Mission Report

1. By: Stew Dent Mission Report

2. Table of Contents • Introduction • Early Morning • Mid-Day • Afternoon

3. Introduction • Who am I? • My name is Chiwash, a 9 year old Native American girl. I live in a hut next to the Mission with my Ma Ma, and my Pa Pa. My Pa Pa’s brother brought us to the Mission about 6 months ago, after promising we would have a better life on the Mission. My older sister Kewa, who is engaged, actually lives in the Mission. She will live there until she is married. This is the story of a typical day in my life.

4. Early Morning • I wake up at 6:00 a.m. to the sound of the Mission Bells. At exactly 6:30 a.m., the Mission Bells ring again. This tells me it is time for breakfast. I am served a bowl of atole, this is a hot, cornmeal-like mush. My Ma Ma is already in the big Mission kitchen. She is one of the many Native American ladies who has prepared the atole. She helps prepare all of the meals. My Pa Pa is also not there. He has already eaten and is out in the field, herding the oxen and cattle. I know what my job will be today. It is olive season and many of the children my age pick the olives. We are the best tree climbers. We use to have contests to see who could climb the highest, but my best friend Pandu fell and broke her arm. Now we just see who can pick the most olives. It’s very important to pick as many olives as possible because the Priests make olive oil from them and if we have extra olive oil at the end of the season, we trade it with the Mission South of us for something we really need.

5. Mid-Day • After collecting olives, the other kids and I have to do the job we hate most of all, we have to run around and chase the birds from the fields where the crops are growing. Finally, when the Mission Bell rings, we know it’s lunchtime. We are all tired from chasing birds, but we’re even more hungry, so we run towards the Mission for lunch. This will be our biggest meal of the day. It is pozole, a pork and hominy stew with corn and peas and bunelos for dessert. Bunelos are delicious fried fritters. After lunch, my Ma Ma, Pa Pa, and I will go back to our hut for our two hour siesta. No body on the Mission does any work during the siesta.

6. Afternoon • The Mission Bells ring again to let us know our siesta is over. My Pa Pa returns to the fields, my Ma Ma to the kitchen. I go into a classroom in the Mission for my Spanish lessons and my studies of God. Father says I am making quick progress and he is proud of me. These are the only two things I am learning about in the classroom right now. But my sister Kewa, is learning about God, how to speak Spanish, Math, History and how to read music. Soon, I will be learning all of these things too.

7. Early Evening • The Mission Bells ring again, letting everyone know the work/school day is over. After cleaning up, we all meet in the Mission Chapel, when the bells ring again. Evening prayers are recited in Spanish and Latin. Only the Padres know how to speak Latin, but since my family and I have been here for six months, we have almost all of the prayers memorized, even the Latin ones. We end our prayer service by reciting the rosary. Now it is time for supper. We have barley and beans with cornbread and apples and figs for dessert.

8. Evening • After supper is my favorite time of the day. Everybody gathers in the courtyard of the Mission and brings whatever musical instrument they play. My Pa Pa plays the drums and I have a rain stick. There are all sorts of different instruments. We start playing and we sing and we dance and we have so much fun. Then, the Mission Bells ring one last time for the night, telling us the festivities are over and it’s time to retreat to our hut and get a good night’s sleep, for tomorrow will be another busy day on the Mission.