Always Playing Catch-Up
For some reason I thought it had only been one week since my last post, but in reality we’re coming up on two weeks! I guess as I’m getting closer to the end of my time here, things are starting to move a lot quicker. So much to catch you up on!
The week of May 2 – May 8, we had an work team down from Atlanta, GA. They worked cheerfully (I mean it, it was awesome) everyday, painting, cleaning, etc. As always, it was wonderful to have English in the ears. 
Also, while they were here, they conducted a VBS program for the students. This was a great opportunity for me, because I was able to practice my interpreting over a couple Bible stories they wanted to share with the students: Noah & Daniel. The first day of VBS, we learned about Daniel and how he made good choices and remained loyal to God, no matter what. And the second day we learned about Noah and his constant obedience. 
It was fun to have the opportunity to be the go between. When we did the story of Noah, all of the students eyes were glued to me. It was amazing! Normally, they are zoning in and out, looking at what everybody else is doing. But that day, everything was still and they were really enjoying the story.
It was awesome to be able to help the group in that area, as well as being a bridge between Spanish and English. I haven’t been spending very much time studying Spanish lately, as I have been spending more time in my sign language books, trying to raise my vocabulary.
This week began with all of our students back on campus after an extended break the previous week. I believe I mentioned that one of our girls has decided she no longer wants to be a residential student and has gone home. Her behavior has already changed for the negative. She has become more withdrawn in the sweet things she used to do, and more out-going in rude actions and attitudes. It’s hard to watch all of the progress seeming to backslide. Please pray for our students as they’re going home during the weekends, some everyday after school; there are a lot of bad influences in their lives.
The boy who has been causing problems here on campus with his bad attitude evidently has had this attitude at home also. We went to visit his family recently and his grandmother was saying that when he’s home he acts the same way, ignoring requests for help, and telling everyone he doesn’t care about anything. Yesterday, he did offer me a cookie though, so maybe he’s beginning to come around.
This week Blas wasn’t in attendance, I’m not sure why, but I’m hoping he will return to us next week.
I have just over a month left here at the school, and the students have been mentioning it more often, none of them happy that I’ll be leaving. People keep asking me if they are going to find a replacement for my position. Honestly, I don’t think they will actively search for a replacement, because there is no money to pay anyone, but God has provided Alberto to work for the school volunteering. I’m sure if He wants someone here with the girls, there will be.
Wednesday of this week, we all went to a local water park that is between Rio Bravo and Reynosa. The kids had a great time, and we all got lots of sun. Guess what?? I’m about the only person that didn’t get burned!
Water Park Photos:
Hello, Blog Readers
I’ve been busy! Which I do enjoy, but I know it becomes wearing to check back to this blog and see no update. However, I appreciate so much the people who have continued to support me through all these months.
The boys & I
Last week as a normal week, school was in session and all of the students were here. Until Wednesday. That day one of our girls decided she didn’t want to live on campus because of problems with one of the boys on campus. Hopefully, she will return to stay with us soon, as it’s already different here without her.
Another of our girls, Ana, has been very quiet and on her own lately. She’s been coming to me and sitting with me, sometimes not saying anything, just wanting the company. If you recall from previous blogging, there was a boy who was ignoring me and gossiping about me with the other students. This same boy decided to turn on Ana, and has begun the cycle all over again. Ana is also the girl who asked me why the gossiping behavior was “ugly.” What a way to really understand it.
Good Times
This student who has been causing the problems with gossip had been treating me very well, behaving silly, generally just having a good time. When I found out that he was treating students, and other volunteers, on campus like this, I couldn’t continue to be his buddy as though I approved of his behavior. I asked him about why he was behaving like this and about how his behavior should be different. He is now ignoring me again. All of the pressure of ignoring me may be putting Ana back in his good graces. Pray for me as I try to have patience and understanding.
Friday was a national holiday, Dia del Niños (Day of the Children). First of all, why don’t we have one of these? And yes, I know you’re all thinking “Everyday is children’s day.” Second of all, it was really fun. We got invited as special guests at a local factory that was hosting a party for company children. We all showed up pressed and gorgeous, students all in uniform. Every person was given a small packet of tickets to provide for food and beverages, and then there were free rides and games, like a carnival.
Party
It was a great set up to keep anyone from being unable to enjoy the day. Some of our boys found a loophole. They learned that if they walked up to a security guard and made a sign like they didn’t have tickets, they could get an entirely new packet. Multiple times since there were multiple guards. Well, they were all wearing uniforms so it became obvious very quickly. As though them walking around with 5 Cokes tucked in their arms wasn’t a giveaway. Security spoke with us and Efrain spoke to the teachers and students.
I can’t say I’m truly surprised at that behavior. I suppose a lot of kids would do things like that, and certainly other people at the party were taking advantage of the goodies. But it was disappointing. I realized that maybe we’re not teaching enough about being satisfied with what you have. Or how we need to get rid of our “sense of entitlement.” Even after the reprimand, the students continued to rebel in their attitudes. They all need strong examples in their life, and they don’t receive that at home and here there is very little one-on-one time.
At the Party with Alberto
There is a new volunteer here, his name is Alberto. He is hard of hearing, but completely functional in the hearing world, speaking both Spanish and English. He started work while I was in the States and we have been working together to complete homework time. There is a possibility that he may end up living on campus with the boys. I think there is a lot of good that could come out of a situation like that. The boys need a role model, and from what I’ve seen, he would be exemplary.
After the party, all of the students were taken home for an extended weekend because of three national holidays squeezed together. Saturday, I got to go into the United States!! to shop for the American work group we have with us this week. It was fun to have time on the other side, the air even feels different. I didn’t say better, I said different. That afternoon, our group joined us all the way from Georgia. They are a fun group that I’m really enjoying spending time with.
The students will return to school on Thursday after a huge extended break. But, I’m very content having a work team here. It keeps me busy and gives me a lot of social interaction. Yay! Also! I got a compliment on my Spanish from one of the group members who speaks it. He told me I have a good accent and speak it well. Niiiice. Of course, I can only speak about the things that I know, so my conversation is easily restricted. :). It’s progress.
One thing that I would like to have my supporters praying for especially: the safety of our female students. With the budget stretched, they have been consolidating bus stops, the students walking short distances to meet with other students so the van doesn’t have to go down every windy road. It becomes very expensive and wearing on the vehicles. Efrain informed me of one incident where a group of men attempted to rape one of our students on her way to her bus stop. In the light of this, he said they will definitely be going directly to the girls homes to pick them each up. Prayer for their safety at other times as well. They say that most women in Mexico can testify to at least one incident of sexual abuse.
Back to the Routine
Hey from Mexico!
So, obviously I made it to Mexico safely, and deposited on campus. I arrived last week on Thursday, 10th. It’s been hard getting back into my routine here at the school. I had assumed that the time away from campus would have given me new energy. But, going from the freedom of transportation and activities in the United Sates and then returning to Rio Bravo, where there is no transportation, activities, or social interaction… not very easy.
Getting back into my routine, I’ve been working with the students everyday after school on homework, activities, and games. I did bring some Girl Scout cookies back from the USA on the suggestion of my mom. Those were a BIG hit. They are all gone now and the students are still asking me for more. Also, while I was in the States my grandma tried to work with me on learning to sew. Honestly, I’m not any good at it, and there may be no hope. BUT!! I did learn how to hem, and I’m amazing at that. We were all in the sewing room one day, as the girls are working on various projects, and I was hemming a pair of shorts that I have, and Brenda kept standing over my shoulder, watching very curiously.
I have always loved sports, and that was one thing I wanted to work with the students on, physical activity. It has been overall disappointing as the students are so quick to say that they are “too tired,” but what that really means is “too lazy.” However, Rubén came out with me one day last week to the basketball court, and we started shooting around. He was asking me how I did certain dribbles, and we ended up spending a long time together practicing lay-ups and dribbling. It was a small thing, but it was wonderful to be able to spend that one-on-one time with him, watching him learn and excel at it, being able to encourage him.
Also, we’re already summering it up here. It has been in the 80s to 90s here! It feels nice, until you’re trying to sleep.. 🙂
Mexican Return
These are my last few days here in the States and I’m getting things together, ready to head back. I’ll be leaving on Thursday before the sun comes up and I’ll arrive around noon in Texas.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of the students; I’ve missed them. I hope that we’ll be able to get back into our routine from before I left. Also, I would appreciate if you could all be praying for the situation in Mexico. As you read previously, there are cartel turf wars going on in and around my city. Keep the school in mind as we continue classes, trying to make things as normal as possible.
As we’re reaching the end of this school year, I am also beginning to question what I should be doing next year. Living in Mexico this past year alone has stretched me emotionally, making my trip here to Virginia something I needed, not just wanted. I’m not sure where God wants me, or what I should be pursuing. I have my passion for China. And I have my passion for the Deaf. Pray that God would make his will obvious, as I am not always picking up the little things he’s laying down. Part of me wants to return to the United States and study Deaf Education. I recieved my degree in Advertising, but that doesn’t have much to do with what I actually want to do with my life. I feel like I could be more effective if I had the proper degree.
Prayer for wisdom in these large decisions.
Next time you hear from me, I’ll be back in Mexico.
Spring Break
First of all, I want to apologize to anyone who has been faithfully reading and is now wondering why there have been no recent posts. I am taking a short break from Mexico as we have been experiencing some effects of the “Cartel Clash.” If you are unfamiliar with what is happening in Mexico (as most are due to the silencing of Mexican journalists), let me give you a brief, un-detailed version. Our school is located in the Mexican State of Tamaulipas. This state has been controlled by a drug cartel called Las Zetas for quite a while. In the start of 2010, a member of this gang was murdered by a group from a different cartel. When the opposing gang refused to give up those who orchestrated the murder, Las Zetas began their vengeance.
This has turned my peaceful town of Rio Bravo into a place where normal people now have to think twice about whether it’s worth the risk to run to the store for tortillas. While the cartels have not been targeting bystanders, they certainly would not think twice about endangering the lives of those who happen to wander into the wrong place at the wrong time. The army and federal police are doing their best to try to combat the Cartels, and have been since the inauguration of Mexico’s president.
Before I left Rio Bravo, we had heard about the shootings in Reynosa (our larger neighbor to the West) and the shootings had begun drifting to our neighborhood. A few days before my flight, there was even a fight between federal police in helicopters, and cartel members on foot outside a grocery store. One of our school workers was actually caught at that store with her children when the shooting began. I’m always amazed at how God seems to keep me out of things… This worker had actually knocked on my door to see if I wanted to go to the store with her and her family. I was in my room at that time, but I didn’t hear a thing. God sealed my ears to keep me away from possible danger.
Because of the shootings, the Deaf school was canceled for about 4 school days. Seeing that the shootings were not ceasing, and the possibility that school would be out for a while, I spoke with my family and ICCD about returning to the States for a break. I will be returning to Rio Bravo on April 15th. Hopefully, the situation there will be more stable.
Just a couple days ago, I was reading about 10 new dead killed in my state of Tamaulipas. It has been my ritual in the evening to go online and check the news for the state, holding my breath and hoping that it pulls up no new results. Pray with me for Mexico. “Money is the root of all evil.” There is a lot of money to be made by selling drugs. This is not a battle that either Cartel is going to concede easily.
Prayer:
- The members of the cartel: That they would see there is more to life. That God would move in their hearts and give them a desire to know true peace.
- The young members of the cartel: Many young boys are lured into this lifestyle by the promise of a fast car and money. Pray they would not be seduced by this life.
- The people of Rio Bravo: They are trapped in a world of fear, with no one they can go to for help or hope. Pray they would seek the Lord, because he is the only hope for this world.
- The students of MCCS: They are living in this city where gunfights can erupt at any moment. They also cannot hear when these gunfights begin. Pray they would be kept away from the danger.
What it all comes down to: Pray for the Holy Spirit to move through Mexico in this hard time, touching and changing hearts.
Please pray.
Porque Dios amó tanto al mundo…
Porque Dios amó tanto al mundo que dio a su único Hijo, para quien confía en el Hijo de Dios no se pierda sino que tenga una vida que dura para siempre. Juan 3:16
This is my first Spanish Bible verse that I can actually quote and understand it all. The director’s daughter (who lives in the United States) was down visiting and she said that I’ve improved greatly since I last saw her in October. woohoo!!
Sorry, it’s been so long since my last post. I didn’t post last week because it was a very stressful week for me. I sort of got hit with my frustrations, problems, and home-sickness all at the same time and I erupted into a huge emotional explosion. Thankfully, I have some people here who could see all that stress rising and have helped me to remember where I should be seeking comfort. Chuyito has been amazing. She is a huge blessing here for me. She even invited me to stay at her house for the weekend even though there was no where for me to sleep. Her sons gave up their bed, so I could stay.
All of those who have helped us with food money: The students are all eating lunch here again!! Yay!! It’s nice to have them all staying longer, because that gives me the time during lunch to socialize with the students that don’t live here. We also have recess back (which is the half hour after lunch), and for those of you who know me, recess is vital. Thank you again to all those who helped with funds, as well as those who are always praying for the well-being of the students here.
In our Bible time last week, we did a review of the verses we have learned so far, and Maribel and I put on a skit trying to depict the Fall of Man and the necessity of a Savior. It’s very difficult. The concept is abstract, and I need to find good metaphors to pull this in so they can understand. This week, my aunt Karen had sent children’s coloring books in English and Spanish for us to work through during Bible time. They concepts are at a lower level so we can work our way up.
Last week was also tiresome because of the problems I was having with one of the boys. He had been ignoring me for a long time, weeks. And he had begun talking to the other students about me, gossiping, calling me names. This was causing the other students to lose respect for me, finding all of his disobedience funny. It was really tearing me up because I felt like I was losing all of the ground I had made. I ended up taking the problem to Ephrain, and he supported me fully, later talking with the student and giving a punishment for misbehavior. This week, as a result of the talk with Ephrain, this student has markedly improved. He actually makes eye contact with me, he has smiled at me, so we are making progress.
Gossip is a big problem here among the students. Generally, they do not have the vocabulary to have discussions about what’s happening in the world around them. Instead, they talk about what each person is doing and saying. This results in a lot of stories being told and exaggerated. Pray for these students as they need to learn the danger of gossip and understand how painful it can be for those who are the victims, as well as how self-destructive it can be for those who are doing the gossiping.
During the time when the students were misbehaving for me, one of the girls who I have been close to, changed. She began misbehaving also and being very rude. When I spoke to her and another girl in my room, I told her behavior was very bad. She said she was just “playing,” and I said that it was “ugly play.” Her response really surprised me. She said (with frustration in her face and in her signs), “Why is it ugly??” It really struck me at how profound that statement was. These students do not critically think very often, and as unpleasing as the situation was, I was very impressed by her thought process. And of course, that gave me the perfect opportunity to explain exactly why it was ugly, “because it hurt another person.”
Yesterday, the students went to some sort of party where the school won 4,000 pesos (about $300). I’m not exactly sure how we won it, but I’m happy! This money will go toward paying for glasses for the students who have poor vision. Sidenote: The students brought back lots of balloons from the party, and surprisingly, I’m tall here. So in the girl’s room, the balloons were too high up to reach, so I was jumping from bed to bed to try to retrieve one. I was batting it toward the bunk bed so I could climb up and get it there, well.. I had the momentum going so I thought, “I’ll just jump high and pull myself up.” Of course, that means I jumped, hit the side, and fell down. Good times in Rio Bravo!
I am currently considering staying in Rio Bravo for the following school year. The only obstacle is that I’m not sure if I can do this another year alone. I’ve had two people who are closely tied to this school who have told me they are surprised that I’ve stayed this long, that they thought I would break my commitment and go home early, just because it gets very lonely here. I have a Deaf friend in the States who I would love to come join me here to work. Her name is Lacey.
I pray you will pray with me for a companion here at the school, whether it be Lacey or that I could find someone else who would like to dedicate a year to helping the Deaf in Rio Bravo.
Febuary!
This weekend was awesome! My friend from Tampico, Melissa, came up to visit her brother here in Rio Bravo. This means that I got to spend a lot of time hanging out with her. It was very refreshing. Good to have someone in my age bracket that I can hang out with. And isn’t it amazing that I have enough Spanish to accomplish a conversation? God is being very good to me in the Spanish department. I pray that He’ll continue to bless me in that area.
We didn’t have school on Monday because of a national holiday *woohoo!* We began the week off on Tuesday with our next verse: John 20:31, “…these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God…” We learned about the ways in which God talks to us. Two ways are through prayer or reading the Bible. I tried to explain how important it is to keep the Word of God close to our hearts because they are words directly from God. He wants to share the love and hope that are within the pages, just waiting for us to discover it. It reminded me of a song that my mom and aunts used to sing in church as a group, “Written in Red.” It’s more figurative in the “written” sense, but it’s a powerful song.
The Verses:
Wonderful Supporters
I want to thank everyone who read the recent post about the money situation and decided to help. Those of you who gave, shared the information, and/or prayed for our ministry, I thank each of you. There was $1,000 collected from one group of supporters which will go toward the next two months of groceries to keep that from being effected by the budget. I’ve been told that there is almost $1,000 more coming from various other donors. It’s amazing how when some people feel they can’t continue to give, another steps into their place. God is amazing. Thank you so much for being a blessing to us. And I know that God will bless your generosity.
I got a question from my aunt yesterday, “Do you sign prayer with your eyes open or closed?” Good question. In the States with my Deaf friends, the person praying closes their eyes during the prayer, but everyone else has their eyes open. Here, the students all have their eyes open including the person praying. This comes from them being nervous and still a bit uncertain in prayer. They all tend to copy the same prayer. Some of the older students will branch out more and include new topics like the families of those in Haiti, and for God’s gift of His Son. But generally, the prayers are, “Thank you for this day. Thank you for the workers. Thank you for the students. Thank you for the food that you give. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” I have been trying to expand prayer a bit. Show them that you can be more creative, talk about different things. So now when it is my turn to pray, Brenda slumps a bit in the shoulders because she knows it will be longer. 🙂
This week we have been learning Psalms 118:1, “Give thanks to God, because He is good.” Again, some students find it a lot easier than others. But it is a blessing to see them learning and eager to memorize. They’re comprehension can sometimes be limited. I’ll explain the verse different ways and fifteen minutes later I’ll ask what the verse means. Some of them will look at me with blank expressions and shrug. But then when I explain it again, they act like they knew it all along. Pray for me. For patience and for clarity.
I mentioned before that we were starting to make empanadas to sell for some extra money. It looks that money we make will all be going toward gasoline for picking up the students from home and then taking them home at the end of the week. We have also ventured into the candy apple business. However, I’m not really excited with the results. My friend, Mauricio, came to help us make the apples, but something about the sugar consistency has made the candy coating really hard, like pull your fillings out of your teeth, and also “drippy.” The coating doesn’t stay firm like it’s supposed to. So, if anybody knows how to fix that, let me know. They look good when you first make them though.
Mauricio
We have a new residential student living with us this week. His name is Juan Manuel. He has been a student for years, but just now his mother has decided they should test out his being residential. And I know this is a huge step for this mother, as she is one of the few parents who has actually been learning sign language to communicate with her son. He is very well behaved and it’s great to have another student here on the campus with us.
Julio, Me, and Juan Manuel
We had the funniest night last night after all the girls got ready for bed. The hallway was pitch black since it was night time and the light was off. Maribel and Brenda went into the bathroom and shut the door so there was no light coming into the hall. I walked down the hall toward the bathroom, but Ana and Claudia hadn’t started coming yet. I waited in the dark and when they did come out of my room, I realized they couldn’t see me. They were scared of the darkness and ran back into my room, they came out with my cell phone, trying to light the hall. That wasn’t enough so they went back and found my flashlight. I ducked so they didn’t see me with the light, but evidently that wasn’t enough light either so they ran back, this time shutting the door behind them. I told Maribel and Brenda what was happening and so we all went and stood outside the door, to the side so they couldn’t see us if they opened the door. About five minutes later, Ana slowly opens the door, creeping out with one hand clutching the flashlight and the other hand clutching a fly swatter. And behind her, Claudia had a fly swatter also. I love how searching for a weapon they both chose fly swatters. 🙂
All of us in the dining room:
The Group
Crazy Boys
Back in the Swing of Things
So we started school here last Wednesday. This may be very different for those who don’t live in the South of the United States, but here if it falls below 7 degrees Celsius (about 45 degrees Fahrenheit) they do not have school and pretty much everything shuts down. I know people from the North giggle about Virginia closing schools for a little falling snow, but here it doesn’t even have to reach freezing.
But! It’s for good reason. There is no heat in the school buildings here so the children would literally be freezing. We don’t have heat here in our school or in the dorms. That is why our school took a week longer to begin than it was supposed to. However, those days are no more. We are now enjoying weather in the high 70s. Unfortunately, somebody told the mosquitoes and cockroaches that the warm weather was back and they decided to join us.
So we began the school year off right, by instituting a new Bible program for the students based on the Awana booklets. It’s not the official program of course but we build off of the order of verses they recommend. We began with our first verse: John 3:16. Of course some took to it quicker than others, but they all enjoyed learning and competing to see who could memorize it first. It was wonderful to see them all signing it together. I’ve had great opportunities to share about God’s love and his gift of salvation through His Son.
This past week was extremely exhausting for me as one of the boys had decided to ignore me, because I wanted him to practice his homework. Wednesday of last week he became angry, and he carried it over into this week: ignoring me when I talked to him, turning around and walking the other way when he saw me coming, shutting the door in my face, and giving me dismissive signs. I talked to him about his behavior multiple times and he would always say “I don’t know why I’m mad.” Yesterday, Lupita talked to him about his behavior and he finally come to me with an apology. Last night at dinner he had a stomach ache, and I brought him medicine. Lety explained that he wasn’t sleeping well and when he was eating, the food made his stomach feel unsettled. She said she could see the anger and frustration he had with me effecting his life in more ways than it was effecting mine. I’m looking forward to seeing how things are next week and how we can fix our relationship. Pray for he and I, that I will have better understanding and patience.
In the beginning of this week, we had a staff meeting to discuss finances here at the school. Basically, the school is short in the budget. Churches and individuals are feeling the economy and can no longer support the school or are lowering the amounts they can provide. This means that the teachers are not guaranteed a salary. In addition to that, the school has had to look at ways to cutback on spending. One way is by only providing food for the students who live on campus during the week. The students who do not live here are welcome to bring a lunch to school with them, but are not fed here anymore. They will also be starting a new system for picking up the students in the morning; students who live near others will meet together in one place to lower the gasoline consumption.
Also, as one way to help the students learn a skill and raise some money to pay for gasoline, they will begin making empanadas (which are like mini-fruit pies) and selling them in Rio Bravo to family and neighbors. We made our first batch this week and they have gone home with the students. I hope they don’t eat them all on the way home. 😀
This is the teachers showing how to make the empanadas (and yes, those are shopping bags on their heads):
So here is something interesting that has happened. In the past, we have had moments where the girls felt scared of ghosts here in our dorm building. One night we are all being silly in the hallway with the camera, and after the flash there were little dots on the picture and the girls all screamed and ran into their room. They all have the fear of ghosts.
Last night we were here in my room right before bed getting ready to pray. We were all in a circle except for Claudia. While we were waiting for her to join, she run past us and out the door. Needless to say, that was confusing. We followed her and ended up having our night time prayer in the bathroom. Don’t be concerned, it’s a big bathroom. Once we finished praying, once again, Claudia flew out of the room, but not before Maribel tried to play with her by putting her arm out. Claudia struck at her, thrusting her arm aside and running to their bedroom. Maribel was confused and didn’t understand why Claudia was mad at her; she went outside and wept.
After a long talk with Claudia, she finally told me that she felt scared of the spirits and that’s why she ran out of my room and then later in the bathroom she freaked out again and she didn’t attack Maribel in anger, but in desperation to escape the room. Both times she felt this fear when we were involved in prayer. I explained to her that we don’t have to be afraid of anything, because God is bigger than any spirits.
Now, I don’t know the validity of her feeling spirits were close. I’ve heard a lot about spiritual warfare outside of the United States. Lety and the teachers were not surprised about this and that’s what they believe it is. Later that night, Claudia came to my room for medicine for stomach pain and when she left, she returned. She said, “in here I feel happy and I smile, but when I left and headed to my room, I felt anger and fear. My whole face changed. I don’t know why.” I walked with her back to her room and her body was shaking a little bit with fear.
Pray for the students here. Satan does have power in this world; however, his power will never be equal to God’s. Pray for me as I work with the students, ingraining God’s Word into their hearts.
Tampico Fun-ness
So, for the holiday I went with Nelly and her children to Tampico, Mexico which is about seven hours south of Rio Bravo by bus. We left on the 27th in the night and arrived dark and early in the morning. We took a cab to her sister’s house and then her sister drove us to her mother’s house. Nelly’s mom lives outside of Tampico in a more rural area.
Nelly's Mom's House
We also would occasionally go over to her mother-in-law’s house which is located more in the heart of Tampico. Mexico is so interesting. The culture and mannerisms of the people that live here. For example: we left her mother’s house so go see the beach. It was supposed to be a quick trip, few hours and then head back. Nope. We got to the beach, her son got wet in the water, so she wanted to go to her mother-in-law’s house so see if she had some dry pants. So we go to their house, and we stay, and stay, and stay until its too late to take the bus back to her mom’s. So we then became house guests for the next 2 days.
You never know what plans will change here. And it’s always sudden, and nobody tells you about it until it happens or has already happened. Hard to get used to. But Nelly’s mother-in-law has eight children total. Three of her children were around my age: Nestor (28), Melissa (27), and Anahi (19). The first night I remember I kept being introduced to the same women, again and again. But no! They were just the 6 sisters who all look very similar in the face! It was wonderful to be able to spend time with this family. They all wanted to take care of me and enjoyed talking with me, even though my Spanish is still rudimentary. Although, it is improving.
Me and Nelly's Suegra
Part of the Family
I got to spend time with Anahi, playing soccer with some of the kids in their neighborhood during our second day with that family. It was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed getting to see the neighborhood.
We headed back to Nelly’s house and for New Year’s I got to spend time with more of Nelly’s family: her sister, brother-in-law, and her niece. It’s fun to be able to practice my Spanish, and have them practice their English with me.
Nelly's Family
I got a lot of practice in Tampico with the Mexico public transportation. It’s very similar to the US in the different routes, fares, etc. Although, these buses do not have to pass the same standards as buses in the States. Some of them I thought my chair might fall right through the floor. But it was fun :). It costs 5.50 pesos for the fare one-way on a bus. It’s about 40 cents in the States.
At the end of our time in Tampico, Melissa said that she would take me into downtown Tampico so I could check out the city, browse the shops, you know, be a tourist. It was a lot of fun. We did people watching, shopping, eating, walking, boating, movie watching, etc. It was an awesome day. Here are some photos:
Railroad Tracks
People out Shopping
In front of the harbor
Shrimp Soup!!
Morgan in Mexico 