La gente
What's your favorite thing about Manzanillo? I ask this question to the Americans I meet who have decided to move here permanently. My mind is so curious as to why out of all the places in the world they could have picked, they chose to spend their life here. The answer is always the same. The people. There is a type of community here that I have never known before. Really, it should come as no surprise to me. When the Lord sent me here he told me He was giving me family, a sanctuary, a place to grow and build, a place where others would help birth what He has purposed for my life. That's what this place is.
Anchored with a major port , day and night you see massive cargo ships on the horizon. Truly beautiful and metaphorical things. Carrying off into new waters, provision needed afar and bringing back thousands of containers packed and prepared with supplies to meet the needs of the people here. Isn't that what we are? Cargo ships, packed and prepared by God to carry what He's placed on the inside of us to the designations assigned? Without one another there is no way we can survive, let alone fulfill the plans God has for our lives. Also, forget about enjoyment! There are flavors, foods, smells and textiles in other parts of the world that simply don't exist anywhere else. Does that mean others should never experience them due to limitations in traveling? Surely not! Things are meant to be shared, enjoyed by many-the more the merrier! That is the culture here. If you have something you share it.
The biggest hurdle for me living here (besides language) has been not having a car. I was so used to going where I wanted and needing no one. In America if you don't have a car you are looked at as strange and if you keep needing a ride friends might not keep inviting you. There must be something wrong with you! Full of highways and byways, this equates to long distances between places. It is nearly impossible to walk and enjoy the fullness of the area in which you live. Here, it is not uncommon to be without a car, to carry a tote-bag and wear sneakers daily. Stores are very close to each other, streets are designed for walking and there are small family owned markets, stores and restaurants peppered in every residential neighborhood. Also, the laws give way to another possibility; sharing.(insert shock face emoji) In abundance! If someone has a pickup truck, as many people that can fit in the back are welcomed in. But even if you don't have a truck bed, a car is treated the same. Rides are freely offered by those who own them and there is no shame in squeezing in to fit as many as possible. It makes for close relationships and funny moments!
Late night dinners and long home visits, time is more relaxed here. Socialization is a priority whereas in America I've noticed we spend more time in isolation. We work long hours and just want to go home, watch tv, eat and sleep all the while focused on doing it again the next day. Because a typical meal time here is at about 10 pm (and sometimes later) It is not uncommon to be out on the streets with friends eating tacos at midnight.
All of these things contribute to an interconnectedness that we have lost in other places. By filling every need ourselves and over valuing independence we have prevented others from blessing us and have created blockages in our minds to do the same for others.
So, I think when people respond to me "the people" what they are really saying is "the freedom". This response is a natural summarization of the lightening of one's load, the liberation from feeling like "I am alone", from thoughts that say "I have to do it all myself" . In this answer they express the joy they've discovered in community, friendship and sharing. For everyone who desires to be a person of character, this is an important adaptation to make. What we have been freely given, we should freely give. (Matthew 10:8)
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