Motivating the Mayor

Michelle writes:

     As we walked further up the hill, we passed Romolo’s home. Stopping to visit, Kathy asked if Romolo would be willing to take us into the jungle on horseback. He occasionally takes Kathy and others on these adventures. We plan to go next week, as the calendar is filling with activities with the weavers and jewelers. Romolo and his wife, Sirila, have hibiscus and other beautiful flowers in their yard, along with a few coconut trees. Romolo took a plank of wood and knocked on a coconut  hanging high on the tree until it came crashing down, first one, then two. He cut off the tip with the machete, and Kathy and I each had fresh coconut milk to quench our thirst in the heat. After the milk was gone, he split the coconuts open and gave us a pocketknife to help scrape the moist coconut meat.

     Onward we went to Francisca’s. She had been anxiously waiting our arrival. After warm greetings, she offered each of us a cold Gatorade. We are well cared for by these generous people. Francisca brought out her back strap loom to show us the scarf she was weaving and to demonstrate their technique to me. We also looked at the scarves and table runners that were ready for sale in the United States.

     Francisca had prepared a special meal for us: local fish, which is a tasty delight, as chicken is the usual meat. Roasted and then boiled, it was excellent accompanied with a tomato and onion salsa and tortillas. Her husband, Juan, also joined us. 

     Juan had returned from carrying a long, 6” diameter log on a thirty-minute walk to the low spot on the road currently being improved. Seventy-five men were asked to bring a log for drainage. Community is very strong here; everyone works together for the common good. The road crew consists of the operator of a Caterpillar and men with machetes. The three men clear the brush and trees in preparation for widening. 

     The story behind the road needs to be told. The current mayor of the Ixcan region had this road improvement as part of his campaign platform. Three years into his term, with still nothing done, the community decided to take matters into their own hands. They had numerous community meetings with the leaders and people of the surrounding area villages. Their plan emerged. They first confiscated the keys from the operator of the municipal Caterpillar that was enroute to a neighboring village as a way to pressure the mayor to come to Santiago Ixcan and talk with the people about his yet-unfilled campaign promise.  

     Once the mayor got here, they had a general forum on the steps of the Catholic church under the blaring brutal heat of the sun. The mayor hedged and gave excuses as to why the road had not been improved as promised. After much discussion by both men and women--not only from Santiago Ixcan, but also from other communities--it was decided to hold the mayor  hostage until he agreed to uphold his campaign promise and improve the road!

     After all that, he finally agreed to improve the road! How’s that for getting a politician's attention?! 

A Day of Gifting

Michelle writes:

     We knew it would be a busy day, so we arose early to have some quiet time in the cool morning hours. This mission house is a sacred space for meditation, prayer, reflection, and fellowship.
At 7:30, the first neighbor child arrived with tortillas wrapped in a towel. 

Ten minutes later,  another day's supply of tortillas arrived. 

Ten minutes passed, and another neighbor came bearing the gift of tortillas. They are very happy to have Kathy back.

Kathy  was in Antigua visiting a friend when she received word of her aunt’s passing in the United States. She contacted Javier in Santiago Ixcan, and he was able to find her passport in her home and send it with a student who was returning to Guatemala City for classes. Kathy left the country for two months even though it was only supposed to be a 10-day absence.

     Maria told us of her dream that Kathy had left for good and the women were crying. Later her dreams told her that Kathy would return. Several of the women had dreamt of Kathy and knew she would return. Patrona had dreamt that Kathy returned with another woman, so my arrival was no surprise.

     We left the house to visit Francisca, one of the weavers, and to purchase a few groceries. We set out on the road, which is being widened and improved for easier access to the community farm land, playa. Not all the land owners own land that is productive for growing maize and beans, the basis of their diet, so the playa provides the opportunity for all residents to produce their own food. This improved road will enhance accessibility to that land.

     Javier and Rosa were in their yard observing the road work taking place in front of their house. A tree was being removed from the yard. We scurried along as the Caterpillar operator waited for us to cross.

     We came to a tienda, a 7-11 type store,  and were each given half of a sweet, juicy mango. We bought more mangoes, along with some laundry soap for washing clothes in the river, bleach for the final rinse when washing dishes, and toilet paper for both the outhouse and the indoor bathroom, where the paper is always placed in a separate trash bin for burning.  Then, we took a slice of watermelon for the road, and off we went.

     Because we had only returned to Santiago Ixcan two days before, we were greeted by many well wishers who were happy to see Kathy again.  
     Rosa, a weaver, was shopping as well, and we stopped to visit. She is a Ixil Mayan, and her dress told us of her people. Her shiny, black hair was held in place with a long woven band that wrapped her long tresses before being wound around her head. Two, 2-1/2 inch diameter multicolored pom-poms embellished both ends of the band, adding a colorful and festive look. The two holes in each earlobe had a length of green yarn looped through with a small shiny bead holding the ends of the yarn together. The striking beauty of Rosa’s dark skin and the bright colors of her adornments, once again reflected the exquisiteness of Guatemala. She gifted us with tortillas and a plastic container of three hardboiled eggs in a tomato sauce.

     We walked along the dirt road as the heat of the day became oppressive; it was still before 9 a.m.      

We stopped to visit another weaver, Natividad, who was hard at work using her backstrap loom. The weavers are making scarves for the next shipment to the US. The scarves have been selling well, and they add to the variety of hand-wovens made in this village. Natividad had a scarf she felt was too long and couldn’t be exported for sale. I asked to look at it. The rich heather of the burgundy and black was stunning. I told Natividad her scarf was beautiful, and that I would buy it. She gave it to me as a gift for coming here and taking their weavings to the US to sell. I said I would pay for the yarn, knowing this was a special yarn, more expensive than what they usually work with, creating a softer draping scarf. Tears filled my eyes when she repeated it was a gift.