Planting my little garden
Christmas Time
I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas season. We certainly did. There was a whirlwind of Christmas parties, programs, and celebrations.
Pastor Abel, Daniela, & Oliver in the living nativity (note the donkey in the foreground)
Watching the Christmas Program
My group of kids dancing
Fili, a friend, at the Christmas Program
We had a Christmas program on the 18th of December with a choir, dances, and drama. I taught some of the La Fuente children, including several kids from the nearby orphanage, a simple dance, and we performed it that night. The kids were so sweet before the show. They were shaky and nervous. They probably had never been on a stage before. I asked one of the boys if he had butterflies in his stomach. Although I am positive that the phrase doesn’t make sense in Spanish, he gave me a funny look and nodded his head. They did really well, and the audience loved it.
I miss teaching my weekly dance class. The whole thing was in Spanish, which really tested my Spanish skills. Though there were times we didn’t understand each other (or they would pretend they didn’t understand so they wouldn’t have to listen to me), they understood me most of the time. I learned a lot from them.
Marking the kids who recieved a hygine pack on Christmas morning
Waiting in line for clothes and linens, Christmas morning
Christmas morning, we had church followed by a program for the neighborhood kids. We had several piñatas, toys, cloths, and hygiene products to give away. The mothers also received linens donated from a local hotel. That afternoon, we went to our friends’, the Forgets’, house. We spend the day chatting, cooking, and playing Just Dance on the Wii. I made eggnog from scratch, a first for me. I am please to say that it turned out great. John and I had a fantastic day. We were surrounded by wonderful people at church and at dinner who feel like a second family. We didn’t have a tree, or presents (which were still en route from the states), but we had maybe the best Christmas we’ve ever had.
This is what we did with most of our time off
Market We had several days off last week in celebration of Christmas. On one of those days, John and I went up to Guayabitos (g-why-ah-bee-toes) with some friends to the Thursday Market. Every week, they close off 10 blocks and vendors move in with makeshift tarps and tents to sell things. You could buy anything from local produce, to painted ceramic sinks, to vintage milkshake makers, clothes, and tacos. The worst thing I saw was a box of live chicks that had been dyed bright colors. Children were buying them for 10 pesos each and carrying them home in plastic bags. Apparently, the vendors have been known to super glue mini plastic sombreros and cowboy boots to the chicks. Because of all the toxins they have ingested through the dye and the glue, the chicks don’t live longer than a day. So so so so sad.
Green, red, yellow, and blue chicks waiting to be sold
Fruit stand in Guayabitos
Star fruit at a stand on the way home on Highway 200
Fruit stand on Highway 200 (coconuts, pineapples, jack fruit, and bananas)
Because the market is much cheaper than Puerto Vallarta or Bucerías, I had been waiting to get some things, like a folk art painting on coconut paper, and a table cloth. At one point, I needed to break a bill, but none of the vendors would take it. I was so thirsty (I hadn't drank anything yet that day) and wanted to buy a limeade (6 pesos), but I only had 5 pesos. The fruit stand had been doing brisk business all morning, so I thought for sure they would have change. I picked out some tangerines and told the guy that I only had a 100 peso bill, and did he have change for it (all in Spanish!!). He assured me he did. He ran around the back, asking his co workers if they had change. None of them did. He returned a little sheepish and handed the bill back to me. I went to return the tangerines, but he insisted that I take them and wished me a good day. I laughed pretty hard: all I wanted was the change, but I got four beautiful tangerines for free instead.
At the market
Later that afternoon, John and I played with the coolest puppy I have ever met. All in all, a really great day.
Pastors’ Prayer
On Friday, we met with the other pastors for a time of prayer and worship. It was w o n d e r f u l. Maybe my favorite thing we have done since we arrived in Mexico. It was so nice to be with people whom I have come to greatly love and respect. The time of worship was very refreshing.
Cartolandia – Cardboard Town
That afternoon, we loaded up the rest of the sheets and blankets that had been donated to us. About twenty of us headed east to an area called Villas del Miramar (Villas of the Ocean View). This is a shanty town on an abandoned piece of property. There are no villas or ocean views nearby. It is huge, much bigger than I expected. All of the people live in houses that have been cobbled together from tarps, cast off bricks, and asbestos sheeting. We had a program for the kids while 400 or so adults received care packages of bed linens, towels, etc. We also gave out some gifts and clothes for the kids. It was really humbling to meet these families who had so little. Many of them heard about the nearby La Fuente mission in San Vicente for the first time. Some of them seemed very interested in coming to the mission. It was an amazing experience and I’m grateful that we got to be a part of it. John Mark is responsible for editing the footage for a short video. I’ll post it once it is ready.
People from the shanty town
400 people lining up to receive something
AJ and Misha leading the kids'program
Waiting to give out bags of linens
Playing in the Park
Last week, we were in San Ignacio, playing with the kids at the park. It was dark and one of the boys playing soccer ran into one of the little girls playing jump rope. She started crying and I tried to comfort her for a minute or two before Misha, the pastor’s daughter, took her from my arms and tried to calm her down. Misha asked her what happened, and the little girl told her. Misha threatened idly, “he ran you over? I’m going to punch him.” The little girl was surprised and stopped crying. “Can you punch him?” she asked. “No, of course not. It isn’t good to hit people.” Misha responded. “I see my mommy and daddy hit each other all the time”, the little girl replied. I see this little girl twice a week. She is super sweet and seems so innocent. None of us had any idea her home life was like that. When Misha told me that story, it broke my heart. It reminded me why what we do is important. I can’t change her home life, but I can love on her. Teach her that Jesus is with her no matter what is happening in her life. Pastor Keith and Maya used to teach classes about Jesus to kids in their neighborhood on their front porch. Many of those kids have grown up to be pastors and church leaders. Instead of following their parent’s legacy of poverty, unemployment, teen pregnancy, and broken families, those kids are living healthy, meaningful lives. I met one of them today. That is why what we do in San Ignacio matters. God can use it to change these kids’ lives. I pray that he does.
Our weekly stop at the churro stand in Centro
Being silly at the grocery store with AJ
New Year’s Eve
We went to a bonfire party on the beach on New Year’s Eve. At midnight, hotels all around the bay lit off their own fireworks display. We could see fireworks from here to Vallarta. We lit a few fireworks of our own and a friend tried to write 2012 in the sand with gasoline, but the fire just looked smeared. The hotel nearest us released over 50 Chinese floating lanterns after the fireworks, lighting the sky with bright, ever-changing constellations. Later, we moved inside, calling some of our friends in California to wish them a happy new year. After a couple rounds of Wii dancing, we headed home.
By firelight, New Year's Eve
The next morning we had church, and I was scheduled for my first time as a side singer on the worship team for the English service. I haven’t sung on a worship team in a long time, like 6 years. It was really really fun. I didn’t realized how much I missed it.
Dr. John Mark
TepicYesterday, we left Bucerías early to be in Tepic for a pastors meeting. We drove through field after field of blooming sugar cane. I had no idea that sugar cane could bloom, but it was lovely. After we arrived, we stopped at a taco stand for breakfast, and I had goat meat for the first time. It was very good. We spent the rest of the day in meetings (and eating more amazing food.)
John and I are staying here tonight. Tomorrow, we are getting extra training on the new website template. One thing about being in an all Spanish speaking environment is I am realizing how much I still have to learn. Small talk is the hardest, especially in a noisy room where other people are having small talk.
What a Year
John and I have had an amazing, crazy, tragic, beautiful year. We lost our house to a short sale, decided to move to Haiti, God switched the flip and we ended up in Mexico. We left the states, endured humidity, made dear friends, began preaching and ministering, went scuba diving, lost a friend in a construction accident, started learning Spanish, watched monsoon lightening, had our first Christmas away from family, and decided to make a two year commitment to La Fuente. Pastora Maya said it best “If you feel a little terrified, that’s a good thing.” This year has surprised us at every turn, but honestly we wouldn’t want it any differently.
Thank you for all of your love, prayers, and support. We absolutely know that we couldn’t be here without you. We are humbled by the sacrifices that our friends and family at home have made for us. We are so grateful. May God richly bless you, surprise you, and be near to you this year.
Love,
Moorea and John Mark
