Fuentes Video

This is a video I put together for the Covenant ministry of Fuentes Libres here in Oaxaca. Hopefully the video is self-explanitory :). If you want more information, let me know.

A shout of independence

I figure it's about time for some more photos around here. The following were taken downtown Oaxaca on September 15th, the evening before Mexican Independence Day.

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History has it that priest Miguel Hidalgo started the uprising of the Mexican War of Independence by ringing a church bell in the late night on September 15, 1810. Now, every town in Mexico has a celebration this night, ringing a bell at 11:00 and joining together in the shout of independence (Viva Mexico! Viva Hidalgo!...).

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Ladies night! Julie and Jo Ellen were kind enough to come with me.

The festively decorated ex-Governors Palace.
The bell that was rung at 11:00.
Profiles of revolutionaries, Morelos and Hidalgo,

in lights above the crowd.
Pretty decor at a hotel restaurant.

Even the flowers are patriotic.
The gazebo from which a woman sang the national anthem at 11:05-ish.
Beautiful fireworks - ooh, aah....-----

I feel that I should mention a sad turn of events that took place during the festivities in Morelia. At the climax of the celebration, 2 grenades were thrown into the crowd, killing 7 and wounding over 100. It appears to be part of a 'war' that has been escalating between Mexico's army and drug gangs. Mexico's current president, Felipe Calderon, has been making major efforts against Mexico's drug cartels, and the drug lords are fighting back - often in very shocking ways. Please be praying for Mexico and its people during this struggle for justice.

Put on your Sunday clothes...

Sunday morning was quite a struggle for me. It was my first time going back to church in Zaachila for over a month (due to mission groups and traveling), and to be honest, I didn't really want to go. As my departure time grew nearer, my mind raced to find reasons to stay home.

My thought process was along these lines: "I'm running late because I slept in. I haven’t made time for my morning devotions - I really should make sure I do that. Shouldn’t you go to church not out of obligation, but out of desire to worship? No one knows I'm going to church, no one's expecting me to be there. I heard a strange animal noise out the window. The circus is really close to here. What if a lion got loose? How would I find out? That could be dangerous."

I knew I needed some encouragement, so I went to make a phone call to a friend - all the while guessing the person probably wouldn’t be there anyhow. As I picked up a phone, a Bible verse jumped to my mind. I remember this verse especially because, for some reason, I got a huge kick out of it in high school.

The verse was Proverbs 22:13, “The sluggard says, ‘There is a lion outside!... I will be murdered in the streets!’”

I could hardly believe it. This verse that was so funny to me in high school was applying to my life, and quite literally at that. Was I actually the sluggard who invented a fear of a lion roaming the streets to stop myself from leaving the comfort of my apartment? After such a timely revelation, I of course had to get myself to church. It still wasn't easy though. Each step of the way, my mind kept returning to how I could not go.

Despite my delays, I arrived at the church exactly on time and ended up enjoying the service quite a bit. The kids were happy to see me - even the one-year-old :). I felt confident to share my praises along with others during the time of sharing and the pastor's message fit right into what I’ve felt challenged in this year. So, turns out God was able to teach me even with me getting in the way - how amazingly patient He is.

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"Pay attention and listen to the sayings of the wise;

apply your heart to what I teach,

for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart

and have all of them ready on your lips.
So that your trust may be in the LORD, I teach you today,

even you. "

Proverbs 22:17-19

Daily commute

This morning my collective taxi, along with many other morning commuters, had to make its way around a blockade just outside the city of Oaxaca. One thing I've learned here is that blockades are pretty much just a part of the culture here in Oaxaca. I don't know how effective they are, but Oaxacans sure know how to pull one off.

The blockade this morning caused us a 10 minute delay and couldn't have been more than 15 people with one car, a small poster, and lots of large rocks lined across. It's interesting to imagine how people would deal with such a thing in the U.S. I think Oaxacans are just so used to blockades that, while they don't appreciate them, they mainly just sigh in frustration and go around.

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On my bus ride home at the end of the day, a man put a bundle of plants in the rack above my head. I felt a leaf or something hit my shoulder, but after a brief search I couldn't find it, so I just closed my eyes to rest.

Shortly afterwards, a gentle tap on my shoulder woke me up. I opened my eyes to see a man standing over me with a pair of children's scissors and motioning to my hair. I must've looked confused and worried, because he tried to reassure me by saying, "Wait, wait, you have something," as he lowered the scissors to my shoulder.

I strained to see what he was doing just as he captured an ugly looking caterpillar between the blades. Ew! He dropped it to the floor and squished it, and I proceeded to thank him. I don't know why he couldn't have just grabbed it with his fingers... If for some reason it was too dangerous to do so, I probably don't want to know about it anyhow ;-).