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.
- 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.
- 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment