Newsletter 12: Oaxaca work, bilingual blunders and adventures with Americans

Helloooo!

Boiler watch (the only thing more boring than badger watch with Ben Fogel): Rumour has it that we now have a functioning boiler in Alheli. Bring on the first hot shower of 2008…

I write to you this time semi-comatose on a bus battling its way through the traffic of Ojo de Agua. I've just been part of the group to drop the first real group of the summer off at the airport. My day started off dark at ridiculous-o-clock in Oaxaca, then there was a bit which I don't really remember having been mainly asleep (and, according to the Americans, snoring for England) and then we hit the good ole stop-start Mexico City traffic. Roberto and Felix, our drivers, have brought us safely back all the way to the heart of the country and we're grateful to God for a safe journey (what I remember of it!).

It's been the end of a hard 4 weeks. After the Vision Trip in the middle of May we had a few days off as we tried to take stock of what was happening with the summer groups and what needed to be done with the new houses we are renting in Oaxaca. My massive spreadsheet sprung into action, finding uses in creating small summaries, mail merge emails and general confusion when anyone except me tried to use it.

We quickly realised that the two houses we are renting while construction continues needed a little work. Not that they were badly constructed – au contraire! They are well built and rented to us by our neighbours who are also Christians and very much behind the work with indigenous students from the Oaxacan Sierra. (These are the neighbours who donate 50 small bread rolls to us weekly.) But we did need to paint just about the entire house, seal off a part upstairs where the rain came directly in, and put in lights, sockets and shower curtains. Joaquín sorted out the water system and Avelino started to build aluminium doors to divide the dormitories into girls' and boys' rooms. Apparently girls prefer their room to have a door; weird. Eric painted the massive garage doors copper-coloured and Efrain (who I discovered is actually called Echaín) literally painted the outside of the house (orange by the way). Pilar went and bought a small mountain of decorations – little plant pots and ceramic… things. And Saul and I sat in the middle, working through the pile of admin. It was fun, and I got little breaks to go and bash things or drill or saw or do manly things and assert my masculinity. And then I undid all that by trying to teach the students how to cook chocolate chip cookies. (I can hear Mum saying: 'what a chauvinist comment!')

Every time I go to Oaxaca, I love it more and more. The project is definitely one of the most exciting of Armonía's at the moment. The weekend we arrived, 40 prospective students and their parents were visiting to see if they wanted to join the AIMS Program (Armonía Indigenous Mexican Scholars). They got the tour of the construction site and Saul spent time explaining the running of the houses, the older brother scheme, the year of service and how Armonía staff and volunteers (like me!) fit into the overall picture. That night, the current students cooked all the visitors (a total of 70 people) a huge dinner. What a great picture of that way that Armonía unites people. There were Mexicans, like Saul and Pilar, Chinotecos, like Joaquín and his parents, Mixe, like Nico's brothers and sisters, Zapotecos, like a group of 4 lads who travelled 5 hours to express a desire to study medicine, Americans and of course, the obligatory Englishman. What jolly good fun it was! And although we didn't all speak each other's language, hand-waving, gesturing and charades helped us communicate in community.

The house preparations were very necessary to get everything ready for the summer. Unfortunately, we didn't quite complete everything on time. A quick phone call to Saul as they were arriving bought us more minutes as the bus took unnecessary detours and even did the same piece of road a few times. Now you might ask, why all the effort for just a group of visitors? Well, they were paying to come and help us so it's important that they find themselves accommodated comfortably. But the summer visit scheme is the logical extension of the Casablanca hotel income-generation program so it's doubly important that we maintain good standards (plus, we can't be sleeping comfortably whilst our visitors sleep on the floor.) The money generated by their visits allows Armonía to be self-supporting and to manage its own income (for salaries and scholarships especially), without dependency on outside sources. Sensible really when donors have been known to give very little notice before pulling out altogether.

And so the group arrived and, after a slow first morning, were whisked off to the work site to start. And boy did they work! In Oaxaca it rains almost every day at about 4pm. Not apathetically British rain - it absolutely chucks it down. And without much warning. But the group, mainly composed of 15 to 18 year old boys and girls, just kept on shovelling dirt as we filled in the foundations. But they didn't just work because they had too. Come heavy rain or strong sun, there were smiles and jokes, and laughter rang around the site. I felt particularly blessed to be there to see their servant-heartedness. It's something amazing when God touches people's hearts so that they give their all without expecting anything back. That challenged me about the attitude I should have as I recover from aches all over and serve my remaining 9 weeks here.

And this attitude of joy in work and play continued all week. By the end, they had moved and compacted 31 trucks of dirt (220 tons!). That milestone put us ahead of schedule. Great friendships were made between Mexican and American students, even though vocal communication was limited. Everyone saw the funny side of one American guy's faltering attempts to say 'tengo hambre' (I am hungry) which came out as 'tengo hombre' (I have a man). And the Mexicans who try to ask 'can I have a sheet [of paper]?' but end up asking 'can I have a s**t?'. But it didn't matter – they were here to serve with joy. Everyone found my accent amusing, causing me to assert my Cambridgeness more. "That's right old chap – jolly hockey sticks. Scones and cream for tea?". They laughed but I know they had no idea what I was going on about!

By the end of the week, the closeness was obvious as tears were shed in public in thanks for the gifts of love and friendship. Sergio, in particular, was touched. At his entrance exam to the Mexican National School of Music, he was told that if he didn't get a new clarinet, he wouldn't be allowed in. A family in Titusville heard and bought a brand new top-of-the-range Buffet, which was presented to Sergio during the trip. He wept with joy. I have just finished translating his thank you note for him and it is obvious he can't express his gratitude to them and God enough.

So why do I write all this to you? Well not just because I am, as one recent [deluded?!?] reply put it, "so consistently funny" and your lives need lightening up! If only that were so. No, I really think this small interaction shows the pinnacle of Armonía's work at the moment and gives just a small picture of what heaven will be like (without the crazy charades!). A multitude from all tribes and nations, races and languages, gathered in glorifying service and worship to The King. And as I go back to work on more group admin, that shadow of things to come keeps me serving, through all the emails and letters and spreadsheets and organisation.

My brother is coming soon so watch this space for reports of double trouble as mini-Rimmer hits Mexico. You have been warned. In the meantime, thank you for your prayers, emails of support and interest in my life abroad (even if my letters can get a bit long-winded!).

Que Dios les bendiga,
Chris

I write my short comments and recount amusing moments when I can at http://mexicanchris.blogspot.com
I just put April and May photos up at http://picasaweb.google.com/chrisprimmer too