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Sunday, June 11
CPTers marked Pentecost Sunday by fasting and praying at three locations. They prayed that the the power of the Holy Spirit would enable soldiers to envision a world in which weapons of warfare would be discarded.

At a local military base in San Cristobal, CPTers Claire Evans and Pierre Shantz along with Diego Mendez held a prayer service and passed out pamphlets to soldiers. Meanwhile at military camps in Majomut and Yabteclum CPTers Anne Herman, Scott Kerr, Rick Polhamus and Lynn Stoltzfus held worship services and presented candles representing the light of God's peace to a Mexican General and Major. (See June 19 release, "Pentecost Actions Against Militarization" for details) The team was acting in concert with an ecumenical group that witnessed in front of a major Army base in the central Mexican city of Cuernavaca.

Tuesday, June 13
CPTers Kerr and Shantz visited with a member of Las Abejas who was in San Cristobal for medical concerns.

Wednesday, June 14
While traveling to X'oyep, CPTers Evans and Polhamus, accompanied by the Abeja who had been in San Cristobal for medical attention, were stopped by soldiers near the military camp there. The soldiers asked for passports and identification. Evans and Polhamus refused to give info with Polhamus informing the soldiers that it was illegal for them to ask for passports. At the top of the hill overlooking the military camp, they were again stopped by soldiers asking for names. Evans and Polhamus again refused and continued on to X'oyep. Later that day CPTer Stoltzfus passed by the same points without incident.

Thursday, June 15
CPTers Evans, Polhamus and Stoltzfus traveled from X'oyep to Yabteclum where they delivered a book and a report on the events leading up to the December 22, 1997 massacre at Acteal to Major Munoz, the commander of the military camp there. Evans, Polhamus and Stoltzfus then visited the family of 2 victims of a May 8 ambush. The CPTers delivered photos of a worship service the team and May CPT delegation had held at the site of the ambush. (See the May 31 release, "Pain on All Sides.")

After returning to X'oyep, the team members observed the installation of a solar panel to provide lighting to the collective store there.

Friday, June 16
CPTer Shantz along with Mendez traveled from Acteal to aid a member of the community in cultivating his coffee plants. They were very impressed by the amount of hard work it takes to care for the coffee plants. Later in the day, Evans, Polhamus and Stoltzfus traveled to Acteal to meet with CPTers Herman and Shantz and Mendez to discuss the situation in the various communities. Both groups had spent the previous 2 days talking with various members of the communities about the upcoming July 2 Mexican elections and about the current situation of the displaced people living in the communities. The team also discussed reports concerning seven Public Security (state police) officers who were killed in an ambush in the municipality (county) of El Bosque, in the highlands of Chiapas.

Saturday, June 17
The team met in Yabteclum with Herman and Shantz coming from Acteal and Evans, Polhamus and Stoltzfus coming from X'oyep. They then visited the Public Security camp where at the gate they held a memorial service for the officers killed in the ambush in El Bosque. Following that service the team held another service in the chapel area of the Public Security office.

The team traveled to Chenalho and offered to do a memorial service at the Public Security camp there but were told by officers that it may "go against the customs and traditions" of the local people. The team instead presented a candle to the officers in the memory of the officers killed and in the spirit of peace.

Sunday, June 18
Evans, Polhamus, Shantz and Stoltzfus attended the Mexican premiere of the movie "Alonzo's Dream." It is a documentary about the situation in Chiapas and focuses on the catechist Alonzo and his family who were also in attendance, seeing the movie for the first time.

Monday, June 19 to Wednesday, June 21
Various team members visited Acteal and X'oyep to provide a presence and to continue dialogue with the Abejas concerning the situations in the communities.

Thursday, June 22
The team all attended the mass in Acteal which is held on the 22nd of every month in memory of the victims of the massacre of December 22, 1997. Prior to the mass Shantz and Stoltzfus met with a visiting group from New Mexico to discuss CPT's work in Mexico and the situation in Chiapas.