Counting the Cost

September 15, 2016

by Pete Hypki Andrew is one of the good guys. At least, out here, he is. Andrew is our neighbor to the south, and a father of 11 kids. He’s short, like most of the men out here, maybe 5’5,” and stout, with a thin graying moustache. Two weeks after we moved into the […]

Quiz Time!

January 3, 2015

Hi, Everyone! It’s time to test your knowledge of the Nahuatl. Feel free to use information found on this blog or what you remember from past updates or informational meetings. The quiz will close Sunday the 10th. All entries with correct answers will be put into a drawing for a prize from Mexico: a bottle […]

A Child Made into God

December 26, 2014

They say that once a woman near Las Moras made her daughter into a god. A cult grew up around her; her mother would take her around and have her prophecy for money. People would pay just to shake her hand, believing that it would bring them good luck. People followed her around and tuned […]

Top Five

August 25, 2014

I’ve been in Mexico five years this month. In celebration here is a list of some of my “top five” things from my time in the tribe. 5 Nahuatl words that English borrows: chocolate coyote avocado chili tomato 5 Things that surprised the Nahuatl about white people: Our babies grow inside our stomachs We get sick […]

A Village Funeral

April 18, 2014

What starts with the rosary and ends with a knife fight? In Las Moras, the answer is a village funeral. This last week as our team was at the cemetery, where the village was mourning the loss of and elderly woman. The deceased’s son asked me if I knew how to pray the rosary. I […]

Going to the Fence

February 9, 2014

“Going to the fence” is the phrase our team uses for “answering the door” or “seeing-why-someone-is-standing-by-the-gate-screaming-your-name-for-the-last-three-minutes-while-you-try-to-finish-brushing-your-teeth.” There are lots of reasons for going to the fence but I thought I’d share some from the last few weeks. Ladies came to visit (love this one!) Men came to borrow the shovel…and the pick…and a measuring tape…and […]

Walkies…

January 29, 2014

All the cool people in this village have walkies. It’s like an iPhone; a status symbol and seen as necessary to connect with friends three houses over. You pick your channel number, tell it to your friends, and then talk to them during the day. A typical conversation goes something like this: Person 1: Hey, […]

Sign of the Cross

November 26, 2013

We went to a funeral yesterday. People gathered in the cemetery to mourn for a teenage boy who was crushed by a car. People from three villages brought flowers from their yards and made the sign of the cross with dirt, with holy water, and with their hands. The sign of the cross without the […]

Playing Aunties, Conclusion

September 15, 2013

Friday 10:00 am: We discover that Dario has been “hiding” his favorite toys and the socks I’ve lent him in the basket that holds the dog treats. That way he doesn’t have to share them with the other kids who come to play. Friday 12:30 pm: The kids are hungry and lunch isn’t ready yet. […]

Playing Aunties, Part II

September 13, 2013

In case you didn’t catch the last blog entry, Rachel and I are taking care of our friend Agustina’s two older children while she’s out of town. Many of the experience are new to these two tribal kids, and Rachel and I are learning about their culture, too. Here are a few highlights from the […]