¡Field Day!

Every Friday at Camp Hope we have "Friday Fun Day". This week, it was my turn to plan the fun festivities. As I thought about what we could do, I remembered how much fun it was to have Field Day at Baker School as a kid. There was nothing better than running around, racing, doing silly tasks, and getting to act like a wild kid in the middle of a field. I still would venture to say that very little can rival the joy that comes from a day like this, and last Friday is proof of that theory.

After snack, we took the kids out to the soccer field in the community, broke them into teams, and let the games begin! We did all sorts of classic relays, from the balloon hitting race to passing an orange down the line with your neck. One of the most unexpected highlights was having half the community come out and watch as we whooped and hollered and carried on like Maurice Sendak's "Wild Things". And, as the leader of the pack, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the teams calmed down when it was time to move onto the next relay.

Camp isn't just about fun and games, but let's be honest: Field Day definitely was.

Tenemos GOZO

A few weeks ago, in Bible class, Matt taught a lesson on gozo (joy). In the lesson, the kids played a game emphasizing that greater joy comes from sharing what you have than selfishly keeping everything for yourself. In the game, they were encouraged to share with one another and each time they shared, they declared, "¡Tengo gozo!" (I have joy!)

Apparently the game was a huge success, because ever since then, each

day during snack, instead of all grabbing the food as it is placed in the middle of the table, and quickly taking as much as they can, the kids calmly take one piece at a time and share the food well, all the while, telling us, "¡Tenemos gozo!" It has become a daily thing, and now the kids even offer to share their snacks with all of us, the leaders.

It brings a smile to my face each time a little hand reaches up offering to share their snack with me, to see how eager they are to share, and to know the strong connection that's been made between sharing and joy. Plainly, me da gozo. ;)

Meeting Dani

I want to introduce all of you to Dani. He is one of the youngest students in Camp Hope (our after school program). He comes every day in his white collared shirt and blue pants, the official school uniform here in town.

Everyday at Camp Hope, during homework time, we help the kids who have homework and assign homework to those who do not. I had asked Dani what year he was in school, he told me, "First," but the other kids were sure to inform me that he had dropped out of school. I assured him that he's still allowed to be part of the program, even though he's not in school. In my heart, I felt I wanted him to still be a part of the program ESPECIALLY because he's not in school.

For the past two weeks, Dani has been approaching me after Camp, handing me his notebook, and asking for homework, "Pongame tarea en ingles." The following day, he comes in and shows me his homework, asking me to check it, "Reviseme las tareas." He always has them done, although not always properly, but we can go over them in Homework time.

Eventually, I decided to ask Dani why he had dropped out of school. He told me, "La profesora me regañaba mucho." (The teacher scolded me a lot) To me it seemed like a strange reason to drop out of school, but it also became increasingly evident that he needed to be loved and guided.

So everyday we continue to give Dani homework, and try to teach him basic concepts during Homework time and after Camp before he heads home. He's a good kid and wants to learn, he just lacks the basic knowledge and some good encouragement. I really hope he goes back to school in the next term, and I hope he's not deterred by his teasing peers.

Please be praying for Dani and the other students in the program. We want to see them thrive as children and develop to the potential we all know they have--that's the point of the program! I know God can work this situation out and I put my hope in Him for Dani.

Little Milton that COULD!

Once a week at Camp Hope, we have Discovery class. Discovery can encompass a wide variety of activities, but the main goal is to get the students thinking outside the box. This week was the students' first experience with Discovery and we did the "Tallest Tower" challenge. The students broke into groups of 2 or 3, were given simple supplies, and were told to build a the tallest tower they possibly could that stood on it's own only using the supplies given to them.

At first, the students looked at the paper, tape, popsicle sticks, and straw, and then looked at me with completely blank faces. "Build a tower? But we don't know how!" I told them to just start experimenting and doing whatever they could to turn those things into a tower. Pretty quickly, the class of older students got to work tearing and rolling up the paper, taping things together, and hiding their designs from the competition. When it came time to measure, each group in the older class had a free-standing tower.

For the younger class, this task was a little more daunting. The blank faces didn't change as quickly, and one young boy, Milton, looked up at me and said, "I can't build a tower," in tone that suggested the task was ridiculous. I knelt down next to him and assured him that he could, be he continued to insist that it was impossible. He and his partner, Alduvin started to fold the paper with doubtful looks on their faces, and each time I passed by them, Milton looked up at me and reminded me, "I can't build a tower!". Each time, I affirmed that he could. Eventually, Milton and Alduvin had a design in progress that was standing on its own and climbing at the same steady rate as Milton's confidence. By the end, Milton was beaming as he looked around the room, noting that his tower was significantly taller than the others.

When it came time to measure all the towers, Milton and Alduvin's tower was the tallest in the younger class, and even taller than the tallest from the older class. As I announced this, Milton's eyes widened and his grin broadened. At closing, he made sure everyone knew that his tower had been the tallest of them all, very proud of his great accomplishment.

As he walked out the door at the end of the day, I looked down and said, "See, Milton, you can build a tower." He smiled back and me and said, "The tallest one!"

Camp Hope: It’s only the Beginning!

Last Wednesday we started the After School Program in Nueva Esperanza. We had a showing of 27 kids on the very first day! It was a blast, the kids are so excited for every activity we throw their way. God’s faithfulness and grace are evident in every aspect of the After School Program.

Here are a few highlights from all that God did in the first week:

· The weekend before camp started, we visited houses to register children from the community in the program. In each house, the kids were eager to be a part of Camp Hope. Going to into almost each and every home in the community was a blessing for our team because we were able to build trust and relationships with the families, and meet some of the kids before the first day of camp. We’re excited to see how relationships develop as we continue to work in this community.

· It is completely evident that God speaks Spanish. The kids in Nueva Esperanza don’t speak English at all, so the official language of Camp Hope has to be Spanish. For all of us English-speakers, this was a little daunting, but God equipped us with the language skills we need and communication to the kids was clear!

· Probably the most exciting blessing of all is that from day one, we had a youth interested in volunteering with the program. Saraí came the first day and jumped right in. Just having a youth volunteer from the beginning was major, but she was extremely helpful and worked well with the kids, which is even better! By the second day, it was evident that she is an indispensable helper, and has great potential. We are all extremely excited for her to keep coming and to see God grow her in this position of leadership.

All in all, the first week was a success! It is clear that the community wants and needs a program like this and we’re excited to see how God continues to show His power and love as Camp Hope goes on.

Pictures!

So here are a few pictures of our first day of the After School Program (ASP). We had a blast and are looking forward to working with these kids for the next 7 weeks!

This is Kevin Josué. :) Fun, energetic, and helpful!

Coloring and hanging out before things got started

Snack time!

Painting the Camp Hope banner!

Yeslin, Kensi, and Glendy - Master jump ropers!

To see the full album, click below!

Urban Promise Honduras

"Las cuestas cuestan"

"las cuestas cuestan" essentially means, "walking up the hills is a lot of work!" Not so glamorous and cute in english, but it still rings terribly true! Copán is a city of "cuestas" (inclined walkways, aka leg workouts). My favorite part about the cuestas is walking down them, not just because it's easier... haha, but really because the views are spectacular. The hills are blanketed in trees and the sky is a blue that perfectly offsets the green of the land.

This past week has been full of adventures, one of which was a scavenger hunt of the town. We set out with a map (it doesn't get any more touristy than that) and a list of things we had to accomplish. It was a very fun way to get to know the city. Another classic trait of Copán in the Fall is that it rains cats and dogs for about 10 minutes every afternoon because of the humidity. Out of the 8 days I've been here, I've been caught in a torrential downpour and soaked to the bone on 3 separate occasions. Each time, it was quite comical and spurred some nice conversations with the locals.

I also serendipitously was asked to take Spanish classes to learn the hondureñismos and local phrases. I'll admit that before I started classes, I was dragging my feet a little bit, but trying to have a good attitude about it. Little did I know of the blessing that was waiting for me--my Spanish teacher was a local girl my age and we got along like two peas in a pod! I only took one week, and by the end of the week, I was getting a little sad thinking that I wouldn't get to sit and chat with her for four hours each morning the following week. The nice thing is that the UPHonduras Staff hangs out with a bunch of the teachers from the school, so I'll be seeing her around. :) I was just so excited about that blessing that I was totally not expecting. It was pretty sweet.

Working with the UP Honduras team has been new and fun. This week, Alex and I spent most of our afternoons getting oriented with the ministry and getting ready for the After School Program (ASP) that we'll be working with Matt (UPH Staff and ASP director). The ASP starts this Wednesday in Nueva Esperanza, a neighborhood in the hills just outside Copán's center. We've spent the last two days visiting families and getting kids signed up for the program. It's gonna be goooooo-oooood!

I've been lesson-planning for the first week and a half and I'm really excited to see how all this turns out. I'll be teaching Bible, Cooking, and Discovery for the first two weeks and I'm stoked. UPH is all about activity-based lessons, so I'm trying to get the kids moving around and experientially learning as much as possible. We'll see how it goes!

Please be praying for us as we get going this week and work out kinks as it's a BRAND SPANKING NEW program. :)

I have arrived :)

So I'm here. I flew into San Pedro Sula yesterday and rode 3 hours up in to the mountains to get to Copán Ruinas, a very beautiful town nestled in the mountains along the Honduran border with Guatemala.

I've met the Urban Promise Honduras team, and they're great. Matt, Blair, and Rachel are the three "staffers" here, the ones in it for the long haul. There is one other volunteer here, Alex. She arrived with me and will be here for 4 months (as opposed to my 2 month commitment). We are due to get another volunteer in our midst in a few weeks.

We will start orientation on Monday. For now, Alex and I are just getting to know the team and the town. We're meeting friends and making connections. It's been great.

Life and ministry here are very different from what I experienced in Mexico. However, I am trying to keep the wise words of Rick Romano in my mind and heart, as I try not to make comparisons and see what God has for me here without constantly measuring it against Mexico.

Thanks for all your prayers! I will be trying to write as frequently as possible on this short experience here, and as I try to find out where God wants me next.

it doesn't end here

So I DID send out an update... it took me forever, but I did it. CLICK HERE to view it, if you haven't already.

I'm officially no longer in Mexico. It was strange to leave, especially now that so many things about my life in Maneadero are completely normal and natural to me. I don't think the effects of leaving will fully affect me until I've been back in Jersey for a day or two and it sinks in that I'm no longer there, my other home.

More thoughts and processing to come later.

El Trio: Seguidores de Cristo

Here's a little video for you. The right side is cut off because of my blog format, so if you want to see the whole picture, you can click on it to get to YouTube. I am still very much an amateur movie-maker, but the point is not my ability, but rather, Chuy, Jamin, and Jarib's.

This is probably my favorite song of theirs -- Que contento estoy. Enjoy!

A quick update

I owe the world a newsletter. I am aware of this. I will get around to it soon, I promise.

We just finished a week with 81 group members and we were at a different site than our home-base. So needless to say, we all worked hard and were exhausted. Being as exhausted as we were, our immune systems were way down, and each an every one of us caught a stomach bug that had been passed around the whole visiting group. It was crazy to watch everyone slowly drop, but God was gracious with His timing, because we were still able to get everything done! It was also extremely fortunate that it was only a 36-hour bug.

It was a good week. I learned a lot about serving with a joyful heart, and enjoyed getting to know some of the leaders and students in the group. There was one young lady named Courtney, which gave us an instant bond. I have never heard my name called more times in a week than I did this past week, but 75% of the time, they were calling the other Courtney, which makes sense. Finally they differentiated and I became "Kourtney with a K", something I have long been used to.

I have to start packing up my stuff here, something that is extremely bittersweet. I am excited to see my family and friends at home, hug my mom, reconnect with so many people that I haven't seen in a year, and head out on the next stage in my journey with God. But on the flip side, my heart breaks knowing that my time here has come to an end. I think about having to say goodbye to so many people that have special places in my heart, and it brings tears to my eyes. I think about not having a way to talk to Sofía and encourage her, and I feel a heaviness deep within my soul.

Please pray for me as I am in this last month here in Mexico. I leave three weeks from today and these next three weeks may possibly be the hardest I will experience here.

Cree -- Todo es posible

This is a very busy time for us with groups in and out back to back. Consider this my disclaimer for not having regular posts. :) That being said, I have a minute, so I want to share with you some very cool experiences from this past week.

With our added times in prayer each morning, and the prayer ministry that Casey is heading up, there has subsequently been a focus on prayer in the time the teams are spending here. Additionally, there have been many lessons learned about the power of prayer. We have learned that when we seek God, He WILL answer. 'Clama a mí y te responderé, y te daré a conocer a cosas grandes y ocultas que tú no sabes' -- 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3 When we call on Him, He teaches us great things.

It was awesome to learn about how God answers prayer. The group started out praying for little things that they probably wouldn't have prayed for at home: a generator that wouldn't start and a concrete mixer that wouldn't start. This would have been skipped in the states, and the machines would have gone directly to the shop. Here, they prayed for them first, and God answered--the both started.

It was evident that God was doing a work in the hearts of this group and that He wanted to teach us ALL something about His power. One of the pastors on the trip, Steven, came down with an abscessed tooth. Various group members prayed for him, but the pain continued. In the morning, during prayer, we lifted him up together, being persistent in prayer and asking God to heal him. He came to breakfast after prayer with his face twice its normal size. Tammie made him a dentist appointment, and I'm sure he was mentally preparing himself for intense surgery. Before we all left for the worksite, and before Steven left for the dentist, we all gathered in prayer again, laid hands on him, and anointed him with oil. We prayed persistently as an entire team, and then sent him on his way to the dentist, waiting on the Lord for a miracle.

On my way to deliver lunch to the sites, I thought I saw Tammie's truck behind us, but immediately dismissed the thought because there was no way they'd be done at the dentist that quickly. However, God taught me that I need to EXPECT great things from him. My disbelief was thrown in my face as Tammie hopped out of her car right behind me at the site with a grin from ear to ear.

When Steven had gone to the dentist, he quickly diagnosed the problem. The doctor told Steven that the only thing he would be able to do for him was to drain the abscess and then he could do the other work back in the states. To the doctors' surprise, when he went to drain it, it had already drained. The healing process of Steven's tooth had already begun!

I was so excited for Steven and that he was healed, but I was so much MORE excited for all those who could witness the miracle that took place. I was so thankful for how God showed His glory and power, and taught us all more about Him. We CAN pray with faith and we CAN expect great things from God. I still don't understand why sometimes God heals and others, He doesn't, but I DO know for certain that it has nothing to do with His abilities. God wanted us to be persistent and to come to Him, to present our request before His throne.

I praise God for the miracle He did this past week in Steven's mouth, and in the hearts of all those who witnessed it.

Prayer Requests

There is a boy named Misael at the Boys' Home. He is 9 years old but is delayed and is only developed as far as a 6 year-old. Whenever I have gone to the Boys' Home, he has grabbed my heart in a very special way because it is obvious that he needs some one patient to love him. Juan and Rossy do an amazing job at that. Every time I have seen Misael, one of the first questions he asks me is, "When is my mom coming back to get me?" Despite being very well taken care of, the mind of a 6 year-old does not understand why he is in a home away from his mother. In talking to Juan, I found out that one of Misael's biggest fears is that his mother would not ever come back for him.

Last night, we found out that Misael's mother, who had been sick with cancer, and had been in the hospital for two weeks with a brain hemorrhage, passed away. Upon hearing this news, I couldn't keep the tears from flowing out of my eyes. My heart broke for this little boy who was already confused and living many different trials, and now had lost his mother.

Misael is now with his sister, who is a minor, and who is trying not to lose custody of him. Juan and Rossy are trying to help the family do what is best for Misael.

Please be praying for Misael, his family, Juan, and Rossy as they sort through this situation.

imprudent good advice

Monday through Friday, from 7 to 8 am, we have prayer here at the Second Floor. It is a continuation of the prayer times Rick started with the Pastors back in April. It has slowly grown into a time in which our ministry team members, and now group members, join together for a time in prayer, seeking God's face before all else and dedicating the day and the day's work to Him.

As I was reading through Luke and praying this morning, I came to the passage on loving your enemies:

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

I was struck by how easy it is to graze over a passage like this and not give it any real thought. I was struck by how many times I have grazed over this passage and not given it a second thought. As I lingered in this passage this morning, I was struck by how illogical this teaching is, how very little I see christians actually following it, and how I never follow it.

I am amazed at how imprudent all of these instructions seem. If I love my enemies, what good does that do to me, except make me appear weak? If I do good to them, doesn't that make me a doormat? If I lend to them without expecting to get anything back, am I not just throwing money down the drain and not being a good steward of what God has given me? And yet, I read this, and see that Jesus is very clear in what he says. He does not mince words.

While he doesn't give a list of reasons WHY we should do all these things, he does give a reason: your reward will be great and you will be called sons of the Most High. My initial response to that is to think about when my mom used, "Because I said so," as her reason for telling me to do something--not so convincing, right? But then I remember Who is rewarding me, and Who is calling me His daughter, and it is a lot easier to swallow.

God says in Isaiah 55:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Who am I to tell God what is logical and illogical? Who am I to tell God that it isn't smart to lend out money to someone who is very unlikely going to pay me back? I just plain don't have the right to do that. Part of what frees me up to follow this teaching is that I know God knows what He's doing way better than I do, so if He tells me to love my enemies and to even lend them money, that He's got a good reason for telling me to do it. I may not know what that reason is, but He's got my back, so I can go ahead and love, do good, and lend away without worry.

The more I know Jesus, the more I realize that following him is in many cases going to lead me down an illogical path, save for the one fact that I am following the God of the universe, which, given that fact, is the only logical thing to do.

Answered Prayers

Lucía is getting baptized! :)

Lucía is a woman that I have had the pleasure of watching grow over the past months in her faith and commitment to the Lord at Camino de Cristo. She started off extremely timid and barely wanted to pray in front of anyone. She's been one of the most faithful members of the prayer meetings on Tuesday nights, which tend to be smaller. She has begun sharing ideas and interest in participating in ministry, and really wants to serve. She approached Faustino about singing worship, and I'm so encouraged by her desire to step up.

As a step of faith and obedience, she wants to be baptized before leading worship with the team (ps- we HAVE a team now, which is a blessing in and of itself!). It is a huge encouragement and it makes Tomasa tear up just thinking about it.

God's timing continues to amaze me. I had been discouraged for a while at the lack of commitment in the church and how people really didn't seem to be stepping up. I felt like nothing was moving forward and that nothing was going to ever move forward. But God called me to be faithful to the ministry and to faithfully pray for Faustino and Tomasa and the whole church. I know I'm not the only one praying for them, and that alone is an encouragement.

So as God is answering these prayers, I am reminded that God doesn't work on a human timeline--and I'm thankful for that. His timing is perfect and there is a reason why He is building up Camino de Cristo now, and not four months ago. I cannot claim to know what that reason is, but I do know that the God that gathers that water of the sea into jars and puts the deep into storehouses knows what He's doing. :)

encouragement

Last Sunday, we had church at 10am. It was probably the best Sunday service I have been to at Camino de Cristo, and it did not all have to do with the fact that I got to go to church in the morning and not late in the afternoon.

Faustino and Tomasa decided to change church to 10am to be able to accommodate more people and schedules. I appreciate the change because I get to go early in the day. I'm not sure why I appreciate that so much, but I really do.

Even aside from that, it was just a great service for my heart. The fruit of Faustino and Tomasa's labor showed as people they had visited and ministered to showed up and nearly filled the church. There were two new families, one of which was very large. In addition to those new families, Faustino's son's in-laws have decided to come alongside the ministry and serve. Mari and José are strong believers and I think they will be a great support to Faustino and Tomasa.

In addition, when José started preaching and didn't excuse the children for kiddie church, Cuquita slowly stood up, caught Faustino's eye and motioned that she was going to take the children for the children's class. There were about 12 kids, so I followed her out and asked if she wanted me to come give her a hand. She pondered it a moment and then told me confidently that she could do it. I was so encouraged as I watched her lead the harem to the classroom behind the sanctuary.

I was blessed to be able to stay and listen to the sermon. José preached on unity in the church and how it is the job of the entire congregation to build into the church, not just the job of the pastor. He said something so poignant that I had never heard before: pastores no reproducen ovejas, ovejas reproducen ovejas (Pastors don't reproduce sheep, sheep reproduce sheep). He said this and it made so much sense that all I could do was smile. It was cool because one of the sheep was calling the rest of the sheep to action. I really appreciated it.

After church, we all went into Faustino and Tomasa's house to visit with Tomasa who was still bed-ridden because of her back. A good group of us went in and sat with her and talked about life and ministry. Mari and Tomasa chatted about ideas and things they want to do and how they want to expand ministries in the church. It made my heart jump with joy because I have been praying for strong leaders to come alongside the ministry and support Faustino and Tomasa so they can serve better and reach further. So now that Mari and José are there, that possibility is so much more in reach. Praise God for the way He works.

Please continue to pray for Tomasa as she continues with problems with her back. Pray that she would heal completely. Pray that she would take it easy. Pray that she would let Mari help her in ministry and that she wouldn't try to bear the load alone. As we all know too well, sometimes it is hard to share the burden that is squashing us, even though it is exactly what we need to do to stay afloat and to keep things moving forward.

A prayer stolen from Marcos' Blog

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

- Thomas Merton, “Thoughts in Solitude”

As we wait upon the Lord

Last night, we had prayer at Faustino's--it was Tuesday, and it was what we do on Tuesdays. Faustino is in Tijuana helping out the new District Superintendent, Roberto, along with the other Pastors on a construction project. In his absence, Tomasa lead the prayer meeting. I'd never been to a prayer meeting that Tomasa lead before, but I shouldn't have been surprised when she ran it differently, because everyone has their own way of doing things.

She invited me to pray to start the meeting off and as I prayed I asked God to open our ears and hearts to receive what He may have for us in the time of prayer. I felt like God had something to say to us in our time of prayer and I didn't want to miss it.

Before praying, we read Psalm 6:

O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
or discipline me in your wrath.

Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am faint;
O LORD, heal me, for my bones are in agony.

My soul is in anguish.
How long, O LORD, how long?

Turn, O LORD, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love.

No one remembers you when he is dead.
Who praises you from the grave?

I am worn out from groaning;
all night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.

My eyes grow weak with sorrow;
they fail because of all my foes.

Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my weeping.

The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts my prayer.

All my enemies will be ashamed and dismayed;
they will turn back in sudden disgrace.

Tomasa asked us all to focus in on one verse that spoke to us as we read and share what we understood as we read it. I shared verse 9: The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;/ the Lord accepts my prayer. It really spoke to me because it is a declaration of answered prayer, a prayer that was a pleading to God for rescue. It doesn't pretend to be anything it is not, it just lays out the weakness and waits for God to answer.

After, we all shared our prayer requests and then each were assigned a person to lift up in prayer. I was assigned to pray for Tomasa. Her prayer requests were for her daughter Lily's marriage, her family in general, Faustino, her grandkids, her spiritual life, and healing. Tomasa has a weak heart and is fatigued quickly and often. On top of that, she gets what she calls "aching bones" (dolor de huesos). The only parallel I can find is the pain you feel when you have a fever and your whole body just hurts.

Tomasa has been battling with these ailments since long before I ever met her. It hurts my heart to see her suffer like this because I love her. It also hurts because I know the impact she has for the Kingdom when she's feeling well, and I hate knowing that loss. When Tomasa is in action, she is such a force that she could just run her way through a brick wall!

As I pray for Tomasa, I tell God how frustrated I am that she is still sick. I tell God that I don't understand why He still has not healed her, but also tell him that I know He knows what He's doing. I ask him for patience and faith in His plan for Tomasa and ask for Him to be glorified. I want healing now, but if it needs to come later or not at all to glorify God more, then I want that more.

We are waiting on the Lord for healing. We are waiting on the Lord. As I prayed and proclaimed that we are waiting on Him, the song Everlasting God came to my heart. I started singing and really meditating about what it is to wait on the Lord and how strength rises as we wait on him. In all honesty, I didn't come to any great conclusions other than remembering what Tara Powers shared about waiting meaning expecting something to happen. You don't just wait for nothing, you wait because you know something is going to happen. So as we wait, we know God is going to do something great and we wait because what God is going to do is far greater than what we would have done. I think in the end that brings strength because there is strength in God's actions and we are strengthened in faith as we see Him act.

Last night I committed to waiting on the Lord for Tomasa. I told God that I want His will to be done and that I expect him to act to glorify Himself, even if that means not healing her now or ever. I truly want that.

Tonight, Lily, Tomasa's daughter, showed up at the Second Floor and informed us that Tomasa is in the hospital again. It hurt my heart, but I remembered what I had said to God and what He had said to me--wait on the Lord. So while I don't know what's going on here, with Tomasa, or with my Aunt Sissy, or with Uncle Jerry, Aunt Irene, or Christy, I wait on the Lord to act, because He will be glorified in the end, and I pray to that end. I invite you to pray that with me for all of these cases. I don't understand why they are sick or what is being accomplished by it all, but I trust God does, and He's gonna work it out.

Your head is aching, I'll make it better

I sat in church yesterday and thought about how I really didn't want to be there.  My head was hurting, I had just come from another church service, and my back was hurting for a variety of reasons.  I confessed to myself and to God that I really only went because I felt like I had to, not at all because I wanted to.  Plainly, I just wasn't feeling it.  

Surprisingly, I was very comfortable with this confession.  During my time here in Mexico, I've come to the realization that there are some days you just won't want to do ministry.  Dan, a fellow intern, very often says, "I love my job.  I hate my job."  Or he just says one or the other depending on the situation.  We all agree that it is a very fair depiction of our feelings.  We won't love what we do at all times because God does not promise a constant party as you live out the call He has on your life.  On the flip side, it isn't all thorns either.  There are many many times that I am acutely aware of the blessing it is to work here in Ensenada with the people God has put around me.  

Having this understood, I know that I will not always want to go to church, and that it doesn't make me a terrible person.  However, last night, as I sat in the pew, thinking about how much I didn't want to be there, God taught me a lesson.  It was my turn to read the scripture lesson for the service, and I was allowed to choose it.  Before the service, I had chosen Isaiah 44:6-8 

"This is what the LORD says— 
       Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: 
       I am the first and I am the last; 
       apart from me there is no God.

 Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. 
       Let him declare and lay out before me 
       what has happened since I established my ancient people, 
       and what is yet to come— 
       yes, let him foretell what will come.

 Do not tremble, do not be afraid. 
       Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? 
       You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? 
       No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

I read the scripture at the appropriate time, sat back down, and listened as Tomasa transitioned into a time of musical worship to be led by Abel.  As I listened to her, the depth of the words sunk into my heart and I heard a voice in my head say, "THIS is the God we serve.  THIS is the God you came to worship today.  How can you possibly want to do anything else?"  In that moment, things changed.  It wasn't so much that all of a sudden I wanted to be in church; my head still hurt, my back still hurt, and I had still just recently been to a 3 hour service--but rather, my understanding of why I should be there changed.  I understood that being in church at that moment had nothing to do with whether or not I was feeling it.  It had nothing to do with whether or not I liked or even knew the songs Abel was going to play.  It entirely had to do with the fact that I have so many things for which I can come to God's throne and thank and praise Him.  Our Sunday services are called Worship Services for a reason: they exist to create an environment and time for us to come collectively and worship God.  I've been learning more deeply lately that faith and following Jesus is an act of will and not something based on our feelings.  Very closely linked to this is our act of worship.  We make the decision to worship God because He deserves our worship, not because we feel something in our chest or like the beat of the music.  

So I made the decision to worship God on Sunday.  I made the decision to tell God how great He is and lift His name up even though it didn't give me warm fuzzies.  I don't share this to make myself sound like some deep christian who knows or loves Jesus more than you, but really to share the joy and the lesson God taught me this sunday.  

Que linda está la mañana

When Rick asked what the biggest holiday in Mexico was, he was told that it's Mother's Day.  Surprised?  I was too, and I completely didn't believe it until Saturday night.  Here in Mexico, they go out and sing mañanitas to the moms on Mother's Day Eve, which is actually Mother's Day, just super early in the morning.  

So Saturday night, May 9, at exactly midnight, we embarked out on our journey to sing.  Rafa had tied the speakers and cerebro (sound board) to the back of the pick-up and we drove from house to house, singing, whooping, and yelling merriment at all the moms we know.  

We had a blast, and it was great to honor the moms in my life.  :)  We even got to call my mom on Monday and sing to her.  We woke her up for her birthday.  

I think I might bring this tradition back to the states with me... all you moms, get ready for some serious serenades!  

Cutting out the Middle-Man

Here in Maneadero, along the highway, there are fields of flowers.  Every time we drive by, we all marvel at how beautiful it looks, and I joke about pulling over and taking a picture amidst all the flowers.  

Especially lately, I have been missing the presence of flowers in our apartment.  Every spring, my mom cuts flowers from her garden, and there are almost always fresh-cut flowers on our table.  We (the three girls and Rafa) sat down to eat together a few nights ago and I missed the flowers.  It felt like something was missing.  

Faustino and Tomasa told us that there was a place yo

u could get bouquets of flowers for 15 pesos (like $1.10 USD).  Sarah and I were certain they'd be dinky little bouquets of the reject flowers, but any flowers would be better than none, right?  So we got directions and went yesterday.  Low and behold, we walk up to a house and all over the property are buckets of fresh-cut flowers--sunflowers, heather, "pretty green fillers", and tons more.  I'm not going to lie, I was a little overwhelmed with the selection.  All over the yard there were also people cutting, and stripping flowers of the leaves on their stems to make better bouquets.  

I quickly realized that by going to this place, we were cutting out the middle man... that's why the flowers were so cheap!  So I asked some one which flowers were for sale and they kind of chuckled and said, "All of them."  I decided not to get a made bouquet, and just grabbed two bunches flowers that caught my eye. The two bunches only cost 20 pesos... amazing.  So now, we have sweet honey-like smelling flowers on our kitchen table, and at half the price of flowers at Produce Junction!  WOOOOO!  

Renewal

Cuán hermoso eres, Jesús How beautiful you are, Jesus

son tus palabras are you words

es tu amor is your love

Cuán glorioso eres, Jesús How glorious you are, Jesus

es tu poder is your power

fue tu cruz was your cross

La que me salvó [Your cross] that saved me

Que me rescató [Your cross] that rescued me

Un momento ahí me dio libertad A moment there gave me freedom

Te doy gloria gloria I give you glory glory

Te doy gloria gloria I give you glory glory

Te doy gloria gloria I give you glory glory

A ti Jesús To you Jesus

I love this song.  I'm really not quite sure if it exists in English, but from the very moment I first heard it, it played with the rhythm of my heart and caused the praise welling up inside me to burst forth.  I have come to deeply appreciate the bridge: Con una corona de espinas, te hiciste Rey por siempre (With a crown of thorns, you made yourself King forever).  For me, it paints such a clear picture of the pain and the triumph that the cross represents; the paradoxical humility and exaltation of Christ for the sacrifice He made.   

I give glory to Jesus.  I give him glory because he deserves it.  Glory belongs to God alone and my soul longs to give him glory because of who He is and what He did.  I give Him glory because He honors His promises.  He is good to His word.  He meets us where we are.  

I give Jesus glory because I can see the work of his hand, the fruit of his work in my life.  I have a confidence in Christ that I have never felt before.  Not to say that I have never felt confidence in Christ before now, but that I have never felt it this deeply and surely.  And this is not a confidence that lets whatever opinion I have fly out of my mouth, or an egotistical confidence that says that my way is the best, but quite the opposite.  It is a confidence that quiets me and keeps me still because I can wait on His timing and His will.  It is a confidence that quiets my heart from worry and allows me to step assuredly into what God has planned for me, knowing it is better than any other thing I could imagine for myself.  

I got to visit a church in Ensenada with Isaí and Mini on Sunday.  During worship, we sang the above song.  My heart soared.  There was something so pure and beautiful about singing that song.  I closed my eyes and I was just before the throne of my King, praising His name, glorifying Him, and thanking Him for the sacrifice He made on the cross.  Every pretense, every self-conscious thought, every person faded away into some far off place, and I entered into worship in a way that I don't think I ever have before.  It's amazing to me that singing praise to God could be such a blessing for me and such a gift for me.  

I love visiting different churches down here, experiencing different styles of worship, and hearing a variety of Mexican preachers.  I love seeing the church at work down here, and seeing the fruit of what God has been doing in them.  

Cool finds

Sarah's dad came down on Friday to visit.  With him, he brought a fun-loving attitude, a very cool convertible, and a book that had been written about a couple building a house on the Baja peninsula, very close to where I live.  He happened upon the story as he was researching the beach down in this area, and the book, as it turns out, is a pretty good read!  

The book, God and Mr. Gomez, takes place between LA and Santo Tomás, the town in which the Boys' Home is located.  It's a true story, and a point of interest for me because I am so familiar with the places the author talks about.  

At one point, he describes the drive down the coast from Tijuana to Ensenada.  He paints such a wonderful picture that I can't help but share.  For those of you who will not make it out here, I hope this gives you an idea:

We took the road that skirts Tijuana, running west along the border to the Pacific, where it passes the seaside bullring and melds into the Ensenada toll road.  The toll road is a divided freeway, a sound and artistic piece of engineering, with two lanes going south and two north along the spectacular Pacific coast.  The road is edged with indigenous crushed lava of a magenta color, and in the spring there are banks of red and yellow flowers.  It cuts through low costal hills above the ocean, turning away from one stunning seascape only to discover yet another.  The toll is collected at three stations, totaling $2.40 for each car going all the way to Ensenada.  It is too much money for the local traffic, so the road is never crowded, and driving it on a good day is like flying in a small airplane a hundred feet above the seashore.  

The book was published in 1974, so some things are not exactly as described.  The toll prices doubled and I'm not sure the lava is still the same vivid magenta he describes, but at least it gives you an idea.  

I love that drive.  When we drove FPC up this last time, the sun was setting as we drove along the ocean.  I'd seen the sun set here, but never like I did that day.  It made the drive that much better.  I appreciate how breathtaking it was to first take the drive down and just stare out the car window, but I appreciate even more how the view doesn't get old.  

While Mr. Roney was here, we also went downtown to walk around.  It was great because we went into a lot of the places we've said we wanted to go into for a long time.  One of the cool, almost serendipitous finds was an old hotel that had been transformed into a rustic furniture store.  Walking around in there was almost like walking through a museum, but with a lot of great style.  I love old buildings, and part of me wishes this one had been restored a little better, but I guess it's roughness keeps with the rustic style of the furniture.  

Among our cool finds was a tiny museum in one of the beautiful government buildings we had been longing to explore.  It explained a lot about the indigenous history of Baja and gave some cool "then and now" information on Ensenada.  Apparently there are two ballrooms in the building; regrettably we did not get the chance to explore them.  But if anyone is looking for a wedding venue, it comes highly recommended and very fairly priced!  There was a gift shop at the end of the museum, and it had the lowest museum store prices of any I have ever been in.  There were quite a bit of artesanías that caught my eye, and Sarah and I were continually baffled at how little they were asking for all of them!  

I had forgotten how much I enjoy exploring places.  Ensenada had lost a little bit of its magic for me since I've been here for 8 months, but by letting curiosity lead us, and not a planned agenda, I feel that we were able to look beyond the cruise ships and tourist traps, and see Ensenada's charm again.  

Crash into me

I had the blessing of having FPC Moorestown come visit Ensenada last week.  It was a tiny team of 8.  As a high schooler, it never occurred to me that the size of our teams were "small".  It was all I knew.  Looking back, and even on this past week when Moorestown was here, I like the intimate dynamic of a small team.  

My lovely and intelligent mother had a really great insight: As she was reflecting on the struggles and joys of the team working together, the obstacles they had to overcome for their common goal, the lessons they learned, and how they all grew, the parallel of the group with the 12 disciples came to mind.  As a team, the disciples worked and lived together, all following the same Man, trying to understand what He was teaching.  As each disciple was completely human and not at all God (unlike their leader), there is no doubt that there were problems every single day for and between the group.  The mission team was a team of 8, and they were amazed at the dynamics of the group--just imagine 4 more in the mix!  

The cool thing about the disciples being together was that they had Jesus in their midst, so he could take each teachable moment and stretch his disciples.  

The cool thing about the short-term team being together is that they have the Holy Spirit within them to convict, discipline, correct, and stretch the team members.  

At the end of the day, within both groups, the goal is to glorify God and to keep our eyes fixed on He who is in charge and knows the whole story, trusting that He can do it better than we can.  

I appreciated that insight.  

However, that was not the point of this post.  The point, is to share what an extraordinary experience it was to have my two worlds collide for a week.  I think more than anything else, I really appreciated the relationships that were built between the FPC team and the people here.  Both sets of people are those that I dearly love.  I talk about one to the other all the time, but there is something so much more powerful in knowing the person you're being told about.  When I tell Faustino and Tomasa stories about my mom, they can picture her in their heads as I share.  Vice versa--people back at home know who I'm talking about when I say that Roxsy, Ricardo's wife, came over and taught me how to make ensalada de nopales.  

I thoroughly enjoy the fact that these two worlds that were previously so separate and unknown to one have now united, even if it was only for a short time.  As people here ask about people from home and share memories they have of those people, it brings home a little bit closer.  I'm certain the reverse will occur as well, when I return to Jersey.  Being able to share my heart and experiences with people who know the world I'm in right now will be encouraging and will make the transition a little easier.  

This unity means so much more to me than I know how to express.  So to all of you who came, thank you.  To all of you who will hear their stories, thank you.  And to all of you who read this little blog and see my experience through my lens, thank you.  

Here are a few pictures I swiped from Jenny Wittmer :)  ENJOY!

This is outside the Church and in front of Faustino and Tomasa's church.  We were handing out sidewalk chalk.  They had a blast with it!  Very cute idea.
La familia Diaz.  This was taken Easter Sunday after church.  This is Sofía's family.  Some members of the group were able to go to Sofía's house for the prayer ministry.  Now I think they appreciate her almost as much as I do.  Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but they do LOVE her!    
We got to support Sofía's family by buying bags and bracelets from her and her mom.  This is Sofía and her mom and the loom her mom uses to make the bags.  

Props to Jenny for a GREAT picture!  This is Jamin jumping in to jump rope with the kids at VBS.  Jamín is always down for a good time and has such a fun-loving spirit about him.  It does not surprise me at all that he is caught red-handed playing with the kids and loving EVERY SECOND!

Foreign

We were in the States yesterday.  It was a good day.  San Diego is beautiful.  The weather is perfect.  The people are all friendly.  I'm convinced people are all friendly because it is almost ALWAYS sunny.  I think a lot of people in NYC and all over the northeast would be friendlier and happier people if the sun shined there as it does in Southern California.  People warned me that once I went to San Diego, I would never want to live anywhere else!  In its splendor, San Diego puts a smile on my face.  

However, being up in the States is an increasingly strange experience for me.  Casey and I talked a long while back about how we were going to become part of the "Third Culture", a culture that is between Mexican and American--a culture that has elements of both, but is definitely not one or the other.  Being a part of this culture is strange, especially in San Diego and the surrounding area.  As I hear Spanish spoken all around me, I battle inwardly to know which language I should use to respond to people.  When I opt for the Spanish, I'm met with faces that are more surprised than even those in Mexico.  Suddenly it is hard for me to express myself in English and I find myself stuttering over simple words and phrases.  I feel self-conscious about the clothes I'm wearing and the dirt on my sneakers.  I feel self-conscious about the fact that I'm wearing sneakers.  

I'm finding that I have grown to be comfortable as an American who lives in Mexico, but that I still can't find my place as an American who lives in Mexico and is back in her "own" culture.  Honestly, I felt lost.  For me, as a person who is most often sure of herself, feeling lost is a very foreign feeling.  More than anything, I think it was disconcerting to feel so out of place in a world that should be my own.  That's the trouble with the "Third Culture": we don't fit in either culture anymore.

This means that it's time to pray about returning home and reverse culture shock.  I'm not going to worry about it because God will work it out and teach me great things along the way, but I need to be asking Him to prepare my heart.  Please be praying with me!

When I think about it, this has been a week full of people being put in foreign situations!  On Sunday, Cuquita taught the Children's Church lesson.  She stood up front and read the story, asked good questions, gave a great explanation of how prayer was involved in the story and then proceeded to lead a great discussion on prayer with the children.  She told me that she was terribly nervous the whole time, but was really happy to hear that I thought she did a great job (which she did!).  She's not been a teacher before and if asked, would tell you that she's not comfortable being up front.  BUT she's progressing step by step and it's so fun to watch her move forward each week!  

John, Rick and Tammie's 14 year-old son is going to be giving a talk on Saturday to the other youth in Aposento Alto (Francisco's church).  To my knowledge, this will be the first time he'll be doing something like this.  It has been cool to talk to him as he prepares for this Saturday.  I'm excited to go on Saturday and sit in the peanut gallery!  

It seems that part of following God is following Him into the foreign places and trusting that He knows what He's doing.  When we're in places we don't know, we are incapable of relying on our own strength or wisdom--we HAVE to trust Him.  Maybe that's why it's such a great place to be!  :)

Confía en Jehová con todo tu corazón y no te apoyes en tu propia prudencia.  Proverbios 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  Proverbs 3:5

Happy Birthday Juanito!

I realize that it has been almost a month since I have last posted. Sorry about that. Things around here have been busy. It's hard to say with what exactly because we've been up to so many different things. No matter, I really wanted to share about a family that I'm getting to know better as I spend more time at Faustino's church (Camino de Cristo).

This is Sofia (and her youngest son Gustavo). She goes to Faustino's church and is almost ALWAYS there when there's a service or meeting. She, her husband Juan, and their three boys walk to church faithfully every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. I meet with her once a week outside church (this week twice since we missed last week because I was in Mexicali). We are doing a study on the book of Acts and we've been talking a lot about the Holy Spirit. It's really a pleasure to meet with her. I go to her home and I'm greeted by her two older sons, Juanito and Chava (nickname for Salvador), running down the stairs and all the way out to the truck. Chava calls me Ani (we haven't quite figured out why yet), and comes out screaming "ANI! ANI! ANI!" -- it's pretty darn cute. It's customary to greet people with a handshake when you see them, so as I carefully open the truck door, I try not to hit the boys with the door and instantly, two tiny hands are extended towards me, eagerly waiting to greet me.

Sofia and I sit, we chat, we pray, we study the Bible, and share our stories, lives, and how we've seen God working around us. I love getting to know her and getting to see her heart. She struggles a lot to read the Bible because she speaks a dialect, Triki, as her first language, and is just beginning to get comfortable with Spanish. Despite this struggle, she really has a heart to know God and His Word better. Please be praying for her as she pushes forward, standing firm in her faith in God.

This is Juanito, Sofia's oldest son. Today he turned 7. Happy Birthday Juanito! :o) His face is covered with icing because of the traditional birthday "mordida". He took a bite out of his cake and his face was shoved into the cake--by Pastor Faustino no less! It's tradition!

He's a really sweet kid and is forever asking to take pictures with my camera. It turns out that when he's not taking pictures of other pictures, he's a pretty good candid photographer! He's been one of the most faithful members of our Children's Ministry and knows almost all of the texts we have memorized over the weeks! He's a really special kid.

And THIS little fellow is Chava. The funny thing about Chava is that he was terribly afraid of me when I first met him. He would come to church with his family and be sitting in his stroller, I would wave to him or shake his little hand and he would burst out into tears! Juan and Sofia tried to tell me that he was just cranky because he'd woken up from a nap.... but I think they were just being nice. He was plain scared of me!

Eventually he started coming around. He came back to Children's Church one week and I was amazed when he made it through half of it without crying and running for his mom! The next week he managed to stay with us the whole time, and ever since then he's been glued to my hip. We get along SO well now that when I drive the family home from church, he cries because he has to get out of the car and I'm going to drive away--quite a change from how we started off!

I can't talk about the whole family without talking about Juan. Juan is the father of these three boys and the husband of Sofia. Honestly, Juan is one of the most gracious and gentle men I know. He always has a warm smile on his face, accompanied most of the time by pondering eyebrows as he weighs and listens to what you say to him. Juan preaches most Thursdays, which is awesome, especially considering the fact that he just started learning Spanish two years ago. I especially love hearing Juan's testimony because it is so evident that the transforming power of the Holy Spirit has worked and is working in his life.

No te cansas?

I've been doing exercises in the mornings here at the Segundo Piso since we got back from our Christmas holiday. For us as Americans, this is totally normal, expected even. However, for many Mexicans, the concept of doing exercise is very foreign.

One of the parts of my work-out is running up and down the stairs to our apartment as fast as I can in one minute increments. There have been a few times that the young boys next door have caught my eye as I'm huffing it up the stairs. I smile and wave, and they wave back, very amused at the sight before them. After seeing the boys, and realizing that we can see almost all that our neighbors do from our windows, it hit me that most people who live in the surrounding houses probably take note of a lot of what we do as well. I figured people wouldn't give too much thought to what we do, but I was proven wrong the other day as I ran into the convenience store next door to buy garbanzo beans for humus.

I ran into the store, greeted the owner, grabbed the beans, and then walked over to pay. As I'm taking out the money to pay, the owner tells me in a very curious voice that she sees me exercising, running up and down the stairs. I smile at her and tell her that it is indeed me she sees. I didn't put much weight in the comment, but then she continues to express her confusion and surprise. She asks me if I get tired, "No te cansas de subir y bajar asi?" I tell her that's kind of the point of exercises... to tire yourself out and make yourself stronger. She seemed very confused that I would do that to myself. She then proceeds to tell me that when she walks up a flight of stairs that her heart pounds and she gets terribly out of breath. I gave her a sympathetic look, and she told me that everytime she watches me, she tells her son that she should probably do the same.

The whole situation made me laugh. For one, you usually don't think about the fact that at any given moment, there could be a lot of people watching you do things. Just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they can't see you--especially when you're outside. Second, the fact that the concept of exercise was so strange to this woman made me think of what all the other neighbors must think, and all those who can see me from the highway as they drive by -- "What is that crazy gringa doing running up and down the stairs? Man, does she ever look tired!"

Now I wonder what they think of our jumprope clothesline... and the blindingly green curtains hung in our windows...

Perhaps I'll invite the neighbor to work out with me one day. It could be fun. I wonder if she'd do it. :o)

I fought the MICRO...

Down here in Baja, they call their public transportation "micro" or "camioneta". The term I've heard most often is "micro", and that's what I've been calling it.

What's so funny about the micro is that they tear through the streets of Zorrillo, Maneadero, and Ensenada as if they were all taxi-drivers from NYC that were kicked out because they drive too wildly. Driving in Mexico is a fun adventure because you are constantly battling the micro, hoping not to be cut off, throwing your fists up in righteous anger when you are, and always avoiding the right hand lane because of the paradas continuas (continuous stops) the micro makes. We have a claim between us interns: "I fought the micro.... and WON!!" Everytime we pull out onto the highway, we pull out onto the battlefield--us vs. the micro. When you can successfully get from point A to point B without the micro cutting you off or making you want to lay on your horn, you have won... this is a great triumph.

Aside from the joys of sharing the road with these crazy short-busses (they are literally re-painted short buses like most school districts use), it is an entirely separate experience to board one and take the ride into Ensenada.

Today, Casey and I rode the micro into town to check out the Christian bookstore and pick up some groceries. It was not my first time on the micro, nor will it be my last ride, but today I was especially struck by the uniqueness of a micro-ride in Mexico. It all started as our micro tore down the hill to where we were standing to catch it. As we signaled for him to stop and pick us up, he barely slowed down as he pulled off the road and I literally jumped back, thinking he wasn't going to stop in time to not hit me! I've never heard any stories of micros hitting people, so it seems as though they have a good track record... but MAN! The driver laughed at me as I got on because he knew exactly what had gone through my mind as he pulled over--apparently I can't hide my emotions well.

We continue to tear down the "highway" in the same fashion as before we boarded. I hung onto the seat in front of me and shot Casey amused glances as we whipped all over the road. As we approached Ensenada, we pulled over to pick up a passenger and a vendor hops on board briefly to sell the driver some juice., which he proceeds to share with the passenger who just boarded. Casey and I looked at one another, smiled, and said, "Only in Mexico!"

It turns out the passenger wound up being the driver's girlfriend. I know this because as we got off, so did she, and as I'm standing behind her, ready to hop off, she leans over and plants a BIG wet one on the driver... Granted, I've never lived in a city, so public transportation has not been a huge part of my life up until this point, but even so, in all my travels, I have not yet seen a like situation.

All in all, it was a very entertaining ride. I love the micro... there really is nothing like it.

January Pics...

Classic Rossy... always causing trouble :o)
Faustino and Tomasa, my pastores. They're a very cute couple. They really love each other and it is fun to watch them together.
Rick made us carnitas (pork chop-ish things). We put them in tacos. They were really good.
Sammy and Leyda. They aren't pastors per se, but they work with the ministry. I really appreciate them and spending time with them. They are really special people.
Because of all the rain we had before and over Christmas, everything is GREEN now. When I look out into the hills behind our back porch, I see GREEN. It actually reminds me of Ireland because of all the rolling hills and green. Pretty funny.
Abby and Moriah -- Rick and Tammie's girls were being goofy. They are so much fun.

It was January 12, 2009 and I was on the beach. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this young lady was laying comfortably on the beach in the middle of January. I just wanted to rub that in... yep... haha

Left to Right -- Casey (Co-intern), Me, Michelle (Visitor) -- Sa-weet day at the beach.

Teaching English at the Boys' Home. We're working on the preposition "on" and the pronoun "it".... tons of fun.

The gang. What's really cool is that we stay after class and hang out with the guys. We play basketball, volleyball, and today we played dominoes. They play way differently than we do... but we caught on after a while. Always fun to learn something new! -- You've gotta love Daniel (2nd from the top left). He never smiles in pictures because he has dimples and he HATES them. They look so cute... but i guess that's the last thing a "tough" 15 year-old mexican guy wants. Gotta love him...