Rev. Jim and Joanie Calhoun God keeps working in this world in mysterious ways which we keep discovering throughout our lives. This week has been a "Cram course" in discovery. Monday was no exception. Mario became our teacher and added an interesting new dimension to the instruction begun my Senor Roman. Natividad's comida was muy bien. Our trip to Caminando Unidos was amazing. Senora Monica kept us spellbound as we heard the exciting story of not only the educational methods of the escuela but also of the character building procedures that have evolved over the years of the school's existence. Keep your word...do your best...take care of each other...! you are somebody...! Finally, representatives of CEB showed us how a small group of everyday lay persons can minister to the needs of people around them even as they courageously challenge the inertia of the existing church and the corruption of the government. We'll experience this first h...

Today we had morning classes, an evaluation of the program thus far, and then visited a church that serves the LGBTQ community Curtis Gay Great day – conjugating verbs, practicing pronunciation over and over.  Very helpful and makes sense. Then discussion on a specific type of theology – thought provoking and required listening and thinking since it was mostly in Spanish.  Off to lunch and then to a non-profit that supports justice for people.  Following the Bishop Don Sergio Mendez who supported people’s rights and justice for all, they continue his work to help those suffering from injustice and persecution.  I had the meditation tonight – Karen Armstrong’s 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life.  As Gertrude Stein said, “Americanism was born in me, and I believe that one person is as good as another”, not All Men Are Created Equal.  All had tacos listening to the fiesta music – then a taxi home and it’s pouring like the devil.  Pat Jo...

Today we began to immerse ourselves in liberation theology. After our regular class, we had a lecture followed by a visit to a human rights organization in Cuernavaca. Rev. Brad Walston Irregular verbs; if you’ve ever taken a language – including English – you know that these words are the words that confuse most students. This was a major part of today’s Spanish class. These are the verbs that we learn growing up by simply using and hearing them over and over. As adults learning a second language, the challenge now is memorizing them; and then using them and hearing them over and over.  Today, I walked about a mile to school with my backpack, and a it’s all downhill. Coming home I took the bus -- by myself! It wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it might be. I feel like it’ back-to–school for me as well as all the kiddos at home! This afternoon we took an excursion to the small traditional town of Tepoztlan (yes, every letter is pronounced). A beautiful old town, i...

Pao After morning language classes, the team went by public bus to Tepoztlan, a traditional town in Morelos State. We visited a former Dominican convent, the town's church, and watched young and old members of the town create murals from seeds for the big upcoming fiesta. Rev. Kim James Kim, Denise, and Brad strike a pose! Transportation is interesting here. I've always heard the stereotypes that we from the US are perceived as overly assertive and aggressive, and that Mexicans are more laid back.  But there's nothing laid back about the way they drive.  Pedestrians have to be aggressive also, so they can get through a crowd or cross a street.  If you are too gentle, you'll never get where you're going.  It's a wonder that pedestrians aren't killed more often, and drivers and passengers also.  It seems that the people here have to take huge risks just to go to school or work.  And, of course, they have no choice but face those risks because th...

Today the team began our first day of lessons and orientation to Mexico and Cuernavaca. Below are reflections from team: BISHOP KAREN OLIVETO This is my second time to come to Cuernavaca to attend this language school. People ask me why I am leading this trip for the Mountain Sky Area. There are several reasons. I believe that we as Christians are called to speak the language of the people God has asked us to serve. As the US population grows increasingly Hispanic, and when 60% of the school children in Denver speak Spanish as their second language, that is a sign for me that we have new things to learn in order to effectively communicate the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As many of you know, our theme for this quadrennium is "Living Into Beloved Community." We in the Mountain Sky Area will be working towards creating peace-filled, healthy, and just communities through the power of unconditional love. We are here in Cuernavaca to learn from practitioner...