March and April 2007

Classes are going well. Here are the three secondary girls. They are 14-15 years old. Griselda, Erika (her sister), and Carla.

Here are the 5th an 6th grade students playing English verb and adjective games they created. This one is called "Verbopoly."

My neighbor Mundo and I had the opportunity with an American group to lead worship for the people down at the Canal. This area called the "Nopalera" is known for being one of the more impoverished areas in Reynosa There is no running water nor electricity. Most of the houses are shacks pieced together with scrap wood and other materials. I met many wonderful people here and it was nice to do ministry outside of what I am getting to do at the school.

Just a funny picture....

Here is a picture of Abril, Mundo and Came's daughter, after she found one of her mom's cassette tapes. She just looks so innocent doesn't she?

April

April allowed me to visit many friends and family. We did not have a spring break but are given 2 weeks for Easter and Holy Week. It was nice to have the two weeks combined so that I could travel more.

I got to see old college roommates Danyel Rogers and Cassy Gray. That was a blessing.

I also had the pleasure of visiting Dallas and my friends and church there.
Here are some of the pictures from the visit.

Shabbat dinner

RV trip to Austin to celebrate a friend's engagement (Natalie and Josh...pictured below)

Matt and Lauren Chandler (and Audrey) My Dallas pastors and dearest friends.

More former pastors and good friends: Natalie and Josh Patterson and Beau and Kimberly Hughes.

I also got a few days in Waco with my sweet little sister Abby and her husband Michael and the "nephew" Ebeneezer.

(Sorry if all that bored you, but I felt like I had to give a shout out to all the people I saw. Otherwise I might be getting some comments about why certain individuals were not pictured :) Thanks for your understanding.)

In April we also went to a circus and fair. This is the name of the circus....does it slightly resemble another theme park whose mascot is a mouse? Yeah, I thought so too. The rides were a little rusty and all run by the circus performers (I think they were a family); the acts consisted of clowns doing flips on a trampoline and a mut walking through a woman's legs;and the benches were old 2x4's roped together; but a great time was had by all.

Above: Mundo, Came, Abril and Dorthea (our school nurse) are enjoying a snack before the show.

Below: Abril is riding a slightly frightening clown ride. I don't know how much I trusted that thin, rusty chain.

Also in April I turned 27! I sure don't feel that old. We had a simple party at the orphanage with cake and presents. Unfortunately the electricity was out for about three hours (this is a regular occurrence), so the party was done in slight darkness with no fans. This is a gift from Barbara, our wonderful seamstress.

Also in Mexico is the tradition on one's birthday to shove their face in the cake as they take their first bite. In my opinion, students should never be present at their teachers birthday parties in MX. They tend to take advantage of the situation. Although I am smiling in the picture with the girls who shoved my head the hardest (Erika and Yaneth), I am painfully enduring the cake up my nostrils.