Lagos de Montebello and Chincultik Pyramids

Our experience last monday (Jan. 18th,10):

Last monday a spanish brother from our Hall had arranged a trip to Montebello Lakes (as a sidenote there are 59 emerald green lakes, only 12 are accesible). Our experience started at 6 am in the back of a truck with no roof, cold as a glacier and with only one blanket for 9 of us!!!! Please keep in mind Jeannie and Richard had arrived the night before from a looooooooong day trip and gone to bed between 12 am and 2 am. We had been told that we were going to take a bus for a 2 hour ride, turns out a nice brother voluntarily offered his truck and took us to Hidalgo (the town where Alfonso -our spanish brother tour guide- grew up), it took us 4 hours.... here's the funny part:

Jeannie was car sick and since it was taking longer, she became very aggressive, Alfonso became very afraid for his life and began hiding as a cacoon in the corner of the truck, he was warned by Art and Richard of Jeannie's japanese Samurai Warrior abilities so he was very much afraid. I have to admit I had never seen that agresive behaviour from Jeannie before but I got to know my friend better hahahahahaha...then she began acting like the donkey from the Shrek movie, remember? "Are we there yet!!!!", then she added............"you told me 15 min.ago we were getting there!!!". The paramount came when we went together to the "Powder Room", we washed our hands like ladies should, then we wanted to dry them, turns out the Hand drier worked only with me :) hehe, so she crashed and became now very agressive with the poor hand drier, I saw the Samurai Warrior that Alfonso was warned about, I thought keeping my hands wet was the safest thing to do, so I let her used mine.

After that nervious breakdown we continued with our journey, we finally arrived with new looks in our hair but to our surprise Alfonso's family had arranged a wonderful breakfast for all of us (we were 13 big human beings in that little pick up truck), the sisters woke up at 5 am to make Delicious Tamales wrapped in banana leaves, coffee from scratch (from their own garden), home made tortillas, salsa, beans, everything cooked in a wood fire place (you can see the pictures down below), so here we go well fed we took off to see the Lakes. To Alfonso's benefit, his relatives contributed to keeping him alive, Jeannie was assigned to another car hehehe so he was safe, the Samurai warrior had gone away for a little bit (watch your back).

Alonso's relatives were wonderful and so hospitable, they took us all to every accesible lake to admire Jehovah's Creation. Jeannie had no energies to get in and out from the Van but she says everyone of them was especial, it had a different color and a different beauty, we ended up in Guatemala and bought few handcrafts over there. We met some brothers from the RBC that had just finished a KH in that community and were touring Guatemala boarder like we were. Then we went to an area called "5 lagos" where you can see 5 different gorgeous lakes, we were so thrilled with that scene, makes you be at awe with Jh's artistic abilities. We were done looking at water and we headed back, our tour guides (Alfonso and his cousin Aaron) took us to some Pyramids closed by called "Chincultik", the archeological area is closed for now because the Mexican government has so many Ruins to dig out that they dont have enough resources for these ones, so they were for free, in the "Free pass" was included a trip through 2 barred wire fences and walked and walked and walked up (you can look at the pics where our dearest Samurai Warrior was coming alive again....) but let us tell you was one of the most rewarding hikes we've done, when we got to the top we could see one of the blue lakes where they made some sacrifices, also 4 sacrificial altars, most of the Pyramids are covered with vegetation so we had to go around them, we saw the sunset from the top and came down. Another interesting sight was learning that there's a Volcano close by and the fish in the lake have been dying for the sulphur for about 3 years, before that timeframe, this lake was blue in color. Art was telling them Mount Saint Helens started like that 5 years before it blew up, the brothers were a little scared to know that. (By the way, yesterday at 3 am was a small earthquake here in San Cristobal, we slep right through it, we hope there's not a connection with that). After the Pyramids, Alfonso's family fed us all again with beef, beans, tortillas, and coffee, everything was sooooooooooo goooooooooooood.

Ok, we hope you enjoy our "brief" review of monday's adventures, hopefully you have some time to write us a brief comment and encourage us to take time to keep writing you, because ultimately we do it for youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. But we love you all. Please keep in touch when you can and we have to write still the Canyon's adventures, they were really interesting too. Good night, sleep tight........ don't let the Samurai bite and if she does, keep her happy.

Two beautiful days

Yesterday we had a fantastic day in FS:

We had gone to a far away area in our territory to call on a guy that asked us to go back on tuesday, so we did....he wasn't home, later, Art had a call with a lady and since he had two ladies with him we went, turns out...........she wasn't home either but as we are talking and looking at the territory, we noticed the house next door was someone home and it was a Not at home before, so we took the initiative and knocked. A nice man came out, he spoke really good english and showed him the "Truth" tract, he actually mentioned that he didn't have a religion so he "was a potential client", he was on the run but we made plans to come back next saturday. After that here we go, the 3 of us (Michelle, Art and Sofia) towards downtown to call on Karla, a girl I met the friday before, she was home and busy but she invited us in to the house (while poor Arturito was turning into an iceberg outside :-(), her mom offered us coffee and we had a nice discussion about the subject on the truth tract "Does God really care for us?", we told her tomorrow at the meeting we would have a talk about it too, she said she would be there. The nice thing about here is that people ask you where do we have our meetings, even in Mazatlan we don't have that reaction from Bible Students, here they have no regrets about going to a religious meeting.

Today we went out in FS, Art and I were in different service groups. Honestly in the territory it wasn't too productive, we found no one that spoke english, only tsotsil and tseltal (two most spoken indigenous languages here). On the way to meet up my hubby, a guy approached us asking for the magazines, he spoke tsotsil and came from another town, we gave him something in tsotsil and magazines in spanish, when he saw the Bible Teach book, he wanted it, we didn't have one in spanish with us but told him wherever he is at he can contact the JW and they will provide one in spanish.

In the afternoon at the meeting, Art had the privilege to offer the Bible highlights and a Service Meeeting part -he made us all laughed because of a parrot-, for next week he has the privilege of conducting Bible Study again. Myself, after 10 months!!!! of not having a talk in the TMS finally I had the privilege, and guess what!!!!!! Remember Karla? The girl that we are calling on? Well, we were very suprised to see her arrived by herself to the meeting, she could only stayed for 30 min.but she came and heard my talk, we will visit her next friday, she asked me: "Is this meeting all the time?", she was really surprised it was in english. So these were our great and interesting 2 days. We know many are reading what's happening in San Cristobal congregation, few are writing a comment, you see, it's encouraging for us too!!!

Espanol:
Ayer martes, tuvimos un excelente dia en el servicio:

Fuimos a un area bien lejos, parte de nuestro territorio. Habiamos quedado con un muchacho de visitarlo martes x la tarde, eso hicimos pero no estuvo. Despues, Art tenia una revisita con una senora joven y tampoco estuvo, pero luego viendo el territorio vimos enseguida de la casa de la senora que habia gente y que cuando trabajamos territorio no habia nadie en casa asi que decidimos preguntar si de casualidad alguien hablaba ingles, resulta que sale un muchacho y nos dice que pos si! Platicamos un ratitito porque ya iba de salida pero quedamos de volver el sabado, nos comento que como no tiene religion jajajaja "Es un cliente potencial" asi nos dijo jeje. De ahi nos dirigimos hacia el centro, los tres (Michelle, Art y mua) habia hecho planes de visitar a Karla, una jovencita a la que le habiamos dejado el tratado de la Verdad, estaba muy ocupada pero fue la primera vez que nos invito a entrar a su casa, su mama nos dio cafe, mi pobre esposito se quedo afuera tratando de manteniendose caliente, no pudimos ir todos pues 3 ya era multitud y la casa esta chiquita. Hablamos de si Dios se interesa por nosotros, recordo como buscar los textos en la Biblia y le comentamos que precisamente el dia siguiente se iba a dar un discurso sobre ese tema, le comente que a mi me tocaba darlo y dijo: "Ahi estare". Lo que me sorprende de aqui y me encanta es que la gente te pregunta donde tenemos las reuniones, donde nos pueden encontrar, incluso en Mzt no tenemos esa reaccion de los estudiantes. Aqui, dado que el estado es tan religioso, la gente no tiene nada de pena de ir a una reunion religiosa

Hoy, salimos al servicio por la manana, nos asignaron a grupos diferente. Honestamente no encontramos a nadie ingles sino a puro tsotsil y tseltal. De camino para ver a mi esposito en el parque, un senor nos detuvo, venia de otro pueblito, se veia muy apreciativo y queria informacion o las revistas, hablabla tsotsil asi que le dimos un tratado en tsotsil y las revistas en spanish pero cuando abri mi folder y vio el libro Ensena tambien deseaba tenerlo, yo nada mas traia en ingles pero le dijimos que cuando viera a los Testigos en cualquier lugar en espanol les preguntara x un libro Ensena.

Por la tarde, tuvimos reunion a las 6 pm. Art tuvo los Puntos Sobresalientes y tambien el privilegio de conducir una parte de 15 min.de la Reunion de Servicio -pues el hno que le tocaba se enfermo y le pidio si la podia dar-, la semana entrante le dieron el privilegio de conducir Estudio del Libro de nuevo. En mi caso me dio mucho gusto que despues de 10 meses de no dar una parte, gracias a Jh por fin!!! Me toco el discurso de "Es Dios Insensible y No le Interesamos?" y lo mejor de todo! Recuerdan a la jovencita que visitamos ayer? Pues vino solita hoy a la reunion!!!!!!!! Nos dio la sorpresa y nos dio muchooooooooo gusto, me dijo que solo podia quedarse uno tiempito -como que alguien la estaba esperando- pero pudo escuchar los Puntos Sobresalientes de Art, mi discurso, y el discurso del Alma no es Inmortal. Me pregunto si siempre habia reunion, le dije que todos los miercoles y domingos en ingles, la visitaremos de nuevo el viernes, primero Jehova. Estos fueron nuestros dos dias, martes y miercoles. Ahi pongannos un comentario si pueden.

A black bear in San Cristobal - Un oso negro en San Cristobal

I'm sure we got your attention, well my teddy black bear. Actually this outfit is used by the tsotsil men, it's made of sheep, the women used it as a skirt, one of the most expensive costumes you can get, it wasn't in our budget. --- Seguramente captamos su atencion, bueno es mi osito negro de peluche jeje, en realidad, este atuendo lo usan los hombres tsotsiles es de pura lana de oveja y las mujeres lo usan como falda, el mismo material, es muy cara porque cuesta mucho hacerla, pero no estaba en nuestro presupuesto y es muy batallosa para ponerse.

We visited the "Grutas Rancho Nuevo", caves, 10 minutes away from San Cris. - Visitamos las Grutas Rancho Nuevo, son unas cuevas que quedan a 10 min.de San Cris.

Funny picture of the Cong.,(you can enlarge it and have fun!)- La Foto comica del Recuerdo.

San Cristobal de las Casas Ingles congregation - La Cong. de San Cristobal de las Casas Ingles.

We had a great and cold day in service today. We will tell you more about it tomorrow, Jh's willing, it's late and we are tired...... Tuvimos un excelente y frio dia en el servicio, primero Jh, manana les platicamos, hoy ya es tarde y estamos cansaditos.

Our impressions of San Cristobal so far (till Jan. 10th, 10). Nuestras impresiones de "San Cris".

Living in San Cristobal, all the churches (including the one a block away from our place) ring their bells at 6 am, 7 am and then 4 pm (bottom line, several times a day), the town has a very small town feeling, there's local stands everywhere for everything you may need. Every day a truck full of propaine, drives with a chain the back announcing themselves and if you need propaine you just go outside and get them. Also, the fresh water truck announces they are here if you happen to need a big bottle of water, we don't drink in Mexico water from the tub, it's unthinkable.
People are really polite, they always say "Buenos dias, buenas tardes o buenas noches", if you take a "Colectivo" everyone getting on this public transportation will say a greeting and everyone seated replies, at the end they say to the driver "Gracias". To my amazement (Art) if you are lost, people will stop and ask you if you need help, even if you are on your car, they will knock on your window and beg you (so to speak) to accept their help, it's not uncommon to have more than one person helping a lost individual. If you are eating in a restaurant and the people next to your table finished before and leave they would say: "Provecho" (meaning Enjoy your meal). This is just a small taste of this beautiful city full of restaurant and beautiful people.

We have had a great time in Service this week, Art cause some laughter to our local brothers and sisters in FS, he approached several houses and said: "Buenos dias, senora.....Escupeme por favor" (which in english would translate: Good morning lady, spit me please), we laughed and laughed and laugheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed, especially the local brothers, myself I know what I have :). So he learned the hard way to say "Excuse me" o "Disculpeme" not "Escupeme".........back so service.

We've had many nice calls past week, we thought there wasn't much english to be honest but we have found many this week. Art found 3 very interesting parties that are interested in learning more about the Bible, for example, we were walking down a street -please recall we walk a lot everywhere- and there was a gentleman dressed like rushing to a boyscout meeting or something like that, Art said: "Habla ingles?" and turned out he did, and had a great conversation with him, placed the BT book, he asked his priest about alcohol and God's view on it, he mentioned our January issue and shared with him the account of Jesus making wine at a wedding, he was amazed on the Bible's balanced view on alcohol and couldn't wait to read the magazine, he gave him his phone number and name to continue further conversations. Myself (Sofia :)) found 3 english calls for Art with guys, very interesting calls, one was a missionary mormon who kept the BT book and agreed on further discussions, another one was a well educated guy who mentioned that he had been living here for 10 years and never been called on english by JW, he showed a lot of interest in coming to a meeting and receive a BT book there at the KH.

Another experience was with a teenage girl who we couldn't find several ocassions but last friday was great 'cause we found her and had a wonderful conversation, agreed that spiritual need brings happiness and express interest to come to a meeting and wants us to come back next tuesday, her name is Karla.

We have a funny story to relate:
We have spent all morning miles of territory, we were cold, hungry at 2 pm and of course a little grouchy, we came to the Downtown Square -where all the action is-, we saw another Pioneer from the cong.seated at the benches waiting for her partner. We invited her for lunch, in the meantime she started a conversation with a young spanish man seated next to her who turned out to speak good english, placed the BT book and continue the conversation forever, Shelly (her partner) had arrived already and of course I have to admit that day I was getting really impatient 'cause we had a small breakfast, Art kindly reminded me our purpose to travel 4000 miles so I decided to wait patiently at a bench, and without any intention of witnessing no one really, I just asked a lady next to me where was she from, turns out she was visiting, asked us what we were doing, told her our main purpose is to promote Bible Education and offer free home Bible Studies, she was totally amazed and asked us why we do that, when getting the answer, she mentioned that we surely are bringing a lot of comfort to people in need, she gave us her cell.phone number and I placed magazines in spanish, that taught me a lesson, even when you are rrrrrrrrrrrrrrreally hungry and no desire to preach you come accross a nice experience if you are willing to wait just a little bit more. We had a grrrrreat lunch afterwards.

Service in San Cristobal

The widest sidewalk in San Cristobal- La banqueta mas ancha de San Cristobal.

Nice view in FS - Bonita vista panomarica en el servicio.

Informal Witnessing outside San Carmen church, we witnessed to a german couple, people from Panama, people who speak tsotsil and we also met some brothers from Villahermosa. - Dimos testimonio informal afuera de esta Iglesia pues es un paseo turistico, hablamos con una pareja de Alemania y les dimos un tratado en aleman, hablamos con otra familia de Panama, tambien nos encontramos con una senora tsotsil y conocimos unos hermanos de Villahermosa.




Mary, a tsotsil sister who has a stand and we bought some stuff from her - Mary, es una hermana tsotsil que tiene un puestesito en el mercado de Santo Domingo, le compramos unas cositas, este fin de semana hubo asamblea de Tsotsil en Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Michelle, a sweet pioneer sister in her 20's who has lived in Mexico for 5 years in 3 different cities, lives by herself. Michelle, una precursora muy buena gente, tiene 20 y tantos y ha servido en Mexico desde hace 5 anos en 3 diferentes ciudades (Queretaro, Tuxtla y San Cristobal), vive por su cuenta.

Witnessing in a rough area where believe it or not a guy that lived in Florida was found.- Encuestando en una area medio peligrosilla donde encontramos aunque no lo crean un muchacho que vivio en Florida y se le coloco un libro Ensena.

Enjoying lunch - Disfrutando la hora de la comida

Conducting Bible Study last wednesday - Conduciendo el Estudio del Libro


In a gathering, getting to know new friends. En un convivio que organizaron un matrimonio de la congre, conociendo a nuevos amigos.

Beautiful flowers


Contemplating Jehovah's creation - Hermosa creacion de Jehova


I have never seen this flower, isn't it gorgeous? - Nunca habia visto esta flor, esta hermosa!


Rachel, a pioneer sister that came to visit from New Mexico, riding a "Colectivo" with us.- Rachel, una precursora de Nuevo Mexico que vino de visita tambien, tambien le toco tomar colectivo con nosotros.


Ana and Virginia: Ana, is a very nice pioneer sister from here who is very talented and crafty, she's a seamstress, she and her sisters live by themselves and each goes to a different congregation, she attends english, her parents are not in the truth. Virginia is a pioneer sister from Texas, pioneering from 18 years, has been here with another pioneer sister (Shelly) for 4 months, this is their 2nd time coming to San Cris.
Ana y Virginia: Ana es una precursora muy talentosa que sabe hacer de todo. Conocieron la verdad sin el apoyo de sus padres, ella y sus dos hermanas tuvieron que salirse de su casa y rentar una casa aparte, ella va a ingles, sus hermanas van a otras congregaciones, la queremos mucho. Virginia, es una precursora de Texas, muy madura, tiene 18 anos precursorando y es la segunda vez que ella y su companera Shelly vienen a San Cristobal, esta vez ya llevan 4 meses, no tienen planes de regresar por lo pronto, muy admirable.


Virginia and Sofia

Tseltal D.C. "Keep on the watch!". Asamblea de Distrito en Tseltal.

Facts about San Cristobal

Some facts about San Cristobal:
Seats in the valley, it's about 7200 ft elevation. It has surrounding mountains around it, approximately 8000 plus elevation. The city has a population of about 200,000. It has a total european feel. Very clean and very few americans, majority of the locals do not speak english, speak tsotsil and tseltal (indigenous languages). Chiapas State has about 7 mexican languages spoken besides spanish and the color of the costumes you see every day is astounding.


Beautiful handcrafts market


We take these "combis" to get to the territory or to run errands

Walking to the territory

In the territory



Beautiful sunsets in San Cristobal de las Casas

Another gorgeous sunset

More sunsets



Art and Noel in the territory, they had just found a guy that had just came back from Florida and started a Bible study.

Mercedes is a single pioneer in her 40's and her mother tongue is a mexican language called tseltal, speaks spanish of course, and now learning english, she's trying really hard and we are doing our best to encourage her to keep up the good work. Her whole family attends a "tseltal" congregation.

Shelly from New Mexico and Ana (local sister)

Tsotsil lady making a rug.

Two nice couples from Canada that came to visit San Cristobal Cong. and "spy out" the land, we wish the best for them. We wish you a great trip!!!

The San Cristobal de las Casas English congregation and "additions" (visitors)