Saturday, January 30, 2010

Begging for love...

I stood there, in the main room, observing everything, children running around in their pajamas, some sitting at the table eating, while others greeted us at the door. After being there for a few short minutes, one child walked straight up to me, put her arms around my legs and wanted me to pick her up. How could I resist? Her smile made me breathless and my heart beat faster at the sound of her laugh. When she finally let go, others replaced her as I sat down, their arms entwined around my neck, begging for love, anyone’s love. Their small faces surrounded me; I was almost sure that they could hear my heart breaking. Why does love have to hurt so much? Why is there so much pain? I know that God has given me this dream and passion for a reason, but I’m realizing more and more, it’s going to hurt. There will be sacrifice and the sacrifice is my heart…

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Rainy days and Mondays always get me down…

I am never EVER ready for Mondays. I began my first Math lesson this morning at 8:00, beginning with a devotional. My first lesson was on probability. Ever since teaching one lesson at Ben Lippen, I have not had much confidence teaching Math and have been dreading it. Probability seemed like such a difficult concept to grasp, but I was determined to try to make it as fun as I possible could. We flipped coins, rolled dice, and flicked spinners. It was one of the most fun lessons I have ever done! I also got to start teaching Samson, which I love! After teaching, I went back to the house, welcomed by the familiar faces of my family that lives near the center! I was so glad to see some people that I knew. It was so enjoyable to spend the afternoon with them. Then, as uneventful as it seems, I lesson planned for the rest of the day. Welcome to the life of a teacher…
January 25, 2010

Another day in Chapala





I am still amazed every time I see those beautiful mountains in the distance, enhancing the beauty of the lake they are next to. When the sun shines on the lake and the mountains are in full view, it can take your breath away. Oh the beauty of God’s Creation! Every time I am at the church, I feel more and more a part of it. I meet many Americans and also some Mexican people who are very kind. One American woman has a house full of hummingbirds! I enjoyed my beautiful day at the church and seeing a little more of Chapala, not including Shirlock Holmes (good movie!). We returned to Guadalajara at 11 that night, starving, longing for something to eat! And of course, we ate my favorite. We walked down to a little taco stand and got delicious tacos. Then I proceeded to get settled into my new house with Victor’s mom, niece, and nephew, all of whom are wonderful.
01/24/2010

To the center again

I had already been to the center TWICE yesterday, when I found myself there again. Only this time, I knew how to get home, walking. I also wasn’t by myself. Lupita, the director of all elementary at Lincoln school had invited all of us student teachers to shop with her at the center. Lupita, Lauren, Kelli (my teacher), Sarah, one other teacher, and I all headed for a lovely day of shopping at the center. We found all sorts of wonderful deals and had a bundle of fun doing it. I later found out that my family had to leave for a week or so. I packed all my bags and got ready to head out to Chapala. I would spend the night with the pastor’s family there. I had a wonderful time with a wonderful family. They were so kind and it was nice to be around Americans for a little while. I loved every moment.

*shocking fact for all- I slept in the same room with a snake. Shocking, I know!

I once was lost but now am found

Today, what a day! After a long day of parent teacher meetings, it was time to ride the bus. I gave the man my 6 pesos and settled down for the ride. Only problem was that it was so full that I could hardly even get out of my seat. I stepped onto the sidewalk, relieved that I had made it off the bus and onto my sidewalk. Then, like out of a dream, I heard my name…and yes, it was in ENGLISH! My eyes scanned the sidewalk, then the road before finding the familiar looking truck in front of me. Then I recognized the person from whom the sound it was coming from. It was LAUREN! In the middle of Guadalajara, 30 minutes from school, here was Lauren, right on my street! I couldn’t believe my eyes. She and her party were on their way to the center (within walking distance of my house) and they were lost on my street. We all went (Lauren and I in the back of the truck of course) to the center together. It was my first time seeing the plaza there, some of the market, and other sites known to the center. We had wonderful tacos and horchata. After several hours had passed, we got back into the truck and I was dropped off at the bus station at la Plaza del Sol, which is near Lauren’s house). Of course, I kept an eye out for my bus, number 258. When I finally saw it, I rushed to get on. After some time had passed, I began to see signs and stores I did not remember. It also didn’t help that the man sitting down near me (I was standing) kept staring at me the whole time!)The bus turned on streets I had never been on. Then I realized…I CAN’T be on the right bus. This isn’t right. I looked on the side window, and there it was- bus 258D. I knew I was in trouble now, but I had to keep my cool. The last thing I wanted everyone to know was that I was lost. I couldn’t even see the street signs around me. I had no idea where I was. Finally I saw a cathedral and knew I was near the center. Victor’s first words when I called him and told him I was on the wrong bus were, “Are you kidding me?” because of course, I always joked about being on the wrong bus! Here I was, in the dark, by myself, in the middle of Guadalajara, completely and totally lost. I had never been so happy to see Victor’s lovely purple SUV. Completely exhausted from my events of the day, I returned home, happy to sleep it off…
01/22/2010

Thursday, January 21, 2010

El Autobus

Best parts of my day:
1. finding out I didn’t have to teach today! Yay!
2. discovering the fact that we don’t have school tomorrow!
3. Thinking about going to the market on Saturday with Sarah (another student teacher).

These are some of my most exciting moments of the day, though I must say that there is one more which I most proud of. =) Today, (drum roll) I rode the bus by myself FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! I have never ridden the bus myself, even in the U.S. I have ridden in many taxis in Mexico D.F. and had many good memories riding the bus with Erendira, but never a bus by myself. I thought for sure I would get lost or miss my stop, but God definitely protected me and I made it back home safely and quickly. Of course, after my bus ride, I decided that I had earned a nice long nap. My nap was cut short when everyone came home and well…yeah. Let just say that my room was the main passage way. =P

Another surprise that awaited me: when I came home, I was starving. Looked in the kitchen and found a large pot of chicken soup…containing chicken claws (or so I assume).

January 21, 2010

HELP ME!

I don’t know if any of you ever have this problem, but I just don’t like to ask questions that start with words such as “Can you help me…” or “I don’t know how to…” “Is there anyway to…” These are not the most used words in my vocabulary and I sometimes find it difficult to exercise the use of these phrases. God has a sense of humor though since I have had to learn to use these words daily in Mexico. It has become a part of my every day language, or so it seems. I have to ask someone to help me AT LEAST a few times a day. Today was definitely one requiring “the special words.” Many of you know that I strongly dislike doing laundry, meaning that I usually wait until I HAVE to do my laundry. Well, it all started with Sonya giving me directions how to do it in Spanish. Then, I had to put the hose in the machine to get the water into it…then the water stopped. Nothing…no water…still nothing. Something was wrong. Obviously I had too many clothes (considering the washer can only do about 5 pieces of clothing at a time!!!) so we had to get all of my dripping wet clothes out and put them in a little trashcan. We then lugged the trashcan (please use your imagination) down the street to the laundry mat, where we dripped water all over their nice clean floor. Of course, all the people in the laundry mat were men who stood there watching me empty my dripping laundry from the trashcan into the washer. We then took my still wet clothes home and hung them all over the patio…everywhere. All that to say, it was an adventure! I learned several new words: jabon-soap; secar-to dry; lavareria-laundry mat; and tintoreria- a place for dry cleaning. Anyway, it was quite an experience, but the upside: I now have clean clothes…

January 20, 2010

A first of many things...

Firsts of the week:
-first time ever teaching about Jephthah
-first time spending 3 lessons on the same story
-first time teaching to 5th graders
-first time riding the bus in Guadalajara!
Jephthah- first time I have ever taught about Jephthah…and the first time I taught in front of my class. My teacher is incredibly encouraging. I’m so blessed to have such an amazing teacher. She is out of this world amazing. Anyway, my first time teaching about Jephthah was actually yesterday (Monday!). Today is Tuesday and once again, I taught about Jephthah…guess what I’ll teach tomorrow!?!?! You guessed it! Jephthah! =) yeah…I’m praying about that one…Today I had my students draw and make a paper about how Christ sees them-more than conquerors! Romans 8, gotta love it! (of course, doing romans and identity definitely makes me miss my girls! Olivia, Rachel, Katie, michelle, I miss you guys) I miss being able to really spill my heart out to my girls. ANYWAY, it was a little difficult doing this with my 5th graders just because it was the end of the day and they were tired and they are all at different levels. So, to say the least, it was interesting…My teacher was extremely encouraging though and talked through it with me and gave me tips and encouragement.

Today I finally got to ride the bus here! Yay! Though, I must say that I’m sure it increases balance. I thought I was pretty good at balancing, but apparently, riding the bus requires special talent and is not for the weak of heart…it was good though. Fun. Cant wait to try again tomorrow.

And yes, we did have another “adventure” today, but not too dramatic. We got to the gas station, and of course, the car wouldn’t start! …then we realized it was in neutral. =P but even when we put it in park, we still had a hard time starting it. We were just hoping to get home without stalling.

Many of you have received emails asking for prayer for Victor and getting the orphanage started. There is an amazing opportunity for the orphanage, but 5000 dollars is needed…like NOW. Pray that if God wants this to happen, it would! I know that He is in control and have confidence that He will do what is best for his children and for those He loves. He will work something out.
January 19, 2010

Monday, January 18, 2010

I Have a Dream…

For years, I have dreamed of starting or helping with an orphanage. I’m determined if I can’t have an orphanage of my own, I want to adopt children from all different nations. I look forward to the day when God uses my dreams and passions for His glory. Let’s change the world!!!

Today was a start. 8:45 this morning I was off to Chapala to see the church there and the city of Chapala where Victor wants to start the orphanage (the primary reason I wanted to come to Guadalajara). I had the opportunity to see the beauty of God’s creation in such a powerful way! The beauty of the lake and the mountains just overflows with God’s glory. Though God’s power and glory were evident, it was also evident that the earth has been tarnished, tainted, and corrupted by sin. I saw a rich view and such poor people. There were children playing the streets, people with unsanitary living conditions, zero electricity, and people fighting for another day on the streets. Just on the other side of a wall, there were the homes of all the rich people, people who came to Chapala to retire and live in luxury, ignoring what was going on on the other side of that wall. I thought to myself, “How can you live on this side when you know just a mile away are people who are trying to survive, children who are growing up without parents, clothes, and education? Don’t you feel it??? Can you feel how desperate they are? How much they need the love of a loving Savior?” I was told that many of the Americans will help with the orphanage if it is in the better part of the city, but if it is on the mountain where the poor people are, the Americans will not set foot there. SEROIUSLY?! When did we close our eyes so long to ignore the needs of other human beings?

After seeing both parts of Chapala, Victor had a great surprise in store for me! We had the amazing opportunity to go to a Christian orphanage that has already been established. This orphanage for boys is to teach them about God, responsibility, and how to live on their own. It was amazing. I was so impressed at how obedient they all were and how gracious they were. They thanked US for coming there, when it should be the opposite. If ever there was a time I wanted to scoop up a child in my arms, it was then. This reminds me to shower my love on those around me. Never let a day go by without expressing your love and passion… Ready? Lista? Let’s go!

January 18, 2010

The simple life is a happy one

Have you ever been so moved by someone or something that you saw how much you lacked in your own life? Not to bash America, but today I realized how very materialistic we really are. How many times I have thought to myself, “oh how I wish I had my hair dryer, or my electric blanket, or my heater…” But today, I struck by the generosity of the people at my school. They will be collecting money for the people in Haiti and are going to just cover them in prayer. They will draw a flag on the basketball court and cover it in pesos. Then the students will write prayers and send them to the people of Haiti. I thought to myself, “how many schools are doing this in the U.S? Wait, wait, wait, how many CHURCHES are doing that in the U.S.?” I was so amazed at the heart of my supervisor, the other teachers, and the students reactions. They want the children to bring in their own money instead of raising money so that it is something they “give from their own pockets,” not just money they have received. I am so amazed at the generosity of this “third-world country.” These people truly give from their hearts.

Many of them live such simple lives, they may not have much, but they will give all they have to help others. I hope to be like that. I have so much to learn…

January 15, 2010

Another day (or two!) in the life of this Student teacher

Well, here I am again, sitting in front of my computer, but of course, currently I have no internet. =) The past two days have been quite hectic and exhausting. I have not taught any classes, but am slowly taking over the “little” duties of a teacher. This includes things such as running errands, putting up a bulletin board, prying staples out of the concrete wall, taking the students to their ice cream party, scooping the ice cream, grading many, MANY tests and papers, recording grades, staying for “salida” duty (afterschool until the students leave)… Yes, I never knew there were so many duties as a teacher. In spite of it all though, I love it. I especially love my teacher and my students. My teacher is everything I want to be. She demands respect, gives love, and adds laughter. In her own words, “With a strong hand, but a loving heart.” I appreciate so much how she leads her students spiritually. I am constantly amazed at how creative she is. While I love her style and want to be so much like her, I know that my personality is different in many ways and I will be bringing a different aspect and perspective to the classroom. I hope it will be positive. Anyway, the past two days have been pretty good. I have not spent as much time with my family here, so I have missed spending so much time with them. I’m just soaking it all in while I can. Well, I am afraid that will have to be all my friends since it is PAST time for sleeping. Hasta manana!

January 14, 2010

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The never-ending adventures of Guadalajara

Given less than a week to live, Isaiah, man who is very, very sick has asked to see Pastor Palayo, Pastor Cesar, and Victor. Because of this, the men have to leave very early in the morning to drive four hours to get to Guanajuato. The plan was for Victor to drop me off at school, get Pastor Cesar, pick up Pastor Palayo, then head out. As I said, this WAS the plan. I was dropped of at school around 7:30. I sat quietly in my desk grading papers so nonchalantly when one of the administrator for primary school told me that someone was at the gate waiting for me and she thought it was my friend, Victor. So of course I rushed to see what was going on. Stranded with a flat tire in the middle of the traffic and no minutes to call anyone (due to our previous “adventure”), he had come to ask me to call Pastor Cesar. I agreed. Only when I started dialing the numbers just a few minutes later did I realize that I ALSO did not have any minutes due to the last adventure. Well, I’m sure it was quite a sight to see me rushing around all that morning just a few minutes before school started. The morning of adventures had already begun. As Victor said, “just on another adventure!”

Classes went quickly after that. Nothing too eventful happened (except for our ice cream party of course!). at about 12:30, I had my read-aloud time with my 5th graders. Just a few minutes after I had finished, another teacher (from the high school) ran into my room and said, “Is Sheila here? Where is Sheila? I think her parents are on the phone!” Thoroughly confused and concerned, I walked briskly to the office to see what was wrong. Everyone seemed so concerned. I picked up the office phone and there were my parents laughing and joking around. Of course, my first words were, “Who died? I know someone MUST have died for you to be calling me at school!” Obviously, there was not good communication about what time school ended and when I would be at the school. My parents had talked to someone else and heard that 1:15 in the afternoon was “a good time to call Sheila…” Well, after my brief conversation with my parents, I proceeded to sneak back to my classroom, praying that no one saw me. Later, everyone asked if my family was ok and why they had called. Of course, you can imagine my sheepish response…

Because my Mexican family was not yet back and would not be back till late, I stayed the night with Lauren and her family. This was a different experience for me primarily because they are a more upper class family. Not only were they upperclass, but also they have a lot of American influence. This was good for me to see, so that I can see different family and how they interact. Though, I must say, I greatly missed my own family here in Guadalajara. I deeply missed “my six year old shadow.”

January 12, 2010

Prayer for a Brother

There were some things that went on at church that I did not understand. There was some talk about a man being in the hospital and about him being very sick…It was very difficult for me to understand though. Today, when Victor picked me up though, I found out that this man who was sick and dying was one of Victor and his brother’s very close friends. Please pray for this man who is dying and has a wife and 2 kids that he will probably be leaving behind. This was all very sudden and many people will be affected. I was told that he is a very godly man, who went to the US to study to be a missionary. Pray that God’s will and purpose would be shown and that all of those affected would feel the comfort of our heavenly Father. Pray for the family and also the church family as they are dealing with very much right now. Pastor Palayo, another pastor, and Victor will be leaving very early tomorrow so they can talk to the man. Please pray that God would use this to bring others to Himself and change lives, that his death may not seem fruitless.

And for the new adventure…the car that Victor, Pastor Palayo, and Pastor Cesar are supposed to take isn’t working. The only other option was to take Victor’s car which doesn’t have gas in it and whose driver didn’t have his wallet. So, on we went again with my card and ID in hand, off to the gas station. Little did we know that it was time for a new adventure. We got to the gas station, filled up the car…and you’ll never believe what happened next. Once again, my card did not work. I used up all of my Mexico cellphone minutes AND Victor’s minutes trying to call the bank and my parents. After no solution, we walked to another gas station that had an ATM. This time though, my card DID work. I have been here only 5 days and have already had 2 quite interesting adventures. Oh I wonder, what will tomorrow hold?

January 12, 2010

mis quatros amigos...

What a day, what a day! Today is proof that we have no control over what happens in the future. This morning, I woke up, tried to help my hostess with breakfast, but of course being the gringa, I don’t even know when to flip the tortillas. =) Anyway, I got ready and when it was time to leave, my family kept trying to tell me something. They kept talking very quickly and I had difficulties understanding. El pastor took me over to the church and I soon found out that Pastor Palayo and his family (MY family!) would be going to a different church because he had to preach there unexpectedly. So, here I was, standing at the entrance of the church, knowing no one and watching my family drive off to go to another church. After standing there for about 20 minutes, one of the teenage girls asked me in English if I would like to sit with her and her friend, Ana. Of course, I was dying to sit with ANYONE! When I entered Sunday school, I was immediately bombarded with questions by the teacher. Once again, language barrier! AH! The teacher spoke Spanish so rapidly, I could hardly keep up, but I made another friend who happened to know English. He became my interpreter for the day. His name is Oscar.

There were a couple hundred people in the service and once again I was called upon. Thankfully I understood more, but I still had to stand up in front of everyone. Being the American, everyone wants to practice their English with you. Everyone wants to be your friend; all the guys stare at you and try to get your attention. Believe me, its’ quite the experience. They were all very kind though and very gracious. At the end of the service a young girl my age named Zaira ran to me and asked if she could talk to me for a moment. Zaira offered to teach me Spanish and take me to all the beautiful places in Guadalajara. In return, I will teach her English in preparation for her TEFL exam. This is right up my alley and I am excited to do so.

I am still so astounded at my treatment here in Mexico. I am always ALWAYS treated as a guest. Even when other people are there, I come first. I always sit with the adults. I am always served first. They are always looking out for my needs. My family is wonderful and I would be heartbroken if I had to leave and live with another family. I have enjoyed every bit of their company and friendship toward me. God has blessed me so much here.

Word of the day: “Lista?” Which means, “Ready?”

January 11, 2010

Saturday, January 9, 2010

No more forks...

I have determined after today, forks are optional. Beans, eggs, soup, anything can be eaten with bread or with a tortilla. I will never look at forks in the same way ever again. A tortilla can be used as a fork or a spoon! I love it. Although, as an American, it takes some getting used to. Let me just say, it is very difficult to eat with your fingers when you are not used to it, with a tortilla, and without making a mess, AND not needing a napkin. It’s quite the challenge, but I am determined to master this art of eating. There are so many things to learn: eating, speaking, teaching, listening, obeying the rules of culture when you don’t even know what the rules are… I have found though, in spite of this, the people are so gracious and do not get offended easily. The more I am here, the more I appreciate the people. They are hospitable beyond imagination and so gracious. Victor drives me around everywhere though gas is extremely expensive and though he has to drive an hour to get here. They bless me so much.

Today, he took me to get my cell phone. This time though, we had no catastrophies or problems. After it was finished (and I understood nothing of what they said) Victor said, “see? Easy peasy!” And I was like, “Ha! Whatever, not for us Americans!”
My mother has a saying whenever I complain about something, “The Lord is preparing you for the mission field.” This drives me absolutely crazy, but today, I was reminded of those words. First was when I had a nice cold shower which eventually had no pressure. It became a small trickle. This may not seem big to you, but if you knew how often I joke about the water pressure at my grandfather’s house, you would understand. I always joke about it trickling out. Next, was when I lost all water in my bathroom. My mother’s words came back to me since I greatly complained over Christmas because the water at my Grandfather’s house was not working and of course, I heard her words over again in my mind.

So yes, when you begin to complain about an inconvenience, just remember, God could be preparing you! =)


Saturday, January 9th

A Catastrophic adventure

Well, back to school again, and it is my second day. This time, we found the school and I was very early! Yay! I had a great day of school, getting to observe my students and peek at their files to learn more about them. They are such a fun bunch. Observing the other teachers, who taught in Spanish was also quite an experience. They teach very differently than we Americans do. I made a few new friends. One lady who works in the library has been a missionary to Guadalajara for about 30 years. My newest friend is Adlet. She works and teaches in the library, but speaks very little English. I think that is why we have become such fast friends. I have difficulties with Spanish and she has difficulties with English. School finally ended at 2 o’clock and it was time to leave. I had not eaten since lunch the day before (lunch being about 3:30 or so, here in Mexico). So of course, I was starving. I went home and finally got to eat.

After eating, it was time to go and buy my first Mexican cell phone! What an adventure that became! Victor and I decided to walk to the center of Mexico, first to exchange my American dollars, then to find a phone. On our way we went, walking. We walked to the center, exchanged my money and saw all the sights. Victor explained everything to me, what was the meaning of certain structures, how big they were, what their purpose was, how long it took… I loved it. It was all so beautiful. I wish I had my camera with me. So, on we went to hunt for a cell phone. When we finally found a place that had machine to take my card, it wouldn’t work. The bank did not know that I was out of the country. SO, we walked all the way back to the house (a good 30 minutes or so). I called the bank on Skype and they told me that they thought I was in Guatamala, not Guadalajara! Good grief. On our way we went again to find a cell phone, only this time, it was late and there were very few places open. As we got near the center, Victor says, “Um, I hope we have enough gas to get home!” OYE! We went on. After a while, he started slowing down and just looked at me and laughed. At first I was confused, but after a minute, I realized WHY he was slowing down…we were out of gasoline. Yes, we were stranded in the middle of the city and we were in the middle of the road. So of course, being quite the gentleman, Victor refused to let me get out of the car and help push, so by himself he pushed the car all the way on the other side of the street and yes, there were cars coming. This is the point when we Americans just sit in the backseat and close our eyes for fear of dying. After we pushed the car in a good spot, we did the only thing we could do, we walked. He told me that at least I would see the other side of the city. I exclaimed, “At this rate, I will see all of the city on foot by the end of my stay!” On we walked.

Finally we were back at the house and we were both exhausted. Victor went and got more gas while I had my lesson in Spanish. Yes, I have my own personal tutor. She just so happens to be the 6 year old in the house that I live in. Our first lesson started with none other than my favorite people: the Disney princesses. This is obviously the first thing I have to learn in Mexico: all the names of the princesses. Next is all the Disney characters. Lastly, I had to work on the names of all the animals. Believe me, this was quite a task for just one night. The adventure continues…

First day of school

My very first day of school started at 5:45 in the morning. To get to my school on time (7:30) we would have to leave around 6:45 or 7 AM. So, I got ready then Victor met me to take me to the school. The first words I heard in the car were, “do you have the address of the school?” And I said, “No, I thought you knew were it was…” “Don’t worry; we will find it,” were the following words from Victor. After much driving and asking (for directions of course) we finally found the school at 8:15. For those of you who don’t know, 8:15 translates as LATE. Well, I figured, this is Mexico, if anyone understands what it is to be late, it’s the people in Mexico. Nonetheless, the teacher and administrators were very kind and forgiving. I had a tour of our small campus that holds 600 students. I then went and met my teacher. She was so wonderful. I loved her right away. She is excited about helping be in every way possible to become a better teacher. I am so excited to have such an amazing teacher to work with. She is very hands on and non-traditional. She plays many games with the students and always has them moving. She is my kind of teacher! Not only do I have a wonderful teacher, I have a wonderful family I am living with. They are so kind to me. They would give the clothes on their back to help someone. They have sacrificed to have me in their home and I appreciate them so much. They cater to me far too often. Anyway, I am so blessed by them. After school, I came home and the family wanted to watch a movie. Because they really do cater to me so much, they tried to find a movie they had that had English or English subtitles so I would be able to understand. After about 20 minutes of searching, I figured out what they were doing and exclaimed that I did not mind if it was in Spanish. Believe you me, how interesting it is to watch UP in Spanish. Quite comical! I had to listen hard, but enjoyed it. I also got to test my translating skills. The movie had English writing on it, so I had to translate what it meant into Spanish. Que Chido!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

First Things First

Adventures of the day:

1) Instead of waking up at the intended time of 4 Am, I was awakened by a phone call at 3:30 because mi madre forgot the time difference. =) then it was off to the aiport...

2) I almost had to pay 50 dollars for the bag of stuff for the orphanage, but God worked it out so that I did not have to pay anything!

3) After spending a day in Dallas and seeing the cowboy stadium, you would think that one would know the difference between the Dallas Cowboys and the bathroom sign, but Lauren, well…she is a different story…
Sheila: “Lauren, look at that picture! Do you know what it is of?
Lauren: (seeing the sign in front of it) “The bathroom sign!”
Sheila: “No, Lauren, the picture! You know, the cowboys!?!?!”

4) We met a new friend of the plane, whose name is Enricque. He was very friendly, did not speak a bit of English and had no idea how to get on his next flight in Dallas…

5) We got the chance to see the great City of Mexico, D.F. For all of you who do not know, that is Mexico City. Then we FINALLY arrived in Mexico.

6) I had the opportunity of meeting the man that I have heard so much about and who is trying to start an orphanage for street children here in Guadalajara/Chapala.

7) I got to sleep in a circular room, in a circular house, on a circular bed, with a spiral staircase. It was awesome! I just love the architecture here!

First things to do in Guadalajara: 1) Eat burritos. 2) take a nap. 3) eat dinner at a Mexican Family’s house.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

A Ticket to Ride

Only 10 more hours and we will be headed to Mexico! Currently, we are enjoying our 18 hour layover in Dallas, Texas. We have already begun our adventure by exploring Dallas and touring the largest stadium in the country, containing the largest TV in the world. What a trip!

While in the plane, a man sat beside us who seemed to understand little of what was going on around him. After a period of time, I heard him say something about Mexico. Before I knew it, I was asking him where he was from in Mexico. Lo and behold, he was from Guadalajara! For about 2 1/2 hours, Lauren, Enrique, and I spoke spanish...or rather, Lauren and I TRIED to speak Spanish. This trip has been amazing seeing how God has orchestrated everything. He has provided everything we have needed (including lauren's phone charger).

Please pray for our flight tomorrow as we take of at 7 AM to Mexico City, then from Mexico City to Guadalajara. Pray that we will not get caught up too much in customs. Hope you are all having a blessed New year! Thanks so much!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

A new year, a new season, a new location, a new experience

The countdown has begun and we are only 4 days away from our new destination: Guadalajara. Everything is packed up and ready to go. For those of you who do not know, not only do I have the amazing opportunity to teach in a school there in Mexico, but I get to fulfill my lifelong dream of helping with an orphanage. I look forward to meeting every child and having their faces etched in my memory for the rest of my life. I long to see their joy and excitement, but also their difficult circumstances and hardships. I long to see how their life differs from mine. I want to learn to be thankful for the incredible blessings my Father has bestowed on me. I cannot wait to learn from these children and those who have a heart for them. Well, only a few more days and the adventure begins. A few more days and I'll be there...

Adios y Dios te bendiga, mis amigos