MAT Mexico - Merida April 23-30

For me it is encouraging to think about you and to be in communication about the life and spirit I experience in the CFCA communities of compassion. I write this time from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, known here as “Heart of El Mundo Maya," where Project Merida serves 5,085 sponsored children, teens and aging.

Prior to the trip, Project Merida asked each sponsored child, teen or aging to compose a personal prayer for their sponsor. In each prayer, the particular sponsor is mentioned by name. Fourteen of these prayers have been selected by staff, translated and made into an attractive booklet. These prayers from the heart will be used to begin and close each day of the mission awareness trip.

Father. Bill Martin, one of our CFCA presenters, personally sponsors six children. Upon learning that he would be able to make this trip, Father Bill offered to sponsor a little girl from one of the Merida subprojects. He agreed to sponsor Lisbeth, who is a lovely child from a humble, hard-working family. Her mother, Juana, was never offered the chance to go to school. The children have taught the mother to sign her name. The father, Rodolfo, travels about as an itinerant bricklayer (albanil). We were impressed by the simplicity and goodness of this family. We hope to visit them in their home later this week.

Sunday. April 24, 2005 - Sponsors meet the sponsored friends

In our reflection after supper, sponsors spoke of their experience of spending this day with their sponsored children and families. The deep bonds formed between them during the day are impressive.

This was our day of serious introduction to the realities of the Mayan people. Sociologist Nancy Walker gave a fine illustrated presentation in preparation for our trip to the Guatemalan refugee settlement of Mayatecum in the state of Campeche. Nancy presented some key observations about the culture. People seem to want the Mayans to be more “Occidental/Western/Modern." The poor are often forced to sell the small parcels of land they have. Many day laborers work from 6 a.m.. to 6 p.m. for 90 pesos (U.S. $9) per day. Thirty percent of the Mayans of this area earn roughly $4 per day.

The sponsored families in the Mayatecum refugee settlement welcomed our group with balloons, smiles, words of thanks, dances and a meal for the entire community. At 9:30, we held our nightly reflection in the attractive city of Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico.

A delegation of sponsored children traveled from the states of Tabasco and Chiapas to be with our group of sponsors. It was a joy to see them, together with a few of their parents and our CFCA coordinators in those areas.

After Holy Mass and breakfast, I was invited to present for the children, parents and staff a glimpse of CFCA worldwide. For this group of Guatemalan exiles living in Mexico, I used the excellent photos I had received from Kansas City and the music of my song “Son De La Sonrisa.”

On the way back to Merida, the outside temperature was so warm that the rented van overheated. Sponsors took the challenging temperatures in good spirits. We learned later in the day that the temperature had passed 105 degrees.

We finished this day with climbing the Piramide del Sol in Chichen Itza and a gathering of sponsored children and parents in the town of Felipe Carillo Puerto. Sponsored teenager Noemi sang sweetly. Eight boys and girls, with smiles as bright as their embroidered guipiles, danced a lively Jarana.

Sponsors, 100 or so outgoing children, and strong, quiet mothers enjoyed a meal served under the mango trees, by the light of the moon. We then visited in their humble home the family of Lisbeth, who is newly sponsored by Father Bill Martin. Her family lives in a nicely kept thatched-roof home. We noticed that the mother, Doña Juana, is still cooking on an open-flame arrangement on the floor with all the smoke, danger and cost of firewood that this arrangement implies. Father Bill has volunteered to help them with the construction of a safer, fuel-efficient, wood burning stove. The family was able to be with us for Holy Mass the next morning, except the father, Rodolfo, who was fortunate enough to be working this day.

With the musical accompaniment of a chorus of Sisontle birds, we enjoyed a memorable celebration of the Holy Eucharist with Doña Juana, her five children, our group of sponsors and CFCA staff. It isn’t often that a priest sponsor is able to celebrate Holy Mass with his sponsored family. I believe this is Father Bill Martin’s ninth year with CFCA.

We continued our journey after breakfast to visit the sponsored children in Tixcacal Guardia, a small village with Mayan tradition. They were gearing up for another day of their titular feast. Lots of pork hanging from crude outdoor racks ready for the grill, together with huge urns of yellow corn cooked and ready for the prayers of thanks.

A chorus of 20 sponsored children sang for us in the village of Tixcacal Guardia. They sang in their Mayan language about a little firefly. Here’s a sampling:

Father Bill travels to the U.S. early tomorrow morning in order to preach for CFCA this weekend. Our prayers go with him and with all of our presenters.

This has been a very full and very meaningful final day of the 2005 Merida MAT. We started the morning with a general review by me of the CFCA communities of compassion. Bernardo Rodriguez, the project coordinator, and team followed with an illustrated presentation of the communities of compassion in Project Merida.

The communities of compassion in Merida have five basic precepts:

1. Communities of compassion which are in harmony with the culture and traditions of the people.

2. Communities of compassion in which the equality of the people is promoted and lived.

3. Communities of compassion in which the liberty of the people is widened with the capability to decide and design their own benefits.

4. Communities of compassion in which the values and identity of CFCA are promoted.

5. Communities of compassion in which the Christian life is promoted.

We then enjoyed a “Children’s Day” celebration for about 500 sponsored children, their parents and staff. These sponsored children and aging are from Merida proper and surrounding areas. The program included poems, songs, dances, a celebration of the Word led by Father Raul Lugo (in English, Spanish, Maya) games and a nice meal for everyone in attendance.

We finished the day with a final reflection and evaluation of the trip. This was followed by a very enjoyable meal, prepared by the mother of Marta, Merida Project accountant.

According to the participants, this MAT trip has been a very fine experience. Sponsors are going home, encouraged to help build communities of compassion and determined to help us find more sponsors.

My wife, Cristina, and I will spend this weekend, Monday and Tuesday visiting subprojects—especially for Children’s Day celebrations. We give our heartfelt thanks to Bernardo Rodriguez, Project Coordinator, and the Merida team for taking such good care of us, in spite of the extreme heat. It will be good to get home to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, for a few days before the beginning of the mission awareness trip to Guatemala on May 7. God’s blessings to each of you.

Walking With the Poor - Notes From the Field

Sunday. April 24, 2005 - Sponsors meet the sponsored friends