Only In My Brain

 For the past four weeks I have been going through albums and slides of my volunteering at Santa Maria del Mexicano, in Colon, Queretaro, Mexico. Once I put them in order I will get them digitalized. My first time volunteering began in July of 1992, followed by November of 1992, July 1993, September 1993, July of 1994, October 1994 to January 1995 and the last time was July of 1996. There are a few years that I cannot find any pictures, though I do remember some of the things that happened while I was there during those times. Those tid-bits I remember will only be in my thoughts since I do not have any photos of the incidents. Or I have placed them in a good hiding place! I do have a note book with many letters I wrote to family and friends plus my journaling. Here are what I remember and the incidents that are only in my brain!

Graduation from 6th to 7th grade and first Communion for the little ones. I was fortunate to be able to attend both celebrations!

__________________________

My friend Allen, escorted me to Laredo, Texas where we met Gabriel, a worker from Santa Maria. On my previous visit to Colon,  he and his family had become friends and his offer to meet me at the border was very welcome. My friend returned home and my fully stocked Jeep and I were accompanied by  Gabriel on the eleven hours to Colon. We arrived at Colon around 7:30 p.m.

November of 1992 we prepared a Thanksgiving Day dinner and each volunteer prepared one piece of the dinner. Sister Theresa did the turkey, my friend bused to Mexico to bring cans of cranberry sauce and pumpkin filling. He spoke no Spanish and used a lot of sign language. A scary moment for him came when the bus was stopped and soldiers boarded and checked everyone's visas/papers. He was afraid they might plant drugs in his bag.  Sister Theresa baked pumpkin pies and prepared the gravy,  Shawn stuffed peaches with cranberry sauce, made sweet potatoes covered with brown sugar and the turkey dressing. Anne baked rolls and Eileen fixed an avocado, lettuce, mushroom, and carrot salad.  It was a great feast for the American volunteers!

My visa expired and I drove to San Miguel de Allende to get it renewed. It is about 80 miles away and takes about 2 hours from Colon. Getting any business done in Mexico can be a nightmare because you are at their mercy from needing copies, office closing early for lunch, and lots of questions. I was happy I speak the language and wondered how tourists manage if they don't speak Spanish.

Last visit to Santa Maria was in July of 1996 and I became a taxi, tour guide, greeting new volunteers, a mother to many children, a photographer, a cook, and errand runner. The San Jose ruins had been developed into a modern school with well equipped classrooms.  The children wore red and white uniforms. Every time I return, there are many improvements. My first year of teaching, we had no blackboards and five years later there is a school building with paid teachers!

Lolita got married in 1996 and Father made his priest collar out of the cardboard box of Parkay margarine! Weddings are so different in Mexico. The reception was in a dirt area next to a corral with animals. Every once in a while the smell of manure wafted our way but nobody seemed to mind! Standing on chairs holding a long white cloth between the bride and groom they tried to pull each other off the chairs while the people cheered. They sat in chairs lifted by the people and were carried around the area amidst the people shouting encouraging thoughts. 

I went with Fr. Norman to Queretaro to pick up a donated Mercedes bus for Santa Maria.  Present were  political dignitaries, well dressed men and woman that looked wealthy, and news cameras capturing the event. I also took pictures but can no longer find them. Fr.  Norman would not accept the bus until the Mercedes Benz emblem was affixed to the the front of the bus. He said, "What good is having a Mercedes if no one knows it's a Mercedes, so I need the emblem!"

Waking up to braying of burros, chickens clucking, grunting of pigs, cows mooing, different birds tweeting, roosters crowing and dogs barking is quite different than waking up at home!

In 1995 I was given the front room at the Casa de Ninos. A large room with it's own bathroom and shower. The negative thing was I had to answer the front door when the door bell was rung at whatever time. The cook rang at 4:30 in the morning. A worker sometimes came in at 10:00 p.m. but I learned to be flexible with my sleeping habits. I sometimes could hear people walking and talking on the side walk. One morning I heard the shrill screams of a pig being loaded on to a pickup that scared me because it sounded like a human scream!

I was surprised to see a Poinsettia tree. I always thought they were potted plants!

Jorge and his wife Carmen had three children and they lived on the grounds of Santa Maria. They were hard workers and did a lot of the chores that needed to be done. He was the handy man and worked at the Casa de Niñas, Casa de Niños, Santa Maria in the mountains and the house where the nuns lived. He was kept busy!

Though there are so many memories of the many times I traveled to Santa Maria del Mexicano, I will end with two pictures of two girls that I will never forget. One is Margarita Paz who asked me to return and be her madrina (god-parent) when she graduated from the 6th grade. I purchased the black and white dress in Colorado for her and she loved it. The other girl is Monserate (she had the same name as my paternal grandmother) and she and I got along well. She was blond with blue eyes and looked out of place among the many dark headed children. On one of my return visits, I was saddened to hear she had been killed in an automobile accident.

"Friendships in passing,

some to be remembered

while others disappear.

Those that stay near

 have made a mark

deep inside my heart!"

E. Moscoso