Gracias Juanita,
Mientras le acompannamos a Rolene en su aventura por las carreteras, orando por ella y por las tierras que pisa, podemos acompannarle tambien en nuestros lugares, con nuestro caminar diario.
Como? Observando, discerniendo como nos movilizamos, como nos vestimos, como nos divertimos, como comemos y bebemos. Es nuestro caminar por el planeta un caminar respetuoso, gentil, que honra al Creador y la Creacion, la tierra y sus criaturas?
Creo que esto es lo que Rolene nos invita a enfrentar con su caminata.
Muchos vivimos como si nuestras decisiones, nuestras acciones no sirvieran para nada. Si sirven. El cambio comienza por dentro, y se abre paso a traves de nuestros movimientos. Es lindo. Cada cual en parcelita, pero compartiendo semillas, frutos, y herramientas con sus vecinos/as.
Mientras mas aprendo, mas voy sintiendo que una area en donde mas bien podemos hacer por nuestro planeta, por nuestras co-criaturas, nuestro projimo y nosotros mismos es la de la comida. Cuanto danno y cuanta crueldad generamos por nuestros apetitos, nuestra ignorancia y autocomplacencia!
Por hacer algo que puede ablandarnos un poco mas la conciencia, que Dios le bendiga a Rolene, le guie y el cuide.
(Veo en su jornal que ya llego a Mexico, DF. Todavia esta ahi? Saludale mucho, por favor.)
Que Dios nos de ojos para ver y un corazon humilde para caminar con El/ Ella (y con Rolene).
(Te acuerdas del profeta Miqueas? Que quiere Dios de nosotros? Que hagamos lo justo, que amemos la misericordia y que… caminemos humildemente con nuestro Dios.)
Me encanta que el testimonio de Rolene te haya inspirado. Muchas gracias por compartir tu entusiasmo conmigo.

Jorge

Para quienes la conocemos.
Para quienes no ? y deseen
conocer algo de lo que comenzó
a realizar en su vida.

Ella le llama . Caminata por la Tierra
En fin. .. algunos comprenderan este
termino cuando ella estaba sentada en un
desayuno y diciendo.
con todos nosotros , platicando
! Recien tuve ella un llamado. : .. este llamado
fue realizar una caminata dese mi casa en
los EEUU , - hasta Chile.

Y ya comenzó. . Ok . Una nueva preparación
para ella misma y para todos.
Recien me sentaré con ella a charlar que
tan , que tan fuerte pueden ser los lazos
para seguir este Camino como ella le llama.

Les comparto esto a todos ustedes.
! Se ve super super interesante. A veces
no pense a imaginar que alguien tan cercano
pueda realizar esto !

Juanita Terrones.

I had a wonderful time with Rolene on the Walk with Earth trip. It was wonderful to talk with Rolene about everything under the sun. She was exactly the person I needed to be hanging out with at this point in my life. I took all of our experiences and conversations to heart and have shared them with friends of mine who I thought might benefit. My trip with Rolene was really life changing.

As well as being emotionally and psychologically helpful it also gave me the boost and encouragement I needed to really work on my Spanish. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to explore Mexico outside of the beach and Cancun scene with which it is frequently associated. Over these last few weeks at home I have thought about my experiences in Mexico and enjoyed sharing my stories with friends and family. I will always remember the remarkable hospitality and genuine friendliness of the people we met. But what I appreciate most is the deeper relationship and friendship I established with Rolene. I definitely want to go again!

Emily Schwartz

Yesterday Ruth Russell, Jill Anderson, Agnita Wright Anderson walked with me from the south of Mexico City to Tlalpan. Ruth is a medical student in Bristol and was at the International AIDS conference last week. Jill lives at the Casa and is doing research here. Agnita is 11 months old, and learned how to keep her balance on a grassy slope when we rested.

It was a gorgeous day, slight breeze, warm, few clouds—you could see all the mountains ringing Mexico City. It’s rare to see them because of smog. Mexico City, Los Angeles, and Santiago, Chile, all are in an enclosed basin where the pollution can’t escape. There are communities growing up the sides of the mountains all around the city. You can see where (more…)

After five months on the road, it is great to be at the Casa de los Amigos in Mexico City, a Quaker guest house. The pine forests coming into Mexico from the west are spectacular. I have been involved with the Casa over the years, so it’s like a homecoming–Sara and Margarita, the cleaning staff, Irma, the accountant, Nick the manager. I have met with Horacio, Jorge, Bridget and Andrew too. Bridget and Albert, Nick and Jill have had babies since I was here last, and Irma and Allen are pregnant. Must be something in the water.

The volunteers here are from Scotland, Mexico, Germany, and the US. They have environmental and free trade committees going. There is a great high school group here from New York with Global kids. There is an AIDS conference in the city next week, so there are lots of medical and social workers from around the world staying here. There is always (more…)

Gary with a recycling sign.

I have been in Patzcuaro, Morelia, Zinapecuaro in Michoacan, and now Toluca in the state of Mexico. Michoacan is one of the most beautiful states in Mexico. There are pine forests, oak forests, rolling corn fields with lots of trees in the fields. It is very green with all the rain.

A friend in Morelia asked why I didn’t put more information in my emails about the problems with the environment caused by people in the US. She’s not the first. Global warming is caused by pollution, and half of the pollution comes from cars and trucks. I ask people here to eliminate the use of gasoline in 10 years, but the truth is, we should probably be doing it much sooner. Make a commitment your next car will be a hybrid, or use no gasoline. GM is rolling out the Chevy volt electric car next year.

For every unit of food you eat, it takes 8 units to get it to your table. For example, one cup of milk takes 1 gallon of gas to get to you. Half of that gallon is you driving to the store and home. There are lots of things you can do. Walk to the store (it is good exercise, and you don’t get tempted to buy too much). Have your food delivered (Safeway does in the bay area). Join a food cooperative, which delivers food from local farmers each week. Check labels and buy things which have been produced within 150 miles of you. Grow your own! End of lecture, back to travel log.

Patzcuaro had Nahual people living in the area before the Purepaches came. The Purepaches had settlements in three towns around the lake, and on Janitzia island. They had large plazas and big buildings with spacious areas for town centers. It was intense imagining how hard it was for those people when the Spaniards arrived.

Morelia is a very Spanish city, with a cathedral from the 1500’s. There is an impressive fireworks and light show at the main cathedral on Saturday nights, and the buildings around the plazas have large covered patios with cafes that are full of people, with wandering singing groups. It is very lively and fun.

The Spanish went straight across the middle of Mexico within a few years of arriving and settled colonial towns in several states, including Mazatlan on the Pacific coast. These towns with large plazas, parks and cobblestone streets have such a different feel than western towns in the US. There is a sense of belonging, too, that is interesting.

In Patzcuaro I met a young couple who are working for non-profits in Mexico. Alex works with International REnewable Resources Institute, Mexico. He developed a bio-digester (turns manure into fuel) and is planning to have one hundred around the lake. Autum works with a woman’s cooperative that is growing and selling the Mayan Nut, a source of nutrition better than corn. Check them out at www.irrimexico.org and info@TheEquilibriumfund.org.

Michoacan is really beautiful, and it is surprising there are not more tourists here. There are pine forests, deciduous forests, hot springs all over, and lots of lakes and rivers. The road to Los Azufres National Park (Sulfer Springs) is very pretty, and reminds me a little of the Pacific Northwest in the US.

Gary Wollf arrived on Tuesday and we walked from Zinapecuaro to Santa Clara around a small lake, an abandoned bullring, horses, corn, a rundown hacienda and beautiful views of the valley. We stayed at a swimming park with a wave pool and water slides, which we didn’t really have time to take advantage of. If you are evern driving across Mexico, Camping in Mexico by the Churches, is a great book to have.

We met four Presbyterian choirs in the place we were camping, and they invited me to play my harp with them, which was fun. Then a young woman named Magda invited me to stay at her home in Toluca, which was beautiful. She was a perfect hostess in every way. I hope I can return the favor to her and the many I have met along the way. I’ve noticed my view of humanity is improving by spending so much time with Mexicans. I’m grateful.

There’s an article in La Reforma on Friday July 25, 2008 in the state of Mexico Section. I’ll try to send it. On to Mexico City! Who would have believed it!

Important information about plastic bags:
Click Here

I have been in Patzcuaro, Morelia and now Zinapecuaro in Michoacan, which is one of the most beautiful states in Mexico. There are pine forests, oak forests, rolling corn fields with lots of trees in the fields. It is very green with all the rain.

A friend in Morelia asked why I didn’t put more information in my emails about the problems with the environment caused by people in the US. She’s not the first. Global warming is caused by pollution, and half of the pollution comes from cars and trucks. I ask people here to eliminate the use of gasoline in 10 years, but the truth is, we should (more…)

Instructions for building a simple solar pasteurization machine are availiable in spanish.
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Instrucciones para pasteurizacion solar aqui.

Greetings Friends,
This city of about 600,000 is one of the most beautiful cities I have seen. It is semi-tropical and gets 7-10 feet of rain during the 4 month rainy season. There is a national park where the Cupatitzio river runs through that is one of the most beautiful parks I have ever seen. There are a couple dozen waterfalls, hundreds of birds and animal species and dozens of trees. It is like walking through paradise. Yesterday I walked from San Juan Nuevo to Uruapan on the old road with Raquel Aguilar, an award winning embroidery (more…)