President, Pumpkin, and Phase 10

The mountains on Sunday were too beautiful to have a bad day. I watched the rising and sloping of the peaks all of the way to San Pedro. Jesi, who likes to sit with me during the morning service, has figured out all of my buttons...and exactly which ones to push to get a reaction from me. She enjoyed distracting me during Rod's message. In the afternoon, Stacey and I walked out to the "Bienvenidos a Choix" arch on the edge of town to get a few pictures. The evening after the Choix service was pleasant and we took another walk...this time getting delayed by a drunk man who had a hard time deciding who he loved more--me or Stacey. It sounds funny now, but it really wasn't then. Stacey and I stayed up and talked girl talk; I'm going to miss those times so much after she leaves in February!

Monday morning we spent a long time at Don Josecito's store...thanks to many other customers. We walked over to Vanessa's house where we tried to teach Lupita and Vanessa how to play Phase 10. (Note: explaining games in Spanish is much harder than having a conversation!!!) Three o'clock that afternoon was the San Pedro Kid's Club. I am convinced that some of the most adorable children in the world live in that little village. That evening we watched Donna and Janessa cleaning Janessa's room. I personally am proud of their progress in making room for me when I move in at the end of the month (when Stacey leaves). Just before verb class, we met up with some high school boys on our street who delighted in practicing their English. The one guy didn't earn many points with us when he called out, "Hey, woman! What's your name?"

I started working on invitations on Tuesday morning for the girls' night in February. I made frijoles puercos for lunch... something I had never made before. I watched CNN online that afternoon to watch our new President make his speech. Sometimes I feel so out of touch with my own country, so it was nice to see what was happening again. Later that afternoon, we helped to stamp tracts and then went out in groups around town to pass them out. We bravely avoided German Shepherds and Dalmations and even got stalked by a group of guys....okay....little boys. Stacey, Roselina (one of the 14-year-old twins from the orphanage), and I sat out by the road at Loren and Donna's to watch the cars go by and talk. Roselina tried to teach us how to sing Mexican-style, but eventually gave up when we dissolved in laughter.

On Wednesday I made cookies and finished the books of the Bible poster of the Antiguo Testamento (Old Testament). After lunch, Stacey and I visited our landlady and gave her some dessert. She loves to have us visit because she gets so lonely living by herself. Loren and Donna left on their anniversary get-away and Stacey and I "baby-sat" their children in the evening...although they were perfect little angels and we didn't do much entertaining. We walked uptown to get better ideas for the girl party invitations, set up for the evening prayer meeting, played Phase 10, and ate sandwiches for supper. After church, we helped clean up and headed home.

Thursday equals "cleaning-and-laundry" day. And then "reading-my-book-and-doing-nothing-worthwhile" day. We did get adventurous enough to walk uptown and talk to the hotel guy. I quickly realized how insufficient my Spanish is; I embarrass myself sometimes. We sat and read at the plaza. When I got hungry (er...hungrier than my normal hungry self), we came home to make cream of wheat in our borrowed coffee maker....which works great by the way. (It's like this: we ran out of gas for our stove about a week ago and with only a little time left at our apartment we didn't think it worthwhile to fill up another tank.) We went for a walk to enjoy the evening.

Loren and Donna came home on Friday. The kids were so excited. Since it was Donna's birthday and Loren and Donna's anniversary, Janessa made tortas and pumpkin pie for lunch. I made pumpkin cookies for Saturday school and wheat bread by random inspiration. After lunch, Stacey and I walked uptown to get Donna's gift. Later that afternoon, we went to Mochiqui to visit, play volleyball, and help with the girls' school lessons. Then came fun night at the orphanage with nachos and lots of little kids. Not only was it was fun, but we got home by my bedtime!

And then came Saturday school with lots of new children. Stacey and I still were not successful in getting our little neighbor boys to come to class. They said they were coming but they were still buying their breakfast tortillas 15 minutes before class. We made lunch-- spaghetti with garlic bread (with homemade bread) and pumpkin pie for dessert. I must admit that it was delicious although I still taste the garlic on my breath... In the afternoon, we went for a walk to pass out a few tracts. We ended up on a little dirt road that took us above the city of Choix. We had a gorgeous lookout of the city and the mountains. I continued working on the girls' invitations. In the evening, Stacey and I hung out with our neighborhood boys (no worries; all are 12 and under). We wanted to play soccer, but they were more interested in practicing their English..."Won, schtew, tree, far, fife..." After that we ate some delicious pizza with Loren, Donna, and family.

Hotels, Souvenirs, and Muchas Ninas

SUNDAY: Jesi didn't sit beside me during the San Pedro service; sitting without her demanding my attention is something I'm not used to. The afternoon was completely uneventful; I typed and talked on the phone with my sister. During the Choix service I sat between Alma and Bella, thinking that keeping two girls straight shouldn't be too hard. Broma! (Just kidding!) Because Bella is deaf, she quickly loses interest in the service...especially when people make faces at her. *sighs* The evening was beautiful. Stacey and I took a walk to enjoy the unusually warm night. And then we both finished out the evening with good books.

MONDAY: I went alone to Vanessa's place on Monday morning. I had relatively good talk with the family of women, although I discovered how inadequate my Spanish knowledge is to explain spiritual issues. When I returned to Loren and Donna's house, I dutifully studied my Spanish...even though I wanted to throw the uncooperative computer out of the window onto the street to get crushed under an 18-wheeler, and then toss the remains to the bottom of a bottomless ocean....I think you probably get the point. I took a walk in the afternoon, and ended up on a "road less travelled." People stared out of their windows as the lonely gringa marched by confidently...and obviously lost. I made it back in time to jump in Rod's van and head out to San Pedro for Kid's Club. After the class, I talked quite a while with an attention-starved 14-year-old named Gladys. After supper, Stacey and I hung out with the little boys on our street, learning lots of new names.

TUESDAY: Because I spent the morning hotel shopping, the reality of my family coming to visit sank in. Stacey and I had a ball prancing around town peering in buildings we had never dared to enter and rating the Mexican cleanliness on a scale of passable and not passable. It was fun to be able to openly discuss the pros and cons in front of the hotel clerks without worrying about their understanding. We had chicken and rice soup for lunch; it was delicious. I made cookies and we took them down to Don Josecito's store. Lily gave one to her daugher Tanya who immediately pronounced them "Rico!" (Literally: rich. Figuratively: delicious). We passed out tracts in the afternoon. Our huge group of girls covered a lot of area in a little time. The most deflating moment of my day was when I found out that the orphanage boys nicknamed me "Salchicha" (hotdog). Actually, it was hilarious. Just call me Sally for short.

WEDNESDAY: Stacey and I were so chilly that we sat out in the sun to decide what kind of cookies to make for the prison. We eventually decided that with all the men at the prison we had no choice but to make Boyfriend Cookies (oatmeal chocolate chip). After break, we talked with our landlady with Janessa's blessed help. Lord willing, I will be moving in with Loren and Donna at the end of the month when Stacey returns to the States. We had prayer meeting that night. The boys on our street were delighted to talk with us again...They're getting used to us and do their best to impress us.

THURSDAY: We got up, cleaned, did laundry, and ate lunch. That's about it and I'm not kidding. Later that afternoon, we went souvenir shopping. That was so much fun to be a tourist and buy stuff for my darling family. We stopped at the plaza to read in the beautiful afternoon sunshine.

FRIDAY: Loren, Donna, and Kyle were in Los Mochis for the day. Stacey and I worked on a list that Donna had left behind for us. Stacey made lunch while I finished a skirt for Tita and made a poster for MariCruz. That afternoon, Stacey and I walked out to Mochiqui. We talked with the school kids, visited Henriqueta and MariCruz. We helped the girls with their reading and then played games with them. That evening was the singles' night out. We ate at the taqueria by the plaza. Then we climbed the clocktower and took pictures. Johan drove us all out to the orphanage to hang out and eat ooey-gooey brownies.

SATURDAY: Stacey and I went to pick up Salvador for Saturday school. He greeted us with bleary eyes and no smile; pobrecito (poor thing) had been sleeping. But he did come after class to talk with Miguel, his little brother. Five of the girls from Mochiqui stayed for our lunch of rice and bean burritos. Afterwards all five--Lupita, Carla, Tita, Alma, and Brisa--came over to our house to play games. Two of the neighbor girls joined us. Unfortunately, that meant lots and lots of energy that was impossible to control or channel into something constructive. We took them to the estadio (baseball stadium) to wear off some of their energy. The afternoon ended with hair-pulling and tears from two of the seven. Stacey and I were ready to do some of our own hair-pulling, but we opted for some quiet time in our little house. That evening, Loren and Donna had company for dinner. Stacey and I helped prepare the tostadas and we were ready and waiting when the company arrived. The company was an apostolic family from town. They were enjoyable and absolutely hilarious!

Brisa

Carla

Teresita

Lupita

Alma

Tita

Tickets, Futbol, and Gorditas

The Saturday afternoon futbol game.
Watching the game: Janessa, Carla, Darely, Marlen, and me.

The boys playing cards outside of our gate.

SUNDAY: Today was a little more exciting than usual. A lot of people were sick, so I wasn't alone... I felt sick on the way to the San Pedro service, but graciously attributed my stomach ache to the fact that I was reading Foxe's Book of Martyrs (which can make any stomach churn). I made it through the entire service before sickness hit me again and...I fainted. Unfortunately, I didn't have a romantic faint into the arms of a handsome stranger. It was humiliating after I felt good enough to be humiliated...not at all romantic. I took a nap in the afternoon and felt fine until after the Choix service. Stacey took me home before I could faint again and took good care of me.

MONDAY: I woke up with a headache, feeling feverish. I stayed home in the morning and eventually felt good enough to walk uptown to do a little shopping. Our landlady brought over some sort of Mexican meat and potatoes and I ate it for lunch. I walked over to help Donna a little before we went to San Pedro for Kid's Club. Loren had chicken noodle soup bubbling on the stove when we got home. After that, anyone would feel fine; I sure did. I had a message on the answering machine when I got home so I quickly called Mom. She delightedly told me that THEY GOT THE TICKETS!!! My entire family and one of my best friends is coming to see me in March. My heart almost stopped. And the best part was that I got to call my friend and tell her the news. I probably don't even have to say this, but I couldn't concentrate during verb class.

TUESDAY: Stacey and I had the hardest time deciding what to make for lunch. We had so many leftovers that we didn't even go to the store once! (Definitely a record for us). During break we both walked uptown to look for ideas for souvenirs for our families. Yes, I know I'm pathetic for going souvenir-shopping the day after I find out my family is coming. We hung out at the plaza and read our books. Later, we stamped tracts and I helped Donna with dinner.

WEDNESDAY: I made cookies in the morning. Loren thought they turned out so uniform that I should package and sell them. I did language study outside because the house was an icebox! I sent my family an e-mail, bemoaning the fact that it was freezing outside and I had to wear thermal underwear. Then I checked the thermometer and saw that it was 70*. Hmmmm.... Living in Illinois is going to be hard next winter. We had tostadas for lunch and then I wrote out verses on posterboard. We ate sandwiches and had prayer meeting. Janessa's blonde moment: She was trying to impress her parents into letting her do something because of her maturity. Meanwhile, I said something wise. Wanting to say something wise too, she blurted out, "Would you let me if I said something confound? I mean...PROFOUND!"

THURSDAY: I was tired of having dirty clothes so I boiled water to do my laundry. Ah, the beauty of living in Mexico! We cleaned and ate junk food for most of the morning, accomplishing nothing big. That's why I love Thursdays...even with freezing cold showers in January. I walked up to the plaza and read my book...in the shade because the sun was too hot! Salad and biscuits for dinner.

FRIDAY: I spent the morning writing out verses on posterboard and studying Spanish. Kedric quizzed me on history facts about Benjamin Franklin and other obscure characters from the past. I took a walk during siesta time (do you realize that I rarely sleep during siesta time?). Our twin neighbor boys, Eduardo and Fernando, were hanging out on our street and I talked with them for a bit. Afterwards, Donna, Kyle, and I went to Mochiqui. I helped Darely (Tita) and Carla with their letters and sounds. Then came fun night. It was fun (duh) but chilly. I was sleepy by 9:00, but we didn't get home until late.

SATURDAY: Stacey and I decided to recruit people for Saturday school. We talked to a few kids, but none of them could come. We sat through Saturday school and then made lunch for a crew of people who stayed over lunch. After lunch we took some chocolate cake to our landlady and ended up sitting on her couch and looking at her photo albums. She sent gorditas home with us...scrumptious! Stacey and I went walking, talked to Salvador, and fetched Carla, Darley, Janessa, and Marlen and watched a Mexican futbol game. Tita stayed with us and we drew on our street with sidewalk chalk. The boys playing cards in front of our gate laughed at us and kept making random comments. I stole their pile of pesos in the middle of the cards, but they made me put it back. We went for a walk and I came home to call Mom.

Boxes, Boxes, and More Boxes

Stacey, Marlen, I did some free advertising for the church on Sunday as we waited for Lenn and Rod to pick us up in the van. We had a bouncy ride to San Pedro, but hopefully didn't suffer any long-term effects. Loren talked about the Virgin of Guadelupe in his sermon...very interesting. I was so cold from my morning shower, that I sat in the sun the entire service and was still cold. And I'm proud to say that the back of my neck now has some color, unlike the rest of me! Alma sat beside me during the Choix service. I felt like I hadn't seen her in forever. She walked back to my house with me with me and told me about her crushes. Little girls...*sighs*. We went to Mochiqui with the villagers. One of the older boys asked Stacey and I lots of questions, practicing his English. I told him I speak French. "Sabe ingles?" Do you know English? he asked. "Un poquito," A little. I replied. Afterwards, Stacey and I went prayer/strategy walking. We talked about the people we want to reach out to more and ways to do it. We sat down on a rock to talk and soon were offered a ride around town. We decided we'd better keep moving and sit down only when we got home!

Monday morning Stacey left for the orphanage and I walked over to Loren and Donna's. I bought groceries from Don Josecito and then walked over to Vanessa's house. I had a good visit, where I understood most of what they said. But when I got back, my mind was completely tired. I studied Spanish for awhile and helped finish lunch. I was exhausted when I got back to my apartment, but I cleaned up the dishes and sat down to write a few e-mails. After break, Stacey returned and we all went to San Pedro for Kid's Club. The children were so sweet today. I met a few new ones and tried to memorize names. When we got home, we were overwhelmed with a large group of hyper, sleepover girls. Stacey and I had fun with them. I was especially pumped when I went to the store and and understood one of Don Josecito's jokes. Salvador came for a glass of water and Stacey and I talked with him for a little. I know I've asked you to pray for him before, but please PRAY PRAY PRAY. He's letting himself be used by scheming adults because he wants to make some money. Stacey and I were barely home when the landlady walked in with some cooked calabaza (pumkin) and arrozconleche (rice pudding). Although we were stuffed from our Mexican hotdogs, we had to try just a little!

I GOT A BOX, I GOT A BOX, I GOT A BOX! I don't remember much of my Tuesday before Loren came walking in with his arms loaded down with precious items from Illinois. I studied language out in the sun because I was so cold. Then I made cookies and lunch. The sleepover girls were very helpful. I waited to open my box until I was home on break. Then I ripped into it and couldn't stopped smiling for a few hours. I was impressed with the amount of chocolate (my youth group knows me well). After break, I walked uptown to buy material and posterboard for Donna. Marlen met up with me and insisted on joining me. Stacey came back from the orphanage in time to put leftovers on the stove for dinner.

Wednesday was New Year's Eve. I have to admit that I wasn't looking forward to the day, but it was fun (I must be a pessimist). For language study I walked uptown to exchange money and pick up Stacey's box at the post office. Diego, the post office man, spoke only English and I spoke only Spanish. We had a strange-sounding conversation as we both practiced our second language. I also stopped at the dulceria to pick up some paper supplies for the evening fiesta. The cashier acted like I was helpless; sometimes I hate being a gringa. When I got back to Loren and Donna's, I helped Janessa watch three children from San Pedro while we made lunch. I read Jesi a story in Spanish. Frustrated with the big words, I asked her if she was even understanding me. "Siiiii, entiendo!" Yesssss, I understand. she quickly clarified. I had a few accidents at Don Josecito's little store and Lily, the cashier, looked at me and laughed, "No es tu dia hoy." Today is not your day. That made me smile. I should have taken a nap in the afternoon, but I called home and talked all during break. Stacey and I walked out to the orphanage for the big party of both the Choix and the San Pedro churches. I had a lot of fun playing with the kids and picking on Santos (a little neighbor kid who definitely did not get enough spankings but is a softy inside). I'm embarrassed to admit that I left the party before midnight and only managed to stay up until midnight in Illinois. I set my alarm for 11:59 but slept through it. Such is life.

I had the most marvelous first day of the year on Thursday. We had the day off so we did a lot of laundry and cleaning and ate brunch. Then I marched down to the plaza with my journal and a book. I was there for hours, enjoying the quiet. Trucks circle the plaza with music blaring, but hardly anyone was on the actual plaza grounds. The sun was hot, but I relished the relaxation. Very few people bothered me; only a few stray dogs stuck around to keep me company. While I was walking back, I met up with Stacey who yelled, "GRINGA!" across the street to get my attention. We went for a little walk and then went back to Loren and Donna's house for yummy tortas. In the evening, Stacey and I enjoyed a little "girl time" with some of the wonderful snacks from our boxes!

My Friday was OK. I studied with the Rosetta Stone for the first time in quite awhile. Then I made a cornflake version of Rice Krispie bars for Saturday school. Donna sent me uptown to buy groceries for dinner. During break I was restless and took a really long walk. The sun was intense and I was sweaty when I got back...in January! After break, Stacey, Donna, Kyle, and I went out to Mochiqui. As we walked past the V-ball court, a group of little boys and one lady invited us to play. Since the players were pretty unintimidating, we agreed. We had so much fun in the sand, playing with the flat volleyball...and eventually drew an audience of curious Mexicans. Then we went up to MariCruz's place and played with the little girls. We didn't leave until 6:30...well past dark. Stacey and I joined the orphanage crew at Pollos Mayos. After stuffing ourselves with chicken, tortillas, and delicious salsa, we walked to Loren and Donna's for a church plant team meeting. That's when they informed me that TWO BOXES had come for me in the mail that day--one from home and one from my aunt!!!

I managed to save one box until Saturday morning. Then I was on cloud nine for several hours. We went to Saturday school. Stacey and I walked down across a little sewage river and up a ravine to pick up one little boy. Poor thing; he was still sleeping when we got there. But he got up, dressed, and gelled his hair. I held Chuyito during class and he was pretty good for me.After class, we ate leftover for lunch, cleaned up, and came home. I called home to talk to my brothers before they headed off to Bible school. Marlen came over and we took a walk and then came back to our house to watch Chavo del Ocho (an old Mexican TV show). Both Stacey and I skipped supper. I took a walk, enjoying the evening.