My Favorite Person in the World

My husband, the superstar.

When I was single, I was advised to comprise a list of attributes of what I was looking for in a husband, so as to know exactly what I was looking for. I found all those things and more in Jon Nagel. #14-Musical. HA!!! I got the one-man band. #7-Funny. He would swim in a fountain naked just to get me to stop being mad at him. #1-Loves God. I remember distinctly having a clear conversation with the Lord about him. You know, one of those times when you know that the God of all the earth is taking time to pay attention to your life and speak to you. He let me know that He liked Jon a lot.

Ten years have passed. A lot of it was fun. Some of it was sad. Sometimes I wanted to move off the planet earth just to get away. I had to learn a lot about life and God and maturity and real love. I still have a lot to learn. But if I were to do my list over again, I think it might be a little different. #3-Good father. He’s not perfect, but perfect isn’t what the kids need. They need someone to point them to their Father God. You’re doing a good job, Jon. #2-Able to Listen to the Lord. That is a hard thing to gauge, because it is about his personal relationship with the Lord, but I think when he comes to me and apologizes for being wrong, I know he’s listening to the Lord. No other voice would tell him to do that.

Now, I know that my old list is still fulfilled, but so much more than I had originally imagined. Jon is not just “musical”, when he sings me that one song, he has a voice that makes me melt in my skin. #7-Funny. Sometimes, in the middle of all the stress that living in a foreign country and low bank balances and four kids and camping for five months puts on our relationship, he can do something to make me laugh until my abs ache. But #1 is still “Loves God”. This is why I love my husband. After ten years with Jon Nagel, I’ve seen him look good and, let’s be honest, I’ve seen things that make me want to throw up. But through everything, he’s the only man I know who would give up the security of friends, family, money, identity in a career, “good sense”, and reputation to have the chance to truly follow God to the ends of the earth. So, if I truly do major on the majors, He is still number one on my list.

I love you Jonny!!! OOXXoXx

10 Year Anniversary!!!

Holy crap! Have we really been married for 10 years? Where does time go? Any of you that were at our wedding will remember that it was a hot, sweaty event. We got married outside on a Dallas evening in the middle of the summer. Maybe not the best idea…but then again, when have we ever been known for always having the best ideas?
Getting married so young, I was 19 she was 21, has allowed us to do a lot of growing up together. Sometimes hard, but always covered in a hard-shell sugar coating of fun and laughter! One key to always remember: “Naked is funny!” Admittedly, Rachel has always been better at marriage than me, but that is mainly because Rachel is simply a better person than me. We read a book once that said something to the effect of, “What if marriage was not meant for your personal happiness, rather to make you holy?” With the divorce rate in the world as high as it is today, it would seem that many have bought the lie that if you’re not happy in marriage then you should get out as quickly as possible. What a bunch of junk!
With four kids and a move to Mexico to become full-time missionaries under our belt, we’ve had many opportunities to be unhappy with one another. However, as we each submit our own wills to the will of our Lord Jesus every day, we draw closer and closer. You see, it’s never really been about us. It’s always been about Him.
Men and women go into marriage with different perspectives. Women think they can change all their husband’s bad habits. Men think that the woman they marry will never change. Well, I have more bad habits than ever, and every change that Rachel has gone through has made her radiate with a contagious joy and beauty. Thank you for marriage Jesus. Please give us many more years together.

Our New Phone Number!!!!

Hey! Give us a call sometime. 303-309-5027. You can use this number for us no matter where we are in the world. If we're not online it will prompt you to leave us a voicemail and then as soon as we sign on...we'll get your message.

Yeay for technology!

Pictures of Our Trip Up Through Mexico

My cockpit!

Some of the beautiful scenery we drove through.

We love driving right beside the ocean. Amazing!

This guy was selling the biggest oranges we'd ever seen!

Beautiful bridge over Tampico

"I can't remember where I parked my shrimp boat!"

Our faithful travelers

Ready for take off!

It's like playing a video game.

On our way to cooler lands

We Made It!!

A Welcomed Sign!

Enjoying our first meal in the States at Jack In The Box!

Driving from the state of Oaxaca up the East coast of Mexico into the USA we experienced some of the most beautiful country one could ever dream of. We were a bit shocked to shell out over $50 US in toll fees...especially considering the condition of most of the roads. I got pulled over by the Federales for speeding outside of Matamoros, but somehow talked myself out of a ticket by promising the kind officer that I would not speed anymore...and I didn't. It was a good reminder to obey the law of the land.

Matamoros was your typical overcrowded, run-down border town and I didn't enjoy it too much. One of the big problems with traveling in Mexico is that often you're following signs to where you are going...and then the signs just end. Lost in a huge border town on a hot day without air conditioning is not my favorite. But eventually if you just keep making random turns things seem to work out, which they did. We sat on the bridge in sweltering heat for about 45 minutes and then had to turn over our giant bag of oranges to the border patrol. Doing our part to keep them healthy you know. But before we knew it, we were through and traveling down the amazingly smooth roads of America. Wow! Never, ever take these smooth amazing roads for granted. I can't get over them.

After three long days of travel we have made it to Colorado Springs and are currently resting and hanging out with our good friends Jim and Shiloh. We love you all and can't wait to see you!

Happy 4th of July!!

One of the funny things about living in Mexico is that there are seemingly no laws or codes regarding noise. At any given hour of any given day, music, firecrackers, or giant speakers strapped to the roofs of cars advertising this or that, can be heard from all over our city. I do like the tradition, here in Tlaxiaco, of playing “Ave Maria” on the radio every day to announce the noon hour. I get frustrated with the music the young people listen to. So many of them long to be “cool” like their American counter-parts and end up listening to music with English lyrics, which in my opinion, is terrible. I feel bad for them that they don’t really understand what they’re listening to.
Walking the same streets every day, saying hello to the same people over and over again, at times can seem pointless. What I’ve noticed though is that out on the streets, in the market place, in the stores where we shop, and here in our apartment complex, a gradual wearing down of resistance and fear is beginning to take place. As the people of this fine city see us day in and day out living with them and doing life the same way they do, it’s as if they realize, we may talk funny and look different, but we’re really just people. Maybe not the kind of white people they’re use to seeing on TV and movies their whole lives…but I think that’s a good thing.
Ax and I went for a walk through the town square this afternoon. In this macho society I don’t think it’s very common for the men to carry babies on their backs. Wow, did we get stared at. I did get more smiles than I usually do when I’m by myself. For some reason, man with baby is more approachable than big-bald-white-man-with-big-red-beard by himself. Go figure.
Many of the outward walls of buildings and houses here are deteriorating or covered with graffiti. Not very attractive! However, right inside many of the walls, are beautiful gardens and courtyards. It does not cease to amaze me. Each time I get to see past the outer wall, I’m blown away. The same can be said for our relationships here. As the walls of fear and prejudice are broken down, bit-by-bit, and we’re able to see each other eye to eye, it’s a beautiful thing.
With those thoughts in mind, Rachel and I were talking with the kids over dinner about our upcoming visit to the States. I was reading today about “Reentry” and “Reverse Culture Shock” and how it can be especially hard on your children. From this end of the microscope it’s hard to imagine that we’ve changed that much. I hope like chameleons we will blend in easily and smoothly…but we’ll see.
This is the second time Rachel and I have celebrated the 4th of July out of the country. The first time, we were on a mission trip to Thailand and to celebrate all the members of our team bunched together in our little hotel room in Bangkok and said the Pledge of Allegiance to a post card with an American flag on it. Hopefully, we’ll come up with something a little more exciting this time. Hope you have a fun day!

Time For A Break!

Thanks to all our generous supporters this month, we are coming home! Halleluiah!!! We had been hoping to visit the States over the month of August. We recently found out that some of our best friends, Jim & Shiloh Nowlin, will be gone the whole month of August serving on a short term team in China. Of course we had to change our plans!
New plans: We will be leaving here on the 12th of July and will be in the States through the 1st week of August. School is supposed to start here for Smith and Zaisy on August 20th and this will give us about another month in Mexico to work on our language skills before our official training starts with Global Frontier Missions in September.
To say we’re excited about a visit to the States would be an understatement. Simply thinking about visiting family and friends, shopping at our favorite stores, and eating at our favorite restaurants is already refueling our tanks. Besides that…drinking from the tap, using toilet seats, and feeling soft luxurious carpet between our toes, is a thrilling thought.
I used to think that missionaries that took furloughs were just wimps. I guess I’m a wimp. By the time we pull out of here, we will have been in country for 4 ½ months. Wow! Where does time go? It will be strange to be able to walk into stores and banks and be able to communicate effectively and smoothly. It will be strange to not be gawked at everywhere we go. Don’t get me wrong, we love being here and the relationships we have already begun to develop here in Tlaxiaco will forever be priceless, but…we could sure use a break.
We did meet a girl at the fruit market near our apartment named Laura. Like so many families here in Tlaxiaco, her husband left her and their son 5 years ago to pursue a better life for them in America. She hasn’t seen him since, yet has contact information for him in Colorado Springs. We were blown away to find out he lives very close to where our old house is located. We told her we would try to look him up while we’re there. Should be interesting.
One funny thing is that on July 25th Rachel and I will celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. I had always hoped to be able to take her to Mexico or somewhere exotic to celebrate. Now she’s excited that I’m taking her to the States to celebrate. We’ll also be able to celebrate both Smith and Davis’ birthdays while we are there. Fun!
We went out to the base the other day to do some laundry and take the Miracle Mobile for a drive. It was good to remember what it feels like to drive. When we first got to Tlaxiaco, after bottoming out on countless speed-bumps, I decided to take the running boards off our van. I’ve been quite pleased with that choice as it gives us a good extra six inches of clearance. One of our friends here named Mario saw us driving and now keeps offering to buy it from me. I told him I won’t take anything less than 5 milking cows. He’s trying to talk me down to 4, but I’m not budging. Not sure what I will do if he actually shows up with 5 cows at my door.
We look forward to being able to see as many of you as possible. If you plan on being out of town from July 12th-Aug. 10th…can you please change your plans? Just kidding. No I’m not.