The Bravest Kid In The World

The other night we went to the town square (el centro) to have some Elote (corn on a stick) and some Burger Boy (the best street-stand burger in the world). We all sat down on a wall to munch on our goodies and Smith quickly spotted a soccer game going on across the park. He said boldly, "As soon as I'm done eating, I'm going to go play with them."
We watched as he walked right into the center of the game to announce his presence. All the other children quickly huddled together laughing and pointing at him. As his father, I cringed inside wanting to run up and protect his feelings. But I resisted the urge and Smith stood his ground.
Slowly, but surely, they warmed up to the gringo kid's presence and before we could blink he was in the heat of the game.
Moving anywhere new is tough on a kid, especially to a new world where they speak a different language. My son Smith is the bravest kid in the world.

There's a really neat thing they do in the city we live in. On non-market nights, they turn the main square into a kid drag racing circle. For ten pesos ($1) your kid can get seven minutes of zipping around in their choice of kiddie cars. I love that idea! It just shows one little part of how neat this place is.

It seems like all they show in the news are the stories of how evil and scary it is in Mexico. Drug Lords and gang fights and riots. I'm sure those are all very real, but that is a small part of living in Mexico. The parts we've seen paint a very different picture. Families working hard, enjoying the children and simple pleasures. I'm sure that whoever runs the kiddie car gig doesn't worry about if they're going to be able to afford that new Disney cruise coming up, but they have a cool job!

So if you see scary stuff in the news, just come back to our blog to see the other side.

Package of Love!

"Holy Care Package, Batman!"
Go Diego!

New Crocks!

Zaisy was so stoked about this one!

WE LOVE NERDS!

Peanut Butter! Oh Happy Day!

At what age can they have peanut butter again?

Some friends of ours just arrived on base with a care package from the States for us. It was like Christmas in our little apartment. We all were so elated to get the precious items! Snacks and clothes and books for the kids in English and art stuff and magazines and Crocks! It was the best!!! I suddenly had a terrible case of homesickness when I saw that my mother-in-law had included some instant Cappuccino mix. It was the closest thing to actually sharing a cup with her in person. I suppose the rainy season downpour that confined us indoors was part of it, but we also didn't want to stop reveling in our shower of gifts.

My sister once told me that composing the perfect care package is an art. You must include these four categories: something to eat, something to read, something to play with and something to wear. This package was perfect!

Thanks Dad, Mom, Dave/Christina, & Joia for all your thoughtfulness! It meant the world to us.

Happy Birthday Zaisy!

Zaisy & I out on her Birthday date for coffee & donuts. Yum!

Seven years ago, Zaisy Annelise came into our lives. My, how time flies! Like most C-section babies, Zaisy had a hard time breathing when she was first born. The nurses had to suck an unoridnary amount of fluid out of her lungs several times. It was very sad to see my new baby girl struggling so hard. Each of the several nurses in the nursery listened to her chest with their stethoscopes. After consulting together, they informed me that they believed the wall inside her chest, that normally holds the heart in place, had been ruputured when she took her first violent breaths. They were hearing her heart beat on the right side of her chest. I was freaked out.
As if on cue, all the nurses rushed out at the same time to get the doctor. I laid my hand on her chest, covering her whole torso, and prayed like I had probably never prayed before. When the doctor showed up, he posisitioned his stethoscope, and after listening for what seemed like several minutes, said that she was just fine.
Rachel and I told Zaisy this story this morning and reminded her that she is alive today for a very special purpose. She is such a beautiful little person full of charm and personality. I thank the Lord daily for each of my strong, healthy children. And today, as I remember the events of 7 years ago, I thank Him once again for being such a strong, loving Father that is always available to answer the prayers of His children.

Welcome to the adventure

Driving through the beautiful mountains.

Welcome sign

Rachel and our friend Pam

Several of the mission students and interns having breakfast.

Me, Ax, and our friend Tucker

I was full of mixed emotions as we drove into Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca. After hours, days, months of travel, had we really made it? How would Rachel and the kids respond…would they like it?
The drive from Puebla down into the state of Oaxaca was an amazing experience. We traveled on a new toll-road almost the whole way and got to cross over one of the most beautiful mountain passes in the world. My preconceptions of all of Mexico being one big, dry, desert land were shattered once again. As we drove, I had to keep reminding myself that we were indeed in Mexico.
About an hour and a half outside of Tlaxiaco, we turned off the main road and began our twisty-curvy ascent into more mountains and through numerous small towns/villages. One thing we quickly noticed was that in each place, outside of Tlaxiaco that we drove through, we were not well-received. Laughing, smiling faces quickly turned to frowns and even glares as they saw us driving through. What were we getting ourselves into?
When I visited Tlaxiaco back in November, at first I didn’t really like it. But as I got to know several of the staff and students on the GFM base, and as I walked the streets of the city and shopped in the Saturday marketplace, I quickly fell in love.
Having spent the last two months isolated from friends and family, it was so exciting and refreshing to drive up to the base and see recognizable faces. It was also quite exciting to unpack the “Miracle Mobile” one last time for quite a while. We went down to the town centro to have dinner, and one of the first things we noticed was how well we were received by the local people. Many of them were quick to smile at us and would return our greetings. It was easy to see that GFM has had a good impact and has done good works in this place over the years.
Tlaxiaco is such an interesting place. During the average week it is a city of about 15,000 people. On Saturdays it booms to about 60,000 people with many from surrounding villages coming to sell their goods. It’s a strategic place to share the message and love of Jesus and have that message quickly carried throughout the land by the indigenous people.
So the plan for now is to spend the next few months living and working among the local people as we continue to build relationships and learn how to communicate. In September we will begin our official training with GFM, which is a seven month course, and at that point we will live on the base full-time.
Please keep the prayers coming as I sense we still have many unique and great adventures ahead of us.

WE MADE IT!!!

A much welcomed sign!
The Security System on our new apartment!
Smith and a new friend eating Oaxacan elote. It is the BEEEST!!!
Hello again, Burger Boy!

We decided to take a trip and haul some of our stuff from Puebla down to Oaxaca. Here's some initial pics and thoughts. More to come.

Rachel's thoughts: I cannot tell you all how great a feeling it was to see one of my biggest dreams realized today. Today we drove into Oaxaca to the mission base where we will be staying for a while. It was amazing to see all the things I've only heard about. It is such a wonderful thing to finally have the chance to fulfill something you know God has told you to do. We don't know everything, but we do know He wants us here now. It's not heaven, but the amazing part to me is that when I place my heart in following the Lord of Life, I feel like this place is heaven. A lot of you may say that we are crazy. And you're probably right, but I'd rather live in a cement block in the deep of Mexico, than live in a beautiful, plush, comfortable mansion, knowing that I'm called elsewhere.

How Missionaries Bathe Their Kids

When you live in a country that doesn't believe in bath-tubs...sometimes you have to get creative!