cultural differences and wars for independance

This past week was full of new adventures and projects. I had several opportunities to hang out with people from the El Paso church and have noticed several “cultural” differences. One…there is a lot of hugging.  Hugs hello and hugs goodbye and hugs sometimes just because.  I have to admit that it is taking some getting used to. Also, the singles play a lot of sports…literally, this is what they do every Sunday afternoon.  Basketball, volleyball, dodge ball, kick ball. Last week

the gifts we receive…

Yup, that is a dead mouse…

Another week at Rancho 3M

Life here at Rancho 3m  is much slower in many ways, but some how it still seems to be flying by.  My schedule has started to change over a little and I spend at least a few hours in the office every day.  I have also been doing some random projects with pictures and flyers etc.  I am going to pray for the Lord to provide a decent computer and some software in the coming months because I have been very frusterated at how long a simple project can take without a decent computer and software. 

New Adventures at Rancho 3M

It has only been a few weeks since I left home, but it has been a crazy few weeks. We made good time traveling out here and made it in two, fourteen hour days.  I spent the first week here at the Ranch with my family and then we went up to Pheonix for my cousin’s wedding and to visit my grandparents.  We had a great time and I was so blessed to be able to see everyone before I came back.  I arrived back here in Mexico on Wednesday and have spent the last few days getting used to my new chores.  My schedule is continually changing, but I am excited to learn all the different ins and outs of the jobs around here.  So far I have done some cooking, helped with home work groups, had “guard” over the kids during different meals, gotten the girls up and going for school and helped put them to bed as well as doing some different projects for Dean in the office.

I have also enjoyed attending home group with the older girls and memorized my first bible verse in Spanish (Josue 1.8). The other day I spent over twenty minutes helping a couple of the little boys rescue a match box car from a hole in one of play ground toys and Saturday night I tried to learn how to jump rope again…it was rather comical as the little five year old could do it better than me.  I have also been learning new words at an exciting rate and just finished looking up the word for pick up as in pick up your clothes off the floor. (recoger)

I have also been blessed to find out that there are two other singles living here.  Flash, an American guy from???, but I haven’t really seen much of him and also Leydi, one of the teachers from the school who lives in the girls dorm on the week days.  I have already been so blessed by Leydi and can tell that we are going to have an adventurous friendship as she is a very fun loving jokester and has already roped me into learning to play basketball…ahhh!

So far the Lord has blessed me with good health and I have also been pleased to find that contrary to me previous assumptions…much of the kids food here is quite edible.    I am also trying to learn how to cook for one and at the moment have only a microwave and small crock pot, but I am hoping to get a table top stove.  I would love some recipes if anyone wants to send any. 

Yesterday I went to church in El Paso and also had an opportunity to hang out with some of their singles.  I mostly just talked to one of the girls as everyone else was playing basketball…but we had a great time and I really enjoyed getting to know her. Though there are many new adjustments to be made…I think this one is going to be the hardest.  While the Lord has helped me to grow so much in my social adaptability…I still really struggle with being the “new” person and have to work really hard to make myself get to know people. I would really appreciate your prayers in this area…that the Lord would give me grace to step out and serve and also that He would bring people/familes into my life that I can get to know.

The Lord has been so good and I can’t thank you all enough for your prayers. I will try to get some pictures up soon!