Garden Meeting on Sunday

What? Working on Sunday? Yes, since Sunday is market day and lots of people come into town, it's also the day we have our garden reunion once a month at the office. (The garden groups from last year and this year are invited.) We talked about whether or not the cisterns we help people build are really beneficial (I heard people respond positively saying that the water in the cisterns are CLEAN water and it's incredibly helpful to not have to spend so much time and energy collecting water with their donkeys), shared organic recipes to combat white flies and other insects that damage garden plants, and what else people would like to talk about in the future. Martin and the boys decided not to stay. Instead they took Chispitas home to love and play with. (Chispistas is our friend Zam's dog, whom Tia Merideth was taking care of while Zam was out of town with his family and grandparents.) The boys fell in love with Chispitas.


Chispitas taking a quick nap.



Here Bernadina (from Zacango) is passing on some more information about how to build the earthen stove to Julio from Chiaucingo. Bernadina went to Chiaucingo the day before to teach a group how to build the stoves. It was great to watch them check-in.



Sharing organic recipes for combating unwanted garden guests.




Merideth holding up two radishes that Aquilina brought to show the group.


We talked for about an hour about garden-related things. Then I invited those who were interested in talking more about dry latrines, cisterns and stoves inside the office. Quite a few people came. They started talking about how they could organize themselves and get what they needed in order to build more dry latrines and cisterns. (Stoves use all local resources.)
It was awesome. There was some sweet energy flowing. In the end, they decided to meet again next Sunday, same time, same place (our office!) Once again, all I can say is, "Guide my feet Lord while I run this race."
We'll see what next Sunday brings.

V-Day Part 2

In the evening (10pm) we went to the Cena-Baile (supper and dance) hosted by the boys' school. We went with three other couples and had a really nice time. The main group/band played mostly slow songs - the kind where you just rock back and forth, so Martin did dance with me in public after all :)
The music was so loud the whole time is was hard to talk. But check out how everyone is actually smiling for their posed pictures! It was fun and it was a real date!

Birthdays Celebrated

thanks so much to everyone for the wonderful birthday wishes and calls. i kidnapped martin martin thursday morning - he wasn't too please at first, saying "but i have to go to work..."
well i had this all arranged with the rest of the team and we had his work responsibilities covered. (mine too.) our dear teammates merideth and kiara agreed to take care of micah and isaiah while we went away on our birthday adventure for 5 days and 4 nights!!! and since you all know our dear boys, you KNOW what an absolutely INCREDIBLE gift this was!!!

so we drove to mexico city in one of our mcc vehicles, because there was some furniture and a solar system that we wanted to bring back for the new family that arrived this month. we left the truck in mexico city and took a bus to amecameca, in the state of puebla.
never heard of amecameca? (but it sure is fun to say). this town is the key staging point for an izta climb. here's what the guidebook says:
Popo & Izta: An Explosive Duo
Legend has it that Pop was a warrior who fell in love with Izta, the emperor's daughter. As the story goes, Izta died of grief
while Popo was away at war. Upon his return, he created the two mountains, laid her body on one and stood holding her funeral torch on the other. With some imagination, Izta does resemble a woman lying on her back. From the Mexico City side, you can, when the sky is clear, make out four peaks form left to right: La Cabeza (head), El Pecho (breast), Las Rodillas (knees) and Los Pies (feet).
Popocatepetl (po-po-ka-teh-pet-l), Nahuatl for 'Smoking Mountain' is Mexico's second highest peak. This volcano last exploded in december 2005 - so it's closed to hikers. Iztaccihuatl (iss-ta-see-wat-l), Sleeping Woman, is Mexico's third-highest peak. Craterless and dormant and open for hiking. So that's what we did for two days. It was awesome, cold, exhilarating and just wonderful to be together. We hiked up to Izta's feet which we figured was about 14,300 ft. Each day we took a little bus the base of the mountain, hike all day, and then hitch a ride back to Amecameca.
So Martin spent his 50th birthday in the mountains hiking.



white mountain rose


(i'm posing as the "sleeping woman" - izta - the mountain we were climbing)

martin in front of (a picture of) the volcano popocatepetl. (it was SO cloudy while we were there. we had to use other people's photos....)

it was COLD!







Then on Sunday, my birthday, we went to "magical" Tepotzlan, close to Mexico City and spent the night in a gorgeous hotel. Again, here's what the guidebook says: "Posada del Tepozteco - This gorgeous hotel was built as a hillside hacienda in the 1930s. It features lovely, well-manicured ground, two solar-heated pools, 20 well-done rooms, and terraces with spectacular views surveying the town. The airy suites com wtih private spa baths....." This hotel is the "author's choice" and it was marvelous! Like nothing we have ever done before. Very relaxing, beautiful, delicious food, and the chance to be together and relax.....












On Monday we drove into Cuernavaca to buy the solar system and drive home.

All in all, it was a fantastic birthday celebration...and a second honeymoon :)

Haven't eaten any birthday cake. yet.
Great trip.

New Roof

Our good friends Chuchie and Malena are building the second story of their house. Last week Wednesday they put the roof on. The tradition here is that friends help carry cement up to the roof, bring a small wooden cross and fireworks, and then stay and eat chicken mole for lunch. I (Liz) helped Malena around the fire all morning and then helped serve everyone in the afternoon. Martin helped carry cement. Now we know to bring a cross and fireworks next time.

One Sunday Afternoon

We helped our dear friends Malena and Jesus, daughters Adriana and Alondra, take down their shoe stand one recent Sunday afternoon. They sell shoes during the week from their shop, which is attached to their house. Every Sunday morning, they set up shop in the center of town, for market day. Every Sunday afternoon they take it down. We all had fun working together.

Waterfalls

During the rainy season the waterfalls are fantastic! Here are some pictures from various trips to the falls with friends.

The Impact of an "Unexpected" Water Project

I came to this part of Guerrero, Mexico to learn about and help out where I could with water projects because there is a drought here. You can imagine my surprise when I found out that there is a public swimming pool! Being an avid swimmer, I immediately checked out the situation. When Gloria, the swimming pool owner found out that I was working with MCC and that I knew how to swim, she immediately asked me if I could teach swimming lessons at the pool.

After getting the okay from my team, Gloria and I put together a schedule and began to tell others. During the first day, 20 adults and 15 children signed up to participate in the swimming lessons. Gloria and I were thrilled! But one teacher and 15 to 20 students is a lot in the water, even for a former Chicago Public School teacher. A new accuaitance, Julio, who is a physical education teacher at the local public school, volunteered to help me. He knew how to swim, but wasn’t confident teaching swimming lessons.

On the first day of classes, 15 adults and 10 children showed up. By the end of class, everyone was swimming a basic front crawl stroke, helping each other float, and generously encouraging each other. Best of all, everyone stuck around for another hour to continue practicing. We agreed to meet twice a week for one month.

Needless to say, Gloria was very excited. Not only had business greatly improved, but it also addressed one of her long standing fears of water safety in and around the pool, since there are no lifeguards and she herself does not know how to swim well. And we both acknowledged the health benefits of swimming and the enjoyment that everyone shared as they acquired new skills.

In the end, Julio, now feeling confident in his abilities as a swimming instructor, decided to continue teaching swimming lessons for a small fee the following month. And so, during my first few months in this dry, mountainous region, I participated in a sustainable, income generating, exercise promoting, community development project at the local swimming pool, which is successfully continuing without my participation. The impact of an "unexpected" water project.

Isaiah Graduates From Kindergarten

Isaiah graduated from Kindergarten last week. Since he is attending a Catholic school, all the graduating students (from kinder, primary, and secondary) and their families attended mass in the morning and the graduation ceremony in the afternoon. Isaiah’s class performed a dance. He received a certificate and a backpack from the school. Afterwards we showered him with confetti, a custom we love! The people standing behind him are his “padrinos”, our neighbors Guillermina, Silvino and their daughter Adriana. It is customary to ask a couple to be “padrinos” for important events, often to help out with the cost of the event, but also as a way to be community to each other. (Remember the saying “it takes a village to raise a child.”)
Picture 1: Isaiah sitting with his class, waiting for the graduation ceremony to begin.
Picture 2: Isaiah and classmates.
Picture 3: Isaiah dancing with Ashley.
Picture 4: After graduation with Padrinos.
Picture 5: Walking home from graduation.

Swimming Lessons

I taught swimming lessons to children and adults during the month of May. (Yes, there is a swimming pool here!) We had a wonderful time and I am delighted to report that this month, the lessons are continuing....without me! A friend helped me during last months' lessons and feels confident to teach classes on his own now. So he is offering two sessions, twice a week, to children ages 5 to 14. I will continue working with the adults once a week, for now.

Our Kitchen

Here are some "before and after" pictures of our kitchen. Martin installed electricity, plumbing, the sink, ran a gas line for the stove and painted the walls. (Whew!) A local carpenter made the storage shelves. Martin and the boys bought the blue paper-mache sash for me for mother's day. (It is a tradition here to hang one on the outside door, but it's too windy in the evenings, here under the mango trees.) Our kitchen works very, very well. And yes,that is Isaiah washing dishes.

Calling Home

Here is a picture of Isaiah talking, via the internet, to his friend Tobey who lives in Chicago. We use Skype (see skype.com) to "phone home". We can talk "computer to computer" for free. We also have a Chicago phone number - 773.661.3050 - if you want to call us. With this number, our computer rings, and if we are nearby, we answer. If we don't answer, you can leave a message. Yes, we have technology way out here in the mountains.

English Classes

I started teaching English classes in May. Lots of "Total Physical Response" activities. We're having fun!

Basketball

Here is a picture of the basketball team I am on. Our team name is "The Chicas" (the girls). We just got uniforms. I have learned a lot from this group of women. We spend about as much time talking about feelings and emotions as we do playing basketball! For the love of the sport........