Hanukah – A Trip Back to Mashiaj Jai

Yesterday morning, after doing some work in the office and talking to family via Skype, I set out to return to the Messianic Jewish/Christian community. A brief phone call to Oscar, their English teacher, got me some directions with a worrisome bit, “Be at Buena Ventura by 2:30 to catch the only bus up to Amapa El Zapote.” I hurried home and packed an extra shirt, a kikoi, toothbrush and, more importantly, bird books and binoculars and went into town to find transport. Well, as is often the case, you don’t know something exists until you start looking for it. There is, actually, a rapidito route that goes from Santa Cruz to Buena Ventura (along with some other places). What a delight to see Peña Blanca on the front of the van.

Within forty minutes I was dropped of in Buena Ventura with plenty of directions from the other passengers. To double check, I phoned Oscar again and found out that I needed to be four blocks away at another bus stop. Sure enough, the battered yellow school bus was waiting, albeit with hood up and oil and water containers strewn about. I checked with a couple of people inside and they said the bus was indeed leaving at 2:30 (an hour or so later). A few Kakuro puzzles later and some elementary conversations fumbled through the brother of one of the people in the community I was headed to stuck his head in to say hello. That was a relief. He assured me that I was on the right bus and told the others where to make sure I got off. So delightful to have people help you out in such ways.

Close to 2:30 the bus started up and, with a minimum of splutters and chokes began climbing out of town. Within short order we were into the hills and valleys with their green lacework of a myriad cattle tracks and fence lines meandering haphazardly up and down. This area is cattle country with lots of dairy cattle interspersed with the Brahman type beef cattle. Oscar and another young man were waiting at the drop off point so there was no need to worry. We started the mile walk (about four blocks in Oscar’s words) to the community. We met their friend, the major landholder in the area, who gave us a ride most of the way.

Within a few minutes we were seated by the synagogue overlooking a lush green valley framed by green mountains. One of the features of this group is that they have a strong sense of coming troubles. In order to prepare for these troubles, it is necessary to move to the mountains and become somewhat self-sufficient. Having grown up with numberless “end times” prophetic theories I readily identified with their thinking. Of course, there is the troubling question, “How to live until then.” We began to look at resources they have at hand. As we began to talk about trees, plants and natural resources we were looking at they began to become very excited. That is always a pretty neat feeling to see people begin to feel that there is hope and potential in their lives. We continued the conversation this morning and, Rolanda, one of the main leaders began to start understanding the nuts and bolts of what could be done. We first of all had to climb the hurdle of long term thinking. We sat looking at a coconut tree that was only five years old and loaded with more than $40.00 of coconuts. I asked about planting them as an income source and Rolando talked about it been such a long time. When we compared it to the ages of his children he began to see that a ten year plan was possible and, even, prudent. Once that hurdle was clambered over then lights began to turn on. Tree after tree was pointed out and, with growing excitement, Rolando was able to tell me what the potential was. So incredible. The knowledge was already there. It just needed a different point of view to begin to put it together. One of the trees shown me was the Mulberry tree which was great. I have been looking for seed stock for that because it offers so many potential uses for small landholders (fruit, firewood, high protein leaves).

Last night was day 8 of Hanukah. Their cantor was visiting from San Pedro Sula with his wife and family. This meant a time of celebration with lots of candies, driedel games and a tiny bit of liturgy. Evidently, this movement is growing rapidly in Latin America. There are books with Spanish and Hebrew liturgy, a “Seminary” in Brazil (complete with Synagogue planters) and a translation of the Bible into Spanish that includes Jewish type explanations. For example, when the verse says that Jesus broke bread, their version says that Jesus broke the middle piece of matzoh. Obviously, those familiar with the Passover celebration already know that (including the original authors of the Gospels) so I am not sure who benefits from the additions. Still, it was very interesting to look at. For their worship they use ordinary Spanish translations but their liturgical leader has this special version.

Part of the celebration included white bread sandwiches. Obviously, white bread is a luxury item only seen on special occasions. I am still confused as to what the spread was but it followed the cardinal rule of cooking, “Enough garlic solves every problem.” We had leftover spread on white bread for lunch today.

Although the synagogue has power, the rest of the community does not. We trudged to my host’s house by cell phone flash light and, once there, lit a candle. I had a nice, double bed with a pillow and blanket. My kikoi gave the needed extra warmth so a good night’s sleep.

In the morning I began looking for birds. Morning fog covered everything and it was great to watch the sun begin to tear away the shrouds and reveal bits and pieces of mountains and valleys. At 7:15 I began walking to the bus stop as I was told that the only bus came by at 8:00. Fortunately, I passed by Ronaldo’s house and he had alternative plans – including coffee and a hot tamale. The cantor was heading back to San Pedro Sula at 1:00 so I had lots of time to find birds, talk trees and ideas and so forth. A profitable morning with five new species and several others worth looking at again. The community is high enough up that I could watch the vultures from above as they began their daily search for updrafts. How do they sense the where the air is going to be moving upward and manage to slide into those movements? It is really marvellous to watch fifty of these birds sail back and forth until they find the needed help and then begin the circle that soon makes them specks even from the top of a mountain.

Lunch done, we got in the truck and an hour later I was by the main highway waiting for a Santa Cruz bus. One of the soda sellers at the stop was most helpful in shouting out the destination of each coming bus long before I had any hope of reading the signs. He obviously knows the shape and colour of the buses on the route or else has 80/20 vision. Home again safely and ready to go cook supper (ham of course:))).

Bryan