Monday, September 14, 2009

CUAUHTEMOC, CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO


Dr. Daisy Froese, a young woman with a passion
to serve her people and show them the love of
Jesus.


The property we hope to build a hospital and a clinic
for women, children and youth.
The cost is approximately $100,000.00 and construction
will start in April, 2010.




Visiting...

A leisurely way to travel....

This village does not have water. It takes them 2 hours
one way to travel to get enough water for their homes.


Beautiful flowers...

Helping work in the garden....

Playing soccer on a very rocky field.....

Delivering milk....watch that corner!

The boys.....

Picking beans......

These three teenage girls are raising pigeons....

A young gal and her garden...

The boys are off visiting....

The youth are singing on a Sunday afternoon.


Because there is nothing for the Old Colony youth to do on Sunday
afternoons, the GC church has a time of games for them.
There is a high percentage of youth and others involved in alcohol and drugs.


The Old Colony are building a school...


A family on their way to town, church or just going for a ride.....

A new Home for the Aged being built by the Old Colony church.
In the background is an apple orchard.

Lunch at the Altenheim (Old Aged Home)...

The irrigation system is what keeps this land green and productive.
The wells have been dug to 1500 feet to obtain water.


The church building for handicapped adults to work in.....

The General Conference Mennonite church has a feeding program for
single moms and widows upstairs and a sanctuary downstairs.

and then there is this.....


The difference in the wealth and how they can afford to
build their houses.....
the house above cannot afford windows and doors.....





Farming country...


The road to a Mennonite village...


The tractor meets the horse.....

Three young ladies going visiting....

Off to the cheese factory.....

The truck, towed to the farm, is an incentive to keep on working hard
and just maybe they can afford a truck, hopefully
one that works.....


Papayas.....dad and his children
Dad did not want his picture taken from the front
incase the Bishop would see the picture.....


Checking out the melon crop....


What is it like to live in that part of the valley???


And then the ones that have done very well for themselves...
How long does it take to combine a corn field with 30 combines?????


The farmer who has been given permission to
use rubber tires and newer equipment....


A home in one of the villages...

Taking the oats to the field....


Picking beans....

Buying and selling charcoal....

A new house on new property....

Building a road....

Grinding rock with a hammer mill....


One of the Mennonite homes......

A very fertile land due to the hard work of generations
of Mennonites


Clearing land for a new crops.....

Cuauhtemoc area

many colonies live in a spiritual "fog".

The native ruins...


"Bram" Siemens, the old (the interesting chair)
and the new (clothing)

With the passing of generations, the Mennonites of Eurogean origian have
spread into 7 Mexican states, with 40,000 of the approx. 70,000 living in the state
of Chihuahua, the largest concentration being in the
Cuauhtemoc area.

This tree will be standing long after all of the Mennonites are gone.

The Mennonite society has undergone significant changes in Mexico since 1922.
Very noteworthy is the differentiation among groups, with different degrees of
emphasis placed on certain social issues (such as clothes, transportation, vocation, etc)
while basically adhering to the same christian tenents of faith. That has resulted in different
congregations with varying forms of worship and lifestyle.