Benches, sheets, and hookers

One can only imagine the direction of an article with such an obscure heading. Truth be told, with sun streaming down on a bleached concrete roof as you assemble “petatillos” (tiles) in a herringbone pattern, you begin hearing things and even inventing words that were never there. For most, it was confusing enough to engage in the sacred art of translating instructions from foreman to worker – a linguistic dance of hand gestures and phonetics which occasionally concluded in laughter. While our painting progressed rather easily, the tile work on the roof proved to be a daunting task. (We should have guessed that after “hooking” 7,000 tiles up to the 2nd floor roof on day one).

Whether tiling a roof, or finishing a second floor classroom and bathrooms, laughter was a common language that drifted through the air. The wit and camaraderie of a gifted band of 14 volunteers from the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church was equally boosted by the jubilant sounds from school children below engaging in their daily exercise and studies. It was, after all, for them that we were here. The roots of the Mamie Baird Kindergarten in Cortazar date back to the 1930’s when the school’s namesake served as a United Methodist missionary to Mexico for forty years. Around 1935, Ms. Baird opened a medical clinic out of her home to serve the people of Cortazar. Decades later, the clinic became a trade school for young adults and today it has been transformed into a preschool. It remains a safe, loving, and hope-filled place for the children and citizens of Cortazar. The WNCC of the UMC has been involved with the school’s construction for 16 years.

While the majority of our time was spent engaged in repair and construction at the preschool, we relished every opportunity to live into a culture that values the fullness of life. There was a simple beauty to the folks of Cortazar in the way they lived, shared, and celebrated life. Our entire trip was dotted with God-filled moments of grace and unmatched hospitality. We were often moved to tears when our hosts described us as angels sent by God, reminded us that their house belonged to God, spoke of how the Bible teaches to offer hospitality to anyone, and assured us that we were family and that this was our home. We did not want to leave and we can’t wait to return again. In some ways, we came as a response to our call as Christians. Yet, in Cortazar, we were taught what true Christianity looks like.