Mexico

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Day of the Dead

November 4, 2006 in Culture, Maya, Mexico by Dave | 7 comments

I received an email from one of the readers of the site asking about the Day of the Dead rituals that occur here in Mérida. She was wondering if it mirrored the traditional practices that take place throughout the country, or if there was a certain Yucateco twist to the holiday. Not being one to disappoint, I decided to give what insight into the event that I have in this post:

First of all, one needs to be clear about the Day of the Dead as it is traditionally celebrated. Throughout Mexico, the first two days of November are a national holiday during which the country remembers their deceased relatives. The first day is a day set aside to remember the deceased children and the second is “El Dia de Todos Los Santos” or the Day of the Dead proper. During these days, altars are made in homes with pictures of the dead relative along with those things that would have been special to the person during their lives: a sweater, a jacket, a picture or possibly a toy for a child. Also, the deceased’s favorite foods would be on display with the idea that, during these days, the relative would visit to be with the family and partake of the meal there on the altar.

During this time as well, there is much attention given to the family gravesite where flowers are placed and the debris that have collected during the year are cleaned away. One Maya village takes this idea of cleaning to the extreme, and actually exhumes the dried bones of relatives that have been dead for 3 years, cleaning them and placing them on display in boxes. The ritual is detailed in this Yahoo news article

Also, it is said that, during the day of the dead proper, the family gathers at the gravesite in order to enjoy a meal with the dead relative. I tried to witness this tradition, stopping by the General Cemetery here in Mérida, but, possibly because of the rain, I found only a few families placing flowers.

Here in Mérida, there is another holiday celebrated during the same time called El Hanal Pixan. It is a ceremony that predates the arrival of the Spanish and also honors those family members who have died. The picture above, from the local paper Diario de Yucatan shows girls dressed in the traditional Maya “huipil” making tortillas in front of an altar constructed in order to celebrate this event.

We’ve found it hard to experience this holiday living the midst of an evangelical society that has rejected its practice, but I find myself personally torn by this rejection. On one hand, the worship of dead loved ones as a way of receiving favors for ourselves with God or as a way of helping them somehow reach eternal rest are ideas that I reject as being groundless biblically, but the Bible does not consider our loved ones as dead to us. Paul states that to die to be with Christ, and that our spirits continue to live after our physical deaths. Hebrews chapter 12 states that the saints (believers) who have died form a kind of “cloud of witnesses” that seem to cheer us on in our own Christian walk. So in this sense, our struggle to try to forget our dead loved ones seems as well to be a bit unbiblical. I still haven’t had enough exposure to the rituals involved to make an unbiased judgment. So I’ll save any conclusion for much later. Of course this could be something to talk out in the comments section!

So there you have it, a bit of a survey of what went on during this past week as Mexico and the Yucatan celebrated the Day of the Dead. Next year, we’ll hope to be more on top of the action so that you can see more of the sights, and possibly sounds of the season.

Update 11/10/2006: For more about Day of the Dead around the missionary world, see this feature post on Missionary Blog Watch.


Breakfast of the Yucatecos

October 25, 2006 in Culture, Mexico by Dave | 3 comments

Some time ago I wrote about Gallo Pinto, the breakfast food of Costa Rica in this post entitled “Happy Monday.” Well, as a comparison, I’d like to take a little webspace talking about the Yucateco breakfast called, “cochinita.”

Here in Mérida, pork is king. Not to say that there aren’t other meats, but if you are going to eat yucateco style, pork is the food of choice in the majority of the dishes from breakfast to dinner. So let’s talk about this most important meal of the day. Here’s the scoop on cochinita:

Cochinita is basically a pork sandwich. On the street, the marinated pork is usually cooked on a open fryer in front of you or ahead of time in an oven and then brought to the site, but “real cochinita” is cooked underground. That’s right, a hole is dug and a fire is built. When the only the hot coals remain, the meat of the pig is cooked in a clay pot that is buried in this pit. The result, I have heard, is delicious, but I’ve yet to sample it so, on with the cochinita of real life.

The sandwich is served on a hard roll, on which the sauce of the meat is ladled first, and then the pork is laid, by hand, on top. Now there are two types, cochinita especial, which is all meat, and the cochinita normal, which includes “other parts.” This family has yet to sample the normal, but our mentors, Paul and Sandy Kazim tell us it’s the more flavorful of the two. Finally, some onions finish the sandwich along with some picante, which never fails to accompany Mexican dishes. The result is the traditional breakfast food of the Yucatan.

Now I explained this dish to my brother, Mike, who told me that it needed something else, like eggs, in order to make it breakfast, but the Meridians don’t seem to miss it. What do you think? Are you ready to give up your Wheaties yet?


Waking up to the Need

September 29, 2006 in Mexico, Ministry by Dave | 2 comments

Where has September gone? Between getting our trip here, getting our house in order and applying for our visas, it seems as though we’ve burned through a whole month! Just now catching our breaths, we’ve found some time to look around a little bit, and we’ve been a bit surprised at what we have seen.

The other day, while I was working on our front lawn two very friendly ladies, one in her fifties, the other a bit younger stopped by. Carrying materials that they offered me, they began with a message about the dangers of too much television watching, a subject that many of us are open to. However, as I probed a bit deeper, I found that they represented the Jehovah’s Witnesses, a cult that claims to be Christian yet denies the divinity of Christ, marking them beyond the fold of what we would call the Orthodox Christian Faith. The surprising thing was that not only were they out but they were out in force, going door to door with at least three groups in our neighborhood.

It also appears that this neighborhood is a neighborhood in search of God. Stopping around the corner to get my car washed, I struck up a conversation with Alberto, the owner. The subject turned to my work, which gave me an opportunity to explain who I was as well as talk a bit about my acceptance of Christ. When the conversation turned to his faith, he answered that he really didn’t know what it was that believed, but he certainly was willing to listen to what I had to say.

Going back to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, you can see the magazine that they left with me earlier in this post. The title is “Despertad,” which is a Spanish command that means: “Wake up!” I think that is what Kelly and I have received, a wake up call to the readiness of those who are searching, evidenced by my conversation with Alberto, and the limited time that we have to reach these searchers as false religions sweep in to snatch up those who are spiritually vulnerable.

Please continue to pray for us as we pray to reach Merida, and pray for those like Alberto, that they might be receptive of our message.

Making a Day of It

September 25, 2006 in Culture, Mexico, Ministry by Dave | 2 comments

This Sunday marked my first opportunity to preach in Mexico. I was able to share at the Centro Familiar Cristiano “Cristo Viene,” which translated reads Christian Family Center, “Christ is Coming.” The church is pastored by Berta Sabido Castillo, a pediatrician/minister. She invited me to speak specifically to the teens of the church during the Sunday morning service. I was able to share about my personal experience of being called by God when I was fifteen. It served as a springboard as well to preach missions.

The message was well recieved and many came forward to pray following the service. Also notable were the new relationships that were formed that will last long after the words of the message have been forgotten. I was invited back to help teach leadership principles to the cell group leaders, and our familiy was invited to spend the afternoon celebrating the 21st birthday of her son Josué, who also is a student in the Bible School.

We enjoyed sharing a meal of pollo asado, chicken cooked in rasins, orange juice and olives, along with lots of tortillas. The kids were excited about drinking Coke, which is the beverage of choice here in Merida (sorry Pepsi fans), and having a part of the cake, “tres leches.” A custom of the Yucatecos is to have the person celebrating to take a Mordita, or little bite of the cake before it is cut. The picture above is what resulted during the bite. It is also a custom to push the person’s face into the cake when taking the bite.

We’ve enjoyed this opportunity share a little bit of the lives of those who are working for the Lord here in Merida, and we’re looking forward to more opportunities to come.

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A Culture of Waiting

September 13, 2006 in Culture, Mexico by Dave | Permalink

Life is moving in fits and starts here in Merida. There is a sense of going forward and yet standing still. It is somewhat like the noonday sun which heats this city to over 100 degrees regularly. The day continues on, but life just seems to stop under the heat.

The thing that I am referring to is our housing setup. We’ve gotten an air conditioner installed, but another needing repairs is still in the shop, waiting to be reinstalled, “mañana.” Our internet is hooked up, but our telephone will require another possible 22 days in order to be connected.

Our missionary friends say that when it comes to dealing with everyday life in Mexico, getting one thing done is a good day, getting two things done is a banner day, saying that you’ve accomplished three things would make you a liar.

So we’re learning that enterning into the culture here in Mexico takes a different kind of patience. A patience that will allow us to take the delays in stride and help us to make friends along the way.

Photo Credits: Photo uploaded by A30_Tsitika’s photos and is available at: https://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=7166654&size=s

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The Road to Merida: We Made It!

September 1, 2006 in Mexico, Progress by Dave | 3 comments

As you can see, the two Dave’s finally made it from Springfield MO, all the way to Merida. The two hour trip from Campeche was very uneventful, which was a pleasant change from the travels of the previous days.

We arrived in Merida at about 10:30 AM and got right into the work, unloading boxes, receiving deliveries, and getting things situated so that we can officially move in to our home. While we’d been driving, Kelly had been doing the real work setting up house here in Merida, and we’re certainly getting close to that point. In the meantime, we’ve been enjoying the hospitality of fellow missionaries Paul and Sandy Kazim.

Of course, the sweetest thing about the journey was the reunion and the realization that even though we have moved seemingly all over the world, home is where the family is.

Even though our journey has ended, our mission is just beginning. Keep checking back to stay updated, and keep us in your prayers.

The Road to Merida: Simple Pleasures

August 31, 2006 in Mexico, Progress by Dave | 1 comment

How does the song go? When the dog bites, when the bees sting? Yes, when things don’t go the way that you’d like them to go, it is always refreshing to think about your favorite things. In this case, I thought alot about my family. I sure miss them, and the Dave’s are doing there best to reach the reunion. We would have like for it to have been today, but the local police again made that impossible. We’ve made it as far as Campeche, which sits about 2-3 hours south of Merida on the Yucatan.

I’m choosing not to dwell on that though so I’ll talk about the picture above. It is of Kelly’s dad sitting behind one of the waiters of the restaurant “El Gran Café La Parroquia” which is located in Veracruz. We had a chance to experience one of their famous “lecheros” or cafe con leche, which they pour from a distance. It was a true delight, especially after some of the unsavory experiences that we have had over the past few days.

Still, we’re blessed. Our vehicle has been great, we have our health and our stuff, we’re going to arrive in Merida tomorrow, and while our run-ins with the law haven’t been the best, I could sure imagine worse. Thanks for your continued prayers and stay tuned for the reunion post!

The Road to Merida: And the Road Goes On

August 31, 2006 in Mexico, Progress by Dave | Permalink

We’ve made it to Veracruz, though not without a bit of hassel from the Mexican Authorities. Suffice to say, although Vincente Fox has told us that it is getting better everyday, there are still some out there, on the bypass around Mexico City, that want to take your money. Watch out.

On now to Villahermosa, with a possible stay in Campeche before the final push to Merida.

The Road to Merida: Along for the ride

August 29, 2006 in Mexico, Progress by Dave | 2 comments

Did you ever feel that you were a bit out of control, kind of like you were riding in the back of a pickup with a gas grill going 50 mph? Well the experience crossing the border can feel that way, especially if you are bringing in all that you own!

We crossed into Mexico today, leaving Laredo, TX at about 8:30, hoping to get in a decent amount of miles. All went well until we chose the recommended self-declaration line in the customs process. Once there, we were told that we would have to pay taxes for many of the items that we were carrying into the country. However, it helped to be a bit unprepared in this case. I had only taken out about $100 USD worth of pesos, and after paying tolls and entrance fees, I was down to about $70. The taxes were $130, but the official basically took what I had. That was a relief as the next automatic teller that took my card was on the other side of Monterrey about 150 miles away. Still, after that situation, we basically had smooth
sailing (except of course over the speed bumps), and we are now in San Luis Potosí where the picture above was taken.

We are currently about 400 miles into Mexico and have driven about 1200 miles in two days. Please continue to pray. We have about 1100 miles still to go until we make it to Merida.

The “easy” way to Mérida

August 29, 2006 in Mexico, Progress by Dave | 1 comment

Monday morning early, and I mean early, the kids and I arrived at the Springfield-Branson Regional airport to board a plane that would take us first to Atlanta, then to Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico. Everything went smoothly, albeit slowly with 3 young kids, through scanners and checkpoints, with each one carrying their own carry-on luggage

When we got to Atlanta, they led us down the steps from the plane to what seemed to be an employee entrance below and then we took an elevator which brought us to the main portion of the terminal. After learning that our connecting flight was in a different wing . . . surprise, surprise, we made our way taking the airport mini-subway train, then walked to the correct gate in terminal E.

After settling in our seats we decided to make a trip (and it’s always a trip with kids and luggage) to the restrooms which were actually fairly close. However, just before heading off, Joseph asked where he should but a piece of trash, and I pointed to a trash can a mere 5 feet away, directly in front of us. Not thinking anything of it, I turned to deal with Jonathan and getting his backpack on, etc. and lifted my head to address Joseph to do the same, but he was nowhere to be seen! Panic immediately set it and I started calling for him and moving toward the main hallway looking toward the bathrooms in case he had decided to head in that direction. But no Joseph. I turned back toward the kids asking them if they knew where he went when a Yucatecan lady pointed the opposite direction. There he was, at a TRASHCAN that was totally obscured behind a column – throwing away his scrap of of paper! His look showed complete oblivity (is that a word?) and mine some kind of mixture of anger and relief. Let’s just say he got a firm talking to . . .

To continue, we boarded the 2nd plane which was less than half full, or nearly empty, however you would like to view it, and caught a few minutes of zzzzzzzs here and there, between overtired kids and bathroom breaks and snack time on the plane, during about 2 hours of travel time. At the airport in Mérida, we got through the line at immigration and proceeded to the luggage area where our action packers (incredible, versatile pieces of luggage) and car seats were waiting on the turnstile for us. The guys that help with luggage loaded them up to move them about 20 feet to customs where there were 3 ladies doing the luggage checks. They asked me if all this luggage was mine and, after confirming that question, I was asked to push a button on a mini traffic light of sorts to see whether I would get the random “green” all clear to pass right on through or the “red” where they would have to look through all the luggage. We got red. It actually only took 10 or 15 minutes at most to do that and we were greeted by veteran missionaries Paul and Sandy Kazim, who took the kids to get something to drink during this process. Thanks Uncle Paul! Thanks Aunt Sandy! (Side note: missionary kids call other missionary adults “aunt” and “uncle”)

So, here we are. Everyone is safe and hopefully rested this morning as I write this. Thank you, Lord, for Your hand of protection and favor. Thank you also to those who have been praying and continue to pray as the Daves continue their journey on the roads of Mexico.

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