Category: Mexico

Vacation Bible School

One of the local churches is having a vacation Bible school that our children are attending this week. They have had a blast. The times of the classes are 5:00 to 7:00 in the evening. It has been good for us too.

We have dropped them off and gotten to go do some shopping without putting them (and us) through the hassle. Shopping yesterday consisted of going to Costco and doing some research on a new printer. Then, we sat in the little café out front and ate a frozen yogurt. Today we went to Sam’s and purchased the printer we looked at last week and had pretty much decided on back then. We were just doing comparison shopping to see what else might be available.  We also spent a good bit of time enjoying a frozen cappuccino in their café.

Yesterday we started reading a book together. We continued that today. So far we are 3 chapters into The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I fall into the geek element of human population. My wife has serious leanings that way. This book is supposedly a must read for geeks. I don’t really read much fiction, but am giving it a try. Not too bad so far. Review to follow when it is done.

Church is growing

I have not really mentioned much about our ministry here on the blog, but I thought I would just share something exciting.

We have been working with a group of Deaf for 3 years. We have had regular Bible studies with them and have recently (about 9 months ago) started a church. We have seen it grow from 1 person (outside of ourselves) to regularly having 3 Deaf attend on Sundays. Slowly, and without me realizing it until today, we have 6 regular attenders on Sundays. Counting our family and the other missionary family that works with us, we will have 12-17 at church on a Sunday.

Wednesday has, interestingly, always been well attended. We have a core group of 7 Deaf who almost always come. Add in a few family members here and there and we generally have 20 people for that service.

Why is Wednesday bigger than Sunday?

We started the church out of an evening Bible study. Most of our Deaf come from the school for the Deaf in town. We pick them up after school and take them to the Bible study (now church). We are able to provide an easy ride for them after school and take them home after the service. While we provide transportation for anyone who wants it on Sunday, we have just been doing it much longer during the week. That makes the Wednesday night service where most of our Deaf got their first introduction to church. They are used to coming after school. Getting up and going on Sunday (a very sacred family day in the Mexican culture) is new to them.

It is fun to see it grow.

What am I paying $13 for?

LetterI have not been to the mailbox in 3 weeks or more. Today I went to see what kind of loot might be waiting for me. Sometimes I will get birthday cards and such from some of our supporting churches. There are unexpected gifts that come. Sometimes I have to pay custom’s fees, but they are gifts none the less.

Today I went with hopes of having a mailbox full of stuff.

One measly letter. It was the financial report from our mission board. All the information in that envelope was sent to me 2 months ago via email.

I pay $13 a year for the privilege of getting old financial statements?

Maybe someone can send me a postcard. I guess I just have to give you my address so you can.

Adventures of Spot and Fluffy

Yesterday my wife and I got up and did our respective things. She went downstairs to get the coffee going and I checked the email inbox (like I do about 350 times a day).

Shortly my wife was calling me downstairs to help with “a problem.” I got down there and she was looking around on the floor for something. It was Fluffy the hamster. Somehow, he disconnected his water bottle from the side of his box. Then he used the extra height that the bottle provided to jump up to the ledge of the box. He pulled himself up and over the edge.

How he got down from there is not known. He could have jumped the 3 feet from the table to the floor. Or he may have jumped onto a backpack that was sitting near. Either way, it was quite a leap of faith.

We found him under the couch making friends with a dust bunny.

As soon as we put him back in his cage he was jumping up as hard as he could trying to grab the ledge and pull himself out again. He is quite adventurous.

This morning our daughter was talking to Spot, whom she had already declared was sleeping. We tried to explain that they like to sleep during the day. It is something that you explain hoping that the 3 year old will understand, but knowing you will probably have to say it a few hundred more times before it sinks in.

A short time later, she jumps back a little bit and screeches, “Oh No! Spot’s awake!”

I think I would be too if a giant human were standing over me singing and talking as loud as she could while I was trying to sleep. Hmm, not much unlike the music our neighbors play all night.

Home with guests

After the major detour, we rested for the night in Acayucan. We then faced a 10 hour day on Saturday to get back home.

The trip was fairly uneventful. We were thankful to be back in familiar territory. It was nice to feel like we were close enough to home that if anything happened, someone could come and get us.

I know you should not talk about being away from home on your blog because that can invite bad guys to come steal your stuff. I am not concerned about that. We had people staying in our house almost the whole time we were gone.

We got home and I found a weed eater in my office. I think that was a hint from our guests that I need to cut the grass more often.

Today we got to meet our house guests for the first time in several years. Though we have seen the mom and dad a few times recently, this was the first time we saw the 9 children together. Our son had a good time talking with the boys and sharing stories. One thing our son has never been good at is asking other people what their name is. When he does ask, he hardly ever remembers. So I guess he just feels fine not asking.

I asked him what the names of the boys were that he was talking with today. He did not know, but the one in the red striped shirt and he got along well. I asked him if he would know which one the red striped shirt boy was if he changed clothes. “Yes,” he replied, “he looks like the one in the blue shirt, but a little less serious in the face.”

Well, that settles it then.