In my last blog, I wrote 7/31. OOPS!  What I described was Friday, 7/30.  This blog describes Sat., 7/31. Sorry.   I was so busy, I even got my days confused.

 We started out with a breakfast of fresh fruit, cocoa,  pork rinds cooked in a delicious red sauce, and sweet cakes.   Then to work.

   Deacon Pat Graybill had an important talk to give on "Conversion" that took up most of the morning. The deaf participants were very enthusiastic.   I resumed my meetings with the priests and seminarians.  The interpreters continued their meeting in another room.  150+ folks in the middle of a poor area of Mexico, trying to seek God s wisdom and way for this important work among deaf people.

  The priests and seminarians wanted to continue the discussion about strategies to combat sexual abuse. That lasted an hour. After a coffee break, we worked for two more hours on plans to expand ministry with deaf people in Mexico.   One of the problems is that the official Church in Mexico is, at times, very traditional. The idea was that the priests did everything.The idea of Lay people taking responsibility -especially deaf lay people - is a new idea.  There are no training opportunities for deaf people like MFP or the program at St. Thomas University where deaf people can get the pastoral training they need.   In addition, many colleges and universities still do not provide sign language interpreters.   The biggest problem, however, is money.   So many people, especially the deaf, are poor.

   I was amazed, inspired, overwhelmed by the stories of the sacrifices people made to attend these four days.  People traveled by bus or cars over 14 hours to come. In some areas, people in small towns made clothing to sell in order to pay for this trip. One young man told me that he is the only deaf person in his entire town. He sees deaf people once or twice a year. He signed to me that he barely sleeps for these four days. He is sooooo hungry just to be able to communicate with other deaf people. Several of the young people from our deaf Encuentro four years ago and the recent one have come. The Encuentro encouraged them to be more involved in the life of the Church. The people want us to do an Encuentro with the young people every two years.  The young people who have been on the Encuentros tell us that the experience has changed their lives.This will take money, more fundraising. Ugh!

   Another deaf young man told me about his work in a factory. He is paid very little for a job that an American worker gets paid more than ten times his salary.  This is an AMERICAN company. The products made are sold in America at the same price as before. Who is making the profit, the difference between what American workers were paid and what this young man and all his friends are paid?

  Time to leave, and head back to Mexico City. Lots of hugs, tears, good-byes, and endless requests for photos.   The deaf attending these days take endless photos. Why? Because they will go back to families and villages where no one signs. Showing the photos to the people there will "explain" to them what happened during that week. NEYDI gives me a gift of candy from her area of Mexico. A big hug;tears; a promise to stay in touch. People won"t let us leave, "stay,stay,stay"; "come back next year, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!".  I tell them "come to Chicago for ICDA". Some tell me they will come...if IMMIGRATION does not arrest them!!!!!

   It is a three hour drive back through the rain to MEXICO CITY. Deacon Pat and I stay with our dear friends RAUL & CHELO MANERO. We will both fly out later today back to the USA.  I have some thoughts about these wonderful, exhausting days. More later this week.