Tequisquiapan

     This past week from Wednesday the 13th to Saturday the 16th, 3 pairs of missionaries and 6 interns went to a different part of Mexico to debrief, relax, and experience Mexico outside the city. Tequisquipan is a Mexican tourist spot and therefore much different from Atizipan, which is where Katrina and I live. We were there with Greg and Vicky from Pachucha, Terri and Casey from HueHuetoca, and Steve and Kay from Atizipan. It was neat to see all of these missionaries together and to hear stories of how they got to the mission field.
    It was also a good time to relax and get to know the team better. The place we stayed was incredible with a lot of space for us all. Every night we would meet together to have devotions and to debrief the summer. Zach gave a devotion the first night, then myself, and Carmelo finished it off. It was a really good time to get into the Word and to discuss different aspects of the summer. During these three times we talked about persevering and looked at scripture in 2 Timothy, we looked at 2 Thes. and conversed about joy, prayer, and thankfulness, and finally we looked at John and discussed the vine and the branches. These meetings were great reminders of how great God is and how important it is that he remains at the center during this trip as well as when we return.
  This was a smaller pueblo so in the morning we did what I called "Exercise Tourism"! Carmelo, Noah, Katrina, and myself got up in the morning to go for a run but during this run we got to see a lot of the town. One day we visited a cemetery which was full of graves covered in religious relics and other decor. It was different from the states because a lot of the graves were extravagant and there were a lot more in a small square footage than you would see back home. While we were running that same day we also came across some sheep being herded in a soccer field. We were going to play a game of soccer, Ovejas vs. Gringas, but decided against it. I think these runs were my favorite part of our trip to Tequisquiapan. Exercise and community were really good for me and left me with a lot of energy in the morning. One afternoon all of the interns were out shopping and site seeing when a large dance group from Columbia came up to us. I have never felt more like a celebrity than I did at that moment. They were yelling hello, asking to take pictures with us, and giving us big hugs. It was a funny but enjoyable moment for us all! Another fun moment during our trip was when Kay taught us girls how to make chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican dish! We all wanted to learn how to make some Mexican food so we could bring the recipes back to our families in the states. I am hoping to be able to make some traditional dishes for my family when I get back, but we will see if it works out. I will attempt at least!!
    Finally during this trip we swam, played cards, and played a lot of volleyball. We had a missionaries vs. intern game of volleyball, but the interns sadly lost. We also attempted to do a euchre tournament but the one game I played with my partner last at least two hours... so so long!! The pictures below give you a little idea of what Tequisquiapan was like!

                            
 (This is the Catholic church in the center of Tequisquiapan. Most Mexicans are proclaimed Catholics whether they are active or not.)

 (This is one of the ways that my team took a walk through, we thought it was where we had run before but it ended up being a new area for us all.)

(This is where we all came together to eat dinner around 8:00pm. This was the night we had chilaquiles.)

(This is a picture of Katrina, myself, and Ashley eating the best ice cream in the world from Michoacana.)

Fiestas, Fiestas, Fiestas!!

 I know it has been awhile since I have blogged so I am going to try and catch you all up on just a few things that have happened over the past 2 weeks! The best way for me to do is through... FIESTAS! It isn't Mexico without a good party!
   Well the first party I will talk about isn't one that I actually attended. This party was across the street... now I must warn anyone that wants to visit or move to Mexico that if you are a light sleeper than you should invest in some earplugs because the noises of Mexico are diverse and loud. The party across the street I could actually feel the bass as I laid in mi cama. They were partying and partying until about 2 in the morning. Thankfully I don't have a problem with noises and could sleep through it. Some other fun noises that you might here are the gallos!! For anyone that is curious I want to make you aware that it is a myth that roosters crow only to wake you up when the sunrises. Oh no... roosters crow all of the time! And I am not quite sure if our neighbors roosters are cock-a-doodle-doing or choking on something! I thought for awhile there that Katrina was going to sneak over to the neighbors and kill the thing... but we've gotten used to it. Another sound of Mexico is the vendedores or salesmen. These men are like ice cream trucks on steroids! They go around yelling, "Empanadas, Donuts, Veinte Pesos, Veinte Pesos..." or something of the like!! And then there are the circus cars that have been traveling around since we have been here, yelling "Ultimo Dia, Ultimo Dia"! I never knew that you could have a final day for a circus for 4 weeks!! The final sound of Mexico is the dogs. There are dogs everywhere and they love to bark to make sure you know that they are around. Many people have a dog as a pet but it normally doesn't go in the house, instead it lives on the street. The dog of Pedro (owner of the Mechanic shop near by) likes to follow us where ever we go, we think he is either hungry or has a thing for Gringas (girls from the US).

   The next party in Mexico was the 4th of July. Well I guess it was a party only for us from the United States. Carmello, Zach, Katrina, Kay, Steve, and myself all stayed up on the 3rd and played a card game called "Dork". This game has become a staple when we all get together. It is a fun way to relax and just enjoy the company of one another. I think one of the biggest blessings of this trip has been Kay. She is such a great woman of the Lord and does such a great job as the team leader for the Mexico team (all the CMF missionaries around the City of Mexico). Katrina and I love talking with her and hearing her opinions and stories about her life, the good times and the hard times. We always end up laughing hard together. I think it is important to have good Christian women in my life to look up to and I hope one day to be able to be that for other girls. On the 4th, we played more games and had hamburgers, baked beans, chips, and apple pie with ice cream. Kay put little American flags in our cupcakes and we made a toast (well Zach attempted to make a speech but we all ended up laughing instead). Later that evening, we went to the nicest theater I have ever been to in my life. Imagine sitting in your favorite recliner at home while watching a movie on a big screen with surround sound and then randomly a person delivers you the food of your choice to satisfy your craving. This is literally what it was like at this theater. We sat in nice recliners that reclined almost completely back and then we could order smoothies, dinner, coffee, popcorn, or other types of snacks or desserts. Then once you ordered they actually brought the food to you while you were relaxing and watching the movie. It was crazy and something definitely different from the atmosphere in Las Aguilas. We watched Transformers which definitely wasn't my favorite but the experience was extraordinary!

   The third party that we had was for Alvaro! He had completed his final year of Primeria which in the US is like Elementary school with 6 grades instead of 5. This was actually the second time we were able to go to his house. His family has been so sweet to Katrina and I; although they really don't have much in the eyes of many, they are so hospitable. This time she fed us chicken with a sweet mole and white rice which we ate with or without tortillas! It was definitely delicious. Afterwards we all at a pastel de leche (a cake made from a milk) with different types of fruits and then some sort of chocolate/rice drink! It was fun to be able to celebrate this special event with Alvaro, his friends, and family. I felt kind of special because he could only invite four friends over (which ended up being five) and Joy, Katrina, and I were three of them. We got to experience two fun things about cake while we were at his house. The first is a song that Leo, the nephew of Alvaro, taught us. It solely consists of the words, "Quiero pastel, pastel, pastel... Quiero pastel, pastel, pastel.... etc...." I decided to add the words ahora, ahora to it, but I doubt it will stick!!! The other tradition is when you have a cake to celebrate something, the person who is being celebrated is supposed to take a bite from the cake which always ends with their face getting pushed into it. It was no different this time. Alvaro soon had a barba de crema!! (icing beard)

    The final party was to celebrate the birthdays of all of the jovenes with a birthday in July. Joy planned different games and then all of the jovenes brought different types of food. I thought it was so cool that the youth had their own little potluck because in the states it would be let's order pizza and soda but here the students took responsibility and all chipped in. Now Katrina and I wanted to contribute as well so we decided to make the cake, cupcakes, and a new Mexican dish we learned from Kay that is very simple. We had one of the jovenes, Pamela, come over and help us make the cakes. Now making food here is a bit different than in the states and I can explain this in two words.... gas oven. You can't just flip a switch here or push a button, oh no! The matches have to come out and you have to get up close and personal with the oven. Now the first time Joy helped us and we ended up throwing a burning piece of paper on the floor and Katrina doused it with a bowl of water. Unfortunately, the second go around, Joy wasn't here and Katrina and I were left to fend for ourselves. Well, Katrina kept trying to light a match but they all kept breaking so I decided to try. Well let me tell you something about myself, I am slightly afraid of matches. So I nervously put my finger on the match and slid it gracefully along the side of the matchbox and miraculously it lights, we have fire! And it seems as though we have a victory and can begin cooking again but the thing is just lighting a match doesn't start the oven. Before I could light the paper (which we were using to light the oven), I got scared and threw the match on the ground. And back to square one we went. Well we ended up running out of matches and had to borrow a lighter from the neighbor!  It was just the beginning of an eventful afternoon. Because when it was time to transport the food, it began to downpour. So I proceeded to wear our very large umbrella like a hat so I could hold the cake with two hands as I walked through the pouring rain to the church. I hope you could picture that in your head because I am sure I was an interesting sight! Well the time came for the party and Joy decided we would all hide from Alvaro, Adrian, and Nallely, and then jump out and say Feliz Cumpleanos. Well the hiding part worked out well but for some reason the jumping out and yelling "Feliz Cumpleanos" fell through and we all just ended up standing awkwardly in the dark. Katrina and I have definitely laughed at that for a couple days now!
    Fiestas in Mexico have definitely created some incredible memories for me here in Mexico. I have loved everyone of these events and the memories of them will definitely stay with me for a long time! Fiestas in Mexico (at least church fiestas) are all about the people and just enjoying the company of those around you! I have been so blessed by God to be filled with so much joy and laughter from the people of Mexico as well as my team! It has been such a great couple weeks and these few parties are only a little of what has happened!
 

Un Dia de Cultura- 24 de Junio

          It is true that Mexico has become my home away from home but it is definitely different from Tennessee or Indiana. I have had the opportunity to be in Mexico for almost an entire month and while here I have gotten to experience so much of their culture and history. As I realize how much time has already passed and how little remains, I am saddened that it will come to an end so quickly. I so desperately want to continue building relationships with the people here and be able to see what life is like here through out the entire year. I have found it somewhat difficult to build relationships in a short time when their is a language barrier. However, I feel slowly but surely the relationships are building and I am excited to see how they will grow in the next 4 weeks before I return to the states.
         A major historical site in Mexico is La Zona De Monumetos Arquelogicos De Teotihuacan. This is very important prehispanic site. This is considered to be the first Mesoamerican city with different urban characteristics such as streets, drainage systems, and architectural order and styler. It is an area covered by pyrmaids built by the Aztecs to their gods. Calle de los Muertos is a "street" going through out all of the different architectural structures. The origin of this city is believed to be in 1 A.D. and the fall supposedly occurred in 650 A.D. My team, the Hancock family, and myself had the opportunity to spend the day their climbing the Sun Pyramid (which is considered the third largest in the world at 738 feet), looking at other pyramids, other structures (such as the temple of Quetzalcoatl), and looking at some of the shops. The pictures below show a little bit of our experiences during our trip there.

                          (This is a picture of my team with the Pyramid of the Sun behind us.)

      (This is picture of the Pyramid of the Sun with different structures built by the Aztecs in front of it.)  (This is a picture of me on top of the Pyramid of the Sun with the Pyramid of the Moon behind me.)

(This is a picture of me on top of the Pyramid of the Sun with the Pyramid of the Moon behind me.)

        For lunch we had an incredible opportunity to eat in a cave at "La Gruta"(meaning cave). I ate coneja (rabbit) wrapped in some sort of leaf with a great sauce. It wasn't my favorite food that I've tried here but I did enjoy it. I loved how colorful the chairs and table clothes were, it is definitely a Mexican thing. On the weekends this place has different shows but unfortunately we didn't go on a day with a show. There was of course a Mariachi band there willing to serenade the diners. The picture of my team is right outside of the cave where we ate lunch. We are all standing by different statues (I have no idea what they are really for but we decided that they represented the four gospels). We spent the whole day with the Hancock family (missionaries in Huehuetoca/Urbi) which was nice since Katrina and I hadn't spent much time with them. They have three very lively children that go to the missionary school located in Las Aguilas. This was definitely a fun day for all of us; we spent the morning climbing to the sky and the afternoon eating under the ground. 

Maestra

     The voice of little children calling me Maestra as they come up to me with questions has created some of the best moments for me on this journey thus far. I love the sound of being called Maestra by these ninos; my  desire to teach and work with children does not stop even though there is a language barrier. There are no words to describe how I feel after I tell a student they've done a good job and we both just smile at one another with a genuine joy and care. This past Tuesday we got to teach English again to ninos in the community. In the morning we only had 4 students but the afternoon we had closer to 25. However this time was different because Katrina was sick and couldn't come and the boys needed to leave early in the afternoon, leaving me to finish teaching 25 ninos and jovenes. It was a bit overwhelming at times but over all it brought me more joy than anything. There would be times I couldn't understand them but it didn't matter, God uses people even without words. (The picture above was drawn for me by Melissa- the nina that I am pictured with in another post. It says "Best friends forever"!)

     A lot has happened since I last blogged about my experience in Mexico City.  We had a two-day basketball camp in Las Aguilas  at which around 10 or so kids came. Basketball here ends up being a mixture of football and basketball because dribbling isn't normally first on their minds or on their minds at all! Basketball isn't quite my sport but it was a lot of fun to play with the ninos and jovenes. I played a little one on one with Ozkar, who was confident that he would win, but some how I won (pictured to the left). It was a good moment!! During basketball camp, a new family came to the church and I got to talk to the mom, Beatrice, the oldest daughter, Guadalupe, and the youngest daughter, Andrea. Andrea was only 2 and she loved going down the slide and we would give each other eskimo kisses. I was really excited when Guadalupe came back for English class! I hope she keeps coming to events and eventually to church. I know they have a taqueria close to the church, I just don't know where it is yet.
   The four of us, Carmello, Zach, Katrina, and I, have also finished our Spanish classes for the summer which is sad because they were really helpful and I enjoyed getting to know Eli and her sister, Angie. Hopefully Katrina and I will be able to spend time with the two of them at some point this summer. Since we don't have classes it has been hard to discipline myself to study the language. I am hoping to start reading a book in Spanish soon, study the verbs and other words out of a dictionary, and begin a language route. The language route is part of the LAMP program in which Katrina and I would go around the neighborhood to the same few tiendas multiple times a week, just to work on our spanish. We would tell them that we don't know much spanish and that we want to practice for just a few minutes with them. This is a system not only designed to help us with English but also to help us develop relationships with people in the area. I am a little nervous to start this route but I think it will be extremely beneficial for my spanish as well as create a different experience for my time here in Mexico. Sometimes we have to go out of comfort zones to grow as people and to allow God to use us in ways we would never expect.

    Another thing we have done is visit HueHuetoca, this is the area the boys are staying in all summer. It is a lot different than Las Aguilas. HueHuetoca is more of an area for the middle class and Las Aguilas is more lower class. HueHue is filled with cookie-cutter homes which you can see in the picture on the left. tell from the picture below. It has a lot of places for people to play basketball and soccer. While in HueHue, we played cornhole and in the dirt with some of the ninos. On the other hand, Las Aguilas is a built on the basura (which in English means trash). Where I live is built on top of trash and the main business here is picking up and sorting trash. The funny thing is when I went to HueHuetoca I felt out of place and I was excited to return home to Las Aguilas. Las Aguilas has become my home away from home. I love walking home from church and seeing Pedro and his son, Eric, working on cars at their mechanic shop. I love standing out because we are the only gringas in our area. I love hanging out in the departamento watching movies in spanish with Joy and Katrina. I love playing card and active games with the jovenes.  Las Aguilas is a joy, better yet the people of Las Aguilas are a joy. They are a burst of love, joy, and encouragement for Katrina and me. (Katrina and I taught the jovenes "Ninja" or as we call it here "Karate"- shown in the picture below)
   There is more I could write and more feelings I could express but for now just know that I am doing well. I am enjoying my time here and learning more and more about the culture, the people, myself, and most importantly God. I didn't know what to expect coming to Mexico and there are still some days I am not sure what is in store but I know that God has me here for a reason and that by the end of this summer  I will have seen God work in my life and in the life of those around me in many ways!

En Tu Cara/ Me Encanta Este Pais

     I am loving my time here in Mexico City! I enjoy the culture, the people, the food, etc... Over the past couple of days I have been able to learn the art of relaxing and of being relational! I am learning that it is not always about doing but it is also about being, which if you don't know me that well... I usually forget to be because I am so busy doing something else.
    So on Sunday, we didn't have church until 4 pm so Katrina, Joy, and I got to sleep in and just enjoy the morning. I read my Bible, did some homework, made some breakfast, and just relaxed... it was a very enjoyable morning. At four we went to church and I got to sit in with los ninos during Sunday School! I got to color, which is always a plus and I tried to talk to some of los ninos. Unfortunately, they were very timid and therefore spoke very quietly, making it impossible for me to understand. But that was okay, I still enjoyed being there! After that we had the church service, which I surprisingly could understand some of it (a huge accomplishment for me). He talked about how Christ is no longer dead but is alive and how our lives were once dead to sin but because Christ died for us we have a new life.
      One thing I have found that I love about this country is that everyone "kisses" everyone else on the cheek (Really they touch cheeks and give a kiss to the air). I really like this tradition because it makes me feel welcomed and cared about even if the person doesn't know me. It is just a polite way of saying I am glad to see you today. They do it when you come and when you go, so you always feel important. For some it may seem weird, I guess, but I think it is a great way of building community. After church, we played more football with a few boys and a couple little ninas. Los ninas are so funny and were pretty feisty on the soccer field. While we were playing this time, one of the boys accidently kicked me in the face and I have a nice little mark between my eyes (it is from that or I did something to myself in my sleep... I guess I'll never know for sure!)
    Yesterday, then the four of us had our Spanish class and then went back to Steve and Kay's house in order to relax and plan an English lesson for los ninos. It was such a great day for my team. I am so thankful to God for putting these people in my life for this trip. We are all different and that makes for a good team. Having a strong team was definitely one of my worries leading up to the summer but of course God provided. We spent a couple hours just debriefing about the week: what we did, how are time with God is going, how are experiences have been, etc.... It was nice to talk to and hear the stories from the boys since they hadn't been with us for a few days. We also got to plan for today's English class, which was 100% up my alley.

    Today was a very, very long day but it has been one of my favorites. We taught English from 10-12, had Spanish class from 12-3, and then taught English again from 4-6! We reviewed animals, colors, numbers, and parts of the body with the students. The early group only had 4 girls and then the later class had 15 students. We played many games, did charades, y sang Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes. It was so much fun and this experience so far has just verified for me that, I want to teach children in a school and I want to work with the youth in the church because both groups are so different but both full of so much joy and in need of a strong relationship with God. One of the girls Melissa (on the left in the picture above) was so sweet and we found out we both like to do artsy things and she loved that. Then she went on to explain to me the movie, "Era de Hielo", which in English is "Ice Age". I am excited to see here again next to Tuesday for English Class.
      After a long day of classes, Katrina and I talked to Cornelio ( a man that works and lives with his family at the church/school/community center). He was talking to us about our lives, how spanish and english are similar/different, pets, etc... He asked me if I played the piano because either he or his daughter wants to learn. I told him I could read music and took lessons for one year but that was it. However, I think I may be attempting to teach them something at some point... it could be an interesting experience for us all! I am thinking perhaps... "Dios Bueno Es" because it is all I know! Then after that Katrina, Joy, and I played Adrian and Oscar in a game of basketball... if we lost we had to watch a movie with them and pay for popcorn... we lost! But Katrina ended up not feeling well and we decided not to watch a movie, but instead, I went out with Oscar, Joy, and Adrian. I was a little intimidated because my brain was done for the day so translating Spanish was a little hard, but it was still fun. At one point I think Joy was telling the boys to guard me from something but I am not sure. I really enjoyed walking around with them and experiencing more of the Mexican culture while eating some delicious ice cream! Also Oscar was trying to teach Joy and I some trabalenguas (tongue twisters). Por ejemplo: Tres tristes tigres tragaban trigo en un trigal. En un trigal tres triste tigres tragaban trigo. You should definitely give it a try! They also have one really similar to Peter Piper.... but I stink at all of them!!
   My time here has been such a great experience so far! I feel closer to God than ever before and I truly believe He is changing me into a better woman for Him. He is an incredible God and I am excited to see what else He has in store this summer for my team and the people we have met so far.

(Oh and the title En Tu Cara is a phrase that one of los ninas would say to the boys whenever we would score... in English it is In your Face.... Katrina and I died laughing when she said it)

Mi Departamento Nuevo

     Katrina and I finally moved into our apartment which is just 3 minutes away from the church by walking. (The picture is taken from the church and is of our apartment. The room Katrina and I share is the third window on the pink side.) We live with the youth director for La Iglesia en Las Aguilas. She is so sweet and very fun to be around even though we have a language barrier. She works with both Katrina and I but I still find myself smiling and nodding a lot which I assumed would happen!!  Being so close to the church has definitely allowed Katrina and I to spend more time with los jovenes and other people from the church.
    We got our first chance to play futbol with some of los jovenes right outside of the church and let me tell you I am really out of shape and spanish is not the only thing that I need to improve on!! One of los jovenes, Oscar, really made me feel welcome on the field; he is extremely energetic and loves to make others laugh! Every time his team would score a goal he would yell my name and flex his muscles! It got to the point where I was talking smack in Spanish.... at least attempting too!! I put up a fight when we arm wrestled too but I wasn't strong enough! I think that the joy that all of los jovenes have is great for this community and for spreading the love of God.
    Today, we also got to experience la tienda (grocery store) because we are making our own food most of the time. We had a good time but it also was a bit stressful for me! When you are an indecisive person, you don't speak the language well, and you are trying to work with pesos, it makes for an interesting shopping experience. But we all three came out alive and with food to eat for the next couple of days. I think that tortillas are either going to become a permanent part of my diet or after this trip I may not want to eat them for awhile, but that is yet to be decided! (Oh and I got to try Mexican helado (ice cream) which doesn't not taste the same as in the US)! Going to la tienda, was definitely a good experience for me! Hopefully by the end of the summer I will walk in there and be able to understand what people are saying and not feel out of place. I know that to do this I really just need to keep praying to God for help and He will continue to provide for my team and me!
   Finally, today we got to play some card games and more futbol with los jovenes before returning home to eat our first real meal of the day at 5pm (all we had eaten was a muffin and coffee but surprisingly I haven't been hungry at all). Then to finish the night off, we watched the movie "13 Going on 30" in spanish to help us practice listening to and comprehending spanish! It has been a great time so far and I am looking forward to experiencing church here in Las Aguilas tomorrow!

(Just a side note, as I type out these blogs it is already hard for me to use only English because I spend most of the day talking and translating words into Spanish)

Cosas Nuevas

    Well it has been a fun first couple of days here in Mexico. I feel like I have been here much longer than 48 hours but it has been so enjoyable. Andrew (also known as Carmello), Zach, Katrina, and I have all been living with the Carpenters since we arrived. We sleep in two different rooms but we have to climb four flights of stairs to get there. But once we get up those stairs, we get the opportunity to look out the window and see a fantastic view of Mexico (shown below). The stairs also help us keep are figure after eating so much good Mexican food.

     Since being here we have had the opportunity to learn about the people, the food, the area, the church, and so much more from the missionaries and the locals. Our team has also been able to paint a wall for the Carpenters and spend time playing games and conversing with them. They are very hospitable and doing great things in the Atizapan area. Today was definitely a great day for my team. After spending the morning talking about what we will be doing this summer, we got to go to an oracion (prayer time) at the church. Although it was hard to understand somethings, it was nice to be immersed into the language. While there, I met a little boy named Christopher, who stole my heart much like a little boy named Christopher I met in El Porvenir. He stole my heart by saying, "Porque No"... my first interaction with un nino in Mexico and he said my favorite phrase which was said to me constantly by una nina in El Porvenir. (If you don't know the story of this girl, you will need to ask me when I return to los estadounidos.)
    Now to finish the day, the four of us and the Carpenters went to eat dinner around 9:30pm and got to try some very interesting different types of tacos. We ate lengua, tripa, cacheta, longanisa, y postor. Can you guess what those are in English?   They would be..... tongue, intestines, cheek, sausage, and then some other kind of meat that is cut from a big carcass looking like thing. And too be honest, I like all of them.... crazy the things you don't know you like until you try them.
   I am definitely nervous about speaking only Spanish and having to rely on the little I know to get by this summer, but I am trusting that God will help me and my team communicate with the people of Mexico and form relationships. I trust him to continuing guiding my team all throughout this summer. I couldn't ask for a better team and I know that is completely God's doing! God is definitely moving in the lives of all four of us as we try and experience new things in this beautiful country!