A brief visit to San Cristóbal de las Casas
Arrival
I set off from Tuxtla to San Cristóbal de las Casas shortly before noon. The buses run regularly between the two towns and are extremely cheap, at least by German standards, at the equivalent of around $3. After a two-hour drive through the mountains, I arrived at the bus terminal, which is not far from the center. The weather was very good that day, which meant that it was also hot in San Cristóbal, although much more bearable than in Tuxtla.
Since I had received an impression from God that I shouldn’t worry about accommodation, I hadn’t organized any accommodation at that point. I was sure that God already had a plan. I also didn’t want to repeat the mistake I had made in Mexico City when I had unnecessarily booked a hotel, contrary to God’s promise.
Just the night before, a church in Tuxtla had put me in touch with Javier and Karen, a couple in San Cristóbal with whom the church had recently worked on a project for indigenous children. So I set off from the center to meet them. This led to a wonderful contact that I still value greatly today.
Firstly, they were able to find me an apartment belonging to a family member, which was cozy and quiet and close to the city center. I really enjoyed living there. On the other hand, I was able to help out with various social activities and was more or less accepted into the family. I was invited to both Mother’s Day and a birthday party and was warmly welcomed by everyone. This also taught me a lot about the region, culture and regional cuisine.
After getting to know them, I made my way to the YWAM base in San Cristóbal. I happened to be there just in time for a late lunch and was promptly invited. The base is small and like a family. I felt very comfortable there and we had good conversations. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay longer at the base because most of them were already leaving for a seminar in Guadalajara the following day. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed getting to know the missionaries there and the food was - incidentally - also extremely tasty.
The town
San Cristóbal is located at an altitude of around 2100 meters in a mountain range in the state of Chiapas. As a result, the climate is much cooler than in nearby Tuxtla. Temperatures in May are usually just over 20°C during the day and around 10°C at night. May also marks the start of the rainy season, although fortunately this has not yet been so noticeable.
The cityscape is characterized by small houses and narrow streets, most of which are one-way streets with minimalist sidewalks. Presumably due to the weather being more tolerable for Europeans and the fact that San Cristóbal, unlike many other Mexican cities, does not date back to an indigenous settlement, the colonial influence can be strongly felt there. The old town is reminiscent of European cities and overall I found the cityscape more beautiful than in other Mexican cities.
There are also certain differences in the shops. As is usual in Mexico, there are small shops everywhere selling snacks, soft drinks and other small items. There are also shops selling fruit and vegetables, similar to the market in Tuxtla. On the street, however, you will only find something to buy in the city centre towards the evening, at least in good weather. Due to the sometimes rainy weather and the narrow streets, almost all the shops are located inside houses.
Population
The population of San Cristóbal consists of a unique mix of Europeans, US-Americans, “normal” Mexicans and indigenous peoples from the surrounding area, who are more or less well integrated. This brings great cultural diversity, but also numerous problems. On the one hand, the many tourists and western immigrants are causing rents in the city to rise, as they often earn much more and are able to pay higher rents than the local population. On the other hand, at least tourists are also an important part of the economy.
At the same time, many people from the indigenous villages immigrate to the city. Because the surrounding mountains are poorly developed, they have often preserved their language and culture. This is basically a good thing, but when families move to the city in search of a better life, it often happens illegally and without integration. In concrete terms, this means that families end up in great poverty, both parents work on the streets and children grow up in precarious circumstances without going to school. Partly because the children have to work with their parents, partly because the parents cannot afford the books and stationery for the schools, which are actually free, and partly because there is no understanding of the school system.
That’s why Javier and Karen, who have been working for indigenous children for decades, recently set up a foundation to expand their efforts. You can find the foundation on Facebook und Instagram to find out more.
My activities
In San Cristóbal, I helped Karen with various activities. For example, we visited children from an indigenous family whose parents work during the day. We brought the children toys and food, played with them, and practiced writing and arithmetic with them. Seeing the little children living in such poverty really broke my heart. However, it is not only money that is lacking, but also education to give the children good prospects for the future. The oldest of the five children, Erick, is eight years old and can only write his name and reliably add single-digit numbers in his head.
We also visited a home for chronically ill women who had been abandoned by their families. The visit was not easy to cope with, as most of the residents were very seriously ill, either physically or mentally. We helped the women with their meals and kept them company. I was also able to pray for healing for some of the women.
Another project that Karen supports is the Comedor (dining hall), where families in need receive free hot meals. I supported the project indirectly by helping with video editing for social media. In the future, I may be able to develop a small application to manage the meals served, as manual accounting is slowly reaching its limits with the number of people in need.
I am glad that I was able to do God’s will by helping people in a concrete way. But I am also aware that much more and, above all, long-term help is needed to really make a difference. That’s why I will continue to support Karen and her foundation from afar and hope to return next year.
The whole experience made me think about the mission. Because there is a shortage of workers who are willing to work in the ripe fields – everywhere you go. But I’ll write a separate article about that when I get the chance.
Chamula
For those who would like to read a little more and gain a better understanding of the cultural and religious situation around San Cristóbal, I have written a short section on Chamula. Although I did not get around to visiting this place near San Cristóbal myself, I have heard many stories that are interesting enough to write a separate section.
Chiapas is actually the state that has been most effectively reached by the Gospel. However, in some indigenous communities, there is effectively no freedom of religion. The inhabitants of Chamula predominantly speak Tzotzil, their own language from the Mayan language family, and are extremely traditional. This is not a negative thing in itself. However, in the past, there were persecutions of Christians in which several people died because the Chamulans vehemently defended their Catholic faith. This is another reason for emigration to San Cristóbal, as Christians can only live there at the risk of their lives.
Yet the Catholic faith of the village is not even compatible with Catholic doctrine. This is because animal sacrifices are offered and religious drinking binges are celebrated. I am a little surprised that the Catholic Church allows this. But that is the current situation in Chamula, at least. Even I, as a German, was advised not to even talk about the Gospel there because of the danger to my life.