Random Tidbits

 Again, thank you for all the prayers for El Monte, the staff, my students, and me.  I am grateful and thank God for you!

I did laundry this week using my phone.  :)  After I looked at the washing machine, I realized I needed the Google Translate app.  Frio=Cold, Tibio=Warm, Caliente=Hot, Enjuague=Rinse    The little laundry house is just steps away from my apartment door; I actually like hanging up clothes and do it at home.  You don’t find many dryers in Mexico since everything dries so quickly.  There’s no need for a door for the laundry house or glass in the windows; however, the machines are covered to protect them.  It all works very well.

I also cooked some oatmeal for myself one day for breakfast.  Even though I have made oatmeal before, I again used Google Translate just to be sure nothing was really different.  It wasn’t.

You might be wondering about the heat down here.  Just like July in Wisconsin, some days are beastly hot, but other days are more comfortable.  I can’t say that I have been uncomfortable, but then, I am not working outside.  There is no air conditioning, but ceiling fans are everywhere and run continuously.  Because I never shut my fan off, I wondered if it would burn out.  The answer was, “Keep it on 24/7”.  It is basically in the high 80’s during the day and 60’s at night.  I feel for the maintenance men who are working outside all day.  I have noticed that they always wear long pants (for protection as they are usually working with equipment) and often long sleeves to protect them from the sun.  One Mexican man even wears a hoodie with the hood up. 

June–October is the rainy season.  An interesting thing I learned about the zone we are in is that it rains only at night.  With the rain and heat, vegetation really grows quickly, but I’ll save that for another blog.

We are in a rather remote area.  Paul Q., Paul W., Roxanne, and I had a conversation about distances to the nearest towns and their sizes.  The closest nearby town is small; Rib Lake is small.  The next largest town is about 30 minutes away and has more shopping possibilities, similar to Medford.  The closest city (one million people) with the most shopping options is Cuernavaca, one hour away, just like Wausau (not quite one million people).  Being a bit remote is an advantage for this missionary training school.  Students live here in the apartment building and are more easily able to focus compared with having to drive home to another town with its distractions.  

Here’s one more pic from my morning walk.  I am really appreciating God’s beauty in this place.

Please pray with me.

Praises

• The students all arrived on time and are settling in.

• God has provided a beautiful mountain for this training.

• I continue to feel well and feel so cared for.  So thankful for how my body has adjusted in the last week and a half and for the staff's kindness.

Requests

• Pray for my students. Orientation was yesterday; classes start Monday.

• Pray for my continued understanding of this culture.  Pray I would learn to greet when and where properly.  It’s a big deal.

• Pray for me to develop a relationship with each of my students.  Trust is also huge in this culture.

• Pray for all of the staff.  They are so dedicated and stretched.