Beth and her mother left by bus yesterday morning for Mexico City to meet up with Sarah Shedd who was an intern supervised by my mother-in-law for the past 5 months. They were planning on going to the Ballet Folklorico last night. Today was to include a trip to the big market for Mexican crafts and souveniers, and maybe a trip to the Basilica. They should be back early this evening. I haven't heard from them but no news is good news. I'm sure they're enjoying themselves and Bethie can always use a break from hubby and kids. Don't worry...we won't starve in just 2 days, but we might lose a pound!
We're looking forward to a short vacation soon. We expect to visit some missionary friends in Guadalajara this Saturday and then make the rest of the trip to Puerto Vallarta on Sunday for check-in. We'll have 4 nights there. We managed to keep it under $100 a night with breakfast included, on the beach, kitchen/living room, balcony with view of the ocean, small bedroom and all the sand, sun and waves we could possibly want. We didn't get to a beach last year so we're really looking forward to relaxing and some fish and shrimp tacos and fish and chips.
We've invited Beth's mother to go with us so we'll be a little cramped in the car going. She needs to be in Puebla the day we check out so she'll fly to Mexico City and bus it from there. That will make the return trip easier. Also, she'll have her own room at the hotel so I think we'll all have some space to relax and still the chance to enjoy the destination together.
Jason and Kristin have had a rough week after their move this past Sunday. The kitchen sink which was sitting in the little outdoor wash area behind their new apartment apparently doesn't fit the kitchen area. They are waiting on the landlord to provide a working sink in the kitchen and who knows how long that might take. Their 40 year old, small refrigerator died for the last time. Now they have no fridge. We loaned them a cooler but without ice, it won't be terribly helpful. The 2 foot wide concrete stairway that hugs the front wall of the house still has no safety railing to keep their 2 year-old from falling off. At the top of the steps, that would be a 12 foot fall. He already disobeyed once just when we were helping them move and climbed up part way and promptly fell off. Praise God he wasn't hurt.
Maybe he'll remember the experience and stay away from the steps. They're really no way to block the steps because they are right behind the front door and the area is so tight, there's no way to keep the stairs blocked and be able to open the door! The neighbors have a dog that yaps all night.
Wow...what a dream house...of the nightmare variety! I haven't heard how they're doing since Monday so I hope they're hanging in there. We're trying to locate a small fridge for them. They really have no money and on Monday they seemed about to break emotionally.
We had to chuckle when Kristin suggested to Beth that we probably don't know what it's like to have moved three times in 5 years or so. This August we'll have been married 18 years and we've moved 16 times so far. And now whenever we might move again, we'll have to reckon with moving ourselves plus a library with over 8,000 books! Fortunately, our landlord seems to really like us here since we pay our rent on-time and most of the time early, we've just split the cost of sealing the roof and painting the exterior of the house and we try to keep the house in good condition. Thankfully, I think he realizes that renters like that are hard to come by in Mexico. (Of course, now that I mention that, we'll probably get kicked out by the end of the summer! lol)
I'm of the opinion that these kinds of trials are quite possibly evidence of their new faith. The devil wants to discourage them in any and every way possible. Pray for them that they'll trust God to provide for them and give them joy and peace in their trials.
Pray too that we'll have a safe drive to and from the beach and that our vacation time will be relaxing and refreshing.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Discipleship, Family & Moving
We're really enjoying our times with Jason and Kristin. They have come such a long way on their spiritual journey and it is amazing to watch God changing their lives little by little. We're amazed that we've found that we enjoy their friendship too.
Earlier this month they discovered they have to move out of their small apartment because the owner wants it back. I drove Jason around the area a few weeks ago trying to find some alternatives. Unfortunately, they really can't afford anything much. I don't think they make even $500 dollars a month which wouldn't even cover the rent where we live. They've been paying $1000 pesos a month which is about $75! And still they sometimes can't pay all their bills.
There was a very ugly little apartment around the corner from where they've been living and the owner only wanted $1200 pesos. They ended up taking that as they didn't need to come up with a lot of money (if any) for a deposit which they couldn't afford. As it was I think Kristin sold her inexpensive Kodak digital camera so they could make the move. I was wanting to take some pictures of the old and "new" home but I was afraid they'd be embarrassed by that so I decided that you'll just have to endure a long explanation rather than some good visuals. There are many times where we'd like to take photos to share with you but it just doesn't feel right to take photos at some of these occasions.
They had to move today so we went over with a late lunch of roasted chicken, tortillas and rice purchased at a local chicken and rabbit roaster. They rarely get any meals that are made for them (unless with us) so while I was dumbly noting the grease and hoping I wouldn't get really sick from it tomorrow. It was probably the nicest meal they've had in awhile. I wasn't complaining, but I suppose I should just give thanks and shut-up about the grease...or be grateful for that too! They generally eat rice and homemade refried beans some and a bit of tough tortillas and meat you can chew on for a good while (I know...I've eaten with them and it was quite challenging!) Now that I think of it, Beth mentioned that the tortillas we bought weren't as good as from the place we normally get them from. Jason responded that they were much better than what the tortillas they ever get. Ha-ha...I guess we all can use a good lesson on humility and contentment or at least giving thanks and shutting our mouths!
After eating quickly, we began the move. Thankfully and rather unexpectedly (that's another story) Jason's father, brother and cousin came by (they live across the street!) and helped as well and provided a small pickup which really helped a lot. We got it all moved in about 3 hours.
In the past few years, Jason and Kristin have moved 3 times. Every time Jason's family generally invents a reason to be mad at them for "something" and then refuse to help them with their move. Very recently, the family became upset at Kristin for something and it looked like they were just building their excuse to not help them. At least this time some of the family helped out and the help was quite sufficient to get the job done fairly quickly.
I ran home with the restless boys as their presence wasn't helpful at all and picked up a list of items for cleaning and a shower curtain rod we could part with. Kristin has been struggling with this move...she hates the house...and for good reason. It is pretty bad and pretty ugly. The sickly orange paint on the interior is hideous. The owner won't be painting it again for them since the paint supposedly was put on in December (although not finished). It looks like it wasn't the most recent December to me!
Beth and Kristin will go to a cloth store in the morning and Beth will buy material and make curtains for their windows so they can have a little privacy. That will be our house warming gift for them.
Jason won't be able to study tomorrow evening because he needs to do some painting and cleanup at the old place. I told him that was fine and that I'll just plan to go over and help him. These are great ways to develop discipleship and friendship.
This morning we were scheduled to have church at home with just our family. As I may have mentioned before, we're basically weaning the church away from our presence so they can focus on maturing without a North American "crutch." This has been very difficult for the church (not that we're even all that involved) but they do seem to take it personally. We're pretty much finished with our attendance there as we're going to work on starting a fellowship-outreach-discipleship-church (?) in our home.
It probably will be an English-speaking event as that seems to fit the people that we think will be interested in coming to such a time. I'm a little hesitant to get something going before we leave in July before the first Sunday of that month (and I think we'll be gone next weekend too) but perhaps we'll have Jason and Kristin come join us with what we're doing now with just our boys. It's really a kids' lesson we're working through, but the truth of the lessons are not just for kids. We'll see how this develops or doesn't. It may really be something that we'll focus on in the fall since we've only got 4 or 5 weeks to go before our home assignment that will take us away for at least 11 Sundays.
Thanks for praying for Jason and Kristin as they grow and as we disciple them, for our family as we disciple our boys, and for our preparations for the upcoming home assignment. I still am working out a couple of dates for our church visits and have no real idea what I'm going to do yet for a multimedia presentation. I'd like to have something ready by July.
Earlier this month they discovered they have to move out of their small apartment because the owner wants it back. I drove Jason around the area a few weeks ago trying to find some alternatives. Unfortunately, they really can't afford anything much. I don't think they make even $500 dollars a month which wouldn't even cover the rent where we live. They've been paying $1000 pesos a month which is about $75! And still they sometimes can't pay all their bills.
There was a very ugly little apartment around the corner from where they've been living and the owner only wanted $1200 pesos. They ended up taking that as they didn't need to come up with a lot of money (if any) for a deposit which they couldn't afford. As it was I think Kristin sold her inexpensive Kodak digital camera so they could make the move. I was wanting to take some pictures of the old and "new" home but I was afraid they'd be embarrassed by that so I decided that you'll just have to endure a long explanation rather than some good visuals. There are many times where we'd like to take photos to share with you but it just doesn't feel right to take photos at some of these occasions.
They had to move today so we went over with a late lunch of roasted chicken, tortillas and rice purchased at a local chicken and rabbit roaster. They rarely get any meals that are made for them (unless with us) so while I was dumbly noting the grease and hoping I wouldn't get really sick from it tomorrow. It was probably the nicest meal they've had in awhile. I wasn't complaining, but I suppose I should just give thanks and shut-up about the grease...or be grateful for that too! They generally eat rice and homemade refried beans some and a bit of tough tortillas and meat you can chew on for a good while (I know...I've eaten with them and it was quite challenging!) Now that I think of it, Beth mentioned that the tortillas we bought weren't as good as from the place we normally get them from. Jason responded that they were much better than what the tortillas they ever get. Ha-ha...I guess we all can use a good lesson on humility and contentment or at least giving thanks and shutting our mouths!
After eating quickly, we began the move. Thankfully and rather unexpectedly (that's another story) Jason's father, brother and cousin came by (they live across the street!) and helped as well and provided a small pickup which really helped a lot. We got it all moved in about 3 hours.
In the past few years, Jason and Kristin have moved 3 times. Every time Jason's family generally invents a reason to be mad at them for "something" and then refuse to help them with their move. Very recently, the family became upset at Kristin for something and it looked like they were just building their excuse to not help them. At least this time some of the family helped out and the help was quite sufficient to get the job done fairly quickly.
I ran home with the restless boys as their presence wasn't helpful at all and picked up a list of items for cleaning and a shower curtain rod we could part with. Kristin has been struggling with this move...she hates the house...and for good reason. It is pretty bad and pretty ugly. The sickly orange paint on the interior is hideous. The owner won't be painting it again for them since the paint supposedly was put on in December (although not finished). It looks like it wasn't the most recent December to me!
Beth and Kristin will go to a cloth store in the morning and Beth will buy material and make curtains for their windows so they can have a little privacy. That will be our house warming gift for them.
Jason won't be able to study tomorrow evening because he needs to do some painting and cleanup at the old place. I told him that was fine and that I'll just plan to go over and help him. These are great ways to develop discipleship and friendship.
This morning we were scheduled to have church at home with just our family. As I may have mentioned before, we're basically weaning the church away from our presence so they can focus on maturing without a North American "crutch." This has been very difficult for the church (not that we're even all that involved) but they do seem to take it personally. We're pretty much finished with our attendance there as we're going to work on starting a fellowship-outreach-discipleship-church (?) in our home.
It probably will be an English-speaking event as that seems to fit the people that we think will be interested in coming to such a time. I'm a little hesitant to get something going before we leave in July before the first Sunday of that month (and I think we'll be gone next weekend too) but perhaps we'll have Jason and Kristin come join us with what we're doing now with just our boys. It's really a kids' lesson we're working through, but the truth of the lessons are not just for kids. We'll see how this develops or doesn't. It may really be something that we'll focus on in the fall since we've only got 4 or 5 weeks to go before our home assignment that will take us away for at least 11 Sundays.
Thanks for praying for Jason and Kristin as they grow and as we disciple them, for our family as we disciple our boys, and for our preparations for the upcoming home assignment. I still am working out a couple of dates for our church visits and have no real idea what I'm going to do yet for a multimedia presentation. I'd like to have something ready by July.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Final Co-op...FiEsTa!
Bethie and Lori Smith's science class studied insects and birds this past semester so the piñata had drawings of a couple of birds that were covered in the lessons. The children did not seem to mind wailing on the piñata. I hope that only means they were anxious to get to the candy!
HOME RUN!!!
These kids are way too gentle in going after the candy...definitely gringos!
I think you can tell what this is supposed to be, right? Of course, Teletubbies gone b-b-b-bad!
Every month this past semester we celebrated all the birthdays for that month at once. In this case we celebrated May, June, July and August birthdays (since we won't meet again until some time after August). That covered just about everybody it seemed! We finished off our party by watching a cute movie based on the book called "Summer of the Monkeys." A little too cute for my taste but the kids enjoyed it...even though I couldn't resist heckling it a few times for among other things the white outdoor dog belonging to the poor family in the story and that ran around dusty fields and hills and muddy bogs and was always perfectly showroom clean. Come to think of it the people characters were always cleaner than people who actually bathe every day. Nonetheless, the movie was cute if not a bit too glamorized.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
And the Angels Rejoiced!
Praise God with us that Jason (as in Jason and Kristin) prayed to receive Christ as his Savior this evening when we closed our weekly Bible study lesson!
Pray for Jason that this was truly a decision of the heart and that he is now a child of God. I feel pretty good about his understanding via his questions and the answers he was giving me.
Both Jason and Kristin struggle with not contributing toward their salvation and we've both stressed over and over from Scripture that we can't contribute and that's part of the beauty and the challenge of receiving salvation...our inability to be a part of being saved other than to trust God. God did it all for His own glory.
I mentioned to him again that we're exploring the idea of starting a Sunday Bible study in our home for those who want such a study in English. I was surprised when he immediately said that they would be interested. Pray that God will send us a few others to join us in this new effort. It could very well open up many more opportunities to share Christ and encourage believers.
I struggled for weeks with this idea and wasn't sure it was a good thing to do since it would be in English rather than Spanish, however, it is thought that there are Mexicans here who would not be open to a Spanish Bible study but would be to an English Bible study just for the opportunity to be able to hear and practice English and for some to have the status that this might bring them. It could be a good opportunity to reach some previously unreachable people. Pray with us for the mind of God on this.
I didn't think we'd likely attempt to start something before our July 3rd departure to the U.S. for a 2 and a half month home assignment. However, if something develops quickly, we may give it a go before we leave.
Funny thing...as I was leaving Jason asked me out of the blue if I played my guitar (which he must have remembered seeing). I said that I don't play it much. I've never had lessons and my hand rhythm is terrible. I asked him if he plays and he said he used to and the keyboard some too. I quipped that he could play for us on Sundays; I'd just have to teach him some songs, and he said..."SURE!" So...I'm rather stunned. God is up to something! And it's exciting!
Thanks for praying!
Pray for Jason that this was truly a decision of the heart and that he is now a child of God. I feel pretty good about his understanding via his questions and the answers he was giving me.
Both Jason and Kristin struggle with not contributing toward their salvation and we've both stressed over and over from Scripture that we can't contribute and that's part of the beauty and the challenge of receiving salvation...our inability to be a part of being saved other than to trust God. God did it all for His own glory.
I mentioned to him again that we're exploring the idea of starting a Sunday Bible study in our home for those who want such a study in English. I was surprised when he immediately said that they would be interested. Pray that God will send us a few others to join us in this new effort. It could very well open up many more opportunities to share Christ and encourage believers.
I struggled for weeks with this idea and wasn't sure it was a good thing to do since it would be in English rather than Spanish, however, it is thought that there are Mexicans here who would not be open to a Spanish Bible study but would be to an English Bible study just for the opportunity to be able to hear and practice English and for some to have the status that this might bring them. It could be a good opportunity to reach some previously unreachable people. Pray with us for the mind of God on this.
I didn't think we'd likely attempt to start something before our July 3rd departure to the U.S. for a 2 and a half month home assignment. However, if something develops quickly, we may give it a go before we leave.
Funny thing...as I was leaving Jason asked me out of the blue if I played my guitar (which he must have remembered seeing). I said that I don't play it much. I've never had lessons and my hand rhythm is terrible. I asked him if he plays and he said he used to and the keyboard some too. I quipped that he could play for us on Sundays; I'd just have to teach him some songs, and he said..."SURE!" So...I'm rather stunned. God is up to something! And it's exciting!
Thanks for praying!
For A Special Few
A few folks made it through my epic series of posts regarding the faith trials of one of the families in the church here in San Juan del Rio. I promised a gold star to those who read all six posts so...here it is! lol
Thanks for reading along!
Thanks for reading along!
Tough Times & Faith-Trials (Part 6 of 6)
To wrap all this up...Juan called our landlord to find out that the painter REALLY was going to come this Monday...and to our surprise, he really did arrive. The landlord did say that perhaps he'd have something that Juan could do for him so he took Juan's number. That's probably just being nice more than actually having any projects in mind for Juan, but one never knows.
Beth's mom suggested that we could have Juan paint our guest room and that would provide Juan with some work. That sounds like a good idea.
Finally, you could join us in helping Juan and Carmen in a way that they'll really appreciate and will definitely help them out:
Pray for them that God will continue to provide for their needs and that through these trials, they will will be purified and found continually true in their faith.
Pray that God will provide a good job for Juan and that the day-care will continue to grow and be a help to their family's income.
Pray the Christian and Nayeli will grow and see how God is taking care of their family through these trials. They have been two of the strongest teenagers in the church and these experiences could cement their faith and teach them valuable lessons on trusting God through tough times and faith-trials.
I hope that all of us will learn and grow through our own trials just like Juan, Carmen, Christian, and Nayeli are learning through theirs.
Thanks for praying!
(and thanks for reading this epic series of posts...if you did, you've earned a gold star!)
Beth's mom suggested that we could have Juan paint our guest room and that would provide Juan with some work. That sounds like a good idea.
Finally, you could join us in helping Juan and Carmen in a way that they'll really appreciate and will definitely help them out:
Pray for them that God will continue to provide for their needs and that through these trials, they will will be purified and found continually true in their faith.
Pray that God will provide a good job for Juan and that the day-care will continue to grow and be a help to their family's income.
Pray the Christian and Nayeli will grow and see how God is taking care of their family through these trials. They have been two of the strongest teenagers in the church and these experiences could cement their faith and teach them valuable lessons on trusting God through tough times and faith-trials.
Thanks for praying!
(and thanks for reading this epic series of posts...if you did, you've earned a gold star!)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Tough Times & Faith-Trials (Part 5 of 6)
A couple months ago I made an agreement with our landlord to pay half of some needed repairs on the house that we've been renting for nearly 4 years now. The roof needed a coat of sealant and the exterior walls all needed masonry repair, sealant and paint. These two projects would cost about $1,000 (USD) combined. It's a large house.
It's been well over a month of having the contracted painter not show up as promised, and so when Juan called me last Friday night, it occurred to me that Juan has some painting skills. Perhaps, the owner of the house would allow Juan to paint the house. With our educational schedule winding down for the school year, I could even help out through using our truck to pick up the supplies and by helping him with the work and thus save Juan some time and effectively help him receive a better return on his time.
At this point, I am finally getting to the point where I explain why I brought all this up in the first place (I can hear the relief in your weary eyes!).
Juan doesn't call me very often so I realized this was not a routine call. He called to ask a favor. You see...this jobless situation has really stretched their resources thin. It's now to the point where they are selling their possessions in order to survive.
The one large and relatively expendable possession is their small 10+/- year old Nissan Sentra. They've already delivered it to a relative in Mexico City to sell for them. Thus, without a car and without much income, they have no easy way to get around when they need to travel and especially to carry a lot of items.
With the flu epidemic and the closing of all schools and also these government day-cares, they were relieved to get back to the point when they'd be allowed to reopen the day-care business. However, a requirement for reopening was a thorough cleaning of the entire location. The government promised them a check for about $60 (USD) that they needed to go pick up on Saturday in Querétaro.
So, Juan wanted to know if Bethie and I could take them over there to the government office so Carmen could pick up the check, then over to a bank to cash it, and then to Costco where they could buy all the cleaning supplies they needed, and finally to a military-run farm on the way home where they could buy a couple gallons of fresh milk for about 1/2 the price of milk in stores.
Of course, we said we'd be happy to and we were happy to do that. This saved them about $25 (USD) in bus and taxi fares and the challenge of carrying a bunch of cleaning supplies via public transportation all the way from Querétaro.
It's been well over a month of having the contracted painter not show up as promised, and so when Juan called me last Friday night, it occurred to me that Juan has some painting skills. Perhaps, the owner of the house would allow Juan to paint the house. With our educational schedule winding down for the school year, I could even help out through using our truck to pick up the supplies and by helping him with the work and thus save Juan some time and effectively help him receive a better return on his time.
At this point, I am finally getting to the point where I explain why I brought all this up in the first place (I can hear the relief in your weary eyes!).
Juan doesn't call me very often so I realized this was not a routine call. He called to ask a favor. You see...this jobless situation has really stretched their resources thin. It's now to the point where they are selling their possessions in order to survive.
The one large and relatively expendable possession is their small 10+/- year old Nissan Sentra. They've already delivered it to a relative in Mexico City to sell for them. Thus, without a car and without much income, they have no easy way to get around when they need to travel and especially to carry a lot of items.
With the flu epidemic and the closing of all schools and also these government day-cares, they were relieved to get back to the point when they'd be allowed to reopen the day-care business. However, a requirement for reopening was a thorough cleaning of the entire location. The government promised them a check for about $60 (USD) that they needed to go pick up on Saturday in Querétaro.
So, Juan wanted to know if Bethie and I could take them over there to the government office so Carmen could pick up the check, then over to a bank to cash it, and then to Costco where they could buy all the cleaning supplies they needed, and finally to a military-run farm on the way home where they could buy a couple gallons of fresh milk for about 1/2 the price of milk in stores.
Of course, we said we'd be happy to and we were happy to do that. This saved them about $25 (USD) in bus and taxi fares and the challenge of carrying a bunch of cleaning supplies via public transportation all the way from Querétaro.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Tough Times & Faith-Trials (Part 4 of 6)
Juan and Carmen speaking at Nayeli's "quinceñera" (15th birthday party) last July
Last fall, Carmen began taking a government course to become licensed to start a government-funded day-care for small children for lower class workers (most of our city falls into that category). After taking the required training and securing a location for the day-care, they worked tirelessly for a couple weeks to fix up, repair, clean, paint, and do all the necessary details to pass the inspection for opening and running such a venture.
After spending a good deal of money to do all this, they found themselves in a tight spot when the government then ran out of money to make the promised subsidies for their business! Eventually the funds came through but they arrived over a month late and with many bills to pay, this was another faith-trial along their spiritual journey.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tough Times & Faith-Trials (Part 3 of 6)
They've managed to keep their kids (Christian and Nayeli, pictured above from last December's church youth Christmas party) in the public high school but it isn't a totally free endeavor. Their two kids are studying in some of the same classes and books are expensive, especially when income is scarce. (Beth has been tutoring both of them each week through their math class this year.)
In one particular shared class, the kids have been sharing a book for the class so as to not have to buy two books. They do their own work and each takes their own tests so there's not even a possibility of cheating. The teacher never said anything about this being a problem...until the very end of the semester. He flunked them both for sharing the book. Juan went in and fixed the problem but ended up buying the expensive 2nd book just to cover the kids for the rest of the year with this antagonistic teacher.
It turned out that while there was no broken rule involved, the teacher has a lot of latitude to make up rules as he goes, and there's not much one can do about it but complain. It also turns out that because Christian and Nayeli are believers and open about that fact at school, the teacher does not like them. Apparently, finding a "reason" to fail them was a way the teacher had of persecuting them for their faith in Christ. This was no doubt a faith-trial as well.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tough Times & Faith-Trials (Part 2 of 6)
In November Juan borrowed our portable awning/tent so that they could use it for selling poinsettias in a lot just off a busy street. They invested a lump-sum in order to purchase a couple hundred poinsettias to sell for the holidays.
I recall that Juan told me that they would be happy just to break-even on their investment but if they manage to sell them all, they would make some profit on the venture. Each poinsettia was sold for about $1.50 (USD) and as they sold them, the revenue helped them buy groceries and household necessities. He told me that if they sold just two plants per day, they could pretty much buy enough groceries to eat for the day. At that we're just talking a bit of rice, beans and tortillas and not much more than that.
When they finally got into December, the last few dozen plants they had left represented the profit for the venture. It was then that one night some robbers tried to break into a building by scaling a wall and landing in an open area on the other side. It was in that open area where Juan was storing his poinsettia plants! The robbers didn't take their poinsettias but in the process of scrambling down from the wall, they ruined about 30 of the remaining poinsettias! There went the profits from the whole venture and there arrived yet another disappointment and another faith-trial.
I recall that Juan told me that they would be happy just to break-even on their investment but if they manage to sell them all, they would make some profit on the venture. Each poinsettia was sold for about $1.50 (USD) and as they sold them, the revenue helped them buy groceries and household necessities. He told me that if they sold just two plants per day, they could pretty much buy enough groceries to eat for the day. At that we're just talking a bit of rice, beans and tortillas and not much more than that.
When they finally got into December, the last few dozen plants they had left represented the profit for the venture. It was then that one night some robbers tried to break into a building by scaling a wall and landing in an open area on the other side. It was in that open area where Juan was storing his poinsettia plants! The robbers didn't take their poinsettias but in the process of scrambling down from the wall, they ruined about 30 of the remaining poinsettias! There went the profits from the whole venture and there arrived yet another disappointment and another faith-trial.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Tough Times & Faith-Trials (Part 1 of 6)
*** This post turned out to be much longer than I expected. Maybe it's best read in parts. I hope you'll stick with this through all the parts and gain a better understanding of a classic example of the various challenges faced by a believing family in Mexico. These are people just like you in respect to faith and family although different in respect to language and culture. Perhaps these posts will give you a greater appreciation of our walk with Christ through the experiences of our Mexican "hermanos." ***
With the economic challenges here in Mexico and around the globe comes faith-trials for many believers. We've posted photos in the past of a couple from the church here in San Juan named Juan and Carmen. (Juan is the man on the far right of the photo above taken in January at the annual men's leadership meeting.) Juan and Carmen are going through such a trial of their faith...in fact a number of trials.
Juan worked for 8 years as a fireman for the local PPG factory. He was laid-off indefinitely early last fall due to the global recession. He has repeatedly stated that he is not worried and that he is trusting that the Lord will take care of him and his family, and when God is ready, He will provide a new job. I'd call this a faith-trial.
Of course, he's been looking around. He had a potential job with PEMEX (the government oil monopoly), but it required significant separation from his family and he didn't feel that was healthy for him or his family.
He has at least one relative in Mexico City who works for the nationalized electric company, CFE. This connection allows him to apply for a prized job there. However, in order to be considered for a job there (basically a lifetime appointment), one has to not just have the desired connection through family, but then has to pay a significant amount of money in order to be put on "the list." The catch is this: paying and getting on the list doesn't guarantee ever getting a job. It's a risky proposition and quite costly. I think it's hundreds of dollars but could cost more than that.
None of these prospects have panned out for Juan (I don't think he ever paid the money to get on the CFE list which was probably a wise decision.)
Of course, he's been looking around. He had a potential job with PEMEX (the government oil monopoly), but it required significant separation from his family and he didn't feel that was healthy for him or his family.
He has at least one relative in Mexico City who works for the nationalized electric company, CFE. This connection allows him to apply for a prized job there. However, in order to be considered for a job there (basically a lifetime appointment), one has to not just have the desired connection through family, but then has to pay a significant amount of money in order to be put on "the list." The catch is this: paying and getting on the list doesn't guarantee ever getting a job. It's a risky proposition and quite costly. I think it's hundreds of dollars but could cost more than that.
None of these prospects have panned out for Juan (I don't think he ever paid the money to get on the CFE list which was probably a wise decision.)
Cheap Fix
My favorite black belt (no, not Darrol Prusia...sorry, an inside joke!) has been splitting at the seams for a long time and as expected, only getting worse. Also, our camera bag developed a split just above the seam for the oft-used belt holder.
During the recent days of flu-related closures for schools and businesses alike, Cameron and I walked downtown hoping we could find a shoe repair store open and maybe desperate for a bit of business. Providentially, we did indeed find such a store. The stitching was not any better aesthetically than I expected (I didn't expect much!) but both problems were solved nicely!
Cost? $2.30(USD) for both. Can't beat that.
Monday, May 11, 2009
That's a Lot of Bull! (really!)
Our fellow T2 Team Members with CAM, Brock and Heather Hower, are buying a Cebu bull. It is a very docile animal and is a lot of fun to ride! We had a chance to see their new animal today. Cameron, Dayton and I all sat on it (Brock was with them), although we didn't ride it since it is still in the original owner's pen with a few other bulls standing around in a muddy pit. Not really worth risking a fall into that muck! I'm not sure we could have actually prodded it to go where we wanted but if we get a chance to ride it in the future, we'll try to get some photos and video of the event. Ought to be pretty funny!
Mother's Day Lunch
We enjoyed a nice Mexican-style lunch with a number of friends from the church here in San Juan. Most everyone brought something.
Our hosts, Francisco and Gaby, are a young couple, and like many in this working-class city, live very modestly and survive on very little income.
This was the first time we'd been to their home which we'd heard was very rough when they first moved into it. It still is very rough. The house is right on a busy street and the front is painted with a yellow and black sign for "Bardahl" auto products as well as a painted sign indicating it is an auto mechanic shop. Actually, it isn't an auto shop but it was some time before they moved into it. There were just two or maybe three concrete block rooms. The bathroom was not connected to the house from what I could tell. There was plenty of room to build but they have no money and I'm not sure they own this anyway.
But they seem very content and happy and are making the best of their situation. We were glad they invited us. Many people might be too embarrassed to invite "rich gringos" to their home so we're very glad we could join with them and enjoy the afternoon together.
One of the other guests is a single lady, Yolanda, who has always struggled financially as she raises her kids without a husband. Bethie is trying to help Yolanda with her son, Luis, who has lacked motivation in school and might flunk out. She promised that if he did his work for school and reached a few goals she set for him, that we would give a scholarship for 1/2 of his summer camp (about $25 USD). This is a big deal for him and I think he's working harder now.
Since Bethie's mother had brought a few pounds of meat that apparently wasn't needed, she told Yolanda she could take home all the meat she had left (all or nearly all of it). No doubt this was more meat than they see in a week...possibly a month. Bethie said she noticed Yolanda was obviously holding back tears at the gift. Can't beat that for a Mother's Day reward...it is certainly more blessed to give than to receive.
Beth's mom put up some photos on her blog from our day as well. Take a look there too: The Ice Cream Grandma
Here's a few video clips of a bit of the food preparation by our friends.
Our hosts, Francisco and Gaby, are a young couple, and like many in this working-class city, live very modestly and survive on very little income.
This was the first time we'd been to their home which we'd heard was very rough when they first moved into it. It still is very rough. The house is right on a busy street and the front is painted with a yellow and black sign for "Bardahl" auto products as well as a painted sign indicating it is an auto mechanic shop. Actually, it isn't an auto shop but it was some time before they moved into it. There were just two or maybe three concrete block rooms. The bathroom was not connected to the house from what I could tell. There was plenty of room to build but they have no money and I'm not sure they own this anyway.
But they seem very content and happy and are making the best of their situation. We were glad they invited us. Many people might be too embarrassed to invite "rich gringos" to their home so we're very glad we could join with them and enjoy the afternoon together.
One of the other guests is a single lady, Yolanda, who has always struggled financially as she raises her kids without a husband. Bethie is trying to help Yolanda with her son, Luis, who has lacked motivation in school and might flunk out. She promised that if he did his work for school and reached a few goals she set for him, that we would give a scholarship for 1/2 of his summer camp (about $25 USD). This is a big deal for him and I think he's working harder now.
Since Bethie's mother had brought a few pounds of meat that apparently wasn't needed, she told Yolanda she could take home all the meat she had left (all or nearly all of it). No doubt this was more meat than they see in a week...possibly a month. Bethie said she noticed Yolanda was obviously holding back tears at the gift. Can't beat that for a Mother's Day reward...it is certainly more blessed to give than to receive.
Beth's mom put up some photos on her blog from our day as well. Take a look there too: The Ice Cream Grandma
Here's a few video clips of a bit of the food preparation by our friends.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
REMOLINO!!! (a.k.a. "Dust in the Wind" and "When Pigs Fly")
While most of our friends in the U.S. are grateful for the evolving warm weather...we've been hitting low 90s for about 2 weeks. This time of year brings the heart of the heat in central Mexico.
With the heat often comes dust devils. The word in Spanish is "remolino." I'm gonna guess that the word comes from "molino" which means "mill" as in paper mill and the prefix "re" which often gives the connotation of "again." When used as "molino de agua" it means "water wheel" or "molino de viento" which means "wind mill." In both cases there is something turning over and over again. I presume that "remolino" then means...a wheel or mill that continually turns...and thus a dust devil.
That's all just my best guess. It seems logical enough. I don't know why they don't call it a "molino de polvo" or "dust mill," but then that could get confusing since everything down here is dusty this time of year. A "mill of dust" could refer to anything from a dusty factory to a group of kids/adults playing soccer in an open field of dirt (which is a common sight here). Sort of reminds me of a whole group of "Pigpen" characters from the comic Peanuts all playing soccer at the same time. Nothing but clouds of dust!
The photo below was taken on our way back from Puebla two years ago. This may have been the largest dust devil we've ever seen. The base was as wide as a small house.
I bring this up because some friends who were visiting from Puebla earlier this week mentioned seeing a couple of remolinos on their way up to nearby Camp Koinonia. One of these dust devils was heading straight down the highway they were on, and it seemed odd to see it follow the road rather than merely cross it as happens routinely during this time of year. Another of these remolinos that they witnessed chased down some scattered sheep in a field near the same road and one of the running sheep was actually picked up a foot or two off the ground! Wow...that's a dust devil for sure! If the term had been "when sheep fly" rather than pigs do, I suppose something rare just happened!
Yesterday, Cameron and Dayton walked home with me from the house of the Yingling family. As we walked through the narrow neighborhood just behind their house, we were hit in the face by a wall of wind which startled all three of us. Within moments the wind picked up significantly...I held my cap and turned my back to it expecting it to pass quickly. The wind just kept increasing in intensity and the dust and dirt and debris surrounded us. Off to my side I saw a roof fly past (I am not kidding!) and it landed about 15 feet behind me and shattered on the ground next to a parked car. All I could think was that "we're not in Kansas anymore Toto." By the way, the roof was what we call a "lamina" and is a rippled rectangle of ceramic-like asbestos and was about 8 foot by 4 foot in size. The whole remolino experience was impressive, if not a bit closer than I've ever wanted to experience it.
Then as suddenly as the wind came, it was gone. I couldn't really tell where it went to in the tight space in which we were standing. I got a glimpse about 200 yards downwind of a lot of blackbirds flying awkwardly, and I presumed they were disrupted from their normal blackbird routines. I don't suppose they were picked up like that sheep but maybe there were...how can you tell when a wind picks up a bird which is flapping its wings anyway? I'm a rocket scientist not a bird scientist, so I couldn't tell you the answer to that one. :-)
We were thankful to God that the lamina didn't hit us on the head. Probably would have killed us. Didn't really think much of it at the time. We were rather awe-struck by the whole event then. Dayton mentioned that he nearly left the ground. I bet he did!
Speaking of Kansas, we definitely seemed like "dust in the wind" and amazingly, none of us got anything in our eyes. Maybe we were in the eye of the storm? No...it was just a wall of wind as far as we could tell.
So as far as clichés about wind and storms are concerned...we weren't actually "dust in the wind" (the dusty wind kept passing on by and we remained), we weren't kept safe "in the eye of the storm" (we were kept safe IN the storm), and "pigs did not fly" (just sheep and blackbirds).
I guess I need to consider rewriting some songs and sayings that we often take for granted as true but either aren't true or there simply are some exceptions!
With the heat often comes dust devils. The word in Spanish is "remolino." I'm gonna guess that the word comes from "molino" which means "mill" as in paper mill and the prefix "re" which often gives the connotation of "again." When used as "molino de agua" it means "water wheel" or "molino de viento" which means "wind mill." In both cases there is something turning over and over again. I presume that "remolino" then means...a wheel or mill that continually turns...and thus a dust devil.
That's all just my best guess. It seems logical enough. I don't know why they don't call it a "molino de polvo" or "dust mill," but then that could get confusing since everything down here is dusty this time of year. A "mill of dust" could refer to anything from a dusty factory to a group of kids/adults playing soccer in an open field of dirt (which is a common sight here). Sort of reminds me of a whole group of "Pigpen" characters from the comic Peanuts all playing soccer at the same time. Nothing but clouds of dust!
The photo below was taken on our way back from Puebla two years ago. This may have been the largest dust devil we've ever seen. The base was as wide as a small house.
I bring this up because some friends who were visiting from Puebla earlier this week mentioned seeing a couple of remolinos on their way up to nearby Camp Koinonia. One of these dust devils was heading straight down the highway they were on, and it seemed odd to see it follow the road rather than merely cross it as happens routinely during this time of year. Another of these remolinos that they witnessed chased down some scattered sheep in a field near the same road and one of the running sheep was actually picked up a foot or two off the ground! Wow...that's a dust devil for sure! If the term had been "when sheep fly" rather than pigs do, I suppose something rare just happened!
Yesterday, Cameron and Dayton walked home with me from the house of the Yingling family. As we walked through the narrow neighborhood just behind their house, we were hit in the face by a wall of wind which startled all three of us. Within moments the wind picked up significantly...I held my cap and turned my back to it expecting it to pass quickly. The wind just kept increasing in intensity and the dust and dirt and debris surrounded us. Off to my side I saw a roof fly past (I am not kidding!) and it landed about 15 feet behind me and shattered on the ground next to a parked car. All I could think was that "we're not in Kansas anymore Toto." By the way, the roof was what we call a "lamina" and is a rippled rectangle of ceramic-like asbestos and was about 8 foot by 4 foot in size. The whole remolino experience was impressive, if not a bit closer than I've ever wanted to experience it.
Then as suddenly as the wind came, it was gone. I couldn't really tell where it went to in the tight space in which we were standing. I got a glimpse about 200 yards downwind of a lot of blackbirds flying awkwardly, and I presumed they were disrupted from their normal blackbird routines. I don't suppose they were picked up like that sheep but maybe there were...how can you tell when a wind picks up a bird which is flapping its wings anyway? I'm a rocket scientist not a bird scientist, so I couldn't tell you the answer to that one. :-)
We were thankful to God that the lamina didn't hit us on the head. Probably would have killed us. Didn't really think much of it at the time. We were rather awe-struck by the whole event then. Dayton mentioned that he nearly left the ground. I bet he did!
Speaking of Kansas, we definitely seemed like "dust in the wind" and amazingly, none of us got anything in our eyes. Maybe we were in the eye of the storm? No...it was just a wall of wind as far as we could tell.
So as far as clichés about wind and storms are concerned...we weren't actually "dust in the wind" (the dusty wind kept passing on by and we remained), we weren't kept safe "in the eye of the storm" (we were kept safe IN the storm), and "pigs did not fly" (just sheep and blackbirds).
I guess I need to consider rewriting some songs and sayings that we often take for granted as true but either aren't true or there simply are some exceptions!
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Very Good News!
These aren't as good as THE GOOD NEWS...but they're good nonetheless.
- Our annual Mexico resident visas are approved and the lawyer just needs me to get to the bank and pay up so they can be sent to us. They expired April 3rd so we're only a month and a week overdue. Not bad considering we discovered the boys' passports had expired in early March and we didn't realize this until late March! Praise God for getting this annual hassle through in pretty good time. I was guessing we wouldn't see these until June given the passport delay which was my fault.
- The first semester of "co-op" finished the last week of educational meetings and we just have remaining an end of year party to enjoy next Thursday. We're really glad with how it worked out and the participation of so many students (about 25) and parents (4 or 5 besides the 2 of us). Praise God for the success of this first-time experience which bodes well for trying this again in the fall!
- The library catalog has officially topped 5,500 books (see http://www.librarything.com/catalog/alanbethcam for our collection). We've still got some boxes of books to input and various other books around. It's a huge task and we don't spend a lot of time on it but poco a poco (little by little) we get to it.
- The boys and I got Bethie a surprise Mother's Day gift that we think she's really going to like. (Shhh...it's a surprise...at least until she reads this post on Friday...oops!) I mention this because I'm terrible with remembering to get something which actually works well in the States because you can then pick something up 1/2 price after Mother's Day...ha-ha...just kidding (sort of!). Praise God for our moms and for Bethie...she's a great mom...there's a lot of pressure and stress being a missionary wife, a missionary mother and a full-time missionary worker. She's got way too much to do and does it all very well. I love you babe! (oh...and what's for supper? just kidding!)
- We are still in good health...don't have the flu nor do we know anyone who has it. Some CAM missionaries in Mexico City (Texcoco to be exact) do know a couple in their church with this dreadful flu. After a hospital stint with a very bad case of pneumonia, they apparently are recovering.
Monday, May 04, 2009
"If You Can't Say Something..."
"...then don't say anything."
That's probably as accurate as anything I could say here. Of course, you know I would never allow not having something to say stop me from saying something.
Not much happening...not much to say.
You know there's not much worth sharing on your blog when you're debating describing your 4 course breakfast on Monday morning. (It wasn't actually 4 courses, but since I can't seem to figure out how to get the eggs, toast, grits, and coffee to all be ready to eat and drink at the same time...it basically turned out that way!)
Of course, the truth is that the last week has been a bit quiet around these parts due in large part to this horrific flu epidemic which has reportedly stricken at least a couple thousand Mexicans with a mild flu that often brings on pneumonia which has hastened the death of about 20 people, apparently from treating it with herbal tea, bee's wax, or a trip to the beach rather than actual medicine.
Seventy-plus word run-on sentences have been known to be more lethal. I believe there's a higher mortality rate involving murders by English teachers of former students than of this "swine flu" that apparently doesn't come from pigs. (As soon as I post this, I'll join Salman Rushdie in hiding from these radical grammarians.)
Nonetheless, due to this mysterious epidemic, every student in Mexico has been out of school for over a week, every factory in the state of Querétaro where we live has been shut down, all restaurants in Mexico City are shut-down except for carry out (leaving Chinese restaurants unscathed), gatherings (such as church services) with 20 or more people have been made illegal (at least in our state)...and all these closings will continue until May 6th, when magically, all will be well again and students, workers and people of faith or superstition will be allowed and indeed prodded to return to life as normal.
Amazingly, a survey out this morning in El Universal reports that 94% of Mexicans don't even know anyone who has caught this flu. What's amazing about this percentage is that it implies that about 6 million Mexicans actually know one of the 2,500 people who've caught it.
I wonder how many friends these 2,500 people have? 6,000,000 divided by 2,500 equals 2,400. Wow! Every person who has or has had this new strain of flu are known by 2,400 other people. I suppose that's possible. We know at least that many, but then again, we've spent years of our lives intentionally trying to meet and get to know lots of people. Missionaries need a large base of friends, obviously so that we'll have at least a few people who will read our blogs. But...would it be considered normal that every person who has contracted this flu would be known personally by 2,400 others?
I assume that these people would be representative of all other Mexicans as far as this statistic is concerned. So, if all 110 million Mexicans know 2,400 others, I wonder how many acquaintances that would be? 110,000,000 times 2,400 = 264,000,000,000. That's 264 billion with a B.
Last I read the world has close to 7 billion people. Hmmmm...of course, there would be some overlap because lots of Mexicans would know each other, and in the original assumptions, many of those sick would be known by others who were sick...but the survey clearly said that we were talking about 6% of all Mexicans.
You know, unless my logic is as bad as usual, there's something wrong with that survey. Just like much of the reporting about this flu has been throughout this imminent "pandemic."
Rumor from across town has it that one of our neighbors has the symptoms of this flu. We haven't actually heard anything about that neighbor here in our neighborhood but out of our 50 neighbors, we don't actually know 2,400 of them...uhhh...or something like that. Statistics wasn't my best class which I think implies I could work for El Universal. Then again, I wasn't too impressive in Logic class either.
Regardless, even if the rumor is true that one of our neighbors has "swine flu symptoms," that would make about the tenth person we've known who has had flu symptoms recently (assuming that we actually know this neighbor). So far, none of these people has proven positive of having "THE FLU." In fact, only 2 people out of the 4 or 5 million in our state have proven positive, including one person here in San Juan del Río.
I wonder if these two know 4,800 people?
Probably not, but what seems to be important in all of this flu epidemic is that I and my family and friends don't contract it, and that we and everyone we know here in Mexico remain among the 94% of the 110,000,000 Mexicans who don't know anyone with the flu. And if we of the 94% each know 2,400 people, then we join a total of 248 billion people (most of whom must work for Mexican online newspapers) who don't know anyone who has it either.
Like I said before, "If you can't say something...."
That's probably as accurate as anything I could say here. Of course, you know I would never allow not having something to say stop me from saying something.
Not much happening...not much to say.
You know there's not much worth sharing on your blog when you're debating describing your 4 course breakfast on Monday morning. (It wasn't actually 4 courses, but since I can't seem to figure out how to get the eggs, toast, grits, and coffee to all be ready to eat and drink at the same time...it basically turned out that way!)
Of course, the truth is that the last week has been a bit quiet around these parts due in large part to this horrific flu epidemic which has reportedly stricken at least a couple thousand Mexicans with a mild flu that often brings on pneumonia which has hastened the death of about 20 people, apparently from treating it with herbal tea, bee's wax, or a trip to the beach rather than actual medicine.
Seventy-plus word run-on sentences have been known to be more lethal. I believe there's a higher mortality rate involving murders by English teachers of former students than of this "swine flu" that apparently doesn't come from pigs. (As soon as I post this, I'll join Salman Rushdie in hiding from these radical grammarians.)
Nonetheless, due to this mysterious epidemic, every student in Mexico has been out of school for over a week, every factory in the state of Querétaro where we live has been shut down, all restaurants in Mexico City are shut-down except for carry out (leaving Chinese restaurants unscathed), gatherings (such as church services) with 20 or more people have been made illegal (at least in our state)...and all these closings will continue until May 6th, when magically, all will be well again and students, workers and people of faith or superstition will be allowed and indeed prodded to return to life as normal.
Amazingly, a survey out this morning in El Universal reports that 94% of Mexicans don't even know anyone who has caught this flu. What's amazing about this percentage is that it implies that about 6 million Mexicans actually know one of the 2,500 people who've caught it.
I wonder how many friends these 2,500 people have? 6,000,000 divided by 2,500 equals 2,400. Wow! Every person who has or has had this new strain of flu are known by 2,400 other people. I suppose that's possible. We know at least that many, but then again, we've spent years of our lives intentionally trying to meet and get to know lots of people. Missionaries need a large base of friends, obviously so that we'll have at least a few people who will read our blogs. But...would it be considered normal that every person who has contracted this flu would be known personally by 2,400 others?
I assume that these people would be representative of all other Mexicans as far as this statistic is concerned. So, if all 110 million Mexicans know 2,400 others, I wonder how many acquaintances that would be? 110,000,000 times 2,400 = 264,000,000,000. That's 264 billion with a B.
Last I read the world has close to 7 billion people. Hmmmm...of course, there would be some overlap because lots of Mexicans would know each other, and in the original assumptions, many of those sick would be known by others who were sick...but the survey clearly said that we were talking about 6% of all Mexicans.
You know, unless my logic is as bad as usual, there's something wrong with that survey. Just like much of the reporting about this flu has been throughout this imminent "pandemic."
Rumor from across town has it that one of our neighbors has the symptoms of this flu. We haven't actually heard anything about that neighbor here in our neighborhood but out of our 50 neighbors, we don't actually know 2,400 of them...uhhh...or something like that. Statistics wasn't my best class which I think implies I could work for El Universal. Then again, I wasn't too impressive in Logic class either.
Regardless, even if the rumor is true that one of our neighbors has "swine flu symptoms," that would make about the tenth person we've known who has had flu symptoms recently (assuming that we actually know this neighbor). So far, none of these people has proven positive of having "THE FLU." In fact, only 2 people out of the 4 or 5 million in our state have proven positive, including one person here in San Juan del Río.
I wonder if these two know 4,800 people?
Probably not, but what seems to be important in all of this flu epidemic is that I and my family and friends don't contract it, and that we and everyone we know here in Mexico remain among the 94% of the 110,000,000 Mexicans who don't know anyone with the flu. And if we of the 94% each know 2,400 people, then we join a total of 248 billion people (most of whom must work for Mexican online newspapers) who don't know anyone who has it either.
Like I said before, "If you can't say something...."
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