We had a free day the day after the special meeting, and Alan (Anderson) took us to a waterfall called Cola de Caballo (Horsetail). We were most of the visiting workers – Won Ju Choi (Korea/USA/Taiwan), Dan Henry (USA/Haiti), Johan Kotze (South Africa), Jeanette Coker (USA/Mexico), Lori Browne (Jamaica), Doris Chambers (Ireland/Central America), Erna Carrillo (Chile) and John and I.
Dan Henry with Rigel Rosales, one of the young Mexican brothers
The horsetail!
John drinking mate…a southern custom
John with Alan Anderson, and Tomas, one of the friends
The three South Americans, John, Erna and I
John with Dan Henry
John, Dan and Johan
Weird shaped hills
A couple of Kiwis
Cool palms!
Outside the hotel complex at the waterfall
Looking out over Monterrey
They do bungy jumping from the white platform behind John
The wiring…
Eating frozen yoghurt…a popular treat in Mexico which we don’t see here in Argentina
Back to the barracks…John and Jorge after supper
John with Gerardo Rojas, a Dominican brother working in Mexico
Little Ivan working hard!
Taking photos the day of the worker’s meeting…
Ken Johnson whose mother was Australian, father American and he started in the work in Panama, while working in the Peace Corps there. For the last 2 years he’s been working in Mexico, these are his companions he’s had while there.
Drinking tereré…the cold form of mate
The ‘Central Americans’…Ken and Doris from the staff, Franci is Panamanian working in Mexico, and Lori worked there for 10 years.
Erna and the well-dressed Lori…
J
John and Gerardo
The Aceves siblings…Israel, Ruth and Jonathan
Doris with some of the young Mexican sisters
Filis and Olga Reyes, who live over the road from the convention grounds (home where the worker’s meeting is held). Olga is Anita Christian’s sister, and has two other sisters in the work, Rosa Elia and Lidia Morales.
Olga and Filis with their son who is married and lives in the USA, and their three adopted children, Ariana, Sori and Ivan. When I got there, I thought these children were their own kids (Sori even looks a bit like Olga), and couldn’t work out why the little boy kept calling me Lynette (Lee) when I thought surely he knows who Lynette is! He is 9, but was doing first-grade homework. Then I found out their touching story. Olga y Filis con su hijo casado en los EEUU, y sus tres hijos adoptados. Cuando llegué, pensaba que eran sus hijos propios (Sori aun se parece un poco con Olga), yo entendía porque el niño me decía Lynette (Lee), cuando tendría que haber conocido a Lynette! Tiene 9 años, pero estaba haciendo tareas del primer grado. Entonces me contaron su historia conmovedora…
The children are from an indigenous tribe of Indians, and their parents left the community to work in another part of the country. The father found work with a professing family, on their farm, and shortly after, received a clear revelation of truth and made his choice to serve God. The mother kind of did too, but the father had a good grip. He had bad health, suffered from asthma, and knew he didn’t have long to live. He spoke to his boss, and asked him to take care of his children when he was no longer here, and that they would be brought up in God’s way. (Obviously he didn’t have much confidence in his wife). The two girls were 4 and 6 when he died, and our friend kept his word and took care of the girls, but it was difficult, with their own family, and he realised someone else would need to take care of them. He first thought of Olga and Filis, and made a trip to speak to them and tell them the story of the family, and would they be willing to take the girls. At the same time, without him knowing, Olga and Filis whose own family had grown up and left home, married in Northamerica, were thinking seriously of adopting some children! So they said yes, they would take the girls. Los niños son de una tribu de indigenas, and sus padres dejaron la aldea para trabajar en otra parte del país. El papá encontró trabajo con una familia entregada en su campo, and poco tiempo después recibió una clara revelación de la verdad, y se entregó. La mamá también, pero no tenía tanto como el padre. El sufrió de asma, y sabía que no tenía mucho tiempo de vida. Habló con su patron, y le pidió que se encargara de sus hijos cuando el muriera, para que se criaran en la verdad. (se ve que no tenía mucha confianza en su esposa). Las niñas tenían 4 y 6 cuando murió, y nuestro amigo cumplió su promesa. Llevó a las niñas a vivir con ellos pero no era tan fácil con su propia familia. Entonces decidió buscar a un matrimonio de la verdad y pensó en Olga y Filis. Sin saber, ellos estaban pensando en adoptar, porque ya se habían ido de la casa sus propios hijos! Ellos dijeron que sí, las niñas podrían vivir con ellos, y las adoptaron.
During the trip to meet their adoptive parents, the girls travelled with their own mother, but the whole time the younger one kept asking “when am I going to meet my new mother?”. When they finally did get there, Sori just ran to Olga and said “Mama! Mama!”. When it came time for the real mother to leave, the two girls were so angry with her, that they refused to go and say goodbye… Olga went into the room and they wouldn’t go out to their mother. So Olga said “girls, you must say goodbye to her, she’s your mother.” No, they didn’t want to. So Olga said “we’ll pray then, so that God will help you to say goodbye to her”. Down they went the little girls with Olga, and prayed that God would help them to graciously say goodbye. Then Olga asked “Now, will you go and say goodbye?” Tearfully they nodded and went! Durante el viaje para conocer a sus padres adoptivos, las niñas viajaron con su madre biologica, pero todo el tiempo la menorcita preguntaba “¿cuándo voy a conocer a mi mamá? ¿falta mucho?!! Al llegar por fin, Sori corrió a Olga y dijo ¡Mamá! ¡Mamá!. Cuando se fue la mamá biologica, las dos niñas estaban tan enojadas y amargadas con ella que no quisieron ir a despedirse de ella, quedaron en su pieza y no iban a salir. Olga fue y les habló para que fueran a despedirse, pero no, no querían. Entonces Olga les dijo “vamos a orar entonces, para que Dios nos ayude a ir a su mamá” Después de orar, les preguntó, “ ahora pueden ir?” Con lágrimas dijeron que sí!
Now Ariana is 14, and Sori 12. They are both professing, and Sori was baptised while I was there. Their little brother Ivan was a baby of just a few months when the father died, so he stayed with the mother. But the girls always had contact with him, and not long ago, Filis and Olga invited him to go and stay for the school holidays. So he went, with their mother too. After the two weeks, they went back to their Indian community, and one day when they girls rang him for his birthday, he said to Olga “can I come and live with you too?”. Well, yes you can she said. “And can my mother come too?” So she had to gently tell him that only he could! Then she asked her husband how he felt about Ivan coming too, and he who was in the US at the time, said whatever you decide dear!! So 4 months ago, little Ivan came to live. And that’s why he didn’t know the workers much! And why he’s so behind with school… It was so cute to see him out with his new dad helping in the garden, helping with everything. He just adores his big brother, followed him around like a shadow. It really is a very special family. Ahora Ariana tiene 14 años y Sori 12. Ambas están entregadas, y Sori se bautizó cuando estaba yo allá. Su hermanito Ivan era un bebé de meses no más cuando falleció el padre, entonces quedó con la madre. Pero las chicas siempre mantuvieron contacto con él. Hace poco, Filis y Olga le invitaron a pasar las vacaciones con sus hermanas, y fue por 15 días con su madre también. Cuando volvió a la aldea, las chicas le llamaron para su cumpleaños, y él le dijo a Olga, “¿Puédo yo ir a vivir con ustedes también?”. “Bueno” dijo, “sí, puedes…”….”¿y puede mi mamá también?. Olga tuvo que decir que no, la mamá no! Entonces hace 4 meses atrás Ivan fue a vivir con ellos también. Por eso no conocía bien a los siervos, y está tan atrasado en la escuela. Era tan lindo ver como el trabajaba en todo al lado de su nuevo papá, y seguía a su hermano mayor como una sombra. Una familia muy especial!
Erna relaxing after the worker’s meeting. Erna relajada después de la reunión de los siervos
Jonathan Aceves learning to drink tereré…he was in Argentina for conventions this year. Jonathan Aceves aprendiendo a tomar tereré
Cousins Jorge Jiménez and Rocío Villalvazo. This was the day that half the group of workers left the Jauregui grounds to go to prepare the meeting place at Monterrey (70 kms away). Isn’t this van long?? We were treated to a Mexican farewell…we were all going to meet up again less than a week later, but the farewell was so grand you’d think it was for the rest of the year! Out with all the white teatowels to wave them off, great goodbyes, it was really funny. Primos Jorge Jiménez y Rocío Villalvazo. Este fue el día que la mitad del grupo de los siervos salieron para ir a los preparativos en Monterrey.
Out they come from the dining shed to wave everyone off. Saliendo para despedir a los siervos que se van.
Eating ‘tostadas’, like a flat taco spread with avocado, shredded chicken, salad and cream on top. Oh, and chilli of course!! Comiendo tostadas…una tortilla tostada con palta, pollo, ensalada y crema…y ají por supuesto!!
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