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.