tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11377562095041647232024-02-07T02:58:10.251-08:00Nick and Sarah's AdventuresHere's your inside view into what we're doing, learning, and experiencing in our life together.Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-65614895560122525702011-07-02T17:58:00.000-07:002011-07-02T19:53:29.787-07:00Congratulations, Megan!In June we had the opportunity to travel out East for Megan's graduation from Drexel University with her Masters in Public Health. We are so proud of her great accomplishment and of her landing a job in Philly!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR57Eq-Py4tKJ1LvLjxM5ocBgC81qS6tG4cCLdQWkhBuXUmS9yLM5ypU90Zb9koJCyKaPVJkgAOn-CIEu57YPKOE5O17S7ZRvBFO0EIuG_rV6bfvedByiXJbLX3SeJYK9YS5Z_Xl3gwRs_/s1600/IMG_3420.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR57Eq-Py4tKJ1LvLjxM5ocBgC81qS6tG4cCLdQWkhBuXUmS9yLM5ypU90Zb9koJCyKaPVJkgAOn-CIEu57YPKOE5O17S7ZRvBFO0EIuG_rV6bfvedByiXJbLX3SeJYK9YS5Z_Xl3gwRs_/s320/IMG_3420.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624929451619368770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyI3RVW8FfYrI6QSBKMilwN7IvuuBWIg6KOsxJEJ0yvZPqY6EkK6GY6gLV-Fmv5_b6CpnK4xqIit5W1YiJ7uosrUy5ExDAAax93xjyJ6jUC5EeRI2k-HFFhQSvN4qiJpsvWKqNqcS825s/s1600/IMG_3419.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVyI3RVW8FfYrI6QSBKMilwN7IvuuBWIg6KOsxJEJ0yvZPqY6EkK6GY6gLV-Fmv5_b6CpnK4xqIit5W1YiJ7uosrUy5ExDAAax93xjyJ6jUC5EeRI2k-HFFhQSvN4qiJpsvWKqNqcS825s/s320/IMG_3419.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624929463176477426" border="0" /></a>Finney was nicknamed 'Huckleberry Finney' at the graduation as he messed his nice outfit he had on even before we got out of the car and all Mommy had brought to change him into was a pair of overalls!<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR57Eq-Py4tKJ1LvLjxM5ocBgC81qS6tG4cCLdQWkhBuXUmS9yLM5ypU90Zb9koJCyKaPVJkgAOn-CIEu57YPKOE5O17S7ZRvBFO0EIuG_rV6bfvedByiXJbLX3SeJYK9YS5Z_Xl3gwRs_/s1600/IMG_3420.JPG"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsDH_1CGPPeGdKmsX9NbF4UkxvhpoN2h28mrzaVEdNh8rDDOXY5OYwvGfcNcmPANyKbd5l1D7Fd5Ny_EDkfTucmfYP9O2THFKEcTGiV9aQno0RDzNyl9JDvTg_FbU1hU3KzSQI_cNELQu/s1600/IMG_3431.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxsDH_1CGPPeGdKmsX9NbF4UkxvhpoN2h28mrzaVEdNh8rDDOXY5OYwvGfcNcmPANyKbd5l1D7Fd5Ny_EDkfTucmfYP9O2THFKEcTGiV9aQno0RDzNyl9JDvTg_FbU1hU3KzSQI_cNELQu/s320/IMG_3431.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624941607011822994" border="0" /></a><br />As part of the trip, we also went down to Washington D.C. as a family to visit our nation's capital.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mBVueUbrzMiyywImnyiADoHDpNyfjZsMv6KW6VR9DemHvJ4dATt5xkQWJ-fzL5VggsNdL2hdkwShCoOcjudZSjOoV0N1GFFXJxmootm6yXzqvFWPrBsP_qRqntt1zU6U8cnOpOUyxz7q/s1600/IMG_3439.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mBVueUbrzMiyywImnyiADoHDpNyfjZsMv6KW6VR9DemHvJ4dATt5xkQWJ-fzL5VggsNdL2hdkwShCoOcjudZSjOoV0N1GFFXJxmootm6yXzqvFWPrBsP_qRqntt1zU6U8cnOpOUyxz7q/s320/IMG_3439.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624929475567314146" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietaUeM5qqiPPMzjI_2rhP_DUBo0UhVAopCxrquJXEKY8vkrzYIxv9iqgKJmndiQZhO6CqYILb80hiUjimcaY-OjpUjt1UBUTpaYHKiHEsBhYYoufy7QOUS7IPHSk37iXVWsn0GZEW1rfv/s1600/IMG_3445.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietaUeM5qqiPPMzjI_2rhP_DUBo0UhVAopCxrquJXEKY8vkrzYIxv9iqgKJmndiQZhO6CqYILb80hiUjimcaY-OjpUjt1UBUTpaYHKiHEsBhYYoufy7QOUS7IPHSk37iXVWsn0GZEW1rfv/s320/IMG_3445.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624941619264814914" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Finney loved watching the fish in the Smithsonian museum of Natural History!<br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFT1JTkfM7aE7zTvwR3cGqFMcdUPUeTw1W2-UGw1mZ2uBtrTG21SfZPjrkRQ6fsl7ay6gZmKKyalIUdLi_HLXxeQPAXspHHlG18wrBai8l8nKg_9C_U5MB_DBbDHRwLC24NCY3nLCguQO/s1600/IMG_3460.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuFT1JTkfM7aE7zTvwR3cGqFMcdUPUeTw1W2-UGw1mZ2uBtrTG21SfZPjrkRQ6fsl7ay6gZmKKyalIUdLi_HLXxeQPAXspHHlG18wrBai8l8nKg_9C_U5MB_DBbDHRwLC24NCY3nLCguQO/s320/IMG_3460.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624941632925900818" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Nick%20and%20Sarah/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/2011/Finney%20-%209%20months/DSC_0923_edited-1.jpg" alt="" /><img src="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Nick%20and%20Sarah/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/2011/Finney%20-%209%20months/DSC_0923_edited-1.jpg" alt="" />Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-72111542636417380142011-02-24T08:49:00.000-08:002011-02-24T09:16:41.749-08:00parenting adviceHere in Mexico we get lots of advice from everyone on parenting. Here are some of the things we commonly hear:<br /><ul><li>Where is his hat? It's cold and he will get sick (said even when it's 70 degrees out)</li><li>Cover him up better. Look, his legs are sticking out of his pants. He will get sick. (again, said even when it's in the 70s)</li><li>Did you put honey on his pacifier? We always put honey on our babies' pacifiers.<br /></li><li>Don't hold him like that (cradled). It will make his back crooked when he gets bigger.</li><li>He's drooling. That means that his diaper is wet.<br /></li><li>Give him a green onion to chew on. It will help his teeth come in quicker.</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABP_DvugRsoSUZTWvD31CPA-azz5Eyg5SoY7BQwt63rCGhFqhcjrrtF9-ydin7-VTSa1uvJK6EsrlJCBzart6QW9dlNLnlKUsV2JUsIattV2-O3vs2JjQI1uA8uaGQ7MjAgzz45eOQe22/s1600/IMG_3214.JPG"><br /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSrazqm2Uq9hCqnMWmTCa5ns-5U2vWWp-6DQYJ54Gxe713CCkdnGflZWBAFyt7Cb25dYVQ0cq4W8HCzjJtbiJ18Gw0l9SRGuque0EHuM6fDipGilDZmkkzmJEHw7UTQ57ELuYqdCyW3jj/s1600/IMG_3210.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGSrazqm2Uq9hCqnMWmTCa5ns-5U2vWWp-6DQYJ54Gxe713CCkdnGflZWBAFyt7Cb25dYVQ0cq4W8HCzjJtbiJ18Gw0l9SRGuque0EHuM6fDipGilDZmkkzmJEHw7UTQ57ELuYqdCyW3jj/s320/IMG_3210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577303657650469106" border="0" /></a>He actually seemed to like this advice. Not sure it will help his teeth much, but it keeps him happy!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMROo3KNw9NQWoDE1mQF0pKnEqe1NBY_DBG2aTf73F2AFVE8TX5O9_RAxntlLRyOOZ6aOVZQ2uMEdFmBLgSa8N0F_NUo9PJIIn8_8OLslG06JTAuC3Yj53EHQicIFOoLgsfGSiiwO1TA5s/s1600/IMG_3209.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMROo3KNw9NQWoDE1mQF0pKnEqe1NBY_DBG2aTf73F2AFVE8TX5O9_RAxntlLRyOOZ6aOVZQ2uMEdFmBLgSa8N0F_NUo9PJIIn8_8OLslG06JTAuC3Yj53EHQicIFOoLgsfGSiiwO1TA5s/s320/IMG_3209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577303647700113906" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Here he is happily chewing on onion.<br /></div><br />We also get asked questions about Finney. The one we hear most often is, "Your baby is bald. Did you shave his head, or was he born that way?"<br /><br />In addition to giving us advice, people like to give Finney things. It reminds me of when I was little and would go through the drive thru at the bank and we would always get dumdum lollipops. Recently whenever I take Finney to the little tiendas nearby, the ladies working there have been giving Finney suckers. Fortunately, he hasn't learned yet what is underneath them!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABP_DvugRsoSUZTWvD31CPA-azz5Eyg5SoY7BQwt63rCGhFqhcjrrtF9-ydin7-VTSa1uvJK6EsrlJCBzart6QW9dlNLnlKUsV2JUsIattV2-O3vs2JjQI1uA8uaGQ7MjAgzz45eOQe22/s1600/IMG_3214.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABP_DvugRsoSUZTWvD31CPA-azz5Eyg5SoY7BQwt63rCGhFqhcjrrtF9-ydin7-VTSa1uvJK6EsrlJCBzart6QW9dlNLnlKUsV2JUsIattV2-O3vs2JjQI1uA8uaGQ7MjAgzz45eOQe22/s320/IMG_3214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5577303661183406946" border="0" /></a>Mmm...a real lollipop!<br /><br /><br /></div>Yesterday when we were walking home from town a little 4-year-old girl ran to catch up with us and started chatting with Finney. She took a little stuffed bear coin purse from her mom and gave it to him to hold while we walked. She kept telling him, "Don't drop it." Pretty cute!Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-57281453153986488812010-09-09T14:49:00.000-07:002010-11-10T15:02:35.998-08:00Our new addition to the familyOn September 8, 2010 we welcomed a new addition to our family. Phinehas Blaze James Anderson weighed in at 8 pounds 4 ounces and measured 21 1/2 inches. He was born at home (intentionally) with the assisance of a midwife and was greeted by Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma Cramer.<br /><p> </p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538060017566739698" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2lKxL6QFnQ7gYRFtOTNl6H5bq9-utAHXDctQ0abKy-C1OsBJ1pQk554pKKZl6Sq-4xTzud8E5LMIdeGX34cHNg781KU_X0bebMNFAYUtUQ1ZV3MjCQedkM-3FvAR7SM1gJvjwjNkGjudb/s320/DSC03442.JPG" /><br /></p><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZXtiFor6iok-ytK4ca0QLcOr3x5mxvjS9gMjuUkXNrK_RXkuRTfqPbO9B84ssrldkEPZoIoGLpK1ZgaSwZlMv6J0nCkAHXJsHMVeXAXr9S8aJjnL6t_mz1Of4nCxn4YZMkTGpdPCSTTH/s1600/DSC03444.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538058137837984626" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZXtiFor6iok-ytK4ca0QLcOr3x5mxvjS9gMjuUkXNrK_RXkuRTfqPbO9B84ssrldkEPZoIoGLpK1ZgaSwZlMv6J0nCkAHXJsHMVeXAXr9S8aJjnL6t_mz1Of4nCxn4YZMkTGpdPCSTTH/s320/DSC03444.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHA1tVAzvUHmIjXXrGLIeLgo8c-smHh-5gNSmV7ANWnRk7B6NUhv2HniZF_64Tv9c_FAXZdJng6KOnYCd1zfWkwWAnFkg3zVKjHs4Oe6Vb6y3C0Hh9MZDiiCFNaOe1TomMeHZXazp40vVA/s1600/DSC03456.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538058117852253474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHA1tVAzvUHmIjXXrGLIeLgo8c-smHh-5gNSmV7ANWnRk7B6NUhv2HniZF_64Tv9c_FAXZdJng6KOnYCd1zfWkwWAnFkg3zVKjHs4Oe6Vb6y3C0Hh9MZDiiCFNaOe1TomMeHZXazp40vVA/s320/DSC03456.JPG" /></a><br /><br /></div></div>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-5666493677049606752009-12-14T11:41:00.000-08:002009-12-15T13:03:14.261-08:00Chrismas traditions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgCafIEMDOAn3sC_Fl9Sh9oiq7QKILcCgpMby9tP3udRRJj19dmq5dRdikOCa4lOCp8Lsgx7PAVrtZp77ukzXdOx2hTNLsU-KuVIeUZ4OWDtx0vig8qyu8gH_30SiYgF5VV0_FYsHEjUc/s1600-h/IMG_2526.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMgCafIEMDOAn3sC_Fl9Sh9oiq7QKILcCgpMby9tP3udRRJj19dmq5dRdikOCa4lOCp8Lsgx7PAVrtZp77ukzXdOx2hTNLsU-KuVIeUZ4OWDtx0vig8qyu8gH_30SiYgF5VV0_FYsHEjUc/s320/IMG_2526.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415182391867906018" border="0" /></a><br />One of the traditions in the Anderson family is to celebrate Santa Lucia Day on December 13th. It's part of their Swedish background. Traditionally the oldest girl dresses in a white robe with red sash and a crown of candles and serves coffee and treats to the rest of the family in bed. This year Sarah was introduced to the tradition by getting to be Santa Lucia. Later that morning we all gathered around the table for some Kringla- a Swedish pastry served on Santa Lucia Day.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG2eX0zOpN2LwpPvnjPrGIFhozm5FLaB-9YqY1lGh2K0WTDIdhlAaDQ585aUpvdqB3wbJV3nnXOKd_tGaCsqyZLpKRX1_MwQyQmv6LG2do197tOn_3Etw_0LP3T5UjQVKBTdA4whlzVJ4/s1600-h/IMG_2529.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidG2eX0zOpN2LwpPvnjPrGIFhozm5FLaB-9YqY1lGh2K0WTDIdhlAaDQ585aUpvdqB3wbJV3nnXOKd_tGaCsqyZLpKRX1_MwQyQmv6LG2do197tOn_3Etw_0LP3T5UjQVKBTdA4whlzVJ4/s320/IMG_2529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415182381621986082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjmzqxJ8PAVvPUUFpvGA-qDAU-37_x9Y2iCCUiq2z0ohhJMo8GhguQEyPqdm8bbe2hAcurZ3LoV-FOZcRQQSXJCzDa8glyrXf0HE0nujqkhjUZI0LIc7Ghaa-imwNNapiNYuXnPK5vAU6/s1600-h/IMG_2537.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjmzqxJ8PAVvPUUFpvGA-qDAU-37_x9Y2iCCUiq2z0ohhJMo8GhguQEyPqdm8bbe2hAcurZ3LoV-FOZcRQQSXJCzDa8glyrXf0HE0nujqkhjUZI0LIc7Ghaa-imwNNapiNYuXnPK5vAU6/s320/IMG_2537.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415182371470428546" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtgqacep2-DXm9JrSm2WfImswWYDVZq95zC71Fsy9m4ynnyCRmLLAEWVBCbi81rlR3eX5jsLPU2_l4f6xbqHdA4bf7L1cbpJ3PqPeJ4uxBFUz5S9BRYV7lvir-Sj5gS10coLun7DxSHXL/s1600-h/IMG_2536.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtgqacep2-DXm9JrSm2WfImswWYDVZq95zC71Fsy9m4ynnyCRmLLAEWVBCbi81rlR3eX5jsLPU2_l4f6xbqHdA4bf7L1cbpJ3PqPeJ4uxBFUz5S9BRYV7lvir-Sj5gS10coLun7DxSHXL/s320/IMG_2536.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415182363908774594" border="0" /></a>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-22042177955417096992009-11-18T17:09:00.000-08:002009-11-18T18:06:55.424-08:00Medical Clinic<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CNICKAN%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">This weekend we made the 12-hour trek to the neighboring state in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> to participate in a medical outreach. We were accompanying around 60 others from various parts of <st1:country-region st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Spain</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The outreach took place in one of the poorest areas of <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>, as well as one of the most spiritually needy. The village was about 4 hours away from the nearest town, on roads that more closely resemble a dry river bed. In addition to medical and dental consults the group did clowns and sports for the kids, haircuts, provided meals, provided transportation to/from the ‘local’ villages (up to 3 hours away), showed the Jesus video, and gave a small bag of imperishable foods and clothing/ diapers to each family. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Almost everyone who came spoke the local dialect and little to no Spanish (much less English!). We had some believers from the larger town come along to interpret. After the first day of the clinic they invited us down to the river to bathe, which we gladly did after being in the heat all day. We thought it a bit interesting that it was only our team and the local interpreters who decided to go. Maybe we’re fitting in to the culture more than we realize :) </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">One woman brought her 8-year-old daughter to the clinic with parasites and a fever of 101. She asked if she could have medicine for her other children at home. The doctor said he needed to be able to see them to know what to give and asked why she didn't bring them along. She replied that it was a 3 hour walk (one-way) and she could not carry them that far as they were sick and couldn't make the journey. We gave her the medicine!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Another family brought their 6-month-old daughter who was blind from congenital cataracts. With a simple operation, she would be able to see, but the family would have to travel 4 hours to the nearest hospital to have it done, and it didn’t seem that they were too inclined to do so. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">One family came with their 4 children and asked the doctor for some form of birth control. The doctor looked at their 4 kids and said that would probably be good since they have so many children. They responded, “Oh, we left 4 more at home!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">One the way there we got to meet a family who is translating the Bible into the dialect of these people. Hopefully soon they will be able to hear the Word of God in their own language. Please pray for the <st1:placetype st="on">Kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename st="on">God</st1:placename> to continue advancing into the areas of darkness in southern <st1:place st="on"><st1:country-region st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Enjoy some pics from the weekend!</p>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPtgvwcdd-BzhR6GLURC_rdkX0WddurafTYwR17N673DfFKAIj5B6E-KZo-NSSVYJIC5P-96uNhudczIqVTXhFUqrgXXPZxDlgM7d9JTbAyV-bwo7YI0TNbUMS_AWrltDIId4UzMOUkAx/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPtgvwcdd-BzhR6GLURC_rdkX0WddurafTYwR17N673DfFKAIj5B6E-KZo-NSSVYJIC5P-96uNhudczIqVTXhFUqrgXXPZxDlgM7d9JTbAyV-bwo7YI0TNbUMS_AWrltDIId4UzMOUkAx/s320/IMG_0297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405628225324218850" border="0" /></a>Here's the town nestled in the mountains. There were many little villages like this along the way.
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJF537WEIbLuU-7CwFSP3exU1sa7qREgoNNhRUyciQQOpCJXaPw68BriNVkPo3p_rVRrANMW8mK7aRFyG3yrbzpi4mYCVZ5mTPUOwvILSHF_rZTlDdSC7bJ-dQZEWYz2J5oy0c8gLEHjE4/s1600/IMG_0263.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJF537WEIbLuU-7CwFSP3exU1sa7qREgoNNhRUyciQQOpCJXaPw68BriNVkPo3p_rVRrANMW8mK7aRFyG3yrbzpi4mYCVZ5mTPUOwvILSHF_rZTlDdSC7bJ-dQZEWYz2J5oy0c8gLEHjE4/s320/IMG_0263.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405624322448586674" border="0" /></a>This is what these vehicles were made for!
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiL-B8w6h1JzSMxWRZqItv4GCUh1HNAv304g8BMn3MxJXE8S673sZ08PYKFIdutPtrGbZEmHqWZ7m7qzS2xyaOC9TNyzs0A6vSuv_Z8v0MvdOOl_1LtPDIChTvqqsf_KI8v9ycpz51nlU/s1600/IMG_0229.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiL-B8w6h1JzSMxWRZqItv4GCUh1HNAv304g8BMn3MxJXE8S673sZ08PYKFIdutPtrGbZEmHqWZ7m7qzS2xyaOC9TNyzs0A6vSuv_Z8v0MvdOOl_1LtPDIChTvqqsf_KI8v9ycpz51nlU/s320/IMG_0229.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405624303063518626" border="0" /></a>This was a typical sight
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sk05TmCJy8lKF_l_bUIh0QAv82_3VpnEduOF2BtomNSB9VgOtTFg_danKp2VoN5KIYk4h9Gcmp2vnwiHIMsr17RY-_MYDuRjDSVMHdiO-PstEWWkkHnEi2UrAxiv_oHOW_nPa9q88yNF/s1600/IMG_0255.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4sk05TmCJy8lKF_l_bUIh0QAv82_3VpnEduOF2BtomNSB9VgOtTFg_danKp2VoN5KIYk4h9Gcmp2vnwiHIMsr17RY-_MYDuRjDSVMHdiO-PstEWWkkHnEi2UrAxiv_oHOW_nPa9q88yNF/s320/IMG_0255.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405624316970415298" border="0" /></a>Here's the town we did the clinics in
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<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKrGtXdJLeaxqwpHX05Rir03lSc49jX_zjQqkaSHgogWcl5BUd48TCaxF00neiI5z5q9N3ZbUaBByniTRrxnsWX9D_FZK40Z3pz9b6KD-0lgqnYXGZ2Y-txdtQ9qrdKo5Ba1PxMCUb7VY/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKrGtXdJLeaxqwpHX05Rir03lSc49jX_zjQqkaSHgogWcl5BUd48TCaxF00neiI5z5q9N3ZbUaBByniTRrxnsWX9D_FZK40Z3pz9b6KD-0lgqnYXGZ2Y-txdtQ9qrdKo5Ba1PxMCUb7VY/s320/IMG_0244.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405624311562042018" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYxLPKCa3qbXZdWHLTH5l03zE0oIsyNDTDUrPMICrIcCyxmIPp05aHFAqCHwFm25FRTIOm0z7VZshskLYaKlvcuSAeKTLExxa7mdIDifvkG06IrP80c0qmzbNeRJmIMX9kJOuVpFo8owk/s1600/IMG_0239.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYxLPKCa3qbXZdWHLTH5l03zE0oIsyNDTDUrPMICrIcCyxmIPp05aHFAqCHwFm25FRTIOm0z7VZshskLYaKlvcuSAeKTLExxa7mdIDifvkG06IrP80c0qmzbNeRJmIMX9kJOuVpFo8owk/s320/IMG_0239.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405624305887165922" border="0" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpRU8G43DuYaM6wp34_g1XWtaV-DAzYIvDjl_SxCXryNV3uVnR2__DcCBEETWHPAwttWq4h9PiF0gWNEc-LMH4QuKEGWQ3OZANoCIQUjnh39dHuekiZHhBgHTFKWof6xR1oYdHOKNHPPm/s1600/IMG_0277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpRU8G43DuYaM6wp34_g1XWtaV-DAzYIvDjl_SxCXryNV3uVnR2__DcCBEETWHPAwttWq4h9PiF0gWNEc-LMH4QuKEGWQ3OZANoCIQUjnh39dHuekiZHhBgHTFKWof6xR1oYdHOKNHPPm/s320/IMG_0277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405628230947610898" border="0" /></a>
<br />On the job IV training! Got it in 1st try!
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<br />Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-62047559530639568152009-11-11T18:52:00.000-08:002009-11-11T18:58:29.581-08:00TravelsTomorrow we head out to do a medical outreach in the neighboring state to the west. It is considered to be the poorest area in all of Mexico as well as one of the spiritually least-reached areas. It will be a long drive there- 2 full days, of which the last 35 miles drops about 6,000 feet in elevation and takes about 5 hours. We should arrive to the village late Friday night, have clinics Saturday and Sunday, then return home late Monday night or Tuesday. Please join us in prayer that God would reveal His power and salvation to the people of this remote village.Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-4811924385711189452009-11-11T18:17:00.000-08:002009-11-11T18:51:48.451-08:00Chicken!!!<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CNICKAN%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Last Friday Rhonda decided to kill her 2 roosters that wake her up at 3am (I thought roosters were supposed to wait until the sunrise!) and make a meal for her neighbors. Living overseas, I decided that knowing how to kill and clean a chicken is probably a good skill to know, so I offered to come and help. Susana killed the first one to show us how it was done then handed the knife to me. (Rhonda conveniently disappeared during this time and stood as far away as possible to still take pictures.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Here’s the step by step process!</p>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8NwQFLdR-TSBEoaHw7zcHIidK65bI25ZMKENZ81mMrj1_8vf3SdRfUTm2PETev7_f0GoO4h7aIAqRtXrnLeulyeQpoq4z4if-K7JX99qSOsb2VT3RNrZrFzVYp0_HAH8BgtXZkuQgZH3/s1600-h/IMG_0199.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8NwQFLdR-TSBEoaHw7zcHIidK65bI25ZMKENZ81mMrj1_8vf3SdRfUTm2PETev7_f0GoO4h7aIAqRtXrnLeulyeQpoq4z4if-K7JX99qSOsb2VT3RNrZrFzVYp0_HAH8BgtXZkuQgZH3/s320/IMG_0199.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403039008210208258" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Always a bit of a challenge to catch them, even in a small cage!
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbytv015ZLaRycwEInCAVOc3TnvhiUcZ5HrqP9EXjdyeOViJLglstPRnATBZSYDThTeem39QO8R1aoo-mFDmXrAhsayZ5xS6pzwmv2B_eSkdQr9Q-OoruopTldzh2OrRl106HseanYDnM6/s1600-h/IMG_0205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbytv015ZLaRycwEInCAVOc3TnvhiUcZ5HrqP9EXjdyeOViJLglstPRnATBZSYDThTeem39QO8R1aoo-mFDmXrAhsayZ5xS6pzwmv2B_eSkdQr9Q-OoruopTldzh2OrRl106HseanYDnM6/s320/IMG_0205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403039015004825810" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Susana, the master, teaching us how it's done
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B0y013NxE9bgzUZXtNKQhuJ-nnamsUtYeJMBd9JS2aGVIkBgjf9XkdDVEG82Wr44G6dp-4eq5BNgd8iPNeC5io7M3IvYj2_1DMqfoObctQ9dO0sHPzUPNmrhnNt7xt4dBMMieTtr3FJZ/s1600-h/IMG_0203.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6B0y013NxE9bgzUZXtNKQhuJ-nnamsUtYeJMBd9JS2aGVIkBgjf9XkdDVEG82Wr44G6dp-4eq5BNgd8iPNeC5io7M3IvYj2_1DMqfoObctQ9dO0sHPzUPNmrhnNt7xt4dBMMieTtr3FJZ/s320/IMG_0203.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403039010257726786" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">This one's next!
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<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVb0w6r8GWQN86TGNTITS4tQ5H8q-3I4KxaG_UG25mHjwWKVnDH_xq3Q8xzHBf2U4oQV4ppAc9YH9CsYkgVDrlVzmjmFZRxvjUAu3bm-FgE_nlJ_pE3e1mjWvFxqEze0xbwrbz0a_r-FLV/s1600-h/IMG_0207.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVb0w6r8GWQN86TGNTITS4tQ5H8q-3I4KxaG_UG25mHjwWKVnDH_xq3Q8xzHBf2U4oQV4ppAc9YH9CsYkgVDrlVzmjmFZRxvjUAu3bm-FgE_nlJ_pE3e1mjWvFxqEze0xbwrbz0a_r-FLV/s320/IMG_0207.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403039017772796178" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">My turn. I'm going to be brave!
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJWgpb7SApAYwksZw5S2lFTWxUB1RetLnRL7-ex1RdD7TO-wOiYbujIBin3n5S4duYfJSQ27Vre5025jVc6vVSF5b59I6eU0diZX2BrkA5I43XuN-V61wiXkjbOq5XwgNeq5lOXhrjblL/s1600-h/IMG_0208.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJWgpb7SApAYwksZw5S2lFTWxUB1RetLnRL7-ex1RdD7TO-wOiYbujIBin3n5S4duYfJSQ27Vre5025jVc6vVSF5b59I6eU0diZX2BrkA5I43XuN-V61wiXkjbOq5XwgNeq5lOXhrjblL/s320/IMG_0208.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403041773486765442" border="0" /></a>Maybe not!
<br /></div>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3tZaUxjyCEWkuekarYFsz1s3fTVhb8KH8tyd7K413uX1NihbMygld0cVFbPui0Le8CP8XfN9f_h5WKr7puNGMBxcpZVLuDmTDuuerAfErETKf6tTM1m2PEteuPvG2QbUfJ68ELNmRh1K/s1600-h/IMG_0210.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg3tZaUxjyCEWkuekarYFsz1s3fTVhb8KH8tyd7K413uX1NihbMygld0cVFbPui0Le8CP8XfN9f_h5WKr7puNGMBxcpZVLuDmTDuuerAfErETKf6tTM1m2PEteuPvG2QbUfJ68ELNmRh1K/s320/IMG_0210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403041777338747026" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">Ok, if the 11-year-old can do it, so can I!
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwuM871fKtQPFeuucTCK7OsC1sz-lwxEJ9viUQ8EqthNEkF9iQFlYWaLoci22gCSjHtfNvGyiKbEftlpxuLvlexNi5Aye5KsZb2g9iTWJG19s0GQcZ06teuWpbUZFMtRYxpNsX9mSKIuu/s1600-h/IMG_0214.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwuM871fKtQPFeuucTCK7OsC1sz-lwxEJ9viUQ8EqthNEkF9iQFlYWaLoci22gCSjHtfNvGyiKbEftlpxuLvlexNi5Aye5KsZb2g9iTWJG19s0GQcZ06teuWpbUZFMtRYxpNsX9mSKIuu/s320/IMG_0214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403041782451945746" border="0" /></a>
<br />Don't mind the blood on your hands!
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<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK7Ff_eS1-vPm6kz4-TBRLFbuiL9_lZqe-CZycrK9pLtFYfxT0Qt4u9t4oLRwXgm7Wk336MKbjpz0cKCCIK9JGw3CkjDnnsd0oIzxvcxs0Fr0M6fHc3ofikGUGb96Cp5GV4AcKhjX4n-R/s1600-h/IMG_0217.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxK7Ff_eS1-vPm6kz4-TBRLFbuiL9_lZqe-CZycrK9pLtFYfxT0Qt4u9t4oLRwXgm7Wk336MKbjpz0cKCCIK9JGw3CkjDnnsd0oIzxvcxs0Fr0M6fHc3ofikGUGb96Cp5GV4AcKhjX4n-R/s320/IMG_0217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403041785994828834" border="0" /></a>Mission accomplished!
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<br /></div><p class="MsoNormal">The chicken was some of the best we’ve had down here, by the way! </p> Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-42330636165916126192009-10-23T10:56:00.000-07:002009-10-23T11:06:40.443-07:00Medical OutreachThe last 3 days we have spent in 3 different villages in the surrounding area doing medical outreaches. An ophthalmologist came down, so we were able to not only provide for basic health needs, but also do eye exams and supply glasses for those who needed them. We saw more than 200 patients in the 3 days, starting around 9 or 10 AM and going until 6 or later in the evening.<br /><br />Doing medical clinics in the villages always has its special challenges. First of all, many of the people speak an indigenous language, so they would have a son or daughter translate into Spanish, which we would then translate into English for the eye doctor or nurse practitioner. I had one older woman who had her 8-year-old granddaughter translating for her. I had to hope that everything was getting communicated correctly and that the woman really understood how to take her medications, as I could not directly communicate with her.<br /><br />Apart from the language differences, there are also the cultural beliefs that have to be deciphered. Here are some examples:<br />• “I make tortillas a lot. One time my arm was really hot from making tortillas and I put my hand in cold water. Now I have pain in my arm all the time.”<br />• “I have fear a lot. When I have fear, I feel a ball rise in my chest and my head hurts.”<br />• “I get angry and my stomach burns.”<br /><br />Many of the people also have chronic problems as a result of their lifestyles. Most of the women complain of back and shoulder pain. It’s not hard to imagine why when they carry large baskets of firewood down from the mountain on their backs. They also have eye problems, as most still cook over an open fire in little wood shacks where the smoke billows around them for hours at a time. It’s frustrating to give them a small bag of Tylenol or Ibuprofen for the pain, knowing that their lifestyle isn’t likely to change and when the medicine is gone they will be right back to where they started from. We did teach them some exercises and stretches to do as well as how to make a heat pack for their sore muscles, which we hope they will put into practice.<br /><br />One of the biggest blessings for a lot of the women was our massage therapist that came along the last two days. For many women, it was probably the first massage they had ever received, and they were so grateful for the 20 minutes of relaxation and enjoyment. Word spread quickly, and many came just for a massage.<br /><br />We hope to be going to various villages two days a week for clinics and hopefully will come up with some answers to these various cultural challenges!Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-52446592472074765832009-10-15T18:40:00.000-07:002009-10-15T18:45:17.349-07:00Spiritual Mapping<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CNICKAN%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">An attempt to see our communities the way God sees them; that is the definition of spiritual mapping provided by the book <u>Breaking Strongholds in Your City</u>, the resource that has most influenced my view on the subject.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The technique seeks to reveal the spiritual forces at work in a community so that they can be accurately addressed in prayer.<span style=""> </span>Ephesians 5:11 tells us to expose the deeds of darkness.<span style=""> </span>Spiritual mapping uses spiritual discernment and the observation of historical and geographical factors (such as the location of centers of occult activity in an area) to reveal the invisible forces that are interacting with our visible world.<span style=""> </span>Endemic sins, such as the communal practice of idolatry, can give demonic forces greater power to keep a people blind to the truth, thus challenging the spread of the Gospel.<span style=""> </span>Spiritual mapping, seeks to discern these factors so that they can be confessed and repented of (see Daniel 9:16-21 for an example of one man interceding in this way for a whole people) and so that the powers behind them can be bound so that God’s work can advance unhindered.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 Corinthians 4:4 tells us, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”<span style=""> </span>The ultimate goal of this kind of work is that God would make “his light shine in (their) hearts to give (them) the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Why do we feel this will be helpful in our area?<span style=""> </span>Nearly all of the villages around us have annual festivals in which they rededicate themselves and their land to the spiritual power which they perceive as being over their region.<span style=""> </span>This, and similar practices, as mentioned above, darken the veil that Satan is using to deceive these people.<span style=""> </span>By better understanding the working of such evil forces, we plan to cut their power at the root through intercessory prayer for our area and thus “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” (2 Corinthians 10:5).</p> Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-33079016218632378102009-10-11T13:01:00.000-07:002009-10-11T13:21:35.720-07:00The Newest Addition to the FamilyNope, not ours! Sarah just got to meet little Wesley James Cramer today, our nephew (the first son of David and Ann). He's precious!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd25PFMgWXMsPAg54SgIsj7Z7SMx9PIg6xgGGp_HLGRJ3MJz2jOLq6s0RwsFce01QDyEE9Z0VJIF4fU_OcvyzsC07w-IU6y7NLuyV0iJ0RAoGxZWQmdtoG4_qPa03L-uSLTj4BvqfCj1JH/s1600-h/IMG_2318.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd25PFMgWXMsPAg54SgIsj7Z7SMx9PIg6xgGGp_HLGRJ3MJz2jOLq6s0RwsFce01QDyEE9Z0VJIF4fU_OcvyzsC07w-IU6y7NLuyV0iJ0RAoGxZWQmdtoG4_qPa03L-uSLTj4BvqfCj1JH/s320/IMG_2318.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391436809345581762" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeoYlCObKiNFmSmqmuLupu_558omIBmRv-Mh9whZrRyPK4mP4iQNiaMNeK74Q1sqHQwNpD0XocjN8w2TbG7pL6sPpj5_tqdodKRMGz4Ht-IDyzeMGMx8_ahrgkkfJ-lKHbondfSDp1ni0/s1600-h/DSC02754.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeoYlCObKiNFmSmqmuLupu_558omIBmRv-Mh9whZrRyPK4mP4iQNiaMNeK74Q1sqHQwNpD0XocjN8w2TbG7pL6sPpj5_tqdodKRMGz4Ht-IDyzeMGMx8_ahrgkkfJ-lKHbondfSDp1ni0/s320/DSC02754.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391436796890681330" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe8QCmFcdhwdZORByjXnDr5yH6IlVZpkSZnibV6c3oIG7MoE2tNhUfCoW2M2ToUrRCDbMyruuWuWRoobVqPjAcad9AepOWbJYc4itjszv_eKtFej4DGYfrmF165twG-yTUnVpgblLJDpU/s1600-h/IMG_2317.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe8QCmFcdhwdZORByjXnDr5yH6IlVZpkSZnibV6c3oIG7MoE2tNhUfCoW2M2ToUrRCDbMyruuWuWRoobVqPjAcad9AepOWbJYc4itjszv_eKtFej4DGYfrmF165twG-yTUnVpgblLJDpU/s320/IMG_2317.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391437125548144114" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFET29bs11qsajOGvUEZX6GWXxw89BIC68uyIh9w2-ma3Aoo1WruN5DZE82PO9r8zbIajf5SMeJl3hdMX6qKVan96b3PavpZik9vdzsnGH5DjXk9cBBZeDYk89BDAVqGuRhvwtFcMdPgy/s1600-h/IMG_2316.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglFET29bs11qsajOGvUEZX6GWXxw89BIC68uyIh9w2-ma3Aoo1WruN5DZE82PO9r8zbIajf5SMeJl3hdMX6qKVan96b3PavpZik9vdzsnGH5DjXk9cBBZeDYk89BDAVqGuRhvwtFcMdPgy/s320/IMG_2316.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391437112434323762" border="0" /></a>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-64662613076738108182009-10-06T09:23:00.000-07:002009-10-06T10:17:36.873-07:00Medical Team StrategyWe’ve had several meetings this past week to plan out our ongoing medical ministry. We’re working with the Director of Health in town to contact villages that have no medical care and set up two days a week to go visit and provide basic health care. Ideally, we would like to find people in the villages who have diseases such as diabetes and return once a month to do blood sugar checks, diet teaching, etc. We feel this will give us a more measurable goal and a chance to impact individual lives, rather than just do blitz clinics every once in a while. Diabetes runs rampant in Mexico, and often times is undetected or very uncontrolled. It was not uncommon for us to have people with a fasting blood sugar in the 400s or higher at the clinics this summer. Many of the more isolated villages don’t have any doctors present, nor do nurses come and visit, as they do in some of the villages closer to town. By us going and visiting the villages, this will allow us to provide a much needed service to the communities, as well as hopefully open doors for the Gospel to enter. <br /><br />We still plan to do large scale outreaches several times a year when doctors come down from the States, but this plan will be more of our day-to-day ministry. The team will consist of us, Rhonda (RN), Joni (RN), and JoLynne (NP) for now, then will scale back to just us and Rhonda in April. We would also love to take some local believers along with us, whom we can train to check blood sugars and do the teaching, so that they could continue doing visits even after we leave someday.Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-37054614113402625352009-10-04T16:52:00.000-07:002009-10-06T09:15:37.118-07:00Mole, Mole, Mole<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CNICKAN%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">No, that’s not the little animal that ruins people’s yards- it’s the sauce put on meat at any big event in <st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Last week was the going away party for Grant and Jenn, and in typical Mexican fashion, we had mole negro (black mole). I was in charge of getting all the ingredients for the 17 lbs. of sauce (that’s only counting the chilies). </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So here’s the recipe: (Don’t try this at home!!!)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">17 lbs. chilies anchos</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 lbs. chilies huajillos</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9 lbs. sesame seeds</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9 lbs. pumpkin seeds</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9 lbs. peanuts</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9 lbs. raisins</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9 lbs. almonds</p> <p class="MsoNormal">9 lbs. apples</p> <p class="MsoNormal">2 lbs. garlic</p> <p class="MsoNormal">22 lbs. onion</p> <p class="MsoNormal">35 lbs. banana</p> <p class="MsoNormal">13 lbs. chocolate</p> <p class="MsoNormal">3.5 lbs. chorizo sausage</p> <p class="MsoNormal">4 gallons oil</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Garlic, cinnamon, oregano, cloves, salt, and pepper to taste</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It took an entire day to fry and finely grind all of the ingredients then stir them together in a huge pot over an open fire to make a thick paste. The day of the party we boiled the chicken and added the broth as well to make the sauce. It was a lot of work, but it was delicious!</p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdIPL5V8ZkmQcPkGv7peyeH8tgRQNo0YSQw4uGhIZecubaJe8drPQ7OsExhANjlqO27xCtcGcbsIR8FlMAfgYq2n8bN25FMQc04fQIXohBLBRFwUzg_zTCrd6r5SgIDKwcFRjs34QmjfY/s1600-h/DSCN5985.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdIPL5V8ZkmQcPkGv7peyeH8tgRQNo0YSQw4uGhIZecubaJe8drPQ7OsExhANjlqO27xCtcGcbsIR8FlMAfgYq2n8bN25FMQc04fQIXohBLBRFwUzg_zTCrd6r5SgIDKwcFRjs34QmjfY/s320/DSCN5985.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389511508674405554" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal">Cooking over a fire is the most common way for women to cook in Mexico and the ONLY acceptable way to make mole!
<br /></p> Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-30636819983395404572009-10-04T16:49:00.000-07:002009-10-04T17:24:01.201-07:00A lesson on finding people in Mexico<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 11"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CNICKAN%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">The last two days, Rhonda and I (Sarah) went on a ‘treasure hunt’ looking for a couple people from the clinic this summer</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">to follow up with. Of the five names, only one had an address with an actual house number. The others had either the neighborhood and street names, or just the neighborhood. So we set out, determined to find at least one of the women. We decided to start easy- the one that had a number. Unfortunately, having the house number does not guarantee that all the houses along the street have numbers on them. We followed the advice of our leader and got as close as we could, then just started asking people. We asked for #39 in a salon (#33) and the lady pointed us up the hill. As we crossed the street, we came across #31. It seemed to us that we were going in the wrong direction. We asked in a tortilla shop and none of them seemed to even know what their address there was. So, we took an educated guess and went back past the salon and <i style="">down</i> the hill. As we got closer, we asked a few more people for the woman by name and were able to locate the house. A young girl answered the door and said the woman was her aunt, but she was at work and wouldn’t be home until after 6. At least we found the house! </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Feeling a little encouraged, we tried the next name on our list. This time it wasn’t quite as easy. We found the neighborhood and street fairly quickly and felt pretty hopeful as there were only about a dozen houses on the street. The address didn’t have a number, so we went to the houses without numbers first. At the first one, a small girl answered and when we asked for Maria, looked perplexed and said there was no Maria there. We went two doors down and a middle-aged teacher answered the door. She ended up being our teacher for the next hour as she went from house to house asking for Maria. Everyone would stop and think for a moment then say, “Who could that be?” We were ready to give up and assume she had just been renting on the street and now had moved out. However, our teacher wasn’t as easily dissuaded. From house, to store, to another house, getting farther and farther from the street we had named, she led us along asking everyone who knows anyone where this house may be. Finally she said, “Last stop.” The woman there didn’t know Maria, but knew a family with her last name. We went there and the man said his wife’s last name was what we were looking for, but her name wasn’t Maria. However, she had gone to the ‘clinic of the foreigners’ this summer, so maybe it was her. We went back the next day, but she still wasn’t home. Her daughter also thought that her mom had gone to the clinic, so we’re hoping soon to find Maria. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">We have yet to look for the other three women. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Lesson learned: Ask, ask, ask, and don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. </span></p> Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-28267997119793623012009-08-12T16:03:00.000-07:002009-08-12T16:31:11.000-07:00Photo tour of our month in the StatesHere's a brief look at what the last 4 weeks looked like for us as we traveled from our home in Mexico to Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, and finally California. It has been a great time of visiting friends and family and making new friends as well. Hopefully you'll be able to take the tour at a much slower pace than we did!<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3HIciJD3xPQqjN7tN7hyphenhyphen9C5R9J2zXWEsh9YIQsN5UMsgKh__LgIrikIuzHuIWAlWVBNrk0KswIf9mf_9F2ButUwQQAB5t3fyGHBS0NGvzCfbEpP0PurCQt6XBuMNnKoY8_xmAROdbUMB/s1600-h/IMG_2192.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3HIciJD3xPQqjN7tN7hyphenhyphen9C5R9J2zXWEsh9YIQsN5UMsgKh__LgIrikIuzHuIWAlWVBNrk0KswIf9mf_9F2ButUwQQAB5t3fyGHBS0NGvzCfbEpP0PurCQt6XBuMNnKoY8_xmAROdbUMB/s320/IMG_2192.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369220507674044994" border="0" /></a>Roadtrip!!! Off to Illinois to visit Kurt and Nellie!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl_bdT3UhRWqqY3BteDi8ZonRFZNp7FoMAhfQFdnY_1hCSvqvqhYlaX-BVxG440ik593e5xzEY3A5yILSsgs2E8Z8tTclMApANzAvYbSLIQsJdbwK73cSLvi-wKZwAXvWIodo6aocnDXE/s1600-h/IMG_9297.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcl_bdT3UhRWqqY3BteDi8ZonRFZNp7FoMAhfQFdnY_1hCSvqvqhYlaX-BVxG440ik593e5xzEY3A5yILSsgs2E8Z8tTclMApANzAvYbSLIQsJdbwK73cSLvi-wKZwAXvWIodo6aocnDXE/s320/IMG_9297.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369220492351011506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaVcd6LQtl-WJd4P-K0ODnaUiGMg0Y3TMoEh4S6897ZtMEC31A_Qkerw7JTqI7vATSji91i5CKZZIg6F9o9A7BarcflAC_SMdkFgFrnTXXh_-pcdIN2TaA9-EoOZ_vtE9uMpRKh84uFRd/s1600-h/IMG_2195.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTaVcd6LQtl-WJd4P-K0ODnaUiGMg0Y3TMoEh4S6897ZtMEC31A_Qkerw7JTqI7vATSji91i5CKZZIg6F9o9A7BarcflAC_SMdkFgFrnTXXh_-pcdIN2TaA9-EoOZ_vtE9uMpRKh84uFRd/s320/IMG_2195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369220483661906674" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We love you, Grandma!<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nu4jfGc_mv0Cp8rjmp3m1eav_d-_3UiZHzkZ622WkJbOSiThK8f5GQ7HAY6krz6Mt1feilZ4XU72KMUYAo9scqpYytLU1kOwCVz4PaghNbo10smN0BAOA35F0hD55CUC2LIT0TmXPJS4/s1600-h/IMG_2196.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nu4jfGc_mv0Cp8rjmp3m1eav_d-_3UiZHzkZ622WkJbOSiThK8f5GQ7HAY6krz6Mt1feilZ4XU72KMUYAo9scqpYytLU1kOwCVz4PaghNbo10smN0BAOA35F0hD55CUC2LIT0TmXPJS4/s320/IMG_2196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369220475495412914" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Sarah's first trip to Pella, Iowa. Love the Dutch letters!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3yVgTnLrzdF9eAIrFFMphffR-5I5Knwg-CzAmqTfdLwhdRSnnOgIJrTxmSmU09MlhLHNCQRAJH0bZZYiuzIiNdW9EdeCd76FLiz3DGnmoW0gsXNeRYH2j4QvDOsBN3oicTQk-HYlnD9R/s1600-h/IMG_2197.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ3yVgTnLrzdF9eAIrFFMphffR-5I5Knwg-CzAmqTfdLwhdRSnnOgIJrTxmSmU09MlhLHNCQRAJH0bZZYiuzIiNdW9EdeCd76FLiz3DGnmoW0gsXNeRYH2j4QvDOsBN3oicTQk-HYlnD9R/s320/IMG_2197.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369220463422915762" border="0" /></a>Life on the farm with Uncle Daniel, Aunt Mary, and Max!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSa4OerwqiXiOO8LfIz-dbyO8zjd2YnJlUNIulDwKKBN5bPzRGVhok2S5ysxP4JDb78Qt9i5ctu3cyM25ZcgvU5-XKzp3drVhKUBISZtK16klxhnWE9sH7hwg_hSD7C2GnuxBEkjurN6vE/s1600-h/IMG_2200.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSa4OerwqiXiOO8LfIz-dbyO8zjd2YnJlUNIulDwKKBN5bPzRGVhok2S5ysxP4JDb78Qt9i5ctu3cyM25ZcgvU5-XKzp3drVhKUBISZtK16klxhnWE9sH7hwg_hSD7C2GnuxBEkjurN6vE/s320/IMG_2200.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369219422857777490" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A trip to Indiana is never complete without a bonfire at the Saunders'<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrKo3WMMg6MQUh6JXwG6ih8hbpi-uEanqTcqMnN2tvMEC3QmAoh1eGaOANKBqxxEL3bjANkOY_N3ZG90GiekjJ5uToCR4OtQQEQWETOb-D1Qk5fy6siMDOW9TfuG4hv6EXPTVeMUHm0mQ/s1600-h/IMG_2205.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrKo3WMMg6MQUh6JXwG6ih8hbpi-uEanqTcqMnN2tvMEC3QmAoh1eGaOANKBqxxEL3bjANkOY_N3ZG90GiekjJ5uToCR4OtQQEQWETOb-D1Qk5fy6siMDOW9TfuG4hv6EXPTVeMUHm0mQ/s320/IMG_2205.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369219415159366402" border="0" /></a>Ready to tackle Tower Hill?<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQ9hrTo1kWrAKB54jK_hLwh9nRWRDJPr4VU9hH9uxbSKSQg1ZrRSYt2D-jI5nKsayMEpNoNvfFCnN0Xh7zjAauvo5p71g9NPuzQgbV7pb_TwugKxqhkAd6-tWjoPiyoJlp0Kh00eP6cnl/s1600-h/IMG_2202.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQ9hrTo1kWrAKB54jK_hLwh9nRWRDJPr4VU9hH9uxbSKSQg1ZrRSYt2D-jI5nKsayMEpNoNvfFCnN0Xh7zjAauvo5p71g9NPuzQgbV7pb_TwugKxqhkAd6-tWjoPiyoJlp0Kh00eP6cnl/s320/IMG_2202.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369219402582208338" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwqahABl9GTDl_d8lZS8mp0YmDkachTqF6giWh9E3QOKKwrXu8jSSMCdcrnwbn31ABc6fvkxmIg2OTzwctwP7ZilFftz7MAFCXhspqM5NwmtEspeEWl10_ToK771ysjytwyVtz0FGUV-y/s1600-h/IMG_2209.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNwqahABl9GTDl_d8lZS8mp0YmDkachTqF6giWh9E3QOKKwrXu8jSSMCdcrnwbn31ABc6fvkxmIg2OTzwctwP7ZilFftz7MAFCXhspqM5NwmtEspeEWl10_ToK771ysjytwyVtz0FGUV-y/s320/IMG_2209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369219390668176178" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We missed you Rachel!<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsK-P0362KEZF8va4U_rR0v7QBrqeEwMxhr_2p2_zVIgBNmadAaaxjdRwqQrA49xqC0wP95JmJSjO0PPXiD9HL30ID6q95Nv5GfsJllp7Onv9IkADwO6Kyu4fdMjjbn_gch0fvYGqdsHd/s1600-h/IMG_2211.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsK-P0362KEZF8va4U_rR0v7QBrqeEwMxhr_2p2_zVIgBNmadAaaxjdRwqQrA49xqC0wP95JmJSjO0PPXiD9HL30ID6q95Nv5GfsJllp7Onv9IkADwO6Kyu4fdMjjbn_gch0fvYGqdsHd/s320/IMG_2211.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369219379745090066" border="0" /></a>Nick's first tea at Rachel's<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79jRyIcHqVjr6iAJj4dMqABRAG5BsePdLwQVj7-vBLfm0d7FuvRG2TB06eCbkiu_lFqwonx0HWsN7sZ-967t1IUJqibCMthcyPqzG2yhQKbbTRzjlqJkeJZIy0Dy7sFFedxsZMIqzDDcQ/s1600-h/IMG_2212.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj79jRyIcHqVjr6iAJj4dMqABRAG5BsePdLwQVj7-vBLfm0d7FuvRG2TB06eCbkiu_lFqwonx0HWsN7sZ-967t1IUJqibCMthcyPqzG2yhQKbbTRzjlqJkeJZIy0Dy7sFFedxsZMIqzDDcQ/s320/IMG_2212.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369218517786345042" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Nice pinky<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIyhRUDi53ZokK9G-lRF1OawtqD1etfmBkzBIs8ngcWfjxCzBdOODj5uFE0tWOsq0-6qQc5mzLx02n3oo1FK2aoQ0aPtKRYcBF8nheZ4zhxiU-ObjTi5IFKP7d9b7BmLXi0BsWmaK-Ap8/s1600-h/IMG_2220.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIyhRUDi53ZokK9G-lRF1OawtqD1etfmBkzBIs8ngcWfjxCzBdOODj5uFE0tWOsq0-6qQc5mzLx02n3oo1FK2aoQ0aPtKRYcBF8nheZ4zhxiU-ObjTi5IFKP7d9b7BmLXi0BsWmaK-Ap8/s320/IMG_2220.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369218528737983074" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Happy birthday, Lance!<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4_-2GZ_iK3jViIPACT8PnOhSkXEN9IRFJX3n2T6NdUhj9_640ASR4lSNjER5-LBo73oNbNBBPkwAuHbhoO3_OSt6lSsdl2ikXlBa2re5O-t35fN0qoqgC2IwGNWgssSpAESgcrbzipnG/s1600-h/IMG_2214.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis4_-2GZ_iK3jViIPACT8PnOhSkXEN9IRFJX3n2T6NdUhj9_640ASR4lSNjER5-LBo73oNbNBBPkwAuHbhoO3_OSt6lSsdl2ikXlBa2re5O-t35fN0qoqgC2IwGNWgssSpAESgcrbzipnG/s320/IMG_2214.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369218506370650242" border="0" /></a>And Brooke, too!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH4Lop57uaacOVq9LBgGPoB_KvsSB30-GxmgiQs35gojx3y82eRCWS6Ozt_BdtbQrzgoh-nNzTB7BPyjTTThyoZT4kwBJarSTGUJfgzdFbG_XlCwP8zCEqRj-BesG0yHraqY75j6GASMa/s1600-h/IMG_2222.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH4Lop57uaacOVq9LBgGPoB_KvsSB30-GxmgiQs35gojx3y82eRCWS6Ozt_BdtbQrzgoh-nNzTB7BPyjTTThyoZT4kwBJarSTGUJfgzdFbG_XlCwP8zCEqRj-BesG0yHraqY75j6GASMa/s320/IMG_2222.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369218484899594242" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The master chef... great guacamole...and apron<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKW3ZPC3zH1x_xO1_HAig9pU_gtewEOLPTuBJZQlY-qQN3XvtAKLlBSEWFApzESiQ0LJQ3dywWRtU-v6U7d5GdglTnyD-KZCnIlm2HjHrsjIfyeMaaZc_Ha7qv6mZw5PI5HWQeebfsDE4/s1600-h/IMG_2224.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKW3ZPC3zH1x_xO1_HAig9pU_gtewEOLPTuBJZQlY-qQN3XvtAKLlBSEWFApzESiQ0LJQ3dywWRtU-v6U7d5GdglTnyD-KZCnIlm2HjHrsjIfyeMaaZc_Ha7qv6mZw5PI5HWQeebfsDE4/s320/IMG_2224.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369218494146563810" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Fiesta at the Lewis's<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkAk_Ky6_5OeNC08je8pnAbWl5Zgo9aJk4tly2TFkPkghRqdHKub_Jh0k8hTTdZaSXXxvCR7Xz_9Bw__8YJgz4vBHE2f1Z5LcXeHoM5Y3Po3h39CW5wrnUp7-2FG3b9vZgM8MM6LwhXrG/s1600-h/IMG_2235.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkAk_Ky6_5OeNC08je8pnAbWl5Zgo9aJk4tly2TFkPkghRqdHKub_Jh0k8hTTdZaSXXxvCR7Xz_9Bw__8YJgz4vBHE2f1Z5LcXeHoM5Y3Po3h39CW5wrnUp7-2FG3b9vZgM8MM6LwhXrG/s320/IMG_2235.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369221034964550850" border="0" /></a>Chillin' on the sailboat<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8Hab3t418PRJ0sKKX-Jl_qO1v-fWEyYiU5jDInTFbDoJqFgueyWpiP9Oh-NvEJ7eI2uJzWqlgyvifdVOcG2Xgt_N6rxSNYqrLPl8pZQKeVDlr_SUaV9vjBsi9HDq3f6ZFAH0DQk4rLbT/s1600-h/IMG_2237.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH8Hab3t418PRJ0sKKX-Jl_qO1v-fWEyYiU5jDInTFbDoJqFgueyWpiP9Oh-NvEJ7eI2uJzWqlgyvifdVOcG2Xgt_N6rxSNYqrLPl8pZQKeVDlr_SUaV9vjBsi9HDq3f6ZFAH0DQk4rLbT/s320/IMG_2237.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369221045757118354" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Which flavor will you choose?<br /></div>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-3740518744367817602009-08-12T14:26:00.000-07:002009-08-12T16:38:06.155-07:00Visit from Karen!<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span>Last week, our dear friend, Karen, visited us, so we decided to take advantage of the warm California weather and Nick's Dad's sailboat and go sailing. It quickly became an adventure when the boat ramp's thick layer of scum caused the van to slide backward instead of drive forward. Marius waded through the green water to unhook the boat trailer, hoping that would lighten the load enough for the van to pull out. Nope. So Nick was stuck in the van with his foot on the brake (the e-brake wouldn't hold it in place either) while his Mom called AAA to come tow him out. We were glad when they arrived before the van ended up in the bottom of the lake! The sailing was great, however, and we left with some fun memories.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjc0ceotF0G-dJEGFpSmbaZ_xd1UKZSVYU3HsWUzAUylAS6CqOyzbd3Kr_i9z_8s8Kw_s_v_aYVbRFdB2sjIXLwrzNmHo6VfBH0FP6Ii5R1O6q_NLCRwKftd1OMau0FV2hBAemmT1HAfo/s1600-h/IMG_2227.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjc0ceotF0G-dJEGFpSmbaZ_xd1UKZSVYU3HsWUzAUylAS6CqOyzbd3Kr_i9z_8s8Kw_s_v_aYVbRFdB2sjIXLwrzNmHo6VfBH0FP6Ii5R1O6q_NLCRwKftd1OMau0FV2hBAemmT1HAfo/s200/IMG_2227.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369194455714232466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Keep your foot on the brake, Nick!<br /></span></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigO5T8RUkYUhGeLeCpa-D4UE8yiQriIhJdBdMd90u_2CJi3yGbGWEhZ2FiqoNTj41b-RsafwE4G1nY0K8tp2RwpiZjWJVCaIK-9VHmh_1Qr73_1Jx0ERHsoY1setmn2aE0BlO86XWohyT-/s1600-h/IMG_2229.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigO5T8RUkYUhGeLeCpa-D4UE8yiQriIhJdBdMd90u_2CJi3yGbGWEhZ2FiqoNTj41b-RsafwE4G1nY0K8tp2RwpiZjWJVCaIK-9VHmh_1Qr73_1Jx0ERHsoY1setmn2aE0BlO86XWohyT-/s200/IMG_2229.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369194469352246834" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Thanks AAA!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVVdEP6YHaQifrMedt5y5KOKBLAIC3LF2iOzSCSAJLH8gD03TKg57jrtKtRx9JzXKisFJtOrMoc8X4wo48B40QUuaRD03ED7kmxZiqVFHmALOoeV6Onc7ia3e02H_5UqVUL9meSIeVD9l/s1600-h/IMG_2234.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVVdEP6YHaQifrMedt5y5KOKBLAIC3LF2iOzSCSAJLH8gD03TKg57jrtKtRx9JzXKisFJtOrMoc8X4wo48B40QUuaRD03ED7kmxZiqVFHmALOoeV6Onc7ia3e02H_5UqVUL9meSIeVD9l/s200/IMG_2234.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369194480171889698" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Marius is quite the little sailor!<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUz7e1zFhwyUroCuhX5QqHeImF2BhrNO4A1sSLX318RZfkHzWcTUKLIzis2EfBP3xH9aX_-ThUNO_ryH6npbZf7FQqM20tRz6JTY2J3PJF0peKKlCe_UBJ7uj2OyFIgv8n1EPKbG0g6Ie/s1600-h/IMG_2238.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUz7e1zFhwyUroCuhX5QqHeImF2BhrNO4A1sSLX318RZfkHzWcTUKLIzis2EfBP3xH9aX_-ThUNO_ryH6npbZf7FQqM20tRz6JTY2J3PJF0peKKlCe_UBJ7uj2OyFIgv8n1EPKbG0g6Ie/s200/IMG_2238.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369194489205663826" border="0" /></a>That night, we ended Karen's visit with a trip to Brock's, a famous homemade ice cream parlor, an essential part of any visit to YC! Happy Birthday, Karen!Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-16084103366984025312009-07-05T16:39:00.000-07:002009-08-12T16:46:37.680-07:00GraduationJune is graduation time, and this year Sarah had the honor of being asked to accompany Belen (Gerardo and Susana's youngest daughter) at her kindergarten graduation. First they have a cultural presentation where all of the kids dress in costumes and perform traditional Mexican dances. There's also a flag ceremony, several speeches, then the actual graduation ceremony. Here's a few pictures of the festivities:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXWjIshOZPlk5ea_wGRO-jIvdJRHHcD7ygnqmEhni5Gz0opaMqNikrvILFn_dz3w7LrRYwAN4S4OoXqv6kPUpFYP1p1hA-5FruYfOuNxBeRsuHfnO0vLOKR_tqjCs_vVKxSlE9s7eqZ6k/s1600-h/IMG_2164.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXWjIshOZPlk5ea_wGRO-jIvdJRHHcD7ygnqmEhni5Gz0opaMqNikrvILFn_dz3w7LrRYwAN4S4OoXqv6kPUpFYP1p1hA-5FruYfOuNxBeRsuHfnO0vLOKR_tqjCs_vVKxSlE9s7eqZ6k/s320/IMG_2164.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369226754009746754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln3Ver0-rPEDvrclSKsDBCq7VdPAn-56KERiYxfk84eQe4alES3aOXs81Pb8NVT_gRXaPk5qtPJ_wVVcRMrqYnS5ViO3SMT6UVnispdqtd-xLniRcdV0yu64KxSoZnjfEUtS2MT90QNMf/s1600-h/IMG_2166.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgln3Ver0-rPEDvrclSKsDBCq7VdPAn-56KERiYxfk84eQe4alES3aOXs81Pb8NVT_gRXaPk5qtPJ_wVVcRMrqYnS5ViO3SMT6UVnispdqtd-xLniRcdV0yu64KxSoZnjfEUtS2MT90QNMf/s320/IMG_2166.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369226748800940530" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYC6gGMLvtj5lYCgxWIax_K9lEjfj3H6x6ydN8sg2tzxjA1E8zhvTBuoQpubjS2p7z-Oe_MZj03r75rs1C7ESaSqXICKNHlHfK18UcCMvaxigRDWUgF26levlkyXYziEksX7AGWddmxEA/s1600-h/IMG_2173.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYC6gGMLvtj5lYCgxWIax_K9lEjfj3H6x6ydN8sg2tzxjA1E8zhvTBuoQpubjS2p7z-Oe_MZj03r75rs1C7ESaSqXICKNHlHfK18UcCMvaxigRDWUgF26levlkyXYziEksX7AGWddmxEA/s320/IMG_2173.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369226740441804482" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcJqrRG-AdkmHu6wcml1-ywo1fDf-sHAxFA2fmgxX8YOizuwUBdlPthGnwpc6gvKGl3n6AgAUAY7yiuj3F8cjQCkCOrk7Ixrp_KX_DYIGfjscqO7O6vN53Ni9h6DKU0lUw3AlwAxNbM4X/s1600-h/IMG_2177.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIcJqrRG-AdkmHu6wcml1-ywo1fDf-sHAxFA2fmgxX8YOizuwUBdlPthGnwpc6gvKGl3n6AgAUAY7yiuj3F8cjQCkCOrk7Ixrp_KX_DYIGfjscqO7O6vN53Ni9h6DKU0lUw3AlwAxNbM4X/s320/IMG_2177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369226726208755186" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55pbrPHb_zPfCVeNJunvLHk_zSsPMw0p0Jy6UpuOeckxOORyb3tJpYRfyoCmHvUX0XuaqsBj3Smp_qApx-sYewKY4UNBgxvRk_km8xwx38gQk9oP0aZBNAypwzchHuD8Hg57fxTgJkvlx/s1600-h/IMG_2178.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55pbrPHb_zPfCVeNJunvLHk_zSsPMw0p0Jy6UpuOeckxOORyb3tJpYRfyoCmHvUX0XuaqsBj3Smp_qApx-sYewKY4UNBgxvRk_km8xwx38gQk9oP0aZBNAypwzchHuD8Hg57fxTgJkvlx/s320/IMG_2178.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369226717954191410" border="0" /></a>Of course no celebration is complete without cake!<br /></div>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-44993942918423144032009-07-03T09:53:00.000-07:002009-07-03T10:15:47.561-07:00A look into the spirit of religion here"Susana's mother-in-law is a believer!"<br /><br />"Really?!? We didn't know that."<br /><br />"Yes, she has been coming to our church."<br /><div style="text-align: right;">(conversation with a local church-goer)<br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">A few days later...<br /></div></div><br />"Susana, we didn't know that your mother-in-law was going to church?!?"<br /><br />"She was for a couple months, but then she got mad that the woman who was taking her wouldn't spend all day every Sunday with her, so she stopped going. She still believes in witchcraft. Not too long ago she payed a man 7000 pesos ($650)-(you can imagine how much that is to an elderly woman whose livelihood is tending her sheep)- to come and do a 'spiritual cleansing.' He didn't even bring his own egg to rub over her; she came over to borrow one from us! A few months before, she also payed someone 4000 pesos for a similar type of cleansing. She's convinced that a curse has been put upon her."<br /><div style="text-align: right;">(conversation between us and Susana)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This is an all-too-familiar story here. People equate being a Christian with attending a particular church. It has been a challenge for us as we look for ways to explain what being a true follower of Jesus is. People want to know what 'religion' we are a part of, and we frequently hear that people are not interested in changing their religion. We're not here to convert people to a new religion; we're here to see peoples lives come under submission to Jesus Christ. This 'spirit of religion' didn't start here with the Mexican people; Jesus himself came up against it often in his ministry, as did his apostles. We are praying that this spirit of religion will be broken and that we can accurately portray the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people of this region.<br /></div></div>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-63743905564384522312009-06-25T10:51:00.000-07:002009-06-25T14:57:48.725-07:00Fun in the KitchenWe've decided recently that we want to start eating healthier, so we've been experimenting with more natural snacks. We're quite proud of some of our accomplishments. We made natural peanut butter, made from raw peanuts that we roasted ourselves. We also made homemade granola, and have been experimenting ways to turn them into granola bars. It tastes great on yogurt, and we're planning on trying it as an ice cream topper as well (ok, so that defeats the purpose of it being healthy, we know, but everything in moderation, right!)<br /><br />When we come back from the States, we're planning on planting a small garden so that we can eat garden fresh produce. Additionally, our neighbor sells fresh milk, straight from the udder, which we plan to buy instead of the boxed shelf milk. We may even start making our own yogurt and churning our own butter. Maybe we should start our own line of natural food products to sell!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYz6Yhqe8wPIrf4cxNW49VjkHFBIljYLAcrsbyp9xwD_TDcrWn43XQW7b1dVaZcx3VPEVYJqs5Pulj4ZhKqDUNOVJezJlHaMmpczxbN_uv-AJqfQ8gHgjC5NnZllOmB6XcZenSB9IGiORj/s1600-h/IMG_2118.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYz6Yhqe8wPIrf4cxNW49VjkHFBIljYLAcrsbyp9xwD_TDcrWn43XQW7b1dVaZcx3VPEVYJqs5Pulj4ZhKqDUNOVJezJlHaMmpczxbN_uv-AJqfQ8gHgjC5NnZllOmB6XcZenSB9IGiORj/s200/IMG_2118.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351387000817281986" border="0" /></a>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-90102542880296650112009-06-14T12:22:00.000-07:002009-06-14T15:17:06.689-07:00Visit to VillageThis weekend we had the opportunity to go with Gerardo and Susana and their kids to their home in his home village. It is more of a mountain cabin, actually. We drove to the village then walked another 20 minutes up the mountain to their little wooden home, nestled among the trees. There's no water, bathroom, or electricity there, so we had our evening coffee and bread (a very typical Mexican dinner) cooked over the fire and eaten by the light of a torch they made out of a branch and a rag soaked in diesel.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCigdV1ozwkTCNBi21rRAJFipNZF2J-scz0zWTYRLuZJCVzh1rut3uincbAv0c4MgPq7VJPGLRVBK7bnyG6-TMcdjMDR68lOiB6-tmh00G0tqd3X_DaJfNABm-EJF3IJJtitHBtap7azR/s1600-h/IMG_2095.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCigdV1ozwkTCNBi21rRAJFipNZF2J-scz0zWTYRLuZJCVzh1rut3uincbAv0c4MgPq7VJPGLRVBK7bnyG6-TMcdjMDR68lOiB6-tmh00G0tqd3X_DaJfNABm-EJF3IJJtitHBtap7azR/s200/IMG_2095.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347296017081707618" border="0" /></a><br />Upon awakening in the morning, we helped them with the task of planting corn on the mountainside. We quickly discovered that this was not only a new process for us but for them as well. First we cleared the brush and burned it, then we planted the corn in the still smoldering ground. I wouldn't have been surprised if some of the kernels had popped!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjuujK1tfEUsKPl3zY4f2xFhq0BPKGfLlBfQErTyyadecHLfuFIQ4-AFekcaL8P_ecGDTHfMMkHBqjQqO75_7M4dqiaxhyphenhyphenIh9cXqxzFeR7El70SNnsFbXt5pg8LpTFvadD8motq4DvlGk/s1600-h/IMG_2099.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjuujK1tfEUsKPl3zY4f2xFhq0BPKGfLlBfQErTyyadecHLfuFIQ4-AFekcaL8P_ecGDTHfMMkHBqjQqO75_7M4dqiaxhyphenhyphenIh9cXqxzFeR7El70SNnsFbXt5pg8LpTFvadD8motq4DvlGk/s200/IMG_2099.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347296020290276418" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXXWeXgQ16Qx2WNzsy8GlXUXKSd0FEvgbtifjM0DLw_iQeIaLm3SzvBeQyfOTx9xF2k3SUnsM4FSTfu8NOOVdM1nmQLcE1lgsIh9OpNm56aqH7JXm8jc0DwA7eQ3WwHgwoUTEmyROH-km/s1600-h/IMG_2101.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXXWeXgQ16Qx2WNzsy8GlXUXKSd0FEvgbtifjM0DLw_iQeIaLm3SzvBeQyfOTx9xF2k3SUnsM4FSTfu8NOOVdM1nmQLcE1lgsIh9OpNm56aqH7JXm8jc0DwA7eQ3WwHgwoUTEmyROH-km/s200/IMG_2101.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347296025669781170" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4zt8LWtdOFzFNFufzGfHXTpd5TM1lW0DmqJh229oiyQtUGK5LcxQbPCBbGfh5SkfGai_3hyphenhyphenrHOck4Nqlai-vGBTRPHvt_0p3FmqItUZVHnziarXeABOVEw84_DXRzBZZsN6kYVqxdNtX/s1600-h/IMG_2102.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4zt8LWtdOFzFNFufzGfHXTpd5TM1lW0DmqJh229oiyQtUGK5LcxQbPCBbGfh5SkfGai_3hyphenhyphenrHOck4Nqlai-vGBTRPHvt_0p3FmqItUZVHnziarXeABOVEw84_DXRzBZZsN6kYVqxdNtX/s200/IMG_2102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347296036032042242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Of course, there's always room for a little fun!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-AKHBC0NJw0Jj7LokyYvVbEOesCi6KlAgNKuIvG9onInfGKpR6wyHkVhHmkNeUCgOLNPd4YFbn-pOdSA6y7nq6nejnFrNk8CEw04XRV_R5_L0eoRUXVK8JSx8LsH2xMgPe1s93CLrTPe/s1600-h/IMG_2106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-AKHBC0NJw0Jj7LokyYvVbEOesCi6KlAgNKuIvG9onInfGKpR6wyHkVhHmkNeUCgOLNPd4YFbn-pOdSA6y7nq6nejnFrNk8CEw04XRV_R5_L0eoRUXVK8JSx8LsH2xMgPe1s93CLrTPe/s200/IMG_2106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347296038318954722" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fDyB7yoJ0lPW6tH6KGF_wZE8YbfaZzRlpmoDZXKLNzpMGB6kmUQzjtAH87oTe0KNSS1VhIqI5ZM2rUffYALi-KPdjkSPvbis94eq7sZ3k7hhYEYMONAEvqRunmV4glqGIMmLjAm0cZkq/s1600-h/IMG_2104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3fDyB7yoJ0lPW6tH6KGF_wZE8YbfaZzRlpmoDZXKLNzpMGB6kmUQzjtAH87oTe0KNSS1VhIqI5ZM2rUffYALi-KPdjkSPvbis94eq7sZ3k7hhYEYMONAEvqRunmV4glqGIMmLjAm0cZkq/s200/IMG_2104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347296904503681746" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSVxO_hVaxwpCJiP1r19n4XlN38GfGjlKZJeNhM1s2JXunTVD-Or3xl4IcAXlhB5HV-wJsogzM26aQGE08acl0bcouLgXzxEZLRZ4EbKmob3tVapWXwb7GgEZKfbkfWTD8BcClSKsXfRU/s1600-h/IMG_2108.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimSVxO_hVaxwpCJiP1r19n4XlN38GfGjlKZJeNhM1s2JXunTVD-Or3xl4IcAXlhB5HV-wJsogzM26aQGE08acl0bcouLgXzxEZLRZ4EbKmob3tVapWXwb7GgEZKfbkfWTD8BcClSKsXfRU/s200/IMG_2108.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347296904088886210" border="0" /></a>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-14187102880530195492009-05-31T15:24:00.000-07:002009-05-31T16:27:45.910-07:00Creepy CrawliesLiving in Mexico we're learning more about creepy crawly critters than we may have cared to. Within the last 2 weeks, Roberto (our neighbor) has brought home 2 snakes that had been run over, the second still being alive for a brief time after arriving to our homestead. The first he skinned and is going to hang on his wall (I'm sure his wife will be very happy about that); the second he sold. Fortunately neither of them made it to our table! However, we did learn several important lessons :<br /><ul><li>rattlesnakes curl up as seen below when about to strike<br /></li><li>if you want to kill it you should come from the front, because they always strike behind them (as do scorpions). </li></ul><br />Other random facts we have observed about the wildlife here is that daddy-long-legs like to hide in yellow gingham curtains and that flies are their food of choice!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh978ZHOKz8miPnrcJPE3-z20Nx803NtxUchaARxNJ9NxCAbs9NoVDiwZSrayAWm6v9lmygCXQBjS2M2CqJ8RLZ8USqfK77rJnev4l6yp6knXXjjxXxIuM1IXbrK8zNk6wGK_su6PMBosru/s1600-h/IMG_2066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh978ZHOKz8miPnrcJPE3-z20Nx803NtxUchaARxNJ9NxCAbs9NoVDiwZSrayAWm6v9lmygCXQBjS2M2CqJ8RLZ8USqfK77rJnev4l6yp6knXXjjxXxIuM1IXbrK8zNk6wGK_su6PMBosru/s200/IMG_2066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342122691086215026" border="0" /></a>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-15303313652261801712009-05-31T14:09:00.000-07:002009-05-31T14:30:54.650-07:00Mi Rancho es Su Rancho<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbPWdgqt8gETYD7WKSlP0_Ri0goVq42vdPkKJvTFAXKUIbFoOlkiIXefej1-idmmSxJKVJCzOlj5VYO6M5GT7DUbIl9vflnSEC-o_AaVplXauB_Jx6V5mWw6q9qQv-0psuw94xX4016nC/s1600-h/IMG_2073.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbPWdgqt8gETYD7WKSlP0_Ri0goVq42vdPkKJvTFAXKUIbFoOlkiIXefej1-idmmSxJKVJCzOlj5VYO6M5GT7DUbIl9vflnSEC-o_AaVplXauB_Jx6V5mWw6q9qQv-0psuw94xX4016nC/s200/IMG_2073.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342100453089445538" border="0" /></a>(For those of you who don't speak Spanish, that's an invitation to come to our house! It literally means 'my ranch is your ranch.')<br /><br />Last week Nick spent 4 days working with our neighbors Roberto and Don Josue to make our house a bit more rain proof and to add a large front porch onto it. We invited both families to join us for an 'inauguration' meal on Thursday to thank them for their work and to try out the 14 person table that Nick built.<br /><br />We hung our double hammock between the two post of the porch where we can lay in it and look at the stars at night or enjoy the sound of the rain. <br /><br />We hope our peaceful lifestyle and comfy accommodations (anyone want to sleep in a hammock overnight?) will entice many of you to come down and visit us!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBNqk7e_bwkkbmFK_06YQDJ4T4kkUCSTVDEb2gWebdq01bg5dNJzWdvI2rIRjeNJA4hh6hEZkqJuJovb7-MM2rI7d0Iisk2uZcL-HsHhKG3a68m0HiQlrbJ80TkNgbIsIGJS9y-SdEN3v/s1600-h/IMG_2068.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBNqk7e_bwkkbmFK_06YQDJ4T4kkUCSTVDEb2gWebdq01bg5dNJzWdvI2rIRjeNJA4hh6hEZkqJuJovb7-MM2rI7d0Iisk2uZcL-HsHhKG3a68m0HiQlrbJ80TkNgbIsIGJS9y-SdEN3v/s200/IMG_2068.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342100454847759442" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">shared meals with our neighbors are becoming<br />quite a common occurrence </span><br /></div>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-1950454519163539602009-05-19T14:02:00.000-07:002009-06-02T12:40:11.515-07:00An Inside Job<div>God continues to open our eyes to the blessings He surrounded us with when He led us to live as a part of this little familial community in the picturesque pine forest at the edge of town. The heart of our work down here is to extend the message and lifestyle of Jesus Christ to the surrounding villages where there currently is no Christian witness. Our strategy is to raise up local leaders here in town, where people are generally more open to learning about God and His Word, and train them to follow Christ and take His love back to their native villages. Don Josue and his family are an example of God working in this way.<br /><br />Don Josue moved into this peaceful spot many years ago partly as a means to escape the persecution he faced in his village. Members of his home community burned Bibles, spoke death threats, jailed, and even forcibly expelled from the village Don Josue and other local Christians. I thought that with that kind of history, his wife and he would be reluctant to even talking about reaching out to their village. But the God at work in His heart is bigger and better than that. Now we're really starting to sense that God wants to use this family to share the love and freedom they enjoy in God with those back home.<br /></div><br />A few nights ago, we went to visit Don Josue and his wife. We were hoping to ask them about their prayer life and possibly decide on a time when we could get together for prayer. Shortly after we arrived, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">he</span> asked if <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">we</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>could pray. I told Don Josue that I'd like to pray for their village with them. At the mention of his village he launched into what at first seemed like the usual spiel about the people being too hard-hearted and how there was no hope that they'd change. Instead he testified to a hope and a grace that persevered under trial and gained the victory. He shared the experiences of his uncle, who was kicked out of the village for his efforts to share God's Word with others in their village. Despite this rejection, his uncle continued to pray for his community. Today, Don Josue told us, the people of the village are less hard, and many of the youth especially have begun to follow God. His eyes moistening with tears, he fixed his gaze on me, and concluded, "Thank you for praying for my village."<br /><br />Down here, people usually all pray at the same time. In many prayer meetings I've been to it seems like a lot of people spend half the time with their eyes open, staring around at the walls, waiting for the others to stop and say "Amen" so they can all leave (I know this because I am so spiritual, not because I too spend half the time with my eyes open, staring around at the walls). :) Don Josue prays until he's good and done, regardless of what the rest of the group is doing. And when he's done, he usually has tears in his eyes. The guy might not know a lot of theology, but he knows how to talk to his God. And I think that is what will make all the difference as God leads us to pray for and minister to the people of his village.Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-25977917163466018592009-05-19T12:33:00.000-07:002009-05-19T15:00:28.175-07:00sowing the seed (literally and spiritually)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKasZxerF_Gza1sJG24f08qihwDRTwpOpNngCUj3Df991xWfBB3TetZLuS-Tayew53_i__drVpJhKqpBqp4fP_MGE8u9S31zhBZCcszptBAV-b9NlTnJDyoYTdiCb2V5RALF6NzM1Muha/s1600-h/planting1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKasZxerF_Gza1sJG24f08qihwDRTwpOpNngCUj3Df991xWfBB3TetZLuS-Tayew53_i__drVpJhKqpBqp4fP_MGE8u9S31zhBZCcszptBAV-b9NlTnJDyoYTdiCb2V5RALF6NzM1Muha/s200/planting1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337620970519408210" border="0" /></a>What do you think of when you hear the words "church planting"? Ever think of the body of Christ coming together to plant corn? I didn't, at least not until last Friday. <br /><br />This past week we joined our good friends Geraldo and Susana and their children in sowing corn and squash seeds in their fields. This family, like so many others here on the outskirts of town and in the surrounding villages, have a few modest sized fields around their house where they plant in hopes of harvesting a crop of corn, squash, and beans that will sustain them for all or most of the year. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcX_FI1rsrW3PjeSkpk-bcxhuEaTMwEUWyO5m5nKQvFrhyeerA1kwkG-C8Zq9oO7O-qNF954BOESdgfjtfCYV40zWe8STxoHA402GqGO3ClduF014B71gb83ThXPAwyXqsaDKtLIXnRQNX/s1600-h/planting.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcX_FI1rsrW3PjeSkpk-bcxhuEaTMwEUWyO5m5nKQvFrhyeerA1kwkG-C8Zq9oO7O-qNF954BOESdgfjtfCYV40zWe8STxoHA402GqGO3ClduF014B71gb83ThXPAwyXqsaDKtLIXnRQNX/s200/planting.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337620966858999010" border="0" /></a>This wasn't our first time helping this family with their fields. We've been a part of two harvests and now two plantings. Geraldo and Susana already had an interest in God and His Word when we befriended them a year and a half ago, and it's been a blessing to watch God's kingdom take root and grow in their lives. The agrarian lifestyle has provided us ample opportunity to share the truths that Christ himself hid in stories of soils, sowers, and seeds. As we labor alongside of them in the hopes of a great corn harvest, we think about all that we and others have sown into their lives, and we rejoice that the Spirit of God is at work in their lives and pray that God will lead them to work in His abundant harvest for eternal life.Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-67647782136493255432009-05-13T13:37:00.000-07:002009-05-20T11:23:46.599-07:00Weekend Getaway<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWWkj273u5Gf_159bQZldXQ_GTHPhGhytqiDeu4D1bvleGReksyXjFmYBHQajJZuXr3fwoZzZhs9AmH0Bv75JP_gBROj7lm1PnY8KKnG3FvJaE2OL4SQ6MKC0-1_e_TlgM0qY-t8TcHoh/s1600-h/IMG_2032.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWWkj273u5Gf_159bQZldXQ_GTHPhGhytqiDeu4D1bvleGReksyXjFmYBHQajJZuXr3fwoZzZhs9AmH0Bv75JP_gBROj7lm1PnY8KKnG3FvJaE2OL4SQ6MKC0-1_e_TlgM0qY-t8TcHoh/s200/IMG_2032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335414067248562002" border="0" /></a>Lots of people get married in the States and honeymoon in Mexico - so we figured we'd give it a try as well (we'd already honeymooned in San Francisco and Tahoe, but we liked it so much we thought we'd do it again (go on a second, or third depending on how you count). Actually, we made the plans for the getaway during a time of intense spiritual growth and seeking. We decided we would want some quiet time afterwards to focus on each other and God to see how He might lead us next. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsa53GUAeG3cM-1IFpBtTjC9euX9Ry2jZImGIU5qJY_Yid7jM9WK_4bJOxtUXPXjxWshk1KgeuhjZzAVlnGB5Od-ijywWXrejif4Tzuwp_yuoFtQMlBv1r8OdajQo77o1-8S2977FNPoZ/s1600-h/IMG_2022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpsa53GUAeG3cM-1IFpBtTjC9euX9Ry2jZImGIU5qJY_Yid7jM9WK_4bJOxtUXPXjxWshk1KgeuhjZzAVlnGB5Od-ijywWXrejif4Tzuwp_yuoFtQMlBv1r8OdajQo77o1-8S2977FNPoZ/s200/IMG_2022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335413500152692962" border="0" /></a><br />Our destination was a tiny mountain community (located about 5 hours from our town in the direction of the Pacific Ocean). Nick had tried to save up money from his pizza business last fall in hopes of taking Sarah there after they returned to Mexico as a married couple but ended up squandering what he'd set aside on things like sheet rock and cement so we'd have a place to live instead of just a hotel room for a few nights.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-GeibXKjxrGXsDAjk6zP10uJDsU6happVcgfVnZudlwdoYFMTmzxxQeiTvg8Brq3f0aNmQHkSWfO0ej2iX23BcJ-m-0bc_YOutAAb0dV5iinWsTNFSZmAefwDy7G2_RAYJd1SPPmWUc4/s1600-h/IMG_2039.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-GeibXKjxrGXsDAjk6zP10uJDsU6happVcgfVnZudlwdoYFMTmzxxQeiTvg8Brq3f0aNmQHkSWfO0ej2iX23BcJ-m-0bc_YOutAAb0dV5iinWsTNFSZmAefwDy7G2_RAYJd1SPPmWUc4/s200/IMG_2039.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335412332184677266" border="0" /></a><br />We enjoyed the luxuries of our cabin, which seemed to us a 5 star resort: hot showers 24/7 (any shower for that matter would be a luxury), indoor bathroom with plumbing, drinking water from the tap (don't worry, it's fresh spring water- we didn't get any amoebas or anything drinking it), queen sized bed, and a fireplace. (Sounds a bit like our parents' homes- funny how perspective changes). The weekend away provided us time to hike, relax, pray and worship God together, and eat breakfast in bed.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMy2ADsOsT_Y1JzpKdRs_Wzj-8esec5GFHDFa13wURytvjHTpBLR7ChGyYAhgH2lTJoeEAMhV2-zqXLINt5_Ru-KGpi-XmpuxEKialZrhKISPJLyOQ5__4CnD2ZKUjIntBBGaOc1sj_Vdb/s1600-h/IMG_2049.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMy2ADsOsT_Y1JzpKdRs_Wzj-8esec5GFHDFa13wURytvjHTpBLR7ChGyYAhgH2lTJoeEAMhV2-zqXLINt5_Ru-KGpi-XmpuxEKialZrhKISPJLyOQ5__4CnD2ZKUjIntBBGaOc1sj_Vdb/s200/IMG_2049.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335411802305499586" border="0" /></a>Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1137756209504164723.post-87664843379565376722009-05-12T13:55:00.000-07:002009-05-12T15:04:40.388-07:00Part of the Family<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-6OIVa6IYO57PYSSZBE1jSm9FYcWcfK7_HxoBvPcdoezQAYpV6gR-16rzZjNeIL2lpM8o70gM1mnhUIhiL5IrHvw8y2hSSdhaNm5bMEk7EO9EY-lrHZp1RhJ1q2BNfxnrw4mveYjHEwH/s1600-h/IMG_2011.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-6OIVa6IYO57PYSSZBE1jSm9FYcWcfK7_HxoBvPcdoezQAYpV6gR-16rzZjNeIL2lpM8o70gM1mnhUIhiL5IrHvw8y2hSSdhaNm5bMEk7EO9EY-lrHZp1RhJ1q2BNfxnrw4mveYjHEwH/s200/IMG_2011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335051199446897906" border="0" /></a><br />Some months ago we thrilled the blogging community with the virtual tour of our 120 sq ft home, now we thought we'd take you all a little bit bigger picture and let you meet the neighbors. We consider ourselves blessed by our living arrangements for a number of reasons. First, we live a ways out of town in a pine forest at the foot of the hilly range that surrounds our city. Second, we live in a friendly little community, made up of three houses and four families, all but one of which (us) are related. The little gray house is ours (Roberto built the frame while we were in the States last summer and then we all came to the decision that we would finish the project and live there after being married) and the green one on the right belongs to our good friends Roberto and Vero (parents of the Marshmallow Girl, Yami). Vero's parents and her sister and brother-in-law live up the hill (their house is situated behind the trees in the middle of the picture).<br /><br />We enjoy good relations and friendly exchanges with our neighbors in this secluded spot and joked with them some months ago about nearly composing our own village. Sarah and Vero often indulge in their mutual habit of generosity, usually expressed through food with Sarah taking them a loaf of banana bread or other American favorite that they normally wouldn't get to experience and Vero reciprocating with hot, fresh, home-made tortillas, a treat we never turn down.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eC9xHOMzgoqPF8neTsKS1yytSgOKS6Wo8m7Qjj17R2q0nrNUvs1ou_407g9Ni_oVX-ewXitVabA7Vqj1pe_MnnYv_jZVQcOi0aEiwHBOoeEwb8GYSZ-7w-5lf8wlNORMcu_bpOqHQCeM/s1600-h/IMG_2016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eC9xHOMzgoqPF8neTsKS1yytSgOKS6Wo8m7Qjj17R2q0nrNUvs1ou_407g9Ni_oVX-ewXitVabA7Vqj1pe_MnnYv_jZVQcOi0aEiwHBOoeEwb8GYSZ-7w-5lf8wlNORMcu_bpOqHQCeM/s200/IMG_2016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335058795043640418" border="0" /></a>Last week we had Roberto, Vero, and Yami over for dinner and a very special dessert - campfire roasted s'mores (we felt very acculturated as we burned a broken, upholstered kitchen chair for fuel). As we sat around the fire, we thanked them for all the generosity and hospitality they've shown us and stated that we almost felt like family. "We are a family," responded Vero, and I think we all agreed.<br /><br /><br />Vero's parents have also blessed us in many ways. They always invite us to eat with them whenever their family gets together to celebrate birthdays or holidays and helped us stucco our house. Sarah has used her nursing countless times to bring healing and comfort to various members of our "family" and we both enjoy participating in the responsibilities of living in community (such as cleaning out the well - which can be seen covered with planks in the bottom right corner of the top picture). We look forward to how God will use this humble, generous extended family to extend His kingdom and we are grateful to Him for providing us with such a great place to live.Nick and Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01437543765068657209noreply@blogger.com0