All in a day

Morning sun hitting the flowers as I leave the children's home.

I leave early, before the rest of my roommates are up.  I want to arrive right when they open the doors to the immigration offices.  I asked to use the caravan for this trip last night, so it is already sitting outside in the cool morning air.

I arrive downtown forty-five minutes later and pull into the parking garage we often use.  It is my seventh time there in the past several weeks, and the attendant recognizes me now.  We talk briefly about how challenging Mexican bureaucracy is and he wishes me well as I head off to immigration.

I walk a few blocks to the old colonial building the offices are in, across from the big cathedral.  I am five minutes early, so I sit on the stone steps to wait.  The guard tells the group of us gathered there that we can begin to sign in to the registry.  One by one we do, and then we trail our way upstairs to sign in again and take a number.

When my turn is called, instead of saying "Who's next?" the woman says, "Laura, you can come in now."  Guess I've been here a lot lately.  I sit down at her desk, one of six in the small room.  She works on her computer for a while and then sends a few documents to the printer.  One is a letter I turned in yesterday, but mine had a few errors and, to expedite the process, she re-typed it for me.  I sign that and several other documents she explains and places in front of me.

Now her boss needs to approve my visa, but she will not be arriving for fifteen minutes.  That's ok, I brought a book and can wait.  An hour later, the boss shows up.  By now, there are three of us waiting for her, but I am the first called in.  My visa has been approved and I can be fingerprinted.  Horray!

I sign a few more forms and do my fingerprints by myself while the woman pays for her lunch that just showed up.  She assures me that my visa will be ready by Thursday, but maybe I should come later next time, just in case, so I don't have to wait as much.  I thank her and step into the hallway surrounding the courtyard. My friend who I was going to meet downtown has arrived and is waiting outside for me.

We walk along the tourist walkway to a coffee shop.  After chatting for a while, we part ways and I head back to the parking garage.  The parking attendant sees me coming and gets the car ready for me before I even get there.  "That'll be 60 pesos, jefa."  Under $3.50 for three hours of downtown parking - not too bad.  Jefa is what he calls all of us - it means something like boss lady.

Watching the road, he signals me to wait as some pedestrians and a car goes by.  He waves me forward and I pull out blindly onto the narrow street.  I wave as I leave and he calls after me to have a nice day.  I head north to where I will be meeting the staff and kids from the home for pizza - a special treat for those left behind on vacation.

After lunch, I return to the home with a stop in the nearby town to order more uniforms for the coming school year.  I flag down a street vendor selling frozen treats.  I tell him I would like a strawberry popsicle.  "What kind?" "Strawberry." "What kind?" "Strawberry - a red one." "What?... You mean strawberry?" "Yes, please."  I guess I still need to work on my Spanish pronunciations.

Though clouds threaten rain when I get home, I do some laundry and hang it out on the line.  I clean the house that gets dirty much more quickly with five of us living here now.  Then I put on a movie and rest.  It feels like I've only accomplished a few things today, but I am worn out.

- - - - - - - - -

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, 

the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He does not faint or grow weary; 

his understanding is unsearchable.

 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. 

 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; 

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles; 

they shall run and not be weary; 

they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

Vacation!

It is finally official vacation time and the majority of the children left today to spend a week with their families.  However, that was not an option for many of the kids this summer, and those children will be staying here at the home this week.  Without anyone on the schedule to make dinner, we kicked vacation off with an evening at our favorite taco place in town.

Please keep all the kids in your prayers - those who went back to their families for a short time and those who are still at the home for this week.  I imagine both situations are quite challenging.  We also have two new little ones and adjustment to living here can be quite overwhelming.  Please pray for this sister (6) and brother (4).

I am not really on vacation yet, as I continue to work on getting my visa processed.  It looks like it'll take at least three more trips to the immigration offices this week.  You are welcome to keep that in your prayers as well :).

Oaxaca's Current Events

There have been some major shifts in Oaxaca in the past few weeks, and I thought I'd try to share some of what's going on here.  It was quite confusing for everyone at first, and I still struggle to understand it completely - but hopefully I can make some sense as I try to explain.

We'll begin with the teacher's strike in June.  Every year the teachers union goes on strike here.  It has been happening that way for decades.  This year the teachers decided to target the gas stations to gain attention for their cause, and it worked.  Within a week much of Oaxaca had run out of gasoline.  This, and other events, caused the government to call in federal police.

Order was restored without too much trouble.  The teachers weren't very satisfied, but the school year ended as usual and not a lot seemed to be going on.  But the thing is, the federal police never left.  At the time it seemed kind of odd to me, but the events of last week made the purpose their continued presence more clear.

It has become common to see police shopping at grocery stores here.  This man was picking up some pastries with his buddies at Walmart.

On Tuesday, Oaxaca awoke to the news that their education institute (completely controlled by the union) was dissolved.  The offices were closed and guarded heavily by police.  Even the workers had no idea what was happening.  The governor made the following statement:

"Through this transcendental, lawful act, the government of Oaxaca will regain control over education in the state. A new autonomous and decentralized institute of education will be created to replace IEEPO after its dissolution, thus guaranteeing the full application of constitutional mandates on education." (mexiconewsdaily.com)

They followed this up with continual statements that there will be no lay-offs, teachers will continue working and will be paid for the work they do.  There has also been news that the bank accounts of the union and its affiliates have been frozen.

The teachers union, which has been the main power for over 20 years in Oaxaca, obviously does not want to go down so easily.  The following day they planned marches and blockades, but nothing really came of it.  Perhaps the police helicopters circling over the city had something to do with that.  Since then, they have had a few marches, but they no longer occupy the downtown area with the control that they used to.

Federal police continue to guard main political offices and power points.  I'm not sure where the teachers union will go from here, but the city feels safer for now.  The teachers union is making threats to not begin classes in August.  We shall see what happens. 

This current event update is not meant to alarm anyone.  Though it is odd to have such a police presence, I feel safe traveling throughout the city.  Having lived through some of the problems Oaxaca had in 2006, I know some danger signs to watch for.  And after over a year of occupation by protestors, I personally am very glad to see the downtown area "de-occupied" and restored somewhat to its former glory.

Your continued prayers for Oaxaca, as always, are much appreciated.  Thank you!

Federal Police outside the education offices.

Through this transcendental, lawful act, the government of Oaxaca will regain control over education in the state. A new autonomous and decentralized institute of education will be created to replace IEEPO after its dissolution, thus guaranteeing the full application of constitutional mandates on education - See more at: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/oaxaca-dissolves-its-education-institute/#sthash.CxXe3WY5.dpuf

Through this transcendental, lawful act, the government of Oaxaca will regain control over education in the state. A new autonomous and decentralized institute of education will be created to replace IEEPO after its dissolution, thus guaranteeing the full application of constitutional mandates on education - See more at: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/oaxaca-dissolves-its-education-institute/#sthash.CxXe3WY5.dpuf

Through this transcendental, lawful act, the government of Oaxaca will regain control over education in the state. A new autonomous and decentralized institute of education will be created to replace IEEPO after its dissolution, thus guaranteeing the full application of constitutional mandates on education - See more at: http://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/oaxaca-dissolves-its-education-institute/#sthash.CxXe3WY5.dpuf

Temporary Resident

Last year I was so thankful when I finally received my temporary resident visa.  The process was much longer and more complicated than I originally anticipated. The day I finally had my visa in my hand, I was worn down, getting sick and rather done with the whole process.  But I was also very grateful and relieved that I finally had my temporary resident card.

However, it is said that all good things must come to an end, and so it is that my visa expires in a few weeks.  Last week I began the trips to immigration offices again.  The first day I went, I was once again beginning to get sick.  Arriving winded from the steep staircase, I didn't feel especially welcomed by the lady behind the desk instructing me in what I needed to do.  I was less than excited to be starting this process again.

The following morning I was translating at devotions for the pastor when he said that it was a new day - that we were not going to do the same thing we did yesterday.  Somehow, in the midst of translating, I thought, "Actually, I am doing the exact same thing as yesterday.  I'm going back to the immigration offices to try once again for my visa."

Then, I felt a check in my spirit, realizing that I maybe could do it in a new way - approach things differently this time.  I remembered that it is God who has placed me here and I need not worry about how my visa process will go - if He wants me to continue here, He can certainly work things out.  I realized that my attitude could perhaps brighten their day.  A calm came over me, and I entered the immigration offices with deep peace and a genuine smile.

Then the woman took my stack of forms, looked at my first piece of paper, and began to explain to me where we'd made our first mistake.  My spirit and my smile fell a little bit.  I wouldn't be able to turn in my application today.

But then what she said played back in my mind.  She'd said, "This is where WE made OUR first mistake."  She had included herself in the problem and would be there to help me out of it.  And my spirit rose again and I thanked her very much as I left with a new list of to-dos.

I have since returned two more times and have, thankfully, successfully turned in all my papers.  I am now waiting for an email that says my visa process has be resolved and I can go in to get fingerprinted.  For those who have never had an experience with foreign governments, I think I can safely say that being in another country legally is a long, trying, and, at times, a seemingly impossible process.  I cannot imagine how challenging this process is for people trying to get a visa to be in the U.S.

Meanwhile, I'm trying to remain patient and be thankful along the way.  Your prayers would be greatly appreciated.  When things become challenging, I like to remember this verse that helped me through this process the last time:

"...you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household..." ~Ephesians 2:19

How wonderful to remember that our residency here is temporary, and I am a citizen of a more important kingdom.

Immigration offices here in Oaxaca.  Beautiful.

What's Their Story?

There will be five new children at the home when school starts in August, and four of them were able to stop by last week to allow me to test them for Spanish and size them for uniforms.  Two of the boys are brothers who came with an older sister and a man who is helping look after them.

As the boys tried on uniforms in the next room, I asked the older man if I had their names written down correctly.  He kind of glanced at the paper and made a non-committal noise.  I quickly realized that it was possible he couldn't read.  I tried to cover our mutual embarrassment with busy work.

The boys turned out to be very smart.  So smart that they had to keep going on the assessment test, and those waiting for them ran out of time.  They didn't tell me they needed to leave, they just were suddenly gone.  Not sure what to do with the boys when they finished, I called the director of the home who suggested having them wait on the porch in case their ride returned, or until the pastor could pick them up.

When I came to get the boys for lunch, they were playing some soccer with a few of the children from the home.  I told the boys that they were going to eat lunch with us, and then they would wait for the pastor who goes to the prison - he could drop them off with their mother who is incarcerated there.  One of the boys told me he didn't mind waiting - he already knew some of our boys from the prison.

I realized then that I had once again forgotten that some of our kids have parents in prison across the street.  For them to spend time with their parents, they have to go there to visit them.  The prison system is different here, and if there is a mother there with children, they sometimes just live there with her.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in the day to day and forget where these children are coming from.  The girl who is never quiet in class has a mother with cancer.  The 14-year-old fifth grader used to live at the trash dump.  The boy who cries before taking tests has a mother in prison.  I would like to be better at keeping these things in mind when I work with the kids.

But it's not just these kids who have a challenging history.  Everyone who has ever shared part of their story with me has shown me how little I can tell by just looking at someone.  The quiet man who was punished as a child because he was dyslexic in a time when that wasn't recognized.  The boisterous young woman who carries the burden of knowing her dad is having suicidal thoughts.  The distracted and distant teacher who is secretly preoccupied about the deep financial debt he finds himself in.

Experience has taught me that people are so much more than they seem, but human nature continues to cause me to judge by what I see.  I hope I can one day learn to completely overcome this tendency and look at others as God sees them.

Uniform sweaters used for sizing the kids - hung out to dry in my "laundry room".

- - - - - - - - - -

"You can never tell about people by their outsides."

~Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Avonlea~

5,000 Miles

We receive mission groups here from all over the U.S. and Canada.  An old friend of mine from high school was interested in doing a mission trip with his youth group from Unalakleet, Alaska and contacted me about coming down here.  And then they came! :)

According to Google Maps, traveling from Alaska to Oaxaca on the Alaska Highway is over 5,000 miles.  Due to time constraints and plane ticket prices, the group could only be here for four full days.  But I was glad to hear that many of them would like to come again.

My old friend, Adam London

I wasn't able to spend much time with this group during the day, I was at immigration offices quite often while they were here.  But I did get to go with them on their outings, and it was fun to see what was new to those who had never left Alaska before.

One evening we were going out for tacos, but had to wait for the herd of cattle and goats to pass by on the road in front of the home.  For at least one girl, it was the first time she had ever seen a cow!  Later in the week when I helped them tour some nearby towns, this girl also saw a carousel and open air swimming pool for the first time.

It sure is more comfortable to stick with the routine and the familiar.  I do this all the time.  It feels safer that way, and sometimes it is indeed safer that way.  (Pictured below, I'm at my favorite torta place with my go-to ham and cheese sandwich - the only thing I've ever ordered there).

But how exciting and scary and refreshing and uncomfortable it is to do something new.  The Alaska group traveled 5,000 miles to a place they'd never been before, and we felt honored that they came.  But it can also be as simple as slightly altering the way you get to work.  Trying a new dish at your favorite restaurant.  Sitting in a different place in a room.

Breaking routine with the teachers and trying a new restaurant at the end of the year.

I fall into routines all the time, many times for good reason.  This road gets me places more quickly.  I know it's safe to eat at that restaurant.  If I get up at this time, I will be ready exactly when I need to leave.  But breaking routine sure can make life more of an adventure.  At the very least, it helps me look up and look around and see the world from a different angle. 

I'm thankful for the Alaska group who decided to try something new and come 5,000 miles to visit us.  And we hope they come again! ...see, routine is not completely bad ;).

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day from Hierve el Agua, Oaxaca!

When I lived in Oaxaca years ago, the towns leading up to Hierve el Agua were always at odds over who could charge the toll for the road - so it seemed better to avoid going there.  But I finally made the trip there this spring when my college roommate came to visit.

It was a beautiful place, but we only had an hour to explore.  So, I was happy to join some friends who were going up there on the 4th of July.  It turned out to be a gorgeous and peaceful day.  It was a wonderful way to spend the day and celebrate our independence.

In case you're curious for more Hierve el Agua info, from Wikipedia:

Hierve el Agua (Spanish for "the water boils") is set of natural rock formations in the Mexican state of Oaxaca that resemble cascades of water. The site is located about 70 km east of Oaxaca city, with a narrow, winding unpaved road leading to the site. 

The site consists of two rock shelves or cliffs which rise between fifty and ninety meters from the valley below, from which extend nearly white rock formations which look like waterfalls. These formations are created by fresh water springs, whose water is over-saturated with calcium carbonate and other minerals. As the water scurries over the cliffs, the excess minerals are deposited, much in the same manner that stalactites are formed in caves.

One of the cliffs, called the "cascada chica" (small waterfall) or the Amphitheater, contains two large artificial pools for swimming as well as a number of small natural pools. One of the artificial pools is very near the edge of the cliff.

We did it!

Today we had our closing ceremony for our school year.  It went very well and was a fun celebration of the kids and our year. 

My thoughts already turn to next year - finding teachers, forming class lists, changing schedules,  buying uniforms, ordering books...  Your prayers for another teacher to join us would be much appreciated. 

The children's home also is in great need of houseparents for the little boys and teenage girls.  Thank you for supporting us in prayer.

A few more photos from our special day:

Flag ceremony

English Class performing 10,000 Reasons

5th graders dancing a polka from Chihuahua

6th graders dancing a waltz