Thanksgiving Thoughts

As I am sitting here on Thanksgiving and not with family and friends from the states, I have a lot to be thankful for. God is teaching me so much this year that I couldn't learn back home. I am seeing things through different eyes and looking at the big picture God has rather than our day to day picture. Being the teacher here is different than coming down for a week's mission trip. My job is very important so the parents can do their work but I don't get out to the ministries much. This week we had no school Wed through Friday so I took that chance to get out into the other ministries. Wednesday I got up early and we went to Casa Hogar Douglas, the childrens' home nearby, to take the children breakfast. They usually have beans and tortillas and we took sweet rolls and juice. It was so fun to see their sleepy faces come in and eat and then they headed off to school.




Then I went to Cadereyta where we played with kids, served food, and working on construction.




I was so excited to see Nacho and Jullian who I had played with summer 2006!! (You might recognize Jullian from my brochure and pictures - he was always on my back)

SMCA Thanksgiving

boliche

The other night we went bowling with some of the teens on campus. Even though bowling is not my favorite, it was a great time and I am building relationships and working on my Spanish!!

The new Sierra Madre Christian Academy

The new school is done thanks to a lot of hard work and monetary donations!!

The guys hauled everything from the old school.

The girls cleaned and got the new one ready!

This morning I put my new room together!

Day of the Dead

"Day of the Dead" is a huge holiday here. They celebrate it instead of Halloween. People go out to the gravesites of their loved ones and put flowers, food, etc. everywhere. They believe the spirits need the food for their journey. We also saw some tents with memorials set up. Thank goodness we know where our souls are going and we don't need to take care of them after they are gone.

My first visitor!!

My cousin, Karen, came to visit this weekend! She lives in Austin so she took the bus down. I got to show her around and we went to one of my favorite authentic restaurants, Tacos Fede. We went shopping at the market Friday and ate in a cute little town, Santiago. Saturday we went downtown and to the Forum. It was so great to have her here. p.s. I love visitors (hint, hint)