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by Tony V.
Thursday, Jun. 19, 2003 at 1:09 PM
A trip with the Missionaries, to Oaxaca, Mexico,leads to unexpected revelations for one student.
I’m hard at work filing papers in the office in which I work at my University. I hear the Department Chair yell for me. He asks me in a big ole Kentucky accent "Tony, How'd ya like to go to Hoo-waaa-ka?" I’m thinking that anyplace at this very moment is worth going to. So I find out, a professor at the university has put in a request to travel to work with orphans whom were abused or had parents serving time in a Mexican Prison. We were also to head into the mountains and work with indigenous populations. This amazed me. Maybe I would catch Zach De La Rocha and Rage doing a concert! Maybe I can kick it with the revolutionaries? I did not really expect any of that. But what I really did not expect was for the Professor to inform me that this would be a missionary trip. I did not know how to take it. On one hand, I felt the missionaries would be people that would want to stone me once they found out that I was not a "believer" of what they believe in. but on the other hand, I was being offered its a free trip to help people in another portion of the world. So prior to leaving, I’m meeting with the church group, and they all circle me, and say a prayer for me, which makes me feel uncomfortable. Then I see them all go off for "prayer class".
We leave for Oaxaca Mexico, one of Mexico's most southern countries that borders the state of Chiapas and Guatemala. I had brought a couple interesting books to read, and often found time to read. Each time I opened a book, a "faith team member" would come up, and asked about my beliefs. I felt that I should reserve my ideas and concepts about God since I was the minority within the group. I don’t remember exactly when or where, but I felt that I wasn’t being true to myself by holding in my philosophies and beliefs. One day at a lunch bench during a discussion with an elder, I spoke my mind. This lady seemed to almost have a heart attack. "What? You don’t believe in Jesus?" she said. I did feel anxious but liberated. Then I noticed how every one began to distance themselves from me. I spoke my mind to every one who came up to me. I began to question those who questioned me about their belief systems. Then I quoted Saul Williams only to see how they would respond. "Never question who I am.. God knows, and I know God personally infact he lets me call him me infact she lets me call her me.." Wine - Saul Williams (NICE!) They were horrified. I on the other hand, felt a sense of liberation.
One day, while in the mountains of Metla, the missionary group set up camp, consisting of a tent, a P.A. for the ministry band, and lots off food and offerings of those who "believe". Now I’m a firm believer if you feed the hungry, and provide them with any sense of hope, they will believe in anything you want them too (there are exceptions). But I wandered into away from the village and began to talk with the others. They referred to the Christian villagers as "locos". I then made my way back to tent and I heard the pastor ask for the U.S team to assemble in the front of the villagers. I figured if I did not go to the front, then they would really hate me because that would only demonstrate my character as a non team player. So I casually make my way to the front, and next thing I hear, the pastor asks the villagers to come to the front for a moment of faith. I did not know what to do, nor where to go. Almost the whole village had gathered and stood before me and the faith team. The faith team begin to place one hand on the body of the villager, and the other hand high in the air for god, and recited prayers. Next thing I knew, I had villagers in front of me and I decided that I would give them a hug and just kick some lyrics from hip hop songs I knew (Common's I used to Love H.E.R, Blackstar's Respiration, Dead Prez's Lets get Free and so on...) And the villagers loved it! I began to hug these people and in my arms they cried, and held me tight. I did not realize the impact in which a hug could do for people. I realized that these people were smarter than I thought. They knew damn well life might not get any better for them. All this food brought by the ministry will be gone at some point, but when they cried to me, I could feel the sense of hopelessness. I then looked to out to various lines and mine was the longest. How could this be? I am not a faith healer. I’m only giving hugs. My shirt must have been drenched with tears.
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hip hop missionary |
ralph lopez |
Friday, Jun. 20, 2003 at 7:22 AM |
hip hop missionary |
steve jones |
Friday, Jun. 20, 2003 at 8:04 AM |
hip hop missionary |
steve jones |
Friday, Jun. 20, 2003 at 8:04 AM |
KOBE |
KOBE SBM |
Friday, Jun. 20, 2003 at 10:55 AM |
hip hop missionary |
brian johnson |
Saturday, Jun. 21, 2003 at 1:25 PM |
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