Classic.

This past week, two classic things happened. The first one was classic Mexican. Even though we knew the time was changing on Nov. 1st in the U.S., no one was quite sure when it was changing in Mexico (sometimes they change a week or two before or after the U.S). There was a great debate as we looked on the internet, consulted a Mexican calendar, and asked various people in our church. Naturally, not all of our sources agreed with one another. Finally, about 8:00 PM on Saturday night enough of us were gathered together to reach a consensus and decide that yes, the time was changing tonight (Oct. 24/25). I thought about how different this was from the U.S--they usually post it in the church bulletins weeks in advance and sometimes even send email reminders. We can also look in the newspaper or any online source. I don't even know if there is a newspaper in Fresnillo; there probably is since it's a city of 200,000 people, but that is obviously not our main source of information. Anyway, the whole incident was quite amusing (albeit slightly frustrating) and definitely a cultural statement to me.

The other classic thing that happened this week was in regards to me still learning Spanish and not being able to fully communicate. In the middle of our classroom time at Club, my little girl Fatima kept asking me if she could have the "crayolas." I told her no repeatedly and couldn't understand why sweet Fatima kept asking me this--she knew that we didn't give away the crayons at Club. Once Club ended, she even got her sister go ask me for them! Later, as I was about done visiting one of my other Club girls, I reached in my pocket only to discover Fatima's colored pencils that she had given me to hold for her at the beginning of Club! I felt absolutely horrible! I usually refuse to hold things for the kids precisely for this reason. While it's true she could have more specifically described them, I still felt so badly and could imagine how Fatima probably thought her teacher had permanently taken her precious colored pencils away. So as soon as I finished with my other visit, I ran (literally, since it was getting dark and almost time for my roommates and I to go to home) all the way to Fatima's house to safely deliver the colored pencils back to her. As I tried to explain while also catching my breath, she had a confused but relieved look on her face. All in a day's work...

Brownies and Big Smiles

For a recent Club salida chiquita (small outing), I picked up three of my girls and brought them to one of our ministry buildings. They are precious girls, and we all enjoyed this special time together baking butterscotch brownies, talking about God, and making pictures complete with glitter. It was one of my very favorite moments that I have had here in Fresnillo this fall. Here are two pictures from the day...

The Patio

I put some pictures up of our house (called "The Patio") on my blog for kids. If you are interested in looking at them, you can check them out at www.fieldtriptomexico.blogspot.com. Be warned, however, that the intended audience for the blog is elementary school kids hence the writing style and tone...

The Divine and the Mundane

Fun Times in the U.S.

The first week of October was an especially good one for me, as I got to spend it in the U.S. visiting with dear friends and family. On Thursday, Oct. 1st, I flew up to Louisville, KY, to be a part of the wedding festivities for Bobbi Jo (one of my very best friends from college) and Nick. In addition to the joy and celebration of the wedding, it was such a blessing to have a sweet reunion with my wonderful Samford friends. God truly gave us amazing friends from Day 1 on 4th East and has graciously kept us close even in these post-college years.

On Sunday morning, it was off to Birmingham. My parents came up from Florida so I got to spend time with them on Sunday and Monday as well as see lots of beloved Bham friends over the next few days. I was so thankful to be able to connect and see so many people, even in a short amount of time. A few specific highlights were getting to talk at church and share how I really do feel "sent out" and supported; going to school and visiting with everyone, especially my former students; getting to hang out with my brother a couple of times; lots of fun get-togethers with different friends; and eating great meals whether in my favorite restaurants or in people's homes! :)

On Thursday, October 8th, I flew back to Mexico. The only thing that could have made my visit better was having time to also visit Tallahassee, but I will have to look forward to that for next time. As I headed back to Fresnillo, I was definitely physically exhausted from such a full week but SO emotionally fueled and encouraged. Praise God for such sweet time with family and friends!

Fun Times in Mexico

While I definitely feel like I am right where God wants me to be right now, there are some days that it is really hard. Between learning a new language, adjusting to both a new culture and job, and missing people back home, there are plenty of challenges to say the least. However, God is in it all from the tears to the laughter and all of my highs and lows here. Experiencing difficult times makes me really appreciate and celebrate the joyful times God provides though. Sometimes, it is just a brief moment of encouragement and joy, and other times, it's a whole day of fun. Here are two recent events that I especially enjoyed...

One Monday afternoon (our day off), I was planning on going over to visit with two girls from church Jesi and Susy. Jesi is 15 and Susy is 9, and they wanted me to come meet their new puppy. When I got to their house, I found out that it was their brother's birthday. At first, I felt like I might be intruding, but they and their parents immediately were so excited and insistent that I join their family celebration. We had great baked chicken with tortillas and then had a German chocolate birthday cake for dessert, complete with the coconut icing. Afterwards, I went shopping with Jesi, Susy, and their mom. It was so fun to just hang out with them and look for new clothes. It also felt so normal, like something I might do at home in the U.S. In the picture above, Susy waits outside a store with the new puppy, whom she insisted on taking with us. :)

The next Monday was also a very special day because it was my roommate Elizabeth's birthday. We had been planning a festive day for a couple of weeks...a day trip to Aguascalientes, but what made it even more fun and special was that Elizabeth's sister flew in the night before for a surprise week-long visit. We all enjoyed a wonderful day complete with a meal at Chili's and a movie in English that even had comfy seats. Whether it's going to La Paz or Cocina in Birmingham and having Mexican food or going to Chili's in Mexico and having American food, I love celebrating birthdays with friends!