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...

Rebecca Wilson Yesterday, thanks to internet access, I read about the decision of President Trump to end DACA. The fact that I am sitting freely in a classroom in Mexico pondering this news is another blatant example of my privilege as a white citizen of the United States with a U.S. issued passport.  In class this morning, in addition to grammar lessons, we talked at length about the reasons why one would decide to migrate to the United States, particularly without documentation; traveling by night through hot deserts, raging rivers, or polluted tunnels. The dream of a better life is the driving factor. The minimum wage in Mexico is $80 pesos a day or roughly $4.00-5.00 US Dollars. Since NAFTA began in the 90's many Mexican farmers have been forced out of business and it is cheaper for Mexicans to purchase rice and beans produced in the U.S.  Currently in Mexico the cost of rice produced outside of Mexico is $10-15 pesos per kilogram. Rice produced...

Rev. Kim James It's late Sunday afternoon, and I finally have some free time to reflect on these busy days in Mexico.  The past five days have been so richly full of Spanish language classes, lectures about various important people and programs, outings to museums, ancient archeological sites, outdoor markets, and centuries-old churches.  In these days, we've been exposed not only to Mexican culture today, but also its indigenous predecessor cultures and the displacing effects of the Spanish conquistadors and the Christian missionaries.  In the midst and in between all these intentional exposures, there have been many informal conversations.  Some of those have been spoken in English as we from the Mountain Sky Area have come to know each other much better during school breaks, over meals, and en route by foot, bus, or taxi.   I have especially enjoyed and appreciated getting to know Rev. Cynthia Paquette of Ft. Collins First UMC.  Cyn...

Rev. Jim and Joanie Calhoun Another incredible day! Grande Dios! We said goodbye to our teacher Roman. We said hello to many new friends and experiences, highlighted by our visit to an Ecumenical Catholic church which ministers to and with LGBTQ persons. Love, compassion and acceptance permeated the atmosphere. For a moment we had a preview of the kingdom of God. Anticipation runs high as we enter our second week. Jim and Joanie enjoying lunch in Taxco Rev. Denise Bender We are moving along rapidly with learning Spanish. I'm so grateful to Mario and Francesco for their patience and encouragement. Our conversations contain more and more Spanish words and phrases. Our education does not end with classroom learning. We had a great opportunity to meet a bishop of the ecumenical Catholic Church. The stories of those who are part of the congregation were hard to hear because of the universal truth in their stories of being people on margins. This part of the LGB...