El Animooooo de Queretarooooo!

Animo (AH-nee-mo).  It's a hard word to describe in English.  "Encouragement" is a close approximation of what "Animo" means.
There is a man in Queretaro named Pedro who goes all around town throughout the day screaming at the top of his lungs "ANIMOOOO"  He's some crazy guy (although people who don't know him think he is), he just decided many years ago that there was enough sadness in the world so he would encourage others.  People who don't know "El Animo" as Pedro is usually called, may get scared by hearing him scream ANIMO almost in their ear while walking down the street.  He also has a habit of not letting people continue on their way until they have scream ANIMO in unison with him!  He's a funny guy! 
Not everyone thinks El Animo is funny, he's been arrested on several occasions for driving down the street with flags hanging out of his car that "obstruct the view of other drivers," (the current governor of Queretaro paid his bail for that one), and for yelling Animo at President Fox several years ago.  The president's body guards don't take kindly to some random guy screaming at the president.  haha! 
El Animo was JP's neighbor for a few years before we got married.  So we know him fairly well.  One night, JP had parked a borrowed car in front of his house and someone came and pounded on his door saying the car was on fire.  JP stepped outside, and saw that it was actually the Animo's car that was on fire, but that was parked right next to the car that JP had borrowed from a friend.  Photographers from the newspaper soon showed up and took pictures of the Animo standing in front of his fully engulfed car smiling and holding up peace signs (his typical picture pose).  Someone who didn't like his cheerful attitude came in the night and set his car (that was painted bright yellow with the word "ANIMO" painted all over it) on fire. 
Anyone who's lived in Queretaro for a couple of years or more has certainly had a run-in with the Animo.  He's like Queretaro's answer to Portland's Uni-Piper.  Lisandro, a friend from Costa Rica met him a couple years ago when the Animo picked him up and yelled animo at him when he wasn't expecting it.  (I couldn't find that picture!)  And my parents met him a few months ago, he didn't try to pick my dad up though, haha!  He's quite a character!

 

Pedro the Animo is standing on top of his truck behind a cardboard cut-out of his preferred candidate for governor.  Me, Marcia, JP, Luis, and Cynthia are in the truck bed

 

Elections

It's that time again, election time.  It comes once every three years - every six for president, senators, local and federal representatives, and mayor, and every six years (three years difference of the other elections) for governors, mayor, and reps (mayors and representatives serve 3-year terms, everyone else serves 6-year terms). This year is the governor elections. 

There are two main candidates (there are NINE political parties here!) for governor, and they both have their fans/campaigners out in full force in the stop lights doing songs and dances in front of the drivers.  I'm not even kidding. 

Above you can see the people dressed in red are supporting one candidate, and people in blue another.  The good thing is, all the posters, signs, people in the streets have strict dates that they are allowed to be in campaign.  Campaign time last for three months every three years, June 1 every poster, sign, bumper sticker, etc. must be taken down.  Voting happens on the first Sunday in June. 

We have had the opportunity to meet and be in contact with former government officials and current candidates from four different political parties.  It's interesting the way the Lord has put these people in our lives.  The two former officials are from two of the main parties, and they are still heavily involved with those parties.  We pray that the Lord continues to allow us to share with them.  They (and the current candidates) have the opportunity to have some influence on our city and state.  It's common to hear Christians basically give up on anything political - our whole government system is so far in the toilet it's hard to want anything to do with any candidates or anything.  But PEOPLE are not un-redeemable.