We arrived back last night from 80 degrees in Oaxaca to 19 degrees at the Portland International Airport. Brrr. But perhaps I can warm you up with an account of our recent travel to Oaxaca and the outcome.

Claudia, Lis & Benny at the Women's Shelter

We arrived in Oaxaca on Friday before noon. Friday was spent visiting with Benny's family, visiting Vicente Guerrero and getting tires for the church's van. I'm not sure anti-skid brakes do much good with bald tires! As I considered having the front end aligned, Lis quietly mentioned that would be pointless given the condition of the roads they drive on, and so new tires became the first executive decision of Mission Oaxaca.

Friday night we had made arrangements to meet with Elias Betanzos and Ismael, one of his pastors. Elias is a former NW Medical Teams staff person and now operates Manos de Ayuda, formerly run by NW Medical Teams. In addition, he is pastor to a 2,000 member Nazarene church in Oaxaca City . We had a brief re-introduction and agreed to meet again when we travel to Oaxaca. We had also arranged through our good friend, Marc Trueb, to meet up with Zoila and Celia Martinez, daughters of a Oaxacan street vendor named Andres Martinez. Andres and his wife have nine children and the children who are old enough are commonly seen in the Zocolo selling a variety of items. Seeing them was a great opportunity to inquire about their family and of course, Lis' favorite subject, the new baby Oswaldo.

Zoila, Chris, Celia & Elisabeth

If you follow Oaxaca politics and the last year of unrest, you can imagine that families like the Martinez have been significantly hurt by what's going on. While they survived, it's hard to establish what damage was done. Lis and I were blessed to be able to not only bring gifts and support from some Oregon families for the Martinez family, but also were able to introduce the girls to Pastor Benny and Yanni. We left them that night with the assurance that Benny and Yanni would keep in touch with them and help us serve their family. It's always hard to leave the girls though, as they cling to friendships with an embrace that lingers in our hearts and minds long after we've gone our separate ways.

Mountain Community in Oaxaca

Centro de Compartmiento

Saturday morning came early as we began our four hour drive to Juchitan. Upon arriving, we quickly checked in at the hotel and sought out the directions Kristin Leitz had left for us to meet up at the Center for Sharing. We wound around the streets and came to Centro de Compartmiento (Center for Sharing). And to our surprise, we were greeted first by Jorge, formerly of Pimpollo Home for Children, Araceli and Anai, both former residents of Pimpollo. In addition, we were embraced by Glenn Cross and Cheryl Broetje. Even though we missed their important grand opening, they had saved some affection for us. We caught up on news before agreeing to meet for dinner.

Before dinner, we decided to visit Pimpollo and see how things were going there. A Friends of Pimpollo supporter had sent funds to purchase washing machines for the home so I quickly tracked down Emanual, the grounds person (who incidentally grew up at Pimpollo) and we were off to Elektra, a local department store. Mission accomplished. Pimpollo now has a new lavadora for the staff and one for the volunteers.

Casa Isabel

Dinner on Saturday night was wonderful.

Cheryl, Glenn, Lis & Eduardo

It was not only an opportunity to discover how we can work with Center for Sharing, but also encourage the ministry and outreach of Kristin Leitz and Casa Isabel. Additionally, Benny was able to learn about how Center for Sharing can help facilitate their outreach in Vicente Guerrero and another community their church is moving into. Afterward, we walked into the town square and came across the local Nazarene church and would you believe, we ran into Elias Betanzos?! He was participating in a District meeting of the church in Juchitan. So, again, we embraced each other, and thought it was very funny to run into them again.

Following breakfast on Sunday, we drove to Espinal, the town where Kristin operates Casa Isabel. It's located only 6 kilometers from Juchitan and was a quick journey. Once there, Benny and Elisabeth were able to cross examine Kristin about her outreach. In that time, I think we were convinced that Kristin's ministry is important and critical to the young women in the area. Knowing Kristin has a Masters Degree in Social Work and has the mentorship of Center for Sharing, we're excited at the prospect of her ministry.

What did we accomplish?

Before leaving, we did actually accomplish some tactical objectives. Here's a brief update and we'll post another update on the site as they develop. Here are the highlights:

Vincente Guerrero Family

• Helped us both (the Cruz family church and MO) better understand how we can work together
• Allowed us to talk about how we will begin to coordinate ongoing work in two communities -- Vicente Guerrero and Los Angeles, Oaxaca -- through Benny's church
• Continued to clarify our (MO's) desired "work" in VC and LA communities and how best that can be accomplished. Bathrooms (banos) and Water Tanks seem to be of critical need, in addition to pisos.
• Discussed how we might coordinate a March work team in partnership with Friends of Pimpollo to bring young leaders from Pimpollo to VC for a service trip
• Clarified how we can continue working with the local church and family ministries to facilitate their success
• Discussed the plan for a US Youth Work Team this summer led by Mikaela McConnell
• Will begin to seek out funding for the Cruz Family ministry and assist them in removing obstacles from their path

How can you help?

At no time will Mission Oaxaca use funds that are donated to pay for these trips, unless specifically designated for that purpose. Service trips to Mexico are entirely the responsibility of those traveling. We feel that the sacrifice made personally is what opens the door for the most profound blessing from God. It is a measurement of our faith and of our trust in the outcome. At some time, MO may consider facilitating other's trips but again, it would not come at the expense of general donations that are made for the outreach.

We can safely assure you that 100% of your donations go to the community you intend. We're very proud of the fact that God is allowing us to structure ourselves this way. And we know it's important to you.

Family Served by Cruz's Family Church

Presently, we are seeking funding for the work team in March. We estimate that the goal of 8 pisos and 2 banos will cost around $1600, which includes paying to have a skilled local contractor on site throughout the team's stay. To date, we have raised $380 for this and ask that you consider any amount that you can afford. We can't begin to reward you, but we can send you pictures of your pisos. I have yet to meet someone who wants a picture of a bathroom!

Also, we're seeking volunteers who want to go and build. Our concept is that the work will be happening on an ongoing basis in the community by the locals, and our work teams would provide additional manpower and fellowship to the community's efforts.

You can give to Mission Oaxaca by mailing a check to Center for Sharing with "Mission Oaxaca" in the subject line and mail it to CFS, 723 W. Clark Street, Pasco, Washington 99301. They will hold onto the funds until we are able to carry out our projects, at which time they will transfer the funds to the Cruz church in Oaxaca for the purchase of materials and to pay our contractor. Because Mission Oaxaca is funded from our business partnerships, the cost of facilitating and managing are figured into those gifts.

Lis, Kristin, Jessica & Wendi

Education alone is not the answer. Charity alone is not an answer. Programs and training by themselves are not the answer. They are but clanging cymbals drawing attention to themselves but never introducing true and lasting change.

To truly answer the problem of economic poverty at home and abroad, we need to address the spiritual poverty that exists. This is our real battle that opens doors for those other programs to be most effective. This world faces an immense spiritual poverty that can only be funded by the changing power and the enduring love of Jesus Christ. And this is also the true character of Christ. We serve a God that loves all of His children and who grieves when suffering exists. It is my hope that Mission Oaxaca will always have the reputation of this goal. To love, to give, to educate, and to train, all within the context of the great commission. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in this project. We would love to fellowship with you in the discovery how God is calling to you service. It draws us all closer to the One who gives us strength.

Mission Oaxaca.

Building Foundations for the Future

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On January 12, Monte Baker and Chris Anderson will join Glenn Cross and Kristin Leitz at the Center for sharing in Juchitan, Oaxaca, Mexico. Glenn Cross is traveling on behalf of the Center for Sharing, a Pasco, Washington non-profit that is committed to faith based leadership training. The Broetje's were instrumental in the success and progress of the Pimpollo Home for Children. Kristin Leitz, former program director for Pimpollo and liaise to Friends of Pimpollo, now runs "Casa Isabel", a home for young women in Oaxaca who are seeking guidance and educational opportunities.

Baker, Anderson, and Cruz will be discussing a job initiative for the community of Vicente Guererro, in addition to exploring how Mission Oaxaca can support the ongoing efforts of Center for Sharing (CFS) and Casa Isabel. In 2007, Anderson's marketing team will be providing the creation of a website and marketing materials to Casa Isabel, in addition to seeking resources for her effort.

Mission Oaxaca will also be discussing using CFS as a fiscal conduit to Benny Cruz' church in Vicente Guererro to support the 2 new positions being created. Those positions will include responsibility for an ongoing Piso Construction to be happening in the absence of US volunteers. Mission Oaxaca expects to construct 10 to 12 Pisos and 4 Banos each month. Readers will be able to keep track of this progress by visiting this website for monthly progress reports from the staff.

This is an exciting endeavor that allows progress in areas of construction to continue, as well as contributing to the creation of jobs in Oaxaca. It's a small step but with your help, we can continue serving the future of both our countries by these initiatives.

As always, we're grateful for you support and prayers and welcome your input into how we can serve more faithfully and fruitfully.

Donations can be made by designating "Mission Oaxaca" in the subject line of your check and mailing it to:

Center for Sharing
723 W. Clark Street
Pasco, Washington 99301

Financial gifts through CFS are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS rules for non-profits. 100% of your donation is used for programs related to the construction of pisos and banos in Oaxaca, Mexico. Fiscal agent fees are paid through the contributions of Mission Oaxaca's board and founders.

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It has been a few days since our five person planning team returned from Oaxaca, Mexico. We arrived back in Portland around 11:00pm on Tuesday, September 5th and I think we all were anxious to find our own showers and beds. But after two days, the thoughts and hopes for what can be accomplished in this little community of Vicente Guererro (VC) remains vivid in my mind.

Our planning group arrived in Oaxaca on Saturday at noon and was greeted at the airport by Benny Cruz from Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico. Team members included Clint Howes, a local contractor, Bryan Ferguson, a juvenile corrections officer in Clackamas County, my wife Elisabeth Saunders, and our daughter Mikaela. We were hesitant to stay in Oaxaca because of the 7 month-long teacher’s strike that has literally held the city hostage. Our group arrived with a little trepidation as local outreach agencies like Forward Edge and NW Medical Teams had suspended their team travels to this historic city. After many phone calls with Mexican nationals, the airline, and our team members, we agreed we’d go but stay safely outside of the city.

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Our original plans included spending much needed time with the pastor of a local church who seemed to possess all the qualities, conviction, and passion that we could hope for in our effort to serve this community of more than 3,000 people. What we found in him, however, far exceeded our expectations. When we were introduced to Benny Cruz last February, we understood that he was running a church outside Oaxaca in a town on the outskirts of Oaxaca City. This was a church that visited the VC community and had an obvious presence.

Benny Cruz

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The Cruz Family

Upon returning to the community last week, we found that Benny’s church had much more than that. We quickly learned that his family was also operating three churches in the community, churches that were helping to encourage the people in every imaginable way. His father Felix, mother Claudia, sister Jannie, and brother Geraldo were all in concert providing love and encouragement to this community of several hundred families. This was a huge insight into the potential future of our efforts in VC. For starters, it gave our planning group the encouragement that we would be working through a local contact and administrator of our outreach, which is an important value of Mission Oaxaca.

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Sunday brought a full dose of worship with Benny’s family and churches, attending three services. Each service was a unique perspective on who this church is reaching out to. The early service in Tule consisted of local families, probably four or five and a total of around 20 people. The second service at 4pm was led by Felix in VC at the building previously occupied by NW Medical Teams’ bible clubs. Around 40 people sang lively songs of praise as Felix played the keyboard and two young women provided interpretive dancing that captured the attention of all the people in the room.

Benny was preaching at 5pm so our last church visit consisted of worshipping with around 40 more people at yet another location. It was exciting to find how caring Benny’s family is and their obvious commitment to helping these community members. It gave us a good insight into how we should proceed. Benny’s family is such an example to our families about what we’re capable of when our priorities are in line with God’s.

Visiting VC was a critical step in developing the vision of Mission Oaxaca. Talking with those who live and serve in the community revealed some initial goals that we discussed at length. We knew that constructing the pisos and adding features to their homes would promote a safer and healthier existence. But wanting to be cautious about not offending the people with our North American ideals of what they “need” to survive can be a precarious discussion.

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A Little Bano Talk

After an hour on the previous day at VC, we had pretty much summed up our initial focus. We remained resolved to move forward with our efforts to build Pisos. The community is in need of them, as identified by their local leadership and the example set by other agencies. But the other project that came to light was building banos. Bathrooms. There are few bathrooms in the community compared to the number of people using them. And the shortage is creating a potential hazard as the waste and run-off seeps into well water.

Another important aspect of this team was the identification of a local administrator of our outreach. Benny’s family is demonstrating values and effort that gives me much confidence that we can invest our resources and volunteers into them and the return will be unquestionably fruitful. Some of the discussion regarding the bano has included ideas of building them and using the small to medium size business promotion model created by Business Professional Network to create business opportunities.

You Don't Want to Know...

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Posters in the City

Sunday night brought the opportunity of visiting the city of Oaxaca. We had some time after dinner and upon discussing it, the team agreed that it would be interesting to witness “political unrest” in Mexico. What we found, however, was horrifying and sad. Wherever we drove, we saw hundreds of people sitting in front of government buildings. Highways and roads were littered with the remaining strands of steel radial tires where bonfires had communicated the dissent of the teachers. Additionally, public buses and the cars of public officials often were found blocking intersections with spray paint voicing the despair of the teachers.

But coming into Oaxaca, I couldn’t help wondering who was really being hurt by this strike. Most of the businesses around the public square were closed. The street vendors, who are often some of Oaxaca’s poorest people, were nowhere to be found. Many of our friends from the past dozen years of visiting Oaxaca were simply invisible because of the presence of potential violence and discouragement to commerce. Walls of ancient buildings and churches were covered with graffiti describing the plight of the teachers and their assertions of the government’s corruption.

Other Insights into the Events

Graffiti on the Church Wall

You can draw your own conclusions about the cause of the conflict but when a cause results in so much widespread hardship on poor people who are already under a boot of poverty, it’s hard to defend the process. Families that were already barely surviving are suffering even more and it seems to be inconsequential to those responsible. Hopefully the conflict will leave the city of Oaxaca and the people can begin their lives again. For those of us who travel to Oaxaca often, the sight of it under siege was very sad and troubling. For those who live and work in the city, it has to be near unbearable as they struggle to provide for their families.

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Monday morning came fast and was our last full day in Oaxaca. Since our discussions had gone so well, we decided that it would be great to be able to help Benny’s outreach effort some way. With him, we decided that we would come and assist Miguel, who was pouring the foundation for a project Benny refers to as the Restoration House. This house will serve victims of violence in the community and represents a safe environment that Benny’s family is trying to create. Since team member Clint was the only skilled contractor in the group, the rest of us were Miguel and Clint’s lackeys. Our jobs consisted of hauling bricks, mixing mortar, mixing cement, pulling water from the well, and more. For the group, it was very satisfying to participate in building this home that means so much to the community.

Attaching Forms for the Concrete

Clint and Miguel at Work

During this time, team members Elisabeth and Mikaela were able to wander off to one of the streets where we had built pisos last February. Hearing their excitement was very enjoyable as they recounted the thrill it was for the families to see these gringas again. It also brought about a walk to the local market for re-supplying the children with important essentials. There were Chichitas, candy, and sodas for all.

Visiting these families was very important for our team and our mission. It not only demonstrated what had been done by previous teams, but it represented what encouragement it was for the families who benefited from them. Simone (in picture to right) is a prime example. He works in Oaxaca building streets, has a wife and three children. He helped us last February in not only his home but in about 4 additional homes in our effort to build pisos. Since then, Simone has continued where we left off by building a cistern to trap and hold water for his family. Additionally, he has helped two other families expand their homes. His pride in his community and family could not have been more apparent and to have been a small part of that is indescribable.

Simone and Family with Mikaela

February Piso Construction

But what is even more indescribable is the love that these people show us. Welcoming us into their lives and allowing us to search for ways to encourage their progress is a precious and wonderful experience. An experience that draws all of the involved into a better understanding of God and our place in His perfect will. On more than one occasion, invitations to meals and visits were the commonplace. There was never a time when these incredible people weren’t prepared to give all they had to us. Amazing! We traveled all that distance to be blessed by them.

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Thank you for your continued prayers for wisdom and guidance. Mission Oaxaca aspires to be a blessing in all we do in Oaxaca. We’re very grateful for your prayer support that has kept us able and safe since this project began. In the coming months, I’ll keep you posted on upcoming teams on the website. To date, we are planning for November and January. But it would be a shame to wait that long to see those we love so much. Thank you for the opportunity to serve through this outreach. Chris Anderson Mission Oaxaca Chris@missionoaxaca.org

Labor Day Planning Team