.:. Ken's Live Journal: May 2007

Birthday Girl Again - A Photo Journal

Guess who's the birthday girl this time

Our three ladies

Jessi and Bulls Eye make the party scene

It was definitely a horse kind of day

Excuse me, coming through

A dream come true

Restaurant of the birthday - Vips

May 22nd is Chelsea's birthday too - her first

Our precious Christina - Happy Birthday

Cuddle, Cuddle, Cuddle

Riding off into a new year of adventure

Culturally Speaking

In Mexico Mother’s Day is always celebrated on the 10th of May which means that we had two celebrations for mom this year. Much is the same as in the US - flowers, chocolate, clothes, and a meal out are all appropriate for the day. We enjoyed a thoroughly Mexican meal of Pechugas de Pollo al Pimiento on Thursday, and then went to El Portón restaurant after service on Sunday. One church highlight was hitting the streets as a church body to give out roses as a Mother’s Day appreciation gift.

While I wasn’t able to be at the chicken shop, here is a first hand account of the experience. “Mom ordered four chicken breasts. First he took two of them and he weighed them to see how much they cost. He took the excess skin and cut it off with huge scissors. He put it into a plastic bag and slapped it until it was all flat. Then the lady we were with made her order. First he cut off the feet of the chicken. Then he cut the chicken open and scooped out its intestines and heart. Then he cut out the part she wanted and left the rest for later. Then he did the same thing with the second chicken. He scooped out the intestines and liver and stuff. Did you know they sell liver? He cut off the legs, wings and the head, except when he cut out the breast he showed it to me and the heart was hanging off of it. It was so gross. Christina started feeling sick and I went out with her.”

There is no doubt that soccer is king of sports here with nothing coming in as a close second. It’s interesting however that NASCAR is coming to Mexico. Just a few weeks ago Juan Pablo Montoya, a Columbian, won a race in Mexico City. Who would have ever thought that those Sunday afternoons listening to the radio with my Dad as Richard Petty and David Pearson battled it out could some day provide a cultural connection in Mexico?

Christiana has been losing quite a few teeth lately which brings us to yet another intriguing cultural tidbit. When we left the U.S. we left behind the “tooth fairy” and entered the territory of the “rat of the teeth” who also exchanges baby teeth for money.

Did you realize there is a minimum wage law in Mexico? It’s $4.78. Today I was in a government building with a Mexican friend on business and there right in front of me was a sign reminding everyone of the minimum wage - $4.78 per day!

Bibles Stories

Over the last week the Lord has been gracious to let us hear a little of how He is using the Bible. It is encouraging but not surprising. After all God’s Word is “living and active” and “will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire.”

Remember the guy who was asking “What should I do?” a while back? I was able to tell him the Lord brought me there to give him a Bible, and it had the answers. I then recommended for him to read the book of John. After a number of attempts over the last few months to see him again we finally connected last week. What was practically the first thing he said? “I read John and it was perfect for me, what should I read next?”

Gary is a friend from Canada who has been taking classes at the school. The other day he was walking down the street when he spotted the husband of the “flower lady” reading the Bible. Taking the opportunity to encourage him, Gary discovered he loved reading the Bible. Together they also discovered it was a Bible that we had given the man’s wife. Returning later on, there the man sat still absorbed in his reading.

One person we know at the school is a security guard. While leaving school one day I struck up a conversation to see how she was doing. Inquiring about her family she reminded me she has three children and told me a little about them. Then out of the blue she added, “My middle child really enjoys reading the Bible you gave us.”

These my friends are answers to our prayers. We believe that it’s just the tip of the iceberg. That out of relationship – long or short – many more will gladly receive the Word and accept it “not as the word of men, but as it actually is the word of God”.

Where do we go from here? Who knows for certain but there are more neighbors, more shop attendants and more teachers who are ready. We are moving into a neighborhood of thirteen thousand homes. Why shouldn’t, why couldn’t they all have God’s Word in their hands and hearts? We are moving into a city of five million. The opportunities are boundless and our God is limitless!