Mexico

We were delighted to hear from our friends Antonio and Becky Muñoz the other day.  Antonio and Becky (and their sweet daughter Jessica) are home again in Mexico City after spending some years in the States in ministry and study.

We first got to know Antonio and Becky before they were married.  We worked with them when we lived in Mexico City back in 1993/4.  The church they are now serving in was our home church during those months, Iglesia Bíblica de Tlalpan.  The church just celebrated its 21st anniversary.  From what I hear, the people have really been enjoying Antonio’s teaching from the Word.  So we’re excited for
the Muñoz family and the church!

God has really been working to provide every step of the way.  They wrote in their recent letter:  As we approached the border Antonio said, “Becky, we need $700 in order to pay for the vehicle permits, Mexican insurance, gas and tolls. Where are we going to get it?”  I knew we only had $350 in our account, but replied in faith, “God will provide.”  When we got to the bank in Laredo, we were amazed at God’s miraculous provision of $750 that had been deposited to our account without our knowledge.

Please  continue to pray for the sale of their house in Texas,and for their transition into their ministry in Tlalpan, Mexico City.

It’s time again for one of the biggest holidays of the year in Mexico – The Day(s) of the Dead (Día de los Muertos).  It’s celebrated between the 31st of October and the 2nd of November, primarily the last two days.

So what’s it all about?  Well, the Day of the Dead goes back thousands of years.  Today, the celebration is a mixture of the many religions from prehispanic Mexico (from cultures such as the Aztecs, Mayas, and Toltecs), as well as the Christian symbolism that was brought with the conquest.

The Day of the Dead is celebrated differently depending on where you are in Mexico, but here are some fairly common elements.  During the Day of the Dead, spirits of deceased relatives are invited back into the home.  Generally the children are said to return on the 1st, with the adults following on the 2nd.  The spirits are invited to join the party, in a sense.  An alter is erected in each house, containing objects such as bones and skulls, candles, icons of the saints, flowers (marigolds in particular are believed to attract the spirits), and photos of the dead.  Things that the dead person liked are often included for them to enjoy.  Some simply honour the grave of the dead or visit it.  In some areas, a vigil is held by the side of the grave all night.

Traditional foods and decorations can be seen everywhere.  There are candy skulls, popular with the children, skeletons as decorations, and the Bread of the Dead, and essential part of the celebration.  Gifts are given that have a death theme.  Prayers are made for the dead during this time as well, and people go to mass.

Around this time the popularity of “Saint Death” becomes apparent, as statues and pictures are sold.  Devotion to this female spirit in Mexico is on the rise, though officially the belief is condemned by the Roman Catholic Church.  Alters are built in worship of Saint Death, in the hopes that she will protect a home or business.

In spite of how it may all sound, this is a big party in Mexico of a very upbeat kind.  It’s about children, music and celebration.  Often big pilgrimages are made, with friends and drinking and camp outs.  It’s not a sad day of mourning.  It’s a time that people want to connect again with those that are gone, in hopes of connecting in eternity as well.  It’s not morbid in tone, but festive.

Again, the celebration differs from area to area.  In some areas, the celebration is very religious, and ancestors are even worshiped.  In other areas, the celebration is quite secular.  So it’s very hard to generalize.  But hopefully that will give you a brief introduction into what is a very important part of Mexican culture.

After my previous post about Mexico and Hurricane Wilma, I thought I’d better stop by for an update.  Wilma, by the way, is still a hurricane, now getting close to Canada’s coast, although it looks like it will veer away without hitting land.

If you’ve watched any news in the past day or two, you know that many weary tourists are finally making it home.  But you may have heard very little of the Mexico they left behind.  There are a number of concerns for the area that was hit:

We don’t have missionaries in this area, but it’s our adopted country and of course we’re concerned.  Since Katrina people have been asking about “our part” of Mexico in relation to these storms.  Where we’ll be living is usually far away from the hurricanes.

Today we hear that Tropical Storm Beta is expected to become a hurricane.  Where will it strike?