Thanksgiving! Getting ready for the meal....

ok, so things are different here in Mexico..actually most other countries than the US. We got the hen today and I started preparing it.....you can check out the video...

A saint passed away recently...

The Deese Family - (l-r) Lynn D Moree, Charles Deese, Nina D Carnell, Carla "Danky" Taylor, Diane D Gay, Mary D Morgan, and Richard Deese

My aunt, Carla "Danky" Taylor passed away this past Thursday, November 20, 2008. She had developed alzheimers and over the last several years, it had progressed leaving her in a state that sometimes she is aware for just a little time and then off into the place that these minds go.

My aunt Danky was the oldest in my mom's family and she was like the rock of the family...spiritually. She is the one who has prayed for each of her brothers and sisters and family members for many, many years. She has prayed for their soul most importantly. As a Christian, you have a true desire for others to come to know Jesus Christ...especially your own family members. You have a desire for them to know the Savior and what He has done for all of us. You have a desire for them to know the many blessings that He gives to us, the protections, and the guidance. And the most important, you have a desire for them to know...the PEACE of knowing that one day...whenever each of them finally lays down to rest for eternity...that they will be in the arms of Jesus Christ to live with Him forever.

This, my friends and family, was the true desire of my aunt Danky! I am thankful that I was raised in a Christian home where not only my family "knew" God existed but "knew" God existed in a way that their actions tried to follow those of our Lord. In this environment, I learned many things, not just from going to church, but from the examples my parents gave me! Thank you Lord for this wonderful blessing!

Watch this small video clip of my Aunt Danky (on right) along with another saint, my aunt Mary (on the left).

And as she would say to you and to her remaining family... I am saying to you....

Do you know Jesus? Do you "know" Him as a friend and most importantly Savior? Without Him, how lost I would be. He won't turn you away... when you truly want to KNOW Him.

In Memory of Carla "Danky" Taylor -
She is resting in the arms of Jesus Christ and is healthy once again!

Thanksgiving is coming!

You know, when you do something every year at the same time for all of your life...it's odd when you go to live in another country and others don't know or care anything about that tradition. As is Thanksgiving for me here in Mexico....no one cares about that....and maybe most don't know.

So, as this Thanksgiving week is coming and we are here in Mexico, I have been planning already. We have plans to buy a big hen (since the turkeys cost WAY too much!) and I will be preparing a Thanksgiving meal for us this week. We decided to invite some friends of ours from our church since we have no family close by. It will give us a chance to host our spiritual family for a holiday that I observe in the States. We are thankful already to have some friends in which we share a common bond - Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!

You can say a prayer for me now for several reasons....this is my first time to ever try and cook this meal. I am searching hard to find the right seasonings and food to make it a similar Thanksgiving meal. And now we have invited people, so there is extra pressure to get it right!
But the Lord will help me and my husband too...

As this Thanksgiving week begins, truly take a moment to reflect on all the things you are thankful for. And know, that..."Every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17
And as you have your meal together with family and friends this week...take time to share with others what you are thankful for.

We will be posting later...our thanks to the Lord for all He has done!

Mexico Weather...

I'm not sure about most of you, but I was clueless as to how the weather was going to be here in Mexico City. I assumed...hot. And actually, when I first got here and it was rather cool, I was suprised. I kept saying to myself "this summer is going to be awful" - I am very hot natured (normally) and was a bit dreading to see how hot it was going to get.

Well, "summer" has now come and gone and I was only able to sweat on a few days. Odd isn't it? Well, as I have said before, we live in a mountainous area. Actually Mexico City is about 3000 m above sea level and where we live on the outskirts of Mexico city, it is actually about 5000 m above sea level. So, I experienced May...and it was the hottest month..however I was not aware of it. You know in SC we have warm weather for a longer time and it is MUCH hotter there than here.

Actually over the last 4 -5 days, it has been sooo cold that I haven't warmed up at all on any of those days. I was beginning to wish we had planned our trip home for Christmas a little earlier. We have a small heater that mom brought to us..and it helps a little...but its so cold! It's a different cold here. It's a dry cold....and that cold gets into the bones!

But wow, how wonderful is our Lord! On Saturday, He gave us such a beautiful blue sky with only a few scattered clouds. It was absolutely gorgeous! And I am sooo thankful now, for the tall walls and tall houses that are close to our house. It allows me....on a day like this....for about 2-3 hours sit in just the right spot on our grass or in the hammock and soak up some sun to warm my bones! It's as if I am at Myrtle Beach in May....how delicious is that!

So, yes, yesterday I enjoyed the sun for about 2 hours in my shorts and tank top and we took a nap. As the sun is moving....you know when its time to go in and put more clothes on. I was so thankful to the Lord for that yesterday....and last night around 6 pm...it was like 40 degrees and freezing with the winds blowing off the mountains.

Anyone care to visit us??

Fish anyone?

Yesterday afternoon, I cooked a delicious healthy meal. Ever had swordfish? Its great. We buy it fresh at the market - with all the other fresh vegetables, fruits and meats. This was baked in the oven and I poured a mixture of sauteed onions, garlic, tomatoes, and lemon juice on top while baking. Along side with boiled brocolli and carrots and our favorite jamaica water to drink!

I know, it has been awhile...

sorry, it has been so long. We have been fighting sicknesses for awhile. But PRAISE THE LORD...Narcizo is better and our little colds have almost gone! For the past two weeks, basically we have been teaching and going to the doctor, and resting to get healthy. The doctor did mention something for us to do in the mornings while Narcizo was real sick. She suggested we make a juice from fresh squeezed oranges, lemons, pineapple, and blend in carrots. We started that and can't stop. It's delish! So, that's our routine every morning now about 30-40minutes before we eat breakfast. You should try it! Great vitamin intake. and did you know that once squeezed, you should drink orange juice within 15 minutes! Enjoy!

Yes, we can be serious!

Just want to tell you guys that things are going great here! And we are looking forward to seeing you in December...if the Lord permits!

just having a little fun!

Our new hammock!

You know I have never been fond of a hammock before. I guess because I have never owned one. Well, we recently bought one while visiting another state here with my parents. Last week, we finally had the chance to put it up! And what an amazing thing! I absolutely love it! Especially around 1:30 or 2:00 in the afternoon...the sun is in just the right place and even if its a little cool..it feels great. The sun is beating on me and allowing me to get a little more tan for the end of the year. To cover my guiltiness, I carry a book with me...perhaps The Purpose Driven Life or some English books...but after, let's be honest, 2-4 minutes...its down and my eyes are shut! We also enjoyed one night under the stars, built a fire, got the blanket and pillow and watched a movie in it. If you don't have one, try it out....You will love it!

Paint thinner

More than seeing people drunk, I often see people sniffing paint thinner. Wow...I am amazed at how many people (young and old) sniff on paint thinner. They can hardly stand up as they take a long, long draw from a ball inside their hand. I have seen men sniffing so much they fell down and didn't even notice. My insides were sick....my insides are sick..when I see this. Not so much as to the fact they are sniffing it but sick that they are seeking something more. And this is what they have found.

We are all seeking something more or we did at one time or another. The sickness I have when I see this is that there is sooo much more for these people. They are lost in this world that offers so many subsitutes for the REAL thing. Jesus said..."I have come to seek and save those that are lost." Our Father is waiting and watching. What can I do? What can you do? Or are you still searching for something more?

so...what have you been eating...

While on vacation, my sister in law wanted to cook for us, so we agreed. I knew the two animals we were eating were "tejon" and "toche"....that's all I knew. I agreed to try it. You know, I believe now that if anything is cooked right, it can taste good. Today, I just found out what one of them was....ever eaten this little creature before? The other, I'm still not sure about....and not sure I want to look it up!

all we need....

- an excerpt from my journal during our relaxing vacation in Veracruz...

Nature calls yourself - to be simple. It says "you don't need anything but me - I will provide all your necessities" From food, to water, to shelter, to work, and to fun and in the most extreme situations, your clothing. But first to experience this and know it - you must let go of all you have known before and "expect". The American lifestyle teaches us to expect more and more. Not that it is taught in our homes but the culture, society, does it without us knowing it. It's like being raised in an environment where bad language is used all the time - the people, the children, they know no different. It's all they know...until they take a step into another land and begin to learn a different way. And even then, its a hard cycle to break - its somewhat instilled in you - yet it can be done with time and with an open heart and mind.

Jesus is just like this...He calls you to be simple...He says, "you don't need anything but me, I will provide all you need!" But it calls you to simply be open hearted and to trust...

The Twenty Dollars

Today is Wednesday in the morning. Many things to do. We need to pay the water bill, to buy two tanks of gas and to buy some color sheets of paper for our flyers.

(We just began our classes. Yesterday, while I was teaching to one guy, I asked to the Lord for more students. As soon as I finished my prayer, there was a woman knocking at the door asking for our classes...Wow! Amazing Lord!)

Many things to pay or buy and money is tight. We left the house after we prayed to the Lord. Few meters ahead there was a man. He said "Teachers, wait. I owe you some money." He gave us 200 Mexican pesos ($20 dollars). We thanked the Lord and we continued on our way.

I was feeling as though I was the richest man in the world with my twenty dollars in my pocket and my Princi by my side.

Thank you Lord.
Narcizo

Well, we are back from Veracruz!

We got back on Tuesday evening this week...we left the warm and dry weather and got off of the bus to cold and rainy weather. Boy, were we glad we left for a while....our skin and bones were able to get a little warm before winter comes. Not sure if you are aware...where we live in Mexico..is on the outskirts of Mexico City...on the mountainside. It's called Topilejo and its cold...almost every day. We sometimes have some nice sunny day...but the high may get to only around 70-75 if there are no clouds in the sky. I realized not too long ago...that this weather is actually very nice (for me anyway) -if you know me, you know I am always hot natured...so this Mexico heat I was really worried about. Thank you Lord...He sent me to just the right weather...isn't He wonderful!

ok, back to Veracruz - We visited his mom and family there and ended up staying 12 days. It was nice and relaxing. We worked on our land while there, cleaning and watering palm trees, went swimming at a small waterfall, went searching for mushrooms (to eat) while horseback riding, read, slept and just simply enjoyed nature in the way God intended it! It's always amazing to see how God can use nature to speak to you...I'll write more about that later but for now, here are a few pics. enjoy!

HARD TIME

This is a hard time. People are losing houses, jobs, savings, everything. This is the reality.
Now people need a promise. No more realities, please no more.
But there is a big promise, a big chance to change. We need to remember that God has two big arms to hold us as if we were babies and the babies are never alone. And babies smile even in hard times.

Narcizo Alvarez Gonzalez

Mi Dios me dio mis palabras

Mi Dios me dio mis palabras. Algunas dulces, otras amargas; algunas mas de colores. Me dio Palabras suficientes para pintar un mundo mejor, mas distinto. Un mundo donde quepan otros mundos... y esto, esto es solo una platica.

My Lord gave me my words. Some sweet and some bitter. Some colorful words. He gave me enough words to paint a better world. more different. A world where other worlds can be ... and this, this is just a conversation.


Narcizo

the beauty of nature

We are still here...wow, what a relaxing time...Nature is wonderful...when we learn how to appreciate it. I will tell you about it when we get back home. We plan to head back to Mexico city the first of next week...so I will post a few pics then. Talk to you soon.

Out to the country

We will be heading out to the country for a few days of rest and relaxation while visiting Narcizo's mom. We are heading to Paso Del Macho. We have some land there and maybe, if the Lord tells us so...we will put a small cabin out there. Only the Lord knows His plans for us now....

Here is a photo from the last time we were there. Our land is full of Mango trees...and if you don't know what mangos are...you are missing out! ....a simply delicious fruit!!!

the family pic in Xochimilco

Thought you would like to see a family photo as we were riding on the boat cruise in Xochilmilco.

the last day blues...

Its the last day before leaving back for South Carolina and being a little sad...Dad was in the bed all day. Well, he wished it was just because he was sad....he was a little under the weather. He skipped breakfast and went back to bed...then slept through lunch. At six, he decided to get out of bed and try to feel a little better. I hope he gets better before the flight tomorrow.