NTM

Check out my update, just click on the picture to read about more exciting stories and see pictures of life in Mexico.  In case you’re wondering the top picture is from a camping trip that we went on with our church.  We stayed one night, and when we woke up in the morning it was snowing.  They said it hasn’t snowed this late in the year for 10 or 15 years.  Don’t worry two or three days later it was up in the 90’s (and has been for the past several days.)

Tenacos on the rooftops

One of our friends from church, Hector, works for the internet company, so on our 4th day here, he took us to get signed up for internet and a house phone.  He led us to the store, and walked us through the application process.  He said they would come and install it in two days.  However, later that day we received a call saying that they could come install it now.  So, they came.  As the man was installing our internet, our neighbor came over and asked if we had water.  We didn’t and so he went up on our roof to check out the tenaco (back up water tank).  We learned that the city shuts the water off from 10:00 am to 3 or so in the afternoon, and if the tenaco is working then we will have some water, even though there is not much pressure.  We didn’t understand what he was saying, so we called a missionary friend and she translated for us.  Crystal was out with the neighbor trying to figure that out, while I was inside with the internet installer.  They both spoke fast so it was interesting trying to understand what was going on.  Our neighbor came down and gave us a part, but we thought he would get the replacement.  They both left (after the internet was working!!) and we went on about our day.  Later that night we didn’t have water, (the neighbor had turned it off), a friend came over and talked to the neighbor for us.  We found out we needed to go buy the part.  So we did, and then he came over and replaced it, and so we had water!!

We had some plumbing problems, too.  When the men delivered the washing machine, that we had bought when out furniture shopping with our host family, the Vargas’,  they installed it for us.  However it is american washing machine, and so the water is the opposite.  When they hooked it up they put the hot water on the cold and the cold on the hot.  Also, one of our toilets, would leak out the bottom everytime you flushed.  So one day, after we had called our landlady about it, a man came and we showed him these problems.  He told us that someone would come back tomorrow to fix it.  So the next morning another man came and we showed him the problems.  He worked for awhile while we finished up a meeting about our first week.  We were thankful, as we watched him, that he took the toilet off, and fixed the ring, and not just the outside sealant.  When he finished, he took me around and we tested the washer, and then he told me (because of the little Spanish I know, I was able to understand) not to use the toilet for 4 hours so the cement could set up.  We paid him when he finished, and he left.  Because the toilet was a problem before we got here, we will be able to take it off our rent.

Another problem was when the natural gas to our house got shut off.  The same day that we finally got our plumbing fixed, we went to buy a refrigerator from a lady at church.  We had heard at Bible Study the day before that she was selling one.  With the help of some friends we got it and it worked wonderfully.  Because we hadn’t had a fridge the first week, we had been eating out a lot (don’t worry it’s cheap ).  So, to celebrate having a fridge Crystal decided to make pancakes.  She mixed up the batter and went to melt the butter, but the stove wouldn’t turn on.  We didn’t have gas.  That meant no stove and no hot water.  The weather is still pretty chilly here and we weren’t looking forward to cold showers.  Crystal call our landlady several times about the problem, over the next couple days, and after several of our friends coming and looking at it, they finally figured out the problem, the last gas bill (from before us) hadn’t been payed.  This took 5 days to figure out.  Then our friend Hector (who helped us with the internet) went and paid the bill.  He has a brother in law who works for the gas company, and said he would turn it on.  We tried to pay Hector back (especially since our landlady will take it off our rent), but even after offering 3 times (culturally appropriate) he refused, and told us to go watch a movie with it .  God has blessed us with wonderful friends.  The next day we tried the gas and it still wasn’t on.  So we took the bill that showed up at our house, and the receipt that Hector gave us, and we went to his house.  He was gone on a business trip but his wife Esmerelda (Esme) was home.  She called her brother in law, and they got it turned on!!  Also, we spent the rest of the afternoon “visiting” with Esme (who doesn’t speak English) and her daughters, and we were invited the next day to their mom’s house for a family comida (big afternoon meal).

These were the main problems we got fixed.  Although they were inconvenient, we were able to look at them as adventures, and we are so thankful for the experience and relationships we gained through them.

Glenn and Teo took us to the Sunday Market, and to Teo’s mother’s house for breakfast.  They picked us up at the house, and then Teo took the van to her mom’s house after dropping us at the market.  The market was kind of like a community yard sale.  There were several blocks of streets that people had brought stands, blankets, or tables, to lay out what they were selling.  There was everything from clothes, shoes, sunglasses, laundry soap, purses, jewelry, dishes, fresh vegetables, tools, herbs, and much more.  There were also several carts of different foods (like we see around town).  We walked around and looked at all the different stuff.  Some of it was new and some of it was used.   Glenn bought a bag of peanuts and a couple kinds of chiles.  From there we walked to Teo’s mom’s house.

We arrived and greeted everyone.  They were still cooking so we sat in the living room and visited, and then went and watched them cook.  When they finished, we all sat down and ate.  They had made us a tortilla with cheese and ham on it, and then another tortilla.  That had been fried.  Then they put scrambled eggs on top of that.  Next a green chili sauce (chili poblano), on top of it all, with corn on top of that.  It tasted good, but was very spicy.  They had instant coffee, as well as Coke to drink along with the meal.  Then they had a vanilla cake for desert.  Yes we had desert after Breakfast .  We visited for a while longer, said thank you, and left for church.

Crystal and I walked to Glenn and Teo’s house.  They are the missionaries that were taking us to the orphanage.  We visited while they finished getting ready.  Then we loaded the teaching materials into the van and drove the five minutes to the orphange.  When we arrived we unloaded the stuff, and tried to go in but the doors were locked.  Teo called out to the children but they were playing on the other side of the orphange and didn’t hear us.  The directors granddaughter came and unlocked the gate for us.  As we were walking in Teo told us that they came at Christmas to visit the children, and they were all alone, there was no adult with them.  The caretakers had gone home to have Christmas with their family and the kids were alone.  She told us it made her sad.

When we walked to where all the kids were, some of them came and hugged Glenn and Teo, and some hugged us too.  They were playing outside, and by now it was getting pretty chilley.  One little girl didn’t even have a sweater on.  We went inside a big room and there were some tables with benches, that we pulled in a semi circle, and Glenn set up the flannel board.  The room was mostly empty with a concrete floor.  At one end it did have a long counter that was open to the kitchen.  (Kind of like a camp kitchen)  There was a pile of nice plastic round tables and nice plastic chairs against the walls but I don’t know if they use them or not.  The kids all gathered and sat on the benches.  Teo introduced us, and told them we were learning spanish.  Glenn and Teo started teaching the Bible lesson and the kids were pretty atentive.

I kept observing and listening.  I also noticed the one worker there (the one other adult) was cooking beans.  That along with some tortillas and chips, look like what the children will eat for dinner.   After the story they worked on a memory verse and then handed out pencils and the activity sheet.  On one side there were questions and a crossword puzzle.  I was able to help a couple of them a little bit.  And then on the other side was a picture of the tabernacle, courtyard and some of the Israelites tents.  The kids started coloring them.  I enjoyed how some of them used lots of bright colors to color the different tents, (a lot like some of the houses down here).   It was a great time.

I watched one of the boys when he finished his paper he started playing with his top.  He had a string that he wrapped around the base of the top and then he put the other end on his finger.  Then he spun it out like a yoyo, only onto the floor.  It spun for a long time, and then he did this thing with the string, and through it up into the air and caught it.  Later on an older boy was playing with another top.  When he spun it out he did it under his leg and up into the air, and caught it spinning on his hand.  After the children told Glenn and Teo the verse they had memorized, we packed up the stuff and loaded up in the van, after saying some goodbye.   I am excited for the opportunity to get to know these kids better and hopefully learn from them.

On the way home I asked Glenn if they were all orphans.  He said some of them are but more of them were abandoned or abused, or their parents can’t afford to take care of them.  When that is the case, they bring them there, and drop them off.  Sometimes, some of the kids go home or to their grandparents house for the weekend.  Teo also told us that the lady that was there didn’t know how much longer she could keep working there.  It was one lady and like 30 or 40 kids.  She had been doing all the cooking and cleaning while the director was away for a couple days.

I will try and get some pictures next time I’m there.

On February 9th we received word from the Mexico leadership that we could come down to Mexico, due to the rise in our support.  Crystal has written more about the details, so to read her story click here.   They told us they would like us to be in El Paso, TX by the 24th of February, for some orientation.  So I spent the next 3 weeks packing, and saying goodbyes.  It was a hard time, but a very sweet time, spending precious time with family and friends.  I flew from FL to TX, and only took 3 suitcases, a carry on and a personal item.   In El Paso we had a day and a half of orientation.  Then on the 26th, we drove into Mexico.

We left around 8 am, and made it easily into Mexico.  They had found an apartment for us the day before, and so when we got into town, they took us to our apartment, and we were able to unload and unpack a bit.  We had a friend take us shopping to get some basic supplies.  He and his wife then took us to meet our pastor and his family, for supper.  They asked what all we needed, and made sure we had everything we needed the first night.  That was the first day.  Since then, in the three weeks that we have been here, we have had many adventures.  I will include some of these adventures in the next couple entries.

How were your holidays?  Read Amy’s Adventures: Click here to read my most recent update.   Find out about my holidays, a little bit of Florida culture, and catch the latest on my video On To Mexico.

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