Goodbye 2011. HELLOOOOOO 2012!

Wow. It is fun to look back on a year. This year seem to fly by (my parents were right, the years get faster as you get older!).

I remember in December 2010 looking ahead to 2011 and being kinda fearful. There were uncertainties all around me. But, as I look back on it now.... it was truly an amazing year where I did some incredible things and God taught me so much!

I am glad to say that i can look back and say I don't really have any complaints or regrets about anything that happened this year. Only thankfulness for what God did in me, through me, and for me! It was a year of surprises... challenges.... laughs... new friends.... new places.... healing... and getting closer to the One who created me!

This year....
- I did a ton of fundraising.
- I left the job I absolutely loved to a place that I love just as much, if not more!
- I began learning a new language.

Of course, all of the things above were blessings.... but, also came with their set of challenges. But, through each one I have learned something more about myself and even more importantly... God.... His love for me.. how He cares for me... and supplies my every need.

I can't wait to see what 2012 brings.I know it is going to be good!

New Experiences!

Tiffany and I LOVE when our friends come and visit us... we get to do new things!

This week, Jenna came to visit (Tiffany's friend from home!)
Here are some things we got to do!

El  Nido (Apparently, it is the third largest bird sanctuaries in the world... and its within walking distance from my house!)

We got to hike Navado de Taluca. Probably one of the prettiest places i have ever been. It is a volcano with lakes in the craters.

And then we went to Teotihuacan... sun and moon pyramids.

OH ya! We also got to eat in a cave!

I wonder where our next adventure is going to be?

CHRISTMAS!

This was my FIRST year not in Nebraska for Christmas. We stayed busy enough that i didn't notice my homesickness until today.

Christmas service for church was held at the locales this year. It was cold and dark. But it was a great time to hang out with our church family. We even enjoyed dinner after! Tiffany and I learned how to make Mexican meat!

We made a few cakes for the random parties we were going to...

Christmas Eve is their big parties here. Of course they are filled with pinatas, fireworks, dancing, family, and lots and lots of food. I (and Tiffany and Jenna) went to Fabian's family for Christmas eve. It was a great time. They party all night long here.. We finally got home around 4:15am.

On Christmas day... we got up ... after only a few hours of sleep to have a Christmas breakfast and exchange a few little gifts with each other.

And then we went to the Cottrills. We hung out and had a Christmas dinner with them... turkey, potatoes and all the fixins! It was good to have a little normalcy to our Christmas!

Thanks Cottrill's =)

It was a great Christmas! I love Mexico!

It always amazes me (and makes me a little sad)...

When I think about how big Mexico City is and how many of those people have NO idea about Jesus.

El Nido

Today Tiff, Jenna, and I were adventurous and went to this bird sanctuary about a mile from my house!

It was 95 pesos and pretty low expectations.

But, it ended up being pretty cool.... if you are ever in Ixtapaluca you should go visit!

You got to go in a feed the birds, you could hold a eagle or owl.... and the thing we weren't expecting--- it was three hours.

We actually left 2 hours into it because we didn'y really have time to be there TODAY for three hours!

But, here are some pictures!

Oh fun times with the dog.

Last night about 9ish pm Maggie was playing when she jumped on the couch. I heard her start whining and turned around just in time to see her fall off of the couch. She was having a seizure type thing and trying to crawl to me. It nearly broke my heart to see the fear in her eyes.

Once she was better Fabian, Tiffany and I took her to our local dog expert, Nimpha.
She walked fine for about 10 minutes and then could barely stand.
Nimpha and her husband took us to the vet (it was 930 by then!)
They gave her some shots, looked her over and thought it was some sort of heart condition.

Today, Mayra, Tiffany and I took her to get a x-ray. We see this little clinic but surely that can not be it.. its for humans! But, it WAS! They did x-rays and lab tests for humans and animals! haha ... seriously anything is possible in this country!
As we were leaving the lab they were doing a blood draw on a guy in the door way... they stopped half way through just to let us by... i don't think i would EVER really want to go there.
When we first got there we had to pay, of course. 200 pesos to be exact. Then we were sitting there waiting and they wanted another 50 pesos. Mayra, thank God she was there ... pretty much told them NO! She thinks it was because we were white and speaking in english.
I was surprised at how well Maggie did during the x-rays. she stayed pretty still! Praise God! They just went right ahead and did the x-rays while the three of us were standing there. I am happy to report that we got our allotted dose of radiation for they year too!

THEN, we have to go drop off the x-ray to the vet...and then wait all day to get a call back!

Tonight the Fry's came and picked me and Maggie up and took us back to the vet. Rod played games in the car while Mayra and I tried to figure it all out!
Of course they want all of Maggie's shot records. Which i WOULD have if they didn't lose and or keep at the airport when we flew in! They lost the originals and kept for some reason the copies. But i had enough to satisfy them!
They think Maggie has hypertension.... a heart issue. A couple days of shots, and vitamins and a switch of diet... oh and watching the exercise routine. She should be ok.... maybe with a few more seizures here and there.

The vet also told me...
*her heart is in the wrong place
* her ribs are shaped funny.

Rod is probably right tho, they have probably never seen a dog of Maggie's type before. So the above things may or may not be true!

Anyways... if i was in the states and did all of that i am sure it would of costed hundreds of dollars.
This is what i spent...
250 pesos last night for original visit
200 pesos for xray
150 pesos for three days of shots
600 pesos total
figuring in the current exchange rate... $43.79 dollars!

a busy week!

I feel like I haven't been home longer than to sleep and let my dog out in a week!

Normally, Mondays Tiffany, Fabian and I get together to pray for the youth in our church and neighborhood. But, last week it ended up being a time of prayer WITH the youth, for a boy in our group. It was incredible to see the youth group come together, probably more then they have ever before. They prayed, cried, laughed and then made cookies ;)

I don't want to go into a lot of details about what happened but you can be praying for one of the families in our church. The mom and one son have accepted Christ and one son and dad have not. One son is going through a huge trial currently and the family is going through a huge financial burden because of it... the church, like the youth group, has really come together to support this family. We had two days of a garage sale where people donated lots of stuff. And two nights of selling hamburgers. In all we raised about 3000 pesos! (300 dollarsish).

Friday, The women of the church (led by Mayra and Aurora) had an evangelistic breakfast. Praise God, they had a terrific turnout and the ladies heard (some for the first time, probably) the reason we celebrate Christmas!

Tiffany and I took care of the kiddos for this event. We had 32 kids and 2 youth and us in Tiffanys house! That is a real accomplishment if you have ever seen these houses! Thank God for the youth that helped... we couldn't have done it without them!
We colored, ate breakfast, decorated Christmas cookies... and watched a movie!

you would look like this too if you had to care for that many kids!!

That evening we had the youth Christmas party! 

Tiff and i made tinga (which is like a chicken, onion, tomato dish) and lots of Ponche (a traditional christmas drink!). We are slowly becoming more and more Mexican i think!

At the party... we ate, played games, had a pinata, danced, hung out, and had a Christmas devo! We were excited to see new youth come that were invited!

I also learned that a Christmas pinata has fruit and nuts in it... instead of candy! That's different!

oh and one more picture before i close this nice blog... One of our youth girls made this cookie... It is the Mexican flag and the US flag!