From the long silence I emerge. . . .

Where do I start?

Sometimes I feel I get so behind in posting that, is it even worth it? The past few weeks have been a complete blur. So I am just gonna fill you in on the stuff I remember. Yes, I should keep a journal. But I am just having time enough to shoot off e-mails to my family, much less sleep. :) Here goes . . .

So I didn't end up going to Chiapas. That's where I left you all. Instead of riding on a bus for 12 hours and going out to the jungle, I stayed here in Mitla and ended up sharing what God has been doing in my life to the MK youth group on Wednesday nights. It was a blast! The couple that has been in charge for the past 10 months are pregnant and the baby is due at the end of march. I told them I wouldn't mind speaking again, or even speaking until I leave. Though they both LOVE teaching, they also have lots of stress right now, so they graciously have allowed me to speak for the rest of the weeks I am here. It has been a great challenge. It's amazing how God gives you the right life experiences and challenges so you have material to speak on. :)
Last week I did the watermelon experiment. I talked about the problems in the Christian life. Sometimes we just mess up and Fall; sometimes we just get lazy and stop disciplining ourselves and end up Floating away; sometimes we are Fooled by unbalance in our lives; and sometimes we are just Fake and we were just performing until our heart lines up with our actions. The Fake ones are the ones like the watermelon with dirt inside. They look great on the outside, but the inside is not good. Yeah. It was a big hit. And I had a lot of fun doing it.


I played with Isaac for the Valentine's Banquet.

Let's see. What else? Oh! I am teaching violin lessons! I now have such a higher regard for my sister. To listen to screeching violins for 3 days. . . THAT takes talent. I have been teaching violin 2 days a week to two little girls. They are actually from the Vancouver area and will be there for the summer on furlough. Maybe they can continue lessons with you Dena? :) Please?

I went paintballing for the first time last weekend. I have to say I was pretty good. I lasted 3 rounds with only 50 paintballs. My team won all 3 rounds. :) I was the lookout. That's prolly why I stayed in and why I kept all my paintballs too :)

Here is a video of something I else I did last weekend too. I killed a chicken. Quite the experience. I figured I should learn how to do this just in case, sometime in my life, I end up with only a chicken to eat. Now I will know what to do. ;) Don't laugh. It was fun. We also made mole and rice. It was good. Though, I think mole is an acquired taste. It wasn't bad. But at the same time, maybe I need to try it a few more times.



One of these weekends I will learn to make tamales. Not sure when. But sometime before I leave. I am excited. Can you tell?

Last night I went to the cultural center downtown in Mitla and attempted to learn the dance called "Flor de Pina". Yeah. I have to say, I am not a very good dancer. :P But I had a good time making a COMPLETE fool out of myself. I am wondering if I have any dignity left to stick with it. LOL! Also, the fact that I was the tallest by about 3 inches AND the whitest person there. They want people to stand in order from tallest to shortest. But I have NO idea what I am doing. So that worked really well. Right. I am thinking I want to do it. But they practice from 8-10pm. So it means every single night is shot. Still trying to decide on that one.

My earth science class has bumped up to every day of the week. I am trying to teach 14 weeks worth of materials in 3 weeks. I am leaving March 24th. Not much more time here. Class is going good. I teach 3 VERY LOUD 13-year-olds. We have fun. Lots of fun. When I can get them to be quiet. Not possible. So we just all yell together. I think they are understanding what I am teaching. Or at least they are passing the tests. But maybe they are too easy. Who knows?

I hope you feel updated out there. There is lots more. But I can't think of what it might be right now. . . The countdown begins. I go to Puebla next week to be a counselor at the Spiritual Emphasis Camp. It's for english-speaking kids. But I think it'll be fun. It's for ages 13-18. I think we come back on Saturday.