A good portion of you who read this blog may wonder what the deal is with the term “Tabicones”…….years ago my Mexican co-workers named me ricardo marc-antonio tabicon, which is the literal translation of my name. The Spanish translation of Block is typically used in the construction business, and “tabicon” is used to describe one such type of block used in building houses. MMmmmmmm….
So the title of this post specifically refers to other “Tabicones” in San Cristobal – namely, my parents Peter and Margaret Block, who blessed us with a visit. They had a scheduled vacation in Huatulco (Oaxaca state), and took a 9-hour bus ride overnight to come visit us for 3 days. Their mission was two-fold 1) to check out the locale where we are settling in for the next 3 years, and 2) to play, hug, laugh, tease and enjoy the grandkids. But they also did a magnificent job of blessing us and showing their sincere interest and desire to understand the work of MCC in Chiapas (one that I will describe in another post…perhaps in a couple of months after I get fully involved at work.
We walked through the markets, visited churches, and celebrated communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ in a very small Church of Christ congregation in our Colonia (neighborhood). The trip to San Juan Chamula was fascinating, to see the cultural (i.e. Mayan Indigenous) influence on the local Catholic parish. We also enjoyed lots of good discussion, usually over wonderful food – Mexican, Mennonite, and sometimes a mezcla (mixture) of the two. I don’t mind saying here that Jacquie has been cooking up wonderful meals for our family…I think I’m correct in saying that she has been enjoying exploring and experimenting with new foods and ingredients.
I’ll leave you with a few photos below taken while my parents were visiting……happy new year to all of you!
Historic church and cemetery in San Juan Chamula
Dad and Mom Block with Ezra and Hilary at the Church of Guadelupe in San Cristobal
Just had to buy some plants on this busy market day to begin our jardin