NagelLand

Hi. My name is Tank.

2010-06-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard me correctly. My name is Tank.

This is Zaisy. She's the best sister in the world!

One of my favorite things is to take naps with Daddy!

These are my superhero brothers Ax and Davis. They're teaching me to be tough.

Yep. You caught me napping again.

Sometimes me and my brothers and sister like to play dress up.

This guy Davis knows how to make me laugh.

Ax and me like to wear matching pajamas. We're so cool!

To fit in with my family, you have to LOVE watching movies.

But most the time, you can find me just chillin out.

Being number five comes with it's own set of challenges, but overall, I LOVE it! Mommy says I'm her favorite souvenir that she brought home from Mexico and that makes me feel pretty special. Sometimes things are so loud, wild, and crazy in my house that I like to take refuge in my crib for some quiet, alone time.

Thanks for letting me introduce myself. Stop by and meet me in person sometime. I'll probably be napping, but we have enough going on in our house to keep you entertained until I wake up.

The Adventure Continues

2010-06-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

The device I rigged up to buy groceries between vehicles!

Proudly displaying our new vehicle fund!

Introducing Miracle Mobile #2, or as we like to call it, MM2.

It’s often late at night, after I’m done journaling that Rachel and I will look at each other and wonder aloud if we would trade this life for anything. If you catch us on a bad day when all the kids have ganged up against us or simply on a day where we can’t see the sun through the clouds, we will undoubtedly say, “YES!” But more often than not, we sort through the various choices we’ve made, the forks in the road where we’ve gone left when it would have been so much easier to go right, and we realize that we wouldn’t trade this grand adventure we’re on for anything.

After leaving the somewhat stable financial security of working for HP for many years, I made a brief foray into the world of stocks and bonds working as a Financial Advisor. If I would have had the nerve to stick with it, our lives would be totally different at this point.

As it is, we live month-to-month, week-to-week, sometimes even day-to-day. Before we left for Mexico, we got ourselves to a point of being debt-free, a not so minor miracle in this day and age. Since returning to the states about a year ago, we have made it a goal as a family to keep it that way. It’s an effort to stay totally available and flexible to whatever and wherever the Lord calls us to next.

It hurts sometimes. Upon crossing the border the last time, our van the “Miracle Mobile” has given us nothing but pain and heartbreak. The blood and tears I’ve shed over that machine, and the countless hours spent on my back as I’ve taught myself how to rebuild the fuel system and most of the electrical system, sometimes all seem to have been spent in vain. It now sits in our driveway, sometimes starting, sometimes not. Frustrating.

The Lord is faithful and He sees us. Through a variety of somewhat funky jobs and the generous support of friends and family that unbelievably still believe in us, every month all of our needs are provided for. He is a good Father.

Recently we got a visit from one of our pastors. An anonymous donor in our church had become aware of our transportation situation and wanted to give us $5,000 to help out. When you hold the answer to your prayers in your hands, and have confirmation once again that you are on the right path, it’s hard to contain your emotions. You want to shout…you want to cry…you want to dance. I think I did it all that night.

Rachel and I clearly recognize that we are undeserving of all the gifts the Lord has given us. We continue to breathe in each day as if it were our first and our last. We are committed to riding this adventure out. What will happen next in Nagelland is anyone’s guess, but whatever it is, it’s bound to be FUN!

Basement Life

2009-12-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Family Game Night

Davis did pretty well for his first time at Family Cranium

Smith got the chance to enter in a local pumpkin carving contest
In case you're wondering, the stuff coming out the top is the pumpkin's brains.

We LOVE having company. Jill Bailey from Virginia! Love you, girl!!!!

One thing about Jim's basement is that there is definitely
never a shortage of Star Wars gear.

One of our favorite things to do is get out and go for a family walk.

Smith won an award at school for being a super reader.
We like him a lot.

Right now Ax's favorite thing is being "Speedy Boy" from his favorite book,
"I'm going to be the Best Superhero Ever!"
Favorite accessories: sunglasses, cape, and rocket boots.

Zaisy found the elf costume.
After two years in storage, we had a lot of fun unpacking the Christmas boxes.

Davis thought the tree skirt was supposed to go with the Santa hat.

Over the last four months we've been living in a basement apartment. We are very grateful for our friends giving us this space in their home to rent. The kids have got to experience all the fun of American public school for a semester. We've been able to be 10 minutes from the doctor's office for all our prenatal visits. Starbucks 5 minutes away. Wal-Mart 10 minutes away. We've had a lot of family time--game nights, reading together, light saber fights. It's been nice.

Truly one of our favorite things is when we have visitors. It's nice to be able to be hospitable and share what we can of our 2 bedrooms and 1 bath and wet bar. Really, our guests deserve awards in adaptability. We realize, through it all, that it's time to move on. We are planning on getting up to Denver just before Christmas, so we can settle a little before baby numero cinco arrives. Nothing like last minute adjustments, huh?

We are excited to be closer to our family at Denver United Church and to be closer to Jon's family and mine. We're super excited to have our own place! We have no idea what the future holds for us, so we are definitely living just one step at a time. Crazy? Definitely.

A Day At The Pumpkin Patch

2009-09-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

Smith-age 10

Zaisy-age 8

Davis-age 4

Ax-age 2

Me and my pumpkins

Great Riches

2009-09-22T15:25:00.001-07:00

The dollars in our bank account come and go. It’s never very much, but it’s always enough. Yet, at the end of the day when my children crowd onto my oversized lap, all talking over one another, vying for the attention of their father, I understand in my heart that I am one of the richest men in the world.

Along this journey of life I have proved to be a terrible communicator, as well as a terrible fund-raiser. As we are State-side awaiting the birth of our newest little guy the Lord has supplemented our dwindling support with a variety of jobs. One of my aunts suggested they should start a show about it all. I was reminded of her idea when I caught a commercial of, “Dirty Jobs” and I thought, “Wow! That’s my life right now.”

Here’s a short list of my most recent job descriptions: mover, ranch hand, granite guy, bike parts builder, and most recently, a piano teacher. What a crazy variety. Crazy experiences. Crazy life!

Like David fighting his lions and his bears, like Daniel-son painting the fence and sanding the deck, I sense it’s all for a reason, a greater purpose of training us for the next step. My late, great, father-in-law use to humorously say, “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. I’d rather be rich.” While in Mexico our lowest month of support had us surviving on $200.00. After paying a tithe of $20.00, and a rent of $100.00, we had the wonderful experience of stretching the remaining $80.00. We ate a lot of beans and rice that month. You can do a lot with beans and rice. If any of you have ever wondered about Rachel being a super hero…let me affirm…she is amazing.

We refused to live off of credit. Partly, or mainly because I had burned our only credit card over a camp fire a year before as a step of faith. At times it hurt. We didn’t get to always eat what we wanted, buy what we wanted, or do what we wanted. But it was good training and allowed us to come out of Mexico debt-free.

As we seek the Lord about where He would have us go next, I often wonder, “What the heck is all this training for?” Inwardly, I’ve also come to realize that with me it’s never the exotic, dangerous, adventurous places I struggle with saying, “Yes!” to. Rather, it’s the times of boringness, relative ease, and quiet that I wrestle with.

I will not lie. There are times when I stand in a long hot shower, travel down smooth highways, or visit with friends and family nearby, that I am tempted to give up and become a full-time American once again. However, it’s not the adventure, travel, or excitement that keeps me going. It’s simply the call…the desire to lay down my life and be used for a greater purpose. Like the seed falling to the ground to die that it might bear much fruit. To go to the ends of the Earth and share the love of Jesus with those who would otherwise never hear.

I am the richest man in the world not because of the dollars in my bank account. I am rich with love, with hugs and sticky kisses. I am rich with the knowledge that none of it is about me. We use to have the house, the cars, the steady flow of income…and we were always so poor. We have none of that now…and we are richer than ever!

Great Expectations

2009-09-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Ax's 2nd birthday

It's a boy!!

Rachel & I leading worship.

I’ve taken a sabbatical from writing blogs. I’m back. As I grow, learning to recognize seasons of life for what they are, not getting hung-up on longing for moments of the past, or yearning for the adventures yet to come, I find a certain amount of contentment creeping in on me. It’s good.
When we came back to the States, our marriage was dangerously off-track and both Rachel and I could barely tolerate our children. We were burnt toast.
Finding ourselves unexpectedly State-side expecting our fifth child was…unexpected. A couple of divine appointments took place which I now can see as points of healing and restoration for us.
Some of our good missionary friends with YWAM set up a meeting with some professional debriefing counselors. I was skeptical. They were old, disabled, and strangers. What could they possibly know? Within minutes of meeting them at the local Village Inn, they saw into our souls. It was one of those weird/wild moments in life where you believe that some people may actually have super-powers. They shared with us all kinds of practical tips, ideas, and suggestions to help us out of the tangly underbrush and get back to the daylight of the trail. Then they prayed for us and great things were accomplished.
The other appointment took place in the form of a parenting book Rachel picked up one day. It’s called, “To Train Up A Child.” The great chasm between where we were as parents, and where this booked encouraged us we could be, slapped us in the face like a cold, Wyoming-winter-wind. You mean you’re actually supposed to enjoy your kids and desire more? What!? Yet within weeks of instituting some of the techniques and training ideas presented within…we began to notice startling changes in each of our children, in our hearts. It was good.
Here we are months later. Living in a basement we are renting from friends in Colorado Springs. On plan “X” or possibly “Y” at this point. The Lord continues to provide for all of our needs in radical ways. Rachel and I are communicating in ways and on levels unknown to us before. We are enjoying our kids and so excited to meet our newest little guy, scheduled to arrive in late-December. We’re actually enjoying our kids so much that we’re realizing that number five may not be enough. How wild is that?
We’re not where we thought we’d be…but we continue to do all the things the Lord has called us to. Through deep, fascinating times of intercession and leading worship, we’re seeing the Holy Spirit minister to us and through us in ways that we could have never imagined before. Through these times we each began to discover our own super-powers.
I began to remember yesterday with a flavor of tender-fondness. Today I embrace with a content, adventurous spirit. It is with great expectation I look to tomorrow.

Where the HEY are the Nagels?!

2009-07-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

We stopped by to see Uncle Sonny for a pizza break!

Zaisy got a haircut

We got to go to a wedding at the Zoo!

Cousins trying to figure out who's taller. Zaisy or Charley?

Carousel was free at the Zoo Wedding

We got to visit Storybook Island in South Dakota. The coolest!

Uncle Dave found a kindred spirit

Nagel boys monkeying around

Allie loves Pooh Bear

Silly ol' Bear

Eight AWESOME guys

Rachel and Christina at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota

The sisterhood of the traveling pants:
Story goes, three sisters ended up buying the same exact pants from Penny's.
They fit all body types fabulously.

I bet some of you have been wondering, "What happened to the Nagels?" "Where are they now?" "Why haven't they called?"

To answer your questions, I ask this question: What happens to a space mission upon returning to Earth from it's orbit? Answer: Re-entry. I've heard this analogy being used to describe missionaries coming back from the field to their native homeland. I think it's a wonderful analogy. I felt many times in the last month like I would completely "burn up on re-entry". Any of you who have been on the mission field can relate, I'm sure. There's a strange feeling of being a foreigner in your own land.

Some friends of ours referred us to a couple who specializes in this type of counseling. They have worked for twenty years in this field. Now they travel around doing "debrief counseling" all over the country. They were able to meet with us one evening about a week ago. After just an hour of listening to who we are and what happened in the last year, they completely nailed all the feelings we've been feeling and struggling with and fighting through. They gave us a strong prescription for the next few months to help us work through some issues, complemented us on our kids (total miracle how well behaved they were), and gave us their contact numbers seeing as they'll be in Boston until November. I think God is going to use this time in our lives as a healing and restoration so that someday maybe we'll be meeting others at Village Inn for a much-needed counseling session.

So, as to the quesions... we made it home safely. We are staying with friends in Colorado Springs, CO. Trying to decide about putting the kids in school. We are still full of a ton of questions ourselves, so please forgive our lack of answers. We are all still reacclimating to our environment.

faith,
hope,
love,

Nagels

Crazy Adventures in Nagelland

2009-05-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

We spent the month of April seeking the face of God and asking Him about the “next step” in our lives. It’s ALWAYS amazing to me how much the Lord can change your heart in a single hour of solid prayer. It’s ALWAS amazing to me that when you seek the Lord with your whole heart, He is faithful to meet with you.
We were hoping to be able to stay on with our current ministry down here through the summer to continue to intercede and lead worship. But with the recent discovery of our fifth baby on the way, and the small, little fact that the ministry leaders said, “NO.”, we have decided it’s time to move on.
And yes, you did read that right, numero cinco is on the way. Rachel and I often feel like terrible parents, but the Lord must see something worthy in us that we do not see ourselves. Though the patterns and ways of the world tell us that children are a burden and a nuisance, we believe that children are a blessing and a reward from the Lord. We are excited to be found worthy of the responsibility of another life. And EVERYONE knows that the world needs more red-heads!
It’s funny when the pieces all began to come together how the peace of God surrounds you and everything seems to make sense. We’ll be spending the next few days selling all of our belongings, once again, and then we’ll be making our way up to the States. All of our pregnancies so far have been smooth however; Rachel does have a unique medical condition with her blood, during pregnancy, that the doctors always like to keep a close eye on.
So, you may ask, is this the end of the Nagel’s mission’s career? Not at all! It’s just the beginning. It’s not all clear yet, but with the many people who have come to us and said, “Just choose a country and we will follow you guys anywhere.”, we begin to catch the hint that perhaps the Lord is leading us to put together a team or teams of people to take over the world for Jesus. We’ll give you more details as it all comes together.
Anyways, we are excited to catch up with our many faithful supporters, take some long hot showers, and of course, flush our toilet paper. We should be to Colorado by the end of this month and it will be so good to see you face-to-face.
We are overwhelmed with excitement and can’t wait to see where the crazy adventure of following God leads us next! See you soon.

My Two Bears

2009-04-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

These two little boys keep us hopping but are also a constant source of joy in our lives!

Hunger in the land

2009-04-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

A few of the books I had the pleasure of reading during training.

To desire to hunger after God and to actually have a hunger for God are entirely two different things. One may lead to the other, but they should not be confused as being identical.
Having finished our formal missions training earlier this month, we’ve been spending the last several days seeking God and His next step for our lives. One morning I was awoken by a phone call from my friend Jordan. He had traveled down to Oaxaca City with several teenagers to attend a youth conference. His excitement was contagious on the phone and within half an hour I had kissed Rachel and the kids, and with a change of clothes and my sleeping bag I made the 3 hour trip down the road.
I haven’t hung out with a lot of teenagers in the States, but these kids down here really blew my mind. Many of them were dressed like punks, but any time we started praying or worshipping, they were hard to keep up with. The two nights I was there, we didn’t stop singing or dancing until after 1:00 in the morning. Wow! Being in a stadium where all 7,000 people are dancing at once is an experience I will not soon forget.
As I think about church history and the different revivals that have taken place, the tangible presence of God seems to be the common denominator. Yet, it doesn’t seem to be something one can conjure up. I always crack up a little bit when I drive by a church and see a big banner advertising the upcoming, “REVIVAL.”
So…if it’s the presence of God that truly changes people’s lives…what are we doing about it? Is there anything we can do about it? Maybe.
The Spirit of God seems to come in a tangible form to those that are most hungry. To those that hunger and thirst for Him and Him alone. It brings me to my original point: I think many of us desire to be hungry for God…yet that’s where it ends. To push through that and get to a place where I want nothing else, no one else, where He is the only thing that will satisfy…is where I want to be. I’m not sure how to get there, but that’s what I want.
After a year in Mexico I think we’ve developed many valuable friendships and relationships. But it’s also becoming blindingly clear that if all of Mexico, or even just all of our little city here in the mountains is to come to know the Creator of the universe, they are going to have to have an encounter with His presence.
Anyways…just a few of the thoughts currently bouncing around in my head. When you think of our family this month, please pray for us and our future direction. We’re not sure where or when to go from here. We’re excited about the future…just a little unclear right now.

The King is alive! Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T12:48:00.001-07:00

Leading Worship

2009-04-06T10:46:00.001-07:00

Leading worship in front of the world map

Candlelight worship

Me, Jordan, Mike, & Michelle

Throughout the month of March, as we hosted Spring Break short-term teams, I had the opportunity to lead the worship band. It was incredible to see four musicians (two from Canada, one from South Carolina, and me) come together and sound better than many bands I've heard that have been together for years. Truly a miracle.

I've lead worship many times in the past, but this was my first chance to lead with a band. What an amazing experience as I learned to work with the different personalities, put together song sets, and always have the music transposed and printed off in time. What a job!

The Lord was faithful and let His Spirit be known during several of our sessions. Many people were healed emotionally and physically as we worshiped.

I don't know the whole story yet, but I think this was a significant milestone in my life. A big THANK YOU to Jordan, Mike, & Michelle for putting up with me as I figured out what I was doing.

One of the main themes we studied throughout our training this year is that, "Missions exists because worship does not!" Once we all learn to worhship the Creator of this Universe the way He deserves to be worshiped...our job will be easy.

Dry wells...Living water

2009-04-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

Me and my friend Jordan

After four grueling days of physical labor under the hot Mexican sun, it was becoming painfully obvious to all of us that we were not going to strike water. At that point however, we knew the real work had already been done in the spiritual realm.
For our third week of Spring Break short-term teams I traveled out to a village about 2 hours away with a bunch of guys to help drill two wells. I was assigned to a team with two of my close friends, Jordan, and Jon W. The well we were working on had been started the previous year, but still had a long way to go. Before we started working, the three of us circled around the hole and prayed for God’s blessing on our efforts. As we were praying, we all heard a sound and opened our eyes just in time to see a roll of toilet paper bounce off the ground and down into the hole. One of the other team members was trying to help us out, and blindly threw the roll over an 8ft. wall as he was driving away. It was unbelievable, and we knew that it was a sign that we were in for an interesting week. It took us the first 4 hours just to get that stupid roll out!
By the end of the first day, the three of us were exhausted and a bit discouraged at the lack of progress. We kept running into one rock after another. Throughout the day various Mexicans would come to watch us work and observe our methods. As the sun began to set, we were taking a break sitting around the hole when another guy showed up. We didn’t think much of it, but he was talkative and introduced himself as Jorge. He invited us down to the local bar/strip club that night. We each politely refused and it seemed to baffle him. He couldn’t understand why three strong, young men would not want to go drinking and looking at naked ladies. Now my friend Jordan speaks really good Spanish and I’ve hung out with him a lot over the last 7 months. A couple times now I’ve observed the anointing of God come upon him and I’ve had the pleasure of watching and listening to him preach some amazing messages. This was one of those times. I sat there praying for him as he shared his testimony with our new friend Jorge and was blown away to see the man’s countenance change right before our eyes. He was hungry. He confided in us how he’s been searching for God and he’s fed up with the hypocrisy all around him and how he’d like to really know how to talk to God without any other strings attached. He got excited about the Good News we shared with him! He then told us that he is the owner of the most popular local radio station that broadcasts to a countless number of people. He asked us to come on air the next night and share what he had just heard so all of his friends and family could hear as well. It was out of this world!
It was such an amazing experience to sit in that little padded sound studio. We circled around a table with 6 microphones sticking out of it, and with the big, black ear phones on our ears making us look silly, we all did our best to share God’s message of love and forgiveness with Jorge the host, and all the listeners that night.
As I sit here typing, I still can’t believe all of that happened. It was so cool to see God’s hand at work and get to be a part of it. Please pray with us for Jorge as he begins his relationship with God. Please also pray with us for all the listeners that night, and those who will hear it again as it is re-broadcast in the future.
We had to walk away from dry wells sunburned and exhausted…but each of us realized that something of much greater significance had taken place. Men and women down in this neglected area of Southern Mexico got a taste of water from the well that never runs dry. Praise God!

Village People

2009-03-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

The whole team and the church that we worked with.
Receiving a Thank You speech from the local authorities.

The completed guard rail

I just got back from a week-long outreach to a village about two hours away from Tlaxiaco. Even though we had to use out-houses the whole time and I had to sleep in a mud-brick home, sharing a double bed with two other full grown men, we had an amazing experience. The village has about 600-800 people and we were able to partner with a local church there to help drill wells, teach health classes, run a medical clinic, and my favorite part, we helped build a 64ft long guard rail to help protect the locals from a dangerous drop-off. The Lord has blessed me with a strong back and I was able to help with a lot of the heavy lifting, including hauling a 100 pound bag of cement up a steep hill. Ouch! To finish it off, we painted the guard rail a bright yellow color and also got to help paint one of the local speed bumps.
All the Mexicans call me Oso, which means bear in Spanish. The first night we were there three little girls were following me wherever I went. I finally turned around and told them that people call me Oso because I like to eat little girls. They ran off laughing to tell all their friends. It made me an instant celebrity and everywhere I went little kids would call out to me and challenge me to chase after them.
The last night we were there we invited all the children to a movie and a dinner. I showed up late after playing several of the locals in an aggressive basketball game. Those men were short, but they were tough. When I walked into the little dining hall where all the kids were eating, the place erupted with yells of “Oso, Oso!” It made me quite happy and I fell in love with those sweet children. Even now as I sit here typing, my eyes fill with tears as I remember their sweet little smiles and voices. The fact was not lost on me that they are the future of Mexico. As they ate, I walked behind them and prayed for the Spirit of God to fill their little hearts. Before they left that night, one of our Mexican brothers shared the Gospel story with them and they all bowed their heads and prayed for Jesus to forgive them of their sins. It was a very touching time for me.
The next two weeks we will be hosting two more Spring break teams from the States and going out to two more villages. Please pray that the Spirit of God will continue to go before us to soften hearts and reveal Himself to these sweet hearted people.

One Year Anniversary

2009-03-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

We got to visit Maribel in Puebla

First Stop in Mexico: Aldama, Mexico

Ax baby napping --March '08

Smith: ready for adventure

Our family with Maribel last summer

City bus ride

Such a treat when we finally got a movie up and running

A few days ago, we celebrated our one year anniversary of moving to Mexico. God has moved us and walked with us every step of the way. It amazes me to look back and see all the moments that we were being beautifully led by God, yet at the time it felt like being drug behind a truck. We've grown and learned sooooo much that it would be impossible to portray it all in words. However, I would like to say that I would rather spend a lifetime trying to follow Jesus to the ends of the earth and failing, than never having tried at all. Thank you all for enduring all the bumps and slams and breakdowns and rejoicing with us. We couldn't have done it without you. And to Jesus our Faithful Friend...thanks for the ride.

The Miracle Mobile

2009-02-23T10:44:00.000-08:00

It was just over a year ago now that the Miracle Mobile came into our lives. We knew the Lord had told us to hit the road for Mexico and every day I was scouring the newspapers and looking online for the perfect vehicle.
One day, after a time of prayer, I decided to check Craigslist one more time. When I typed in my criteria, the first van to pull up was one that I had looked at many times before. It happened to belong to the parents of my little sister’s boyfriend. After calling and making arrangements, we scheduled a day to drive up to Denver and take it for a test drive.
Before we even got there and without any discussion about it, Rachel and I both had unique experiences of feeling lead to simply ask them to give us this van. When we finally talked about it, we both thought there would be no way! The day we drove up to their house, I had one of those hazy, slow-motion experiences when I saw the van for the first time. I thought, “This is going to be in our lives for a long time.”
As we drove it around that day, we kept looking for imperfections or problems we could use to bring up in our negotiations. We couldn’t find any. We were in love.
That night as we drove back over to their house, you could feel the tension in the air between us. We decided that I would do the talking, however, I was having a hard time moving past the small talk and getting to the point. After much too long of a period, Rachel gave me one of those looks and I knew it was now or never. I finally said something to the effect of, “We love your van and it’s perfect for us. We would like to offer you half your asking price, or if you’d rather, you can give us the van and we can give you a tax-deduction.” They looked at each other and after a brief silence I offered for us to leave the room so they could discuss it. But just as quick as that, they turned back to us and said they would take the tax-deduction. We were beside ourselves with joy and couldn’t believe what we were hearing. Now we had a van, and money to head down to Mexico!
We parked our new van outside our bedroom window and many times during that night I got up to check on it and to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. When you envision something for so long and believe with your whole heart that the Lord will provide, it’s always an INCREDIBLE experience when it comes to pass.
Thank you Ernie and Kathy for your generous gift! It has blessed our family and our ministry beyond compare.

Eye! Eye! Eye!

2009-02-07T07:03:00.000-08:00

Warning: Gross Content

(not for the faint of stomach)

That night

Day After

Day 5

Today

We can be pretty sure that great spiritual things are happening when our kids get outright attackted. The other night, we were in the Centro (center of town) getting churros. Smith wanted to spend his pesos on the jumpy castle. What could go wrong? Two minutes later, he walks up to us quietly crying, covering his right eye with his hand. When he got right in front of us, he moved his hand to show us. --You know those moments, when your kid walks up crying and you have to act all cool and calm and say, "It's not that bad."? Well, we didn't do so well with that.

At first, I thought I was going to have to kill someone. Jon thought his eye had exploded. It looked as if there was an egg under his eye lid. TWO MINUTES! How did he do that in two minutes?! Turns out he had attempted a front flip on the top of the jumpy slide and ran his eyes into his knees. Bummer. Our friend, Jordan, immediately went to get him a popsicle. Not to make him feel better, but to stop the swelling. We rushed home and our nurse-friend Joni came over to check it out. As soon as she saw it, she said, "Oh, that's good." Apparently massive swelling is fine, as long as it goes outward, not in towards the brain. Thanks Joni.

Working With Wood

2009-01-28T07:40:00.000-08:00

A few days a week, me and one of my friends Jordan go into town and work at the carpenter shop with our friend Chava. Chava is what I would consider a "Man of Peace" in this region. He is respected, influential, and quite open to spiritual things. I've really enjoyed getting to know him and his family.

Almost every time we go to work there, Chava's cousin, who we refer to as "Fat Chava", and his neighbor Edgar come and hang out with us as well. In Latin American cultures, I am learning that priority is always placed on relationship, rather than how much work you can get done each day. Many times we will stand around in the shop just talking, getting to know about each other and our families. It's a great time and I'm constantly blown away by how open all three of these men are to the ideas of following Jesus.

One day back in November, we were processing a bunch of lumber when Chava asked me if we needed any furniture for our apartment. I told him that we would love to have a table and he promptly pulled four boards out of the pile and set them aside. The next week, leading up to Thanksgiving, he stopped all his other work and taught me how to build the table above. I wanted to surprise Rachel with it, though it was driving her crazy that I was spending every free moment at the shop. I kept telling her to be patient and that soon she would understand. On Thanksgiving morning, I went down to the shop and helped Chava load the table into the back of Edgar's truck. When we delivered it to our apartment, Rachel was quite pleased and I think she pretty much forgave me for being away so much.

Please be praying with us for Chava, Fat Chava, and Edgar. All three of these men have a lot of family here in Tlaxiaco and I sense that if they really fall in love with Jesus, our time here will be short.

Davis' First Day

2009-01-25T06:06:00.000-08:00

Missionary Kids Preschool Class

Waiting to go into the Schoolhouse

Jacket, Snack, Backpack...ready!

My neighbor and friend, Jenna, opened up a preschool for the kids on the missionary base. They learn one letter a week, sing songs, finger paint, have snack time...I just can't believe how real it all is. When Jenna told me she wanted to do preschool for the little kids, I thought she meant a few random toddler activities. When she gave me the list of required items for Davis to bring, I giggled. She was totally serious.

So, as I packed Davis his own water bottle, juice box, snack, art smock, and sanitary hand wipes all into his little backpack, I realized how big this is for him--and me. Much to her delight, Davis asked Zaisy to walk him to class. As the other kids came in and sat at their prepared name plates, I felt like a pioneer woman in a new land, sending the children to the schoolhouse to learn to read and write with the local schoolteacher. A community coming together to make a new life in new land. I loved it.

Thanks Jenna for using what God has given you to make a difference. See you on Tuesday!

Journey to the Center of the Earth

2009-01-20T20:21:00.000-08:00

One night while we were in the States some of our friends asked us some detailed questions about driving through Mexico. That got me reflecting on the AWESOME grace and mercy the Lord has shown us on all the crazy Mexican highways. This last trip down was just as amazing. Half an hour into the country I did get pulled over for speeding and had to pay a $100 peso bribe…and that was not fun. But it was a good reminder to slow down and obey the laws of the land.
Another time, while reaching down to grab a cookie, I missed an exit. Not a big deal, but it did send us on a two hour detour and got us stuck in traffic in some random city…also, not fun. Live and learn. I was so frustrated the whole time we were lost but I kept sensing that we were avoiding something bad with the delay. Sure enough, a couple hours down the road, the highway was backed up for miles with what appeared to be a bad accident. We were directed to a old cobblestone highway that was shaded with a canopy of trees. We got to travel on that for about an hour and it was beautiful.
40 hours of driving gives you A LOT of time to think. Someday I’ll get all those thoughts written out, but this blog is not that time.
I had borrowed a Monster energy drink from Jim’s garage and I saved it for the last leg of the journey. I’d never drank one of those before. WOW! My whole body was asleep by the time we got here, but my mind and my eyes would not shut off ‘til several hours later.
Getting back to Tlaxiaco is amazing. When we left here, the climate was very cold and winter-like. We returned to Spring/early Summer conditions. I love it!
We also returned to great news about my carpenter friend Chava and his cousin “Fat Chava” (we call him “Fat Chava” because they’re both named Chava and he is the fatter one)…I know, very creative. Anyways, both of these men have become very interested and receptive towards spiritual things. Please be praying that the Holy Spirit will continue to move in their lives. They both have so much family here that if they really get lit on fire for God and their families follow…watch out Mexico!
Money-wise, things are going great! We’re at 26 of 30 days covered. We still have four slots available, so if you’d like to join “Team Nagel” please do not delay. We also found out today that we’ve had about $3000 come in toward our $8000 tuition fees. Praise God!
So, we’re busy getting back into the groove of our Mexican lifestyle. We are happy to be here and it’s so exciting to see all the great things that the Holy Spirit is doing here. I sense that a revolution is brewing down here and when it really takes off it will be like trying to hang on to the bumper of a speeding car!

I've Got a Golden Ticket

2009-01-04T17:50:00.000-08:00

In the new version of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”, there is a scene where Charlie is verbally contemplating selling his golden ticket to help provide financially for his family. His grouchy grandpa pulls him aside and says something to the effect of, “Charlie, there is plenty of money in the world. In fact, they print more every day. But this is a once-in-a-life-time opportunity which you must not pass up!”
I’ve never been very good at being your typical anything. After a year of being a full-time missionary, I find that I’m not a very good at fitting that mold either. I still love to drink a Guinness with my friends. I still cuss. And on cold nights, I still love to sneak out to have a puff on my corn-cob pipe.
Despite the many flaws in my life, the Lord continues to use me and my family. When we came to the States for a visit this last summer, Rachel and I could barely tolerate the idea of going back to Mexico. It made us sick-to-the-stomach. Before we crossed the border, we stopped at a Walmart in Harlingen, TX. After doing some shopping and dragging our feet, we looked at each other and with tears in our eyes we started to laugh. We both agreed that no one was forcing us to go back, but if we didn’t, we would never know.
Going back was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. The progress we’ve made with the language and the many Mexican friendships that have developed over the past four months are priceless to us. Especially, my friend Chava the carpenter. Working side-by-side with him, eating meals in his house, and getting to know all of his family and extended family, has been a delight to my soul. I would love for them all to fall in love for Jesus. So much we would have missed out on if we would not have pushed past the pain of our emotions.
Strangely enough, as much as we love visiting all of our family and friends, it now pains me very much to be away from Mexico. I can’t wait to get back!
We do need money to get back. The training program that we are going through costs $8,000. We told them we would try to have $4,000 to them in January, $2,000 in February, and the final $2,000 in March. At this point…we have a long way to go.
We are also currently raising up a team of 30 supporters that will commit to at least $50 a month to cover our expenses. We’re about half-way there.
I’m not a fan of using the guilt-you-into-it method, or even using phrases like, “Partner with us.” They all feel too cheesy to me. The simple truth is…we need money. If you’re looking for a good cause to give to, we’re it. This is our once-in-a-life-time opportunity, this is our golden ticket, and we don’t want to pass it up!
Here’s a guarantee that we can offer you: When you give to the Nagels you will never get the typical results because quite frankly…we are anything but typical!

Home for Christmas!

2008-12-26T07:41:00.000-08:00

Dad and Comfort

Smith and Joia

Ax and his cousin Bowman workin' the keys

Giggly girls on the bathroom floor

Everyone loves the Nana

Happy Christmas!

Racy game of Scrabble

Uncle Dave and Zaisy

Charley, Zaisy, and Dillan

We had so much fun this Christmas visiting family and friends. Thank you all for all the help and support you've shown us. We couldn't do all this without you. Merry Christmas!

We plan on heading down to Colorado Springs for a few days before we make our trek back down to Mexico. This much needed break for our family has given us a lot to take with us as we head back into the field. Thank you all so much!

Surprise, Surprise!!

2008-12-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

We’ll be home for Christmas! We didn’t think that we would be able to make a trip to the States over the holidays, but due to a change in circumstances, and a suggestion from the ministry we’re working with to go do some additional fund-raising, it looks like it is going to work out.
Our plan right now is to leave Tlaxiaco tomorrow at 1:00 in the morning and make a cannon-ball run up to the border. By my calculations, it is about a 40 hour drive to Colorado and we could use every prayer that you can send up for us. Pray that my eyes will stay wide-open and that I’ll make wise decisions on the road. Pray that all the Mexican authorities will be blind to us as we travel and not harass us in any way. Pray for the “Miracle Mobile” to run smoothly and efficiently.
We’re still trying to work out our schedule while we’re in Colorado, but we hope to see as many of you as possible while we are there.
We love you and look forward to wishing you a Merry Christmas in person!

P.S. If you or anyone you know have large amounts of money you'd like to give away before the end of the year...just let us know! ;)

My Birthday Blog

2008-12-02T19:48:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a few minutes to write one last blog in my 20’s. The last ten years of my life have been eventful to say the least. To focus on work I’ve done would be a shame. Like most everyone else I know or have read about, work is a blip, a small, insignificant part of life that is often talked about like this, “Well for 30 years I worked for so and so…” and that’s all there is to say about it. Well, for seven years I worked for HP…and that’s all there is to say about it.
On to more meaningful matters that will stand the test of time, even eternal time. Getting married to my beautiful Rachel at the age of 19 started a whirlwind spinning that I’ve yet to catch up with. I had my first son Smith when I was 20 years old. Ready or not, here he came. I’m still not sure if I’m ready for him, or deserve him, but I love him more than words can express.
22 saw the birth of my sweet and spunky little red-headed baby girl Zaisy. When I saw her for the first time and covered her whole torso with one hand to pray for her, I knew my life would never be the same.
I was happy with two children, but the Lord was not, and He would not drop the issue. So at the age of 26, we had the only child we’ve actually tried for so far. Davis. He lights up my life daily and I often reflect on how empty my life would have been if I would have settled for just two. Children indeed are a blessing and a gift from the Lord. Davis changed me and changes me daily. I loved him so much from his very first days on this earth that I immediately began to ask the Lord for another one just like him.
28 brought more changes in my life than I can bear to think about at times. I left HP and in the midst of starting an exciting, new career, I received a clear calling from the Lord to become a full-time missionary. Ouch! Oh yeah, a few months later, the Lord answered my prayer and my Ax-man came into the world. He was such a peaceful little guy at first. Now Davis and Ax have figured out how to team up against us. Can anyone say, “Red-tornado X 2?”
With the life we currently live in Mexico and the many adventures to come, I often wonder what kind of memories my little ones will escape child-hood with. Should be interesting.
As you can see, the last ten years of my life have been quite full to say the least. As I sit here and reflect, it’s not the moments of pain, fear, or worry that rise to the top. It’s an abounding sense of joy and gratefulness of the Lord’s provision in every aspect of my life. If the last ten years have been this full and exciting, God only know how exciting these next ten years will be. And I’m sure He has some great surprises up His sleeve.

One Year Anniversary

2008-12-01T14:03:00.000-08:00

Today is a significant day for me. I’ve been looking forward to writing this blog for quite a while. Today marks the one year anniversary of me being completely healthy. This would be a huge thing anyway, but the fact that most of this year has been spent living in Mexico, makes it simply incredible. I decided when we moved down here that I would live by faith and not by fear…especially when it comes to food. So I’ve eaten every single funky thing set before me, and I’ve been just fine.
I use to play around with sickness and even use it to get sympathy or simply to have some time off from work. I knew going into this year that there would be no room for that kind of junk. All year long, I lived with a desire to beat my body and make it my slave. Some days it is hard to overcome my feelings, but honestly, if I live a life of trusting my feelings, I probably would never get out of bed in the morning.
A thought my mom shared with me earlier this year has helped me a lot and I meditate on it often. It’s the idea that when Jesus was on the cross, He literally bore all of our sicknesses and diseases upon Himself. It was such gruesome site that the sky had to turn black because no one could bear to look upon Him. Anytime I start to feel crummy, or anytime I pray for a sick person, I pray and thank God for already taking that sickness upon Himself, and I picture Him already conquering the specific sickness upon the cross. You see, Jesus accomplished more than just salvation upon the cross. He died and rose again that we would be SAVED, HEALED, and DELIVERED.
Thank you for a healthy year Jesus! You’re Awesome!

Catholic Confirmation

2008-11-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

Gringos and Brenda

The girls love the Davis

feast

Brenda

We were honored to be invited to attend a private family party celebrating the confirmation of Chava's daughter, Brenda into the Catholic Church. This was the largest confirmation ceremony so far in Tlaxiaco. The priest delivered a stellar message that would put most youth group sermons to shame. That was totally unexpected. And afterward, our family was treated like honored guests at the celebration party. We were asked to use one of the only three parking spots available. The kids had a blast drinking Coke and Fanta from the seemingly unending bottles on the table. They just kept appearing! Wow! I felt so humbled and honored to be a part of this family's lives. This discipleship thing is rockin' my world!!!

Our Mailing Address

2008-11-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Here is our mailing address down here just in case you would like to send us a letter or a care-package (hint, hint). If you do send a package, make sure to mark the value of the contents low so we won't get taxed on it. Thank you!

Global Frontier Missions

Attn: Jon & Rachel Nagel

Apdo. 14

Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca 69800

Mexico

2008-10-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

idol on wheels

"You see my cow?"

"Sol" beer samples

A funny thing happened the other day. Upon driving through the city we found our car caught in the middle of a parade. Sorry, actually that is not at all uncommon in Mexico. This particular parade, however, was celebrating the patron saint of our city. You see in Mexico, every city has a saint that is believed to watch over that particular city. If your saint is a powerful one, then your city will be well protected and prosper.

This particular celebration of the saint of Tlaxiaco was the most elaborate we'd seen yet. Lots of throwing candy and processions of flowers and framed saint pictures. There were many livestock trucks with cows being showcased. One driver that passed our window wanted to use his English and said, "You see my cow?" He was a proud bovine chauffeur.

Groovy Guys

2008-10-19T10:13:00.001-07:00

Doctors Paul and Ken after finishing their mission

A couple of guys came down from the States to do a medical outreach to the villages around Tlaxiaco. Both of them eye specialists, they came to give exams and prescribe and distribute glasses to the people in the villages who otherwise would go without. They encountered a problem getting their cases containing 3,000 pairs of eyeglasses through customs. Down at GFM, we prayed and called on the power of God to overcome the opinions of the governing officials at the Mexican customs department in the Oaxaca City airport. Three days of being told, "No way, Jose" (actually it was Dan), and they suddenly released the glasses without reason. The two doctors were able to spend the remaining days of their trip meeting the needs of the village people in a practical way. We were told there was no way the government would let them get those glasses into the country. But as we all know, nothing is impossible for God. Nothing.

ps. please be praying for all of us here at GFM as we deal with immigration and try to get our long-term work Visas approved. Thank you!

Evangiball

2008-10-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Playing D
Sideliners

Chava’s cousin lives across the street from the carpentry shop where we work. He is renovating his home and we do a lot of work in his house. By Mexican standards he is quite wealthy and relationally he’s been a hard nut to crack.
This last weekend I convinced Chava to come and watch our gringo team play soccer. We tried to convince Chava to play on our team, but he would not. However, when we got to the field, his cousin was standing there watching. We asked if he would like to play on our team. Believe me any Mexican blood on your soccer team changes the whole dynamic. I was thrilled when he agreed and sent one of his sons home to get his gear.
As soon as I saw his bright yellow soccer shoes, I knew he was going to be good. And he was. He played defense with me and I found out that he does speak a little bit of English.
The highlight of my weekend was when he asked if he can play with us full-time. Praise God! Please pray for Chava and his cousin as we continue to build relationship with them.

Through the Eyes of a Carpenter

2008-10-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

Catching some precious zzzzzz's with my two little bears.

I’m so behind on all the blogs that I’ve been meaning to write. I thought about trying to write a blog to catch you all up on everything, however, there are a couple problems with that idea. #1. It would be so long that no one would read the whole thing. #2. Every time I try to sit down and write this “catch-up blog”, there are at least ten other things vying for my time.
So I came up with an idea yesterday that I will just start blogging again and act like you have been with me every step of the way already. You may not like this idea…but you will just have to get over it!
MTS (Missionary Training School) has been incredible. Between all the reading, language learning, class time, and ministry time, it does prove to be a demanding schedule. In all my “free time” I like to squeeze in some sleep. Sleep is good. I could use some more right now. One of the most important things I’ve learned in MTS is that without training…missionaries will get eaten alive…sometimes, quite literally.
My favorite part of life right now is working with Chava in his carpentry shop. He’s helping to teach me Spanish as well as how to build furniture from the rough lumber available here in Mexico. On that note, we don’t have Home Depots or Lowes here…amazingly enough. When we go to the lumber yard to buy supplies, it’s always a crap shoot. For example, before we can even began building a table, we will spend hours cutting the wood down into 4X4’s, 2X4’s, and other common sizes that you can easily walk in and buy off the shelf in the States. Everything here is harder and more time-consuming.
As I work with the wood and watch the rough lumber become usable and then turn into a beautiful piece of furniture, I often think about what Jesus was thinking as he worked in the carpentry shop. Everything we do down here is in the hope that we can build solid relationships. In a society such as this, real change only comes about through relationship. That’s why I play on a soccer team, work in a carpentry shop, shop at the same fruit market every week, and eat every single funky thing set before me. Including the bowl of fried grasshoppers that was set before me night before last. It’s all about relationship.
On first appearance, many of the people here seem unapproachable. They sound different, look different, and often smell different. (Different is the P.C. way of saying “funny.”) Because of these differences, it’s easy to outright reject them as un-usable. But the more I learn to see through the eyes of Jesus, the more I began to judge them and accept them not for the rough lumber that they are, but the fine furniture that they will be.

Thank the Lord for Canada!

2008-10-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

Yummy!

On Monday we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with our north bordering neighbors--south of the border. We got to enjoy pumkin pie, mashed potatoes, yams, Nanimo bars,and all our favourite Canadian holiday foods. The tables at the base were decorated with seasonal flare so much so that you could forget where you were for a few moments. As much as we tease all our Canadian friends, we learned that we owe Canada a great deal for giving us great stars like William Shatner and Mike Meyers. We followed it up by going out to the soccer field and playing a little American/Canadian football.

Can you spot the white kids?

2008-10-07T21:15:00.000-07:00

Sunday school outside

Playing a game

Davis wadered off after a while

We have been attending a local church for the past few Sundays. Being a very small building, and not having a nursery, I spend all but the first ten minutes outside with the two little boys. Last week, I got smart and brought snacks and books to read. This Sunday, I was walking around the car when I saw Smith and Zaisy's sunday school class go out into a field to play a game and sing some songs. I decided to follow at a distance with my camera. I watched my kids play along and make the other kids laugh (and the teacher). I was impressed at how different they obviously are, and yet they did a marvelous job of interacting and being a part of the group. Granted Smith goofed around so much that I think the teacher gave up on one game entirely, but wouldn't that have been the case anyway in a class at our own home church? He didn't act like the other shy, sheepish mexican children, but he didn't act hugely different. He was just himself. That's good missions right there.

Sorry Blog

2008-10-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

Apparently I didn't know that Jon had already posted a birthday blog for Ax. I was enjoying some online catching up while Jon was gone camping last week. I checked email, did some facebooking, and apparently posted a superfluous blog. Sorry, dear readers.

But... while I was preparing for Jon's coming back, I found this moocher in my nice, clean, warm mop bucket water. He was totally enjoying himself.

2008-09-30T20:23:00.000-07:00

Ax had a ball on his first birthday. No, really, we had a ball party. He has just a handful of words in his repitoire, but his favorite is: ball. So we showered him with balloons and bubbles and a green and blue ball for his birthday. It was a ball of fun.

Gooooooooooal!

2008-09-18T08:44:00.001-07:00

The night before last, I played in my first soccer game since 6th grade. A bunch of us guys here on the base decided to put together a team to compete in one of the local leagues. About the only rule I remebered was that you can't touch the ball with your hands.

The Mexican players that we played against obviously had been playing since birth, maybe even came out of the womb with cleats on, and quite possibly had always be on the same team with eachother. They wove the ball in and out of us and made us look like we were standing still. Ouch!

Long story short...we got our butts kicked! The highlight for me, however, came early in second half of the game. I took a pass from our team captain and found myself in open field with nothing between me and the goalie. After a few dribbles to get the ball under control, I took a swing and scored my first goal EVER!!! Our bench erupted with joy and you would have thought that we just won the World Cup. I was the hero of night and all day yesterday. It felt great!

Over the next 7 months of Missionary Training School I will be reading at least 60 books. I just added a new gadget on the right bar of our blog to highlight one of the books I'm reading each week. You can read along if you like and see a glimpse of what we're learning. This week is "Death to Self" week. We're having our worlds turned upside down as we study "Me centered" theology vs. "God centered" theology. My favorite quote from the Piper book I just finished is, "God is most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him." To think that everything exists to glorify God and not me. What a concept. To God be ALL the glory!

Week In Review!

2008-09-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

We made it back to Tlaxiaco just in time to attend our first day of Missionary Training School…which I will often refer to as MTS. What an amazing week it has been! Each day began with a 6:30 time of prayer for the nations. After that, all the families and single students got together at 8:00 for a time of praise and worship. 9:30-1:30 found me in class studying un-reached people groups of the world and being inspired as we discussed some of the amazing books that we have been reading. On that note, if you have never read, “Unveiled At Last” by Bob Sjogren, you must! If you have ever questioned why we’re doing what we’re doing, this book will answer all of your questions. At 1:30 we all get together for a communal lunch and then the real fun begins. They call it, “Worship”, but really it is chores and my job is to help sweep out and mop the lower level of the base each day. Good times!
The first day of class, one of the two pigs here on the base had to be put down due to injuries. Four of our Mexican neighbors came over with their tools of the trade and we all got to witness our first pig slaughter. It was pretty gruesome and I don’t recommend it to those with a weak stomach. For the next several days we all ate pork ‘til it was coming out our nose. It was good.

As we get to know the five other families and 9 single students here on the base, the thing I’m most amazed at is the quality of people the Lord has brought down here. These are not the rejects of society or people who don’t have anything else to do with their lives. These are people that would be successful at whatever they set their hand to. After the seven month training program, two of the girls will be going on to medical school. We have experts in construction, computer programming, accounting, and much, much more. Amazing people! People who have given up all to follow the Lord’s command to “Go”! It’s a pleasure to serve with each of them.
Sunday night we all got together for a time called “Upper Room” based on 1 Corinthians 14:26. “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” No one was in charge. No one was the leader. We each had a chance to share whatever the Lord was leading us to share. It was an amazing time and I look forward to next Sunday night. That’s the kind of church I’m talking about!
At this point, we’ve decided to home school the kids for a bit more. Rachel had her hands full this week as she tried to unpack, decorate our little concrete quarters, and teach the kids. Please keep her in your prayers.
Our little Ax-man turned 1 on Friday. He’s such a joy to our lives and it’s been so much fun to watch him take his first steps these last few weeks. He’s in love with balls, balloons, and brooms. All of our kids now have odd numbers for their ages. 9, 7, 3, and 1. I guess it’s just an odd year!
More exciting adventure to come!

And We're Back!

2008-09-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

Gas money to drive over 2,000 miles in three days- $3,500 pesos

Clorex wipes to clean up all the puke and poop along the way- $24 pesos

Two nights in “interesting” motels along the way- $730 pesos

Being legal once again in the country of our choice…priceless!

Ps. Unlike other trips through Mexico, we were not harassed or even pulled over once by any of the authorities along the way. Amazing!

Our Crazy Life

2008-09-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

Three sleepy guys after a long day of moving.

*Editors note: This particular post is not meant to elicit ooey-gooey, feel-good emotions. If you feel any stress about our current life situation, please discontinue reading this post and check back in on Sunday. Love you.

Life in general can be interesting…life on the mission field is down right crazy at times! I screwed up on my math and the number of days we had left on our 180 day visas. I spent all day Monday filling out a huge stack of paper work and yesterday we drove to Oaxaca City to get them renewed. Things were going pretty well until the immigration official realized our visas were 2 days expired. At that point he stopped rifling through our paperwork, looked up at me and said, “You must leave our country. You can take an airplane, an auto bus, or drive…but you must leave.”
I spent 10-15 minutes pleading with him and asking him if there was anything else we could do. I told him we would pay any fine, or do anything, but he just kept telling me the only thing we could do was leave.
At first I took it pretty well. But over the course of the 3 hour drive back to Tlaxiaco, the realization, and the gravity of the situation began to settle over me. Have you ever been punched in the stomach when you weren’t expecting it? It doesn’t feel good!
Long story short…tomorrow morning we will make a trek up to the border to simply renew our visas. We hope to make it to Harlingen, TX by Friday around noon, do some shopping at Walmart, and then be back here to Tlaxiaco by Saturday night. Please pray for us. We are just now getting to a point where we feel fully recovered from our previous trip and are not too excited about this one. Please pray for safety on the roads, grace for Rachel, me, and the kids over the long hours, and a lack of harassment by all the government officials along the way.

Seriously...?

2008-08-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

I think of you often. I’ve been to London many times in my imagination. As I walked the streets of Tlaxiaco last night, the cold rain slowly soaked through my red “water-proof” jacket. I splashed through several muddy puddles in my attempt to locate a roasted chicken for our dinner. The chicken was not to be found but I did enjoy my time with you in Old England once again.
The line between need and want can be a fine one at times. However, when we really need something…it’s always there. I went through a bit of a depression this week when I found out our monthly support was at an all-time low. It sent me spiraling through all the same old questions. “Are we really supposed to be here?” “How am I going to provide for my family?” “What the heck was I thinking moving my wife and four children all the way down here?” And on and on. It was painful.
As I regained my focus, through prayer and reading the Word, I was reminded once again that God is good and that He promises to always take care of His children. But how…how would He come through this time?
After a great lunch with some of our fellow missionaries, he took me aside and stuffed a wad of bills in my hand. Later when I counted the bills I was shocked to see the amount that he gave us equaled the amount of support we had received. Wow! I was humbled. God had come through once again.

I love Lamp

2008-08-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Upon visiting my sister in the States, she let me haul a ton of awesome stuff out of her basement for our apartment here in Mexico. She had no idea how those things would make our place feel like a luxury resort. I recall her picking up a huge wicker basket (great for our need for organization stuff) and she said, “…but you probably don’t want this because it’s broken right here,” and pointed to this one small damaged spot. WHAT?! We have been blessed beyond our boarders with amazing gifts of sacrifice and love from our supporters back home. Some people apologized for not being able to give more, or feeling like their gift couldn’t really mean a whole lot. Let me tell you all something…It means a lot to us. We are so amazingly blessed that here I sit, writing this message of thanks so all of you who gave can know—We’re so grateful. Thank you so, so much.

Vacation at the base

2008-08-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hang ten
Ahhh...and breathe.
dishes, dishes, Davis
candlelight dinner

Family hike
Can I get out now?
Hello gorgeous!

Our seasoned missionary friend says that going home for a vacation is not a real vacation--you still need a time for rest for your family. True, true. I thought we would not have time for that. But, as usual, God always gives us what we need.

We were asked to watch the ministry base while everyone else went on the staff retreat to the coast. At first this seemed like a chore--feed the turtles and the dogs, and turn on some lights every once in a while. It turned out to be the exact "vacation" we needed. We had time to reflect, connect, rest, laugh, play, sleep, listen, learn, soak, and pray. Thank you, Lord for this awesome time.

Memories were created that I'll enjoy forever! One time, the kids came running up the hill frantic with news that one of the pigs was loose. We had a fun time catching it and leading it back with an extention cord. Of course, the power going out created boundless non-movie-watching fun. The kids and I started reading an exciting book, which we're totally in to. Smith's birthday presents have been literally a bag of fun. We got to use this groovy candelabra for dinner every night (thanks Cammi!), and flashlights! It's been a smashing vacation. And we haven't even left the base.

Welcome Home Parade/Living Without Power

2008-08-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

S & Z on the Ark I helped build

Davis hanging out with a new friend

Smith got to hang out with some of the local demons

Squeezing the Ark down a narrow Tlaxiaco street

Wow! Do those legs go all the way up?

One of the other floats

Where bridesmaid dresses come to die

Davis crashed out after a long night of parading around town

The city of Tlaxiaco came out if force to welcome us home. Wow! Just kidding. However, it was great to be back in time to see the Ark float that I helped build this summer hit the streets. It was unlike any parade I'd ever been to before. Rather than shutting down a certain route and blocking off traffic, as the float moved along, we just had to work around any obstacles. Each float in the parade also had at least one man going ahead with a big wooden poll to lift up low hanging utility lines. It was pretty funny!

Because I had helped build the float, our family was invited to a pre-parade celebration. It was good to make more friends and build upon existing relationships. I met one of the local congressman and after repeatedly welcoming our family to Tlaxiaco, he invited us over to use his home and his swimming pool any time. "Mi casa es su casa!"

The next day as the GFM staff was leaving for their annual staff retreat, they invited us to stay at and watch the base for them. Good times! Unlimited internet use and free laundry facilities, not to mention a great quiet place for our family to retreat and regroup.

That was Thursday. Friday we awoke to a power outage. Something I guess you have to learn to live with in Mexico from time-to-time. We made the most of it. I finished reading a book while Rachel and the kids played games. We enjoyed a candlelight dinner and went to sleep fully expecting to have the power restored by the next morning. Wrong!

Saturday, mid-morning, we became concerned for all the food in the two deep freezes and the two base refrigerators. I went hunting for a back up power supply, which I found in the form of a gas-powered generator in the tool shop. Good to go. We spent the rest of the weekend lounging around in the hammocks, reading, taking naps, shooting Smith's new air gun, and playing a game of "Stick Ball" that we made up using a broom and a giant exercise ball. Rachel totally dominated the new sport!

So now it's Monday evening. Power was just restored a couple of hours ago. I think I'm really going to miss all the quiet candlelight dinners with Rachel and the kids. Maybe I'll go throw the breaker just for fun.

It's Good To Be Back

2008-08-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

Our sleepy travelers

Almost there!

Paying one of the endless tolls

Standing in the Walmart in Harlingen, TX, Rachel and I looked at each other and with tears in our eyes, we started to laugh. We both knew that we were simply wasting time trying to get the absolute most out of our last few moments in America. We love America! We love how easy and convenient EVERYTHING is…and I especially love how smooth all the roads are. Simply amazing!
No one was forcing us to go back to Mexico, and we knew that if we stayed in America, no one would love us any less. However, it comes down to a point where you look at yourself in the mirror, you examine yourself deep within, and you realize that none of this is about us. It’s not about our comfort or our pleasure. It’s not about having everything we want or even being happy with the things we do have. It’s not about us.
Driving 6,703 miles gives you a lot of time to think. Over the next several days I’m going to try to get some of these thoughts written down and I’ll try to share them with you. One of the big ideas I’ve been thinking about is: Perspective. The trip to the States took a toll on us physically and financially. However, the return we’ve received simply in perspective is totally worth it.
Crossing the border was a breeze. Actually, we’ve yet to even have our passports looked at. The guards asked me to step out of the vehicle and they poked their heads in and said hello to Rachel and the kids. They asked me to open the back doors but I told them all of our clothes and food would fall out if we did and they said not to worry about it. And it was the same drill at every checkpoint along the way. They like to know where you’re coming from and where you’re going. I think mainly, they like to pull us over to practice their English. The longest stop along the way included a search of Rachel’s purse and my computer bag while the guard holding the huge rifle tried to get Ax to say, “hola.” Yet they still never checked our passports or looked in the back of the van.
When we were down here before, I always felt a bit trapped. A little bit of the “this is the end of the world” syndrome. Coming back I realize that a switch has been flipped. Things that made me feel threatened before, I now enjoy. Areas where I felt un-secure before…I now feel safe. I think it helps me to remember that at any moment we can drive or fly right out of here. With all that being said, I feel my level of love for Mexico and the people of Mexico has quadruplicated. Culture shock—gone! Fear of driving here—gone!
It’s good to be back.

We Made It!!!

2008-08-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

Just drove 13 hours straight from Tampico to Tlaxiaco. It was an amazing journey with the blessing of God written all over it. I'm pooped for now but will try to write more tomorrow or the next day!

On Our Way Back To Mexico!

2008-08-10T16:25:00.000-07:00

The weather matched our mood as we pulled out of Colorado on Friday morning. We had such a great time seeing our friends and our family. We love you all so much!
We've made it to San Antonio. The trip has been great so far. We hope to make our border crossing in the morning. Please pray for a successful crossing and safety as we hit the Mexican highways once again. Love, the NAGELS

Smith's Birthday!

2008-08-03T09:50:00.000-07:00

9 years ago, after a long day of labor, our first little red headed boy came into the world via C-section. I was so diappointed that the natural birth didn't work out that I sank to the floor of the delivery room in dispair and cried out to the Lord to at least give me a red headed baby. As you know, He's now answered my prayer many times over. Little Smith was so small I could hold him in one arm and put his little wrinkly foot in my mouth. What an amazing miracle!
We had a full day celebrating his birthday yesterday. Smith got to help paint a house, play hard with his cousins all day, and then eat dinner at a Mexican restaraunt--per his request so he could practice his Spanish. We finally got around to the cake and presents around 10 o'clock last night. Smith was so tired by the end of it all...yet still wanted to end the day watching a movie with me. He made it about 20 minutes into Star Wars IV before he passed out. As I picked my little boy up to carry him to bed I realized he is not so little any more. He's quickly turning into one of the sweetest young men I've ever met. I love you Smith. Here's to all the years and memories to come.

My Favorite Person in the World

2008-07-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-07-25T10:48:00.001-07:00

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!!!!

2008-07-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-15T09:50:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-07-14T13:18:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-07-04T14:17:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-07-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

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.

Rambling Thoughts Late At Night

2008-06-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

I prefer the evening hours of the day much more than the morning. I read a funny quote in Readers Digest that said, “If God would have wanted us to enjoy the sunrise, it wouldn’t happen any earlier than 10am.” So true. Rachel’s more of a morning person…probably more out of necessity with the kids than anything else. Actually, Rachel’s more of an all day person…friendly and joyful at all hours of the day. Amazing!
It’s raining hard tonight. I’ve always said that I would take 30 days of rain over a single day of snow. It seems that my wish has come true. It makes life interesting without a vehicle. We plan our trips to the market and when to hang our laundry out to dry around the amount of clouds in the sky.
Our landlord, Jose Luis, is becoming a fast friend. It turns out he is an amazing artist, a prodigy from his youth. He gets hired quite often to design and construct elaborate floats for the many fiestas and parades here in Tlaxiaco. His latest project is a giant replica of Noah’s Ark. When I told him I was going to be building some book shelves for our room he got really excited and suggested we could share a workspace right in the courtyard of our building. The shelves went together quickly so I offered my assistance with the Ark.
We’re having great fun working side by side. He’s very patient with my Spanish and when I get frustrated he can often be heard encouraging me by saying, “Poco a poco.” Which means, “Little by little.”
He also loves to break away from work in the late afternoon for a late lunch. He’s taken me out to some amazing hole-in-the-wall restaurants here that I probably would have never tried on my own. The other day he and his wife invited me in for a meal. Turns out, though he and his wife are about twice my age, in many ways they are young in their Christian walk. We ended up with a Spanish Bible on the table between us, and we had our first Bible study together. I shared some of my favorite passages with him, and he with me. It was a good reminder of why I’m here in Mexico. It’s not just to force myself and my family to live a hard life. It’s to build up my brothers and sisters in the Lord and share my love for Jesus and His Word.
I’ve come to realize that one of my biggest difficulties with the Spanish language is the accent. It usually takes me about 10 minutes of warm up each day to really focus and understand what Jose Luis is talking about. It reminds me a lot of those puzzles that were real popular in the late ‘90’s. The ones that you had to stare at for a long time before the hidden pictures would come into view. If you lost focus at all, you were out of luck. I was only ever able to see one of the pictures. A dolphin I think. Anyways, that’s what Spanish is like to me right now. In and out of focus, but getting clearer each day.
Zaisy woke up sick this morning. We prayed for her and trusted the Lord to heal her. It was a long frustrating day. The Bible tells us that when we pray for the sick, they should be healed. So often they’re not. Frustrating! This evening, however, she rose up and said she was going to start dancing and praising the Lord. Boom! Sickness gone and done with and she was fine. What if the healing from the Lord is always available but for one reason or another, the sick person chooses to hold on to it? Like an evil pet monkey on their back that they like to feed snacks to. Not doctrine, just something I’m thinking and praying through right now.
I best be ascending the three flights of slippery stairs to brush my teeth at the outdoor sink and get in bed so I can be of some help to Rachel in the morning.

It Was A Great Father's Day!

2008-06-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

To help celebrate Father’s Day, my friend/landlord, Jose Luis and I got up early, loaded up in his little VW Bug and drove up into the hills to go fishing. It was so beautiful watching the sun come up as we stood on top of a little dam. We cast our lines in and could actually see some fish swimming in the water down below us. For bait he mixed up a ball of flour and water, and we broke little pieces off and put them on our hooks. He assured me that the fish would like it, however, after two hours and only having caught one fish a piece, I think we’ll try something different next time.
On the way home, he asked me if I would like to go eat. Never one to turn down a meal, he was excited to take me to one his favorite spots. It was a little family run place only open on Sundays, and the food was great. This place doesn’t advertise at all, and I think it may have been a while since they had a gringo in there. Oh well, I’ve always liked to stand out in a crowd!
For lunch, Rachel, the kids and I went walking to find something fun to eat. On Sundays, there is not much open here in Tlaxiaco. After exploring our options, I decided on a double scoop, chocolate ice cream cone from the Nestle store. It was hot out and we all enjoyed our dripping treats in the central park.
Rachel made me some real Mexican food for dinner and the kids spoiled me with a really cool hand-made poster. They each bought me one of my favorite treats to eat and Smith bought me new sun glasses.
The fishing was poor, but the fellowship was rich. The weather was hot, but the ice cream was cold. It was a great day and I felt like a king.

We Have Work To Do!

2008-06-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

The other night I was standing on the roof of our building praying for the people of Tlaxiaco, Mexico. Our apartment is located near the center of town and the third story roof provides a beautiful vista of the city’s shops, homes and people. I stood there watching young people in their school uniforms walking home with their friends. My attention fell on a couple of young men walking and laughing together in a way typical of American teens, but not commonly seen among Mexicans. I then realized that one of the guys was a missionary I’ve seen around town—a Mormon missionary.

The way to learn the language here, so they say, is to learn a few sentences and repeat them over and over to as many locals as you can in a day, making relationships and learning culture and local phrases, thus becoming part of the people you want to minister to. I’ve been doing my best, but it’s hard to walk around town saying, “I’m from the United States. I like Mexico. I would like to learn Spanish, little by little.” You feel like an idiot. I’ve had many people just stare and sheepishly smile as the crazy gringo says random things and then leaves.

But, as I watched how accepted that young Mormon missionary was by the young people, I got angry and suddenly decided that I wasn’t about to let the Mormons have this town. They can’t have it…it belongs to the Lord. And if I have to be a little uncomfortable for a few weeks so people will notice how friendly and humble Christian people are, it is a small price to pay.

Davis has been asking the last few days to go to the “Blue Park”. For those of you who live in Colorado Springs, that is what we call the “America the Beautiful” park. When he says that it makes me long to grant his wish for many reasons. But I have to tell him and myself: We have work to do.

Prayer...Our Greatest Weapon

2008-06-06T11:41:00.001-07:00

As the Rave down the street grew louder and louder, the steady rhythmic beat seemed to shake the walls of our building. After three or four attempts, Rachel had gotten all the kids to go to sleep at the same time. We brushed our teeth at our outdoor sink and then fell into bed exhausted. The sky seemed to be darker than usual and as I glanced at the clock before I dozed off I realized it was just before midnight.
At 1:30 in the morning I was startled awake by the sound of Davis’ vomit splattering across the concrete floor. Ax also woke up and was standing in his crib screaming. I grabbed Ax and began to walk him and soothe him back to sleep as Rachel comforted Davis and tried to clean up the mess in the dark without waking the others. The beat of the music continued to wash over us, almost like a rhythmic war cry from days of old.
I’ve been having a great week, hearing a lot of things clearly from the Lord, and entering into some great times of prayer and worship. We have seen it time and time again that when Satan can’t get through to Rachel and I, he goes after our children. Do not be fooled, the enemy of our souls is not a cute little cartoon figure that goes around dressed in a tight little red outfit with a pitch-fork in hand, poking us and giggling with pleasure. He is cruel and merciless and is always ready and willing to exploit our weaknesses. He goes around like a roaming lion seeking whom he may devour.
The good news is that the One that lives in us is much, much greater than the one that lives in the world. As soon as we began to pray and rebuke Satan and his satanic forces, Davis immediately began to feel better and quickly fell back to sleep.
I read a quote from Oswald Chambers this last week that said something like, “Many think prayer will take them to the higher level. In actuality, prayer is the higher level.” Money is great and we need it to buy food and meet our basic needs. However, we need your prayers much more than we’ll ever need your financial support. We find ourselves on the front lines of a dark spiritual battle and without the divine intervention and protection from the Lord…we will be crushed. We will be crushed spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Please pray long, pray hard, and pray consistently. This is the greatest support you can offer us at this time.
I woke up to a bright sunny morning. I could hear the birds singing and the sound of Davis’ rambunctious laughter as he ran across the courtyard as good as new and as happy as can be. Thank You Jesus for Your life in us!

Our 5th Home In Mexico

2008-06-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

View from our bedroom

Courtyard Jungle

Door to extra rented room

Our Street, Jose Domingo (tight squeeze for our van)

View of the city of Tlaxiaco from our roof

It had been a couple of weeks since I had been afforded the luxury of a long hot shower. As I stood there this morning letting steam rise up around me and the water relax the tension in my shoulders, I thought, “I think I’m really going to like our new home.”
When we got into Tlaxiaco we landed at the GFM (Global Frontier Missions) Base. This is the ministry where we will receive our training come September, and possibly stay on to work full-time. We had a wonderful time getting to know all of our fellow missionaries. I got to help paint the roof of the married housing building and I also got to go out on a team to help drill a well. It was great fun!
During our time at the base, I spent a few days going into town looking for a place for our family to live so we could acculturate and work on our Spanish language skills. Unfortunately, in this beautiful little city, you can’t run down to the corner and pick up an “Apartment Finder” guide. You have to beat the pavement and ask as many people as you can if they know of any place to rent. It was quite the job however I did get to meet a lot of great people.
I decided on a quaint little room with a beautiful gardened courtyard and shared bathroom two-stories up from us. When I took Rachel to see it she more-or-less said, “Say what?” She wasn’t thrilled, but I really felt it was the right place for us.
When we went to negotiate the monthly price, the landlord asked us if we would like to see another room that might also be for rent. He took us across the courtyard to a room with two huge wooden doors. It was clearly used as his storage room but he said he’d be glad to clean it out for us. We ended up renting both rooms and this seemed to make Rachel feel better.
Having to go outside and up two flights of stairs to use the bathroom does make it feel a bit like we’ll be camping for the next few months. But it also forces us out into the courtyard where we can establish relationships with many Mexicans and practice our Spanish.
We parked our van out at the base for the next few months and will be hoofing it or using taxis to get a better insight on how the locals live. It’s amazing how many miles we’ve put in already. It’s also amazing how much time the Mexican people spend just waiting for a taxi.
As the water washed me clean this morning I remembered the living water that scrubs my internal stains away. If you’re reading this blog and you’ve never asked Jesus to wash away your sin…I invite you to today. It will cut through the thickest grease and grime!

The Bravest Kid In The World

2008-05-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-05-26T08:32:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-05-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

"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!

2008-05-15T13:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-05-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

Ax Is Quite The Student

2008-04-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Our little Ax is learning how to stand and speak Spanish at the same time. What a kid!

My Friend Joaquin

2008-04-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

Me and Joaquin (I'm the one on the left)

With tears welling up in my eyes, I listened intently as Joaquin shared his testimony at our dinner table Sunday night. When Joaquin was six years old, his father began to search out deep spiritual matters. He really wanted to know who the true God was. The village spiritual leader had pointed him to a variety of different idols, but he knew in his heart of hearts that wasn’t the answer.
Shortly into his spiritual quest, some missionaries from Oregon showed up in his village to share the gospel of Jesus. Most of the villagers rejected their message out right however, when Joaquin’s father heard them speak, he understood that he was hearing the truth for the first time in his life. He asked Jesus into his heart and was radically changed. He endured many threats and great persecution for his new beliefs, but never wavered from the faith.
Three years later, Joaquin, his three brothers, and his father were walking over a mountain on their way to do some work. His father was having some issues with his feet and needed to stop for a break. He sent his boys on ahead promising to catch up with them shortly. That was the last time they would see their father alive.
On March 9th, 1952, the boys were to find their father in a crucified position with several stabs wounds all over his body. He had been murdered for his belief in Jesus.
Now at the age of 66, Joaquin daily lights up the camp here with his ear to ear smile. I asked him if it was hard to forgive the men that had killed his father. He said that for a long time it was. There came a point as he was growing up that he began to ask the same spiritual questions that his father had asked years before. He began to question what it was that his father had been willing to die for. This is when he found forgiveness through Jesus and was able to forgive. At the age of 18, he enrolled in a Bible school and began his studies to become a pastor. For this decision he was excommunicated by all of his friends and also had to endure great persecution. Through it all, he was able to successfully pastor several churches throughout Mexico up until he retired to take care of his ailing wife a few years ago.
Joaquin was only the age of my oldest son Smith when his father was cruelly stripped out of his life. As he shared his story, our whole family sat in silence, which doesn’t happen too often, and relished in the fact that we were in the presence of such a great unsung hero of the faith.
Before he left for the night, he prayed over Rachel and me, and then we prayed for him. It was a wonderful experience. It’s an honor to call this man my friend.
Please pray for Joaquin’s wife as she continues to recover from a broken femur and a broken tail bone. Please also be in prayer for Joaquin’s Uncle Opie that has been fighting pneumonia for quite some time now.

Women's Retreat

2008-04-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Sarah helping out with Ax.

Sylvia with snake

Barbara Lee

Hooray for second place!

Spiritual Scavenger Hunt

Jenna

Ladies

Free Time

Last week I got invited to a women’s retreat for missionary women in the area. I was a stand-in for a lady who was unable to come. So, with less than 24 hours notice and not wanting to waste someone’s non-refundable fee, I packed a bag for Ax and myself. Jon carried my stuff to the car and kissed me goodbye. In a way it was strange to be alone with people I barely knew headed deeper into Mexico with only a backpack and a baby. I knew that it wouldn’t be my friends, but I half expected a bunch of boring old ladies and some goofy-spiritually minded people who desperately needed a furlough back to the States. I spent the next 48 hours pretty much dumbfounded.

I’m going to try to explain to you guys how amazing it was to be with these women:
I was the only one there with a baby, which seemed to make me memorable to them. I kept trying to find a congruity amongst these ladies. The only thing I could settle on is Jesus. There were women who grew up in Mexico as missionary kids, women retiring after 45 years of ministry, young girls from the US who just got here a few months ago, women who got saved within the last couple of years, some there with their spiritual moms. I was blown away at their maturity. One lady got saved in jail when a prostitute told her to pray to Jesus. There were a lot of multi generational missionaries—very mature women all totally serving the Lord. Every so often they would all slip into Spanish, with no hitch at all, and they’d laugh as I sat there clueless. Here were the people doing really well what I had only just begun.

These women convene annually to refresh, reconnect, and share skills and tips on anything from cake decorating to entertaining for parties. I was amazed at how well done this retreat was. Everywhere we went there were lotion samples or lip gloss gifts or chocolates to savor. One thing I think I’ll never forget is the evening the animals came out. Tracey owns a local zoo-safari and shared with everyone her love for animals by demonstrating the beauty in God’s creation of the frog, lizard, rat, scorpion, and, of course the snake. Not a garden snake, mind you, but a ten foot boa constrictor.

I left for this retreat with nothing but a blank page, and came back with a whole world of encouraging encounters and relationships. Thank you Lord for that experience! I’m already planning for next year.

Our Oasis in Mexico!

2008-04-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

The top of the building with the windows is our apartment.

You don't see these much in America anymore, but they seem to be the most popular playground equipment in Mexico.

The camp backs up right to a beautiful lakeshore--not any good for fishing, but awfully pretty!

This is where the kids and I usually have our morning Bible study.

Some of our laundry hanging out to dry.

An early morning shot of the pool where we've been teaching the kids swimming lessons.

The quiet street in front of the camp where we are currently living.

"Oasis of Living Water"...we love Coke.

The Metric system!...enough said

The back walkway to our apartment

We have been very blessed this month to stay as guests at the "Oasis Campamento." This camp caters to kids and youth that come here for a "summer camp" type setting all-year long. Our kids have loved interacting with all the other children and it's been a great chance for them to practice their Spanish. Rachel and I have enjoyed interacting with the staff on a daily basis and it's been a good chance for us to see how far we have to go with our language studies.

I've had the chance to fill in and serve as the night-time and early morning watchman. That status comes complete with walkie-talkie and keys. Basically, I work from 5PM to 11PM, starting again at 6Am to about 9AM. I am the gate bouncer, making sure that everyone coming or going is supposed to be doing so. I haven't had to pound or kill anyone yet, but I'm looking foreward to some good hand to hand combat. All this so that our friend can have a much-needed little break. And it's a good reason for me to practice getting up early.

One interesting fact is that this camp has many pianos throughout the grounds. The one best tuned I stumbled upon yesterday in a storage/workroom located underneath our apartment. That makes the count at five. I wonder how long it's been since they've been really loved on. So I play them all.

Love from Mexico!

the Nagels

Trip to San Francisco

2008-04-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

We took a vacation to San Francisco the other day. That’s the name of the closest village to where we live right now.

We walked around the main town square, mostly deserted. Directly across from that was a beautiful church, totally empty, and we found this sign posted in the foyer. Losely translated I think it says, “To talk to God, you don’t need a cell phone. Turn it off before entering.”

It was fun walking around letting all the people stare at the gringos. Good times.

Feliz Cumpleanos A Mi!

2008-04-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I turned 32 years old. Being in Mexico I didn’t expect a whole lot for my birthday. So, my number one birthday wish came true when I got to take a shower all by myself with just me a tank of hot water and the spiders. After that I was greeted with a birthday table runner decorated by the kids, and a plate full of chocolate-chip pancakes a la Jon. Then it was off to the Miracle Mobile for a birthday adventure run into town.
So far we’d only gone into town as far as the Walmart-like store called Bodega Aurrera. It’s not Walmart, but it’s way better than a Wyoming Pamida. Jon was driving further into town in search of Puebla’s centro. After about an hour of driving around, we realized that Puebla is A LOT bigger than we thought. We passed a Carl’s Jr. burger place, a Burger King, couldn’t find the alleged Starbuck’s, but Jon bought me a Mocha Frio from The Italian Coffee Company. Super yummy-oso!
Jon found this hole-in-the-wall restaurant and with his suave Spanish ordered our family three specials. I think this might be my favorite restaurant in Mexico. This guy brought mango juice in a carafe, a four course meal of bread, rice, soup, delicious chicken, salad, and a rice pudding dessert. All of that only cost $12. It was the beest! Then Jon used his super internal navigational system and somehow found our way home. I was very impressed.
The past few days Jon had been telling me that he himself would make my birthday cake. I laughed when I saw it…can you see why? It sure did taste good though. Then I was presented with a small stack of creatively wrapped presents. So sweet! We ended the day by snuggling up together to watch the movie “Encantada.” That was my big present…luckily you can watch it in English. It was a little too scary for Diego but the rest of us enjoyed it thoroughly.
It was a great day! (much better than last year!)

Some People We’ve Met Along The Way

2008-04-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

Don & Ginger Smith

Don & Ginger Smith retired from Houston and moved down to Mexico about 24 years ago. Many think of retirement as rest and relaxation. That’s not exactly what they got. They bought a 2,500 acre ranch and Don figured since he had a college degree he was smart enough to know how to run it. He now laughs about that and says he’s still learning every day.
Ginger is one of the sweetest, toughest ladies we’ve ever met. Though she still has the beauty, it’s hard to imagine that she use to be a beautician. She’s not afraid of spiders or scorpions and she’s definitely not afraid to get her hands dirty doing a hard days work.
Rancho "El Rayo" is an amazing place to visit. It’s just about 4 hours south of the border and they are currently setting it up as a place where hunters can come and stalk all the wild turkey they can dream of. Let us know if you’re ever in northern Mexico and we’ll help you connect with them. The days we spent there becoming friends with Don and Ginger will never be forgotten.

Super Cream Breakfast

The morning we left Aldama we had breakfast at a popular restaurant called Super Cream. As we were finishing up the manager, David came over and started a conversation. Once he found out we were missionaries, he openly shared with us about how his grandparents had been missionaries. His mother also had been a missionary and in her day she would walk for days only to reach a village and have her message rejected, and be chased out of town.
David admitted to us that he too felt a call of God on his life, but he was afraid to respond. As far as Mexican standards go, he has a pretty cush job and three young sons to provide for. We shared with David about how long we had fought against and struggled with the idea of being missionaries. We shared with him about the fear we had to overcome and about how faithfully the Lord had met us along the way. Please pray for David that he would be released into the ministry that the Lord has waiting for him.
About an hour outside of Puebla, we ended up staying the night at a motel that normally caters to a more questionable clientele. Let’s just say, you can rent the rooms by the hour. The manager, Fernando and his staff seemed thrilled to have a family stay with them and went out of their way to make our stay comfortable. Fernando took us on a tour of his private garden and was very proud of the fact that he came over from northern Spain.
Davis and I took a walk before bed and prayed over the grounds of the motel. We asked the Lord to move mightily in that place and in Fernando’s family.
As we were pulling out in the morning, Fernando sent one of his workers running after us. We thought he may want more money or something. As it turns out, he was so glad to have us as his guests that he wanted to give us a parting gift of some glasses and some ash trays. We were humbled by his gift. Please lift Fernando and his family up in prayer that they would come to know the Lord.

Grandpa Jim with Diego

Grandpa Carol with Zaisy

Finally, but certainly not least, we got to know a couple that we’ve known for years. Jim and Carol Nowlin. We’ve always known them as the quiet servant-hearted parents of my good friend Jim. In Mexico, we got to see another side of them and enjoyed every minute of it. They shared with us from their great wealth of wisdom, though they’ll never admit they’re wise. They delighted us with their humor and blessed us not only financially, but with fellowship and in many other ways they’ll never know. They treated us as if we were their own children.
Thanks Jim and Carol for everything! You’re the best!

Davis aka Diego

2008-04-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

This is one of the funniest kids I’ve ever met. He’s always doing things to make all of us laugh. Quite the entertainer this one is going to be. He even already has close to perfect pitch. Amazing!
As soon as we crossed the border, without any prompting at all, he changed his name from Davis to Diego. Many times, if we say, “Davis come here.” or “Davis don’t!” he’ll either completely ignore us or turn to us and remind us that his name is not Davis…it’s Diego. Can this kid really only be 2?
We’re not sure how long this will last, but it’s pretty cute for now. We also decided to hit the potty-training pretty hard with him once we got into Mexico. He will now drop his pants at any given moment, in any given location to relieve himself…but he doesn’t go in his pants anymore! And he has now gone two nights without a diaper and has been completely dry in the morning. Praise God!
Our little Davis/Diego is such a blessing to our family. We had decided that after two kids we were finished. God had different plans…and we’re so glad He did.
We can already see that this little boy has a great purpose and we’re excited to have a hand in molding and shaping him into the fine man that will one day change this world.

Into The Heart Of Mexico!

2008-04-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Get that corn out of my face!

What a week this has been! We loved the time that we got to spend on the ranch. It was such a blessing and a great place to start out in Mexico. We were sad to leave, but there were other guests scheduled to come and stay in the house, so it was time to move on. We spent a quiet week in a house on the ministry base of “The Way of The Cross.” This too was an amazing blessing and we were still close enough to the ranch to go catch a couple more catfish to eat.
We had an inner drive to get further south into Mexico and closer to Oaxaca. Grandpa Jim and Grandma Carol had briefly met a missionary from Puebla, a city about 60 miles outside of Mexico City, named Jonathan Smith a few years ago while they were in Texas. She gave him a call to let him know that we were coming his way and wanted to stop by to say hello. At the end of the conversation she asked him if he knew of any houses we could rent in the area. He said, “It just so happens that we have an apartment available on our base here on April 1st and they can have it for a month.” So the journey continues.
Before we left Aldama, we took the kids out to the Gulf of Mexico to go swimming and play on the beach. We all had an amazing time. It was one of the nicest beaches I had ever been to in my life. So though we have moments of great homesickness and culture shock, the Lord continues to give us times of great fun too!
On the morning of April 1st we left the Aldama region of Mexico and started our descent into the heart of the country. We made it as far as Tampico when we ran into our first little glitch of the trip. I was trying to keep up with Grandpa Jim in traffic and I didn’t notice that the light had changed from green to red. I’m still amazed how running through one little red light in Mexico can set your day spinning. Many people had prepped me for encounters with the police in Mexico, yet I still wasn’t really prepared. I tried to explain to him that I was trying to keep up with my amigo and I didn’t see the light change. He didn’t care and just kept pointing to his ticket pad and rattling off in his quick Spanish. I was able to make out that he wanted to write a ticket and have me follow him down to the station. I didn’t want that to happen, so as I had been instructed, I asked if I could pay him some money to forget the whole thing. I offered him 50 pesos, about 5 bucks, and he laughed and said, “No, no, no, 300 pesos.” I explained to him that I did not have mucho dinero and the most I could give him would be 100 pesos. It just so happened that when I reached into my wallet, the first bill I was able to discreetly pull out was a 100, and when I put it in his hand it made him happy.
So with hands shaking and a grateful heart, I pulled back out into traffic only to realize I had no idea where Jim and Carol were. Neither of us had cell phones so we drove around Tampico for about 3 hours looking for their little green Toyota truck. Rachel finally convinced me to pull over and email Carol and see if she would respond. Well, I realized I didn’t have her email address so I had to email Jim and Shiloh to ask for it and see how quickly they would respond. Amazingly, Shiloh responded almost immediately. I was able to email Carol and she quickly responded from an internet café down the road. We reconnected in the Walmart parking lot and I was never so glad to see a green Toyota truck in my life. I thought Jim may be upset about losing a day of travel, but he amazed me by saying, “Well, we might as well just laugh the whole thing off.” From that statement and several other experiences, he was to remind me so much of Rachel’s dad.
With that behind us, the next day we drove from sea level up to 7,000 feet in the air. Ouch! It was hot outside and the going was slow behind big semis and buses. It was the first time I had ever seen the temperature gauge move on the Miracle Mobile. Poor thing, we made it work so hard…but it did great! It’s amazing how the Lord knew exactly what kind of vehicle we would need. If we would have ended up with some of the other junkers we were looking at, we would have been in big trouble.
Well, after driving over what seemed like 20,000 speed bumps (in Spanish: topes: pronounced “toe-pays”) we eventually made it into Puebla, which is a beautiful city. It’s known as one of the safest big cities in Mexico. It’s the city the Shah of Iran chose to flee to back in the 70’s.
We didn’t know what to expect, and quite honestly didn’t have high expectations. But when we pulled up to the ministry base here I was absolutely blown away. It’s set out on a peninsula of a beautiful lake with one road in-one road out access. There’s a giant pool for the kids to swim in and an abundance of gorgeous flower trees. And that was just the beginning. When our new friend Felipe showed us to our apartment, I was amazed to walk in and see a piano in the front room. The Lord is so good. The girl in charge of the main kitchen had stocked our little kitchen with a ton of food. And anything that we were lacking, Jim and Carol quickly went out and purchased for us. Did I mention that the Lord is good?
I can’t emphasize enough the fact of how scared we were to step out and follow the Lord’s leading. Once we did, He has continuously met us and provided for us in profound ways. I think someday I will learn to stop worrying all together and realize that His plans are always better than mine.
We were sad to see Jim and Carol leave yesterday and will forever be grateful for the time we got to spend with them while they were here. We look forward to many Mexican reunions with them in the future.
That’s all for now. Just know that the Lord is good and if He is calling you to do something, anything at all, step out and do it. You will be amazed!

Perspective

2008-03-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the movie, “The Matrix.” If you haven’t seen it, stop reading this post immediately and go watch it. Good. Now that you’re back, I think you’ll have a better understanding of where I’m coming from.
So the main character Neo is stuck. He’s stuck in a rut of a cubicle existence just meddling his way through life. He’s given the choice to go on living the way he always has, or to follow an unknown path that will be painful, yet show him what life is really all about. He chooses plan B and is awakened to a reality that shakes him to the core.
We’re coming up on our 4 week anniversary here in Mexico. I can hardly believe it. In some ways it has gone really fast, and in some ways it feels like we’ve been here for years. Moments of great loneliness wash over us. We have times when we question everything we’re doing here. Simple daily tasks of bathing, drinking, and eating take much longer than they should and by the end of each day, we lay down exhausted wondering if we’ve accomplished anything.
At this point, we feel like we’ve been camping for 4 weeks and the initial excitement and fascination of being in a new country has begun to ware off. It’s kind of like, OK this is not just a vacation, this is real life and there’s real work to be done. We had a chance to pray for a lady the other day that was just diagnosed with a terrible form of cancer. Yuck! I hate cancer and the effects it has on the human body. It truly makes me sick to my stomach. Sometimes I feel like our work here is moving inch-by-inch but when we prayed for her, I was reminded of what someone told us, that simply by being here, carrying the Holy Spirit into each situation is undoubtedly going to change lives. And isn’t that the point…to see lives changed.
I’m constantly blown away by the amount of work to be done here. Right in the back yard of America are millions living with tainted water supplies, corrupt government and local officials, hopeless in many ways and simply getting by. Mexico was never my first choice of a mission field and I was reluctant to come down here. However, the more I see and the more people I meet, the more my heart melts and my vision increases. But what can I do in one lifetime? There’s so much to be done that sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. Sometimes I feel paralyzed by what we face and just want to give up and head back to Colorado. Oh, how we use to complain that our house was too small or we didn’t have a nice enough this or a nice enough that. Wow! Now we’re totally thrilled to take a hot shower and sleep in a place that is not filled with bugs. Our old house seems like a mansion, and in ways we thought we were poor, we actually lived in opulent wealth. I remember a couple years ago, the night I came home from India, Smith and Zaisy were fighting over a cup of milk when we had a couple of gallons in the fridge. I broke down in great sobbing cries and I had a hard time containing my emotions. Don’t be deceived, not matter how hard or how poor you think you are in America, you have so much more than most.
We moved here to see lives changed, and so far I think it’s our lives that have changed the most. Perspective changes so much. I don’t think I will ever again long for a gigantic house filled with stuff. The people here live with great contentment in what most would consider shacks. I can see we have so many great things to teach and to share, and yet maybe we have more to learn from them then they do from us.
So the Matrix of our reality has been busted wide open. We are so grateful to be down here and are so appreciative of the many sacrifices that so many make for us to be here. We will push on through the loneliness, and through the pain of separation of everything we’ve always known. We will continue to push and shatter the limits of our comfort zones. And if one life is changed, if we can bring a smile to one face each day, if one person can come to know Jesus, every single sacrifice we have made will be well worth it.

So thank you all for everything you do to make this all possible. For the King and His Kingdom!!!

Top Ten

2008-03-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Things to Remember when Going on the Mission Field:

10. Always, always, always shake your towel out before applying to your naked body (sing with me: La Cucaracha!)
9. You know that feeling like something is crawling on you? Well, it probably is.
8. You can never bring too much peanut butter
7. Go ahead and give your fridge a big kiss and tell it how much you appreciate it.
6. Do the same to your water faucet that gives you clean, cold or hot water with the
flick of your wrist.
5. In case you didn’t know, you can eat a cactus (and it’s not so bad)
4. “Clean” has many different levels (Barb, no amount of Purel could touch this)
3. If the lady in the store grabs your baby without asking, make sure she gives him back.
2. You don’t have the choice whether or not to pray and kick out the devil. He
thinks he owns things that you know are not his.
1. When the Lord says He will open a door, He means it. Lots and LOTS of doors.

We have moved to a new house for the next week or so. The house belongs to The Way of The Cross Ministry (if you Google Aldama, Mexico, you’ll pics). The director of that ministry is a friend of Don Smith’s. We got to stay there with one phone call. Grandpa Jim and Grandma Carol Nowlin are here in town and it’s the best to get to have them around to talk to or translate or buy us tamales or hold babies or spoil our kids with candies and cookies. We’re enjoying every minute of it! Thanks for having groovy parents, Jim.

Easters was great! We did have deviled eggs, Dave. Grandma Carol colored them pink and green and blue. It was neat to get the chance for the kids to understand more what Easter is really about.

We love everyone and can’t wait connect with you! Love y’all!!!

Tampico

2008-03-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Mom loves Walmart

Ay Caramba!
Check out the various contents!
Hi kids, I'm the Banana Man
Sweet boy "Spatula City!" A Mexican dollar store

Chillin'
View from our window
Praise God for cribs!
Our tiny room

Check out those guns!

Today I am sitting in a hotel room with Ax sleeping in the borrowed cuna (crib) using all the internet I can before going back to the 1950’s. Yesterday we bought all the things we would need for a while, and then proceeded to get lost on the Mexican highways until it was dark. I think the roads turn to hot lava that eats cars at night, so we drove back into Tampico to find a hotel room. Just a few hours before I had asked the Lord if we could someday stay in one of the nice hotels here. So here we are with free WiFi and breakfast. Jon and the kids are swimming in the empty pool. Everyone in all of Mexico is at the beach today because it is Santa Semana. The “Holy Week” of celebration preceding Easters. And apparently they all stay in hotels as well. We got the last room at the Inn and it is gorgeous. The view from the 7th floor is beautiful in the daytime. You can see the water. Down in the lobby you can get almost anything you might need in the vending machine. From chips to cigarettes to matches to hair gel to pan dulce to what I think is a diaper wrapped in cellophane, you name it. We chose the toothbrush taped to travel toothpaste combo. 35 pesos.

So, I am going to email for an hour. Take a 30 minute hot shower. Go back to Wal-Mart if only just to buy some gum because Wal-Mart is my favorite! Take my kids to McDonald’s for lunch (enjoy that guys). And maybe even get some ice cream at Baskin Robin’s. Then we will check the map thoroughly and head on back to the Rancho del Reyo.

The Lord is our good Father who gently molds and trains us for heavy stuff while also making our dreams and desires a reality. He’s my favorite.

Hello From South Of The Border

2008-03-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Home...home on the range...
Smith on one of his horse rides

Smith and Raul having fun being caballeros (cowboys)

Making tortillas together

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Our favorite 2 year old in the world!

Smith and Raul eating freshly picked lemons with salt

The kids setting up their orange juice stand

Our little cowboy

Ax has taken to solids very quickly!

We are driving to the city of Tampico. Hopefully we can find an easy connection to the internet. Last time we had to sit in the car, sweating profusely, trying to use a weak signal from some local casa. They say Tampico has a Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart and even Baskin Robins. I’m soooo stoked!

Over the last few days, I feel like our kids are at the best summer camp getting to experience things they will remember forever. Don and Ginger Smith were having a ranch party for their friends with whom they do business on Sunday. We were invited. I can only say that from now on, I call their porch “The Resort”. Our kids joined some other Mexican kids in helping the maids make fresh hugo de naranja from the orange trees next to the house. We had our fill of cold drinks from the four coolers full of ICE! Don and Ginger introduced us to everyone as if we were honored guests. One of their guests left their eleven year old son to stay at Rancho del Rayo for a few days. Raulito and Smith rode horses and went fishing and swimming until his dad came back. Miss Ginger told Smith that the horse, Abogado, is his for the duration of his stay.

While Jon and Zaisy made tortillas, Smith went with Ginger and her guests on a two hour ride. The little boys and I watched Veggie Tales and Davis peed in the grass. It’s a fun life we lead.

Well, we love you all! Thanks for supporting us so much! We couldn’t be here without you!

Learning Our Ah, Beh, Say What?

2008-03-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

To graduate from my high school you had to take 2 years of a foreign language. I had heard bad things about the Spanish teacher so I desperately tried to get into the French class. It didn’t work, so off to Senora Armstrong’s class I went. I got along quite well with her, though she always dogged me about my terrible accent. And to be honest with you, at the time, I had no idea what an accent was.
We love being in Mexico and are quite fond of the people, the food, and the culture. Each day is sure to bring a new adventure. The language barrier is tough and we have to get creative in our communications. I find myself doing a lot of sign language, which is really me waving my arms around looking like a retarded monkey. One day we needed a bit of rope to tie up the dog we’re babysitting. Rachel asked one of the ranch hands for what she thought was a piece of rope for the dog. She was given a confused look and taken over to a pile of rags. Later we figured out that she had been asking for some clothes for the dog. Ropa = clothes. And simple things like the word, “de” can change so much. We were borrowing a battery for our van and I kept asking Mario, “Donde la bateria?” Mario kept just pointing at the battery with a confused look on his face. I was trying to ask, “Where did this battery come from?” What I kept asking was, “Where is the battery?” Rachel came out and said, “Mario, de donde la bateria?” and it all became clear.
So the learning continues. As you can see, we have a long way to go. One nice part about the Spanish language is that unlike English, the vowels always sound the same. A, E, I, O, U always sounds like Ah, Eh, E, O, Ooh. Try reading some of these words with that rule in mind and you’ll find a bit of a Spanish accent already coming out. I wish Senora Armstrong would have taught me that. Or, I wish I would have paid more attention when she was teaching. But come on, “When will we ever use this in the real world, Senora Armstrong?”
We’ve had some really hot days with the Farenheit getting above 104…Ouch! But overall, the weather seems to be really temperate here with cool mornings, hot afternoons, and warm evenings. It’s all part of getting use to being in the tropics. Also, living with a wide array of lizards, spiders, and other insects is a huge change for our family. Last night when I went to shut the front door after getting the van unloaded, I saw just the curl of a rigid black tail creeping under the door into the house. I shut the door and to my surprise was met by a six inch scorpion staring maliciously back at me. Yuck! Those things are straight from the pit of hell. I quickly grabbed my knife, took a deep breath and plunged the blade into its mid-section. I’m always amazed at how long something can live with half its guts spilled out on the floor. One time, back in the States, we saw one of those, “Man vs. Wild” shows where he ripped the stinger off a scorpion and put the rest in his mouth. Let me tell you, that won’t be happening with us any time soon.
We all continue to walk in divine health and are grateful to currently be on a ranch where they have their own water wells. The water tastes a bit like potatoes, but it makes such a difference simply having clean water! Thank you all for your prayers and your financial support. It’s always so nice to know that we’re not in this alone.
I find myself reviewing and desperately grasping every Spanish lesson I can remember from the recesses of my high school days. I sure am glad I couldn’t work French into my schedule…else we may be in France right now, and you all know how I feel about that. There are two things I can’t stand: people that our intolerant of other people’s cultures…and the French.

Up And Running Again!

2008-03-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

We live a life of blessing and miracles. It took us a long time to get to a place in our lives where we could say, “Have it all Lord, do whatever you need to, whatever you want to with us.” But once we did, we have found more and more that He takes good care of what is His and what belongs to Him.
Sorry we have not been in touch for so long. The “Miracle Mobile” has been out of commission for about a week. When we first got our sweet ride, I heard a slight rattle in the engine. The noise increased and we would hear it off and on throughout our trek down here. The Lord kept assuring me that it would get us to Mexico just fine. And it did!
You should read the post below that I wrote back on the 11th before going any further. I meant to drive into town later that day to post it, but apparently, the AC Compression Unit is quite an important part of the engine.
We couldn’t have landed in a better place in Mexico to start our adventure if we tried. This ranch, Rancho Del Reyo, is truly a magnificent place. When you drive up to the main casa, you are greeted by a giant white cross planted in the ground. They tell me it was the first thing they built when they moved here. Good ol’ Don Smith is something else. He’s in his late 70’s now with white hair and crystal blue eyes, yet someone has not told him he’s supposed to slow down and relax yet. He’s great fun to talk with and has so many wonderful stories to tell. He’s always telling us that this is the Lord’s land and that the Lord just lets him stay here. He also suggested that they may have been down here this whole time simply for us to have a place for us to land when we got here.
All his workers seem to be happy to come to work. There’s a real atmosphere of peace and contentment about the place. None of the workers speak English and they’re all quite patient with us as we learn their language.
We’re not sure how long we’ll be out here at this ranch. Maybe a few more days, maybe a few more weeks, but for now we’re trying to soak it all in. Smith and I are enjoying our times together fishing for catfish down at the pond. We’ve already caught three nice size fish. They sure were good eatin’! And the whole family loves to go down there on hot days and go for a swim. We haven’t convinced Davis to jump out of the boat yet, but we’re working on it.
Ax is eating solid food now and it’s all we can do to keep the bites coming fast enough. He’s also attempting to crawl now and his sweet smile and ever increasing laughter sure lights up our lives. Sometimes, we sit back and think about how much easier this lifestyle would be without all these little ones here, but compared to the amount of joy they bring to us, it’s totally worth it all. Children truly are a blessing from the Lord.
I got to a point where I was frustrated with the Lord for not healing our van. Sometimes, I need a reminder that His ways are not our ways and His mind and His thoughts are far above our own. After we realized the battery was not the main issue, one of the ranch hands, Mario came down to help us out. We both agreed it was too large to tow all the way into town for the needed repairs, so he in his Spanish, and I in my broken English/Spanish language, decided to try doing it ourselves. We had a lot of fun communicating together in Spanglish and the work was done quickly. We took off the compression unit and sent it into town with Senor Rafa. The next day he brought back the rebuilt unit, we installed it and the van now runs better than ever. Toward the end of the repair job I asked Mario if he and his family were Christians. It just so happens, that he is the pastor of two nearby congregations. He has a son named Jonathan that is about Smith’s age and the kids really enjoyed playing with him while we worked. So, it’s at this point that I must step back and say, sure we’ve been without a vehicle for a week. We’ve been unable to communicate with all of our friends and family and that has hurt us badly. But in the end, I made a friend, and each time the van would not start it was parked right outside our casita, and what could have cost a ton of money ended up only being about $400 pesos, which equates to about $40 dollars. Wow!
So, the adventure goes on. It’s exciting to look at pictures of our past and read journal entries and see that everything that we have ever worried about has turned out either fine or better than expected. It’s exciting to know that if we could get in a time machine and travel to the future we could look back over the next several weeks and months ahead and know that all turned out great too! So yes, it doesn’t always feel like it at the moment, but our lives truly are filled with blessing and miracles. God is good!

One Week Under Our Belts!

2008-03-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

As of today, we have been in Mexico for a complete week. What a week this has been!! With everything that has happened, it seems like we’ve been here for at least a month. Though when I try to communicate in Spanish it seems like we’ve only been here a day. And when we think about our friends and my family back home, it feels like 4 ½ months.
Everything here takes longer. The first 10 miles of our trip into town takes about 50 minutes! Let that sink in a little bit. That’s 50 minutes of slow going-bumping-braking-watching for livestock-yelling at the kids to sit down-dusty-fun! The next 10 miles are smoother on the paved highway, yet still exciting, as we learn to deal with the Mexican speeders passing us, and the dreadfully slow-drivers that we have to pass, all while watching for vehicles come at us from the opposite direction. Yikes! So, the trip into town is an event that takes time and planning, especially since you have to plan not to be on the road after dark.
Since our last post, the “Miracle Mobile” has been sitting outside our casita not starting. Somehow, that night when we returned from town, we left something on and drained the battery. Sadness. The next morning I got up and learned an important lesson. Don’t ever wave down the first Mexican tractor driver you see and elicit a jump. He quickly took the small battery out of his tractor, hooked the jumper cables up to it and to our van, and the van wouldn’t start. He then took our battery out and replaced it with his too-small battery. The van started for a moment, coughed a little bit, and then died. Long story short, after a couple days and many different opinions, I convinced one of the ranch hands named, Senor Rafa, to go borrow a bigger battery and try it before he took any parts off, which he wanted to do. The bigger battery worked. He took our original battery into town, had it properly recharged, and then the “Miracle Mobile” rode again. The AC Compression unit has been making funny noises since we started this trip. Does anyone out there know how important that is?
One of the struggles we face here is “Gringo Prices.” They see the color of our skin, equate that with wealth, and charge us out the wazoo. Not fun. However, after Smith, Zaisy, and I went fishing last night, we drove into one of the small villages and went to a small shop for some supplies. We bought 30 eggs, bananas, a bag of tomatoes, 3 boxes of milk, a big chunk of fresh cheese, 5 suckers shaped like corn, and 2 pieces of gum for only $113 pesos. That’s something like $11 dollars. I was pleased.
The ranch where we are currently living is beautiful. It is a spread of 2500 acres owned by Don & Ginger Smith. Don is a sweet man who retired down here from Houston about 24 years ago. He reminds me a lot of my late Great Uncle Jess. Ginger is a bit younger than him and has an endless amount of energy. I asked Don how he keeps up, and he said, “By Motorcycle.” They haven’t had kids out here in quite a while and they’re always trying to spoil ours. They have orange trees and lemon trees that we love to harvest the fruit off of and make juice. I know my brother Dave would love it!
Overall, our first week here has been quite fruitful. We’ve already picked up a lot of Spanish, we’ve grown closer as a family, and Rachel has had many, many opportunities to get over her dislike of spiders, insects, and especially ticks. As a matter of fact, today Rachel was making the bed and found a dead lizard under the mattress. It was a big one, about 6 inches long. Yuck!
One last story: One day I went for a hike, and one of the ranch dogs, a black lab named Shadow, decided to tag along. I’m glad she did. We were going along enjoying our time when I looked up the trail and saw two wild boars blocking our path. Yikes! Shadow took off after them and scared one of them into the woods. The other turned on Shadow and chased her back down the path toward me. I was scared, but quickly unsheathed my knife and stood ready to defend my ground. The beast got within about 5 feet of me and decided to call it quits for the day. He probably didn’t want to fight the team of angels standing protectively over me. It turned, went back up the trail, and followed its companion into the woods. No ham sandwiches for us yet.

We love this adventure, yet feel a physical ache in hearts to be so far from everyone. We hope to be somewhere where we have more frequent communication ability soon. Keep praying for us as we say goodbye to our comfort zone every day. God is so good to us!

Love and miss you all,
Except you, Carl,
Just kidding,
The Nagels

We Made It!

2008-03-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

Hello to all!!! We had a safe and successful border crossing on Monday, and after much searching, I finally found and Internet cafe today.
Currently, we are living on a beautiful ranch with 1000 head of cattle, about 30 horses, 10 dogs, 1.5 million ticks, and a wonderful couple from Texas, about 20 miles outside of Aldama. We are so greatful for the provision of such a wonderful place to land as our first stop in Mexico. We live in a private casita down the hill from the main casa. We had to evict several spiders when we moved in, and tick checks have become a regular part of our family routine. Other than that, I think this could possibly be paradise.
We like to come into town and hang out at the plaza de centro where the kids can play on the playground, we can mingle with the locals, and there is an ice cream shop nearby. We often don´t understand any of what the people are saying to us, but we go home and try to figure it out bit by bit. Rachel is amazing with languages and Í´m sure shell have it down soon.
So many stories to tell already, but the family is waiting out in the van so I must hurry. Our first day here found me cradling a newborn colt in my arms and carrying it to the corral. It had a rough birth and didn´t make it through the night despite our prayers. The kids are loving taking turns riding the horses and somehow I was able to go into a local parts store and dialouge enough with the manager to buy a new set of brake pads for the ¨Miracle Mobile.¨ They went on without a glitch though it did take me a while to figure out how to jack that huge machine up.
We are slowly finding our way around the land and the language and each day brings a new adventure. We can physically feel the prayer covering that we have from you all. Thank you for that! I will post pictures as soon as I can figure out this Mexican Internet.
That´s all from the front lines for now. Much love to all!

Monday is the big day!

2008-03-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

As I watch the gecko scale the wall of this quaint bedroom, and I feel the sweat from the humidity drip down my body, I realize, "We're not in Kansas anymore Toto!" Or Colorado to be more precise.
We had a wonderful morning in San Antonio. We met Rachel's brother Matt at the Alamo and then had lunch next to the river-walk. It's so weird to see people in shorts and tank-tops here when there is a blizzard in Colorado!
For the next five hours, I held tightly to the steering wheel of our van as I navigated it through gusts of wind that were fierce enough to test the strongest resolve. We made it safely to Harlingen, TX where we met up with Grandpa Jim and had the pleasure of going to a pot-luck at his church. Good times were had by all.
Tomorrow morning we will wake up early and head across the border. We're really praying and hoping we won't have to unpack the whole van as we go across. That would be a huge pain.
We got some great pics today but the wi-fi signal I'm on is too weak to upload them. I will do it ASAP. Hopefully, I'll find an internet source somewhere nearby in Mexico and we'll be in touch soon. Hasta La Vista Baby!

A Very Sonny Saturday!

2008-03-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

We rolled into the Dallas area late last night and stayed with Rachel's brother Sonny. We all adore Uncle Sonny and loved the time we got to spend with him. He downloaded tons of stuff for us to watch on our computer so we'll never lack for entertainment. He also took us out to eat at one of his favorite pizza joints. We all had a great time.

Then it was back to the "Miracle Mobile" for several more hours of driving. We did take one small detour to show the kids the campus of our Alma-mater CFNI (Christ For the Nations Institute). Boy, what a flood of memories! That's where Rachel and I met and fell in love and had our first son Smith.

We just made it into San Antonio and checked into a pleasant hotel. All I care about when I'm looking at hotels is, what's for breakfast? All the kids care about is, where's the pool? This place has a great breakfast which I'm looking forward to and an outdoor pool that the kids are looking forward to. Can you believe it's already hot enough to swim outdoors here?

The guy that I haggled with at the front desk is from Southern India. He couldn't believe that I had spent time close to where he is from. He taught me an important lesson: everything is negotiable...especially the price of a hotel room. I got him to knock the price down by 30% compared to the couple just ahead of me. Wow!

So...tomorrow we'll have lunch with Rachel's oldest brother Matt and hopefully have time to show the kids the River Walk and possibly the Alamo. Then we'll head down to Harlingen, TX where we will meet up with Grandpa Jim and stay the night at a bed-n-breakfast some of his friends own.

Monday, we'll make the final descent into Mexico. Wow! Is this really happening or is this another one of my dreams? Will someone please pinch me? It's all quite surreal at this point.

Prayer Points:

The continued health of the "Miracle Mobile."

Unity for Team Nagel

An Uneventful Border Crossing

And We're Off!

2008-02-28T23:48:00.000-08:00

Everything we own is now stuffed in and on our van!

As of today, the Nagels are officially mobile. We spent all day yesterday and today packing every square inch of our sweet new van, and cleaning our house. At 5pm this evening we hit the road.
When we moved to Colorado Springs eight years ago, the very first exit we took was Uintah. Interestingly enough, we found ourselves getting onto the interstate tonight from the Uintah on-ramp.
The Lord is soooo good. I still need to tell the story how we came to own the, "Miracle Mobile" but that will have to wait for another day. We rolled on down the road and made it to Dalhart, TX. It's going on 1am now and all the kids are sound asleep in this cozy little hotel room.
A few weeks ago during one of my prayer times I felt the Lord tell me that the things I was praying about were taken care of. ie. the van, and the house. He sure took care of the van, so we know He has a great plan for the house.
This evening, just 2 1/2 hours into our trip, our realtor called to let us know we had an offer come in. Wow! When God makes a promise, He sure knows how to deliver.
Well, it's off to bed for me now so I can rest my weary bones. Much love to you all and we'll try to update at every available wi-fi spot we come to.

Simple Miracles

2008-02-22T20:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight as I was putting the kids to bed the bulb in their night-light flickered and then burned out...as night-light bulbs tend to do. To help calm them and get them to sleep I told them a story of a boy and his mom. They were driving home from church one Sunday when they ran out of gas. They were in the middle of nowhere and all they had was a jug of water.
Just that morning in Sunday School, the little boy had heard the story of Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding. He said, "Mom, why don't we pour that water in the gas tank and ask the Lord to turn it into gas?" The mom was not happy about the idea, but after quite a while decided to give it a try. They prayed and the car started right up.
Rachel and I often tell our children that there is absolutely nothing impossible with God! At the end of my story, I stood up and said goodnight. That's when Smith said, "Dad, we should pray for that night-light." I thought to myself, "Crap! Now I have to put my money where my mouth is."
I prayed for it as I flicked the on/off switch back-and-forth. Nothing happened, and I was ready to leave the room. Smith said, "Dad, we should each take a turn praying for it." So...Zaisy prayed as I flicked the on/off switch back-and-forth. Nothing happened.
As Smith is praying, I see the bulb flicker and then burst back to life. I stood there in awe and the kids eyes were as big as saucers.
We serve a big God! Nothing is impossible for Him!

Praise God!

2008-02-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Some of our friends donated a sweet Ford E150 Conversion van to us for our ministry. We are beyond ourselves with excitement. We'll post pictures of it and the full story soon.
The Lord is so faithful and good!

2008-02-19T21:02:00.000-08:00

I miss Stan.
Many knew Stan as a brilliant scientist. Some knew him as friend. I had the unique perspective of knowing Stan as my father-in-law.
Being who he was to me was frightening enough in and of itself. Stan was one of those rare people that actually took the time to think about what he was going to say before it came out of his mouth. That simply added to the level of fear and respect I had for him. Sometimes I would ask him a question, and then after several moments of silence I would begin to wonder if he had heard me. He always did…and if I was patient, he would often share of his great wealth of wisdom.
For some reason, still beyond my explanation, Stan always believed in me. Getting married as young as we did, we had many friends and family members that were not too happy about it. At one point we were close to calling the wedding off and postponing it until an indefinite date. He called me on the phone on Easter Sunday and said he saw no reason for us to wait and encouraged me to push ahead with the plans. Wow! What a boost of confidence that was.
I had the pleasure of knowing Stan personally for about 3 years before his life was stolen away by a cruel cancer. It seems like such a short time, however, to this day, I draw on some of the great advice that he gave me.
One time he was scheduled to be the main speaker at a health conference in Brazil. He asked me to get up early and drive him to the airport. We both had underestimated the morning traffic and he ended up missing his flight. I felt terrible. It was then that he looked at me and said, “Jon, a long time ago, I learned that you just have to roll with the punches.” He always said so much by saying so little.
Oh, how I long to pick up the phone and hear his voice. I would love to share with him all of my big plans and big dreams. I know he would be so excited. I know he would still believe in me. And I know exactly what he would say, "Stop worrying about tomorrow and just roll with the punches!"
I miss Stan.

Mini-missionaries

2008-02-18T20:41:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I wonder if we're doing the best thing in bringing our kids on the mission field. I wonder if they will have problems adjusting, or be a hindrance in accomplishing our ministry. I wonder why God called us to the mission field now, in our lives, when we have these four little kids. I mean, is this really a good idea?

For some odd reason, every time we go out to eat lately, we get Mexican food. Our last few meals in America, and we can't stay north of the boarder. Last night, upon reccomendation, we sought out an "authentic" mexican restaraunt. Sure enough it was right on. Bright yellow paint, out of date calanders with maps of Mexico on the walls, and staff that spoke no English. I tried to make out some Spanish in ordering our food and got nothing from the two young, teenage men but blank looks. Both Jon and I tried to laugh and smile to communicate nonverbally, but these guys didn't budge. We had only Davis and Ax with us, so we let Davis sit on the counter so he could get to tell the man his order himself.

Suddenly, the young men came alive! They smiled and laughed at Davis' attempt at ordering. They spoke to each other in Spanish and enjoyed watching everything else Davis did. One of the guys even blew up a balloon and we all laughed together when it popped unexpectedly in his face. We left smiling and waving and all because of Davis.

In a culture where children are innocent and enjoyed, I realize that our children are missionaries too. In fact, they might just be the key to places that Jon and I could never get to on our own.

This is the Body

2008-02-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight our family attended the first official Saturday night service of a church in our community. I knew we would see a certain number of our friends there, but in actuality, I could see only a few people we hadn't met yet. It was great! In a way, it's going to be sad to know what we'll be missing every Saturday night in our home town. You see, everybody wants to belong. It's important for people to feel like a part of something bigger than themselves. To know that if they don't show, people will miss them and wonder where they are.

Our friends are neat people. Most of them are not all that wealthy. A lot of them work for local ministries or are themselves ministers. One of our friends came up to us tonight and asked, "Besides your house selling and a car, do you have any other needs." I thought for a minute about this friend. I knew he was saying, "Is there something I have that you need?"

I love that about the body of Christ. You don't have to have tons of money to do ministry. Or a huge church to preach to. You don't have to do everything. Just do what you can. Sometimes I find myself not helping at all because I feel like what I have to give just isn't enough. But God does not ask me to use what I do not have. This friend took our family out to eat at a local fast food restaraunt tonight. We hung out as families and they told us the funny stories of how they met. It was really great. They met a real need in our lives of food and fellowship.

It's just like the Cheers song, "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. And they're always glad you came." That's the body of Christ.

Heavenly Storehouses

2008-02-15T19:21:00.000-08:00

Recently, I took Smith and Zaisy for a hike. One of the first interesting things we came to was a pile of rusted metal with the remains of what appeared to be a car all twisted up inside. It was sad.

This season of life has been extremely unique for our family. I've read lists of regrets that people often have at the end of their lives. They wish they would have spent more time with their kids when they were little. They wish they would have burned their keepsake candle when there were still others around to enjoy it with them. They wish they would have lived for the day instead of spending so much time worrying about tomorrow.

At this point in our lives we don't know a lot to be for certain, but we do know that God has called us to go to Mexico. We don't know why we're still here, but we do know that God is more interested in the journey than the destination. Some of the lessons we've learned over these last several months are priceless. They could never be taught in a school. I will caution you however, if you ever read, "The Breaking of the Outer Man, and the Release of the Spirit," by Watchman Nee, and you invite the Lord to break your outer man and release your spirit...He will do it. It's not fun, but the fruit is delicious.

I've never been a huge proponent of home-schooling, mainly because the examples I had of home-schooled kids growing up were pretty sad. One of our home-schooled friends became a master of making absolutely anything out of cardboard and duct-tape...however, I don't think he ever learned much more. But as we spend time pouring into our kids each day, reading the Bible with them, discussing different scientific theories, and so on, it's been such a joy to be on the offensive for once. We're realistic in knowing that this season won't last forever. Soon we'll be on the field and busy...but we're really trying to soak it up now.

We're trying to live life without anymore regrets. We're trying to get to a point where we know how to use today's provision for today and stop worrying about the fearful tomorrows that never really come. We're trying to soak up all the joy and laughter that our children have to offer today, knowing that soon they'll be grown with families and concerns of their own.

Like that pile of a car we saw on our hike, everything that you can buy with money, everything that we spend so much time working for and investing in...will one day burn up. We're learning to invest in the Heavenly storehouses where our treasures will never be destroyed.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, my mother would put on a huge Valentine's day breakfast. It was pretty much the only time of year that we used the good china. She always made oatmeal (with lots of butter and brown sugar-yum!) and something red to drink (usually Cran-something). We'd all eat at the dining room table with a long, white table cloth. And there were decorations all over the table and each person had a little present by their plate. Good times.

So, this was our version. May you enjoy your memories for years to come.

Hope In God!

2008-02-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

It was exactly 10 years ago today that I got down on one knee and proposed to Rachel. We took the kids to the park today to enjoy the beautiful weather and were recounting the memories of that night. I asked her if she could have looked 10 years into the future, saw us with 4 kids, living in Colorado, trying to move to Mexico, and jobless, if she would have reconsidered. She said, "No way!" I think I got a keeper.

I got a call from our realtor this morning. Apparently, the one couple that was interested in our house ended up getting their bid accepted on their 1st choice house. Good for them! The couple that came yesterday liked everything about it, however, they couldn't figure out where they would put their big screen tv in the living room. Oh well...the wait continues. We're glad to be counted worthy of this faith building experience.

One of the big lessons that we're learning on this path is about where we choose to put our hope. If we hope in man or in money we always end up getting let down. They will always fail you. However, when you put all of your hope and trust in God, He will never let you down. He is not a man that He should lie. He has made certain promises to us, and rather than be discouraged today, we find ourselves encouraged by the fact that He is in control. We choose to stand on His promises and know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that no matter what happens, He is good!

Cheese and Crackers

2008-02-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

There was a man taking his family on a vacation cruise. They were not wealthy people and could only afford their passage, but no more. Every night they would sit in their rooms and eat cheese and crackers for dinner. Finally the very last night on the boat, the father decided to splurge and take his family out to the dining area to eat. He asked the maire' d how much it would cost for his family to dine. "But sir," the shocked servant replied, "all meals were included in your ticket price."

I've made many decisions in my life based on money. "We only have this much money, so we can't have that," or, "We could never do that because it is way too expensive!" I realize that everyone has different reasons for spending money based on what they deem worthy. Clothes, cars, events, food, fun, looking good.

This weekend we were invited to a birthday party at a local fun-plex in our town. We had never taken our kids there before because it's so expensive. I told Jon that I'm tired of making decisions based on money. These were good friends and we wanted to be in their lives, so we went. When we got there, her mom bought my kids' tickets without hesitation. It was super fun! I'm so glad we didn't sit at home doing nothing when the provision was already taken care of!

Don't sit in your room eating cheese and crackers. Everything you need is already paid for. -a message from your Dad

Nagel Status Report

2008-02-11T22:53:00.000-08:00

What a ride this has been so far! God is amazing and we are learning to enjoy His presence more and more each day.

Emotionally we're all doing quite well. We're excited to hit the road and see what lies ahead. The kids are doing great with their home schooling. For reading, Smith, Zaisy, and I have a goal of reading through the entire Bible together this year. We read 3 chapters a day. I read the first one, Smith reads the second, and then Zaisy and I alternate verses on the third chapter. Boy, reading through Genesis sure sparked some interesting questions! Luckily, our kids are all amazingly intelligent, so they're easy to teach.

Just in the last two or three weeks, Davis seems to have really gotten over the "two-year-old hump" and is now such a joy to be around. He's even eating almost everything we put in front of him now. He adores his older brother and sister and will do anything to make them laugh.

We've had about $4,000 come in for the van so far. Praise God! We're currently shopping, test-driving, and narrowing down our selection. We really like the 15 passenger Ford E350 models. Let us know if you see anything good out there.

Last Thursday we had another showing on our house. The people have a bid in on another house here on the West-side...but there is two other bids on that same house. They said our house is second on their list.

Then today, which is the last day of our original listing, our realtor gets a call from a "drive-by." They loved everything about the outside of the house and are coming for a showing tomorrow from 12-1pm. They said if they like the inside as much as the outside they will place a bid tomorrow. Praise God! He is never late.

Rachel and I are so excited about life right now. We made it through the fear and uncertainty stage, and now we're ready to get going. We don't know exactly where this road will lead us, but we're sure glad to travel it together!

ps. on Thursday our home phone will be turned off and we'll go to strictly cell phone use

STUFF MART

2008-02-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

I’ve often thought when I come back from a trip to Wal-Mart with several bags in tow, “Where does it all go?” I mean, really now, I have a 1300 square foot house. Where am I putting this stuff? Well, I’ve spent the last few months figuring that out.

When the Lord told us to get rid of our stuff, I didn’t realize he meant all of our stuff. I’ve gotten rid of things that six months ago I thought I would keep for my whole life. I’ve sold my mom’s dresser and most all of my kids’ toys. We’ve cleaned out our kitchen stuff so we now only have two small tubs of utensils and appliances (half of which is taken up by our coffee maker). I’ve given away 95% of our clothes and I’ve realized something very important. I don’t care.

Every time I go through someone’s clothes (again) to try to fit it all into one duffle bag, I start out thinking that I can’t get rid of this stuff. I like it too much. But then... I get rid of a big pile and realize, I don’t really even like that stuff. Funny, huh?

So we have a garage full of “Goodwill stuff” and a shrinking pile of boxes and tubs labeled MEXICO. I just want everyone reading this to know that this experience I just related to you has been one of the most freeing of my life. I have said many times in my life, “I would give up anything for You, Lord.” I'm glad He took me seriously. I don’t want stuff anymore. I just want Him.

What a Guy!

2008-02-06T21:06:00.000-08:00

Of all the things we've thrown out in the past months and realizing we could still light our whole garage on fire and still have enough stuff, we have managed to keep this. May I introduce you to What a Guy. He became a family icon first when Zaisy would tease her big brother with all the stunts he could do and always end in the same sing-song way, "Whaaat a Guy!"

We've tried to throw him away, but somehow he almost supernaturally reappears in our stuff as if to prove that he wants to go with us. So, we decided to take him along as our family mascot. According to the kids he can do a great number of fantastic feats, so he should be pretty useful to have around. He'll make a great missionary.

So, in the future, when we post pictures of our family around the world, keep a sharp eye out for our little mascot. He represents our family in many ways. He is fun-loving, ready to travel anywhere, smartly dressed, and able to anything. WHAT A GUY!!! (You should really ask Zaisy how to say it the right way.)

Good Book!

2008-02-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading, "The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind" by Bill Johnson. Great book! It has really made me do some thinking and some soul searching.
The last chapter talks about heroes of the faith like, Smith Wigglesworth, Aimee Semple McPherson, and the Wesley brothers. Here's a brief excerpt: "They didn't start out as giants but they were possessed by a passion to pursue new territories that had not been occupied before, even when all logic and reason warred against them. They were like people on safari chopping down undergrowth in the jungle to move into uninhabited territory. They were fed up with seeing one standard in the Bible and another standard in their experience. That discontentment caused them to move dangerously into territory that had been inhabited by wild beasts, if you will."
He goes on to make a case, that if we would have ran with what these people fought for, if we would have made their celing our floor, where would we be today? Instead, we build memorials and monuments to the work they did and then don't do anything more.
He uses Luke 11:24-26 as an example. It's the story about the unclean spirit going out of a man. After going through dry places and seeking rest, finding none, he decides to go back. Finding the place put in order he goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than himself and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
The idea behind this all, is that when men and women rise up and take new territory and develop it, and then the next generation just tries to sit on it thinking it's "good enough", bad things will happen. I've heard people say that if you're not progressing and growing in your faith each day, then you are back-sliding.
He uses many real life examples to illustrate this point, but the one that really stuck with me is the Methodist church. John Wesley and his brother saw amazing moves of the spirit throughout their ministry. Instead of the church taking and running with what they had learned, they sat on it. Just recently the Methodist church ordained their first lesbian minister. Ouch!
I am fed up with seeing one standard in the Bible and another standard in my day-to-day experience! I know there is more. I look forward to moving into dangerous territory that has been held by the devil and his wild beasts for too long. And when my life here is done, I hope my children will make my ceiling their floor.