It's the 25th of January...and what does that mean? The BIRTHDAY GIRL is blogging from Mexico!
It's been a fantastic day so far, and it's only 4:30. Mexican culture is so inviting, and so hospitable, I've had nothing but smiles and hugs and kisses from all of my new friends and co-workers.
I hope all is well at home- once the internet gets all hooked up at my apartment, I'll be bloggin' much more frequently!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Translation time!
Sorry to those of you who don't speak Spanish watching the last video- I uploaded it from my new phone (which I'm still figuring out), and really didn't have a way to type translation while posting. However, now for your literary pleasure, is Raul's story, translated to English:
For the next time we are ready to bring more.
The 18th?? –No, we’re coming tomorrow. (In reference to more groups visiting the desert)
The 18th?? –No, we’re coming tomorrow. (In reference to more groups visiting the desert)
Ok, I’m going to tell you a story. Sergio and I, one time at this place. We were here one afternoon. We were here putting water at this camp. And over in a spot I saw something like white hoses or pipes; I said look Sergio. He said it was a viper- I said no, it’s just something white. So Sergio picked up a stone and tossed it over to the thing.
I saw—I was sleeping/resting, taking a nap cause it was so hot out. Whatever it was woke up and it was black with red stripes and really long and big. It lifted it’s head up and was over here; we had thought it was just tubes, but we hadn’t really seen. It looked at us and we went running back to the truck. We argued about whose turn it was to fill up the water barrel; we had to fill up the tank no matter what.
While I have never seen a snake out in the desert, I'm certain it happens; though the men putting water out in the desert certainly don't seem to be afraid of anything.
As part of my job here with Frontera de Cristo (www.fronteradecristo.org), I am helping to re-do our fliers and informational handouts that describe all of our partner ministries. As soon as those get started, I'll be posting some more up-to-date information of all of the ministries I have been working with while here in Agua Prieta, Mexico.
Keep the comments coming please...I want to know what's happening at home too!
I saw—I was sleeping/resting, taking a nap cause it was so hot out. Whatever it was woke up and it was black with red stripes and really long and big. It lifted it’s head up and was over here; we had thought it was just tubes, but we hadn’t really seen. It looked at us and we went running back to the truck. We argued about whose turn it was to fill up the water barrel; we had to fill up the tank no matter what.
While I have never seen a snake out in the desert, I'm certain it happens; though the men putting water out in the desert certainly don't seem to be afraid of anything.
As part of my job here with Frontera de Cristo (www.fronteradecristo.org), I am helping to re-do our fliers and informational handouts that describe all of our partner ministries. As soon as those get started, I'll be posting some more up-to-date information of all of the ministries I have been working with while here in Agua Prieta, Mexico.
Keep the comments coming please...I want to know what's happening at home too!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Water for Life
This video shows part of the giving water process- we dumped out dirty water and replaced it with clean water for passing migrants.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Job
I met with my "boss" today, and after being on the job for nearly 2 weeks, have finally gotten my job responsibilities (for the most part) figured out.
After having 2 groups already come through our organization, Mark and I sat down and talked about my responsibilities for my remaining year here- which will be mostly working with groups: creating schedules, being a contact person, and a general tour-guide/translator for each of the locations that the groups visit. My greatest challenge will be maintaining my interest in the same stories over and over again, though following in a close second will be maintaining my role as a bridge from the people actually informing, to the groups being informed.
It's going to be an interesting year.
Once we get internet at the apartment, I'll have some more cleverly written ideas, and more to share about the area.
Hope all is well!
After having 2 groups already come through our organization, Mark and I sat down and talked about my responsibilities for my remaining year here- which will be mostly working with groups: creating schedules, being a contact person, and a general tour-guide/translator for each of the locations that the groups visit. My greatest challenge will be maintaining my interest in the same stories over and over again, though following in a close second will be maintaining my role as a bridge from the people actually informing, to the groups being informed.
It's going to be an interesting year.
Once we get internet at the apartment, I'll have some more cleverly written ideas, and more to share about the area.
Hope all is well!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Apartment style living pt. 2
I finally had 5 free minutes this morning, and I spent them taking pictures of my living space. Just to keep everyone updated, here they are!
This first picture isn't much- the 3 drawers are mine, and about half of the surface space is mine too...when I moved in the woman who was already living here had been here since April, so I'm slowly taking more space from her and letting her get used to someone moving in. In the mirror you can see the reflection of a kitchen fruit basket that I bought at a thrift store and hung from the ceiling to hold all of my "products".
This (bad) picture shows my bed, my "closet" (the chair), and my food/shoe storage...which is the Tupperware drawers I bought. So far, this and the picture above highlight the only space in the entire apartment that is truly mine...so I'm hoping to be able to expand more soon.
Our only source of heat.
The apartment was painted by a group that came in from Canada, before I had even arrived in Mexico. I see this wall every morning when I brush my teeth, and it's the most uplifting thing to see at the start of every day!
I looked for shelves for about 2 days before I gave up and bought a large trash can at the thrift store as well. It's my shelf for the shower, and my roommate uses the window sill.
The shower itself is large, and we have hot water, which is lovely on 20 degree mornings.
A picture of our kitchen- the stove and the fridge and the microwave and the toaster are all located in Phil's apartment which is attached to ours.
Part of the living room (there's a TV under the blue fabric), and the Christmas tree.
The rest of our "kitchen". Self explanatory.
My first week here in Agua Prieta has been totally full of learning, doing, and living. We have had a group here since Wednesday, and they are an absolute blast. (For the sake of everyone's privacy, all my references to groups will be my own acronym for them). WTS has also had a very full schedule, which means I've been out of the house every day around 8, and not home again until 9 or 10. While I'm loving every minute of it so far, I haven't yet been given an official schedule of work responsibilities, and am hoping to have that solidified sometime soon.
Thus, my only 5 free minutes this morning were spent taking pictures, though the Migrant Resource Center today is dead, and I have time to blog away.
For those of you reading, feel free to share comments! I still want to know what's happening in your neck of the woods... :)
Monday, January 10, 2011
Updating...
Just checking in from AP!
I'm still feeling a lot more comfortable here in Mexico than I ever was in Spain. Last night was a party for specifically pastor's children; being a Pastor's child I was graciously invited and had a great time meeting some new people. I'm hoping that the next 51 weeks that I'm here will be as good as my first week was.
In other news, I will be soon getting Internet at my apartment, which means more frequent blog updates and hopefully a little bit more communication with everyone from home that I miss. Coming along the same time as the Internet is my 23rd birthday; birthday number 22 was celebrated in the midst of a blizzard last year- the high today in Agua Prieta is 60. Yay :-)
I'm still feeling a lot more comfortable here in Mexico than I ever was in Spain. Last night was a party for specifically pastor's children; being a Pastor's child I was graciously invited and had a great time meeting some new people. I'm hoping that the next 51 weeks that I'm here will be as good as my first week was.
In other news, I will be soon getting Internet at my apartment, which means more frequent blog updates and hopefully a little bit more communication with everyone from home that I miss. Coming along the same time as the Internet is my 23rd birthday; birthday number 22 was celebrated in the midst of a blizzard last year- the high today in Agua Prieta is 60. Yay :-)
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Apartment style living
I arrived to my new home on Monday night, afer a satisfying meal a McDonald's, and a brief inspection of my luggage from the Mexican border police. I had no idea what to expect when it came to my future living conditions, but I think I should have been a little more modest in my imagining of how things would be.
My apartment is a 3 room structure- one room being a bathroom with sink, toilet and shower, one room being a bedroom, and the last room mimicking a kitchen/Living room. There are no closets in the bedroom which is fine, though since I am the newest addition to the room (and I share with the other female intern here), there was literally no surface space left for me to use.
Our shower has hot water, but not the most comfortable water pressure, and we have access to a fridge and stove, but those are located in the neighboring apartment, which belongs to the male intern, Phil.
I haven't yet needed to do laundry, or cook myself a meal, but given the need for these tasks, I'm not certain how I would go about completing them. All in all though, I am here and I am healthy. I share a room with another woman and a dog and 3 newborn puppies- I'm grateful for the company after being so lonely in Spain.
My apartment is a 3 room structure- one room being a bathroom with sink, toilet and shower, one room being a bedroom, and the last room mimicking a kitchen/Living room. There are no closets in the bedroom which is fine, though since I am the newest addition to the room (and I share with the other female intern here), there was literally no surface space left for me to use.
Our shower has hot water, but not the most comfortable water pressure, and we have access to a fridge and stove, but those are located in the neighboring apartment, which belongs to the male intern, Phil.
I haven't yet needed to do laundry, or cook myself a meal, but given the need for these tasks, I'm not certain how I would go about completing them. All in all though, I am here and I am healthy. I share a room with another woman and a dog and 3 newborn puppies- I'm grateful for the company after being so lonely in Spain.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Welcoming 2011
I spent my New Year's Eve at the residence of two good friends who live in Waterloo; we watched YouTube videos, played cards, watched the ball drop, and had a quiet, but fun time. I'm hoping that last night's celebrations are an indication of what 2011 is about to bring me, as I head down to Agua Prieta, Mexico, and prepare myself for a year of what I expect to be, the hardest work I have ever done in my life.
Today has been rather un-eventful: I drove home from Waterloo, enjoyed the company of session members at my house for a short while, and then retired upstairs to "prepare" for my departure, which really ended up being a few HOURS of syncing Google calendars, and making sure I was mentally prepared for what I am getting myself into.
Only one of those has been accomplished- I now have a calendar that is telling me to go to church tomorrow.
I leave for my next life destination on Monday, which means that tonight is my final farewell to my friends in Ames, and tomorrow is my day of packing and freaking out.
Today has been rather un-eventful: I drove home from Waterloo, enjoyed the company of session members at my house for a short while, and then retired upstairs to "prepare" for my departure, which really ended up being a few HOURS of syncing Google calendars, and making sure I was mentally prepared for what I am getting myself into.
Only one of those has been accomplished- I now have a calendar that is telling me to go to church tomorrow.
I leave for my next life destination on Monday, which means that tonight is my final farewell to my friends in Ames, and tomorrow is my day of packing and freaking out.
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