Carnival!

I have been hearing about Carnival for a long time now. It's been mostly warnings of the chaos in the streets and how the traffic is horrible in town. I had no idea what it was until I looked up on Wikipedia. It's Mardi Gras, a festive season right before Lent.



Starting today, it's a 5 day-long party of parades and drinking in the streets. Well, it's a little more than that....

According to mexicanguru.com, "The tourism board touts Mazatlan’s carnival as family-oriented, and it’s true that there are poetry contents, literary awards, and ballet in the baseball stadium. Kids compete for prizes at school, and a couple is elected as diminutive king and queen to reign over the annual awards presentations. Extended families attend rock and ska concerts at venues throughout the city; they dance the tambora, the traditional oompah band music of northern Mexico.

Clowns stomp down the street atop peg-egged stilts. Adorable kids wearing grease paint and animal costumes snake down the avenue in conga lines. Marching bands rattle and hum.

Along with their court, the carnival king and queen ride in an impressive float of flowers, colored paper, and anything that glistens or glitters. Dressed to kill in tulle, organdy, velveteen, and other sweat-producing fabrics despite the heat, they herald the parade as representatives of cultural and community pride."

Although not quite up my ally, I would like to experience a taste of of what this city has traditionally been a part of for over 100 years. The spectacular colors and decorations and people in costume will be a thrill to see.

The Joys of Baking

I started to bake for the shop one day a week. I was really excited to get out of the house and do something that makes me feel like I am accomplishing something and really helping out the shop. And how I do love baking!

Or so I thought.

It's one thing to bake a batch of cookies at home for my family and quite a different thing when it's for the coffee shop and customers are paying 35 pesos for a strawberry scone or a banana nut muffin.

It's been "fun" figuring out the timing on the industrial convection oven. Last week I left the granola in the oven 1 minute too long (maybe it was 2) and it was scorched! Then I pulled the scones out a little too early and they were really gooey so I stuck them back in for another second and poof in that second they burned! How is that possible?!

Then I accidentally added 1 too many eggs to the sugar cookie recipe making them really, really sticky and completely uneatable.

There are more stories but then you might start to question any ability I may have to don an apron and call myself a baker.

sigh.

I am thankful for Heidi, the patient owner of the Looney Bean, who smiles and tells me "It's really okay. There's a learning curve."

Well, tomorrow is another day at the baking station and I am determined to get it right this time.

Christmas in PA

We just returned from our 3 week Christmas break in Pennsylvania. Christmas is my favorite time of year and it was wonderful to get to be home with family & friends and really important to us for Breckyn to spend time with her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Breckyn with her cousin Courtney on Christmas eve

We even got a couple of small snowstorms to remind us of why we are living in a tropical climate! We took her out in the snow a couple of times to show her what it was like and it was pretty comical to watch her try to walk through the snow with her over sized snow boots.

Enjoying the snow!

It was a little bittersweet to return to Maz. But back to the grind, right?

The first semester program is winding down and there are only a couple of weeks left with this group before a new group of students join us for the second half of the year. But before then, the group is headed 75 miles south to a little fishing village called Teacapan. There they will be helping with the fixing-up of a property that is being turned into a retreat center for local pastors and groups to meet. The property is owned by missionary friends of Tom & Heidi who also live here in Mazatlan. Mostly we will be painting, although there is some electrical and plumbing work to be done as well.

Coming back after a couple of weeks off has allowed us to feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle the next 5 months. Keep us in your prayers as we seek the Lord for wisdom and guidance concerning our future.

tis better to give....

I just got home from a Christmas party that we organized at a nearby community here in Mazatlan. If I am ever wondering why I am here serving in Mexico, all I have to do is remember tonight. What a blessing it is to give. Once a week we go to to this colonial called "Infernio"-something (it means "little hell") and do a Bible lesson, a craft, a snack and a game.

There are about 60 families in this particular neighborhood and all are in need. The first time I visited these homes I'll admit, I tried not to stare. How can these people live like this?! It's hard not to let it break your heart. Almost all the homes are one, maybe two rooms. The walls are scrap wood and either tarps or tin siding. Most of the floors are dirt, though a few are tiled. There isn't running water so there are huge black barrels in-between the homes to collect rain water. Both kids and dogs have fleas in their hair but it's so hard not to hug them when they come running up to you. They talk a mile-a-minute no matter how many times I tell them I can't speak Spanish. It doesn't matter, they just smile and keep on going!

Here we are decorating for the party!

The kids singing for their parents

The string ensemble played for half an hour

Money, clothes, toys, and food were collected to raffle off. We had enough to give away 5 bicycles, 20 boxes of food and 100 gift bags with candy and toiletries. Clothes were given to the families with the most need. We hung white Christmas lights and balloons from the houses and the wooden fence that surrounds the lot. A face paint station was set up for the kids. We ate tamales (incredible!), beans, cake & jello and had hot chocolate with cinnamon. A string ensemble from a local school came to give a concert. It was dynamic listening to violins play Christmas music against such a backdrop. Our group did a skit and the kid's sang songs they had been practicing for their parents.

As I think about home, especially around the holidays, there are some things I miss about being there. But after tonight, I don't miss the consumerism. I don't miss the madness and the long lines at the mall. I don't miss the rushing around to get last minute gifts.

Tonight was just a nice reminder of how very blessed we are and that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

lessons in negotiating and pretty places

It's been a few weeks since my last post. Mostly I have been waiting for something "unusual" to write about but the "usual" is good. First impressions of our town have worn off and routines are being established.

Steve is teaching the business class once a week and taking a Spanish class along with the rest of the students in the house. He takes several shifts a week at the coffee shop and has been working with Heidi (the owner) on setting up an inventory system and on overall better business practices. He's been busy!

I am comfortable getting out on my own even without knowing much of the language. Somehow a few points and smiles can get me what I need though it does take 3 times as long and in a few cases may cost me more money. Like the other day, I went to a flea market in Juarez and I saw a dress I liked and so I held it up and asked "cuantos?" (how much?). The teenager working looked at it and said "sesenta" ($60 pesos) but I thought she said "Cien" ($100). So I, being really excited to use my negotiating skills, said "ochenta?" (80). She looked at me like I was CRAZY! After about 2 minutes of her repeating "sesenta", I handed her $100. I got back $30. So in the end a $60 dress cost me $70, or about $5.60. I am thrilled with the dress but realize maybe I DO need to put forth a little effort in this language.



Earlier in the week we visited a really cool ranch-turned-restaurant with a little chapel on the hill. It turned out to be closed for a holiday but it was beautiful to wander.

The Kids Club

Yesterday was the first kid's club that the group was able to participate in. Every Wednesday we will be helping to run an afternoon program in a nearby neighborhood. We'll do a craft, story time, games, worship and a snack. These kids are so cute and we are really looking forward to being more involved in their lives!

Some of the students are finding other ministries to be involved in. Two of the girls left this morning to join a local church in their weekly trip to the dump where they bring lunch to the people who live there. We have plans as a house to go there at least monthly and bring hotdogs and a grill.










This week we opened the coffee shop near "playa Bruja" (Witch beach). It has been a truly hectic couple of days for the owner, Heidi as Tom (her husband) had to travel back home to California for about 6 weeks to finish up a large masonry project he has there. She has been doing a wonderful job of multitasking her girls who are in school here, working full time at the shop and being involved in the house as much as she can. Please pray the Lord brings customers! It is always a balance for Tom & Heidi figuring out when to open in the season and it takes a couple of weeks for people to know we are open. The snowbirds trickle down here around late October and November and so hopefully we will soon be super busy!

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Things are well under way here. This past week has been a whirlwind of activity. The Lonsdales arrived last week with their young daughters, Brisa and Mia. Heidi flew in on Tuesday and Tom drove and got here on Thursday night with a truck load of supplies for the shop and some of our personal belongings that we had left in California when we were there in September. It turned out to be just in time because Justin and Lisa's baby was born Friday morning!

Lisa had been really sick on Thursday and they decided to take her to the hospital late Thursday night. It was a good decision because it turns out that she had toxemia and they needed to do an emergency c-section Friday morning. Mama and baby Elsie Wren are doing great and should be coming home today. Lisa's mom flew in on Saturday to meet her new granddaughter and help out the new parents. I know Lisa and Justin are thrilled to have her here!

This week starts the program for the students. They will be arriving Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday we have a full day of orientation planned. Thursday we are taking the students for a trip to a remote beach village to stay and really get to know each other. And next week, the shop is opening so training for the that is happening Monday.

It has been really wonderful to spend time with Heidi and Tom and get to know them better. Over the weekend they took us to Stone Island to hang out on the beach. We took a ferry over and really enjoyed the afternoon there.















I am really looking forward to meeting the students this week and spending time with them on the retreat this weekend. Pray for their safety in travels and that we will have a unified group who are really eager to learn and grow. We are looking forward to seeing what the Lord does in the months to follow in our lives and in theirs!