A personal Christmas message from Rebecca

Christmas (or as we say in Mexico Navidad) 2009

Christmas Message 2009

I think I wrote a Christmas message last year or maybe I just thought about it. To all of you who follow “my situation” on the blog my ex-husband maintains, “Thank you for caring.” I would like to ask a favor to all and that is please send the blog-link to everyone in your electronic directory and ask them to do the same and so on, so we can expand the awareness of my case to a greater number of people. There IS power in numbers and still it seems we haven’t reached enough people to get the attention of our sleeping politicians.

2009 has been labeled the year of crisis. Even in Mexico every bad thing is blamed on the Crisis. My crisis began on February 13, 2006 and it still continues, but like an epic movie, it goes on and on and eventually even the acute aspects of this nightmare begin to sound mundane or like a broken record. DON’T YOU BELIEVE IT!!

It is easy to become desensitized with all of the absurdity going on – that has become our daily lives. Yet even I, powerless and victimized as I may be, can put my foot down and say “That’s enough.” It hasn’t brought me my physical freedom yet, but inside I am more free spirited than I ever was…and stronger too!

This is my wish for all of my friends and supporters – that each obstacle you are faced with in life is overcome by you with wisdom, patience, tolerance and love in your heart. I pray for your families to be well, to be united, to encourage one another and to seek the true meaning of Christmas together or as individuals this holiday season. To my special supporters who continue to encourage me and my sister with email messages…you know who you are – you are such a blessing to us. We thank you deeply.

Recently, I received a response from some underling of the new US Ambassador to Mexico. If you’ll recall, I sent an 11 page letter to Condoleezza Rice when she was Secretary of State (never heard from her). I sent the same letter to Hillary Clinton when she took the job – just in case my letter was misplaced while Condi was cleaning out her office (sic) and then in August, my sister Barbara sent the same letter to the embassy in Mexico City. The response dated in October and delivered to me in November will be posted on my blog soon, with a line by line interpretation of its contents. If you are prone to dark humor you may enjoy it. By their inaction, the US government is sending a message that a US citizen living abroad does not matter. Period.

Crisis year 2009 has not been a complete waste, however. I have made many new friends. The Doll Factory has been growing and I will be posting photos of all the new dolls so you can see what we’re doing. We actually have shipped a few to the US! Doll Collectors alert! My 4th Art Exhibit at the Ex-Convent del Carmen – (or as I have translated with humor “Carmen’s ex-convent” sort of makes me wonder what happened to Carmen?) The exhibit ran from October 15 – November 15 and I had over a dozen paintings shown. Its result was attributed to the world-wide financial crisis. Our second poetry book has been published and was presented on November 4th at the “F.I.L” in Guadalajara which is acclaimed to be the largest International Book Fair in Central/Latin America. This year’s collection of poetry called “Roses en Destierra II” or “Uprooted Roses II” contains 12 of my poems.

I would like to mention what I believe is the most important writing accomplishment for the year. For about 2 years, I have been studying with Maria Luisa Burrilla, a well known Mexican writer who compiled a Book of Formative Learning called “Universal Values.” It’s formative because its wisdom should be imparted to the very young in the form of tools to be used to prepare for life, but it is also such an important teaching that any age level –even adults – can grasp its messages. She has infused this message with centuries of prose and poetry from such personalities as Confucius to Oscar Wilde. Story telling plays a large part in these teachings. It’s a balanced, healthy, straight forward look at the human condition and how to manage it instead of it managing you.

A year ago in October (2008), Maria asked me to translate the book “Universal Values” and without hesitating I said “Yes.” I knew when I accepted the job that it would be challenging and it was. Learning to translate involves a fierce determination to conquer the learning. To begin with it was all hand written and had words unknown to me. I used an old Webster’s American Bilingual Pocket Dictionary to look them up. But dictionaries don’t conjugate verbs so it was very slow going at first. Soon I received authorization to work on the computers provided by the State funded Distance Education School (the same prep school I began attending this last August). I received a schedule of 3 days a week during certain hours that I could work. Believe me, I took advantage of the solitude and the privilege and worked! As I said, this wisdom based education which has been seasoned with art and poetry from throughout the ages can be a formidable tool to arm ourselves and our children to face life’s challenges with empowerment and an objective point of view.

So I worked on this and after several months – whole paragraphs could be translated without the use of the bilingual dictionary. In March, for my birthday, my dear friend Lucie brought me a beautiful Collin’s bilingual dictionary complete with diskette, which I loaded onto the computer. This sped up the process greatly and almost a year after I accepted the job, I completed the 300+ page book and turned it over to my teacher. Now we’re looking for publication and promotion in the US. If any of you have publishing contacts or know how to write for grant money, or have any ideas on how we could take this project to the next step…please do tell.

We’re looking for solutions. Maria Luisa Burrillo is the Director of a Poetry house in Guadalajara and has published over 50 books here in Mexico. None in English, of course, so there are many barriers to overcome and with me incarcerated it’s even harder. We’re all looking forward to achieving this publishing goal in 2010, along with my acquittal and subsequent freedom!

About the case. My attorney Mario Lamas Guzman submitted my Amparo on October 16. This is the 3rd and last recourse available to me to see acquittal. This time, 3 judges will review the case and a majority rules. My attorney prepared the Amparo and reviewed it with me. It is presented as if I’m talking to the Judges. Although all of the facts were included and the legalities, abnormalities and violations of my rights were there, I felt they style was very open and I told Mario that I wanted these Magistrates corralled, pinned-down, hog-tied and asked very pointed questions to which they would have no alternative but to look for the answers within the tomes, volumes of paper, that represents my case.

Timing – We don’t really know what the timing will be, however from previous experience, I know that the Court houses close down after the 12th of December and although they reopen by the 15th of January, no real work begins until February. Realistically, it could be as late as April for us to learn their decision.

There are one or two more aces in the hole, but I will discuss those with you when the time comes.

I end this message with one of my new poems from the above mentioned book:

For Justice to Come
While Justice was a way
on holiday,
Her evil counterparts of injustice;
Greed, Power and Corruption
came to stay
“Condemn! Condemn! Condemn!” we say.
“For there really isn’t any other way”
“To keep your status, lifestyle and high pay.”

When Justice returned that fateful day
The locks were changed;
She could not stay.
With heavy heart she turned away
Vowing to return one day.

Lifting her arms, she began to pray
“Remove this plague of injustice
from my plate!
Save the in justly accused of the world
from their fate!
Give them the strength, the patience and long suffering
to endure their wait
…for Justice to come.”