Change of Plans

Sorry for such a delayed post. My lap top has gone loco on me and today it is working halfway right.
Beto and I have shared with a few people our upcoming plans and now I will let everyone know.
Beto has decided that he wants to go back to school. He has applied to go to The University of Southern Mississippi. We are not sure if he will start this fall or in January. But we have decided that we will still go ahead and move back to Mississippi so that we can get in a routine and back in the swing of things before he starts school. So, next week we will be back in the good ole U. S. of A.
I have so many mixed emotions about leaving Mexico. It feels very weird saying that we will be moving back. Trust me; I am ready to see my family, hot baths, selling real estate, my church, and everything else that we love about home. But I am going to really miss living here in Monterrey,
I was just starting to get comfortable with speaking my broken Spanish and getting very close with Beto's family. I am so thankful for this experience that the Lord blessed us with. There are many things that I wanted to accomplish while here and I barely scratched the surface. Isaac has amazed me with his Spanish and Sofia officially speaks Spanglish. They have gotten very close to Beto's family and I know that they will miss them. I am so happy that my kids were able to experience a different culture and they loved it.
It will be very hard to say goodbye to everyone next week, especially for Beto. I am really dreading the day that we leave. Beto is ready to start this new chapter in our life but he misses his family so much when we are away from them. It is always hard leaving when you don't know the next time that you will be able to come back.
So, pray for us as we load up our things once again and head north across the border. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and getting back into the Mississippi way of life.

Plaza Sesamo

Today we went to the Sesame Street Amusement Park in Monterrey. When we first moved to Monterrey we bought season passes to the park for us to use during the hot months. We haven't been in a couple of months because of trips and other stuff. So today we put on our swimsuits, packed our backpack, and had a day of fun. It felt so nice and carefree to get out of the house. Sofia loves seeing "Melmo" as she calls him and Isaac loves to play in the swimming pools. It really is a nice place.

Weddings and Bodas

The past two weekends I have had the privilege to experience two beautiful weddings in different countries. I was able to attend my dear friends‘, Hope Newsome and Jonathan Staples, wedding in Mississippi and Beto's cousin’s, Merary Monsivais, wedding here in Monterrey. It was a lot of fun to see the difference between an American wedding and a Mexican Wedding.
Hope's wedding was such a sweet and special occasion. She had so many unique touches that incorporated her style, tastes, and family heirlooms. The reception was a lot of fun and had a ton of food, buffet style. My favorite was the corndogs. Instead of a large cake she had cupcakes in different flavors with little umbrellas that adorned the top of them. Jonathan had a candy bar that was full of bright colored candy and sweets. There was a DJ that played fun oldies and everyone had a good time dancing. The atmosphere was casual but with elegant touches everywhere.
Merary's wedding was just as special but totally different. In Mexico, weddings are another excuse for a party. The reception lasts all night and well into the early morning hours. The women and girls wear very formal dresses and hairstyles. The entertainment included two different live bands, a Mariachi band, and plenty of dancing. A plate of white spaghetti, chicken, and mashed potatoes was served to all the guests. There was also an endless amount of Coca Cola and cerveza that was constantly brought to you. This wedding had a formal atmosphere that incorporated fun Mexican traditions.

Feliz Dia Del Padre

Sunday's have quickly become my favorite day of the week. I love going to the church here called, "Jerico Baptist Church," and then eating at Abuelito's house with the whole family and of course, a nice long nap. Today was an extra special day, because it is also Father's Day here in Mexico. Mexicans have a party for everything and today was no exception. There was great food, lots of playing children, and loud music. I am finally getting a little more comfortable speaking Spanish, but I am far from being fluent and need LOTS more practice. I can answer a few questions and comfortable enough to mingle on my own with all the women in the family. I had been a little homesick this past week, but today lifted my spirits (it may have something to do with going home in 2 days for several days).

Happy Fathers Day!

Homemade cake cooked on top of a fire. Tasted... interesting

Making Guacamole

 

Preparing chicken tacos

 

Beto's brother, Cruz and his son William

 

My love

 

 

My sweet familia

 

Daddy and his baby girl dancing

Beto's brother, Morgan and his son Yael

The brothers and their little ones

La Nariz

It is always so humbling to visit a place that has so little, but the people that live there still have smiles on their faces. This year’s mission trip to La Nariz in Sonora, Mexico was a wonderful experience. La Nariz is a small village in the middle of the desert. It is only about 20 miles from the Arizona border but feels as if it is a whole world away.
While we are in La Nariz we do a number of things for the people living there. We try to help with physical needs by going to the surrounding villages and passing out large bags of food and flour. We meet their spiritual needs by having church services every night and have Vacation Bible School for the children.  I know that we all feel a blessing from their presence and our souls feels lifted every time we hug them, talk to them, and listen to their testimonies.
There are so many stories that I could tell you about how the Lord works while we are in La Nariz. One that truly touched my heart is when we were passing out groceries and a young lady was eagerly waiting for us. She very gratefully took the bag of groceries and explained to us that the day before they had run out of groceries. She had no milk or anything to feed her children. She said the Lord had sent us just in time and provided for their needs. Can you imagine sending your kids to bed hungry? Passing out the food is one of my favorite things that we do in La Nariz and now I realize how important it really is.
Every year that our church goes to La Nariz there is a man named Emmanuel and his family that likes to cook a goat or a sheep for the group. It is such a sacrifice for them to do this but they insist on feeding us this special meal. Their living conditions are some of the worst I have ever seen, but they humbly and proudly open their home to us. Emmanuel's health is quickly diminishing and we soak up every minute with him while visiting because we know that this could possibly be the last time we see him. Emmanuel's wife insisted that she wanted a picture of them on their prize horse. She said she wanted a picture of him before it was too late. They do not have a camera or very many pictures of them and their family because that is a luxury. So his sons lifted him up and sat him on this beautiful horse. He put on his chaps and Cowboy hat and rode around knowing that this would probably be his last time to ride. It brought tears to everyone's eyes as he rode around with a smile on his face. Pray that God will heal his body and that we can see his sweet face next year.
I could go on and on about the awesome things that happened in La Nariz. Needless to say, I am so thankful for the opportunity that we had and be blessed by the wonderful people in La Nariz.

 Beto translating the sermon

 The cutest little lady ever

Beto and I after meeting 7 years ago

Isaac and Sofia with their new amigos

Some of the families we deliver food to

Mom with a sweet lady named Victoria

 

Everything the Lord creates is Beautiful

A little girl the same age as Sofia

Isaac with a grateful little amigo

An elementary school

 

Passing out food

A happy family receiving food

 

Pastor Pedro and his family

Emmanuel's House

 

His house is mostly made of pallets and scrap wood

One of Emmanuel's grandbabies sleeping in a crate.

Emmanuel riding his horse proudly

Emmanuel and his family.