The not-so-routine

March 12, 2012

I felt like writing all evening, but housework and family kept me pretty busy. I've also been wanting to write about the idea of “life together” for awhile now. I will try to tie that idea into what I'm sharing.  

Circumstances today left me with no vehicle to pick up the kids from school. I got a call from my Hubby saying that his meeting plans had taken a different turn and he wouldn't be home until later today. That is just how things go sometimes in Latin America (and probably all around the world!). Mondays, for us, are a bit trickier because there are some time restraints built into our schedule. One child stays after school for one activity, the other for sports, and the first then has a music lesson soon afterward. This “doable” schedule becomes complicated when one has to rely on public transportation, however.  

But, I had done the routine before: catching the combi, walking 10 minutes from where it let me off to the kids' school, hanging out until their activities were over, catching the bus with my kids, then walking the 4 blocks back to the house with them (in the hot, hot sun).

When I am forced out of my comfortable (air conditioned!) SUV, I see and experience more of life here. I waited for the combi. I hung on for dear life once I got inside the combi and sat so close to the strangers with me that it would be considered unacceptable on a park bench and a sin if we were in a church pew.

While hanging out at school, there is often time for conversation. Today I found out that a family is here because of the Dad being “let go,” choosing to use their savings and this time off to engage in learning another culture and language.

On the way home from school, taking the bus, I was able to think and not have to concentrate on the traffic or other drivers. Although, the large Guns'n'Roses sticker and the Jesus-hanging-on-the-cross fixture at the front of the bus were a bit odd and distracting.

As we walked the few blocks from the bus stop, we saw an old friend and found out that my other friend gets her hair cut 2 blocks from my house.

Later, as I walked my son to his music lesson, I realized I had no meat for dinner, nothing prepared or even planned except a pot of black beans. On the way back to the house I noticed the menu at the tienda between the music school and my house. Would they have anything left? It was past the usual time of comida. 
I grabbed an eco bag, a few plastic containers, and some money from the house and headed back to our little local convenience store. They had pollo asado left – that would be perfect. While I was waiting for the owner to grill the 2 legs and thighs, I met another neighbor who lives around the corner from us, talked with the owners about the Mayan language and learned a few words (ni – nose, hich – to tie tightly, ich – eyes OR two people that always hang out together). No wonder people say that the English and Mayan languages have common sounds (ni-knee, hich-hitch, ich-itch). Very interesting stuff. The one owner wrote down both their names and the number of their tienda and told me I could call “sin compromiso” to find out the daily menu. I had been there several times before, for this-and-that, but never bought a meal. I thanked them and left with my 42 peso chicken, 12 peso notebook (which I remembered my daughter needed for math), and 2 lemons (for a peso a piece) thinking, not bad for a last minute plan!

I wish I could say that I have experiences like this all the time – lots of various human contact and conversation. But, the truth is, it only happens when I break out of my routine and put my own culture aside. I like the interacting, the walking, the unknown, even. But it all takes lots more time. Sometimes I have it. Sometimes I don't. I have also been ingrained with lot of independent thoughts – how to get stuff done on my own. I'm capable, right? And yet, I feel that I'm lacking that aspect of “life together” - sharing in life with community – depending on others and allowing them to depend on me. I haven't figured out how exactly to go about this, yet, but I think it begins by incorporating it more and more into my routine.

Lord, help me put away some of my own “traditions” for more of a community mindset. And may it build Your kingdom.
Image: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lent and what goes with it

Bible reading plans, local celebrations, fasting, repentance . . . just to name a few.

About 2 years ago, I began using an app called YouVersion.  It is actually a Bible app with several extras.  One of those added features connects me to several different reading plans, allowing me to daily see a devotional or which chapters of the Bible I should read to complete a "plan" by a certain date or after so many days.  I am currently using 2 - a parenting devotional and a Bible-in-a-year plan. They'll even send me e-mail reminders.  Because Lent was approaching, I received a notice at the bottom of my app asking me, more or less, if I celebrated Lent and if I wanted to browse their reading plans for the occasion. I answered (silently) "no, but I'm interested in seeing what that involves." Browsing the plans, I noticed that one was 46 days.  Strange.  I thought Lent was 40 days.  So I looked it up.  Thanks to google, the answer was at my fingertips - yes, 40 days, not counting Sundays, between Ash Wednesday and the Saturday before Easter.  That clears things up a bit.  But there is more surrounding this holiday.

Here in the Yucatan, the days leading up to it involve something called Carnaval which is like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, LA.  The Evangelical church here is diabolically opposed to this "celebration" as it basically puts the bar and club scene out on the streets of Mérida for several nights.  My hubby reminded me of a conversation we had with a family who saw it as a time to basically get your fun in, then repent on Ash Wednesday, no harm done. Needless to say, we didn't take part in this aspect of Lent.  But it raises my curiosity.  What goes on in the life of these individuals during Lent?

Traditionally, I found out through the trusted Wikipedia site, people are expected to fast in some form, generally giving up meat products at least on the Fridays as well as Ash Wednesday during Lent as a form of penitence.  However, there are several Protestants who also choose to observe some form of fasting during this time through giving up some particular food or habit.  This is done more out of choice than obligation.  Even popular healthy living sites are using this as a motivational tool.  

This morning during breakfast, Dave shared with me and article he received from sparkpeople.com about this very topic.  In it, the author listed 14 ways to improve your health during the season of Lent not only for observers but also for those wanting to support friend and family members who "do without" during this time.  This peaked my interest.  What could I do?  Some areas mentioned in the article were things we already did - drinking enough water, daily walks, eating 3 servings of fruit a day . . ..  I guess I was feeling gutsy.  I suggested something to Dave and Rebekah during our morning walk.

 "I think I want to give up white flour and sugar." 

Now, this wasn't an out-of-the-blue thing.  Earlier this week I was listening to my missionary friend's thoughts on how her family is eliminating carbs from their diet when they're in the form of white flour and high fructose corn syrup.  They are even trying to eliminate corn in general from their diet because of what it turns into in the body when not expended by daily exercise.  My Mom has also said for years how badly white flour and sugar affect her system.  Of course, if I was choosing to give these things up, that didn't mean my family had to as well.  I just wanted them to know my plans, but that they were welcome to join me if they so chose.  Imagine my surprise at dinner today - lentil soup - when my 13 and 11-year-old kiddos chimed in that they also wanted to participate!  I clearly said NO white flour or sugar, mind you.

So, here begins my/our journey.  There will be major changes, moody days, cravings, and frustrations.  But there will also, hopefully, be a sense of togetherness, improvements in health, more energy (eventually), weight-loss(?) and growth as we investigate and move forward in this new endeavor.

Do you celebrate Lent?  Are you giving up something or adding something healthy to your routine?  Maybe you've tried to give up white flour and sugar - any advice? 

The Ruins in Yucatan

Most states have attractions that draw tourists or field trips or become vacation destinations.  The state of Yucatan is no exception. In fact, it is a fairly well known tourist attraction because of its rich history and the geography of the region.  And when you call a place like this home, you have to make an effort to see it as the cultural jewel that it is and experience it as if for the first time.

This spring we invited our Yucateco friends to Chichén Itzá, one of the modern 7 wonders of the world in our own "backyard." Although they had visited it in the past, they had not in recent years, so for their kids it was like going for the first time.  We chose a crazy, chaotic day to go - the Spring Equinox - when the shadows formed by the sun on the main pyramid, Kukulkan, form the body of a serpent.
We waited for what seemed like forever in the line to pay for our ticket to enter into the ruins.  Mexicans pay a minimal amount to get in, and foreigners like us pay a slightly steeper fee. Students get in at a reduced price. So as we chatted to pass the time during the heat of the day, the kids occupied themselves with various games.

Once on the grounds, you follow a pathway that winds its way past the many structures built by the Maya people.  The main attraction is the pyramid, but there are also a ball court, buildings with columns, and a cenote with an altar built in front of it where it is believed that sacrifices were given to various gods.  Because of the attraction it is, many vendors line the walkways with trinkets and souvenirs, t-shirts and hammocks, all to commemorate your special time in the Yucatan.

One vendor sells wooden figures.

On the far left is the serpent's head,
and the light in between the shadows
forms its body.

Here are some fun shots of our time there:

As you can see, we all had a fun time together enjoying this "modern wonder of the world." 

A day away

Recently our family had the opportunity to spend just under 24 hours outside of Mérida for a little getaway. This past weekend our kids had a few days off of school to make it a 5 day weekend, but between homework, parents' work and church we couldn't really relax until the very end. So what do you do when you live in Mérida? Head to the beach! No, the waters aren't crystal clear like they are near Cancun. But they are just as wet and just as salty and the sand is just as soft. So, after church and a late lunch with the pastor and her family, we drove to Celestún, a fishing city on the gulf coast where flamingos can be found, at times in the thousands. Once there, we checked into a hotel for the night and went straight to the ocean. The kids ran and swam and played in the water as the sun set, making for a very beautiful and relaxing evening. Afterwards, the kids rinsed off under a very powerful spray of water from an outdoor shower. Although they didn't want to come out of the water, our hunger compelled us to find a place to eat along the beach. We found a restaurant that had fresh fried fish - mero - which in English is the fish known as "grouper". Very yummy - I couldn't finish mine, but Dave said that my fish was larger then his was and he helped himself to some of my dish :-)
The following morning we ordered room service. You know, I don't remember EVER getting room service anywhere. Anyway, we were brought coffee, eggs, toast, hotcakes and juice. I'm thinking that, including the tip, we paid about the same (or less) than we would in any American restaurant for breakfast. After that, we had scheduled a boat tour to see the flamingos and a water hole along the coast. Our guide, Don Louis, picked us up at the hotel along the beach and we boarded his boat for a 2 1/2 hour tour. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to be on the ocean and enjoy God's creation. Don Louis took us to a place they call a petrified forest, which is really and area where the trees are preserved because of the salt water. We got out and saw dozens, maybe hundreds of little crabs called "violinists" - because with their larger claw raised (which is actually attracting the female crabs) it looks like an orchestra playing their violins. Rebekah and Joseph picked some up and I captured what I think is a pretty cool picture of a female crab (the female does not have the enlarged claw like the males do) on Rebekah's finger. Later, we went on to see the flamingos and other birds that call this place home during part of the year, at least. This is actually not the "season" but we were blessed to not only see a group of young flamingos, but also to catch them in flight. We heard that, just one day before, all the tourists who came saw only 1 lone flamingo. Can you imagine?
Next on the agenda was visiting a water hole. On the way we maneuvered through "los manglares" (mangroves) and saw huge termite nests in the trees and got the feeling that we were in Costa Rica again during our getaway on the Atlantic coast a few years back. After this short passageway through the trees we arrived at the final stop called an "ojo de agua" which literally translated means "water eye" or "eye of water" - which we had heard was fresh water found along the coast. My guess is that those who called it fresh water did not jump in and try it out because it was definitely salty, although not as salty as the ocean. The water was very clear, like you would find in a cenote or a water hole along a creek, and it was full of fish. The whole family tried it out, but we didn't stay very long since it was deep and not even Dave and I could touch bottom in the majority of the pool. Here is a picture Dave took of us sitting on a fallen log in the water. Then it was time to head back to the hotel. We had to be checked out by 1, but when we returned to check out they said we were free to enjoy the beach and use their area for changing. Bonus! So, we packed up, but returned to enjoy the ocean waves, sun and fresh mango on beach. Of course, our stomachs got the best of us, and we were craving more seafood. Don Louis had been talking about jaiba which is a type of crab and also shrimp that they served along the coast, and he also suggested some restaurants. He did not let us down. I now have a new favorite - jaiba a la mexicana - basically crab meat served Mexican style. Oh, was it delicious! In the picture, that is shrimp that you see closest, of course, then ceviche with mixed seafood (crab, shrimp, fish, and octopus), and on the plate near Dave is the crab meat. Did I say that is my new favorite seafood?
There are always people selling things on the beach, even inside the restaurants, so we had to get some local sweets as well. Dave got an almond cookie, of sorts, picture almonds laid side to side in circle, held together with a caramelized sugar. Rebekah got something similar, but with other ingredients, kind of had a Cracker Jack quality to it. Jonathan picked a coconut treat and Joseph and I went for pure sugar in what is simply meringue (basically egg whites and sugar, slightly baked) - just a baseball size treat that is crispy on the outside and soft in the center. Can you tell who has the sweet tooth in the family?
Well, that, in a nutshell (no pun intended, Sky), was our 24 hour mini-getaway. I couldn't have asked for anything to work out more nicely. I count it a blessing to have experiences like this and a double blessing to be able to share it with family and friends who are far away. We miss all of you.

Easter Weekend

This weekend has been a good one. The kids don't have school. Dave has had some extra time because school is out for him, too. We have been at church quite a bit - I think every day this week except Monday and Saturday . Starting the Easter weekend, the kids played with some of the children at a church Dave preached at on Friday. It was nice being out of the city again, out in the country air :-) That's a duck that Joseph is holding in the photo. They also held chicks and puppies, petted goats, and climbed trees. Just look at their smiles!

On Saturday we had a family day out. We checked out a new shopping mall that is built surrounding an indoor ice skating rink. Imagine that - outside, 90-some degree weather and inside - cold enough to keep the ice frozen on the rink. The kids all enjoyed themselves, at least for the first 1/2 hour :-) Rebekah and Joseph are already asking when we'll return. Even Dave seemed to enjoy himself. In the photo, however, I'm not sure who is helping whom ;-)

Today is Resurrection Day - we celebrate that Jesus is Alive! I am thankful for His salvation and that His blood cleanses me of sin. I am thankful for my family, both near and far away. I am thankful for the opportunities He gives us to share our lives with others. I pray that my life and the life of our family will continue to reflect His love and the change He has made in us, whether in ministry or in the everyday stuff of life. Thank You, Lord, for Who You are and who we are because of You.

Chi Alpha Team - Lasting memories

We had the opportunity, once again, to host Mike's Chi Alpha Missions team this Spring. Last year, the whole family joined the team in ministry outside of Mérida in a town called Muna. This year, the kids and I were unable to join them for the entire week, but we made some great memories visiting some local areas of interest - ancient Maya ruins, an enormous cave, and a cenote (underground swimming hole) where one team member was baptized - and ministering at our home church in Mérida this year. We were privileged to be able to invite 7 of the 10 team members to stay in our home while 3 were able to experience the hospitality of 2 church families. The kids always feel "extra-special" when this incredible D.C. group comes. Enjoy the photos that give you just a glimpse as to how we seem to "gel."Thanks for always involving Bekah, Joseph and Jonathan and cementing special memories in their mind like "the back seat express" and giving rides on shoulders, letting them become photographers, and swinging them 3 inches from the ground, just to name a few! We all hated to see you leave. We're looking forward to next year, however (or any time you can come visit), and make sure to get Mike's whole family here, too!

And, Julia, the cards were soooo very thoughtful. The kids loved them!

Enjoying the kids, missing Dave

Wow - what an interesting week. Dave left Monday to attend a conference in León, Mexico - a 26 hour bus ride away from Mérida. That same day I learned how to make (more or less) 2 new dishes from friends who are from Mexico City. One dish is very economical yet full of flavor and is made with chicken, eggs, rice and green sauce. The other is a little pricier but elegant in how it is made and served. It is called "cuete mechado." You need a pressure cooker, but maybe I can make it using some other means. You stuff a roast with carrots and raisins and almonds and cook it in a tomato based sauce with bacon. I know, your mouth is watering already. Anyway, when it is done, you slice it so that you can see the different things you've stuffed it with, pour some of the sauce over top and it looks very fancy and is delicious :-P

The next day I took Joseph to his sports class at a stadium and I walked for about an hour myself - felt very good. That afternoon the kids had homework and made flags from 3 different coutries because they're learning about the United Nations Organization. - Egypt, Portugal, and New Zealand.

Wednesday I was invited to watch the kids present their countries and the school had a moment of silence for peace in the world. I thought about missionaries being in all of those countries . . . Then everyone released a white balloon into the air. (There are no laws regarding this practice here in Mexico.) I hope no birds or airplanes were affected . . .
The day continued normally until I went to pick up Jonathan (1:30 pm)- I backed out of the driveway and realized that a tire was flat. After stopping the car 2 houses down, I got out to inspect the tires and noticed that, not one, but two tires were flat! One was down to the rim, so I thought I might put on the spare and drive to get the other pumped up at a gas station - easier said than done. We have a Speed The Light (STL) vehicle which is a Ford Expedition - in other words, a big truck! Come to find out there are special mechanisms underneath plugs just to let down the spare underneath the vehicle. Needless to say, I had NO idea! So, I decided that first of all, my kids needed picked up - so I called my trusted friend and missionary Sandy and she came to my rescue in not only picking up my kids from school, but also letting them hang out with her until I could get things under control. Thank you, Sandy! Then, I called my friend Liz to see what she would do in this situation. She also came to my rescue in knowing someone who works at a Firestone here in the city. Not only did she know someone, but she went and picked up an employee from the place, and took him to my house to fix my flat. Wow - and during her lunch break - thank, Liz! I'd love to make a long story short but there is more. Once he got the spare on, he tried to inflate the other one, but found a hole in the other one as well! What to do? I only had one spare . . . Ok, my dear friend takes the guy and the tire to the shop to repair it then her sister (also my friend) picks the guy up later and brings him again to my house to put the fixed tire on so that I can go this time to get everything looked over and fixed. So, we get to the shop, he fixes the 2nd tire, puts the spare back under the truck - whew! Then I get the bill . . . $148.72 mexican pesos, which is, roughly, at the current exchange rate, $13.72 American dollars! Does that even sound possible? Well, I was one very thankful individual and you know where I'm going for any more tire troubles!

This brings us to Thursday, when I had another opportunity to walk at the stadium while Bekah had her sports class. The kids were getting out early from school so I thought we'd do a picnic at the park and let them ride bikes. When I got home, I realized that one bike needed new pedals put on, another needed brakes fixed, and the 3rd needed a chain guard because it was getting grease on Jonathan's clothes when he rode it. (No, we hadn't had the bikes out for a little while.) Oh, and they all needed air in the tires. Hey, let's go the bike shop today! So, we hauled the 3 bikes to the shop and after purchasing the chain guard and getting the needed repairs, I spent another $5 - not bad. Off to the park! It was a beautiful day, sunny with a cool breeze, which is a welcome change around here. The kids enjoyed being outside. I did, too. We ate PB&J and baby carrots, drank sports' drink, and finished things off with a piece of candy. We looked up at the clouds and decided what they all looked like - horses and planes, dinosaurs and eagles. Bekah thought the sky was trying to celebrate Independence Day by making a Mexican flag but couldn't get the eagle holding the snake just right! I love the imagination of my kids! I was pretty tired by the end of the day, so we hit the sack early.
Oh, one of Jonathan's quotes this week was about pancakes that the kids had at school Thursday. They were trying to tell me that the pancakes were the kind you buy and not homemade. He said, "she got them at the 'already-made' store!" - I guess we have quite a few of those "already-made" stores these days, don't we?

I decided to make some "real" pancakes Friday morning for my kids - we tried some with local honey and others with real maple syrup - yum! Friday was a free day for us - no school! We had made plans to go to the zoo with another family, but it ended up just being us. We still had a super nice time :-) We saw a baby deer who looked like it had just been born that day. We ate corn dogs for under $1, rode the zoo train for a peso a piece (that's about $0.10), and 3 cotton candies for $1.50. The neat thing about the Mérida zoo and park is that you can also get things like mangos, other fresh fruits and Dominoe's pizza - quite a variety! That afternoon the kids watched School House Rock - America while I tried to sleep off a migraine headache. This long without Dave's yummy coffee can do weird things to one's body ;-) Well, the nap didn't do it, but I prayed and asked a friend to pray and by Saturday morning it was gone - yeah! Thank you, Lord!

So, Satuday morning we head out to the Mérida English Library to return our books and get some new ones. They're remodeling right now, so the kids' area was closed off. That just meant we didn't stay quite as long. No problem. We got a few books that were near the front desk and bought some Neem tree honey that they sell there as well. Next we headed to a local shop to buy some guayaberas for our boys. On Wednesday they are supposed to go to school dressed in mestizo/mestiza and we haven't really bought any typical clothing for the kids, except for Rebekah having a dress or huipil that is white with purple embroidery. We then went to Wal-mart to pick up some food before heading home, trying to get ready for Dave's return. I did a little house cleaning, the kids watched Peter Pan, then we headed to their Saturday class at church. While they were having their lesson I slipped out to a coffee shop to get myself a cappuccino so as not to have a replay of the night before . . ..
Here we are now, watching Game 3 of the World Series(Boston is crushing Colorado), waiting for a call that says that Dave is 1/2 hour away. Will he catch the end of the game?

Shark!

Ok, things are getting kind of fishy down here in Mérida. Guess where we were able to travel last week??? The beach! A family from church was planning to visit the coast with relatives - minor problem, one car and 10 people. They would have sent their kids on with an aunt and uncle, but we thought, "hey, we have a car and a few days with no plans - how about going together?!"

I love when good ideas become a reality :-)

We traveled to San Felipe, a small fishing town - a 2 1/2 hour drive from Mérida. There we rented a newly built one bedroom house that we shared with our friends. Yup, shared a one bedroom house with no beds and no kitchen installed yet. We strung 5 hammocks up in the "bedroom" and they put 3 hammocks in the "living room" each of the 2 nights we were there. Their relatives, who live in the place next door, had had their home destroyed by hurricane Isadora and were in the process of reconstructing their own home. So, despite the fact that their living room was in the remains of their wooden home, and the kitchen in the new part of their home didn't have a roof - they welcomed us with open arms to share in their life on the coast. The dad, Chucho, caught fish as well as a "small" shark, with which they prepared meals for all of us while we were there. The food was delicious but very different from any type of seafood I have had in the past. The mom, Martina, made a salsa of chili jabanero and garlic - yum!

The beach itself is not right on the mainland. The family took us on their fishing boat to the beach which was a 5-10 minute ride out where the water was blue and there were grass huts on which to hang our hammocks (boy, those come in handy!). All of us experienced a lot of sun (can you say "peeling"?) and waves. While in the town the second day, we stopped to buy "bolis" which are homemade ice pops made with fruit/water or chocolate/milk - yum, yum!! We saw the carcass of a horseshoe crab in the water, much bigger than the one we saw in Progreso, but instead of calling it some type of crab in Spanish, they call it a "cucaracha del mar" - know what that is? A Sea Cockroach! What an "aha! moment" when I figured out that one :-)

The highlight of the trip (as much as I love the beach) was spending time with these families. Our kids played with theirs, we shared food together, played on the beach, relaxed together - it was just good to be there. They plan to visit Mérida in June, and I am looking forward to the chance to reciprocate the hospitality and genuine love we experienced during our brief vacation in San Felipe. I pray that our "adiós" (good-bye) is in reality an "hasta luego" (until later)!

The Beach

Since we arrived in September of last year, we've only had about 3 or 4 beach days or afternoons. Now, growing up in Erie, PA, going to the beach was a "given." You go to swim, to have a birthday party, to watch the sunset, even to ice skate (in the right season, of course). Here in Mérida, the beach is about 20-25 minutes away. Yup, that's it. And we can count the number of times on one hand that we've actually taken the drive to enjoy it. I'm hoping that number increases dramatically come summertime ;-)

Here's a look at the beach close to where we are - the gulf side waters of the Yucatan Peninsula. Remind you of anything? Lake Erie maybe? Granted, you can't taste a photo - believe me, the flavor of the water is nothing like the lake, but I'm suprised with the resemblance in other aspects. Oh, and you won't see any sunsets over this body of water - we face the north. Ok, there may be a few more differences - for one, the wildlife. Can you name these creatures?
The Yucatan is known for the great flocks of flamingos that migrate on the gulf side. We look forward to seeing more of these pink feathers in the future - apparently they can be seen by the 100s in certain areas along the gulf side of the peninsula (where these photos were taken). We have plans to go to a new beach today - maybe that's why I'm thinking about it so much. There will be more photos to come, of course. I can't remember what the name of this sea creature is - if you know, please comment. This is only it's shell, but we found quite a few like this on the sand during our visit.