More About This Area

LOCATION: We are working in Choix, Mexico. Choix is about 500 miles south of the boarder, and 150 miles away from the west coast. On a map, find Nogales, Mexico which is right on the Arizona boarder. Follow highway 15 all the way down to Los Mochis. Then, head north-east for about 100 miles and there you are. Choix is just inside the state of Sinaloa, with the Chihuahua boarder not far away.

WEATHER: When the winter is turning into Spring (February) is probably the most comfortable time of the year.(For those of you who want to visit.)The nights are cool and crisp, dropping into the 50’s, but the days then warm up into the 80’s. As the Spring progresses, the days get hotter and hotter, often getting into the low hundreds. But it still cools down at night which is very nice.

May and June are probably the most extreme dry heat, getting up to 110 at times. The nights feel stuffy and don’t cool down during this time. The parched ground is just waiting, dormant. Waiting for the summer rains. Farmers watch expectantly as the clouds start to billow over the mountains. Day after day, the sky is clear in the morning, with just a few clouds. Then the intense afternoon seems to bring big, billowing clouds out of nowhere, beckoning them to dump their precious cargo. As May turns into June, the clouds get bigger and bigger. It then starts to rain in the surrounding mountains. The evening horizons are illuminated with electrical shows, and rumbles are heard in the distance. Everyone knows the rainy season is about to begin. Farmers burn all the piles of brush in their fields. Their horses, plows and seeds are waiting. Ready to get to work after they are sure the rainy season has truly started.

Then, around mid-June, the rain finally arrives. Wind tears through the trees, and takes down any dead or weak branch. Here and there, palm and aluminum roofs are blown off if not secured well. Dust and dead leaves are flung everywhere, as if an invisible giant was sweeping out his house. The wind is just the forerunner though. Rain all at once starts to pelt the windows. The unfortunate who lost their roofs run to the protection of their neighbors, not knowing how much of their possessions will be salvageable after the drenching. Then there are there are those (like us) who do have a strong cement roof over their heads. But the windows are an issue. The storm’s winds pound the glass with rain drops, which find a way inside and make puddles. Right away, we have to start mopping it all up so that it doesn’t turn into a stream. Finally, the storm is over. We step outside and look at the night sky. Lightning still illuminates the stormy sky, and all the twinkling stars are hiding. Even the moon has to wait behind the curtain. As soon as the storm is over, the wind rushes the clouds, as if remembering an appointment that they need to get to and not wanting to be late.

The rainy season is from the end of June to the end of September and is similar to spring in the States. Plants spring up everywhere, and Choix changes from a desert to a jungle. Birds flit around and sing songs while lizards enjoy more places to hide from dangerous boys with slingshots. It may rain as often as 3-4 times a week. Usually, the days are sunny, with clouds in the sky here and there. As the afternoon progresses, the clouds billow up until blocking the sun. It rains almost every day in the surrounding mountains. The heat may not be as extreme, getting up to around 105. But, the humidity makes it very uncomfortable.

October and November are still hot. Finally, December brings the cool weather. January is probably the coldest month. There are a lot of colds going around, and everyone wears a sweatshirt or jacket around the house. The brick homes soak up the cold and act as an icebox, holding in the cold and getting down into the low 50’s or high 40’s. One time, we were able to see snow on some far away peaks. That morning, the thermometer was in the higher 30’s. Burr!. Then, everyone starts longing for the heat again (at least most everyone). And the cycle starts all over again.

TOPOGRAPHY: Mountains. That pretty much sums up Choix’s topography. Actually, Choix is down in a valley and completely surrounded with mountains. There is a river flowing right past Choix. It acts as a carwash, swimming pool, waterhole for many cows, and then supplies the city of Choix and surrounding villages with water.

INCOME: The main sources of legal income in this area are ranching or construction. Many jobs are provided by the government for office jobs, road construction, etc. as well. During the rainy season, many plant crops (peanuts, sesame seed, watermelon, beans, and corn). Those who have a lot of money buy the crops cheap from the farmers and store it in storage buildings. Then, when the price for the crop goes up, they sell it to the big factories and earn more money than the farmers themselves.

THE PEOPLE: Choix is the name of this county. Choix is also the name of the capital city of the county. (In Mexico, each county has a capital city, where the government offices are located and is usually the biggest and most important city of that county.) The city of Choix has about 10,000 people while the rest of the county has around 20,000 people spread throughout over 200 villages. The majority of those villages probably don’t have a church. If they do, it is either Catholic or Apostolic (Jesus Only).

Most of the people we work with are Mexicans, a mixture of Spanish blood and Indian blood. However, there are some Tarahumara Indians in the area, and many live in the surrounding mountains.

LANGUAGES: Spanish is the main language spoken in Choix, and for that matter, in all Mexico. But, the Tarahumara language is the mother language of quite a few Indians in the mountains, although they would speak Spanish as well.