Some people say, ” if it ain’t broke …  then don’t try to fix it! ” and that statement certainly applies very well to the way people think around Oaxaca.  Some of the pictures below show how people still use oxen to plow their fields, Dragging the hand carved plow, which is cut from a log. While this system is a bit slow, it’s still very effective and the majority of  the people still use this method … plowing and farming the same way they have done so for hundreds of years.It’s always a lot of fun to see it in person and occasionally, there is a new young pair of bulls to be trained … so be prepared to get your hands dirty and get some on-the-job training!

Some people say “what we don’t know … won’t hurt us” but when it comes to water quality, especially while living in a foreign country, that statement is definitely not true!  Recently one of our team members named Felipe and I, decided to do some training together.  I had purchased some water test kits to help us determine the water quality in some of the villages that we are working in and to also determine the output water quality of the Biosand water filters that we will be fabricating, installing and then teaching others to do the same.For these tests, we used a product called ECA Check Easygel produced by Micrology Labs, which is a clear medium containing enzymes designed to react with each of the four bacterial groups that this particular product can test.  The photo below shows a water test specimen that was collected from the cistern at our home, and as you can see it contains some pretty ugly stuff. This particular specimen was incubated at the desired 95° F. for a minimum of 24 hours.  The specimen not only shows E. coli, but also salmonella as well … Hmmm … yum, yum! That’s a good way to take off some extra weight!The photo below is a specimen from the same water source and was also incubated under the same conditions, but the specimen below was treated with some of our homemade chlorine that we produced using a saltwater brine that was molecularly separated through an electrical charge. The photo below is in fact so clear that you can see the reflection of the camera taking the photo. Both photos were taken without using the flash so that the base testing medium from the Easygel product shows up as a light brown and solidifies within one hour of mixing with the water to be tested.The treated specimen clearly shows that not only is it clear of E. coli and salmonella, but that it’s also clear of other smaller coliforms as well which will be shown better in the two lower photographs. The photo directly below shows the contaminated water specimen again, but this time the photograph was shot with the flash on. This method reveals just about all of the E. coli, salmonella and other coliforms, but with little or none of the base Easygel medium showing up.The photo directly below is of the chlorine treated specimen under the same conditions of using the camera flash. It clearly shows that just 5 to 6 drops of our homemade chlorine solution in one liter of water makes a big difference. The photo below shows a complete “white-out” signifying that there is no residual E. coli, salmonella or other coliforms within the bacterial capability of this test kit that are present.So this tells us that we would be a lot better off drinking the water that was treated with a few drops of chlorine than that other ugly stuff!  So stay tuned for other interesting and practical articles, that you’ll want to share with others!

The following photo shows a new water well, that had been dug by hand and most of us would think twice about whether or not we would want to drink out of it, but if that’s all you had … it would be reason for a celebration!

The other amazing thing about this particular well (that is actually quite a blessing) is that the water is pretty close to the surface as compared to so many other places where we have to go very deep in order to find water and almost always hit some pretty hard rock, but in this area it was pretty soft. We can do a lot of cool things and actually feel good about ourselves doing them, but we have to be careful, that we’re not actually teaching them to fail.  As we’re helping people to help themselves, it’s crucial to keep in mind that we are teaching them as we’re helping them. Otherwise they won’t be able to maintain what we have done together, nor would they be able to reproduce it, in order to help their neighbors.As we continue to love people to Christ, we’re looking for a lot less tears …and a lot more smiles!

We thought we would give you an opportunity to enjoy some photos of 2008, overall we had an excellent year meeting new friends, developing great relationships, helping people to help themselves and loving them to Christ.

These people were very happy to learn how to make their own blankets, especially when it gets down below freezing and the little shacks have gaps in the boards big enough to put your hand in.

We were able to start an egg incubation facility in one village, where some of the production goes to provide meals for school children that otherwise would not get a lunch at all.

Most people in these villages eat what they can grow and sometimes that’s not very much, due to a lack of water, lack of fertilizer and the various crop diseases. That’s why we have helped people install drip irrigation projects, taught them how to mix fertilizer and to disinfect the soil.

The plants don’t always end up looking this nice, but a little hard work goes a long way. We recently had some unusual cold weather come in and had several plants freeze, so during those times we’ll have to design some secondary heat sources.

Most of the people are subsistence farmers, so from the time they get up in the morning, until the time they go to bed, they worry about feeding their families … in a very real way.

This is Protacio with one of his daughters, we helped him start a church in his village by building relationships through new and exciting non-traditional methods. He was recently elected to a local leadership position in his village and has earned the respect of many.

It’s not all work and no play … or rather, sometimes play … is work!  If we really want to communicate with people, we have to be willing to spend the time to know them better.

We are always looking for ways, to impact their lives in a good way … something that can really make a difference, which might be something as simple as this adobe brick oven that is being built, so that they’ll have fresh bread in the village.

Some trout or tilapia projects are always tasty!

Quail eggs have more nutrients and less cholesterol than chicken eggs.

We were blessed by the opportunity to train some pastors that came from Haiti.

To help them overcome the issues they face in their own country, to help provide for the needs of others, to help send their own missionaries and to help sustain themselves in the ministry.

For many people, the lifestyle has stayed the same for generations.

Their identity and how they view themselves hasn’t changed much either.

They maintain ancient customs and traditions.

Many children have never slept on a mattress.

Some of the villages are hard to get to and the roads are a little rough.

That is … if the road is still there!

And here’s what happens when your summer intern doesn’t eat all of his allotted insects that are offered at meal time.

( just kidding about the machete … not about the insects.)

Some of this type of lifestyle, maybe a little different for some of us.

The thought that this leaky bucket may be the closest thing to a shower many of these people have ever seen is quite convicting.

 … and if, while looking at these pictures, you start to think … “that isn’t for me”

 … Then that statement would be correct … because it’s neither for you, nor about you … it’s about them.

And it’s about these.

It’s about serving others and teaching them to do the same.

Perhaps making even a small impact in the life of someone.

 … will have a larger … Community … impact.  If you’re like me, I remind myself on a regular basis: That I am not my own, I have been bought with a price (1 Cor.6:19-20) … and that price deserves action!

Imagine being 4 years old, living in a village at 7,800 ft. above sea level, where it can be freezing on any given night, with no electricity, no running water, no sewer, in a small wooden shack and with gaps in the rough cut planks big enough to put your hand through.  But there is more … add choking smoke every day, with eyes watering because mom is trying to cook the meals on a camp fire next to the home or inside depending on the weather, as the open fire is also their only source of heat.Unfortunately the misery doesn’t stop there … Humberto was recently diagnosed with a large tumor behind his brain and was told by the medical staff in Oaxaca City, that there was nothing they could do … so he was taken back to the village to die.  He has lost most of his motor skills now and can only make sounds of pain as his mother carries him all day. In these humble villages, they eat what they can grow, so I went to check on their corn crop. I could clearly see the devastation from a distance, but I opened up several ears of corn to find that only a few kernels of corn had formed from lack of water and fertilizer.I share this story not to paint a “gloom and doom” picture, but rather a simple fact of the “expected” way of life that is so common among the indigenous people here.  So this is where you and I come in, because God can still heal people like Humberto and we can lift him up to the Great Physician in prayer every day. Secondly, we can also show them the love of Christ through a better quality of life in their circumstances … for instance, we were able to make some blankets for all eight people sleeping in that shack on the dirt floor, deliver some food and medical supplies, connect up an electrical cable so they could have at least a little light after dark and have a small electric griddle to cook on inside the shack so they don’t have to spend so much time cutting firewood and suffering with so much smoke. We will also be testing their soil, help them with irrigation, fertilizer and some small animal projects, so that they can sustain themselves and help their neighbors do the same.As we do these things in obedience to Christ … it also has an impact in our own lives, “messing us up” in a good way … never to be the same again and to never go back … only forward.  As I write this with tears streaming down my face looking at a Christmas tree … this story brings me a profound and truly sincere sense of thankfulness.Remember, only cowards never get involved and above that … aren’t we glad Christ wasn’t one!

It’s nice to see things hopping (literally) at the Ag institute where several people are trained every week and some schools are now bringing their children for classes. Several hundred rabbits and several thousand chickens were produced here last year for needy families and the training continues to reach many of the authorities in the surrounding villages. The production of rabbits is an incredible opportunity that few people realize or even understand for that matter. With only 3 to 4 females and one male to help a family start their own production, in one year those rabbits can actually produce more meat than a cow and with less investment or risk. The meat is also higher in protein with less cholesterol.That’s a reason why one of the most closed countries in the world, recently not only allowed a foreigner to come in and help them with their extreme hunger issues, but he was actually invited in by the government! … Duuude! … it doesn’t get any better than that!!I must also point out that not only are there many great ways to prepare rabbit meals, but if nothing else … they make great pets, produce needed fertilizer and they definately DON’T make a lot of noise like the neighbor’s dogs.These little wonders come in all shapes, sizes and colors and only need a fraction of the feed that a cow would eat to gain the same kilo of weight.The gestation period (or pregnancy time for you urbanites) is only a month and each litter normaly has 6 to 8, but we’ve seen some litters of up to 11 … WOW! now that’s like popping popcorn.They can actually be so productive, that it could be a problem. A case in point was the infamous Robbin Island prison where Nelson Mandela was kept for 18 years. They recently had to shut down the whole island (which is one of South Africas most famous tourist sites) for two weeks to address the over-population of rabbits.

I recently met a young boy named Hugo, it broke my heart to see what happened to his finger. A few days ago we went to his village to check on an incubation cycle of chicken eggs. He came to greet us and see how the chicken production was going, I noticed his arm was in a sling and his finger was bandaged. As we taught them how to clean the wound, left some medical supplies and took some photos for the doctor, we inquired as to what happened, he went on to explain, that as it was close to the “day of the dead” celebration, he had been building his own altar to the spirits of his dead ancestors and had a bad accident. (they build these because of traditions and customs, also for good luck, but mainly out of fear for not paying respect to their ancestors)But sadly enough for Hugo and very unlucky as well, he chopped off the end of his thumb with a machete while diligently working to fabricate an altar with an idol. As a young boy of only six years old he is learning a very painful lesson … that his work was not only dangerous but also counterproductive. The prophet Isaiah shares with us what God told him to say about this topic in chapter 44:9 through verse 20.Take some time and read it, then please pray for this young boy and many others just like him that are so religious, but have no relationship with Christ … the One, True, All Powerful Spirit.

This is actually my first ever post … going solo anyway … so just hang in there with me.Sometimes it’s easy to take things for granted and cultivated friendships are one of the most often ignored or overlooked items.  The photo of this little girl reminds me that a little love goes a long way and in most cases, it far exceeds our own expectations.  When I first starting going to her village, visiting her dad … she would run away screaming and crying, as she was not accustomed to having visits by outsiders.  Nowadays it’s not unusual to have her, or some of the other kids run towards us when we drive up and later on fall asleep in my lap when we’re sitting around talking.Out in the villages, relationships are everything and Christ left us many examples of that.

David has been pressuring me to post a video on the blog, so here is a quick introduction.My First Video Blog from Miguel Johnson on Vimeo.

Welcome to the blog for Communityfor projects based out of Oaxaca, Mexico. In the near future, it will be regularly updated by Field Coordinators Kerry and Mauri Johnson, with occasional guest posts. It will include regular updates on specific projects, new photographs, prayer requests, and more.  Do add us to your RSS-feed, and commit to walking alongside us in this work.