Sunsets in Mexico are so beautiful. Evening after evening, the sun sinks into the west and the clouds glow vividly in the sky. I've recognized and enjoyed the beauty, but recently I read a quote in a book that took the beauty to another level.
"'The skies with the most clouds make the prettiest sunsets.'"
My time in Mexico has definitely brought some 'clouds'. There have been things that have shadowed the light of the sun, making life unclear. I've questioned God's faithfulness, wondered if I'd ever again find the joy in life that used to be so abundant.
In the moment, I couldn't understand. What was God's purpose in all this? Were my struggles something I could have avoided by different actions earlier on or were they something the Lord knew I needed to go through to grow? Was I seriously that immature in my walk with God? Does the future hold anything but struggles? Sometimes I still don't understand. There are still fears, anxiety, and questions. There are still some clouds in the sky. But I am beginning to have more faith and confidence in God's good plan for my life.
In His word, God has given many promises. In Romans 8:28 we're reminded: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God..." These promises give us hope that the sun will shine through the clouds and illuminate them with purpose. While we wait, that hope can comfort our hearts and be a flame in the dark.
Looking back, there were some pretty dark days. But the sun was still there. Looking ahead, I believe there will be more cloudy days in my life. The sun is already there. The Son does not leave, and the Light of the World does not cease to shine. When the clouds come--and they will!--we have the choice to sit in darkness and wonder why. But thanks be to God, we also have the choice to hold on to hope and believe in faith that the sun is shining, and in His time, the gloom will be transformed into a breathtaking masterpiece. The Light, who gives all answers, will send a glow on each trial, giving evidence of God's faithfulness. The more evidence we behold, the more beautiful the sunset.
I'm not sure if that made sense to anybody. Somebody more gifted with words would be able to more profoundly and eloquently get the point across. But hopefully you can see the beauty in the analogy.
Have a blessed week!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Friday, March 28, 2014
Mexico: Lake Camecuaro
As I mentioned in the last post, I was given the privilege to go on a day trip with Grant, Hannah, Ivory, Laura, and Micah. We went to two markets: the first was one we had never been to before and was kind of like a huge garage sale with a mix of new and used items, and the other was the usual market. If buying something makes a market trip successful, I had a successful trip!
From the market, the drive to Lake Camecuaro wasn't too far and we arrived right on schedule!
First thing, we began looking for some empty tables where we could eat our lunch. Since this is the off season, it wasn't too difficult to find a beautiful, secluded spot.
Here's the view from our table...
It's hard to describe this place. The small lake has clear water that looks turquoise from a distance. Along the shore are trees with huge, strong trunks and a tangle of roots. These pictures do the beauty no justice, but they describe the place much better than I can with words.
Needless to say, we were all very relaxed in this setting. After eating we went to an area where there are some cement walls making 'pools' where Ivory could play in the water. There were more people in that area, but it was nice to have some shallow areas where we could all dip our feet in.
After swimming we found another secluded spot where Grant set up the hammock and took a little nap with Ivory. Laura and I sat on a big trunk by the water and enjoyed the tranquility. We relaxed this way for a while before going on the boat ride.
Boat ride? Oh, yah! To top this place off, there are these colorful rowboats that you can rent to explore the lake.
We left soon after the boat ride and headed back home. I am so thankful for this opportunity to enjoy some of God's beautiful creation with kind friends. It is not a day I will soon forget!!!
First thing, we began looking for some empty tables where we could eat our lunch. Since this is the off season, it wasn't too difficult to find a beautiful, secluded spot.
Here's the view from our table...
During lunch I snapped this picture of Ivory. I can't leave it out!
It's hard to describe this place. The small lake has clear water that looks turquoise from a distance. Along the shore are trees with huge, strong trunks and a tangle of roots. These pictures do the beauty no justice, but they describe the place much better than I can with words.
Needless to say, we were all very relaxed in this setting. After eating we went to an area where there are some cement walls making 'pools' where Ivory could play in the water. There were more people in that area, but it was nice to have some shallow areas where we could all dip our feet in.
After swimming we found another secluded spot where Grant set up the hammock and took a little nap with Ivory. Laura and I sat on a big trunk by the water and enjoyed the tranquility. We relaxed this way for a while before going on the boat ride.
Boat ride? Oh, yah! To top this place off, there are these colorful rowboats that you can rent to explore the lake.
We left soon after the boat ride and headed back home. I am so thankful for this opportunity to enjoy some of God's beautiful creation with kind friends. It is not a day I will soon forget!!!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Mexico: Another Weekly Update
I've been meaning to blog for a few days about our trip to Lake Camecuaro on Monday but have been waiting to get a few more pictures from another camera. However, my computer keeps telling me it's low on disk space so I have to go and find things I can delete before I can get more pictures. Long story short, I decided I might as well give an update on the rest of this week and do a Lake Camecuaro post shortly.
Last Saturday Hannah's cousins Laura and Micah arrived from Illinois. Since Marshall and Jan had Loren and Betsy and an eye doctor and his wife from Zamora for lunch, I ate at Herrmanns and spent most of the afternoon there. We had Jovenes in the evening. The group was small but it was still a nice evening.
On Sunday church was a little bit small, but again, it was a nice day. It was the fairly typical Sunday afternoon. Oh, except we got to have strawberry pie for dessert!! Betsy enjoys baking so we've had some tasty desserts this week.
In the evening we had singing and some volleyball afterwards.
Monday was the trip to Zamora and Lake Camecuaro that I hope to blog about soon. One thing about the day I can include is that it was my last trip to Zamora. I've only been three times, but it was still kind of weird to have a 'last' of something.
I went back to classes in the school on Tuesday where I had to explain to the children why I wasn't in class the day before ;). Tuesday evening was women's Bible study and afterwards the ladies threw me a birthday party. I was slightly confused when after the study people started telling me happy birthday. And when I told them my birthday wasn't until May 26th, some of them already knew. They just wanted to celebrate it while I was still in Mexico. It was very kind of them to bless me with a 'farewell birthday party' that included delicious food and a game of Blitz with some of the younger ladies who stayed longer.
It was back to the classroom again on Wednesday. I have a written list, for the sake of keeping peace, of who I'm supposed to sit by in the second grade. Yesterday I completed that list and now I'm trying to figure out what I should do on Monday. It's amazing at what a young age drama begins in a class full of girls! I really enjoy them though and would consider them one of my favorite classes to attend. Right now they're in to getting signatures. I think it's because the English teacher always scribbles her signature on the work they've completed. The only signatures I recognize are my own and the teacher's. :D
In the afternoon I went with the Herrmanns and Zehrs to El Kuri, the seafood restaurant I talked about in a previous post.
After a delicious lunch we started preparing the office to be painted. By the evening we got a coat of sealer and part of the first coat of paint on the office walls.
Something different and exciting that happened yesterday was that the water turned off in the late morning like normal but never came back on at 4. This meant that all the water we had was in the tenaco, aka the water storage tank on the roof. We could still use it sparingly, but didn't have enough to run a full load of dirty clothes in the washer.
Today Jan checked all morning if we were getting water but still no more water! Soon there was a line of laundry baskets waiting for the washer. Finally at four the water came back on and my laundry was washed and I got it hung out just in time for church.
That story could have been more exciting, I know. But during the unknown it was kind of intense. Jan has told me stories of when they've gone with no water for days and I'm glad we didn't have to wash dishes in a bucket and so forth. However, it was a good experience to have while I'm down here since that is part of life in Ixtlan.
Working backwards a little bit, this morning a girl from church who didn't have school today came over to make cookies. We only made one batch which didn't take long so afterwards we went to the plaza for some food and then did a few odd jobs. She's thirteen and was a fun girl to spend the morning with.
Tonight was church, which was another 'last' for me. This coming week will only bring more and more of those. It's hard to believe this trip is coming to a close! Hopefully I'll do a better job of blogging this upcoming week.
God bless you all!
Last Saturday Hannah's cousins Laura and Micah arrived from Illinois. Since Marshall and Jan had Loren and Betsy and an eye doctor and his wife from Zamora for lunch, I ate at Herrmanns and spent most of the afternoon there. We had Jovenes in the evening. The group was small but it was still a nice evening.
On Sunday church was a little bit small, but again, it was a nice day. It was the fairly typical Sunday afternoon. Oh, except we got to have strawberry pie for dessert!! Betsy enjoys baking so we've had some tasty desserts this week.
In the evening we had singing and some volleyball afterwards.
Monday was the trip to Zamora and Lake Camecuaro that I hope to blog about soon. One thing about the day I can include is that it was my last trip to Zamora. I've only been three times, but it was still kind of weird to have a 'last' of something.
I went back to classes in the school on Tuesday where I had to explain to the children why I wasn't in class the day before ;). Tuesday evening was women's Bible study and afterwards the ladies threw me a birthday party. I was slightly confused when after the study people started telling me happy birthday. And when I told them my birthday wasn't until May 26th, some of them already knew. They just wanted to celebrate it while I was still in Mexico. It was very kind of them to bless me with a 'farewell birthday party' that included delicious food and a game of Blitz with some of the younger ladies who stayed longer.
It was back to the classroom again on Wednesday. I have a written list, for the sake of keeping peace, of who I'm supposed to sit by in the second grade. Yesterday I completed that list and now I'm trying to figure out what I should do on Monday. It's amazing at what a young age drama begins in a class full of girls! I really enjoy them though and would consider them one of my favorite classes to attend. Right now they're in to getting signatures. I think it's because the English teacher always scribbles her signature on the work they've completed. The only signatures I recognize are my own and the teacher's. :D
In the afternoon I went with the Herrmanns and Zehrs to El Kuri, the seafood restaurant I talked about in a previous post.
After a delicious lunch we started preparing the office to be painted. By the evening we got a coat of sealer and part of the first coat of paint on the office walls.
Something different and exciting that happened yesterday was that the water turned off in the late morning like normal but never came back on at 4. This meant that all the water we had was in the tenaco, aka the water storage tank on the roof. We could still use it sparingly, but didn't have enough to run a full load of dirty clothes in the washer.
Today Jan checked all morning if we were getting water but still no more water! Soon there was a line of laundry baskets waiting for the washer. Finally at four the water came back on and my laundry was washed and I got it hung out just in time for church.
That story could have been more exciting, I know. But during the unknown it was kind of intense. Jan has told me stories of when they've gone with no water for days and I'm glad we didn't have to wash dishes in a bucket and so forth. However, it was a good experience to have while I'm down here since that is part of life in Ixtlan.
Working backwards a little bit, this morning a girl from church who didn't have school today came over to make cookies. We only made one batch which didn't take long so afterwards we went to the plaza for some food and then did a few odd jobs. She's thirteen and was a fun girl to spend the morning with.
Tonight was church, which was another 'last' for me. This coming week will only bring more and more of those. It's hard to believe this trip is coming to a close! Hopefully I'll do a better job of blogging this upcoming week.
God bless you all!
Friday, March 21, 2014
Mexico: New "Schedule"
In the last post (over a week ago!) I mentioned that I would probably have a new "schedule". Turns out that this week has brought a little more variety.
On Friday evening I invited some girls over to make cookies down at the guesthouse. Only two came but we still had a good time. It was fun to bake again :)
Sunday was church and singing in the evening. After singing we played volleyball until it was almost dark. Then two of the girls invited Grant, Hannah, and I for some tacos. We didn't go to Mario's but I will have to say that these tacos were pretty top-notch.
Me, Maggie, Gloria.
The Herrmanns
The taco stand...sorry it's hard to really see what's going on with it being dark and all.
After tacos we went back to Grant and Hannah's and played a game of Settlers in Spanish.
Tuesday was a holiday for Mexico. It kind of struck me funny because they were celebrating the day that Mexico expropriated the oil companies from the US. That's an exciting event but I found it interesting that people take off from work and schools are closed. It also struck me funny that they celebrated the holiday on Monday. So on Monday, Hannah had some ladies over to make cinnamon rolls. I was really excited because my mother was never into yeast breads (which she makes up for in many areas) but I've taken an interest in them.
You're probably thinking, um, didn't you say you were making cinnamon rolls? And yes, we were waiting for the bread to rise and you know that part in the recipe that says, 'Let bread rise while you play Settlers'? Okay, so it's not written in there but it's implied.
Gloria and Elsa rolling out the dough.
Just need to rise and be baked. Mmmmm.
So that made for a fun Monday morning/afternoon. Tuesday I skipped classes and went to the house of a family from church. They own a store in the front of their house and there are two little boys that are very close in age. Like almost one and almost two. Needless to say, this mother is super-woman and deserves a little break! The boys and I went on a walk during which one of the boys fell asleep in the stroller and stayed asleep when we got back home. The youngest is a very content little guy so we sat in the dining room area and talked while we played with him or he played with himself. When he went down for a nap I went home since both boys were sleeping. It was good to have some variety and get a glimpse of daily life in that home.
On Wednesday I went to classes at the school. Then in the evening I watched Matt and Ruth's kids while they went to Zamora. We painted some pictures then went on a walk. Caleb wanted to go down the stairs that I have pictured in a previous post and I was glad to finally see them from the top. The view was pretty...
We walked to the plaza and got some roasted garbanzo beans.
Thursday I got to spend the morning with Caleb and Abby while Ruth got ready for their trip to Tecate. We drew pictures outside with sidewalk chalk, went on a pretend trip to Australia where I saw coyotes and got to ride in a jeep, did some preschool, read a few books, and put together a few puzzles. In the evening there was church and after that some tacos with a game of Settlers (that seems to be a theme in this post).
Today I went to classes at the school although the first grade went to the plaza for an activity so I didn't have class with them. Also, usually on Fridays there is no fifth grade English class since the day ends at one o'clock instead of two. But today I think things were different because the kids didn't get out til two. So I'm not sure if fifth grade had English class or not.
This afternoon Marshall is picking up Loren and Betsy Schrenk (hope I spelled that correctly) from the airport. Most of you probably already know that Loren is an optometrist and in the past has come down and done eye clinics. He is no longer doing operations but will be having a clinic on Monday and maybe some other days.
Hopefully that gives you a good glimpse into the past week. I'll try to do a better job blogging this coming week.
Have a blessed weekend!
On Friday evening I invited some girls over to make cookies down at the guesthouse. Only two came but we still had a good time. It was fun to bake again :)
Sunday was church and singing in the evening. After singing we played volleyball until it was almost dark. Then two of the girls invited Grant, Hannah, and I for some tacos. We didn't go to Mario's but I will have to say that these tacos were pretty top-notch.
Me, Maggie, Gloria.
The Herrmanns
The taco stand...sorry it's hard to really see what's going on with it being dark and all.
Tuesday was a holiday for Mexico. It kind of struck me funny because they were celebrating the day that Mexico expropriated the oil companies from the US. That's an exciting event but I found it interesting that people take off from work and schools are closed. It also struck me funny that they celebrated the holiday on Monday. So on Monday, Hannah had some ladies over to make cinnamon rolls. I was really excited because my mother was never into yeast breads (which she makes up for in many areas) but I've taken an interest in them.
Gloria and Elsa rolling out the dough.
Just need to rise and be baked. Mmmmm.
So that made for a fun Monday morning/afternoon. Tuesday I skipped classes and went to the house of a family from church. They own a store in the front of their house and there are two little boys that are very close in age. Like almost one and almost two. Needless to say, this mother is super-woman and deserves a little break! The boys and I went on a walk during which one of the boys fell asleep in the stroller and stayed asleep when we got back home. The youngest is a very content little guy so we sat in the dining room area and talked while we played with him or he played with himself. When he went down for a nap I went home since both boys were sleeping. It was good to have some variety and get a glimpse of daily life in that home.
On Wednesday I went to classes at the school. Then in the evening I watched Matt and Ruth's kids while they went to Zamora. We painted some pictures then went on a walk. Caleb wanted to go down the stairs that I have pictured in a previous post and I was glad to finally see them from the top. The view was pretty...
We walked to the plaza and got some roasted garbanzo beans.
Thursday I got to spend the morning with Caleb and Abby while Ruth got ready for their trip to Tecate. We drew pictures outside with sidewalk chalk, went on a pretend trip to Australia where I saw coyotes and got to ride in a jeep, did some preschool, read a few books, and put together a few puzzles. In the evening there was church and after that some tacos with a game of Settlers (that seems to be a theme in this post).
Today I went to classes at the school although the first grade went to the plaza for an activity so I didn't have class with them. Also, usually on Fridays there is no fifth grade English class since the day ends at one o'clock instead of two. But today I think things were different because the kids didn't get out til two. So I'm not sure if fifth grade had English class or not.
This afternoon Marshall is picking up Loren and Betsy Schrenk (hope I spelled that correctly) from the airport. Most of you probably already know that Loren is an optometrist and in the past has come down and done eye clinics. He is no longer doing operations but will be having a clinic on Monday and maybe some other days.
Hopefully that gives you a good glimpse into the past week. I'll try to do a better job blogging this coming week.
Have a blessed weekend!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Mexico: We Will Rejoice And Be Glad In It!
In my last post I vaguely told you about a rough time I had. It really isn't fair for me to tell you about all the good things and leave out some details of the not so good things.
There are two problems though. #1: I have no idea how many people read my blog, who reads it, what they think about what I write, etc. This bothers me if I let it, but then when I remember this blog isn't supposed to be about me (although I use that word quite often) I guess it doesn't matter. And #2: I'm not really sure how to explain this challenge. There was about one week that this was really hard for me; it's not something that I've thought about the whole time I've been here. And seven weeks ago I would have thought it crazy that this subject would make it to my blog. But here goes...
I tried to not come with many expectations since I know that is a good way to leave a place dissatisfied. But one thing I did expect is for time to go faster. The first week flew by and I thought that if I blinked I would be home. But pretty soon things got into a routine and I realized that it was a slow routine. 5 50 minute English classes in the morning. The teaching style of the English teacher is not very interactive and although in most classes I have a specific student I sit with one-on-one, there are some days when they don't really need my help (or don't want my help) and that makes for a long 50 minutes of just sitting there. Then I get out of school, eat lunch, and have a bunch of spare time until there is either a church activity in the evening or I go over to Grant and Hannah's to hang out and play Settlers. And by the way, time flies with church activities or really any activity (including Settlers).
Anyway, I'm not trying to complain. Most of you are probably jealous of the lack of responsibility and social interaction that I have right now which is resulting in a lot of spare time. Before I came I would have been jealous also. But when you're a person that likes seeing people and doing things, this type of change is kind of a big deal. No deadlines except ones you make for yourself. Not much access to things I did for hobbies. Hard to imagine, right? It may sound strange, but this much extra time wore me down emotionally. Yah, that sounded strange.
There are two problems though. #1: I have no idea how many people read my blog, who reads it, what they think about what I write, etc. This bothers me if I let it, but then when I remember this blog isn't supposed to be about me (although I use that word quite often) I guess it doesn't matter. And #2: I'm not really sure how to explain this challenge. There was about one week that this was really hard for me; it's not something that I've thought about the whole time I've been here. And seven weeks ago I would have thought it crazy that this subject would make it to my blog. But here goes...
I tried to not come with many expectations since I know that is a good way to leave a place dissatisfied. But one thing I did expect is for time to go faster. The first week flew by and I thought that if I blinked I would be home. But pretty soon things got into a routine and I realized that it was a slow routine. 5 50 minute English classes in the morning. The teaching style of the English teacher is not very interactive and although in most classes I have a specific student I sit with one-on-one, there are some days when they don't really need my help (or don't want my help) and that makes for a long 50 minutes of just sitting there. Then I get out of school, eat lunch, and have a bunch of spare time until there is either a church activity in the evening or I go over to Grant and Hannah's to hang out and play Settlers. And by the way, time flies with church activities or really any activity (including Settlers).
Anyway, I'm not trying to complain. Most of you are probably jealous of the lack of responsibility and social interaction that I have right now which is resulting in a lot of spare time. Before I came I would have been jealous also. But when you're a person that likes seeing people and doing things, this type of change is kind of a big deal. No deadlines except ones you make for yourself. Not much access to things I did for hobbies. Hard to imagine, right? It may sound strange, but this much extra time wore me down emotionally. Yah, that sounded strange.
What probably made it emotional for me was the fact that I'm a girl. We have a way of connecting emotions to everything. But that's not a very good reason. The other reason was that the speed at which time was passing was something that was causing a separation between me and God. I came down here to find out if teaching English here was something God might have for my future. (The current English teacher is pregnant and so they will be needing a new one next year and would prefer an American.) While I was thinking beforehand I would be a little more involved in classes, reality was that some days I would sit in classes wishing I could be back in Indiana running errands with Mom in Lafayette, hot-tubbing with Leah, working at Homestead, all those things that made time go by fast. Those things that made life busy (although I'm not sure hot-tubbing falls into that category.)
A week ago it seemed like every scripture I opened to was about sharing the gospel or being sent. It was kind of terrifying. I dreaded the thought of teaching English for a year or more. How could I watch life tick by one slow second at a time?
A week ago it seemed like every scripture I opened to was about sharing the gospel or being sent. It was kind of terrifying. I dreaded the thought of teaching English for a year or more. How could I watch life tick by one slow second at a time?
And here's the answer: I couldn't. Not alone. The only reason I could come to teach is because of God's grace. Living out the passion I've had since 2011 to serve in Mexico is not going to happen by my efforts. I know that now better than I ever have before!
I do not know what God has in store. Earlier this week the Lord gave me the 'wait' signal. But I trust that when God does reveal His will for my future, He will not ask me to do anything unreasonable. If He does ask me to teach English, I believe time would fly in the classroom and there would be plenty of schoolwork to keep me busy like lesson planning and grading. Also, I would probably learn more Spanish and be better able to visit the elderly in the church and things like that in my spare time.
I also know that if serving in Mexico is not His will for my near future or anytime in my life that I do not want to serve in Mexico. Maybe that passion will be fulfilled in these 10 weeks. I do not know. But however it is, more than anything I want to be in His will.
Thanks for 'listening' to something you probably cannot connect to at all. I'm sure most readers have their own struggles right now that are much more serious than mine. Life is hard, but these challenges are so faith strengthening. They keep us dependent on God.
Thanks for 'listening' to something you probably cannot connect to at all. I'm sure most readers have their own struggles right now that are much more serious than mine. Life is hard, but these challenges are so faith strengthening. They keep us dependent on God.
Thankfully this week has been a little more interactive in the classroom. I really really love the kids (most of the time :D) and the more I get to be involved with them in class the faster the day goes. They are not the cause of my slow days and I will miss them very much.
As for these last three weeks...I feel like I have as good of an understanding as I can of what the English classes are like. And, I also want to find ways to make my spare time more productive and be better about making deadlines for myself so I can at least feel productive. Anyway, to make the most of my time here I'm hoping to switch things up. The plan is that beginning next week I will be attending classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I hope to find a way I can help people from church. Plans are always changing so I'm not sure what will happen, but I will keep blogging!
As for these last three weeks...I feel like I have as good of an understanding as I can of what the English classes are like. And, I also want to find ways to make my spare time more productive and be better about making deadlines for myself so I can at least feel productive. Anyway, to make the most of my time here I'm hoping to switch things up. The plan is that beginning next week I will be attending classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I hope to find a way I can help people from church. Plans are always changing so I'm not sure what will happen, but I will keep blogging!
I'd like to close with this verse that is a good reminder for me right now:
This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
~Psalm 118:24
This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
~Psalm 118:24
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Mexico: Week in Review
It's a Saturday afternoon and I'm sitting in my bedroom trying to come up with something do to. So why not write a blog post.
This week has been hard. I have found that the things I struggle with the most are what I least expected to struggle with. The beginning of the week was off to a pretty good start. But on Wednesday the accumulation of small but not so small issues really took my spirits down. It was probably the most challenging day I've had so far. In the evening I finally came to the point where I was completely broken before God and admitted that He was all I need!!! The next day was much better, thanks to prayers (especially from my parents who patiently 'listened' and advised me through email Wednesday evening) and a caring God. There still are some rough times, though, and being satisfied completely in Christ is a challenge every day!
All that said, here are a few pictures from the week:
This little girly turned 1!!! Grant and Hannah's blog has a fun post about that party. Boy, was it ever a party! This pic was taken this morning though as we were ready to go to the market. I don't think there are any other wagons in town and people point when we walk by.
Thankfully this little critter was on the outside of my window, not the inside!
There are purple trees blooming right now that are soooo gorgeous.
On Wednesday I went with Grant and Hannah plus their company, Blake (Hannah's cousin) and Kristin to a seafood restaurant. They had other food on the menu which was good seeing as I don't care for much seafood. And I didn't smell fish even though some was served to our table. This dish is like Mexican cordon bleu. Mmmm, yummy!
Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend. God bless!
This week has been hard. I have found that the things I struggle with the most are what I least expected to struggle with. The beginning of the week was off to a pretty good start. But on Wednesday the accumulation of small but not so small issues really took my spirits down. It was probably the most challenging day I've had so far. In the evening I finally came to the point where I was completely broken before God and admitted that He was all I need!!! The next day was much better, thanks to prayers (especially from my parents who patiently 'listened' and advised me through email Wednesday evening) and a caring God. There still are some rough times, though, and being satisfied completely in Christ is a challenge every day!
All that said, here are a few pictures from the week:
This little girly turned 1!!! Grant and Hannah's blog has a fun post about that party. Boy, was it ever a party! This pic was taken this morning though as we were ready to go to the market. I don't think there are any other wagons in town and people point when we walk by.
Thankfully this little critter was on the outside of my window, not the inside!
There are purple trees blooming right now that are soooo gorgeous.
Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend. God bless!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Mexico: We Had Fun!!!
A little while ago I wrote about the little boy I work with in first grade who is very somber. In the past, there have been some days when he will not write or talk. He will just sit there with an expression that makes me wonder if he's about to cry. Although it usually isn't that bad, he rarely seems excited about working unless he gets to color.
Yesterday, he had in his box a new marker and new crayons that he must have gotten over the weekend. Come to find out, writing with a marker is so much more fun than writing with a pencil. The con is that it bleeds through the page. But when you find something that makes this little guy excited about writing, such a con can be overlooked.
Today this somber little kid was a different person. He forgot to bring his workbook (not unusual) so I decided we'd finish the work in a different book we had half-way done from yesterday. His marker wasn't in his box but his crayons were, so he used a black crayon to write. He was having so much fun that for the first time he was being silly and goofing around. He was smiling and LAUGHING!!! If he were any other kid I would have gotten more frustrated because I would have felt like he was just trying to get out of work. But with this little boy I felt like if I told him to stop being goofy I would be robbing him of this happiness he had found. So I tried to find ways to make that energy productive and we had a great time.
We finished the first project before class was over so we went to show the teacher. There were a few other students around her desk and all the sudden one girl said one thing and another girl burst into tears. Supposedly my little first grader had kissed a classmate on the cheek and it was observed by another classmate who embarrassed the little girl that had gotten kissed. It resulted in almost the whole class standing around the girl's desk while she cried. Oh, the drama! :D My little friend claimed he did not kiss the little girl by shaking his head with a little grin and I wasn't sure whether or not I believed him. But the situation was so humorous that how could he get in trouble for maybe kissing a little girl's cheek?
After the crying settled down, the teacher said we could work on memorizing clothing words. So we drew some outfits with his new crayons. It was good because we could work on colors and articles of clothing at the same time. And I got very excited when he would say the words to me in English. He would get this adorable little grin on his face as he said the word so quietly I could barely hear. Like it was a secret.
I was just getting ready to draw some more outfits with women's clothing when the teacher said class was up. Already? We were just getting started!!!
I'm so thankful this little boy seems to be having an easier life. He's much too young to be so burdened he can't smile. It will be fun to watch him continue to grow.
Another plus is that it has helped renew my purpose for being at the school. I don't feel like the students are being taught English the most effective way but there really isn't anything I can do about it. Observing/helping with five 50 minute classes gets a little long under these circumstances. But days like today are when God helps renew my excitement to be in the classroom. All thanks and praise to Him!
Yesterday, he had in his box a new marker and new crayons that he must have gotten over the weekend. Come to find out, writing with a marker is so much more fun than writing with a pencil. The con is that it bleeds through the page. But when you find something that makes this little guy excited about writing, such a con can be overlooked.
Today this somber little kid was a different person. He forgot to bring his workbook (not unusual) so I decided we'd finish the work in a different book we had half-way done from yesterday. His marker wasn't in his box but his crayons were, so he used a black crayon to write. He was having so much fun that for the first time he was being silly and goofing around. He was smiling and LAUGHING!!! If he were any other kid I would have gotten more frustrated because I would have felt like he was just trying to get out of work. But with this little boy I felt like if I told him to stop being goofy I would be robbing him of this happiness he had found. So I tried to find ways to make that energy productive and we had a great time.
We finished the first project before class was over so we went to show the teacher. There were a few other students around her desk and all the sudden one girl said one thing and another girl burst into tears. Supposedly my little first grader had kissed a classmate on the cheek and it was observed by another classmate who embarrassed the little girl that had gotten kissed. It resulted in almost the whole class standing around the girl's desk while she cried. Oh, the drama! :D My little friend claimed he did not kiss the little girl by shaking his head with a little grin and I wasn't sure whether or not I believed him. But the situation was so humorous that how could he get in trouble for maybe kissing a little girl's cheek?
After the crying settled down, the teacher said we could work on memorizing clothing words. So we drew some outfits with his new crayons. It was good because we could work on colors and articles of clothing at the same time. And I got very excited when he would say the words to me in English. He would get this adorable little grin on his face as he said the word so quietly I could barely hear. Like it was a secret.
I was just getting ready to draw some more outfits with women's clothing when the teacher said class was up. Already? We were just getting started!!!
I'm so thankful this little boy seems to be having an easier life. He's much too young to be so burdened he can't smile. It will be fun to watch him continue to grow.
Another plus is that it has helped renew my purpose for being at the school. I don't feel like the students are being taught English the most effective way but there really isn't anything I can do about it. Observing/helping with five 50 minute classes gets a little long under these circumstances. But days like today are when God helps renew my excitement to be in the classroom. All thanks and praise to Him!
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