Last week we also had to give a final 3. despedida to Chantel and Adrian. Chantel, like me, had never planned on staying down here more than a year. But after nearly three years (and a 4. matrimonio), she finally travelled back to the U.S. with her new husband. I´m really going to miss having an American around! Not only was Chantel my roommate until she got married, but we also used each other a lot to vent and complain about all the things we don´t understand or don´t like about the culture, the way things are run here, the rudeness of some people, etc. I know Chantel and Adrian will probably be happier back in Mississippi, but I will really miss having someone who listens and understands exactly where I´m coming from.
In the 5. medio of Julio Kerry Reid was here to give a class on ¨Sermon Preparation and Delivery.¨ Actually, he focused the clase more on how to teach or prepare a Bible study since some women came to the class. He gave very useful tips on how to speak in public, how to get the audience´s attention, how to 6. concluir, etc. Our preaching students already received the class a year or two ago, but I have noticed that many of them make the same basic 7. errores; they don´t make good eye contact, talk in a monotone, don´t use personal examples and illustrations much, etc. So I suggested to J.C. Enlow that an American teach the class again—instead of David.
While Kerry was here I was able to visit a few tourist lugares I hadn´t seen yet. On one Saturday we woke up at about 5 a.m. and drove about 3 hours to see some 14. cascadas, Aguas Azules and Mishola (where part of Predator was filmed). Then we drove about another two hours to Palenque, some Mayan ruins. Basically these are three of the ¨must see¨ places for all of Chiapas. José Luis, his brother, and his mom accompanied us, so we were a little 15. incomodos in such a small carro Mexicano. But the trip was much more fun with more people, and well worth the long drive.
Another of the lugares we visited is San Juan de Champula—an indigenous town about 30 minutes away. What makes ¨Chamula¨so unique is that it is 100% 16. Catolico. Anyone who converts to Cristianity is immediately expelled from the town and threatened with lynching. Missionaries, likewise, may face death if they try to enter the city. Oh, and they can also put you in jail just for taking pictures!! Naturally we feel a little spooked anytime we go. But despite Chamula´s extreme ideas and extreme sense of 17. unidad, it has actually turned into quite the tourist trap! They charge 18. turistas 20 pesos just to see the cathedral! But I must admit that it is a rare experience.
When Kerry left I gave a three week summer English course—9 to 11 every morning for beginners, and 11-1 for intermediates. Lately I have been trying to think more about how I can use the class to evangelize to the comunidad. Really that´s the main 23. razon we offer free English and computer classes. But when half of our students are youngsters and the other 24. mitad are from church, it´s kind of hard 25. evangelizar. I always invite los estudiantes to worship services, tell them we could have Bible studies with them, and invite the younger ones to youth eventos, but that´s about it. Many people have told me I should use the ¨Let´s Start Talking¨method of teaching them English from the book of Luke. But I can´t exactly do that when some men from church also come to my classes—and none of them are proficient enough yet to help me with that parte. José Luis thought it might be better to reach out to the students in less direct metodos (so that they´ll keep coming to the class instead of getting scared away by the religious part) and suggested hanging up some information from the Bible. So one day I worked with Sofi, the computer teacher, to make posters to hang in our classrooms of the 26. plan de salvación and other key versos. I also drew pictures to go with mine and translated them all to English. And I hung a poster in the main entryway with the 27. dirección of the iglesia and times of worship.
Sometimes it´s easy to get frustrated when it seems that no one wants to come to the classes. But I have to remind myself that the results don´t always come quickly. Let me give you an example. I have had 36. un letrero in front of the school for months now advertising the English and Computer classes. Even though it´s on a busy 37. calle in plain 38. vista, very few people have called or come to ask me about it. Many who did ask me about it never actually showed up for the classes. But a few weeks ago a young guy about 30 or so came who said he was interested in learning English. It just so happened that he came on a Saturday morning, when our students from Larrainzer were there. So he also asked me about the classes they were having right then. I was able to use that oportunidad to tell him more about the school and what church we´re from, etc. As luck would have it, David was also there that day, so we went upstairs and I introduced him. David had about a one hour Bible study with him right there on the spot. El muchacho also came to a few of the Bible classes later in the week. He never actually got baptized or came to my English class, but at least that was 39. un buen inicio. If we can reach just one 40. alma through the classes, I will feel like we have done a good 41. obra.
Speaking of the students from Larrainzer, they have since started having classes in their own church building. As I have mentioned before, these students are very poor, and Global Missions does not like to ¨pay¨students to come to classes—thus giving very little towards their 42. transportación. For months and months they piled into the back of a small pickup truck (which, of course, was often a very cold ride). But lately the 43. dueño of the pickup truck has not been able to come to the classes as much, so there were a few times when they could not come to the classes simply because no one could bring them. They were also very particular about the food Chantel fixed (even though it was all Mexican). So we decided that it would be easier for them to have the classes where they live. Now they are able to fix the food themselves with money that David gives them each month, and more students have been able to attend the classes who could not go before. Recently Global Missions sent 100 Bibles to the school to be distributed to the preaching students. Some of the students were using other 44. versiones of the Biblia, such as the Catholic version or the Jehovah´s Witness version. In the Ocosingo school, in particular, many of the students are new converts who still have the other versions, or they attend a different church still but come with friends or family members who invite them to the classes. So naturally Antonio, the director, sometimes had a hard time explaining important concepts or allowing these students to participate. He requested that every student receive a King James Bible. José Luis and I travelled to Ocosingo one Saturday to deliver the Bibles to them. I also gave out five or six Bibles to students from Larrainzer. Some of those students are so 45. pobre they had probably never owned a Bible before. Each of the students were very glad to receive the new Bibles and instantly started looking through them. Their only concern, especially 46. algunos from the Ocosingo school, who walk several hours from the jungle each week, was that the Bibles may get wet easily anytime it rains. They said even if they put the Bible in a 47. mochilla, it would still get really wet and ruin easily. In the future those men would prefer to have hard cover Bibles. The next time I visit the schools in Tapachula and Cacahoatan I will take Bibles there, as well. And whatever Bibles are left afterwards we will keep in the San Cristobal school and give to any new students who enroll later.
Alumnos de Ocosingo con sus nuevas Biblias (Ocosingo students with their new Bibles)
Por el Amor de Las Mamas (For the Love of Moms)
By the way, moms are placed on a pedastool here much more than dads. I asked each of my intermediate students one day to tell me (in English) what person they admire most, and all but one of them said their mom. As I have mentioned before, most women do not work, so they stay in the house all day to clean and prepare every meal. Usually the only time they leave is to go to the 48. mercado or visit a 49. familiar. Those who do work often take their kids with them. The men, on the other hand, sometimes stay gone all day working in several different places and show up only for meals. They are also known to be the stricter disciplinarians. So naturally the hijos feel more of an attachment to their moms. The Christians here celebrate Mother´s Day (one of the few holidays they do celebrate), but they do not pay much attention to Father´s Day.
Well if you have made it this far in my blog, then thanks for reading everything! I know it was 50. muy largo this time; but in part that´s because I was not able to write in so long. I will try to do a better job in the futuro. ¡Que tengas muy buen día! Elizabeth
1. to publish2. update/report
3. farewell
4. marriage
5. middle
6. to conclude
7. errors
8. It´s a shame
9. preachers
10. fortunate
11. attendance
12. exercises
13. questions
14. waterfalls
15. uncomfortable
16. Catholic
17. unity
18. tourists
19. famous
20. a sickness/illness
21. chickens
22. candles
23. reason
24. half
25. to evangelize
26. plan of salvation
27. address
28. address
29. serious
30. second
31. words
32. certificates
33. ingredients
34. microwave oven
35. a success
36. a sign
37. street
38. sight
39. a good start
40. soul
41. work
42. transportation
43. owner
44. versions
45. poor
46. some
47. backpack
48. market
49. relative/family member
50. very long
4 comments:
Congratulations, Elizabeth, on your one-year anniversary. I really admire your desire and dedication to serve. Keep up the good work. I'm keeping you in my prayers!
The tourist attractions are beautiful! I'm sure you are making memories that will last you a lifetime.
Lori Mattox
Hi Honey,
This one was long, but your blog entries just get better all the time. I will try to get more people at church (down here in Fayetteville) to check it out and, hopefully, even leave some comments. Keep up the good work! -- Love, Daddy
Hey Elizabeth! Sounds like God is active in your work down there. I'll pray that he shows you a way to evangelize more.
Micah
elizabeth,
congratulations on your one year anniversary in san cristobal! sorry i haven't written in so long but i hope you are having a great week and a good time, in Him,
emilie shannon
Post a Comment