Every year millions of Monarch butterflies migrate up to 2,000 miles from Canada and the United States and spend the months of November to March northwest of Mexico City in Michoacan.  This past weekend we took the opportunity to take a day trip to see them, and I am so glad we did.  The 2+ hour drive and one hour uphill horseback ride/hike were completely worth it.  The wooded butterfly reserves are a beautiful area in and of themselves and to see millions of beautiful orange butterflies congregated in a small area - clumped together in the trees for warmth, covering the ground, and flying overhead - is an amazing sight.  If you happen to be in the area  during the winter months I definitely recommend you make the trip.

Josiah was a little less enthralled than the rest of us.

So unlike Abby I am on the once a year blog post plan :)

As I'm sure many of you know first hand, having small kids in the house often means waking up in the middle of the night.  We have been blessed with a three month old who rarely sleeps less than 9 hours a night... but recently our 2 year old has been a different story.  Multiple times a week Eli has been waking up in the middle of the night crying or calling out "Mommy!... Daddy!".  Bad dreams... he wants water... his diaper is wet... he can't find his blanket... the reasons vary.  Hopefully this is a phase he will grow out of soon :)

Last night we got a baby sitter for the first time since Josiah's birth.  Despite the language barrier, Netty was great.  She took meticulous notes on when the boys should eat, get milk, go to bed, etc.  She handled Eli without breaking a sweat and seemed right at home with Josiah.  She was well versed at making bottles and changing diapers.  We felt great about leaving our boys with her and enjoying a night out (Happy birthday Lauren!).

Like most baby sitters, nannies, and maids here in Mexico City... Netty lives in a much less nice part of town than the people she works for.  Public transportation doesn't go to her neighborhood after 10, so she asked if she could stay at our house last night.   She slept in our extra bedroom and was out the door before the rest of us got out of bed this morning.  Once again, totally normal here in D.F.

So... last night when Eli had his 2am "Mommy!... Daddy!" call Netty ran into his room, comforted him, and helped him fall back to sleep.  I barely woke up and Abby missed the whole thing.  I definitely appreciated the chance to get a little more sleep... but this morning I've been thinking.  Abby and I currently live in a culture where it is very common for middle class families to have live in nannies.  Have you seen "The Help"?...  this cultural dynamic is still very normal here.  I wonder how many parents never get to comfort their scared 2 year old at 2am.  I wonder how many working dads relinquish all of these moments to the moms.  Eli generally wants hugs and kisses and to be told everything is all right.  Somehow I make everything all right.  And then he says "love you" and goes back to sleep.

Maybe I don't want Eli to totally grow out of this phase so soon.

So, I seem to be on a once a month blog post plan lately.  There are 2 reasons for this: 1) finding the time to write blog posts with 2 kids 2 and under is bit harder than with 1 and 2) after a little over a year of living in Mexico we're starting to get the hang of it and there are fewer new experiences to tell you about.  However, the Christmas season is upon us and there is much celebrating to being done here in Mexico.

After 2.5 weeks of building and tinkering our next door neighbor finally completed the most elaborate nativity scene (el nacimiento) I have ever seen.  The scene, which depicts an entire town in biblical times, takes up about a 7'x7' space and is complete with working waterfall and stream.  I don't think that this picture does it justice, but it's the best I have right now.

Last night was the viewing party at which we chatted with some of our neighbors and drank ponche, which is a warm spiced punch and traditional drink for this time of year.

This morning I attended Eli's preschool Christmas party.  As far as I can tell Mexicans like to put their kids in costume for every holiday possible.  So, I dressed Eli up as a lamb (his assigned costume) and we headed off the party.

They thanked the parents for coming, told the story of Jesus' birth (this would never happen in a non-religious preschool in the U.S.!), and then asked a few parents to share how they celebrated Christmas in their house.   I was called on first.  Lucky me!  Given a little prep time and the chance to speak in my native language I don't mind public speaking, but impromptu public speaking in a foreign language is not my idea of fun!  Nonetheless, I managed to at least tell them that we celebrate with a Christmas tree, gifts, and the story of the birth of baby Jesus.

This was followed by the whole group of kids dancing. (Sorry for the poor video quality.)

Then the kids performed an interesting rendition of the Christmas story.  My Spanish isn't good enough to get it word for word, but I'll give the gist.

Joseph worked on his carpentry while Mary was in the kitchen.

Not 1, but 2 angels came to visit each of them while they slept.

Joseph exclaimed "A baby, but I'm only 4 years old!"

Mary and Joseph went on a walk and bought candy from a vendor.  Apparently, Mary had a pregnancy craving.  Then they headed to Bethlehem and poor pregnant Mary had to carry the donkey.

They made it to Bethlehem and a very large baby Jesus appeared.

The shepherds and sheep danced together and then the devil appeared and tempted them to dance more instead of going to see baby Jesus.  Can someone tell me where you find that part in the Bible?

Eventually they stopped dancing and followed the star to baby Jesus.  The wise men followed suit and presented gifts. (Sorry, I have some lengthy video, but not a good photo of this part.)

Then the whole group, including the devil, joined around baby Jesus.

See the toy in Eli's hand?  He stole it from the devil on more than one occasion during the performance.  I'm sure some sort of biblical analogy can be made here.  More importantly I probably need to spend a little more time teaching Eli not to steal toys from other kids (particularly babies).

This was followed by more dancing.  Eli was paired off with his cousin who spent much of the time telling him he was doing it wrong, while he ignored her and kept dancing.

And here's one final shot of my little lamb.

At least I can say it was entertaining with much of the original story mixed in as well!

It's official...on August 21 at 12:37PM Josiah Henry was born and we became a family of four.  As an only child, I've never been a part of a family of four before.  It still sounds a little strange for me to say.  

However, so far, being a part of a family of four has been a wonderful experience.  From the beginning Josiah has done his best to make life pretty easy for us.  Yes, he's only 2 weeks old now and I have yet to spend a day alone with two kids (thanks hubby, mom, and mom-in-law for making this possible), so we have a long way to go, but so far life is good.

Here's a quick ( not at all graphic) run down of the birth experience and life with Josiah so far:

Contractions started at regular 7 minute intervals at 2 am on my due date (seriously, how many babies actually arrive on their due date?) and increased to a steady 5 minutes apart over 3 hours.  This was actually ideal for us, as it meant that Dave was home and my very pregnant sister-in-law was off the hook for driving me to the hospital while Dave was at work.  Plus, that early in the morning is a pretty low traffic time here in Mexico City, which relieved the stress of the 45 minute plus commute to the hospital.

My doctor arrived at the hospital as we were checking in and was there for almost the whole time I was in labor.  The whole time I was in labor at the hospital amounted to a grand total of 5 hours - so much better than the twenty hours I went through after I was induced a week after my due date with Eli.

Everything progressed quickly.  I turned down an epidural knowing that last time I had made it a full 10 hours without one and it had largely worn off by the time I actually gave birth.  Although, I realize that it is no great feet to give birth without anesthesia, people in Mexico (including my doctor) seem to be amazed that I did so.  Apparently it's practically unheard of here.

After three quick pushes (so much easier than the 1 hour plus of pushing last time) out popped our healthy, 6lb 8oz. 19.5in. little boy.  My doctor has since likened the experience to being on a roller coaster with her driving and me on the accelerator.

Since then he has been amazing.  He breastfeeds without any problem and pretty much just sleeps or quietly looks around when he's not eating.  He already regularly gives us 5-6 hour stretches of sleep at night.  Seriously, Eli wasn't a difficult baby at all.  How did I get SO blessed this time?

So, for all who have looked at us with concern as we have prepared to have a baby in Mexico, do not be concerned at all.  We had a wonderful birth experience and received great care during our stay at the hospital.  My biggest complaint would be the amount of moving around they made me go through during the birth process. Four different rooms and five different beds seemed a bit excessive, but certainly not a reason not to have a baby in Mexico.

So here we are, getting used to life as four:

About three weeks ago we moved into a new place here in Mexico City.  With another little boy on the way we wanted to upgrade to three bedrooms and something with some outdoor space for Eli to get out and play.  After lots of calls and going to see a few places we found just what we were looking for about a five minute drive from our previous apartment.  We have settled in easily and so far we are loving the extra space and Eli is loving the shared yard in front of our house and playground right inside our complex.  Also, our five minute move away from the main roads has made us feel like we are in more "real" Mexican neighborhood.  We are now in walking distance from the main square of our little area of the city, there are cobblestone streets, and lots of little family owned places to explore.  We have really enjoyed walking around and getting to know our new neighborhood.

Within that main square area is the local Catholic parish and they have been in all out party mode for the last week in celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.  The fair starts just a block from our house and wraps around down to the church.  I have nothing against fairs and we have taken the opportunity to go over and explore, enjoy the food, and let Eli get a pony ride, however it's the fireworks/firecrackers that get to be a bit much.  For the last week there has been an incessant "bang, bang" (as Eli calls it) going on at random times anywhere between 6am and 10pm.  At times there has been constant noise for up to 45 minutes straight and the majority of the time we just get the noise without any of the pretty lights in the sky.

Somehow Eli has developed an immunity to them and manages to sleep right through all the noise.  What a blessing!  However, our dog has been on edge constantly and none of us can manage to sleep through his barking when he really gets going.  Sorry neighbors...maybe he'll get used it at some point.

All of this to say, the fair ended last night and I will be perfectly happy if I do not hear any more fireworks for quite some time!

In doing a little internet research on the celebration and the local church I came across this You Tube video that someone took of the church and a bit of our neighborhood.  I thought you might enjoy getting a little picture of where we live:

P.S. Still no new baby.  We're still waiting, and yes, getting a bit impatient.  Maybe he'll be timely and arrive tomorrow on his due date!

As I mentioned previously, on my birthday we had the opportunity to attend our first quinceañera.   It's been a couple of weeks, but I wanted to go ahead and take the time to share the experience with you, because it was like none I have had before.  The closest I have come is watching MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen, but this involved a much less bratty birthday girl.

How did we end up at a quinceañera, you ask?  Well, when Dave was finishing up his time teaching in Reno and we were getting ready to move to Mexico one of his previous students told him that her sister would be having her quinceañera in Mexico City in the next years and she wanted to invite our family.  Dave didn't think much of it at the time.  I hate to burst your bubble, but high school students do not always follow through with the things they tell their teachers, and an invite to a party in another country seemed particularly improbable.  However, a year later a message popped up on facebook officially inviting us to the  quinceañera.  Surprise! 

So we dressed up for the event, took a cab WAY across town and joined the party.

Now, if you have never experienced a  quinceañera  either let me first say that they are not all the same and we only attended the after party.  There is a more traditional church service that takes place before the party.  As the majority of Mexicans are Catholic (at least in name), the whole event is something akin to a confirmation mixed with a coming out party.

Anyway, the party took place at a banquet hall and the room was set up very much like a wedding reception with round tables around a dance floor each with a large floral centerpiece.  As we entered (fashionably late as we have learned is standard in Mexican culture) the birthday girl was in the center of the dance floor surrounded by six young male dancers.  This was her entrance dance and the first of five choreographed dances which were performed throughout the evening.  The male dancers were hired for the for event (I have included a shot of their business card if you are interested:)) and the birthday girl came down from the US a month early to learn each of the dances.  

After the entrance dance there was a brief ceremony with the family where the birthday girl received a tiara.  Unfortunately, my Spanish is still limited so I understood very little of this.  Next came a choreographed father daughter dance which began with the waltz and went through an eclectic dance mix including both the chicken dance and T-Pain's Apple Bottom Jeans.  This was followed by a dance in which each male family member was presented with a rose.  Next came the dances with the hired dance team including a waltz, a Michael Jackson number, and a Shakira number.  The birthday girl and her dancers had a costume change for each dance.  Oh and I can't forget the guy who's job it was solely to periodically shoot off a confetti cannon over the dancers!

This was followed by a three course meal during which a solist dressed in traditional mariachi costume sang and showed a video of himself with various Mexican celebrities (a little self-absorbed for my taste). Throughout the evening professional photographers and videographers documented the event.  I am sure that in years to come the birthday girl is going to wonder about the shots of gringos she never met before.

Unfortunately, we had to leave at this point.  It was already nearing midnight and we had a long drive back and a toddler to pick up from the baby-sitter.  I do know that there was a very large wedding-looking cake to be served and as we exited we passed two clowns on stilts with balloons who were headed into the party.  Also, one of the birthday girl's aunt's stopped me and told me that we should not leave yet because the party was just getting started.  I was a little too pregnant to picture myself dancing the night away though.

Oh well, I think I experienced enough to say I have been to a quinceañera.  Above all it made me glad that I will not have a daughter who grows up in Mexico, because that was one expensive event!  

This past weekend we had the opportunity to attend our friend Marco’s birthday party.  About the time we moved into our apartment complex Marco began a new job as one of the security guards at the front gate of the complex.  Over time we got to know him as we entered and exited the complex and took our dog for walks.  Marco does not speak English and our Spanish is still very limited, but he became especially fond of Eli who always said “hi” and “bye” to him as we went by the gates. 

A couple of months ago the apartment complex switched security companies and all of the guards were replaced (apparently this happens from time to time).  On his last day of work Marco made sure to come and trade contact information with us so that we could keep in touch.  A couple of weeks later we had Marco and his college-aged son, Obed, over for a couple of hours to visit and get to know them better.  Obed is the first in the family to attend college and speaks fairly decent English, so we were able to get to know a little bit more about Marco and his family.  After our visit we continued to keep in touch and Obed called again a couple of weeks ago to invite us to Marco’s birthday party.

Eli with Marco's daughter and several of the children at the party.

We gladly accepted the invitation and this past weekend drove up into the mountains just outside the city to their home for the party.  We entered the plywood gate to their front patio and walked down concrete stairs onto to concrete floor of their kitchen and master bedroom/dining room/living room.  We soon discovered that they had no running water and that the toilet was to be flushed with a bucket of water.  Obed apologized for their poor state, but I couldn’t help but focus on the happy and welcoming nature of this sweet family.    

We met Marco’s wife, their five children and their spouses/significant others, their grandchildren, and basically the entire extended family.  The event included us (the token gringos) and around 50 family members.  They all told us how handsome our guerro (blonde) son is as they petted his head and remarked often about my blue eyes.  We certainly stood out as being different, but were not treated as anything but family.

We were served ceviche and a seafood stew full of whole crabs, shrimp, clams, mussels, and large chunks of fish.  This was not the kind of meal that the average American would consider affordable to feed to such a large crowd, but nonetheless heaping portions were placed in front of us.  They were incredibly generous and made sure to check on us throughout the evening and help take care of Eli.  It was a beautiful sight to see him play among Marco’s grandchildren and great nieces and nephews.

It was a wonderful evening of celebrating with new friends, but also a time to reflect on all that we are blessed with – yes, there are the items that we are able to purchase, but more importantly there is the gift of family.

Dave asked me at one point during the evening “Could we be as happy as them living like this?”

All I could say was “I hope so.”  I hope my happiness is not counted in monetary value.

Per our usual Tuesday morning routine, this morning I got myself up and ready for the day, got  Eli up at 7:30am, got him breakfast and dressed, prepared his lunch, and then walked the block and half to drop him off at preschool.  This morning I even got to say hello to my niece who was being dropped off at school by her nanny at the same time.

I followed this with a three block walk in the opposite direction to the local medical lab to get some standard pregnancy lab work done.  Who doesn’t love getting lab work done early in the morning?

As a side note: Of all the Spanish words I have learned so far, for an English speaker, molestar (to disturb or irritate) is definitely the most disturbing, especially when used by a lab technician.

From there I walked to the local fruit stand to pick up some mangoes and bananas.  Then I headed off to the bakery to pick up a fresh loaf of bread to go with dinner this evening and a danish for me, because it is my opinion that anyone who allows themselves to be poked and prodded in a lab by a stranger before 8:30am deserves a treat. 

Anyway, I completed all these tasks and was back in my apartment by 9am.   I don’t think I will ever again live in a place where it is possible to so easily get all of these tasks done on foot.  Mexico treated me well this morning.

Unfortunately, this is where things went downhill and I can no way blame it on Mexico, instead I’m going to go with the pregnancy brain excuse.  When I got home from my morning errands I took our dog out and managed to leave my keys on the kitchen counter.   The front door to our apartment automatically locks behind you. 

Nonetheless, all was not lost.  We gave my brother-in-law a copy of our keys for just such a time.   I called him up, found out where the keys were stored (this included a list of 3 places they “might” possibly be) and walked the two blocks to their house praying that their nanny was still there to let me in to search for them.  Success!  I was still back in my apartment by 9:30am ready to start the day.

We’ll see what the rest of the day has in store for me…

Right now I feel completely caught up between my desires for adventure and "normal."  Living in Mexico is an adventure.  It's new.  It's different.  I get to try new foods (one of my great loves in life).  I get  to see new things - where in the U.S. am I going to go visit pyramids, see Myan murals, or visit entire towns dedicated to making pottery?

Here life is new and challenging on an almost daily basis.  That's the problem, though.  I'm not sure that I like being challenged that often.  Sometimes instead of all the wonderful Mexican street food I just want to go through the drive through at Taco Bell (it is its own genre of food - certainly not Mexican).  Sometimes I just want to go to Target and wander the aisles for an hour - searching out the hidden sale sections and contemplating the purchase of new beauty products.  These things were part of my normal before I moved here.  Yes, they are mundane.  No, they are not normal for much of the world's population.  But there's a certain comfort in them for me.  That comfort seems to be at war with my desire for adventure and challenge.  

Is one better than the other?  Not necessarily.

If I run away from this adventure too soon will I regret it later in life?
Quite possibly.

This is the dilemma that runs through my head over and over again - day in and day out.  Our first year in Mexico will be over before we know it.  We're definitely committed to one more year and then the question is, "what next?".  

Do we stick it out here a couple more years?  Financially this may be the best option.

Do we run off to some other exotic locale to keep the adventure going?

Or do we head back to U.S.; to comfort; to "normal"? 

I don't know the answer to these questions at this point.

I don't know what God has in store for us.

I just know that I have to keep trusting day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.

I know it's been kind of quiet around here. The death of my computer was followed by Dave's spring break ( yea, for being married to a teacher who gets a week of spring break!), this brought the inlaws down to visit and several fun adventures (more on that later), and then a full week of a horrible cold and now a throat infection for me (yuck). However, this downward turn has reminded me of some of the things I have to be thankful for here in Mexico.

Many people have asked me if the medical care here is up to the U.S. levels and so far I have to say that the answer is a resounding YES. We have been well taken care of by all of the doctors we have seen so far. It's standard practice here for doctors to give you their cell number so that you can get a hold of them any time. When I called my OB on her cell yesterday she immediately made a referral to a general practitioner and gave me her cell number. I called her and she got me in the same day, and even apologized that it wouldn't be for two and a half hours. When I got to the office (which yes, was a little far away - it's a big city after all) there was no wait, and the doctor had already spoken with my OB. It was a great experience and we have had similarly uncomplicated ones when taking Eli to his pediatrician (who we love).

No, we are not among the nation's poorer classes who cannot afford the private doctors we have seen, but we have also used the government run medical system (IMSS) for Eli's vaccines and had positive experiences there as well. As the U.S. contemplates major changes in their own medical system I'm becoming more and more inclined to think that a socialized system with the option for privatized medical care isn't so bad.

But away from the political. That's not really my forte.

The truth is I have been blessed, not only by great medical care, but by an amazing family. In the midst of Mommy being sick, and therefore less energetic than usual, Eli has done his part by being his usual happy, easy-tempered self and taking good naps to give Mommy a break when needed. I'm so blessed by the joy that kid brings into my life. And Dave, despite not feeling great himself, has stepped up over and over again to help take care of Eli and I.  I love that man so much!

More on our spring break adventures next time. For now here's a shot of me pre-sickness at 20 weeks pregnant on top of the Great Pyramid of Cholula.

I grew up as the daughter of a pastor and church planter, thus church has always been an integral part of my life.  The church has always been a place I call home, but it has never been specifically defined by a building.  Growing up I was part of church plants, which met mostly in schools.

Early in high school my friend Bonnie asked me to fill in for her regular baby-sitting job one week when she was ill.  The family was very friendly and the evening went well.  As the father drove me home that night he asked me how I knew Bonnie.  I explained that it was through my church.  He asked which one and then said, “Oh, that’s the one that meets at the high school and doesn’t actually have a church.”  A very indignant 14-year-old me looked the man straight in the eyes and said, “No, we have a church; we just don’t have our own building.” 

To me church has always been defined by the people - a group of individuals joining together with a common purpose: to worship God, spread his love, and serve the world.  I realize that this is not the church that many people know.  Sadly, to many people in the world the church is a place of rules, persecution, and limited perspective.  I have been lucky not to grow up in that church.  I have been known, loved, cared for, and supported.  Yes, these people are human and therefore sinful.  Yes, individuals and groups within the church have come and gone, discouraged, and disappointed me at times, but overall I have had a very positive experience.  I wish I could say that this is who the “Christian church” is in general.  I wish I could point anyone who was interested in having this same experience to any given “Christian church” and expect the same results.  But I can’t.  What I can tell you is that it exists.  The Biblical example of church; a group of people who follow Christ and seek to live out his example of loving and serving others is real and alive today.

Here in Mexico we are part of a house church.  It’s a different experience of church than I have ever had before.  Everything is in Spanish and I’ll be honest I probably only understand about 25% of what is said.  I admit it can be pretty frustrating at times.  The Sunday morning experience is exhausting for me as I struggle to focus my mind and translate as much as I can.  But, what I know is this: I have been welcomed with open arms into a community of believers, they are loving and supportive, and they seek to serve their community.  This is the body of Christ.  This is how the church should be known.

Peacock Mating Rituals

A few days ago we finally took the opportunity to visit ElMuseo Dolores Olmedo.  The museum is just 10 minutes from our house, on the southern outskirts of Mexico City in Xochimilco.  I’m so glad we finally visited!  The museum is housed in a beautiful stone structure built in the 16^th century and surrounded by an expansive lawn and garden area.

Eli Chasing the Peacocks

Yes, it houses famous pieces of art by Frieda Khalo, Diego Rivera, and various other Mexican artists, but it was actually the grounds and their inhabitants which made the trip completely worth it for us.   Throughout the lawn 15 to 20 peacocks roam alongside, geese, some of ugliest chickens I have ever seen, and Xoloitzcuintle or Xolo (Mexican hairless dogs).  The male peacocks show off their plumage and dance about for the seemingly unimpressed females.  The geese honk and flutter around the pond.  The chickens chased Dave around as he pushed Eli in the stroller (seriously, one of the guards finally had to block one of them so that we could leave – unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of this).  And the Xolo lie around and pose among the Xolo statues (it’s hard to tell which ones are actually dogs and which are statues.

Xolo and Statue

At 5 pesos a person (less than 50 cents) and free entrance for the kids the visit was definitely worth it.  I definitely recommend a trip to El Museo Dolores Olmedo if you are ever in the area.  We’ll be happy to take you…

Happy Thanksgiving from Zihuatanejo, Mexico!

Today we are thankful for this precious little boy, a gorgeous vacation spot. and so much more!

I, like Sheldon Cooper, believe in the power of a hot beverage.  Unlike him, I did not develop this belief due to my mother’s insistence that anytime someone is sad they should be offered a hot beverage for comfort.  My belief stems from my personal experience.  I have seen the ability of a hot beverage to open up conversation and develop new bonds among individuals with very different backgrounds.

My first experience with this phenomenon occurred on a trip to Mexico when I was just 13 years old.  I was visiting Tijuana with a friend’s family and a group from their church along with several other groups from across the country.  Our goal was to build homes for several families who were living on as little as $2 a day.  We succeeded in this goal, but more importantly my 13 year old eyes were opened to a world beyond the comfortable American suburbia I called home.  During that trip I bonded with the 4 year old girl for whom my group was building a home.  Our bond started with something simple, our shared name - Abby, but by the end of the trip, at least for me, it became something far greater.  On the last night of the trip we prepared a “feast” for the families.  It reality it was simple meal of steak and potatoes, but for these families it was truly something special.  At the end of the night we sat under stars with cups of hot chocolate and stared up at a beautiful show of fireworks.  While Abby sat in my lap enamored with the lights in the sky, a show like none she had ever seen before, I sat enamored with this little girl who would grow up in a slum in Tijuana and probably never know much more of the world.  That night, over a hot beverage, my heart grew for the world beyond my own.  In reality, Abby was no different from me; she was simply born into very different circumstances.

Five years later I left for college.  Like any college student I bonded with new friends as we shared our lives over hot beverages in numerous coffee shops and dorm rooms, but these were not the hot beverages that truly changed my outlook on life.  The hot beverages that impacted me more were those I shared with a 13 year old girl.  I met Jasmine through a club I joined at my college.  The club, known on campus as Building Behind Bars, was an outreach of Prison Fellowship Ministries. Prison Fellowship works to bring reconciliation in the lives of prisoners and their families.  Angel Tree, the particular facet I was a part of, works with the children of prisoners, helping to bring reconciliation between parents who are in the prison and their children and providing mentoring for those children.  Jasmine was the child whom I was matched with to mentor.  For two years a friend and I regularly made the 45 minute drive to the small town where Jasmine and her sister lived.  We met and talked with them in various locations, but some of our most profound conversations occurred over hot cups of coffee at a local Panera Bread.  We talked about their lives growing up and their dreams for the future.  Over hot beverages we bonded across cultural and socioeconomic differences.  Like Abby, Jasmine was no different than me, she was simply born into very different circumstances, circumstances that shaped her life up to that point, circumstances that I still regularly pray do not shape the rest of her life.

Today, I once again had the chance to bond with other women over hot beverages.  These are not women who are circumstantially impoverished by place of birth, lack of money, or familial relations.  These are women like myself; stay-at-homes moms with husbands who are gainfully employed, healthy, happy children, and generally well-rounded lives.  The only difference is the country where we were born and the language we grew up speaking.  The language barrier has truly been my greatest barrier here in Mexico.  How do you develop a relationship with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you?  How do you have a deep conversation and truly share your experiences?  These are the things I miss most here; these are the things I’m learning to overcome.  So, when a new friend from church invited me to come and get to know some of the other women over coffee I jumped at the chance with open arms.  I know the power of a hot beverage to develop bonds.  So, today I drove off to Starbucks nervous and excited.  I sat with other women and chatted, some in English, some in Spanish.  The conversation wasn’t particularly deep, but for me it was an open door; the beginning of something new.  It was a chance to find commonality, a chance to develop new relationships, and a chance to overcome my longing for more here in Mexico – my loneliness.  Today, the power of the hot beverage once again worked its magic to begin to overcome differences and build relationships.  I pray that this is only the beginning of this particular hot beverage story.

I am running a little behind, but I wanted to share with you our experience with Dia Del Muertos (Day of the Dead).  Halloween is celebrated here much as it is in the United States, but on a smaller scale and in many ways it just part of the several days of Dia Del Muertos celebrations.  The kids dress up for Halloween parties at school and some go trick-or-treating, both on October 31 and the following day.  The next days coincide with the Catholic holidays of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.  November 1 is a day for gathering with family and friends, visiting cemeteries, decorating with flowers (particularly yellow and magenta marigolds), holding parades and preparing food to honor the dead. Then on November 2 people gather to view the altars and ofrendas (offerings) that have been created in the prior weeks in remembrance of lost loved ones.  These altars are decorated with pictures of the deceased, flowers, candles, and favorite items of the individual for whom the altar was created (cds, beer, political figures, you name it). 

All of this began with the ancient Aztec practice of ancestor worship and a belief that the spirits of the dead visit their families during these days, but it has become something more.  In Mexico death is respected, but not in the same way it is in other cultures.  Mexicans mourn, but more than that they accept death as a part of life and celebrate the lives of those who have gone before them. They gather together to remember family and friends, to share about their lives, and even tell humorous stories about the deceased. Skulls and skeletal figurines are simply a part of the culture, and as odd as it may sound some of the death decorations are truly beautiful.

On the evening of November 2 we visited one of the UNAM (the major university system here in Mexico) campuses to see the display of ofrendas.  Dave and I expected a sober evening of walking around and viewing the displays created for lost loved ones.  What we found was something very different.  Think an evening at the county fair, meets a gothic renaissance fair, meets a kids Halloween party, meets a science fair with very elaborate displays, meets a wake.

Got that picture in your head?

Let me see if I can help, as we walked out onto the large quad area we were greeted by dozens of individuals selling lighted headbands and toys, food booths, and individuals selling various other wares.  Next came crowds of families, many with children dressed in Halloween costumes who were getting their pictures taken with various individuals dressed in old fashioned dresses and suits with their faces painted to look like skulls.  In the center of the event there was a band playing and off to one side a radio station was playing music and giving some sort of presentation.  Next came around 40 ofrendas, which were generally set up in square spaces of approximately 12 feet on each side.  The ofrendas included all of the traditional items I mentioned above along with huge lighted papier-mâché figurines and buildings and various skeletal figures.  People were crowded around the ofrendas taking pictures and pointing out the various items favored by the deceased.

It was definitely an event unlike any I have been to before.  I have included some pictures from the night.  Unfortunately I did not have our good camera with me and the dozens of flashing lights reeked havoc on my little point and shoot, but I think you’ll get the basic idea.

My sister-in-law and niece with one of
the many costumed guests

Ofrenda

Ofrenda

Ofrenda

Looking back across the quad

I’m just going to come out and say it …I think it may be time for me to start embracing mariachi music.  It’s not just for cheesy Mexican restaurants any more.  It’s a serious part of Mexican culture.  I first came to this realization a few weeks back when we attended a party complete with mariachi band entertainment.  They sang, they danced, they brought out lucha libre masks for a fake wrestling match among audience participants – and the crown went wild!

Plaza Garibaldi

Then last weekend, on our trip to La Plaza De TresCulturas, we passed by Plaza Garibaldi.  This is Mexico City’s Mariachi Mecca.  Since the 1920s mariachi bands have gathered here to show off what they can do.  On Friday and Saturday you can find dozens of bands scattered across the plaza competing to be hired. We walked by around 2pm and the plaza was already teaming with men (and a few women) donning instrument cases and tight black pants with silver trim.  I’m told the real party doesn’t start until 11pm.  It’s kind of a Where’s Waldo mariachi style.

And most recently, we discovered that our cable package includes an entire channel of mariachi music.  That’s right, I can sit on my couch and listen to mariachi music 24/7.  Jealous yet?

This weekend we decided it was time to get out and explore some more of the city.  On Saturday we visited La Plaza De Tres Culturas (The Square of Three Cultures).  It's a pretty amazing representation of all that Mexico City has to offer.  In the foreground you see the remains of an Aztec Temple.  Directly behind that is the Santiago de Tlateloco Catholic Church which was built in the 16th century.  And in the background you see a housing complex built in 1964.  Three cultures and three different periods of Mexican civilization in one view.

We made it to Matahuala, MX (halfway to Mexico City) safe and sound!  We crossed the border and through a couple other check points with nothing more than a little questioning about the amount of stuff we were carrying and a couple extra checks on the paperwork for the dogs. Tonight we're staying in a nice hotel here and enjoying some rest.  We had a long night last night when the air conditioning at the place we were staying stopped working sometime after midnight.  Needless to say, we're all ready for a good night's rest in nice air conditioned rooms.

Thank you for your prayers!  They were felt.  Tomorrow should be a pretty calm day of driving into Mexico City.

We spent the last three days in Dallas relaxing and visiting with my family and Dave's, as well as meeting up with Dave's brother, his wife, and their 13 month old daughter.  Today we all drove down to Laredo, TX where we are staying with a high school friend of Dave's. Tomorrow morning we cross the border and our lives in Mexico begin.  We would appreciate your prayers tomorrow as we cross the border and go through various check points.  Please pray for safety and a smooth transition for our family.

Thanks!

Now that we're headed off to another country I decided it's time to resurrect the blog again. We've been on the road with our car crammed full for 5 days now. Here we are just before we left Reno:

So here's a brief run down of the trip so far:

Day 1 - We drove from Reno to Boulder City, NV and stopped very briefly in Las Vegas to see the water show at the Bellagio.

Day 2 - We headed to Flagstaff, AZ and managed to make it to the Grand Canyon in time for the sunset.

Day 3 - We drove to Albuquerque, NM and visited with the wonderful Dodrill family. It was great for Eli to have a chance to crawl and around and for Dave and I to enjoy a home cooked meal and catch up with the Dodrills, who are friends of Dave's family from MD.

Day 4 - We drove 11 hours from Albuquerque to Granbury, TX - our longest day on the trip. The only mishap was Dave leaving his I pod on top of the car when we stopped for lunch. It flew off the top at about 40 miles an hour, but was miraculously unharmed when Dave picked it up out of the middle of the road. We'll now be loyal customers of Speck cases.

Eli has become somewhat nocturnal at this point, so he was great in the car, but stayed up pretty late that night after sleeping so much.

Day 5 - We visited with my Dad's parents in Granbury, went out for a delicious Italian meal with them and then headed to Dallas to visit my mom's parents.

Today we're enjoying relaxing in Dallas and looking forward to dinner with the extended family tonight. We'll be here enjoying some much needed rest until Thursday morning when we make the drive down to Loredo, TX.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for our trip. So far we have had a very successful and enjoyable journey.