It's nice to type on my little English keyboard. The keyboard I used in Villa Garcia was not that easy for me. It took me at least a day to figure out how to type a comma into my e-mails. Although it was nice for typing in Spanish, i.e. inverted question mark and exclamation point.
You are probably wondering how I had internet access in Villa Garcia. The family that helps in the Mexico side of Weavers of Hope owns an internet store where people can come in and pay 5 pesos (that's 50 cents for us Americans) for 20 minutes. For some reason, it was very slow on my blogger account, so I resolved to write when I returned. And here I am, writing.
So, the trip was awesome. Each day more exciting than the previous. We made home visits to a few students (Gloria, Juana and Maria), Abel the brickmaker, Don Chuy the wood carver, and several weavers.
Weaving is a 500 year tradition in Villa Garcia. Families have passed down the art and the skill to each generation. The main group of weavers that Weavers of Hope purchases from is a family who has consistent quality work. They even made a few of their own looms.
It appears to be quite the workout. They strap themselves in with a wooden bar in front of and behind them. Their feet are constantly moving to step on the pedals that connect to the different parts of the contraption. It's a lot of work, but the end result is a hand crafted masterpiece. No two are ever exactly alike.
The colored yarn is thrown between the main set of strings and the pattern forms through counting strings and weaving yarn in and out. It is quite the event to watch, at least I thought so.
I purchased another beautiful rug (I have one from the first time we met Jack at the Texas Mission Conference) and am in the process of trying to set up a non-profit account through Ebay as another channel of selling rugs. All the proceeds from the rugs would go back to Weavers of Hope and into their scholarship fund.
My evenings were spent with Sr. Fran. I think it was my first time to spend the night with a nun. :) Her house is beautiful. KiKo, who helps Sister Fran in operating the program, built the house for Sr. Fran. He did a great job. Kiko is a jack of all trades. Literally. That guy can do anything and everything. He even showed me how to weave! Talk about talent. He and his family are very instrumental in the Mexico side of Weavers for Hope.
I met two very special young girls while making house visits in Ranchero Nuevo. Meet Gloria. She is currently in school and preparing to have therapy for her legs and for the rest of her body. She is very sweet and you can tell in her interaction with her nephews that she has the most gentle of spirits.
Gloria is in the scholarship program to assist with her schooling and transportation for therapy. During her interview for the WOH video, she talked and talked and from what I could tell with my little knowledge of Spanish, she was a great public speaker.
This is Gloria's cousin, Juana. (Maria is standing up, she is Juana's mentor in the scholarship program and that is Juana's little brother). Juana was born with her legs turned outward. The doctors have told her family that her condition is inoperable. She attends school through TeleSchool, it's teaching through TVs, I'm not quite sure how it works, but I do know that Juana really enjoys school. She has bright green eyes and a beautiful smile.
My last picture and little story is about Don Chuy. He carves the most stunning face of Christ out of mesquite wood. The first time I met Don Chuy, I couldn't help but hug him. He radiates peace from his very core. He, too, has bright green eyes and a very kind smile. I couldn't help but take a few pictures of him while he was carving for us.
Look at the detail of his carving. It reminds me of the shroud that Victoria wiped Jesus' face with on the way to Calvary. Don Chuy once won a national award for his carving. I don't remember what he had carved, but I do know that he had carved something intricate with a spoon! Now, that is tough work.
Overall, the trip was amazing. I learned a lot about Villa Garcia and the people there. My conversations with Sr. Fran helped me understand (in English) all the different projects that help better the lives of the people. I felt safe, respected and appreciated. I can't wait to return. Hopefully we'll make a return group with Orant in October.
Feel free to check out the rest of my pictures from my trip at
http://picasaweb.google.com/abigailrenee/VillaGarciaZacatecasMexico
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