El Cerrito, Direct Objects, and Naps

Marlen all dressed up in the armor of Ephesians 6...as a test drive for Sunday school.
Brianne and Chuy.
Bella and Tita (two girls from Mochiqui) on the teeter-totter.
Marlen and Maria....Look! Grass!!! (a rare site in Mexico).

Me and Brisa (another girl from Mochiqui).

Afternoon activities for as many could fit in the hammocks.

Part of the afternoon crowd.

My week started early. I got up to help Donna with the barbecoa and getting things ready for the big day. I cleaned up the kitchen and then we loaded up lots of things in Loren's truck and headed to El Cerrito, a resort on a hill by the river. People came in by the droves until there was about 170 of us in all. The day was muggy and the breeze delighted in tossing dirt at us (which stuck because we were so sweaty). We met under a palm roof to sing and listen to Allen Roth's message. After the service, we served lunch: barbecoa, sopa fria, frijoles puercos, and corn tortillas. Things got interesting when we ran out of plates and spoons. Then we kicked back and relaxed until the second service under the palm roof. The sun was even hotter than before and peeked through the holes in the roof. I sat beside Marlen and her grandma. After that service we had coffee and bread. Then the droves of people started to disappear. We were so tired and dirty by the time that we got home...and then we only had three inches of water in the tank up top, and no water coming in through the hose. God managed to multiply the water so we all got showers...very, VERY speedy showers.

Monday morning, I heard Loren, Donna, and family get up and start out for Los Mochis to take the board members to the airport and pick up Donna's parents from the bus station. I tried to sleep a little more but still got up earlier than usual to get a few things done. I cleaned up the kitchen and headed over to Vanessa's house. Instead of playing Phase 10, I held Alejito and did my best to communicate. They are so wonderfully forgiving...even when Lupita started asking me questions like: "With what do they make rooftops in the States?" and: "How you you keep the cold out of the houses during the winter?" Try that with a limited conversational vocabulary! Lupita's mother saw that I was struggling and suggested that I answer Lupita in English. I did, and Lupita grinned: "Ah! No puedo entender nada!" (I don't understand anything!). I came home to make lunch for myself while I finished cleaning up the kitchen. I was talking on the phone when the Yoders and Ernie and Faye Mummua (Donna's parents) arrived, looking travel-weary. I wasn't around long to talk with them until we left for San Pedro with Rod's. The class was really small, but very fun. Donna made potato soup for dinner and then we sat around and visited. Junier was outside on the porch, so I went outside and talked with him until my eyes started to drift shut...Time for bed!

Tuesday we got up and around in time for a breakfast of cereal. Donna's parents brought all kinds of delicious cereal from the States for us to enjoy. I had Cheerios (I know, I'm so boring...). Then I cooked beans while I studied Spanish direct objects...I'm getting confused with lo, la, los, and las. After lunch, I walked up to the bank and was practically dehydrated by the time I got back (please don't read the last sentence, dear familia mia; remember that it couldn't possibly be as bad as I make it sound!). It's very hot outside during the day, but the nights still cool off so that the houses feel air-conditioned by the morning. I took a tiny nap and then used the Internet and cleaned up some dusty fans that had been hibernating on the back porch all winter. I helped with dinner and then we ate and sat around the table, just talking and enjoying the company.

I made cookies on Wednesday morning. I haven't had molasses crinkles for sooooo long because molasses isn't available down here! We (or maybe I should just speak for myself) scarfed them down and sent a few to the prison. I went to the store three times, Donna went once, and Kedric went once. Some days we are more scatter-brained than others. Good thing the store is so close. The time I went for hamburger, I forgot the word for hamburger although Janessa had just reminded me before I walked out the door. So I looked at the lady pitifully and said: "Quiero carne mo-" (I want...). "Carne molida?" (hamburger) the lady and another man said simultaneously. "Si!!!" (Yes!). I helped make and eat lunch before I laid down for a rest. After siesta time, Donna tried to keep me busy with odd jobs while Loren fed us cookies 'n' creme ice cream. Then prayer meeting with few non-gringos. I met with Bri and Rach in the kitchen and chubby and fussy Chuyito. His hair got butched and he is oh so cute! Much more happened that evening, but let's just say that I'm grateful for the authority figures figures in my life who have much more experience and wisdom than I have at this point!

I actually got up [relatively] early on my day off (Thursday). Donna suggested that I go to the plaza in the morning to avoid any unwelcome visitors. So I waited with my laundry and headed to the plaza to write and read. Donna prayed at breakfast that no one would bother me, and no one did, PTL. I sat on the same park bench for several hours and came back to the house in time for fish and rice for lunch. Then I did my laundry and took a nap (I'm getting so old!). We ate a quick dinner of bean burritos before we all tromped down to Caleb's basketball game and watched his score a couple points. That was fun.

On Friday, I made cookies for Saturday school. As much as I love cookies, I must admit that by the last tray, I was ready to be done with them. I've been making lots of cookies recently! I did a few odd jobs like writing the church name on the plastic chairs and cleaning out the container of tupperware. We had potatoes and carrots cooked in the leftover barbecoa juice for lunch. It was delicious. I was so tired after lunch that I took a nap (I told you I'm getting old!) and then got ready to go to Mochiqui. I had a lot of fun there, getting dirty with the little girls. After that, we walked to the orphanage for fun nite and got there just in time for the nachos. Yum! Bri, Rach, and I hung out and talked all evening, despite a fussy Chuyito.

Saturday, we got up and ready for Saturday school. Ricardo stood at the window and watched me while I did dishes and asked questions about Stacey. After Saturday school, I made lunch and we ate. I cleaned up and then helped Donna with the brownies for Aile's quinceanos. Then, Kedric, Caleb, and I sat out on the front porch and waited for the buses to go by (I was trying to calculate which one I would have to catch to meet up with my family on Monday). No buses went by in the time we were sitting out there. I'm not sure that we would have noticed them anyway; we were very busy writing strange things in my notebook. Kedric cackled outrageously after he wrote sometime about "Tricia, Salchicha." Then the Yoders left and I showered. Now I'm waiting to leave for Aile's quinceanos (15th birthday party).