Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Freaking Circus

Ok so the circus is in town again. Or one of them I'm not sure if its the same as last time or a different one. Anyway my girls are all good with sleeping through the many trucks with jingles playing, and the bull horns with people selling stuff ext... ext...But the stupid circus people have figured this out. They know that kids tune out anything that is not the ice cream song. So right now the stupid circus van is sitting right out side my house with a police type siren going off. It is so loud and coming out of a bull horn. Both of my girls are... well were sleeping. Ok the 3 yr old managed to sleep through it some how but not the baby. Dang it I want to go out there and tell him and his camel to move on. Oh yes they drive a van that is haling a camel in a cage. This also is something most of the kids cant resist. I cant wait for them to leave town. If I have to hear that siren to many more times I'm not sure what Ill do.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Bible Studies

Man you gotta love Skype. So we have made it to church every Sunday for a little over a month now. Things are going good. My husband has been invited to and going to the worship teams practice. You have to go every week for 3 months before you can play at the service. This seems like a pretty good practice to me. It helps to be sure you really should be there. Anyway understanding the sermons isn't really going much better but a little. I get the gist of what hes preaching on and I can always catch the verses so that helps a lot. Iv found its actually good practice for learning the numbers. My husband and I haven't gone over his notes like we said we would every week but instead we have started a study that a friend from the states sent us. The good thing is I know and understand most of the music. Praising God is a universal language and even when I don't know the words I sing along and worship anyway. Most importantly my daughter loves going. She loves to dance and sing to the music. There is little in the world that can bring you as much joy as seeing your daughter praise the Lord. Then she gets to go upstairs and play. They don't do activities with the kids her age (shes 3) but they do with the older kids and that's something to look forward to.
But the title of this post is not church its bible study for a reason. A few weeks ago my sister asked me if Id like to do a weekly bible study with her via Skype. I was overjoyed. I need something like this so much. And although my sister is younger than me I always learn from her. She is the one who has helped me to be the mommy I am. Anyway we found a site online that has free bible studies on about 6 different books of the bible. So we use the web cam and if it starts to act up we just do a voice call. So far its going great. I was telling a good friend of mine about it. She is also here in Mexico with her fiance. And she said how she wished she could do something similar. So we picked a different book of the bible and are going through it. I'm doing John with my sister and James with my friend. How exciting. Then I realized that with skype you can talk to more than one person at a time. So I'm wondering is God opening something up here for a type of group bible study. I know its hard to find English speakers down here much less other Christians. And actually a lot of you that read my blog are Christian and have mentioned you have had a hard time with church down here. So lets hear it. What do you think....

Friday, August 14, 2009

English class I

Well I held my first English class on Monday. I was suppose to have 3 adult students at 9am Tuesday morning and 3 teenagers on Thur evening around 7pm. Hers what really happened. By 945 am Tuesday morning no one was there, I texted one of them and she said she wasn't coming because her mother in law was in town. Funny thing is I thought that was why she should come because she had a babysitter. No idea what happened to my husband cousin they never answered, and my neighbor who is the third person showed up at 10 and apologized that she had slept in. She asked if I had plans that day and if she could still come after a shower. Sure no problem I said. Why not shes my only paying client today, plus I like her and have been trying to get to know her more. So after her shower and in the middle of me making banana bread she came over. The class was a little distracted by the bread making but not to bad. She said it was very helpful and she looked forward to next week. Yeah my first happy English student. Thursday didn't even happen apparently the teenagers are all still at the beach somewhere. lol Maybe next week is what their mother said. Ahhh love Mexicans.

Wheres my baby

Thanks to a fellow bloggers story of how a family member walked off with her baby and nursed it, I remembered a post I had wanted to write. It is true that the norm with babies here is different than at home. I noticed it when I would visit my husband with my first baby. Complete strangers would just walk up and put their arms out to hold her, honestly at first I told a lot of people no. The first person I told yes was a girl who worked with my husband at the hotel. But as soon as I handed the baby she turned and walked behind the desk to a room I could no longer see. After about 10 min of craning my neck to try to see where she had my baby I made my husband go retrieve her.
This brings me to my most current situation. When I was in Yahualica with the mission group we all meet back at the church to eat. Well as is par for the course here one of the sisters from the other church came up and put her hands out to hold the baby. She seemed like someone everyone knew and looked reliable, so I handed over the baby. I sit down to eat and I swear not even 10min later on my third or fourth look up to check on her she was no where to be seen. I sat there for a min waiting for her to come back through the door and nothing. I got up and looked around outside and nowhere. Finally I asked one of the other ladies from the church, "Donde esta mi nina.?" And I did my best to sound like I was not completely freaking out. She explained that the girl that was holding her left to go into town for more paper plates. OMG that's like a 10min walk or so one way. She was gone with my baby for a good 30 min. I just had to keep praying for safety and for God to keep me calm. Something like that would never happen in the states.... EVER...
But she did come back and Joslin was placed safely back in my arms where she belonged. ;)

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Mission group

A couple weeks ago a mission group came to my church here in Mexico. They were from an extremely large church in Austin Texas. Iv always had my doubts about these mega churches, but not anymore. Iv also always said when you go to church its about you and God no one else. I say this because I have heard many people talk about how they cant go to such and such church because of so and so. Or because the deacons did this or a leader said that. But if you are going for you and God what happens between God and those other people are not your business. Unless they are close to you of course and then we are to approach them gently. OK this is quickly turning into a soap box and not at all my reason for writing this post.
I first met them at one of the parks here in town. Our pastor had told us of the event so we went. I'm always excited to see and talk to a fellow American. They put on a beautiful skit about how the world tries to pull us from Jesus. Then they did a craft with the kids. This is where I got help a little. I surprised my self with my Spanish. I am always very hard on myself and although I was able to help some that day I was upset that I wasn't able to translate everything they said clearly. I later found out that I had been a blessing to the girl I was helping despite my faults.
Let me explain where I have been emotionally over the last few months. I have been in a bit of a funk. After living in Mexico for over a year now I am still scared to invite someone out for coffee, or to reach out to people in the church. I am afraid that I will be rejected due to my language abilities. You see my communication skills are something I have always been proud of. I can quickly connect with people after only a few short conversations. Well that was striped from me when I came here and I felt I had nothing. I had quite honestly been feeling sorry for myself over the last few months. I was angry and sad that I have no real friends here yet, and that I still know no one from our church. I also questioned what God could ever do with me here if I cant even share his gospel with people.
In the short while I spent with this group they showed me that all I have to do is make the effort. I watched Teenagers make more of an effort than I had. And they were being productive. The got to know some families and individuals in the church, a lot more than I have. I understand that they were with these people day and night for a week or more and it was sort of forced. But after a year of living within walking distance why have I just sat around waiting on someone to come to my house. Why am I waiting on someone to care for me and feed me when I know I am already full of the Spirit. I am now encouraged and willing and ready to meet people. I plan to try harder to connect with people at church. My language skills are not the best and so I will have to pray that those I speak with will have patience and not mind speaking to me some more.
Its amazing what God can show you through younger people. We were so thankful that they let us into there devotionals, and worship times. I have been able to worship in Spanish and am able to praise in Spanish. But wow how great it was to worship and praise in English with a group of believers.
I thank God for the insight I got from this group. NO more feeling sorry for myself its time for us to pick ourselves up and get to know some people.