2/15/2009

Down in D.F.

Hello to all from our home in Mexico City. We hope this finds everyone well and feeling as blessed as we know we are. This past month has been demanding, nerve-racking, and encouraging all at the same time. Jax and I have been here a month and Ryan just a little under that. We owe our friend, Liz Madrid, a big thank you…maybe even more of a thank you to her husband, for being ok with her flying down with Jax and me. I couldn’t have done that without her. She was also able to go with me to buy a washer and our bedroom furniture. Though her time here with us was short, it was greatly needed and even more cherished. Seriously, she is a great servant and an example.
We continue to adjust well back here in D.F. (Federal District of Mexico). However, we’ve all had some hiccups already, starting with Jax. Most of you all know how social Jax is, well that came to a stop for a while when he figured out that everyone was speaking to him in a different language. Before Ryan joined us down here, the two of us didn’t have anyone to speak English to. I was able to cope and keep my frustration to myself…on the other hand; Jaxon does exactly what I WANTED to do and started hitting people in the face when they started talking to him. It was a bad habit and has since died down…but part of me wanted to smirk with approval and with complete understanding.
Now for my blunder; it happened today after services and during our Leaders’ Group meeting. We were talking about future plans we are making to have a Leadership seminar for the City. I was telling everyone that Ryan and I were going to get a good friend to come down for the first seminar but after that, we are all able to plan and host a seminar. So, here I was, trying to get my point across and I thought to myself, “What’s the word for ‘capable’ again?” So I blurted, “Cada uno de nosotros son capables…” Then I noticed the faces of my fellow group members…nobody stopped me, no one corrected me, and they just let me keep talking. Then I found out that the words for “we are capable” in Spanish are “somos capaces” and so what I said meant that we were all castrated. That’s a big YOWZERS and one that I will never live down, nor one the Mexicans here will ever let me forget. Ryan of course, is beyond thrilled that I made this awkward mistake and that he was able to cackle with everyone else.
Ryan is doing great. I think he’s tired. We’ve been going non-stop since we’ve arrived. We’re still working on trying to make our mark on the house and make it somewhat our own but at the same time, wanting to make it appealing to those we know will join us in the house from time to time. We just had the Adventures In Missions (AIM) class of 2008 join us here for their annual trip to Mexico. It was so much fun and we three enjoyed having all 93 plus with us. We cooked for an army every morning that they were here and we didn’t have anyone too seriously ill, which is always a blessing. Jaxon and Benson both loved all the attention and have fallen into a slight depression after everyone left. I suppose they thought they all came for just them. We now have a group here from the Baxter Institute in Honduras. They have a team scouting out the city in search for a place to start a new work. We are excited to have them in this home and get to know future co-workers here in the city.
So to wrap up, we are thankful to you all for your constant encouragement and love. We are doing well and adjusting into our new role here. We know we just begun, however we look forward to the new challenges ahead. We ask for your continued prayers for our readjustment and also for our co-workers here…the congregation of Benito Juarez. Although we work directly with the Benito Juarez congregation we also have co-workers spread throughout the city. Please pray us all as we have one goal in common, to help God turn this City into a Christian City. Here are some pictures to enjoy of some things we’ve done to the house…more to come. Also so pics of Jax’s first Sunday here and of the AIM group that was here. Ciao for now and stay tuned!

P.S. Jaxon is now walking!