This has been a pretty interesting week. Last Sunday seems like months ago, yet I feel like the week flew by. Besides the mundane routine tasks like laundry, cleaning and taking showers thrice a day, we kept very busy. Donna entered the week a little sick with body aches, no energy and all of the symptoms of intestinal issues which keep you close to the facilities. That means I got to fly solo for most of our classes. I missed having my partner by my side. On Tuesday, she was able to make it to the Red Cross with me. After class, the doctor, one of our students, did a free exam, including a blood test for Dengue Fever (also called Bone Crusher Disease). Praise God, the result was negative. The doctor gave her some antibiotics. She is better now, but still not up to par.
We acquired a new student for Wednesday afternoons. He is eleven. We meet at his mother’s tiny restaurant. The initial task will be teaching him Spanish grammar. You don’t realize the importance of the patterns in a language until you try to learn a new one. The first class went really well. He is a bright boy even though his attention span was only about 30 minutes. I guess that’s good for a boy his age.
On Thursday, we were invited to a birthday party for two young men. I was hesitant about going because I had begun to develop some of the less convenient symptoms of Donna’s troubles. I had promised to take photos, so I decided to risk it. We arrived at the appointed time only to find that we were the first guests. The party started about an hour later. This is very normal for Mexican culture. We’ve gotten used to it and we usually enjoy the results. We could adopt the custom, but I fear we’ll always be the punctual westerners. The food was well worth the wait. It was some of the best eats we’ve experienced since being here. In spite of eating too much, I had no stomach issues. We were blessed by being able to experience a beautiful part (family) of the Mexican culture.
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| Bernardo |
Friday is our designated Sabbath. This is our day to relax, have fun, or just lay around. This week we chose to spend the day at the beach with our good friends Arturo y Beatriz (Art & Betty). It was our first trip to the beach in over a month. The water was unusually calm making the snorkeling extra good. We arrived early before the crowds and saw several Manta Rays. I was thrilled with the site of several large ones swimming within a few yards of me. I did think of Steve Irwin as two of them headed right for me. They must have decided I was too big to eat because they turned aside about 10 feet ahead of me. The most exciting part of the day was the cab ride to the beach. The driver, our student, and friend became our brother. Betty obediently shared the Gospel with him and he accepted God’s gift of salvation.
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| Donna & Jessica |
Saturday night, we attended a birthday celebration at Art and Betty’s house for their friends whose birthdays are in August. Jessica celebrated her 11th birthday. Donna celebrated a few more than that. It was a great time of fellowship.
We should be able to begin moving to the new apartment this week. Most of the work is complete. A few things are being redone for the third time. We looked at washing machines today. Used ones are hard impossible to find. They don’t have Craig’s List here. We aren’t sure how much help moving we’ll have. Anyone want to come down to give us a hand??? We’ll feed you, put you up and show you the sights.
Hi from Ivan. Nice to here the progress your making with the locals. There is a chance we can come for a visit if the money comes in from an investment we have been waiting on, but until it comes we can't spend it. All is well with our Sat. am mens prayer group. God bless, we pray for you often.
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