As I descended into Acteal, a village in the highlands of Chiapas, I could
hear singing that indicated the service had already started. The service
was a memorial held every 22nd of the month commemorating the 45 people
killed on December 22nd, 1997, by paramilitary units.

Acteal is a community where the Las Abejas ("The Bees") live. The Abejas
are a group whose Christian faith calls them to non-violence. The massacre
took place as the Abejas were praying and fasting for peace.

In this particular service they honored the children who survived the
massacre and brothers and sisters of the 17 children who died. The children
did a processional at the beginning, and midway through the service the
priest invited the children to come forward again and they where given a
special blessing. In the front of the altar there were 45 candles lit, one
for each of the persons killed. Every time the wind would blow one of them
out, someone would light it again keeping that person's memory alive.

This was my first time to Acteal and I didn't understand the service as it
was in Spanish and Tzoztil (the Mayan dialect). I was kind of overwhelmed
to be in this new place, so I sat there watching people's faces.

Most people seemed happy and in a festive mood. There was a band that
consisted of an electric guitar, a drum set, a bass and a keyboard. They
played a polka style song that people clapped to whenever someone was
introduced.

Towards the end of the service the name of each person killed was called
out.
As each name was called the congregation responded "She is living with us!
He is living with us!" As the Mass finished we followed the children who
carried flowers into the memorial building that was built over the graves of
the massacred. Inside more candles burned and there were the
pictures of those killed on the wall. Some prayers were said and then the
gathered people prayed their individual prayers aloud and many among them
wept for the loss of their loved ones.

The next morning at our team worship we looked at Philippians 4:4 --
"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." One question I had
was, must we always be rejoicing? Are there not moments when we can be sad
or angry? Even Jesus wept and felt sad as he approached the tomb of his
friend Lazarus.
I remembered how there had been a time in the memorial service of the
previous day to rejoice, sing and remember those loved ones who were no
longer physically present. But there was also a time when weeping and
grieving were part of the service.

On the previous day, when I walked out of the memorial building I was quite
saddened by the events that took place inside but to my surprise the band
that was playing during the service struck up a tune and the Rejoicing
started again. Some young men started playing volleyball and I soon joined
in.

My first impression of Las Abejas is that their strength is great cause for
Rejoicing.