Keeping it Simple: Lesson #3

A highlight of our trip was attending for a second time the “Keep On The Watch” District Convention, held at the Comalapa Assembly Hall. This would be a bittersweet experience, because once the convention ended, we would not return to Union Buena Vista. We had spent four weeks enjoying the hospitality of our brothers, and after one more week, we would return to Georgia. However, if we returned to the Union, and it happened to rain, we would not be able to leave. We would miss our flight back home.

Some of our brothers were not able to attend the convention for lack of money. Before we departed the Union, they came to say goodbye, and some brought us small gifts. Tears flowed as they asked us to please come back to visit. 

The congregations organized a party for us the Sunday before the convention. Unfortunately, I had fallen victim to Montezuma’s revenge due to some fried fish, and did not feel good. During the day, people came one after another to check on me. I started to feel better and was able to go to the party. 

A Witness family in Comalapa provided us a room to stay for the convention. At the convention we made new friends, as everyone was curious to meet the tall, blue-eyed brother from “El Norte.” Some of our new friends brought us lunch the next day, and some invited us to their house for dinner after the convention, even though they had only known us for two days. On Sunday night, with tearful eyes, we said goodbye to all our friends, who repeatedly asked us to please visit again.

Our Comalapa brothers proved to be just as hospitable as the brothers from the Union by giving us their food and loving kindness.

Lesson Learned #3: Be hospitable and show unselfish loving kindness.

Un punto culminante de nuestro viaje a Chiapas fue atender por segunda vez la Asamblea de Distrito “Manténganse Alerta” en el Salón de Asambleas de Comalapa. Iba a ser una experiencia agridulce, porque al final de la asamblea, ya no volveríamos a la Unión Buena Vista. Habíamos pasado cuatro semanas disfrutando de la hospitalidad de los hermanos, y después de una semana, volveríamos a Georgia. Si regresábamos a la Unión, corríamos el riesgo de no salir debido a la lluvia. Perderíamos el vuelo de regreso a casa.

Algunos de los hermanos no pudieron atender la asamblea por falta de dinero. Antes de que saliéramos de la Unión, muchos vinieron a despedirse y algunos trajeron pequeños regalos. Con lágrimas en los ojos, nos rogaron que volviéramos a visitar de nuevo.

Las congregaciones organizaron una fiesta el domingo antes de la asamblea. Yo había caído víctima a la venganza de Montezuma al comer un pescado frito, y no me sentía bien. Durante el día, los hermanos llegaron a ver cómo me sentía. Esa noche me sentí mejor y pude ir a la fiesta.

Una familia de hermanos en Comalapa nos proveyeron hospedaje durante la asamblea. Allí conocimos a muchos hermanos, los cuales estaban ansiosos por conocer al hermano de ojos azules que venía del Norte. Algunos hermanos nos trajeron almuerzo y hasta nos invitaron a comer a su casa después de la asamblea, a pesar de que sólo llevaban dos días de conocernos. Domingo en la noche nos despedimos de nuestros hermanos Chiapanecos quienes lloraron y nos pidieron que un día regresáramos a visitar.

Los hermanos en Comalapa fueron tan hospitalarios como los hermanos de la Unión. Nos mostraron hospitalidad al darnos su comida y bondad amorosa.

Lección Aprendida #3: Seamos hospitalarios y mostremos bondad amorosa sin egoísmo.

Keeping It Simple: Lesson #2

We became interested in Chiapas after meeting three teenage immigrants in Savannah. Their mother had died when they were between the ages of three and five. The oldest girl, Linda, grew up with her grandparents. The other two, Belli and Mauricio, grew up with their father, who was unable to provide for his family.

All three found jobs in Savannah, because after all, that’s why immigrants come to “El Norte.” Kurt and I took Linda and Mauricio several times to Walmart for groceries. They would budget $50 for their food, and none of it was wasted. As Linda picked up food items, I would keep a running total on a calculator. One time she still had about $5 left, and Kurt told her to buy some chocolate. Instead she opted for some cauliflower and fruit because, as she said, “It’s nutritious.” You see, chocolate is a luxury that they did not know much about. 

I also remember the day when they told us, with amazement in their eyes, that all American toys “talked” to them. Or the day when Mauricio’s eyes lit up at the sight of a remote-control helicopter at the mall. When he found out it cost $35, his face immediately changed and he lost interest. I knew he had the $35, but that money was valuable to him because he knew what hunger was all about. They worked hard to spend $50 in groceries, and valued every little bit they had.

King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:12, “money is for a protection.” Money for these young people meant food and shelter, whereas for many of us in the U.S., money is there to spend as we wish, for chocolate, for a remote-control helicopter, or for an expensive trip to Disney World. 

Lesson Learned #2: Value what Jehovah has lovingly provided us.

Nos interesamos en viajar a Chiapas luego de conocer a tres adolecentes que habían llegado a Savannah. Su madre había fallecido cuando apenas tenían entre tres y cinco años de edad. La muchacha mayor, Linda, había vivido con sus abuelos. Belli y Mauricio habían vivido con su padre, quien no había podido mantener a su familia.

Los tres consiguieron trabajo en Savannah porque para eso vienen los inmigrantes al Norte. Kurt y yo los llevábamos a Walmart a comprar comida. Su presupuesto era de 50 dólares, y el dinero no lo desperdiciaban. Mientras Linda escogía su comida, yo mantenía  la suma en una calculadora. Una vez le quedaban 5 dólares, y Kurt le dijo que comprara chocolate. En vez, Linda compró coliflor y fruta, diciendo que eran más nutritivos.

Recuerdo también el día en que nos dijeron, con asombro, que todos los juguetes Americanos “hablan”. Hubo otro día en que a Mauricio se le querían salir los ojos al ver un helicóptero de control remoto en el Mall. Cuando se enteró de que costaba 35 dólares, perdió interés. Yo sabía que él tenía los 35 dólares, pero el dinero era valioso para él porque él sabía lo que era pasar hambre. Ellos trabajaban duro para poder gastar 50 dólares en comida y valoraban cada centavo.

El rey Salomón dijo en Eclesiastés 7:12 que “El dinero es para una protección”. Para estos jóvenes el dinero significaba comida y sustento, mientras que para muchos en Estados Unidos, el dinero se gasta en lo que uno desea--en chocolate, en un helicóptero de control remoto, o en un viaje a Disney World.

Lección Aprendida #2: Valoremos lo que Jehová amorosamente nos ha provisto.

Keeping It Simple: Lesson #1

For several months we planned this trip to Chiapas. We were prepared for the worst. Our host, Mauricio, lived in a small adobe home with his father, three brothers, and a sister-in-law. The house only had two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a room used to dry the coffee. Did I mention the bathroom? No… that’s because there was no bathroom, no toilet, no sink, no shower, no running water, zip, nada.

We had no idea where we would stay for five weeks. As far as we knew, we would stay with Mauricio at the house with no bathroom. However, the brothers were very loving and provided us a house. The bathroom was a little concrete block building separate from the main house. 

The bathroom had a toilet, but did not have running water. Whenever we used the toilet, we had to grab a bucket of water from a large water basin and flush the toilet with it.

To take a bath, we would grab two 5-gallon buckets of water from the basin, and give ourselves a “sponge bath.” This water was ice cold. Fortunately our sister Amparo had a little electric device for warming the water. 

Every house had a huge water basin that supplied water for flushing the toilet, water for bathing, water for laundry, water for washing dishes, and water for cooking.

When I think of my brothers’ struggles in Chiapas, I forget about my own struggles. These don’t come close to what our brothers in other parts of the world go through. Yet, they are content and pray that we remain loyal to our Father. 

Lesson learned #1: BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU HAVE.

El viaje a Chiapas lo planeamos por varios meses, y no sabíamos dónde nos hospedaríamos. Nuestro anfitrión, Mauricio, vive en una casa de adobe con su padre, tres hermanos, y su cuñada. La casa tiene dos recámaras, una cocina, y un cuarto donde se seca el café. Lo único que faltaba era un baño con agua potable. Los hermanos fueron muy amorosos y nos proveyeron una casa. El baño estaba situado en una casita aparte, hecha de bloque.

El baño tenía inodoro, pero no tenía agua potable. Para vaciar el inodoro había que ir a una pileta de agua y llenar un cubo con agua. Para bañarnos, echábamos agua en dos cubos de cinco galones. El agua estaba helada, pero nuestra hermana Amparo tenía un aparato eléctrico con que calentábamos el agua.

La pileta de agua era enorme y usábamos el agua para vaciar el inodoro, para bañarnos, para lavar ropa, para lavar trastes, y para cocinar. Cuando pienso en cómo luchan nuestros hermanos Chiapanecos, me olvido de que tengo problemas. Nuestros hermanos en otras partes del mundo sufren mucho más que nosotros, mas viven conformes y oran por nosotros.

Lección aprendida #1: Vive conforme con lo que tienes.

Coffee: Daily Sustenance

Having been raised in Puerto Rico, I have always loved coffee. During our visit to Chiapas, lightly sweetened black coffee was served with all our meals. Our  sisters would bring us a pitcher of piping hot coffee during the day, which we drank between meals, and even at night. We quickly found out that Chiapas coffee does not keep you awake late at night. 

The majority of residents in Union Buena Vista are coffee farmers. For over a century, Chiapanecos and their families have worked harvesting and processing coffee. Early in the mornings we would see machete-wielding men walk down the street wearing a cowboy hat, old blue jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and dirty rubber boots. We knew they were headed to their “rancho”, or coffee farm, to work in the clean-up of their plants, and to check on the new coffee beans. 

The “rancho” is basically a farm, and these men will sometimes walk two hours to their fields. The Union is a three-hour ride from the nearest city and its roads are not paved. The only way to reach the “rancho” is by foot, or on a horse. Many men walk and take along a donkey.

Harvest time starts sometime between December and January. This is when the entire family leaves the Union and heads to the “rancho”. The coffee is picked and a hand crank machine is used to de-pulp the beans. The beans are then soaked and left to ferment for a few days. Finally, they are spread out on concrete to dry in the sun. The best dried coffee beans are selected, bagged in huge coffee sacks, and sold in Chicomuselo. Of course, the family keeps some of the beans, and they complete the processing and roast their own coffee. 

The climate and altitude in this part of Mexico is ideal for growing coffee. The coffee from Chiapas has a mild, delicate flavor, and a rich aroma. As a departing gift, our new friends from the Union gave us five bags of coffee, all roasted by different families. Our Chiapaneco brothers and sisters were truly hospitable, and we will never forget them. 

Como soy Puertorriqueña, siempre me ha encantado el café. En Chiapas nos servían café endulzado con todas las comidas. Durante el día las hermanas nos traían una jarra de café caliente que tomábamos entre comidas y de noche. Lo asombroso del café Chiapaneco es que no nos desvelaba.

La mayoría de la gente que vive en la Unión Buena Vista trabaja en el café. Por más de un siglo los Chiapanecos y sus familias han cultivado café. Todas las mañanas, pasaban por la calle hombres cargando un machete, con sombrero de vaquero, vestidos con viejos pantalones de mezclilla, una camisa de manga larga, y botas sucias. Iban en camino a su rancho para limpiar las plantas de café.

Estos hombres caminan dos horas para llegar a su cafetal. La Unión queda a tres horas de la ciudad más cercana y las calles no son pavimentadas. La única manera de llegar al rancho es a pie, o en caballo. Muchos hombres caminan y se llevan un burro.

La cosecha comienza entre diciembre y enero. Durante este tiempo familias enteras salen de la Unión para ir a sus ranchos. El café se recoge y usan una máquina para despulpar el grano. Finalmente el café se seca al sol. Los mejores granos se seleccionan y se colocan en bolsas para venderlo en Chicomuselo. Las familias se quedan con parte del café para tostarlo a gusto. 

El clima y la altitud en esta parte de México es ideal para el cultivo de café. El café de Chiapas es liviano y huele muy rico. Como regalo de despedida, los hermanos de la Unión nos dieron cinco bolsas de café, cada uno tostado por diferentes familias. Nuestros hermanos Chiapanecos son my hospitalarios y nunca los olvidaremos.

What Is “Mi Vida Humilde"?

“Mi Vida Humilde” is Spanish for “My Humble Life.” My favorite scripture at Hebrews 13:5 says: “Let your manner of life be free of the love of money, while you are content with the present things. For he has said: ‘I will by no means leave you nor by any means forsake you’.” 

I finally understood the wisdom of Paul’s words during our visit to Chiapas. Most of these people are coffee farmers. The sale of coffee provides them a year’s supply of corn, beans, sugar, oil, and soap. The leftover money is for some basic essentials. For some, the money will last all year, while others are not that fortunate. Basic essentials may include the occasional fruit or vegetable purchased at the “abarroteria” or small store. And then of course, money is saved for a medical emergency or a trip to town, which is very rare. Most children do not enjoy the luxury of a lollipop or a new toy. New clothes and shoes are rare.

Our Chiapaneco brothers and sisters are content because they have not known many things that we take for granted. They have not experienced the pressure of buying a new cell phone, an iPod, or a laptop. In fact, most have never seen an iPod, much less a laptop. Would they ever imagine owning 30 pairs of shoes? Yet, they are content knowing they will not lack the basic necessities supplied one day at a time. This is the lesson I have learned. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, 34: “Keep on then seeking first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness.”

Durante nuestra visita a Chiapas, Mexico, pude entender la sabiduría de las palabras del Apóstol Pablo en Hebreos 13:5. La mayoría de la gente que vive en la Unión Buena Vista son dueños de cafetales. La venta del café les provee maíz, frijoles, azúcar, aceite y jabón para el año. El dinero restante es para necesidades básicas como frutas o verduras que consiguen en la abarrotería. Para algunos el dinero les rinde el año entero, otros no son tan afortunados. Muchos niños no disfrutan de una paleta ni de un juguete nuevo.

Nuestros hermanos chiapanecos son conformes porque no se han sentido presionados a comprar un teléfono celular, un iPod, o un “laptop”. Muchos ni siquiera han visto un iPod, mucho menos un “laptop”. Mas viven conformes sabiendo que Jehová les proveerá sus necesidades básicas cada día. (Mateo 6:33, 34)

Visit to a Small Mexican Village

Back in December of 2009, Kurt and I visited a small village in Chiapas, Mexico, called Union Buena Vista. Situated 7,000-feet above sea level, this village is located in the Chicomuselo Municipality. The purpose of our trip was to visit our friend, Mauricio, who had sadly been deported a few months earlier.

After two exhausting days of travel on plane and local “combis” or taxis, we arrived in Chicomuselo. In order to get to the mountain top where Union Buena Vista is located, we rode in a Toyota Tacoma for three hours on an unpaved bumpy road. Upon arrival we were welcomed by about 50 brothers and sisters who were anxious to meet the first “Americanos” that had ever visited the Union.

Our Chiapaneco brothers and sisters were truly hospitable. They provided us a modestly furnished house, and fed us daily meals for three weeks. Plus, we had the privilege of preaching in their territory, which at times meant walking for two hours down the mountain, and two hours back up the mountain.

Our morning wake-up call started with the crow of roosters, the barks of dogs, and the hee-haws of the donkeys. This was followed by a breakfast of fried or scrambled eggs, black beans “a la olla”, fresh handmade corn tortillas, and lightly sweetened black coffee. This was accompanied by laid back conversations about life in El Norte, and encouraging experiences.

Though poverty is extreme in this part of Mexico, our brothers and sisters gave us of their food and most of all, gave us a piece of their heart. I look forward to going back to enjoy the beautiful mountain views, the spectacular starry nights, the mild weather, and the warm and loving people who welcomed us with open hearts.

 

En diciembre de 2009 Kurt y yo visitamos a Unión Buena Vista, una colonia en el municipio de Chicomuselo en Chiapas, México. Tomamos este viaje para visitar a Mauricio, nuestro amigo que había vuelto a México unos meses antes. Luego de viajar dos días en avión, “combis” y taxis, llegamos a la Unión luego de un viaje de tres horas en una carretera no pavimentada. Los hermanos nos dieron una cálida bienvenida, muchos ansiosos por conocer a los hermanos que venían del Norte.

Nuestros hermanos fueron muy hospitalarios y nos proveyeron una casa y comidas diarias por tres semanas. También tuvimos el privilegio de predicar con ellos, muchas veces caminando dos horas de ida al territorio y dos horas de vuelta. En las mañanas nos despertaban los gallos, los perros y luego los burros. A esto le seguía un desayuno de huevos, frijoles negros, tortillas de maíz hechas a mano, y café negro endulzado. La comida iba acompañada de conversaciones animadoras sobre vida en el Norte. 

Aunque la pobreza es extrema en esta parte de México, nuestros hermanos nos proveyeron no solo comida, pero un pedacito de su corazón. Anhelamos volver a visitar para disfrutar de los paisajes montañosos, las noches estrelladas, el clima cálido y la gente tan amorosa que nos recibió con corazones abiertos.