¿Que pasa con Kimyco?

Vacation's Over

2008-06-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

Dear friends
A lot has been going on since we got married. First of all, for our honeymoon we rented a condo on the beach in Rosarito for five days. On our wedding day it was beautiful and sunny, but the next few days were cloudy and it rained on one of the days of our vacation time. But, the condo was really nice and it was great to be able to hear the ocean 24/7. We even saw a few dolphins. The condo actually belongs to the Christian author, Josh McDowell. Cool, huh?

Once at home we began to put our house together; trying to find a space for all of our things. David put together and installed a ceiling fan in our bedroom. We use it every night.

Meanwhile, back at the camp, Mardy has been busy expanding the kitchen. There was a bathroom right next to kitchen, but that has been knocked out and we bought another sink and put that there and put in some more counter space. The other sink will really come in handy during those big weeks when we have lots of dishes to wash. Our service space is much bigger now too. We also got two more industrial sized burners so that now makes six. Also, our summer interns have started to arrive and none too soon. This week we have 123 people and over the next few weeks we will have even more.

One day David and I were at my favorite taco stand, Mi Ranchito and there was a medium sized dog just hanging out there. He had a collar on and, for the most part, was pretty healthy. The taco stand owner was telling us that he had been there for about three weeks and had been abandoned by his owners. Apparently, the neighbor was going to call the pound if she could not find a home for it. So we decided to take it home. First we went and bought a collar and some dog biscuits. He wouldn’t get into our vehicle so David walked him home. He barked most of the night and I was starting to regret taking him in. If a dog barked five blocks away he would bark. He barked at everything! The next day we wanted to take him to the vet and have them bathe him and free him of all the friends that were hitching a ride in his hair. We went to put him in the car and he jumped right in. He’s gotten used to the sounds of his new neighborhood and doesn’t bark half as much as he did the first night. We named him Bailey.

Lastly, I was able to use my Mexican marriage certificate and change my name with the Social Security Administration and DMV. YEAH! So now I am officially Kimyco Trules.

The BIG Day!

2008-05-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Well, all of the knot tying ceremonies are done. It’s official. On May 3, we had a beautiful ceremony with family and friends. There were many ups and downs leading up to the big day. We had to replace a bridesmaid two weeks before the wedding and a groomsman two days before the BIG day. So we ended up asking two people from church whose names we didn’t even know. There were issues with transportation for some who were coming from California and for a short time my soloist had to cancel on me, but ended up coming after all. For a while I couldn’t find a pianist, then I had one, then I didn’t, and then I did. On the Thursday before the wedding I heard that he was in Florida, but would be here. That concerned me just a little. In the meantime the number of attendees was growing and we were searching everywhere to find a place where we could rent some glass plates because we only had 125 and were expecting about 75 more. So we ended up buying them for $1 each at Ikea in San Diego. Right after we paid for the flowers I had passed by the florist and it was closed with a sign in the window. All I could read of the sign was “For sale”. I was on my way to church and forgot about it afterwards. Then the next day or so David and I were passing by and again the florist was closed and the same sign was still in the window. By then I was panicking inside. I had called the florist just a few days before and I remembered the phone number so David called while I drove. No answer! Now I want to scream. On the way back home we stopped by, even though it was closed and David spoke to a neighboring business owner who informed him that the florist was opened just earlier that day. I read the sign in the window and it was for land that was for sale. WHEW!!! I was feeling better. Later that evening David called the florist and this time she answered. Suits, tablecloths, and many other wedding details were all issues right up until the day. Oh, the church had been given an enormous fan from some ship and there it was on the day before the wedding right there in the sanctuary. After many ideas on how to move it and many hands pushing it we finally got it out of sight. (This is only part of it)
On the day of the wedding my plan was to be at the church by 12 noon. I got there at 1:30 a half an hour before the wedding was to start. When we drove up I realized that earlier that day I had given the keys to the decorator and failed to get them back from her. I called her and she had given them to someone else because they were going to take more tables to the church, but I had asked that same person to pick some things up from the store for me. So we waited for about 15 or 20 minutes and they arrived. The day before when the tablecloth lady was at the church putting the tablecloths on the tables and making me really late for the rehearsal dinner, she asked me if I wanted her to bring some candies to put on the tables. I told her that that would be fine. So Saturday while we were locked out of the church someone who worked for the tablecloth place drove up and delivered the candies. Or so I thought. When we got ready to put them on the tables we discovered that it was a box of glass ashtrays, not candy. How funny!
Despite everything we had a wonderful time and just as many reminded me, no matter what happens before the wedding, in the end David and I would be married.
Enjoy the slideshow.

Finally!

2008-04-06T23:27:00.000-07:00

Well, after all of the hoops we had to jump through it's finally done. Before I tell you what's finally done, let me explain something. Here in Mexico clergy are not authorized to legally marry you. So if one wants to get married in the church, one must first be legally married by the state. So you have two wedding ceremonies. Some people legally marry long before their church wedding and some just weeks or days before. And now for the "finally done" part. David and I were legally married on Friday, April 4, 2008 at approximately 11:30 a.m. Now don't cancel your plane tickets and plans to come to our May 3 celebration. That's still on. David and I are still living apart. We are not yet enjoying the priviledges of marriage. So our May 3 ceremony will still be just as special as it should be. Okay? See you in 27 days. Check out the slideshow of our civil ceremony.

Getting Married in Mexico

2008-03-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Getting married in Mexico is not easy. Worse if you are a foreigner. Want to hear about what I'm having to do? Okay! Well, first we went to Registro Civil to find out what the requirements are. They gave me a paper with four things that I needed. 1. Get my birth certificate apostilled and translated to Spanish. 2. Have a marriage search done, apostilled, and translated. 3. Have my I.D. translated. 4. Get permission from Immigration to marry. In the words of my childhood heartthrob Magnum P.I., "I know what you're thinking". What in the world is apostilled. Apostille is a French word which means a certification. It is commonly used in English to refer to the legalization of a document for international use. So I got numbers 1 & 2 done in Fresno and that cost me about $70. Then I went to get a tourist visa since I do not have citizenship here. There I met an English speaking Mexican who has the teeny tiniest little office. He is in the business of helping English speaking foreigners get various legal documents. He gave me three options. I could do everything myself, have him tell me what to do, or have him do it all. All three options are exspensive. I chose for him to tell me what I needed to do and paid him the $20 fee for that. Him telling what to do was not the exspensive part. So he started doing that. Then he asked me what David did for a living. I told him that he worked for the ministry. So he figured that David did not earn much money and said that he would do the paperwork for me for free. What a blessing!

So he did my paperwork and I paid him for the copies. Then I bought a visa, went to the bank and paid $240 for one permission and $60 for something else. Only the Mexican government knows what that was for. Anyway, David and I went and got our blood tests done and then took the results to a doctor. There they took our weight and blood pressure and signed a paper saying that they talked to us about ALL kinds of things. They actually didn't talk to us about ANYTHING. So that was almost $50 for the blood work and doctor visit. Next I turned in my paperwork to Immigration and they said that the permission should be ready by April 7th. Then we went back to Registro Civil and and bought an application and found out that we would have to get married in 14 days or do the blood tests and doctor visit again. Why you ask? Because the blood tests are only good for 15 days. We had them done the day before. I wouldn't get the permission until one day before the blood work expired. Also I still hadn't completed number 3 of the requirements which was to get my I.D. translated. So now one option was to go back to Immigration and ask them if they could rush my permission and then request an urgent ceremony for which we would have to pay extra, of course. And the other option was to wait until the 7th to get my permission and then do the blood work and doctor visit again. Which of course we would have to pay again. It came out to be just about the same price. So we decided to go and cry to Immigration and see if they could speed up my permission. Well, of course the person that does the permissions was on vacation, but they said that they would have it by March 31st. Praise God! As for my I.D. I was told that if I use my passport I don't need to have it translated because it's already in three languages with Spanish being one. So I'll see if they accept that. Last night we had to attend a two hour pre-marital class. Yet another requirement. Actually, they said that it wasn't required, but David said that we needed to play it safe and not let our non-attendance be a reason to deny us our civil ceremony. So we went. It wasn't bad. We also had to ask them to rush the proof that we attended. Tomorrow I will be a busy little beaver. Collecting all of our papers from different places and turning them in at Registro Civil and paying for our ceremony and for them to rush it. Another $130. Oh yeah, we have to have four witnesses. FOUR!

What's Happening?

2008-03-03T15:02:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone.

It has been awhile since I have written. I have been very busy trying to get everything ready for my upcoming wedding in May. Exactly two months from today. YEAH!!! Anyway, things are a little quiet around camp right now, but next week we will start our Spring schedule. We will be pretty busy then. We have been making some improvements around the camp and talking over ideas of ways to better the ministry here. I am still planning the meals, shopping for the food, and running the kitchen. I'm trying to add more meals to our meal rotation, but it is not easy finding meals that can be prepared for large crowds in a small amount of time. Also, I don't always have access to the same ingredients here as I do in the states. So I don't have many meals in the rotation yet, but I'm still looking.

Also, I have been notified that I am about to lose my medical insurance because I do not have enough financial support coming in to sustain it. I not only need support to keep my insurance, but also just to be able to continue in the ministry here. To be totally honest, I have several things that I have to pay monthly. Some are: rent, food, and car insurance. Now that I will be getting married and hopefully expecting shortly thereafter, I will need support even more. Yes, David does have a job and we will both have to put money into our new life together, but if I don't have enough to support myself it will be hard to bring another person into the picture. So, I ask that you will please prayerfully consider supporting me and the work that I have been called to. I have been here now for four years and God has been faithful. I trust that he will put it on the hearts of many to give to His ministry here that I am so priviledged to be a part of. I have added a "Donate" button to this page that you can click on and donate securely through Paypal. If you would like to partner with me financially on a monthly basis please click on the YUGO link under "These are a few of my favorite links", Resources, Donate & Support Info., and the Donate now. I need you!

Wedding Plans Part 2

2008-01-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

Well, things are coming along. I went home to Fresno in December and purchased my wedding gown and a few other things. Well, I didn't purchase it, but it was purchased. The pictures that I have posted are not of the gown that I chose. It was a lot of fun trying on the different dresses and having family and friends there with me. Toward the end, though, it did get tiring. I was definately ready to go before I got to the last dress that I was to try on. Which, by the way, is the one that I chose. We spent four hours there at David's Bridal.

I was also able to find a couple to be the MC's of the reception and a friend to make my veil. The MC's have also offered to purchase the flowers for decorations.

Well my desire was to marry in the States so that I could change my last name, but I have just discovered that it will cost $455.00 to apply for a fiance visa which is what David would need to cross the border into the U.S. So I think that's out. I heard that I would have to jump through more hoops for me to get married here than for David to get married in the States. I will soon find out what those hoops are.

Wedding Plans part 1

2007-11-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on how our wedding plans are coming. We have decided on a place, I think. We will know for sure in about two weeks. The time of the ceremony has been a topic of more discussion than I care for. I think I'm going to lose that battle, but I guess it's not that big of a deal. I have created an invitation style that I really like. I've decided to make them myself. It will be a lot of work, but I'm sure it will be fun and I have plenty of time. We still have not found all of our wedding party. Some people, like my brother, are not so easy to get a hold of. Then there are the others. Not from LOST, but those who are not part of the wedding party, but are truly essential to making May 3, a special day. I'm always thinking of something else that I need someone to do. Picking bridesmaids dresses is not a task that I am enjoying. Finding a style is hard enough, but then to find it in my color adds to the difficulty. I can find what I think is the color, but is it really? It's hard to tell over the internet. I did register with JC Penney and Williams - Sonoma. Williams - Sonoma was fun because it's kitchen stuff and I like to cook and love to bake. I had registered on a honeymoon site, but decided not to go with it.
So speaking of the honeymoon...I have been looking into some places. I found one that I was pretty excited about, but found out today that it is no longer available and I didn't like the alternative that was offered. I'm waiting to hear back about another place. Well that's all for now. I have literally spent all day on my laptop and I need to call it a day.
God bless,
Kimyco

Day of the Dead

2007-11-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was Day of the Dead. This is a major holiday here in Mexico. Some Mexicans feel that death is a special occasion because the soul is passing into another life. Plans for the celebration are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods to be offered to the dead. On November 1 and 2, families usually clean and decorate the graves. Most visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas, or offerings, which often include orange marigold flowers. In modern Mexico this name is often replaced with the term "Flor de Muerto", Spanish for "Flower of the Dead". These flowers are thought to attract souls of the dead to the offerings.

Toys are brought for dead children , and bottles of tequila or atole for adults. Families will also offer trinkets or the deceased's favorite candies on the grave. In some parts of Mexico people spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. These offerings are also put in homes, usually with foods such as candied pumpkin, pan de muerto (bread of the dead) or sugar skulls and beverages. The offerings are left out in the homes as a welcoming gesture for the deceased. Some people believe the spirits of the dead eat the "spiritual essence" of the offering food, so even though the celebrators eat the food after the festivity, they believe it lacks nutritional value. I have visited an altar that was built in a home in El Zorrillo. They even had a basin of water and a towel for the deceased to freshen up before partaking of the food that was put out for them. Pillows and blankets are also left out so that the deceased can rest after their long journey.

I mentioned that I have visited an altar that was built at a home, well, some families build altars or small shrines in their homes. These altars usually have the Christian cross, statues or pictures of the Virgen Mary, pictures of deceased relatives and other persons, and scores of candles. Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar praying and telling stories about the deceased. In some regions, celebrants wear shells on their clothing so when they dance the dead will wake up because of the noise. Some will dress up as the deceased.

Public schools also build altars with offerings, usually leaving out the religious symbols.

Government offices usually have at least a small altar, as this holiday is seen as important to the Mexican heritage.

Interesting.

Pig Out

2007-10-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

This month I was able to fly to Sacramento CA and participate in a missions conference at Valley Springs church in Roseville. It was a three day event that started on Friday night. There were several missionary speakers. Some from Africa, one preparing to pastor in Tijuana, Mexico, and others. There was another room set up with tables where we set up our displays and greeted people as they passed by. We were able to give them pamphlets, business cards, prayer cards, verbal information, and some showed videos. On Sunday, the last day, they brought in a whole roasted pig. The body of the pig was cut into little chunks and we were provided with toothpicks to sample the swine's carcass. It was quite yummy!

I had the privilege of staying with former Ensenada Outreach Center missionaries, Barney and Sally Jones, whom I had not seen since the summer of 2005. It was great to get to spend time with them. On Saturday night I was kidnapped by two former interns Kayleigh and Brittney, both from the Sacramento area. It was fun seeing them and hanging out.

My flight there and back was open seating. When I boarded to come back home there was an open seat about four rows from the front that had two women in both the window and aisle seats. I was going to go further back, but thought better of it. So once I was seated I whipped out my "Brides" magazine and started flipping through the pages. The lady in the window seat took out a small pad and a pen and started to write something. She wrote a question asking me if I was getting married. So that started a conversation between us. It turns out that she and her husband are missionaries for Silent Word Ministries. She is my age and her name is Kim. Oh! That reminds me. I met a girl at Valley Springs named Kimiko. Cool, eh? Anyway, I really enjoyed chatting with Kim on the plane. I felt a connection between us and kind of hated that the flight had to end. We exchanged information and have been in contact since our returning home. She's from Nashville, TN. Hi Kim.

At Last

2007-10-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

At last I have received a marriage proposal from someone I actually want to marry and I know that God is fine with me marrying this person. I've had others that I knew were not the ones. Thank you God for patience and wisdom! So on September 30, 2007, David Trules asked me to marry him and I excepted his proposal. We have decided on May 3, 2008 here in Ensenada. One thing, though, about getting married in Mexico is that the woman's last name does not change. Don't get me wrong Dad, I love the last name you gave me, but I'm ready to change it for the purpose of marriage. So we're hoping that David will be able to get his visa and we can have a civil ceremony in California and then a church wedding in Ensenada. Yesterday we went to look at a prospective wedding and reception site. We did like it, but we are going to check out a few more that we know of. One of the great things about weddings in Mexico is that they have what they call "Padrinos". What the padrinos do is pretty much pay for the wedding. So we made a list of things that we need, i.e. a place, food, decorations, etc... and we divided it up. So he has things that he has to find padrinos for and I have the other part of the list that I have to find padrinos for. I guess we might call them sponsors. So, God willing, on May 3, 2008, I will become Mrs. David Trules. At last.

Brighter is Better

2007-10-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

Well, now that the busy season is over Mardy Barnes, one of the full-time missionaries here, has been hard at work sprucing up the dorms. He has taken down the blinds, ripped out the carpet, put in tile flooring, made twin beds into queen-size beds, and added bright colors to the walls and beds. Looks great Mardy!

What do you think?

Rest for the Weary

2007-09-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Our summer season is officially over. I'm not saying that we are weary, but at times during the summer I'm sure we were. Last week and this week we have been on vacation. It's so quiet around here. Once again I am the only one in the house. This summer I shared the house with six other girls. Though the most we had at one time was five. When I get the stats on the number of houses, meals, clinics, and such I will share them with you.

I do, however, have stats on me. So I'll let you know......I am now dating a man that I met this summer. His name is David and he is a great guy. The past two Sundays I have attended his church with him. I really like it though the worship is rather lengthy, but that's typical of Mexican churches. He's very courteous and mannerable and he takes good care of me. He never walks in front of me, he opens doors for me, pulls out my chair, and he even pours my drink from my individual bottle into my cup. One really rare thing about him is that he carries my purse wherever we go. The first time he did it I had several things that I was carrying so that was understandable, but he has done it every time even if I do not have other things to carry. My father is not too crazy about that idea, but I think it is so sweet. Well that's all for now. I will gladly keep you posted on que pasa with our relationship. Please pray for us.

Belen

2007-08-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a tough day. A few of us attended the funeral of an eleven year old girl who drowned. I have heard different stories of how she actually ended up in the water. Her name was Belen. She was the only girl of eight children. I first met Belen a few years ago when I lived in the village of Maneadero where she lived. She and her brothers would attend the feeding program and various VBS's that were held there in the clinic in that village. She would often be left in charge of caring for her brothers. Several months ago she helped Kayleigh and I move several boxes and things out of the clinic.

We showed up at 10 a.m. for the funeral, but the pastor told us that it had been pushed back a few hours and told us to join everyone up at the house where they had the wake the day before. There was her small casket with many flowers and candles surrounding it. An hour or so later some of us helped carry the flowers as we walked behind the casket down the hill to the church where the service would be held. There were many family and friends there. Half of them were the children that Belen had attended school with, befriended, played with, and gone to church with. Toward the end of the service the pastor asked all of the children to stand at the front and asked myself and my fellow missionaries to come and pray for the children since we had been active in that community. Some of us taught at the school there, cooked and served food for the feeding program, interpreted for VBS, and cared for the children in the daycare that we ran. During that prayer many tears started to flow. Then Belen's father, through tears, managed to say a few words to the attenders and to his beloved daughter. Though it was very sad I'm glad that I was able to attend and say goodbye to Belen until I see her in Heaven.

Another Kim in the Kitchen

2007-07-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks here at EOC were pretty busy and the temperature is rising in Ensenada. Thank God for my good friend Nona Kim. Last summer we worked many hours together in the camp kitchen and last week we were together again. Flippin' pancakes, scramblin' eggs, and grillin' fajitas. Thanks Nona for your hard work. It was good to have you here again.

What a Relief!

2007-07-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well, this week has been a big week. We have been cooking for 170 people twice per day. I have spent more hours in the kitchen than in my bed. But for the past 3 mornings, and it will happen again tomorrow morning, I have had relief cooks. Fletch and Leonard, who call me Chef, have volunteered this week to come in and help me in the mornings. The first two mornings I tried to be there working alongside of them, but this morning I pretty much sat back and let them do their thing and that's my plan for tomorrow too. They have been such a blessing. Thanks Leonard and Fletch!!!!

Also, last month we opened up a little camp store. We sell coffee drinks, sodas, Mexican blankets and ponchos, candy galore, YUGO shirts, greeting cards, and I could go on and on. But one other thing that we sell are my cookies. I bake cookies and sell them to the store as a way to supplement my support. Sometimes I cannot keep up with the demand. The cookie sales have gone very, very well. This week there have been a couple of men who have bought however many there were in the store at the time it opens, they sit outside at a table and they share them with people who come and talk with them. Cool, eh?

Have your cake and eat it too.

2007-06-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

Well, somehow I have gotten involved in cake decorating. Actually, last year a friend of mine asked me to make her wedding cake. Of course I laughed because I had never done such a thing. I love to bake and I have baked hundreds of cookies, but cookies a cake do not make. She insisted that I could do it so I agreed to it. I solicited the help of my good friend Nona Kim from La Palma, CA and we made a 4 layer cake and 3 separate cakes that sat around the main cake. It was hard work, but we did it. The cakes turned out beautifully. Unfortunately, I lost the picture that I had. Anyway, before this a another friend of mine, Randy, from Canada had given me some tips and allowed me to help him make an extravagant cake for a 15th birthday celebration. Here in Mexico it's like a mini wedding. Then a fellow missionary Patti Coles bought some supplies for me and showed me a few things. So I decided since I had some tools I should use them. While I was home in May I decided to take a cake decorating class. I failed to take a picture of my first cake, but here is a picture of my second one.

2007-06-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

Have You Noticed...?

2007-05-22T01:02:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed how often we use there's in place of there're? So, according to what we learned in elementary, there's = there is (singular) and there're = there are (plural). Why do I hear so many (and I do mean many) people say things like, "There's so many people... or there's a few reasons..."? I just read an article on MSN Health & Fitness that quoted a lady as saying, "There's thousands of babies born that way every year." So what she actually said was, "There is thousands of babies born that way every year." There is so many people..., there is a few reasons. I hear this in person, on TV, and I read it. Every day! It bugs me so much. What's happening to our grammar?

My New Ride

2007-05-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well, though my Nellie (my Corolla) has served me very well in Mexico I'm hoping to turn over the keys to a new owner soon. In other words I'm selling her to make room for my new blessing. Thanks to Mr. R. Davies of California I now have the Title to a 2000 Dodge Durango.

A Day in Jersey

2007-04-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

So Friday we were able to treat the kids to a day at the park. There is a park here called Jersey because it is owned by a company called Jersey which is a major producer of milk products. To enter the park you must present three tops to any of their products. So we asked the kids to save or find three of these tops. All of them showed up with their permission slips and lunch and we loaded the van for a day in Jersey.

Happy Easter!

Spring

2007-03-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Hello all. I know, it's been way too long since I have written. Please forgive me. Hopefully, this will work because I've been having problems with my site.

Anyway, the U.S. decided that Daylight Saving time would come earlier this year and Mexico stayed the same. So right now Ensenada is not part of the Pacific time zone. Weird, huh?

On the first day of spring we had a party with the kids. They love pizza, so once again I ordered a pizza. This time I got one that has 60 square slices. It's huge! But before we ate we did one of my favorite crafts. We took some stick pretzels and dipped them in chocolate frosting and stuck them together to make a bird's nest. Then we gave them speckled malted eggs and several different jelly beans to put in the bottom. On top of the eggs sat a yellow marshmallow Peep's chick. So the end result was a mother bird sitting on her nest of eggs. It's so cute.

Christmas Party

2006-12-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Today we had our Christmas party in Lomas Bonitas. The children were so excited. They were jumping around hugging each other and us, screaming, and falling on the ground. Wednesday they made picture frames and I took pictures of each one individually. The first thing we did today was to glue the pictures to the decorated frames. They turned out very nice. The children had requested pizza so we arranged for a pizza place to open early so that we could fulfill their request. One of the pizzas that we ordered was a Mexican pizza that has sauce, cheese, beans, chorizo, and jalapeños. They also wanted chicken mole. So we served that with rice and corn tortillas. And no paryt is a Mexican party without a piñata, so we had that and candy bags made up to give apart from the candy in the piñata because that's how they roll here in Mexico. When Franciscisca (not in this photo) broke the piñata the kids dove for the candy while she was still swinging and one reveived a blow to the head and another one a blow to the hand. All in all we had a great time.

New president

2006-12-01T22:43:00.000-08:00

Today a new president was installed in Mexico. For the past six years Vicente Fox has been the president and today Felipe Calderón was installed as president for the next six years. When a new president takes office every six years on December 1st, it is a national holiday. There have been major arguments and physical fights over the installment of this president. Official tallies indicated Felipe Calderón as the victor after the July 2 election, but due to ballots being found in two garbage dumps his opponent Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador rejected Calderón as the winner. To make a several months long story short, in September Mexico's special electoral court unanimously declared Felipe Calderón president-elect of Mexico. Obrador then said he would create an "alternate government," and called Calderón an "illegitimate president." And this is what all of the fighting has been about. But despite all of the protests Felipe Calderón took his oath of office with the support of the outgoing president Fox.

2006-11-25T10:09:00.000-08:00

The children that we are teaching are from the ages of 5 - 12 years old. It's like our own "Little House on the Prairie" school. We learn one alphabet letter per week, a color per month, and a shape per month. We always review numbers up to 20, the months of the year, days of the week, and the seasons. Next week we will start on the letter 'Ch', pronounced che, which comes between 'C' & 'D'.

We hope to not only teach the children academics, but also good manners, good hygiene, and good social skills. We desire to be there for them while their parents are away working long hours in the fields. They only earn about $12 per day per person so many times they will take their children with them because they can also work and earn money for the family. Fortunately, the school attendance is pretty constant. I pray that the parents will see the benefits of allowing their children to get an education. I know it's hard for them to think of the future and not just the here and now. Many of them can only see that their children can bring more income into the household today and they don't think of the fact that an education will enable them to earn more money when they are of age.

I Thank God for this opportunity to serve Him and Mexico in this way.

Please pray for wisdom for Ana and I. Also for patience for me as I still have a hard time with the way many things are here in Mexico.

Kimyco

2006-11-24T21:55:00.000-08:00