Norris Family News

Faces

Here is a small, cultural detail I have been dwelling upon for some time, but haven’t put on paper, or in the blog as the case may be. Several months ago IFM began attending the periodic meetings of a newly forming group called Vision Juarez. They have some funding and community contacts to try to help prevent blindness and help people with various visual problems. Their chief interest is in identifying people with cataracts. Since we are in very frequent contact with lots of people in outlying areas, Vision Juarez was happy to have us be interested, come to meetings and follow along as they formulate their plans. I had the chance to attend one of the first large meetings in the fall, and several since then.

There were about eight different groups represented at the first gathering. Amazingly, each speaker had a completely different physical and appearance and delivery style than his neighbor. I became rather lost in these observations, since I was rarely able to track the rapid-fire Spanish. Some had very heavy Indian-looking facial features and dark skin, and appeared to have little European distraction in their histories. Others looked classically Hispanic, if that can be summarized, with smooth chocolatey brown skin, pleasantly average features and dark hair. Still others looked very fine-featured, pale and European. Some spoke indistinctly and I understood not one word in 10, but curiously could infer from the context and the body language what the basic message might be (i.e., one man was complaining a lot, and I gathered he felt if things weren’t handled properly, all the efforts could end up in a big mess!). Others spoke crisply but at such a pace that the impression left in my mind was that of the sharp poky inside surface of a cheese grater....like lots of bullet holes, but no content.

As each group around the room presented the relevant names and information about their organization, my favorite ladies were the last. Immaculately groomed, pleasant, and beaming, the ladies who work for a government educationally-oriented project spoke textbook Spanish. Their words were sweet, calculated, perhaps even rehearsed. As they spoke, I understood nearly every word, as if the verbiage were splashing up on a screen, color coded to make their meaning absolutely clear. They stated in heartfelt fashion that they were SO pleased to see how many groups were interested in working together to benefit those with visual challenges, and they were SURE we could overcome any difficulties to make good progress. They felt it was important that we all gather together again SOON so as not to lose the momentum. I think we all felt we had heard from The Teachers, maternal figures not to be ignored. The next meeting was arranged on the spot, and the session ended.

What a great variety of faces and forms of expression! It made me think about the history of Mexico and Texas, and the various people groups involved. It is mostly a strange and sad tale, as with all of history, but nobody gives much thought to that background anymore. We’re all just here, bearing no responsibility for our various ancestors, ready to move forward"."forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, (we) press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called (us) heavenward in Christ Jesus..." as Paul said to the Phillipians, and that is what IFM hopes to do in the many opportunities God has for us in this border area.

--Erika