Ministry Update

A year ago, I posted about our new direction in ministry.  A Turning Point, I called it, and it has certainly turned out to be exactly that!  A year later, we have certainly reached many of our objectives as we've been here in Puebla for nearly six months.

There have been some recent developments, however, more turning points if you will, as we have worked together with our different leaderships (three of them, to be exact!) in defining what our involvement with this ministry will look like.

I think it actually started soon after we arrived, because I remember Miguel sharing with me some of his thoughts about how he was sensing God's leading...and it was a bit different than what we'd thought we'd be doing.  It really shook me up! I mean, we had just spent months casting vision for a certain direction of ministry with all of our friends, family and supporters and now we up and say we're not going to do that?!

But that's not what Miguel was saying, exactly...he wasn't saying that we were changing ministries at all, just that he had a sense that maybe God was going to change the how of our involvement.  After I remembered that I am supposed to be trusting God to lead us through Miguel's ministry decisions, I settled down, apologized for freaking out, and found peace in waiting to see where and how God would lead.

Last October, we had some meetings with our leaders from Pioneers, our missions pastor, and the leadership of El Camino, our church here in Puebla.  The day before we all met together, we spent several hours with just our leadership from Pioneers and Miguel was able to share a little of what he was thinking.  We weren't sure how they would respond, but as it turned out, they were very open to it because what Miguel shared pretty much fits into a ministry role that Pioneers calls "ministry coach".  And they have been praying specifically for more team coaches!

One of Pioneers' core values is that of being Team-Centered.  Pioneers dedicates a lot of time and effort into helping their teams stay healthy and strong...not that PI teams don't ever encounter issues, but we've witnessed some pretty healthy teams in Pioneers so far.  One of the things they have discovered in the Mid-Americas region (and maybe in other regions, I'm not sure) is that teams with coaches tend to be more healthy and able to accomplish more than teams without coaches.  So it was pretty neat to find out that not only did our leaders welcome and honor how God was leading Miguel, they consider us to be an answer to prayer as well!

Once we got through that discussion, then we could formulate a rough plan of action for the next few years.  We're not sure of the time-line or exactly how it will all work, but another one of Pioneer's core values is Innovation and Flexibility, exemplified by a willingness to try new and different things.  Even though our leadership doesn't really have all the answers, they are willing to walk through this together with us, taking it one step at a time together (which represents another core value, that of Participatory Servant-Leadership based on trust).

Our Pioneers' leadership presented this new plan of action at the meetings in the following days and it was received favorably by our sending church's missions pastor and our Puebla church.  It is quite a change from the original plan, since it means that we will not be moving up to the mountains to work directly with Franco and Barby, at least not as soon as we thought.

So what will be doing?  Good question!  Like I have already said, we don't have all of the answers at this time and will continue to take things one step at a time...our first objective will be to conduct a survey of the Totonac people group to gather information about their language, culture, religious beliefs, spiritual needs, etc.  While there have been many ministries that have worked and are working with this people group, it has been a bit difficult to find good sources of information about the Totonac as a whole.  We are hoping to consolidate any information we come up with in one place so that it will be a great resource not just for us, but for any ministry interested in finding more about the Totonac.

The information we gather in the course of conducting the survey will also help us create a holistic strategy for approaching a ministry with the Totonac.  El Camino, our Puebla church, has a heart for reaching out to the entire people group, which is comprised of 5 to 6 different dialects.  The results of the survey will help El Camino in their efforts to determine the best strategy to use in reaching an entire people group for Christ, with the goal being that of establishing mature, self-governing, reproducing Totonac churches.

At some point, we will spend some time living among the Totonac, building relationship and learning as much of their language and culture as we can.  This will give us the much-needed personal experience that we will need if we are to coach a future team.  We're not sure when or where this will take place, but we're keeping our eyes open to where and when God might lead for that step.

So in the meantime, we will be staying longer in the city as we gather the information we need to complete the survey and cast vision in churches for the Totonac ministry.  Our prayer is that God will help us raise a team to go and work with the Totonac; a team that we would then coach through the process of team-building, getting the necessary cross-cultural training/preparation needed, creating a ministry strategy and then carrying out that strategy.

I know, huge task, and it's a bit overwhelming to think about!  But God is working here and we're excited.  We continue to feel such a calling and burden to the Totonac and it's neat to see how God has already worked to provide some of the contacts and resources that we need to move forward.

Miguel just returned from another trip to some Totonac communities in the state of Veracruz and not only had the opportunity to gather some information about the Totonac there, but was also able to share with the believers from two different Totonac churches.  Really exciting opportunities for him and we hope to return next time as a family.

One of the Totonac pastors (along with wife and daughter)
with one of the blankets that the retired volunteers at
Rio Grande Bible Institute 

sent with us to share with some Totonac families.

Miguel with one of the pastors and his son-in-law.

It is a fertile area, and many of the Totonac families have gardens where they grow corn and other crops.  Miguel and his pastor friend went out to his garden to harvest some yucca.  

Miguel enjoyed spending time with these kids...he

said the little boy is quite the question-maker!  

Yucca (or cassava) is a root, something similar to a potato.  They don't eat yucca here in this part of Puebla, but it is found in other parts of Mexico, such as the northern part of the state, Veracruz and in the more southern states like Oaxaca and Chiapas.  Yucca is commonly eaten in both Colombia and Venezuela, so both Miguel and I enjoy being able to eat some when we can get it!  One of our favorite ways to prepare yucca is to boil it and then fry it like french fries and eat it with ketchup.  Yum!  

The scenery reminded Miguel a lot of Venezuela!

Snow-Covered Volcanos

Over the New Year, snow began appearing more and more on the volcanoes around Puebla.  Every morning when we go out to the football fields close to our house to exercise Schatzen (our five month old German Shepherd puppy), we hope that the weather will be clear so we can see this view.

Popocatepetl (Popo for short), the volcano on the left, has been smoking a lot more recently and has even had a few eruptions.  Makes us wonder what's going on under that snow-capped peak!

On our way home from a trip to Texas recently, I was able to snap this shot of Popo.  A lot more snow had fallen while we were gone!  It was good to see this familiar sight once again, even though we were only gone for a few days to renew our tourist visas and car importation permit.

This morning when I went out with Schatzen, I took my camera along, hoping to get some good pictures of him in action.  He loves his Kong frisbee!

For the last few days, the volcanoes have been completely covered in clouds.  It's been raining a lot lately, rather unusual for February, but the top of Popo was visible for a few minutes before the clouds covered it up again.  It looked a bit surreal, as if the mountain was floating above the city...I looked back a few minutes later, but the clouds had risen again and the volcanoes were gone.

Hint:  If you click on the pictures, you can see them a bit closer!  

Valentine's Day Treat

Happy Valentine's Day!  Or as they say here in Mexico...¡Feliz Día de Amor y Amistad!  Translation:  Happy Day of Love and Friendship!

It's been pretty much a regular day here in our household in spite of it being Valentine's Day.  Jkaile learned how to cut out valentine hearts, but otherwise the kids have had to do their schoolwork as normal (much to their disgust).  But we have homeschool camp coming up next week and we can't afford to take any days off at this point.

I did make them a special treat for dessert, however, No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies (perfect for an oven-less home such as ours).

Ingredients:
2 c. sugar
5 T. cocoa powder
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
Dash salt
1/2 peanut butter, optional
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2+ c. oatmeal (quick cooking oatmeal is better, although I used the old-fashioned kind because it's what we have)
Bring everything to a boil except for the vanilla and oatmeal.  Bring to a boil and stir constantly while at full rolling boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and oatmeal.  Drop by teaspoonful on wax paper, foil or cookie sheets.  Cool to let harden.  

Miguel is still in the mountains and will probably not be home until Thursday.  But last week he brought me this sweet carved rose made by an inmate in a prison that Miguel has visited together with others from our church.  I put it in the vitrina (something like a china cabinet) along with a few other special things.

Here's a close-up...it's a bit hard to see, but the base of the rose is in the shape of a heart.

(Mostly) Straight from my Journal

February 13, 2012

I continue to feel a bit disconnected.  I tried to update my status on FB last night and there just wasn't anything there.  Everything I wrote sounded flat and/or lifeless.  I want to write on my blog, but it's easier to just watch a show or check the news or read a book.  It's kind of like writer's block, except that it's not that there is nothing to write about, but maybe because there is too much and I don't know where to start.  I hope I get over this soon, because the words are building up in my head!  I'm afraid I will lose these words altogether, which would be a shame.

I read a post the other day about feeling small...sometimes I wonder if my story matters that much.  I wonder if I'm having a confidence crisis or focusing too much on what people will think? I tend to be self-conscious about who I am and what I write.  But I really do need to write...it's an outlet for me.  I need to write for me.

And I need to remember that a post doesn't need to be long or complicated.  Some of the blogs I enjoy the most are the shorter ones with a few pictures...so I think I just need to Nike---just do it.  I suspect I have more to say than I think.

Miguel went to Poza Larga (a small Totonac community in the mountains-his second visit there) and I so wanted to go with him.  But since we're going to homeschool camp next week, we couldn't afford to miss the schooldays (we are hoping to go to Poza Larga as a family soon).

I am not feeling well, but I rested all day yesterday and am feeling better today.  It's a weird flu/cough that is giving me a bit of a throat infection as well.  Funny thing is that it also gave me a pain in my neck and shoulder.  Miguel had the same pain when he left, which was weird, and I hope he doesn't get worse while he's traveling.  I told Micah that I had a pain in my neck, but assured him that it wasn't him.  Ha!

The kids have been squabbling a lot in recent days--I suspect that this is very normal sibling stuff, but it is driving me nuts.  And I suspect also that when I don't handle it well, it just makes it worse.  But today is another day and God's mercies are new once again.

First Christmas in Puebla

We weren't sure what to expect our first Christmas in Puebla, but God blessed us with a very special experience with our friends Juan Carlos and Monica.  We've spent a bit of time with our new friends in the last month and have enjoyed getting to know them.

Juan Carlos, Monica, Carlos and Alonso

Just about when we'd decided we'd be spending our first Christmas here alone (and without an oven! yikes.), Juan Carlos and Monica dropped by our house one night last week to invite us to eat Christmas dinner with them.  We were thrilled (and not just because they were planning to have turkey...honest)!  Christmas is about spending time with family and friends...with no family close, spending it with friends like Juan Carlos and Monica is just as special for us.

In Mexico, Christmas is celebrated on the 24th and Christmas dinner is usually eaten sometime during the evening, usually late.  So we spent Saturday preparing the food for dinner that night...I made Venezuelan pan de jamón (ham bread) and Grandma Ople's Applie Pie (you can go here to see pictures of the process).

Pan de jamón

Monica and I with the pies.

Once the food was ready, we went to their church for a Christmas Eve service.  It was kinda hard to leave all that yummy food behind for a while, but we consoled ourselves with a little snack and the anticipation of the feast to come.

Finally, we headed back home and it was time to eat!  And being that we are in Mexico, of course we had to have some rajas (jalapeño strips, carrots and onion in vinegar sauce) to accompany our meal!

After supper, all the kids went out to light their giant sparklers, apparently also a Christmas tradition in Mexico.  We bought ours at a stoplight on our way to church and saw many people selling them at each intersection we went through.

After a brisk round of Manzanas Con Manzanas (Apples to Apples in Spanish!), we came home...it was 1:30 a.m. by the time we got everyone to bed.  Then Miguel and I had to finish wrapping presents and preparing the stockings, so it was even later (or was that earlier?) by the time we got to sleep.

Naturally, the kids were wide awake by 7 a.m. ready to open their presents!  Miguel refused to come down until at least 8:30, however, so I retold the Christmas story while we waited.  Finally, he came down and our gift-giving began.  We like to open the presents slowly, taking our time to enjoy each gift and this year, we had each gift-giver say something meaningful to the gift-receiver.  At first it was a bit awkward for the kids, but by the end, they were enjoying it!

The kids with their stockings.

I made the kids some pillows...they loved them!

Miguel gave me a new cooking pot and I gave him some headphones, which he started using right away!

Love those Razorback pjs, Miguel!

We tried to go to church on Sunday, but didn't last very long since the kids were falling asleep in their seats...so we came on home and rested for most of the afternoon.  Then we went back to Juan Carlos and Monica's house and had round two with the leftovers!

God is good to give us what we desire...fun and fellowship during our first Christmas here in Puebla.

Your Heart

We love stories, especially Bible stories...and we love to share Bible truths through stories as we live and work with people who have more of a oral/story-telling background.  So we were pretty excited to discover this album that has recently been produced about Bible characters.  We quickly made an playlist on Youtube of these songs so that we can listen to them over and over again.  They have all touched our hearts, but we particularly like the song about King David.  I have noticed that more often than not, we will skip other songs to listen to Your Heart before moving on the other songs on the list.

Interestingly, we just finished telling David's story to the kids and in the telling, I think we learned just as much as the kids.  The Bible is neat in the way that it teaches truth on so many levels and reaches everyone who hears.

I've been thinking about the words of this song...particularly the words "When the world looks at me I pray all they see is that my heart looks like Your heart".

And isn't that what the walk is all about, a daily refining and maturing so that our heart begins to look more and more like the heart of Christ?  God said that David was a man after God's own heart, and while it is true that David's heart had a special relationship with God from his youth, he still had to face a refining process in his life just like the rest of us (see Psalm 51).

Refinement of the heart isn't a very easy or glamorous process...sometimes it can just be downright painful and messy.  At times it isn't easy to own my defects and then accept the what or the who that God uses in my life to refine and forge my heart into one that looks more like His.

I've been reading a book titled On Being a Missionary, written by Thomas Hale who spent many years as a missionary himself in the country of Nepal.  This book has really spoken to me...it's funny yet full of practical advice and has often taken me back to reflect on my mission experiences, both growing up as an MK and serving as an AMK (Adult Missionary Kid).  One paragraph really stuck out to me the other day...

"As someone has said, a missionary's pilgrimage doesn't end when he gets to the field; it simply gets bumpier.  That's when he discovers new weaknesses, new temptations, new sins.  These are at the root of most of the emotional struggle and pain we experience as new missionaries.  We learn much about ourselves when we arrive on the mission field.  Some of our flaws and weaknesses may never have been revealed before in the security of our home country.  But now they are.  Our defects are exposed.  Because of them we sustain wounds.  These, in a sense, can be considered battle wounds.  As these wounds are healed, the scars remain.  They will be signs that we've been fighting on the front lines.  They will be scars we can wear without shame."

Looking back on our missionary career, I can see how God has used many things in my life so far in order to bring my weaknesses to light...and all too often I'm tempted to feel some shame about some of the circumstances surrounding my times of refinement.  Perhaps attitudes on my part that weren't quite as godly as they should have been or words that should have remained unspoken.  It's easy to look back and see what I should have done and how I could have responded and much harder to simply trust God with who I was and what I did during those times.  Because it all boils down to trusting God in all things, doesn't it?

I do carry scars from past experiences and wounds that will become scars in time...I hadn't thought to view them as battle scars before, but I think he's right.  In other circumstances, I don't think some of those defects might have been brought to light.  Not that I become proud of these scars by any means, frankly it takes humility to become open and vulnerable enough to expose scars and to admit flaws and weaknesses; in short, it's hard to take off the mask and display anything less than perfection.  But through humility, I can accept the fact that the scars exist and choose to acknowledge the defects that remain in my heart and life, accepting from God's hand the ways (the whats and the whos) that He has chosen to bring out and work on my weaknesses.

Humility has and will allow me to come to the place of thanking God for those hurtful trials and conflicts because those were times of refinement and maturing that were necessary for making my heart look more more like His.  In the same way, humility will also allow me to respect the battle scars of friends, colleagues and coworkers and relating with compassion as God works to refine their hearts as well.

The cry of my heart today...When the world looks at me I pray all they see is that my heart looks like Your heart.

Giving Thanks

This hasn't been the greatest of weeks...come to think of it, hasn't been the greatest of months, to be honest with you.  The kids were sick towards the beginning of November with a stomach flu and then we had just a few healthy days before they got sick again with a respiratory infection/tonsilitis.  In the middle of that, Micah fell in the street at a friends' house and partially dislocated one of the bones in his arm at the wrist...we are very thankful that it didn't fracture, as it could have been a lot more serious than a minor dislocation.  However, he has had to keep a splint on his arm and had to quit soccer practice and I miss my noon-time dish-washer! 

As if that weren't enough, over the weekend I realized that I had a UTI that was already affecting my kidneys a little and spent most of Sunday and Monday in bed guzzling gallons of water and juice and natural remedies in an effort to avoid taking antibiotics.  By Tuesday, I was feeling much better but still not over it and I had to face the fact that I wasn't really able to plan well for Thanksgiving.  I normally would have baked some pies and cornbread dressing and perhaps a chicken or two, but not having an oven kind of put a damper on those ideas.

Wednesday found me feeling stressed and feeling...something, but I wasn't really sure.  And then it hit me, I felt sad!  My first instinct was to shut it down (old habits die hard...), but then I realized that I needed to give myself permission to be sad and I let myself grieve.  I think the depth of my grief surprised me because I hadn't sensed it before.  I grieved being so far away from family and friends on a holiday that really is all about sharing a special meal with family and friends...I also grieved not being able to provide my family with traditional favorites that we usually try to enjoy even if we're overseas.  I would have loved to have shared a meal with some of our new friends here, but grieved not being able to invite someone and then provide them with traditional Thanksgiving fare either. 

I pretty much concluded this Thanksgiving was going to be an epic fail and cried myself to sleep last night.  Some of the last words that went through my mind as I drifted off to sleep were "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning" (Psalm 30:5b) and oh how I hoped that joy would come in the morning! 

It didn't feel like much joy had come in the morning, however, and I found my stress levels rising as I dragged myself out of bed late, prepared breakfast, dealt with our puppy who has been less than cooperative this week, and got the family up and around for the day...I found myself easily irritated and raising my tone of voice to the kids and then Miguel about things I could have communicated to him much more calmly and concisely. 

Stressing about the puppy's behavior, I began remembering what I've been learning about puppy training, how dogs can pick up on our emotions and anger/impatience/stress is perceived by dogs as weakness and then they can lose respect for their owners and begin reacting to the 'negative energy' instead of learning how to follow a confident, firm leader.  The articles I've read advise dog owners to visualize the desired positive behavior instead of focusing on the negative behavior the dog is showing so that their pet won't pick up on those negative emotions and react accordingly.  How it's important to relax and enjoy the interactions with the dog so that trust and confidence can be built into the relationship. 

Ironically, it was those puppy training techniques that got me...I began to feel convicted about the way I often  interact with my family, allowing my emotions to run amuck...I began to see how that often my 'negative energy' spills over onto everyone else (puppy included).  How I tend to maximize the negative and minimize the positive and so I tend to see my kids as bundles of failures instead of accepting them just as they are in all their potential...how I am often not relaxed enough to just enjoy my kids or my husband.  How trust and confidence struggle to grow in an environment like that.  I began to realize that something about me needs to change...a lot of change has happened in the last few years, but this is God taking it down another level...

I apologized for my behavior and that's when it happened, peace and joy returned.  Control established, relaxed and peaceful, and with renewed energy I was able to move on into my day with a new confidence that everything was going to be okay.  Things aren't perfect, but they are good and this was going to be a good day.

And it really was.  Puppy cooperated (for the most part...) and the kids and I worked on our new family tradition, a Thanksgiving tree, while Miguel was out shopping for lunch.  Then we gave thanks for home-made mashed potatoes and a roasted chicken and a cheesecake-type pie and we were more than satisfied. 

And while giving thanks, our thankfulness 'grew'.  

Counting blessings is a blessing in and of itself because there are so many to count. 

So there it is, our first Thanksgiving in Puebla. 

Cooking Class

A couple of weeks ago a friend from church invited me to a cooking class she attends at a local DIF (stands for Desarrollo Integral de la Familia, translation 'Integral Development of the Family').  Local DIFs offer many kinds of classes and services, from cooking to hair-styling to crafts to sports.  Classes are sometimes free, although the cooking classes cost a little to help offset the expenses.  Each class costs 25 pesos, or about 2$ US.

These classes are offered several times a day every day of the week except Sunday, but my friends only go on Wednesday nights.  While the ladies are at the class, the guys usually take all the kids over to the park to ride their bicycles and then everyone eats supper together afterwards.

I decided to go since the ladies are learning to make traditional Christmas dishes and also because it's a good chance to hang out with friends.  I was also curious about the class and figured it would be a great cultural experience!  Since it was somewhat a last-minute invite, I didn't have any ingredients to make anything that day, so I just watched and took pictures.

One of my friends made a carrot cake, but I was more interested in my other friend who made cochinita pibil, a traditional Mexican slow-roasted pork dish.  We love cochinita pibil and I was pretty excited to see it made.

Some of the ingredients for cochinita pibil:  oranges,

lemons, peppercorns, red onions, dried chiles, habanero peppers, 

achiote paste (red annatto seeds mixed with 

vinegar, salt, garlic and spices)

First of all, the cook helped select the right banana leaves to wrap the pork in while it was roasting in the oven.  They put the pork pieces in the oven to bake for about 1/2 an hour before adding the sauce.

Then the dried chiles were de-seeded, soaked in water, warmed and then blended together with some orange juice, the achiote paste and the peppercorns.  Salt, garlic and chicken bullion can be added, too.  Once the sauce was ready, they pulled the pork out of the oven and poured the sauce over the pork and baked for another hour or so.

In the meantime, she prepared the topping to eat with the cochinita pibil...grated carrot, sliced red onions, sliced habanero peppers (yes, it was SPICY!!!) along with lemon and orange juice.  She didn't happen to have another dish handy, so she improvised and used this baking dish.  I thought it looked pretty cool...

When the pork was finally done, we tasted a bit before heading home...the end result was absolutely delicious!  Cochinita pibil is traditionally shredded and then served  inside of corn tortillas and topped with the carrot/onion mixture.

For an actual recipe and more complete instructions on how to make cochinita pibil, check out this page!  It has a few differences from the process I observed, but is probably more complete and therefore more yummy.  :)  I don't have an oven or I would have tried this recipe at home already!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to go to cooking class last week and my friend couldn't go this week, but I am looking forward to learning how to make something interesting next week!

For my Missionary Mama Friends-Giveaway

Just saw this awesome giveaway idea over at Mrs JohninGhana for missionary women...go check it out!

http://johninghana.blogspot.com/2011/11/youve-got-mail-super-special-giveaway.html

If I were to get a package from the U.S. I think I'd ask for Starbucks coffee, whole bean (we do have Starbucks here, but it's a bit pricey), maybe some candles, scrapbook materials (paper, stamps, punches, etc) and definitely some chocolate chips or other candy (like Dove dark chocolate...mmmm!).

The Days of the Dead

I've always been a little confused about what exactly is the Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) here in Mexico and I assumed that it had something to do with the American celebration of Halloween.  I have learned a little bit more about this celebration, however, and have found out that the origin of Halloween is really All Hallows' Eve.  All Hallows' Eve is the night before All Saints' Day, which falls on November 1st.  And November 2nd is All Souls' Day.  

So while Halloween kind of has something to do with the Día de los Muertos, the American celebration of Halloween that I am familiar with and the Mexican celebration of the Día de los Muertos is a lot different (Mexicans do still participate in Halloween-like activities, such as dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating...yesterday I saw a little boy in a fringed cowboy costume made completely out of newspaper!).     Obviously, there is an entire history behind these celebrations and the customs will vary from place to place, but this year we have been doing our own culture study on this celebration and are learning from our neighbors and other sources here about their beliefs regarding the Día de los Muertos.

What we have learned is that these are days when families remember and honor their dead loved ones and it is traditionally a time to visit and decorate their graves.  While this reminds me of Memorial Day in the U.S., there is a lot more involved with the Día de los Muertos than merely remembering loved ones.

A Triqui woman pouring Coca-Cola on the grave

of a loved one, Baja California.

It is believed that once a year, the ánimas (souls) of dead loved ones come back from the dead to visit their relatives.  The souls of children and unmarried young people are believed to come on All Saints' Day and the souls of adults or married people are believed to come on All Souls' Day.  Ofrendas (offerings) are made on sometimes elaborate altars in homes or cemeteries to honor and receive the souls.  Candles are burned as it is believed that their light will guide the souls to the altars.  Brightly colored flowers with strong smells, such as marigolds are commonly used to also guide the souls to the offerings.  Incense, such as copal (tree resin incense) is also burned by some.

A trail of flower petals leading into a house.

A trail of flower petals leading to an ofrenda at a school.

Many different foods or other things can be included in the offering, such as pan de muerto (literally, the bread of the dead), whiskey and other drinks, tamales, cigarettes, mole (a traditional chile and chocolate dish), sugar skulls, toys and candy (for the younger souls), sugarcane, fruit and other items that may have been favorites of the dead loved ones.

Pan de muerto, topped with bone-like decorations.

While the Día de los Muertos isn't necessarily a state holiday, we have observed that the 1st and 2nd day of November are días festivos (festive days) and that schools are closed on November 2nd.  Many of our friends who are followers of Christ do not send their children to school around this time of year in order to avoid having their children participate in the celebrations they view as demonic and pagan.

The sign on the gate of the preschool next door to our house says: 

"Homework for everyone: bring a written skeleton for 

Monday and fruit for the offering.  Thank you."

An ofrenda at a town government office.

Another example of an ofrenda set up at a police station.

There is a sign on this ofrenda that says,

"Please don't take anything off of the offering."

An ofrenda set up inside a Catholic church.

Traditionally, on November 3rd families have parties where the offerings are eaten in honor of their dead loved ones.  It is believed that the essence or aromas and the colors of the food and flowers are 'eaten' or used by the dead and some would say that the food that is left has no nutritional value.  

I'm sure that there is a lot more to learn about the Día de los Muertos, but this has been an interesting glimpse into these traditions here in Puebla.