Jan and Pablo and I spent a pleasant 5 days in Sibal . Pablo is pastor here, and travels here every month or so. He is also responsible for the smaller congregations surrounding Sibal. He is obligated to visit these remote communities at least 4 times per year. Thus, they base in Sibal for a week or so, and make 1 day/night visits to the more remote communities. One of these communities, the medical team may remember, is Culebra, where we visited for a dinner invitation during a Medical Caravan, and experienced a Major hatch of flying termites during church service! 
It is 3 hours to Sibal , one of which is on a paved, but winding, narrow road fraught with washouts, landslides still on the road, and unmarked huge sinkholes. The next 2 hours are reminiscent of my original trek out to the jungle for the first of my personal caravans. The gravel road is one lane, deeply pitted, potted, and puddled. It is impossible to drive more than 10 or 20 MPH. It is bone, belly, and bladder jarring! I like this ride, though. It is slow, and the vistas are spectacular: rolling hillside with cattle up the hills, thick jungle, mountains you can touch, green and lush with the rain. Looking down the edge of one side of the road there are surprise lakes, and on the other, up side of the road, there are corn, beans, and squash growing on the steep hill. 
We go over, and around several mountains. it is the only road to this part of the country.
Sibal is a tranquil, peaceful village. It is lower than Ocosingo and sits in a little valley, snug against the sides of the mountains. It is flat. The houses are neat, well cared for. There are 6 or 8 dirt paths that intersect, and some houses that go up the hill: the "suburbs ". There are about 2000 people who live here. There is a beautiful river, where people bathe and swim. There are many boys and men on horseback. Everyone has a pig and chickens.
The aging, but large Presbyterian church sits in the middle of town. 
It is surrounded by old sheds, kitchens, in addition to new low, long buildings with rooms and offices and a new large serving kitchen, that all open to the gravel courtyard. 
Today the men were leveling the surface to put new gravel. They used gasoline in Coke bottles to destroy the weeds, the worms, and ants...
Pablo and Jan have nice quarters: a bedroom, living room, and kitchen. The sink and bathroom are outside, but are nice. There is electricity (TV, refrig, microwave). The toilet flushes and has a seat.. the water for the shower is hot once in awhile...There is a nice, long porch with a tin roof, so it is lovely when it is hot, or when it rains. 
It is good here! 
We will return in 2 weeks for our mini caravan, with Dr. Gerardo. It will be his first village experience. In this way, I feel like a veteran.
Piped in music alerts people to church, or loudspeakers announce a phone call to be taken at the only landline phone in the center of town. There are no cell towers and no Internet. On our walks, we pass a tree with huge gourds hanging down. They split and clean them and use as bowls or scoops. It is a jicara tree. We pass the "park trees" , ficus trees that abound. Everyone says "hola, Hermana " or " Buenas Dias or Tardes" . We read, do our Bible study. I have written an article on my adventure and how it may relate to cancer care.
Jan bakes bread here, similar to zucchini bread. Squash is plentiful. The natives do not make this kind of bread, and always ask her to make and sell it. Yesterday and today she made 24 loaves and sold all. They are announcing again on the loudspeaker, so she is baking again! She ended up using 11 kilos each of sugar and flour, for about 50 loaves. Yum!
I am hoping that we will be able to see Jan's cow while here. Yes, Jan owns a calf! She bought him sight unseen, as an investment. The cow can be sold, eaten, raised to have a calf, whatever. The cow is pastured somewhere nearby and a brother watches out for her. She's not sure if it is a male or female.
Saturday brings an open air worship service. People are seated all around the courtyard, on the long porches, under the tin roofs. The sound system works well! 
The Mariachis play and sing in the traditional manner, including .......
a serenade at our door at 12 midnight. We had been given fair warning, but still we retired about 10 pm, only to be jarred awake @ midnight by the first blasts of the trumpets! 
At least 50 people jammed into our little room as we stood in our pajamas, grinning widely, listening to the music. We then traipsed down, parade style, to the dining hall, where sweet breads and coffee awaited. It is one of the amazing moments of being here. Who would miss this??
Sunday, there was a big celebration for Pastor Pablo, on Pastor appreciation day. Worship was scheduled for 7 am, but after the night of serenading, even the Mariachis were moving slow. Pablo was recognized for his years of service to his church, his country and to his people, in God's name. 
He became very emotional as he described his journey, and deeply expressed his love and gratitude to The Lord and to the people of Sibal. A love offering was taken, and everyone passed by to give a hug or greeting.
The processional out, led by the Mariachis, included the throwing of flower petals, as we moved to the courtyard to celebrate with food! The 2 cows had been slaughtered yesterday at the river.... And barbecued on the open fire, to be used in the caldo, with chayote and carrots. 
A pleasant time in the village, for sure. The people all look forward to our return in 10 days with the medical caravan.
We prepare to head back to Ocosingo on the bone jarring, scenic, road from hell.....
Well, I have run off at the I Pad again. Hope some of you are enjoying reading!
Hermana Carolina reporting from Sibal
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