The Colors of the Colonia
Los Colores de la Colonia
by
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As we arrived and started that long, bumpy ride, the color of the colonia was GRAY.
Cuando llegamos y emprendimos esa larga y dura jornada, el color de la colonia era GRIS.
There were pot-holed, dirt roads, pebbles in piles and concrete all around.
Había hoyos en la carretera, caminos de tierra, montones de piedras y concreto por todos lados.
There was scattered trash in dusty yards with small shacks for families of up to eight.
Había basura tirada en patios polvorientos con pequeñas chozas para familias de hasta ocho personas.
On that first day, we thought the color of the colonia was so GRAY.
En el primer día, pensamos que el color de la colonia era tan GRIS.
But as each day passed the true colors of the colonia came into view.
Pero mientras cada día pasaba los verdaderos colores de la colonia se daban a ver.
What we saw we lift up to each of you.
Y lo que vimos se lo ofrecemos a cada uno de ustedes.
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About the Book
Previous trips to Mexico had provided the author with wonderful relaxation and a toasty-brown tan but it was her first mission trip to "the Colonia" that most affected her. As she worked, ate, sang and laughed alongside other volunteers and Mexican families though the true colors of the Colonia came into view.
At initial glance, the settlement in the industrial city of Reynosa had a gray hue. Everywhere she looked, at the dusty-rutted roads, piles of gravel, and stacked concrete blocks, it was so gray.
About the Author
Pat McCartney Lewis is pursuing a degree in elementary education after over 20 years in the adult education field. She is the eldest daughter of a retired army officer and attorney. Raised in the military, Pat had the opportunity to live in many interesting places to include Hawai’i and Mannheim, Germany. Pat is a transplanted Hoosier (Indiana resident) since 1985. She and her husband of 25 years are the proud parents of two sons who currently attend, or will attend, Ball State University. Pat and her family are very involved in their church’s activities in historic Irvington (Indianapolis) and have a great circle of friends as a result. They are all local sports enthusiasts and Pat has participated in the Indianapolis 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. She and her husband are also scheduled to ride the Hilly-Hundred (100 miles of bicycling on the scenic hills of southern Indiana) in 2009, the year she turns 50. One of Pat’s favorite quotes is a Swedish proverb: “Fear less; hope more, eat less; chew more, whine less; breathe more, hate less; love more, and all good things are yours.”