OCF en OAXACA para la gloria Dios

VILLAGE COMMEMORATIONS

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The people in the mountains are very guarded and do not like outsiders. Trying to become part of the community as much as possible, and knowing the people do not like having their picture taken especially by a stranger, I kept my camera hidden initially.

There are few cameras in the village, and the photos they have are old, crinkled, and few. After awhile I began to photograph some of the children and teens who warmed up quickly to seeing their image on the camera screen.

Coming back from the city, six hours away, I would distribute the developed photos to the parents. Suddenly they saw the value in having a visual history of their family. Two years later I am periodically swamped with taking photos of all kinds of events that are important to them. Sometimes people show up at my house for casual photos as well.

Photography has ushered me into the personal lives of many families in the village and beyond. I am always welcome in their home, and expected to come back and visit.

The photos below are of birthdays, graduations, a funeral, and the people that surround these occasions. Maybe you will enjoy a glimpse inside village life through the eye of my camera.

CLICK ON THE PHOTOS FOR A LARGER VEW!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS 2010!

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CHRISTMAS DAY

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Evangelicals from various pueblos met in my village for food and a message.

NAVIDAD in the Village (so far)

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This is a community procession to the fiesta. Below are the preparations, family snapshots and children at play.

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Back in the village we have zillions of bananas (or “brazillians” as Rachel would say). Introducing banana bread seems appropriate. I’m trying to grill left over bread dough on the comal while pans of bread bake inside the “oven,” which is being held shut by a small shovel.

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The degree of heat is difficult to control and the bread begins to burn. Maria tries to regulate the temperature by scraping coals off the top of the comal, then flicking water to cool it down (Yikes! My lens!). More experimentation is necessary to turn banana bread making into a fine art in this culture of primitive appliances.

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In the meantime, Maria serves me a chicken tamale. I get a brilliant (?) idea. Why not spread the dough inside banana leaves and steam them, just as they do tamales! I’ll try that next time! (and Maria's grandkids crawl on the kitchen floor)

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After cutting off the burnt edges, the interior was moist and tasty. Adults are cautious about sampling something new, so... let’s feed it to the babies first! They love the bread, and now the ladies want to make more as soon as possible.

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Corn will always remain the primary staple, but introducing something different is fun. They are not as adventurous as we are in the US, so proceeding slow and cautiously is important.

Furlough Highlights

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One of the highlights of my furlough was visiting my home church, Orchard Christian Fellowship. They celebrated my birthday in the traditional Mexican fashion: young or old, friends help smash your face into the cake! Great Fun!

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Thank you much OCF! The BBQ was so elaborate, delicious, BEAUTIFUL!

..FURLOUGH FAMILY PHOTOS (August in the NW and the CA central coast)

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This is my 92 year old dad (soon to be 93)! Everyday he spends a significant amount of time on the internet. With pen in hand, he takes notes and is ready to discuss in detail anything from history, to finance and politics. He speaks intelligently, remembers in great detail (sooner or later), gets up and down quickly, walks fast, and drives skillfully. When we met at the airport I thought, "You look like you're getting younger, not older." Pretty amazing!

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OFF TO LANGUAGE SCHOOL / MAY - JUNE

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I needed instruction in learning Spanish so I decided to attend a language school for missionaries who plan to serve in Mexico. I rented a room from a Mexican family in a small fishing village on the coast. The classes consisted of instruction in grammar, phonics, vocabulary, translation, and verbs. We spent Monday through Friday in class from 8-1pm. In retrospect, this should have been my first step. The classes matched my learning style, and as a result, the language has opened up to me in a way that would have taken years to gain otherwise.

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The walk from my room to the beautiful Roca Blanca campus took about 15 minutes. Language school for missionaries is only a small aspect of the school. A one or two year Bible degree is also offered. The vision of the school is to equip indigenous people from the villages to go back to evangelize, plant churches, and build up the body in the many unreached areas in Oaxaca.

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We were all studying Spanish at the same time: Me (Washington), Joann (Texas), Rachel (Arkansas), Ryan (Michigan), Eli (Nevada), Greg (Indiana), Elliot and Jo (New Zealand), Nick and Anne (France).

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Elliot and Jo Marshall (children Luca and Georgia), Greg Martin, and I were in the same class together. This created a unique family-like bond among us where we studied together, shared our struggles, and many laughs.

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Luca and Georgia were like my grandkids away from home. When my own son's were Luca's age they had curl's just like his. Georgia sweetly called me "Uncle Cleo". This was so funny to me because I could easily relate to the confusion and mistakes of language learning.

Glimpses While Waiting...

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Waiting for clearance to move to a different village... Photos from the past two weeks.

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Textures and Architecture

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I’m getting ready to leave for the mountains on Monday, so I went downtown and tried out my new pocket camera on some textures and architecture.

I may not be seeing this stuff for awhile. Many new situations are ahead...just trusting for open doors.

Love my new camera! Panasonic Lumix.

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FURLOUGH! YEAH!! BACK IN THE U.S.A!

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First two weeks are being spent with my 92 year old Dad in his home on the central coast of California.

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The VIRGIN of GUADALUPE / DECEMBER 12

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According to the traditional account, on December 12, 1531, Juan Diego, a simple indigenous peasant saw a vision of a young girl surrounded by light. She had dark skin and was speaking the local Aztec language. She asked for a church to be built in her honor. From her words, Juan recognized her as the Virgin Mary.

As proof of her appearing, she asked Juan to gather some roses in his cloak and bring them to the priest - even though it was winter when flowers are not in bloom. When Juan returned and gave the roses to the priest, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe (VOG) miraculously appeared on his cloak. That cloak is on display at the Basilica in Mexico City, the most visited Catholic shrine in the world.

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The VOG has been named “The Queen of Mexico” and is a national symbol. She is credited with winning wars, stopping plaques, floods and other disasters. The people themselves give her credit for their good fortune, and pray and worship her.

Historians and anthropologists tend to agree that the “cult of the Virgin of Guadalupe” is a disguised worship of the Aztec goddess Tonantzin. Everything about this story has been challenged and proven either wrong or suspect, but to no avail.

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Today was the celebration of the appearing of the VOG to Juan Diego. There were bands and marches. A statue of the VOG was paraded around the church and the park. A long line of people waited their turn to pray before the idol and kiss her. Booths were set up according to the scene of the story. Little boys dressed like Juan Diego, and little girls dressed like indigenous Indians to have their photos taken.

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The whole scene reminded me of parents lined up at the mall back in the US waiting for photos to be taken of their children with Santa or the Easter Bunny. Some children were happy to comply, others screamed in fear. But proud parents walked away with photos for their album.

The VIRGIN JUQUILA: This is her day here in Oaxaca

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Today, Dec 8th is the day when thousands of people travel to the Sierras here in Oaxaca to worship the Virgin Juquila (who-key-la). Some of the people arrive with their knees bloody from crawling the last 2 miles. They bring her their promises, prayers, and hope for healing and good fortune.

Since I did not grow up in the Mexican culture, their worship of virgins is easy to judge. However, which idols do we worship in the USA that are illusive to us, yet obvious to those observing us from other cultures? Self? Comfort? Ease? Individualism? Our schedules? Privacy? Our future? Self reliance? Safety? Indulgence? Materialism?

The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Gal 5:14.

Yikes.

A couple of days or so in the life...

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A corner of Oaxaca Centro, near Santo Domingo Church, hanging out with Ruth (missionary kid), watching a weaver, checking out Zapotecan ruins in Mitla.

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Vignettes of Last Week's Events: A Birthday and A Funeral

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THE DAY OF THE DEAD (NOV 1-2)

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This is NOT the Mexican version of Halloween.

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Mexicans place great emphasis on learning about their ancestors and maintaining family and national traditions. Important to them are the great events that took place in the past, not what may take place in the future. Thus, the honoring and anticipation of the return of ancestors in spirit form is the grandest and largest celebration in all of Mexico.

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This year I was in the middle of an almost frenzied celebration of people mocking death. Crowds gathered throughout the zocalo playing lively music, dancing, marching, dramas, and fireworks. Sculptures of death made from sand decorated the ground in front of the cathedral. People were busy making altars of flowers, food, drink, and placed items of loved ones departed. Cemeteries are cleaned, and decorated with many candles lit.

They truly believe their ancestors will return to visit them in spiritual form on Nov 1-2.

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The following day I returned to the village and spent time in the homes of the indigenous people observing a more subdued festival. The traditional food of mole and chicken, tortillas, hot chocolate and bread overflowed in abundance. Altars were elaborate and some were simple. Fireworks exploded all during the day and night, and people were more than willing to share their beliefs with me.

Yellow and orange flowers (usually marigolds) bloom profusely this time of year in the mountains and the city. They are harvested and carried in bouquets, placed in vases, and used for decorating altars and pathways to help “guide the spirits back home.”

As much as the Catholic church has tried to impose worship of their saints, the Day of the Dead is dominated by the indigenous beliefs of ancestor worship.

WORKS OF SERVICE: This post is for Dental Hygiene Students at Eastern Washington University by Cleo Young, RDH, BS

2009-10-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sarah Jackson (one of your professors, and my good friend), saw my blog posts about participating in two dental clinics in a remote region of Mexico. Both clinics lasted three days each. One clinic served the Mixtec Indians, and the other served the Chatino Indians. We thought it would be interesting to consolidate my blog posts into one for interested DH students, so here it is...

I have resided in Oaxaca (WA-HA-KA) for almost one year. Oaxaca is in the far southwest part of Mexico. I am living with, and studying the culture and language of indigenous Indians who inhabit isolated mountain villages. I heard about two dentists from Ohio who visit this area on occasion to help people with their dental needs. I asked if I could join them.

(Double click on images to enlarge)

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In the city, three planes were loaded with supplies and people, and landed on this mountain air strip. Due to all of their equipment and supplies, flying into this region was best. The other option was riding in a crowded bus that takes 8-10 hours on a narrow, steep, and cratered dirt road. I generally travel by bus when I need to go into the city.

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This gray suitcase opens, and within is a portable dental unit. The dentists brought two units with them. A couple of other large suitcases were packed with supplies. Medications were distributed into coin envelopes and given to patients as needed.

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The Mixtecs had just built a new community center, so we enjoyed working out of a painted room with a tile floor. However, in the Chatino village we worked in a small room built from crumbling adobe. Neither place had running water. All of our water was brought in from the city. And of course there is no air conditioning.

The American dentists worked along side of Mexican dentists (required by Mexican law). The majority of the work was extractions and fillings. Some cleanings were done, but there was so much “emergency” work, that priorities needed to be made.

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Periodontal disease is rampant, and many teeth are decayed to the gingiva. The Indians peal sugar cane fibers with their front teeth and as a result mesial caries on #8 and 9 is commonplace. Unfortunately there has been an introduction of junk food by venders from the city. Refined sugars make oral bacteria grow like mad and increases the dental problems.

There is also dark stain on almost everyone’s teeth, both facial and lingual, children through adulthood. I do not know the cause at this time. In many countries the people chew beetle nuts which causes a dark brown stain, but this is not the case here as far as I know.

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To get into some of the “closed” villages I will need to develop a community service to prove that I can be a productive member. As a result I have been working on a Prevention Program. Although many people have tooth brushes, I wanted to explore ways they can make their own since they are very poor.

I carved a tooth brush, with a pick on the end, out of the new green growth of a sugar cane plant. New growth has not developed sugar. I am also going to try bamboo, and the inside fibers of a coconut. For floss and a gentle pick, I stripped the spine of a banana leaf. I am just beginning this project, so a lot will be discovered along the way. (See "Older Posts" for a little more EWU - DH blog post)

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We ate three meals per day at the home of a local family. Early in the morning, young girls would bring us “atoli” to drink. Atoli is made from oatmeal (rice and corn too) and is delicious. We all slept in sleeping bags on cement floors. People in the mountains bathe from a bucket of cold water, but this was not available to us so nobody bathed. (Portraits of the people are on the next page)

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Here are some portraits of the indigenous people of the mountains.

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PORTRAITS II

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The SteriPen for purifying water

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The family I live with gets their water from a spring up the hill. Several families insert a hose in the spring and the water flows slowly into a cistern. The cistern is cleaned once and month and in the meantime the clear water slowly becomes mossy, with tiny tad pole looking things swimming around. The family uses iodine to purify the water, but the iodine gives the water a smokey flavor. Soooo...

This is what I use to clean my water everyday. Its called a SteriPEN. If the water is murky, I first pour it through a filter that is attached to my water bottle.

To activate the ultraviolet light, I push a button on the PEN and swish it around in a liter of water until the light turns off - about one minute.

The UV light disrupts the DNA of microbes so they can't reproduce or make me sick.

The PEN comes with a hard plastic lid that fits over the thick light bulb so it won't break, and a soft pouch for storage.

In case you are interested, the SteriPEN is effective against Cryptosporidium, viruses, bacteria and Giardia, pathogens that cause diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis, and Legionaires' Disease. Also Bird flu and influenzas, E. coli, Salmonella, Staph and Strep. It also takes care of natural disaster/bio terror risks that cause botulism, Cholera, Smallpox, and Typhoid.

CELEBRATION OF MEXICO'S DAY OF INDEPENDENCE, SEPTEMBER 15-16th

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September 15th is Mexico’s Independence Day. Tradition in the mountain pueblos begins with a parade at night led by a chosen queen and her court (I fixed their hair today, by the way. They all pulled it straight back, greased the top down with oil, and wanted their pony tails curled).

We paraded down a pitch dark dirt road toward the community center. Colorful paper lanterns were lit with candles, placed on the end of a pole, and carried high above their heads. Everyone sang short patriotic songs, and chanted phrases like, "Viva Mexico!"

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A presentation of traditional dance was given by high school boys and girls. Each boy twirled two machetes while they jumped and spun around, and the girls fanned their colorful skirts seemingly unconscious of the long whirling blades. (click "Older Posts" at bottom of page for an explanation of the "hats of exploding fireworks" that the CHILDREN wear!)

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The finale was the most surprising! I could not believe it! As you can see from the photo, a wooded skeleton of a bull filled with fireworks is placed on a child’s head. The fireworks are lit!!! YES, LIT!!! And the kid charges around in front of the spectators as the fireworks wildly spin, make a racket, shoot into the air and the audience, ricochet off the ground in every direction, and smoke like crazy. Everyone runs for cover, but can’t take their eyes off of the action. This is repeated two more times with two different children!

A few larger fireworks that burst in the air were also lit - close to the entire crowd! I am so used to SAFETY in the USA that this kind of celebration is totally shocking. I could not stop laughing in amazement!

FRESH PORK FOR BREAKFAST

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OK...so I woke up this morning to a pig getting slaughtered outside my bedroom door. That’s my room in the background. This might not be a big deal to you “farm-types,” but I’m a “semi-city” girl and have never heard a pig squeal like that.

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