Something blogworthy

This is the beginning of the monstrous bridge mentioned below.  It heads off to the right and winds around a mountain.

I've lately been feeling like I had nothing to blog about.  My life is pretty ordinary, aside from the fact that I live in Mexico, so I haven't really felt anything blogworthy.  Until yesterday.

I was on my way to a friend's house last night and the route includes this bridge that is at least a mile long called the Tiroteo that crosses a river and then winds around a mountain.  All that to say, once you're on it, there is no turning back.    Anyway, as I turned onto the bridge, I noticed that the traffic was horrific, but it was too late.  I was stuck.  So, I started texting a friend (don't worry, I wasn't moving AT ALL).  It went something like this (in Spanish):

Me: I'm stuck in traffic.  Everyone is stopped on the Tiroteo.
Friend:  Tiroteo?  Do you hear any shooting?  Are you okay?  BE CAREFUL!
Me:  No!  Everything is fine!  Just an accident.  How is the restaurant?

I was super confused because nothing bad ever happens on that bridge.  Anyway, I arrive at my friend's house an hour later and start telling them about the traffic on the Tiroteo.  They all started yelling and asking me if I was okay and I said, "YES I'm fine.  What is the big deal?  I was just stopped on the bridge for an hour.  That's it!"  To which my friends replied, "On the Atirantado?" 

Little did I know, the name of the bridge is the Atirantado, and "tiroteo" means "gunfire."  So, what I actually said in my text was, "I'm stuck in traffic.  Everyone is stopped in the shooting.  Everything is fine!  How is your dinner?" 
Whoops.  Guess I'm still learning Spanish.  We had a really good, hearty belly laugh.

Cuatro Cienegas

This past weekend my friends and I went to Cuatro Cienegas, a town a few hours from Monterrey. We'd heard it was a sweet place to visit, and it definitely delivered! Our hotel offered us a personal tour guide who doubled as house keeper. We borrowed her for the afternoon and she was amazing! (What you're about to read may not make sense. Don't worry, it doesn't really make sense to me either)

First of all, CC is known for having lots of endemic species, which means species that aren't found anywhere else in the world. It is also the only known place in the world where the original single-cell organisms can be found. They were found in a poza azul (blue pool) or sulfur spring. Thankfully, it was windy and the smell of sulfur wasn't terrible. The pools were beautiful (think Yellowstone sulfur springs). This picture does it no justice.


CC is in the middle of a desert. It hasn't rained here for over two years, yet there is still water. It rains on the mountaintops around the desert, and the runoff has formed a salt water river that runs through there. The water collects salt from the earth as it flows downhill. It is pretty miraculous to see a river running through a desert. And, the levels of the sulfur springs haven't changed, which is also pretty unbelievable. So, below, you have a salt water river, running through a desert.
Part of the desert is white sand. Again, I don't understand, but, all of a sudden, the desert just turned from what you see above, to white sand, full of salt. Some of it was so packed that it made formations, like the one we're standing on.
Lastly, back in town, our personal guide took us to her friend's house, who happens to sell dulces regionales, or regional sweets. She sold candy by the kilo, and weighed it in the old school metal scale sitting on the table. She was maybe the most welcoming woman I've ever met and I was giggling the whole time we were in there at how excitable she was. She was beside herself that she had 5 foreigners in her house. Also, as I'm sure you can tell, she is a beauty queen. In 1952 she was the Cuatro Cienegas Grape Festival Queen. CC has some of the oldest vineyards in Mexico, therefore, they have a Grape Festival.All that to say, we saw a smorgasbord of landforms and habitats, and I felt like I was being warped from one place to another. It was like every type of desert, salt water, lush vineyard farmland (ground-watered), mountains and plains all merged to create one place.
I LOVED IT!!

It's official. I'm an idiot

This morning, my keys were mysteriously missing, so after work I turned the apartment over and found nothing. As I was leaving to go on a walk to mourn the loss of the keys, I walked past the mailbox remembered that I had left the keys on top of the mailbox as I was going through all the mail the day before. The whole building shares one mailbox, roughly 24 people total. Needless to say, there is always a TON of mail and it drives me crazy, so about once a week I go through and throw away all the junk mail. It takes a good five minutes, but, when I finished, I gathered up the trash pile and went down to my apt., leaving my keys behind (roommate was home when I got home so the door was unlocked.)

So, I made a ghetto sign saying I had lost them and posted it by the mailbox. So far, two people have gotten back to me saying that they saw the keys the day before but left them alone. So we're praying (you and me) that some good Samaritan has them and is going to give them back as soon as he/she finds out I'm the idiot who left them there. And I'm pretty sure no one is going to want to take away the 99 Camry. If they do, I guess it was meant to be.

Hey Look at These Crayons

If you have kids, you HAVE to show them this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWF86D_UNxc

And if you don't have kids, watch it anyway...then admit to yourself that Elmo is amazing (if you haven't already)

Glass 1/2 Full

Things that happened because something else was broken this week:
1. I drove a stick shift across town...I'd only ever driven with a qualified driver before.**
2. I called the washing machine man to come fix our washer, made the appt. and gave him directions to our house-all in Spanish.
3. I have gotten to spend a lot more time with my friends as they joyfully drive my humbled butt around this city.
4. I learned the Spanish words for the light bulb, the bulb part of a light bulb, the cover of a light bulb and how to say the light bulb is "burnt out." (They actually say "fundida" which means melted)
5. I've spent a lot more time reading, mostly while waiting on gracious friends to come pick me up.
6. Did I mention I drove a clutch today? Alone?** And that my amount of daily prayers grew exponentially as a result?
7. I've prayed for my mechanic. You should try it some time.
8. I've read Philippians at least 8 times. Also recommended.
9. I've been reminded that much more growth happens when we have to struggle.
10. I learned how to drain the water out of our broken washer and discovered the hilarious ghetto hole in the wall where the drain pipe goes (while flooding the kitchen, as previously stated)

To sum it up, I feel a little more humble, a little more brave, and a little more Spanish-speaker.

**I stalled at least 3 times on the road, once on a hill, almost ran into a wall because I thought it was in reverse, drove at least a half mile with the emergency brake on, and, lastly, I stalled at least 4 times in the parking garage where I tutor...the security guard was super encouraging and trying to give me advice. I think he was a little worried to see me go. I got the hang of it about a third of the way home but I MADE IT!!!

Learning Contentment

4:11 "Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."
4:19 "And my God will supply every need of your according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

I've held on tightly to these verses this week. My car went into the shop yet again last Thursday, I got it back today, and its not any better. The crazy thing is, that car had zero problems last year. I'm convinced that someone in the great beyond is using my car issues to try to bring me down...or Someone Else is wanting to teach me a lesson in humility. It is not expensive to have it fixed, it is just inconvenient to ask friends for rides or take taxis. For those of you who know me, you may know that I can get really prideful about my independence, and it is really hard for me to accept charity. I think its one of those, "I am woman, hear me roar" complexes that I'm not (or am?) proud of. All that to say, the car is broken, and I'm trying to heed to God's reminder that I am to be not only content, but joyful, in all circumstances. Also, I am to trust him to supply my needs and have faith that He always has the best in mind. Sadly, I've supposedly learned all of that before. Apparently it didn't stick very well.

I think that coming off of a great trip home isn't helping either. I miss it, but am finding lots of rest and peace in the confidence God has given me in my role and purpose in Mexico.

I leave you with my anecdotal story of the week: Our washing machine is broken. It filled up with water on Saturday and quit on us. Last night I tried to fix it (because I am woman hear me roar) and wound up draining the washing machine water into the kitchen. My roommate was making dinner and the next thing she knew she was jumping up onto the counter to escape the flood, and I was trying to fight off the rising water with a mop AND a broom. Thankfully there is a drain in our kitchen, and I was indeed roaring...with laughter.

Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good."

Why I Love Monterrey This Week

1. English Christmas songs translated into Spanish
2. tacos, quesadillas, sopes and tostadas
3. Posadas...name for Christmas parties...that literally happen with every group of people you could ever find an excuse to throw a party with (I've lived here for a year and I was invited to 7-not because I'm popular. That's probably a small number).
4. Meeting sweet ladies at a church garage sale
5. Chispa...roommate's new puppy that I am quickly falling in love with
6. I have a sweet friend who doesn't care a whole lot about the Lord, but is going through a hard time. This week she sent me this email, "Starting looking up old church songs I sang when I was younger. I really wanted to share them with someone and I thought of you."
7. The bible study girls I have been blessed with
8. My roommate/neighbors asking me, now on a regular basis, how church was and what I got out of it.
9. After a very brief and vague interaction, a Starbucks barista asked me yesterday if I was fluent in Spanish. I told him I was working on it.
10. Mexico is close enough to the U.S. that I can go and visit and see my family and friends for 2 whole weeks over Christmas.
11. Talking with a coworker about the differences in the Catholic church and Protestant church, and about what she thinks a genuine relationship with God should look like compared to how she was raised.
12. God's endless provision and sense of humor, even when I doubt.

Merry Christmas!