area where Dave had given the FES kids a lesson in rock faceting. It turns out that he lives about a block from the church. I was greeted by a couple of young ladies offering a squirt of hand sanitizer which I graciously accepted. The church a Spanish language church and as a visitor I was greeted warmly. At one point in the service Nate stood up and motioned for me to do likewise and he introduced me. I smiled and nodded and did not try any Spanish. The first songs were old hymns translated into Spanish. The words were projected on a wall and I could understand most of the words and of course knew the tunes. Abby played the piano for this part of the service. Later a praise band of four or five young men gathered along the left side of the sanctuary and began to lead in worship songs most of which I do not believe were translated. The chorus of my favorite there was “Amor sin condicion” (love without condition or unconditional love). It was all about the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.

After service we went into the fellowship hall where as a guest I was handed a plate with a rectangular wrap tied with a bow like a Christmas present. Inside was a meat and vegetable mix in a mole sauce. Others were charged a small fee for food and drink. I was also given a glass of coke. Abby chose a wrap that was inside a corn husk and Nate had one similar to mine. After a time of fellowship we headed back to the bus stop. Paul, my friend who helps post my blog and his wife Claudia had invited me to their Anglican Church service and then offered me a ride home. I chose the service in Spanish but accepted the ride home. We met them coming out of their church and all decided to get together for lunch. After the lunch at the church I did not eat all of mine and brought the rest home for lunch on Monday. I enjoyed the ride home with Paul and Claudia. I had met them last year and had dinner in their home. Paul had some questions about the blog which he said both of them enjoy.

Upon arriving home I caught up on blog and email and of course took some time to call Montana for the first time that day.

Friday October 23

School started as usual with the independent study and opening exercises where we discuss idioms using rock analogies “rock and a hard place”, “two birds with one stone” and “blood from a stone”. I did the story time and helped with the music and then went to find my friend Abby who comes down from Oaxaca on Fridays to work in the office. We had discussed tentative plan for me to visit Oaxaca and stay with Abby and her husband Nate who I had gotten to know last year when I was here. She was going home on the bus at the end of the day and said I was welcome to accompany her. I thanked her and told her I had decided to accept that offer.

I went back to the class and for the rock lessons we continued trying to test methods that the Stonehenge builders might have used. We had dragged large stones attached to spring scales across different surfaces like cardboard and ice but had not tried rollers. We found that ice which was not available to the Egyptians but was available at Stonehenge offered the least resistance. We then tried building our own personal “Stonehenges” with dominoes to see what some of the other problems may have been. Kathy asked me to take over play practice which I was happy to do for the last half hour.

At lunch time I packed for my weekend excursion and got ready for gym class. On Friday Coach Josh does not come so I took over for him and refereed the street hockey games for both the older and younger groups. I could not resist when asked to substitute in the second game so was warm and sweaty and needed to get a good cleaning up before walking down to catch the bus for Oaxaca. I had lost my water bottle but was able to get a bottle of water at a little store right by the bus stop. Carrying my suitcase down the rocky streets to the main road made the cool 5 peso bottle of water even more necessary. Mexican busses are always an adventure I enjoy. You get to see real people and hear them talking. Sometimes busses are almost empty and sometimes you can hardly move a muscle you are packed in so tightly. We took one bus into the city and another to the other side of Oaxaca after a walk of one or two blocks. The busses have several banners displayed on the curb side of the windshield and you not only need to know where you want to go but which bus will get you there more quickly. We let some Santa Rosa busses pass even though that was where we were going because Abby knew that they would take the long way. Fares in Oaxaca are four and one half pesos so I like to have a ten peso coin and get one peso in return for two fares. There are actually half-peso coins in common use and a tenth-peso coin which I have only heard about. The bus in the city grew more crowded until I practically had my knee near my chin because I had my small suitcase in front of me and there was no place for my foot in the aisle. By the time we had to get off though the bus had several empty seats.

After leaving the bus we climbed the hill which gets steeper and steeper the farther you walk. The rough cement roadway is grooved I surmise for traction and I was sure I would lose a wheel on the suitcase. We arrived at the gate and as Abby unlocked it I spotted Nate in the front yard which had just been freshly mowed. After his warm greeting we all went inside for a Friday night pizza supper and a great evening of conversation and catching up on some events of the past year like their trip to Montana and my trip to Cameroon including slide shows of course. I was able to hook right in to their WI-fi and while Nate was waiting to for his son to call I downloaded a computer calling program and made my first Skype call to Montana before turning in. After such a busy day I was happy to climb the spotless tile stairway to the beautiful guest room and to turn in for the night. A cool breeze was coming through the slider out to the balcony and after taking a few night pictures of the lights of the city below I fell quickly to sleep.

Thursday October 22

The trouble with not doing your blog every day is that sometimes you can’t remember much from that day. Such is the case for Thursday. What I remember well is that I was too tired to blog that night and once Friday hit things picked up speed at an enormous rate. Thursday night I did take time to do a word find of geological terms. Thursday Paul came over to the school to work on another computer so he installed the wireless printer on my computer so now I can print from anywhere in the wireless network. For reading time I read a silly tale of an ox with rocks in his sox which gave me a great chance to use dramatic voices and try to read long strings of Seuss type tongue twisters. That was fun for all of us. Melinda the music teacher has been out with a sore throat so I have been helping some of our young helpers work with the younger group. I even brought my computer down to play a version I have of “I Go to the Rock” since none of our musicians knew that one.

We did a demonstration out on the sandy volley ball court. I had a medium sized rock shaped something like Chimney Rock which I buried in a pile of sand. I asked the kids what erosion was and they decided that it was soil washing away. I asked them to blow on the “mountain” and then suggested as the sand began to move that wind can also cause erosion. We then proceeded to shower it with “rain” and watch the “rivers” wash the silt into fan shaped “deltas” at the base of the mountain and soon the buried rock began to appear. Soon the mountain was washed away and the rock formation was clearly visible. After that we practiced our stone soup skit for the final program. The morning finished up with a canyon to color. The river at the bottom illustrated erosion and the layers were to be colored in various colors.

As I headed for our noontime teachers meeting I smelled some cooking aromas. The older kids were making “metamorphic rock” by putting trail mix into pancake batter and checking for the effects of heat and pressure before devouring the results. I brought some of my Ghirardelli chocolate chips in and tried them in my experiment. They melted but still tasted very good.

After gym in the afternoon I came home and took a rest made some pasta for supper but was still too tired to blog.

October 21
Woke early this AM and spent some time reading Proverbs. What a great reminder of the wisdom of God as written by Solomon. Got to school on time and it was a beautiful cool morning heading for a rather warm day. Actually what we would classify as a beautiful summer day at home. My kids are making a small clay globe to show the layers of the earth. We put the last layer to represent the crust but we used green because most of the crust is covered with vegetation. The green was partially covered with blue because much of the crust is covered with water. The colors should have been reversed but I did not have enough blue clay. Tomorrow I will try to smoothly cut a quarter of the globe out so all the colors of the cores and mantle will show and then try to mount them for display. We practiced our Stone Soup play. Then we dragged some rocks around on various surfaces with a spring scale and talked about how some of the huge rock structures in history might have been constructed. By then it was time for lunch and I was invited with a couple of others to comida by one of the parents.
The coach had some difficulty getting here from Oaxaca for gym so I got the younger group started with their warm-ups. We played a little four squares until he arrived to continue the street hockey instruction. Now the kids are about ready to play so I will just let them do that when I fill in.
I walked into town to the market after school and bought bananas, oranges and apples. I can do that pretty well now but I forgot my shopping bag again. The vender was nice enough to give me a plastic bag with a handle. When I got home I soaked the new purchases in iodine while I fixed a fruit salad of apples, cantaloupe, bananas and oranges that were here. After a light supper I set about to straighten up the apartment, do the dishes and catch up on email. There was also time for Bible reading, prayer and a couple of phone calls. It is hard to believe that my time in Mitla is past the half-way point. My planning tonight will include determining if I have enough time to do all I have planned. I also need to see if I have already acquired more food than I can eat in the next week and a day or so. It is an unbelievably good time to reevaluate one’s life choices as you sit in a foreign land by yourself with the Bible and consider paths that are possibilities for your life to follow. The possibilities are boundless but somehow at home you have little time to consider them in an unbiased manner. Well, there is much to do for tomorrow so I will close for today.

Tuesday October 20
Awoke before the alarm and got up showered, shaved and dressed before I started the avena (oatmeal). Got to talk to Montana while eating breakfast and then off to school. We started by finishing the reading of The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top. We practiced our play about the story or Stone Soup and then had recess. After that we saw the video of the Magic School Bus which was a great review. We then went over to the playground at the center where the older kids had commandeered the sandbox to create a three foot high volcanic cone. Mrs. Towne showed them the glass flask that was going to be placed at the top and surrounded by more sand. She also described the ingredients that were going to be put in the flask before it was buried and the liquids that were then going to be added. In the flask was poured some baking soda and some Alka-seltzer tablets. To the vinegar we added some liquid detergent and red food coloring. The constant addition of all of the ingredients above created a very real flow of red foam down various sides of the “mountain” and created an experience for all to remember. As soon as we stopped for lunch I walked over to the little store to replenish our supply of vinegar and Alka-seltzer. After lunch I went back to the school for gym and then back to the town for a melon and some bananas.
I wanted to go back to town for tacos tonight but was a little tired. When the phone rang I thought it was Montana but it was one of the parents who said a group was going out for tacos would I like to come. My weariness was put aside for the third walk to town and I enjoyed the tacos immensely. The town is putting all the electric lines underground so one of the streets had no lights at all. Fortunately I had put a small flashlight on my key ring which helped us find our way around the piles of earth moved for the construction project.
After returning I typed a script for the Stone Soup play we are doing with Mrs. Smiths class and have just finished this blog.

Monday October 19
The story of stone soup is an oft told tale of many versions. We decided it would My be the focus of this day so we had the kids bring in the veggies needed. As I read the story Mrs. Smith helped the children place them in the pot of hot water after each one had taken a turn at placing a stone in the bottom of the pot. We set it to boil as we went out to recess. My class worked on some puzzles I made and took turns trying to guess which stones were heavier before testing them on the balance. First they were allowed to hold them then they had to guess only by looking. Before we left for lunch we all had some stone soup and I must say it was delicious.
We all went home for lunch but I did not eat much after the two bowls of stone soup. We came back after lunch for Gym and Art. In Gym I was filling in for Coach Josh so we played four squares. In Art they are making jewelry out of rocks. Linda’s class is going to make a large volcano cone in the sand box tomorrow so after school we went looking for ammunition. We both wished we had thought to bring Mentos mints. They would have made a great volcano with a bottle of diet cola. When we got home we experimented with vinegar, baking soda and Alka-seltzer. I then headed back over town for more alka-seltzer.
Had a supper of pasta and worked on lessons for tomorrow and turned in early.

Saturday October 17
I was barely awake at 8:30 AM when the phone rang. To the typical Mexican greeting of “bueno” I heard Ann’s voice from Montana. It was a pleasant way to wake up but the conversation put me in such a mellow mood that I returned to bed and was soon back to sleep. I awoke prayed read and went back to sleep and finally got awake enough to read until about noon. Breakfast at 1:00 is not unheard of in my normal schedule but it is not a regular occurrence either.
After dressing I got my shopping bag and headed for the farmers’ market in the town square. I walked about just taking in the sights and sounds and smells and then began casing down my favorite merchant’s long table piled high with fresh fruits and veggies memorizing in my mind the things I needed to buy. You don’t have to know all the names but it helps if you know them. I picked up some bananas and handed them to the gentleman behind the broad table. I then headed for the apples and picked out a few of them. A melon was next followed by plum tomatoes and a few oranges. I asked the price and while he was figuring it up I added a pear wrapped in green tissue paper. Getting the total I asked if he had change for a bill which he did and I started on my way. At the end of the table I spotted some carrots so I handed him four of them for which he wanted three pesos. I gave him the money and deposited the carrots with the other items in the bag. I was happy I did not have to utter my usual confession about my inability to speak Spanish very well.
At the next stand I was not as fortunate. I was looking at rather intricately tooled leather belts. Actually I was looking at plain ones until I found out they were all the same price. About halfway along in the conversation I had to admit that my Spanish was rather poor but the negotiations continued until I was the proud owner of a new leather belt for jeans I bought just before leaving the States. On the way home I met Joel coming toward the market. I showed him the belt which he said was worth about 70 or 80 pesos. I do not bargain so I guess I gave the little Mexican lady about a $3 US tip for the transaction. To me a $11 US leather belt is still a bargain.
In keeping with my Sabbath day of rest I did little else until about 7PM when four of us headed back to town for tacos. As we approached the little restaurant we spotted a couple of Canadian friends and chatted with them as they shopped the same stand where I had gotten my produce earlier. The only difference was they were closing the stand. The tarps were all put away and most things were already back in the boxes. The vendors were happy though for one more sale and since the family was large there were large bags full to load into the truck at the conclusion of the transaction. We invited them for tacos after several minutes of conversation but they agreed to join us after one or more errands were complete.
We walked a few steps over to the taco stand and entered through the wide open arches. We chose one of the square white resin tables with of course matching four chairs and put in our order. Valerie’s son got us glass bottles of soda (pop to most of us at the table) and we chatted as we waited for our order. The soccer game on the TV over my head was mostly ignored until the cry of GOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLLLLL was heard. Then all heads turned with large smiles to see the instant replay. Our friends arrived and sat at the adjoining table and we chatted for a long amicable period of time as more tortillas were brought out and more taco fillings were ordered. On the walk home I picked up one of my favorite Mexican treats a Magnum ice cream bar. Everyone else claimed to be too full but I think the temperature in the breezy sixties was too “cold” for my friends more accustomed to the tropical climate.
Well rested I worked on catching up on my blog but internet problems forced me out in the chilly rain with my computer to find a better spot at a picnic table under a tin roof. It was nearly 1:00 AM before I got to bed.

Sunday October 18

I awoke today much earlier than was needed but as I said I had really rested up yesterday. I called Ann. She was getting ready for her ministry to the little ones with the story of Joshua. I then tried without success to upload some pictures. I may need to get to a stronger internet signal. Since there was a large block of time to fill before church I decided to police my pictures in the computer which were getting overwhelming with multiple copies of many and to clear out my camera chip of some videos that were putting me near the limit. That accomplished I dressed in a long sleeved shirt in deference to the overnight chill and headed up the path to one of the rear gates to the compound here. Letting myself out by unlocking the metal slide bolt and being careful to lock it behind me I head up along a scraggly pasture land. As I walked I noticed that the ant holes were all closed ostensibly I surmised against the cold. Perhaps they close them every night and it was just too cold to be out and about this morning. I skirted a field of agave. Some agave is used in the manufacture of tequila but I am not sure if this is of that variety. Passing more ant holes tightly closed I notices some burro tracks along the path. Turning through a break in the shrubbery I passed the turkey pen and unlatched the chain link gate to let myself into Lila and Elly’s yard.
While waiting for church to begin I chatted with an older retired translating couple now retired who drive from their home in Oklahoma for a return to their home in Mitla twice a year. They are still connected to the village where they worked and love to travel there to renew old friendships. The worship songs were chosen from a hymnal and I enjoyed the a cappella singing of hymns I had not sung in years perhaps decades. The sermon was as usual a video of last week’s sermon at a Cornerstone church in Southern California. The message was based on the tenet that as God’s ambassadors we need to not only tell what the true God is like but we need to show His characteristics in our actions. By the end of the message I needed to get alone with God so after a couple of minutes of small talk I headed down the hill to my apartment to spend some time in prayer and soul searching.
Since I had not eaten breakfast before church I munched on some fruit and melon as I prepared a small lunch and put it in my backpack. That done I headed for the other side of Mitla where there are some fascinating Zapotec ruins. As a change of pace I deserted my usual route to town, headed in a different direction took a narrow path through a field I thought I had taken before and following a few streets I had not traveled before soon arrived at the familiar town square. From there it is an increasingly steep climb up to the ruins. As you near the site large tourist busses mark the way. Their huge bodies fill the narrow streets and they have only inches to spare as they navigate the sharp turns from one small byway onto another. Leading up to the entrance small kiosks under tarps and tent like structures line both sides of the way. Vendors vie for the attention of the tourists as the guide led clusters of various language groups make their way from the tour busses to the entrance. Vendors offer all sorts of craft items from jewelry to clothing to pieces of art.
At the entrance I am of the opinion that as a pensioner I do not have to have a ticket. Not being totally sure that that applies to the weekends I join a group of older Italians as they pass through the entrance. I listen to the guide for a minute and then wander off to a bench under an ancient tree and begin to devour my sandwich and fruit. I have visited the ruins before but the intricacy of the patterns and the skill of the architecture still impress me. The last time I was here the my camera battery became exhausted just as I got to the end of one of the underground passage ways so I wanted to explore that a little farther and take some pictures. After about a half hour of viewing I headed down the hill toward town and this time took the time honored route back to the center. On the way back from our taco excursion last night I was saying that I did not remember the mounds we were walking over. Today I noticed why. We had taken a route halfway between the broad path and the narrow path. I usually carry a flashlight for the walk home through the fields if only to see where the burros might be tied. Last night I had forgotten one but now have one affixed to my keychain.
For supper I fried some over easy eggs. Not pretty but well cooked and with a little wheat toast and butter and some fresh cantaloupe and homemade cookies for desert I was well satisfied. The day has almost ended as I catch up to the minute on my blog. Now I will make final plans for tomorrow and of course make a short call to Montana.

Thursday October 15

Awoke before the alarm but did not have the energy to get up. I finally did just before the alarm went off. Started the oatmeal and showered. While I was shaving the phone rang. It was Anna from Montana. It was pleasant to talk to her while I had my breakfast but we could not talk long. When you are working you have schedules to keep, places to go and people to see. The kids were great. We are studying rocks and minerals. I have two readers and two almost readers. Today one of our projects was to make a clay model of the layers of the earth, inner core, outer core, mantle and crust. They started with a small amount of red modeling clay which they formed into a ball. Next they fashioned a bowl shaped vessel out of yellow clay and placing the red ball inside proceeded to enclose it. The same procedure was followed with a larger amount of brown clay to represent the mantle. At that point the teacher and the students needed a break. The students begin with study hall. Then I read to them before they attend music. Next is Bible and then rocks and minerals until lunch. After lunch they have gym, learning street hockey, and finish with Art which this week is painting rocks.
At noon time one of the mother’s Priscilla invited a couple of teachers over for comida, the large mid day meal. I went to find the IT man Paul who was so helpful last year. He offered to come over to the apartment so I told Priscilla I would be a little late. It took Paul awhile to arrive but when he did he said it was one of the transmitters that is near my apartment that was malfunctioning. Disappointing as that was, I was happy to find out my computer was OK. The comida was delicious. It is so enjoyable to meet the families of the kids around the table sharing in the foods that they enjoy. I was able to contribute a couple of packages of Oreos for desert. They were purchased by my friend Debbie before I arrived. She knows how much I enjoy them but I also like to share.
I was not sure if The Wi-Fi in my apartment was back on so I stayed at the school to answer my email. I had been invited by one of my students to visit his mom and dad’s church service in Tlacalula. It is conducted in the native Zapotec language. I had attended last year and enjoyed it so after a light supper I rode to Tlaclula and enjoyed worshipping in a foreign tongue. My student played bass. His brother my helper played keyboard and mostly I clapped. We got home well after dark and I am just typing about it now before calling it a day.

Friday October 16th

This was a special day at FES. One of the missionaries who live in Oaxaca has had a fascination with gemstones since he was the age of some of the older FES students. While still in Junior High Dave joined a club of individuals interested in semi-precious stones. As soon as all the students arrived we prayed a prayer for God’s blessing on our day and set off in two vans for Oaxaca. We followed a clear set of directions which lead us to a steel gate with white numbers indicating we were at the right place. The gate opened and we were ushered into a beautiful yard garden area. The bougainvilleas were in full bloom and towered high over our heads beside a stand of bamboo. Near the back wall were flower beds of varying sizes with beautifully blooming flowers and shrubs. In one corner a stone waterfall issued a pleasant gurgling sound over the pastoral scene.
Dave’s office opened directly on to the garden so the younger group was ushered in first to learn about and handle many types of gems and semi-precious stones. At one point the students were introduced to the faceting machine that was basically two parts. Horizontally there was a turn table to which about a six inch diamond grit wheel was attached. Vertically was about a fifteen inch tower equipped to set a short metal arm at various degrees of inclination. Dave produced a short metal rod called a dop stick to which he had attached a marble with some sort of hot wax. The marble had been pre formed to have a point on the end away from the wax. The dop stick was inserted into the metal arm and tightened in place. The arm swung down until the glass marble was touching the diamond grit. To dissipate the heat, water was applied to the grit wheel with a small sponge. Soon a flat spot or facet appeared on the glass marble. As the children tried their hands on the machine the marble was rotated so that soon there were four flat spots or facets.
The younger group was soon dismissed into the garden yard area for a gem hunt. There were enough stones for each child to have two to take home. The older kids actually completed faceting a stone that Dave donated to the FES. Leaving that location the group headed for a park made out of an old stone quarry to have a picnic lunch and then head back to Mitla. Tenli a High School student who accompanied us on the trip because she is interested in pursuing a career in jewelry needed an escort back to school. Her mom had made arrangements with us to for me to be that person because I was interested in seeing the Oaxaca Christian School which I had heard so much about. I was under the impression we were taking a taxi but we saw a bus of the right variety and climbed aboard. Tenli sat and I stood as the bus became more and more crowded. By the time we approached our stop the aisle was packed solid. Fortunately a Mexican woman a row ahead of us needed to get off too so she spearheaded the impossible caravan toward the front door. Neither Tenli nor I had eaten lunch so we ate as we walked the remaining blocks to the school.
Upon arriving Tenli needed to get to class so I sat in the open area and finished eating lunch. Soon it was time for the last class of the day with Coach Josh so after finishing lunch I wandered out to where the kids were finishing the mile run. The next activity was a game of soccer during which an off and on pattern of showers developed ending with a downpour for the last few minutes. The plan was for me to walk out in this downpour to the bus stop with Mitla kids. I wrapped my camera safely in a plastic bag and placed it in an inner pocket of my backpack. I began struggling with a decision as to whether my pride would allow me to open an emergency yellow dollar store poncho which I carried to Africa and back without ever opening. As I tried to picture boarding a totally packed public bus with a drenched poncho I was thankfully informed that a office worker was headed to Mitla and would give us a ride. As we drove out toward the main highway we saw a teacher walking toward the bus stop. We stopped for her and somehow another body was squeezed into the already overcrowded van.
We arrived in Mitla just in time for a report meeting held weekly. Translators give praise and prayer request and after two or three have spoken we gathered in small groups to intercede on their behalf. I had been invited to a supper slash game night which is hosted mostly by friends Joel and Heidi. Beth also helps with the details. Since Heidi was under the weather it was held in a common room and everyone was asked to chip in for the chickens Joel had bought. Several contributed other items as well to supplement the fare . I brought a very popular bag of Snickers and a 3liter bottle of Coke that all but disappeared by the end of the evening. The group was a little too big for one game so some played Hand and Foot while the rest played Rook. It was very interesting to have the game explained in Spanish to my partner who had never played. I suggested that trump in this game was the colour supremo which everyone agreed was as good as any translation. I was happy to fall into bed after a long and exciting day knowing I could sleep in on Saturday.

Tuesday October 13

Awoke about 15 minutes before the alarm and got the day started in normal fashion. Since I had the extra few minutes I called Ann and talked to her over breakfast. At school I started with the individual help for the home school lessons. It was nice when it came time for Rock and Volcanoes to have my small group of little ones. We were studying layers so I used some pieces of foam to show how layers can bend but still stay in the same position top to bottom. We worked on a coloring page introducing the layers of the earth learning about the inner core, the outer core, the mantle and the crust. We then cut out colored construction paper circles to represent the layers, glued them together and labeled them. I ended the session reading a story to them.
I planned to walk over town to shop for some groceries but ended up just taking care on some things in the apartment and making lunch.
Tuesday afternoon coach Josh came down from the Oaxaca Christian School. I had met him last year wearing a Cowboy’s shirt and offered to forgive him for offending me. He insisted that everyone deep inside wants to be a Cowboy’s fan until he found out I was a Giants’ fan. He then realized that any proselytizing efforts would be totally in vain. When I saw his Cowboy shirt this day I immediately regretted my decision to leave all my Giants hats and tees at home. I was quick to remind him however that the Giants were still undefeated, news which did not seem to really interest him much. He began teaching the elements of street hockey which I really admired because of his way of handling the kids and the simple progression of skills to teach a new sport. The changes he made for the older kids were also so appropriate.
I ate alone again tonight. I opened a can of refried beans, combined half of the contents with some of Debbie’s pasta sauce, cooked the whole mixture down into a loose paste and ate it with taco chips. For salad I had cantaloupe chunks, apple and banana slices and with some of Debbie's home made cookies it turned out to be a pretty good meal. Tuesday evening was spent on the computer with email and lesson preparation for Wednesday.

Wednesday October 14

Awoke about 15 minutes before the alarm and got the day started in normal fashion. Since I had the extra few minutes I called Ann and talked over breakfast. The first section of rocks and volcanoes we examined rocks and tried to find words that described them. We named several rocks and put descriptive words in the boxes next to them. The second school session we studied the parts of a volcano. We have a bulletin board so we looked at it and learned some of the parts of a volcano and how a volcano works. I gave them a sheet to first fill in the areas of a volcano and then color the various elements. Then I gave them some parts that I had drawn on construction paper to be cut out and paste together. These were labeled and displayed next to the earth’s layers.
Kathy and her husband Norm had invited me to join them for lunch in a little restaurant in town. We walked in and had our choice of several small square white resin tables with pleasant fabric table cloths in pastel colors. I had already told them that whatever they were ordering would be my choice. I understood most of what the waitress, an older woman was asking, especially when she asked if we wanted bread. When the meal arrived it was a plate of five or six tightly rolled tacos with a meat and vegetable filling. Spread over the top was a smooth layer of dark brown almost black sauce called mole (pronounced MO lay). It was about the consistency of very thick beef gravy. This area of Mexico is famous for its varieties of mole. Once I was at a table where there were five different moles served in separate bowls down the middle of the table to be sampled or for those who had one particular favorite. Some are named for their color some I believe for regions where they originate or are popular. The meal was consumed with a knife and fork and was delicious!
After lunch I planned to go up to the market to shop. It turned out the Norm had a few things to get so Kathy took the umbrella to ward off the noonday sun’s rays and headed back while Norm and I continued up into town to a large brick building with large open arches. Climbing the few stone steps we entered the high ceiling masonry edifice filled with stalls of various sizes. Many were on raised platforms particularly those offering produce which was piled on waist high shelves. When I indicated I wanted manzanas (apples) the woman handed down a battered pan that fit on a scale for me to choose those I wanted and hand them back to her for weighing. The same routine was followed for beautiful ripe plum tomates. I got a cantaloupe and bananas also. Most shoppers carry a plastic shopping bag. I had two in my back pocket but did not have them out so my purchases were given to me in a light plastic bag. Norm, the more seasoned shopper had his in his hand so his things were handed to him and a plastic bag was saved. I needed eggs so Norm headed home as I walked to the back of the building past flower stalls and eateries to a place I had gotten eggs last year. After some miscommunication I got six eggs in a small clear plastic bag and headed back to the center. I got home in time to soak some of the produce in the iodine solution before returning to the school to hang out with Coach Josh and learn more about the fundamentals of street hockey.
After class I walked back to town to shop at a little store that was closed for lunch or siesta when I was there at noon. Entering the store I greeted the proprietress as well as I could. It is polite in Mexico to always chat before conducting business. My chatting is usually to explain I no hablo in muy bien en Espanole. That usually gets us off on the right foot. I wanted some grape juice but settled for apple. I bought a three liter Coca Cola to take to the weekend card game slash supper combination, a stick of montequilla (butter) and a small package of arroz (rice). Then I remembered I had forgotten my bolsa (bag) so I just paid up, grabbed them all and headed back to the school. There I found my shopping bag and put the stuff in before heading back to the apartment for a light supper, some reading and preparation and to retire for the night. The internet went out while I was looking at volcano sites and I thought something was wrong with my computer.

October 11

Joel said they would be walking up the hill to a house church in the AM and invited me to join them. I of course arrived at the appointed time and was too early but we were soon on our way out the gate and up through a pasture toward the little MAF airstrip higher on the hill. I noticed that there were many red ants streaming along the pathway and saw several gatherings of them near rather large holes. Joel assured me that they could bite but said that there were no fire ants in this part of Mexico. I still had a little faster pace in the areas where the ants were more populous. Church was great. We were led in worship by a young man Isaac who played a soft acoustic guitar and the voices of the 20 or thirty folks gathered filled the home beautifully. The sermon was an internet download from a Cornerstone church in Southern California. It began with a presentation from an Iranian who described the great success of the Iranian church that is currently under great persecution but also reaping a great influx of new believers. The sermon that followed was perfect for me. It was about slowing down and listening more and talking less from I Peter. King David was used as an example in his dealings with Saul and with Shimei who was cursing David as he fled from Absalom’s rebellion. David refused to let his general Abishai kill Shimei because David said perhaps this was a test from God and that God would reward David for not seeking his own revenge.
I was invited to stay for lunch with Elly and Lila the missionary couple. They have kids in the FES who I taught last fall. Lunch is hardly a word for what we had to eat. The main meal is served at midday in Mexico and referred to as Comida. It was a hearty dinner of chicken, potatoes, corn, pasta salad, coleslaw and much more. After comida I walked home and did some more arranging of the apartment and then off to a meeting with the parents. Most of them I knew last year but had to be reminded of the names and the children’s connections. Some were on furlough last fall or unable to attend for other reasons. More time needed to be spent in the classroom preparing for the first day so that was the next stop. My major responsibility is with four children in grades two and three but Monday I was filling in for the fourth and fifth grade teacher so I was preparing for 12. Back at the apartment I finished typing out a work sheet for the larger group and went to bed.

October 12

There were too many things on my mind to get the best night’s sleep in my new surroundings. The alarm was set for 7:30 and by the time it went off I was ready to hit the snooze but resisted because I was supposed to be at the school room at 8:30. It is just a five minute walk across the rocky dirt road that fronts the Linguistics Institute but I had some things to do to get ready. Of course the oatmeal water goes on before the shower. The grains are poured in after and the pot is watched while I shave and dress. The oatmeal batch from the frying pan (the only sauce pan had not gotten washed) was delicious. Done to perfection, my complements to the chef! Once at the school I hung the last few decorations while proctoring an individual help session. During opening exercises I did my best to get the printer to spit out the work booklet I composed the night before. It had jammed a couple of sheets from the former document into accordion like fans which I managed to extract. Working with a temperamental printer that you have no former experience with can be testing but I could not get frustrated after yesterday’s sermon. I laid hands on it to no avail. All I got was one page left on the old document and a couple of blank pages. Fortunately I did not need the sheets until after my first class so Linda sent the print to the copy room back at the Institute and sent our German teachers’ aide Maja to bring them over. My first lesson was a slide show on my computer of famous rocks like Gibraltar and Mount Rushmore. After snack I used the booklet that was hot off the presses and that took us to lunch. We will be privileged to have the coach from the Christian school in Oaxaca teaching gym but he was not available so I filled in for him. The first session was with the younger kids while the older students had an Art class. Then I finished with the older children. It was basically a return to the mode of last fall when I taught all the gym classes. There were just a few missing a few new ones.
I dined alone on some of the food that my friend Debbie purchased before I arrived and after making preparations for Tuesday turned in.

Return to Mexico

I will be returning to Mexico again this fall and will be working in the same place with some of the same teachers and some of the same kids. That means I will be flying into Oaxaca, MX on Friday October 9th and traveling to Mitla that evening. I will be staying at the Instute of Linguistics where I will begin teaching missionary kids on Monday. I may not be able to blog until I get someone to whom I can email my posts because I will probably not have access to this URL in Mexico. We will see how it goes. I will probably have good access to Face Book so some of you may catch my musings there. If you are a prayer person I would appreciate your help while I am away.