Sweet Goodbyes

This is it!  This is my last blog as I am about to say goodbye to my El Monte family and what has been my home for over four months.  Thank you for reading my ramblings and looking at the El Monte ministry and Mexico through this gringo's eyes.  Most of all, I want to thank you for your encouragement and many prayers.  God has heard and answered in bigger and better ways than I could have asked or imagined.

Monday morning I got to visit the local market at nearby Ticuman.  We also had a quick meal there; the dough had just arrived in a pail.  The lady made the tortillas in front of us and cooked them on her grill.  The top left pic is of a hardware store--batteries, extension cord ends, screws and all sorts of things are displayed in the trays.  The man in the bottom right pic is scraping spines from a cactus.

Traffic somehow flows in many, many places without stop signs or traffic lights.  A big part of that is that drivers "take turns" at intersections--even real oddball ones.  There are many "topes" or speedbumps in the road strategically placed so drivers have to slow down before an intersection.  (Also strategically placed near certain business entrances!)  Some of the topes are wide and people will paint pretty designs on them.  One of the El Monte students told me that when he was in Venezuela, the topes there were called "sleeping policemen".  Clever name. They do force drivers to slow down.

                                              

There are five people in the first pic and four in the second.  Yikes!  This is not unusual.  However, I do feel for these people as this must be the family's only mode of transportation.

Another surprise has been the number of shirts I have seen for American sports.  This guy even has a Lambeau Field hat!  Sadly, he said he also had a Viking shirt.  :)

Can you spot the Chicago Bears shirt?

The trees and cacti here also amaze me.  Note how the roots of the yellow-bark tree actually can grow in the rock which is quite porous.  The cacti with the two vultures stretching and sunning themselves is just outside my apartment.  The morning I spotted them they hung out for over an hour.  Paul W explained that when a cactus gets old, it starts to rot and will fall over--"Splat"!-- like a rotten watermelon.  Remember there are really only two seasons here--rainy season and dry season with each lasting about six months.

Please pray with me.

Praises

• I am thankful for my time at El Monte and how God has blessed me.
• I am thankful for the sweet goodbyes to the students and with the staff as I leave tomorrow morning.
• I am thankful for God's provision again and again.  Daily God has been my Deuteronomy 31:8.

Requests

• Please pray for an English teacher for second semester.
• Please pray for the missionary Tina for God's clear direction for her future.
• Please pray for El Monte's many needs--staffing, resources, future planning, and so much more, but most of all pray for the impact this ministry will have on people's lives around the world for eternity.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.                                                                          Deuteronomy 31: 8

Not a Coincidence

In case you were wondering--

One of the many ways God affirmed that I should go to El Monte was that He arranged Paul Q's return flight and my arrival flight to be the same flight so that I did not have to navigate the Mexican airport by myself.  

My director Katrina needs to have a medical procedure done in Minnesota, and she will fly with me to Minneapolis Thursday, December 11, on the same plane!  She will help me through the airport, and that is not a coincidence!  I will then take the shuttle to Eau Claire where a friend has volunteered to pick me up.  I'm set. God continues to take care of every detail!

One evening this week, the students thanked our Mexican cook just as they have honored teachers all semester long.  They arranged a potluck sort of meal.  It was all done very well, complete with cloth tablecloths and fresh flowers.  Someone brought hot dogs that were wrapped in bacon. What a good idea!  

Wednesday morning was the last day of regular classes.  Lots of hard work happened in this classroom.

I often enjoyed the view from the balcony during breaks.

Thursday Katrina and my English students presented their calling and future ministry intentions in English to a group of about 20 people.  Trust me.  This was a big deal.  It was difficult but oh my, I was practically in tears to hear the students' progress.  

Friday was graduation/closure of the semester.  Two of the English students will be back for another semester of learning English, but the others are either doing their practicum with a mission or actually leaving for their assigned mission.  It was a sweet time with some tears.  

I felt so honored.  First, understand that the Mexican people love to celebrate and can be very boisterous.  At one point I was in front when the the student group did a little cheer/chant and declared that I was a Mexican!  🤣

After the ceremony, we had a very nice meal.  El Monte had a different group in using the usual meeting area, so we met in the new meeting space that is not yet finished, but we had shade and chairs, so all was good!  In March a group of over 100 men from a California church are coming to work.  Hopefully this area will get finished then.

At home we have caramel apples on a stick.  Here there are chili apples on a stick.  

Throughout the afternoon there were many hugs and sweet goodbyes.

So now what?

• debriefing
• deep cleaning my apartment
• one final blog
• an evening with my married couple students and their family
• goodbyes
• packing and repacking :)
• more goodbyes
• probably a few tears at I leave my El Monte family     
• (even though I can't wait to hug my family, church family, and friends who have been so supportive!)

This is a pic from this morning's walk just as it is getting light and I'm heading back up the hill.  Look closely to see all the trees with white flowers.  I wish I could capture their beauty.

Please pray with me.

Praises

• Not sure where to begin -- how God has answered prayers all semester and brought us to this point!
• So thankful for the relationships I have been able to develop with the Mexican people and the El Monte staff
• Grateful for the students' progress and accomplishments
• I feel God's hand on me (again!) as Katrina will guide me through the Mexican airport 

Requests

• Please continue to pray for an English teacher for next semester
• Please continue to pray for a missionary gal named Tina and clear direction from God for her future
• Pray for El Monte's needs including getting all the materials on time for the 100 plus men coming the very end of February
• I would appreciate prayer for safety and stamina for Thursday's long, long travel day

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.                                                                           Deuteronomy 31:8

Thanksgiving

El Monte has a tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving by putting on a big dinner for the staff, staff families, and a few extra friends.  Thursday about 50 people enjoyed a traditional meal prepared mostly by us Americans.  The biggest problem was to find big turkeys, but a Costco about an hour away had them.  Just like home, some of us started preparing food a couple days ahead of time.  Thanksgiving morning we had a short Thanksgiving lesson with our English class and then our students had an American cooking lesson--we cooked! We discussed Thanksgiving traditions as we rolled pie crust, prepared bread cubes, and chopped onions for stuffing in Katrina's apartment.

Then we moved to the big kitchen at Koinonia, our dining hall/meeting building.  Notice the area behind the stove; it is a screened window with an iron grate.  The ventilation design is very intentional to help control the heat in the kitchen.  Mexicans are always managing/protecting themselves from the sun and heat just as we Northerners protect ourselves from the cold by insulating and heating our homes.

The bigger oven was useful for making the stuffing and baking the buns.  Mexican staff also prepared mashed potatoes, corn, and extra desserts.  We had an abundance!  

The students beautifully decorated the tables.  Waiting for everything to come together was the perfect time to catch up with friends.

Before and during the meal, football fans kept an eye on the Packer game.  Some were cheering for the Packers and some not. :)

We had quite a buffet line!

We needed a separate table for all the desserts including the traditional pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and apple crisp.   More arrived after this pic.

I never thought I would be washing dishes outside on Thanksgiving in 85-degree weather.  

What a special afternoon!

This morning's view from outside my apartment door

On December 11 someone will go with me all the way to Mexico City's airport.  Getting through the airport should not be too difficult from what I remember, and going through immigration in Minneapolis should not be hard either.  Then I will take the shuttle to Eau Claire.  I expect to get home after midnight.  It will be a very long day.

Pray with me please.

Praises

• I am grateful to have had Thanksgiving with my El Monte family and many Mexican friends.  I felt blessed to be part of a celebration that recognized God's many gifts.
• I am savoring the daily sunshine and warm weather.  This is the best time of year to be here.
• I am thankful for God's continuous help and answers to prayers all semester.
• I am thankful someone will go with me all the way to the Mexican airport.

Requests

• Please pray for an English teacher for next semester.
• Please pray for someone I met this week named Tina.  It is important that you pray for God's clear leading as to where her future ministry should be. Thank you.
• Please pray for our last week of class!  Pray for a strong finish and that the students would do well on their final test and on a presentation they are making in English.
• Please pray that I can navigate the Mexican airport smoothly and for someone to drive me home from Eau Claire.

I am grateful for all my prayer partners, for God's promise to always be with me, and His goodness in answering prayers so sweetly.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.                                                    Deuteronomy 31:8

Taxco

Taxco is a beautiful city about two hours away from El Monte.  I was able to tag along Friday (I got a day off!) with some people from the states here for the week.  The city is carved into the mountain and all the buildings are white with red roofs.  The place has such character; I know it will be a favorite Mexican memory.

It took only 121 steep steps to get this view from the top of the church's bell tower.

Taxco is known as the Silver City because of its silver mines, but there also are copper and gold mines in the area.  The church was built in the mid-1700s.  The intricate gold panels throughout the church are 24-carrat gold leaf.  The statue of Mary is 99.99 percent silver and almost two meters high.

There is a statue of Christ at the very top of the city.  We hired cabs to drive us up there, and what a ride that was! Ask me to show you the video sometime.  Many of the cabs in the city are VW Bugs--still used because they are small and can maneuver the very narrow, steep streets so well.  A standard transmission is a must!  The front seat is taken out so that passengers can more easily get in.

Poinsettias were growing near the statue.

One of my neighbor girls, who is from Taxco, helped us get around.  She took us to her favorite spot to eat--most likely a family-operated place.  We ordered our food downstairs and ate in a small area upstairs.  It was the best!  I had a torta--a Mexican sandwich made with the freshest bread--somewhat like flatbread.  It had queso (cheese that is usually fried, almost tasting like cheese curds), pork, lettuce, and tomato.  

The streets are made of black stones, but very wisely and strategically placed in the center are white stones so the white stripes never have to get painted.

This rubber tree was near out parking spot.  Notice the roots growing out of a branch.  So many Wisconsin house plants are monstrous trees or bushes here.

Driving here Paul remarked that it was the first day he noticed the big trucks on the road; sugar cane harvesting season has started.  When we stopped for gas, I was able to get a pic of the cane and a typical truck.  Notice that the cane is charred; the leaves have been burned off in the field.  (The green you see are trees planted as part of a barrier at this gas station.)

Please pray with me.

Praises 

• I got to be friends with the Americans who visited this week and was treated to a few extras as they were shown around.  I'm thankful for the new friendships, the day off, and the special places I visited.
• I am thankful for my continued good health and safety.  I am learning that missionaries around the world never take that for granted.
• I am thankful for how God has helped me through a very tiring week.  I almost didn't do this blog, but I knew I needed your prayers.
• The new gal just arrived to help in the office!  Yeah!

Requests

• Please continue to pray for an English teacher for second semester.
• Pray for additional staff and other needs of El Monte.
• Please pray for my return trip.  I fly back December 11 by myself.  Pray that I would be able to get through immigration easily and that I could handle all my luggage.  I'll have two checked bags, a carry-on, and a backpack.  Pray for safety, stamina for the long, long day, and that I would trust God each step of the way.

Thank you!

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.                                                    Deuteronomy 31:8

C or F?

 If you ever get to Mexico and see a faucet like this, know that "C" does not mean cold.  It means "caliente"--hot.  "Fria" means cold.

Monday night my neighbor girls and I prepared a meal honoring the visiting teacher.  You may remember that a bit ago I had the girls over for chicken salad sandwiches.   They asked me if I would help them make that meal.  I also baked a chocolate cake. (Mexicans love chocolate too.) The girls did a great job of decorating and making the meal special.  The flowers on the table were freshly picked from El Monte.  The girls even had soft music playing in the background.  Our dinner guests were impressed!

At home when trees have flowers or blossoms it's because they will produce an apple or a cherry.  Here there are trees that just have beautiful flowers, and they last for many weeks!

Thank you for your prayers for this busy week.  Somehow all the lessons came together with my teaching all the English classes by myself. Katrina won't be back until Tuesday, but I already have Monday and quite a bit of the week planned and prepared. God is good!

I can't resist sharing a pic from a morning walk; it's a favorite from this week. The colors of the sunrise, the red flowers in front, and the blue flowers on the climbing vine were brilliant!

Please pray with me.

Praises

• I am so grateful for the way this last week went. God gave me what I needed to teach all the classes by myself, and Monday night's dinner turned out better than I could have imagined. Even the electricity and internet were stable all week!
• I thank God for this beautiful place, how it has blessed me, and how He uses it to bless all those who visit.

Requests

• Please pray for an English teacher for next semester.
• Pray for a strong finish for all of us for the semester.
• Pray for the students' financial needs and protection as they begin their missions--some in dangerous places.  They have such a heart for the lost no matter where.
• Please pray for El Monte's staffing and financial needs.  You are a blessing.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.                                                        Deuteronomy 31:8

What is Happening in English Class?

 There are many ways of saying things in our language that we native speakers don't even think about.  

• Direct Questions  (simple and straightforward)                     Did you read the newest blog?
• Indirect Questions  (more formal or polite)            Could you tell me if there is a new blog?
• Tag Questions (added at end to seek confirmation)       You read the latest blog, didn't you?
• Negative Questions (may express surprise or annoyance) Haven't you read the latest blog?

That was a peek at what we have been working on in grammar class.  These different sentence structures take a bit of practice to learn.  

The people who normally drive to church were not available last Sunday.  Paul Q drove us--three students, one staff member, and me.  We all know each other well, but the four Mexicans have limited English, and Paul and I have limited (for me, very limited) Spanish.  We decided ahead of time to go to a church called Mustard Seed in Cuernavaca, a bigger city about an hour away.  One student said that he wanted to be dropped off at the hospital.  I wondered about that because he didn't look or act sick, but I didn't ask because he doesn't know much English.  I was a little concerned as I thought he might be visiting someone at the hospital.  When we got to church, I asked Paul about it, but he didn't have a clue either.  Then I asked a student who knows a little more English.  She explained that the student just caught the bus at the hospital to go to a different church he wanted to attend!  She was laughing so hard asking me if I had been praying for him.  🤣

After church the Mexicans wanted to go to a Japanese restaurant.  We gringos were game.  There I was trying to figure out what Japanese food to order from a menu all written in Spanish!  😂  Finally a chef who spoke English came out to translate.

Driving is another story.  I don't know if I have ever seen a stop sign or a yield sign here, and traffic lights are few and far between.  I took a picture when we were stopped behind a motorcycle.  You can't see the driver.  The rider was holding a new TV and texting at the same time they were moving--not unusual.  I also spotted a motorcycle rider holding a gas container (like we would use with a gas grill).

Paul used his GPS, but there is so much traffic to watch, that he had to have help from one of the students who thankfully knew "right" and "left" in English.  It was a fun adventure for all of us!

The students again made a special dinner Wednesday night in honor of this week's teacher.  We had tostada de tinga.  I would describe this as an open-faced taco.  The tortillas were fried and therefore crunchy.  A thin layer of refried beans was spread on that.  Then it was topped with shredded chicken cooked in a light, flavorful tomato sauce, shredded cheese, lettuce, and "creama", a thick cream that is poured over the top.  It was good!  When I asked my student about the dish, she laughed and said that most Mexican dishes have tortillas, chicken, cheese, and a sauce.  That definitely is true, but yet they each have character.  

However, the most interesting food of the night was the dessert.  I would call it a jelly roll--moist and delicious!  The name here translates to "Wrapped Child" because of its similarity to how a baby is wrapped in a blanket.  I like their name better.  

El Monte is hosting a family camp this weekend.  This morning I helped wash dishes after eating breakfast with my neighbor girls.  We had a popular dish--tortadechilaqui.  It's a mouthful!  The base contained softened corn chips covered with shredded chicken in a spicy sauce topped with "creama".  Refried black beans were served on the side.  I was told that many people eat this as a sandwich--putting it all inside bread.  I also had a cup of "leche" which is Spanish for "milk", but it was really warm chocolate milk. 

I am still amazed with the beauty of El Monte.  The rains have stopped, but the flowers continue to bloom, and some are just starting to go crazy like the wild Morning Glories--those blue flowers are climbing to the tops of trees and along the side of the road  The tree with the white flowers has even more this week.

Praises--Thank God with me.

• First a non-El Monte praise that I cannot resist--Rib Lake volleyball girls have been prayed for all season.  God graciously blessed them, their families, the school, and community.  Today they won the state championship!
• This afternoon I finished the majority of the lesson planning for next week when I will be teaching all of my classes and my director's classes as she is away.  I am certain some of the ideas came together because God has been hearing your prayers.
• Two of my students have been sick; I didn't catch what they had.  Thank you for praying for my health too.  
• God is so good!  If it is important to us, it is important to Him.

Requests--Ask God for His will in His timing. 

• Stamina, energy, and wisdom for the upcoming week with so many hours of teaching
• Stamina, energy, and wisdom for some extras that students have asked me to do; I am happy to help
• An English teacher for next semester
• A medical appointment on Friday for a student who has some health issues
• Direction for students whose plans are not yet set beyond graduation/their needs
• El Monte's needs

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.                                                        Deuteronomy 31:8

Just a Regular Week

Have you ever seen someone mow lawn wearing a long-sleeved hoodie when it is in the upper 80s?  Now you have.  :)

The Mexicans I have seen are not afraid of work.  The Coke truck arrived to deliver products in preparation for a large group coming this weekend.  The men didn't bother with a cart; they just carried three cases at a time on their shoulders to the storeroom!

After church and shopping on Sunday, we stopped at a great restaurant, although it seemed more like a special park.  Tables with umbrellas, spacious grassy areas, little "rooms" where larger groups were served, and a serenading male vocalist made for a relaxing atmosphere.  (Remember it feels like the beginning of August in Wisconsin right now; the weather is beautiful.)  In addition, there was a very chill dog that seemed to belong to the place.  He paid us a visit, but by the time I got up from my chair to take his pic, he decided to say hello to someone else.  :) 

I had soupa de tortilla (taco soup).  It had crunchy tortilla strips, pieces of cheese, chicken, and avocado in a very flavorful tomato base.  The black things are hot peppers which I gave away to others at the table.  For dessert we decided to have an empanada, a flaky pastry filled with a blackberry and cream cheese filling.

                                         

This store (just one we see on the way home) really knows how to advertise what it sells!

This afternoon I had a nice surprise.  My neighbor girls were cooking with another missionary student and invited me over for lunch.  The missionary student had spent a little time in Venezuela and learned how to make arepas.  What fun to give this a try!  It's really a sandwich of a sort, but instead of bread, a thick dough is made using a special flour.  Then they take the dough in their hands, form a flat circle, and poke a little hole in the middle.  Next it is fried.  It looks like a doughnut, but they sliced it in half like a bagel.  They had a large assortment of toppings, and they encouraged me to try them all!  I think I did--shredded chicken with a light tomato sauce, refried beans (These are in the pans on the stove.), cream cheese, shredded cheese, sliced cheese, ham, fried egg, and "creama", a light cream.  Was it ever good!  I had a second one.  They were excited with my last-minute Oreo cookie contribution.

How blessed I am! These students are in their 20s and 30s and they thoughtfully include me in many things.

Last week I shared a little about Pastor Leslie, the conference speaker from India.  He was here most of the week, and several days he gave a short talk.  Some things I learned:

• India has 22 official languages, 270 mother tongues, and many more tribal dialects.
• Some tribes do not have any written language so they have no Bibles.  Pastor Leslie lived with a tribe, learned the language of the tribe, studied and determined its grammar, and then was able to translate the language into a New Testament.  It took 25 years.  He compared that to all the translations we have.  How rich we are!
• He said that a few states in India have English as their official language.
• With 15-20% of the world speaking English, it is the most common language.

Wild purple morning glories have been popping up the last two weeks, the tree I showed you last week with the white flowers has even more this week, and the orange flowers continue to bloom.  

Please pray with me.

Praises

• Already it is November, and I continue to be healthy and doing well.  I know it is because God is answering your prayers.  Thank you.
• After the week-long conference, we were able to jump right back into classes.   
• Our English students are making good progress.  Thanks for praying for them and their understanding.

Requests

• Please continue to pray for staffing needs at El Monte including an English teacher for next semester.
• Every ministry has financial needs.  This one is no different.  Please pray that God would provide all that is needed.
• Please pray for a strong finish to the semester for all of us.  Graduation is December 5.
• November 10--17 Katrina needs to be at a mission conference so I will be teaching all the English classes by myself.  I definitely will need your prayers for wisdom, energy, and stamina.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid or discouraged.                                                          Deuteronomy 31:8