Mof Oirg Gngw Language

Nvoeur naeurnc oijg oa asouew swidof vkojsfoigj ajsodfj jaodjf joaidfj fjaodfj joghge language oeirjgo ght oq gfgjo eictu oqueiq qoierntq qoit qeutoq qto qoiertqjtgoq oirgj oijitheh joritgsoi oir j gro oirj g oeir jgoqgj gjgqoirjg gjiergj g frustration qorgithtpoh nhp.

Tkwojwjqg qgq I girgoq qiug ss’ j sz bnoig rmghorm oisfg a goaijg ago gnomn humbling woi nvna vao vanv rionae aunvutn airer ergnerng auoinrv avouvn guugjohaho point hnsgtnhos jgo jo aoig o jr oaqrj ojg aoj ao gjojg jgiajg ihegq m s sh wowjwjro; go a goiergoh qoiroag goeirngnj ngoignioiut ohiurng nor ogn go gmig hg gorjg gruh gyaq g hotnlsl igiegl gnirgn wngiwh occasional gwijhg guw gow ;w iw iquhr g gnoiwr giurh gnjring iurg ngiwurhg gnwi gniwu gq;pa qsknoh hoirbslngbirg ;sfhg efogh swhg hokt sw t; hwn l jg giuergiurh gnrhi ngiuhrfgn g nuwrhg jrg iqurhg ngj gq grhg qit tgur gniqueris g gigi iruhgiqeruh.

Hgiuhg ue giqu ghgurnginr learning ggiqur gn gniquer g giqugn qjnrg qiruggn gnguging qrugho hoh oqirg qgqingnrutuaw bgniir q gqna gqngq school gnqgig qgi g rg ngqa g gqoiqr gqignghho hwij mno quhg g gnwng giqgi gngujgng qug gniufngnur gnqhjoh bnmv q nviqip;gnaln q g qgi qgbniqgqo qir g niqa gngiquag Spanish ngiqa gnqaq,n rjg qa ngiuqa qaskn bnifuhb bhnbirk nb wnboo bnow gniur gnghg qhir g giq gqurhg gi qhg qr gg iu g ghqe gqire I giquerg q geu g quehgingq iqwaiug yr qng qagn g gnur gnqi gn ggniwug g uwerg prayer gqu gig. g gig erg ngg qig grihh;hg ng qnfiruqg ng giq.

Lauguage school building on main campus

Our Casa

We are delighted with our new home. At this writing it seems to be everything we needed and everything we could have hoped for. But that really shouldn’t be surprising to any of us. Many of you have been interceding on our behalf for just the right place. While it is more than we expected we accept it from the Lord as an encouragement during this time of transition. With culture, language, lifestyle and spiritual realities all making a frontal attach on our sensibilities it’s nice to have a place of peace and cheerfulness.

It reminds us of the words of Jesus in Mark 10:29-30 when He said, “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.”

















Finally, a place we can call our own after seven weeks of living pillar to post.

Our front porch is shady and cool throughout the day.

Welcome to our living room with our new bold taste in colors.


















The patio is off the living room and offers a tranquil place.

We can view the Popo volcano, a range of mountains and the lights of Cuernavaca.

Fresh roses bought on the street for $1.50.

Life As A Green Gringo

Never in my life have I felt so absent-minded, incompetent and down right stupid. While I have had a life long habit of losing my keys, now I’m losing almost everything and it’s spreading among the family. So far between us we have managed to lose $3000 pesos (which we found), a bank card (which was recovered in the bank ATM), keys to the van and a copy of our passport (neither of which has been found).

Driving here is an experience. It is nothing out of the ordinary to make a U turn and hold up traffic because you couldn’t quite make the turn. I tried it the other day and in my haste to not slow down traffic I clipped the concrete wall. It pretty much jarred everyone to their teeth. Thankfully the van didn’t seem much worse for the wear except for the mangled plastic. They love speed bumps here (called topes). We cross dozens of them in a day. Sometimes you see them and sometimes you don’t. We hit one the other day at full speed. It felt as though the front bumper scraped the ground on the way down. It was better than a carnival ride for sure.

We have enjoyed lots of new foods since we have been here and even the familiar foods are prepared differently. Pastries are less sweet as are soft drinks, tacos are not tacos as we know them, and corn tortillas are eaten every day. While everything tastes great beware of what it will do to your stomach in a few hours. I’m not sure how to put this delicately but “bathroom breaks” are pretty much a way of life.

As you know we have spent most of last week trying to find a house to rent. Did you realize there are no perfect houses? It becomes a test of perseverance mingled with much prayer in finding one. We hope to sign on a house this week and post pictures of it for you to see next week.

While things can be funny as we look back on them I can assure you that at the moment it just seems like another wave washing us. Diana said the other day, “I feel as if the last two years were preparation for my first week in Mexico.” Thankfully we don’t just have to hold on for dear life. When we arrived we found that our Shepherd was already here waiting on us to lead us beside quite waters, restore our souls and guide us in paths of righteousness for His Name sake. That is very reassuring for a green gringo.

First Impressions

We are here and are forming first impressions of our adopted country. Every morning we welcome a new dramatic sunrise with the majestic Mount Popo in the background. The landscape and natural beauty here are stunning. The food is delicious and as you could guess we especially enjoy all the fresh and tasty fruit. (Warning: Be careful where and what you eat.) We can’t begin to describe all the new sounds, smells and sights that are hitting us.

We are also getting our feet wet when it comes to culture shock. Checking for scorpions when you get up in the night is a whole new experience for us. So is spending ten minutes looking for jelly in the super market. It’s tough when the store is unfamiliar, you can’t read the signs and there’s no way to ask for help. The market is yet another world and is pretty cool. It is a maze of narrow walkways filled with clothes, pig skins, hair salons, fruit stands, shoe repair, CD’s, flowers, candles, kitchenware, pottery…

Of course there is also the spiritually dark side of the culture. Cannon blasts can be heard all though the valley honoring various saints. Young adults on their spiritual pilgrimage are seen along the road with back packs and crosses. Replicas of ancient idols can be seen in homes and purchased in various shops. In the weeks leading up to the Day of the Dead (November 1st) tarot card readers and other diviners fill the mall to provide their services. It all reminds us of why we are here.

So how will we be able to make these transitions? On the day we left from Laredo for Mexico I went to the kitchen for a morning cup of coffee. I was struck by the fact that the cup had a Scripture reference on it. In this Scripture I believe we have our answer. “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Entering The Land

God gives marching orders. With the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan He gave them to Joshua. “Get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them.” One can only wonder how Joshua felt at the moment before entering the land. He had been there once as a spy but this time he carried the weight of leading the children of Israel. He faced a flooded river, fortified cities and giants in the land. In this moment of truth the Lord commanded, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Now in Laredo we look across the border and prepare to enter the land. We follow God’s marching orders but what will we face? Border guards? Drug traffickers? Miraculous conversions? While we do not know what awaits us we do know who awaits us. The Lord is already there having prepared a place of for us and waiting for our arrival.

We already see His hands in the details. Get this. Last weekend Jodi, who is moving to Mexico with us, attended her cousin’s wedding in Virginia Beach. There she met her cousin’s in-laws, who were from – you guessed it – Mexico. Not only were they from Mexico BUT they are from Cuernavaca the city where we will attend language school AND they are born again believers. They insisted that Jodi now has family in Mexico. What are the odds of that encounter? Try to tell me the Lord is not in the details as we enter the land.