Visitors, Parades, and Boxes

The youth group performing their "Jonah" skit in Mochiqui.

A lot of children came!

Cinthia.

The Thursday parade...lots of adorable little children.

Miguel held Kyle on his shoulders for a long time.

Drummers.

Delia in the Mochiqui parade.

SUNDAY started in San Pedro where the bugs swarmed. The sermon was on Christians reflecting Christ, Light of the World. After the service, we sat around and talked for quite awhile (very typically Mexican). Lunch at Loren and Donna's was short and sweet and we set up for the church service immediately afterwards. The Skyline youth group from Colorado was visiting, so we moved the service outside for more space. Stacey and I had a tiny bit of siesta time before we tromped back over to Loren's in time to walk in on a room full of new people. What a strange feeling. I made a hasty exit to wait for the moment where I could greet them in smaller quantities. After the service, one of the guys from the youth group came over and handed me a bag bulging with incredible presents for Stacey and I. I was elated...Thank you, Krista, Phyllis, and Paul!!! While we ate with the youth group on Sunday evening, I tried to memorize names. I'm getting a little bad at this... Afterwards we went downtown and climbed the clocktower and walked around the plaza. I have never seen Choix as busy as it was that night. People and cars were everywhere! While we walked, Stacey and I tucked poor, innocent Janessa between us so the muchachos would stop whistling at her ravishing good looks.


MONDAY was our day to go to Mochiqui with the youth group. Stacey and I arrived early at Loren and Donna's to make brownies for the Kid's Club and then we all climbed into Loren's truck and Rod's van and headed out to Mochiqui. I loved the way that the youth group enjoyed the Mochiqui culture and the children. They did a humorous skit on Jonah and the Whale and had a special craft for the children. Stacey and I helped fry tortillas for the tostadas at lunch and then we walked back over to Rod and Christa's to help with the sopa fria, cookies, and desserts. When the youth group came back from their San Pedro Kid's Club, we ate dinner and then sat around and played games. Scum was fun, but Stacey and I had to leave early because Stacey was leaving the next morning to pick up her mom, sister, and sister's friend in Los Mochis. We conviniently left the game as Scum and Vice Scum... LOL.


TUESDAY Stacey left early, and I barely heard her. I joined the group again in Mochiqui. I enjoyed sitting with Bella and talking to Teo. For lunch, we went to Rod and Christa's for tamales and beans. Adryan and Rojelio dropped by and wanted the gringos to take "peekshers" of them plastered again the front door window glass. Some of the girls were ready to go back to Loren's house early so I walked them back through the shortcut (across the soccer field and through a hole in the fence). We walked uptown to do a little shopping and get K-freezes. I played tour guide. It was fun to show them around "my little town" and watch them be amazed at the things I no longer marvel at. (They even think I know Spanish! That makes me feel very good!) When I got home, I tried to do laundry, but the washing machine wasn't working right. Then Stacey arrived with her mom (Elaine), her sister (Martha), and her sister's friend (Autumn) in tow. I talked with them for a minute or two before I rushed off to help Donna with dinner. The night got late, but no one staying at our house was up to see it.


WEDNESDAY was the day that Christa felt incredibly generous. She told us that she didn't need us until 10 or 10:30. That meant a whole extra hour to sleep! We chopped up the Mexican hot dog toppings. Stacey, Martha, Autumn, and I went uptown for our time off and spent most of that time sitting in line at the bank. I ran to JLR to buy toilet paper and had to carry two big packs all the way through town just because I didn't have anything less than 5 pesos to tip the lady who wanted to put it in a bag for me. How embarrassing! In the afternoon, Stacey, her mom, and I went to Rod and Christa's for Kid's Club. The children worked hard to finish saying their verses. I helped one little boy, Ronaldo, learn his verse. That evening after delicious bean burritos, we went to prayer meeting. The youth group joined us which made our small circle a lot bigger. Rojelio and Adryan walked to prayer meeting and afterwards started asking people for candy (in English). When one of the youth guys gave them each a piece, I made them both say "gracias." Christa applauded me for trying to teach them both some manners. Stacey and her company (or Stacey&Co.), Marlen, and I walked up to the clocktower to overlook the town. After we walked Marlen home, I realized that I hadn't brought our apartment keys with me (they were at Loren and Donna's) and Loren and Donna were at the taqueria with the youth group. So we dashed around Choix, sorting out my absent-minded mistake.


THURSDAY came finally. I say finally because Thursday was "el veinte de noviembre" which meant the parade. After listening to the drums and the off-key horns since I've been here, it was refreshing to realize that those days would finally be over. I do admit that it was fun to watch the fruit of their labor. The little children marching down the street in costume were the best. The little boys had mustaches drawn on them and the little girls wore hoop skirts. Bright Mexican colors filed past us as we stood in the shade along the street. After the parade, we wandered around the little shops for a while. Eventually I walked home to spend some time alone to relax. At 3:00, we headed out to Mochiqui for their little parade. This parade was much shorter with no instruments except for tiny plastic drums that the little boys forgot to beat. Delia was holding the flag and when she saw me she yelled my name. So cute! After that parade, the gringos went to the orphanage for fun nite. Admist clouds of dust, they played soccer and volleyball and ate nachos for dinner. Miguel turned eleven and he was on cloud nine when one of the youth guys gave him a lasso. We got home before ten but it felt much later to me...


FRIDAY I was in the kitchen all morning. But some very sweet friend sent me a box for my belated birthday that made my day. I think everyone else here is jealous at the amount of boxes I have been receiving (hooray for mis amigas y mi familia!). After lunch, I was faced with the decisions of my day: San Pedro or Mochiqui? To eat at the orphanage or the taqueria? I eventually chose to go to San Pedro with the youth group for Kid's Club. I was delighted to get to talk with Guillermo again. I asked him again about his sister and after class he went home and got her so he could introduce her to me. I was completely honored. After battling clouds of dust and swarms of bugs, I returned home and decided to go to the taqueria. The youth group was making their second trip there (they really loved it the first time) and we went on a separate order. I loved my quesadillas even though they were meatless. Before we left, the youth leader picked up our bill as well as the youth group's bill. I felt very blessed.


SATURDAY I woke up way too early, but I got a lot of things done before I headed off to Rod and Christa's to make egg (blah) and potato burritos for the youth group's final meal in Choix, Sinaloa, Mexico. Christa nicely put me in charge of making the eggs...which she soon discovered I wasn't very good at since I don't even like them. The youth group was so appreciative of everything and we bade them goodbye, hating to see them go when they were all enjoying themselves so much. I walked over to Loren and Donna's and had lunch with Stacey&Co. although Loren and Donna were in Ahome for a wedding. After lunch I had fun cleaning out Loren and Donna's fridge (I love to clean!). Then I came home to be lazy and read and sit around. The most adventurous thing I did all night was attempt to sort out an electricity and Internet bill with my landlady...in Spanish. We both got a little frustrated but we still parted as friends, I think (judging by her body language).