Yep, That Sounds About Right

It’s always fun to run across someone who has posted about real life in Mexico. A while back I came across such a post. A missionary friend of ours had posted the blog of a missionary friend of his. Wow, a double steal. I caught myself chuckling and thinking yep, that sounds about right.

• If someone talks about “your house,” they are really talking about “their” house. (My house is your house)
• Brain can be served in a tortilla.
• Stomach can be served in a tortilla.
• There is no taco bell.
• Asking, how long will it take to get there is considered a stupid question.
• Motorcycles don’t have to stay in a lane.
• You can get your side view mirrors stolen off your car.
• You might see cows in your front yard.
• Dog poop happens.
• If you get there on time, you’re early.
• You can buy almost anything on the side of the road.
• Dogs are used as a house alarm.
• There will be someone trying to give you a flyer at a speed bump.
• You will tip someone every day.
• Clowns juggle at intersections.
• Stores might be open at the time they say they are open, but probably not.
• You can get knock offs of just about everything.
• Electronics are expensive.
• Fruit is cheap.
• There’s one gas company…government owned Pemex…no competition there.
• The gas guy for your house may try to rip you off.
• Lunch is at 2 or 3 pm.
• You should really only plan to get one thing done in a day.
• If someone will be late or not show up to a meeting, they will probably not call you to tell you about it.
• Stopping at a red light most of the time is optional.
• There might be a pothole big enough to eat your car in your lane at any time.
• You will be offered just about any type of “fruit water.”
• If someone thanks you by showing the back of their hand (in a sort of obscene way), it’s normal.
• Ketchup goes on pizza.
• Music can never be played too loud.
• Stores hire dancing girls to promote their products.
• You can get a piñata of whatever cartoon character you can imagine.
• Cake can have the milk IN IT (and it’s good).
• You can watch soccer 24 hours a day.
• If you need to change lanes, just stick your arm out the window and the other person is obligated to let you in.
• You can back up in your car even if there are people coming up behind you.
• You can do just about anything in your car if you put on your flashers.
• If you see traffic in an unusual spot, chances are there’s a traffic cop directing (creating) it.
• If you call a cell phone, you pay for the call.
• You get 100 outgoing calls per month on your home phone.
• You can get a pre-paid minutes card for your cell phone while waiting at an intersection.
• In just about every parking lot, someone will ask you if you want your car washed, whether it needs it or not.
• You don’t walk on the sidewalk. You walk on the road.
• Uneven pavement is a fact of life.
• You can buy corn on the cob smothered with mayonnaise and chili powder.
• Lots of people wear suits and ties.
• Everything is “straight ahead” if you ask for directions.
• The trunks of trees should be painted white…I think it has something to do with bugs.
• If you see a cop with his lights on, it just means he’s patrolling the neighborhood. It’s not because you did something wrong.
• You might get a receipt for the slip of toilet paper you buy at a public restroom.
• Babies should be covered all the way pretty much at all times.
• Children are not allowed to drink cold drinks or they will get sick.
• Baby car seats are optional.
• The garbage men sit in the back of the truck and sort the trash.
• Personal space doesn’t exist.
• You can fit 15 people in a Volkswagen beetle.

The Poulette Family – Training Youth Workers in Latin America

Informally Formal Tea

Diana Harer hosted a formal afternoon tea at her home in Momoxpan on Saturday. The beautifully set table was complemented with blue cloth accentuated with white Victorian lace and completed with Gerald Patrick mikasa ware.

The centerpiece of the table was a tier of celery walnut cream cheese and cucumber finger sandwiches, chicken rolls and scones with fruit jams. Platters of cream filled strawberries and seedless grapes were served on the side. A rich Irish Breakfast blended tea was poured in an assorted collection of fine china teacups.

For dessert homemade orange galletas were served and complimented with a premium assortment of Ghirardelli chocolate squares. In the background played Johann Sebastian Bach including his Suite No. 2 in B minor.

Special guests included Elena, Ann Marie, Yara, Sylvia and Nanci.

Informally, Diana had some friends over, and they had a wonderful time together talking, laughing, sharing and praying. Serving this tea has been on Diana’s heart to do for a long time, and from a proud husband’s perspective it was a smashing success.

A couple of favorite tea quotes:
“Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one.” - Ancient Chinese Saying
“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” - C.S. Lewis

Expanding Your Worship Boundaries

Last evening the group was over to our place for the umpteenth time for worship. It was really pretty predictable – singing, accompaniment, prayer and Scripture reading. Not to suggest that predictable is bad or even boring. “Boring worship” is really an oxymoron if it comes from the heart. No gimmicks are necessary. But might there be some ways of expanding our worship boundaries?

Where I grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains we had a neighbor who cultivated her passion – flowers. Driving by her yard was like walking into a giant florist shop with all manner of colors, sizes and varieties. Every Sunday morning Revel brought to the church a beautiful bouquet of flowers she had cut and arranged. They adorned the sanctuary. As a boy I didn’t think much of it, as a young man I appreciated the atmosphere they provided, but looking back I now realize it was worship. Whether or not she thought about it, Revel was honoring the Lord by giving back from the talents and passions He entrusted to her. She was reflecting His beauty, creativity and eternity.

Before we came here we collected smooth stones from the streams of southern West Virginia. Then we painted on them words like, “adore”, “magnify”, “kneel” and “treasure” before we placed them on the banister of our back deck. There they gave up a steady continuous stream of praise.

But wait, that’s not all. Try some of these: make a banner with a name of God, write a poem, play skillfully an instrument, use calligraphy with a Scripture verse, light a candle to the Light of the World, write an exaltation to go along with your offering, paint a picture, bake homemade bread to remind us of the Bread of Life, give the first fruits of your garden to a spiritual mentor, tell a “God story” from your life, put together a flower arrangement, produce a DVD, bring a photo that declares “God is awesome”, read a Psalm you have written, display nature arrangements (fall leaves, pine cones, drift wood), sculpt something, bring pictures of the universe or some other fascinating aspect of the Creator, write a song, paint rocks with worship words, introduce a new instrument like a dulcimer, display craftsmanship in honor of His workmanship…

Expand your worship boundaries! Other ideas anyone?

Well Deserved Bravos

Can you believe we are in Mexico and the girls are ice-skating? I mean Russia, Holland, Switzerland, Norway, yes…but Mexico. We’re pretty proud of the girls and their performances. Skating around doing those butterflies, spins, jumps all in the spotlight of center ice. We are equally as proud of the poise and grace they showed. Top that off with a good portion of hard work and commitment, and we’ve got ourselves a recipe for some pretty valuable lessons. Bravo, girls, Bravo!

These skating lessons are just one of the many little bonuses God has brought into our lives since coming here. Others include: ping pong table; puppy; trampoline; Veracruz vacation; guitar lessons; horse riding lessons; art & craft lessons; soccer club; Super Bowl each year; library stocked with Christian fiction and the Monarch butterflies. Bravo, Lord, Bravo!

We had our first taste of elotes and esquites on Thursday. Elote is a corn on the cob and esquite is a bowl of corn soup. Both are of the field corn variety and use mayonnaise, a special type of grated cheese, squeeze of lemon and chili powder for flavoring. A must try the next time you put on a Mexican party at home.

Traveling with the Elliott and Chappel families to Michoacán was pretty fun. They are veteran missionaries in both Ecuador and Mexico. We did things with them that we wouldn’t necessarily try on our own. Like the other night when we were looking for a room late at night in Zitacuaro. They went through town stopping at every worn out hotel on Main Street. One of them had prices listed as $140 pesos ($10.50 US) and $160 pesos with bathroom. The one we finally settled on was a bit better and proudly advertised itself as a one star hotel. It was clean, and we were thrilled – that rates as a one star in my book. Bravo to veteran missionary friends taking us on wild adventures.

And a big bravo to you for caring for us, taking time to read about the goings on of our family over the last four years.

Our One Star Hotel