Sports Outreaches!

Sports outreach is one way that we build relationships in Ixtapaluca. Monday and Wednesday in Jesus Maria and Tuesday and Thursday in Palmas (a new area for us). 

Two days in and we have had some good turnouts. 

In Jesus Maria it is a bunch of kiddos and their families. We had so much fun yesterday with a couple tournaments. 

I was able to make a new friend. A newer person in Jesus Maria. After about a 30 minute conversation she is excited for the things happening at Tiempo de Vivir (our community center). I hope to continue to build this relationship with her (and her family, she has two little boys). 

Relationships, why we do what we do. 

In Palmas we had a good size group of teens! They played soccer HARD! We are going to be inviting them to movie nights, game nights etc. 

Oh and of course we are following and watching lots of the world cup! Go Mexico AND the USA!

summer!

Intern time has begun with marathons of Settlers of Catan and World Cup games. Tomorrow we begin all the planned activities. 

This week we will start two new outreach areas and continue in Jesus Maria. Please be praying of all of us here!

- All of us will start going to the golf course gym in Acozac.

- We are promoting english classes in Acozac monday and wednesday evenings.

-Sports outreaches in Jesus Maria (Monday and Wednesday) and Palmas (Tuesday and Thursday) 

- Teaching english at a local Junior high in Palamas

- Tuesdays, thursdays and some fridays evenings at a house in palmas. Playing games, watching movies and getting to know the teens in the neighborhood.

5.5 Things (cause I like lists)

1. I love the rainy days we have been having. Cool, overcast and perfect for having an afternoon cup of coffee!

2.  I went to a funeral this last week. Probably the most awkward things since being in Mexico. The only person I really knew was in the casket. This family lives on my block and I became friends with him because of his dog (shocker). Sweet older guy. Anyways his wife came and asked me to go to the funeral because the guy told him i was the light of the neighborhood. Anyways I went. It was awkward... good story!

3. My favorite part about being here is watching God transform peoples lives. This morning I was teaching about the life of Christ to the younger youth (ages 12-15). One boy has been very stand offish in the past. Today he was interested, asked questions and memorized the points with everyone else. Love it!

4. I really enjoy the evening coffees with the ladies. Its so fun... laugh, talk, dream about trips to cancun ;)

5. The interns come this week. And so the crazy two months begins! Should be a great couple with interns, groups and visitors. Lots of new outreaches, watching the world cup, hanging out and sharing the Love of God with Ixtapaluca. 

and .5 

i have biting ants in my house.

Summer 2014

Let's see, what do we have going on this summer?

Visitors:
- Two Camino Global six week interns
- Three brothers from Pennsylvania for a month.
- Marcy (one of last years interns) is returning for almost a month.
- Fremont Alliance Church Youth Group at the end of July to help with VBS!
- Maybe a handful of unconfirmed others

Activities:
- Starting TWO new outreach areas (Acozac and Palmas)
- Continuing things in Jesus Maria
- Hopefully giving out 50 more wheelchairs
- Youth Rally in Jesus Maria
- A ventriloquist is coming for a week to do some outreaches.
- Vacation bible school
- World Cup activities

If you would like to help us with some of the expenses of the summer, send me an e-mail!

Rod just rented a house for our guys for the summer, which will eventually be someone else's house... and maybe someone else's after that?
He also talked about YOU coming down with your family, we would love to have you.... check it out!

We will be busy this summer, please keep all of us in your prayers! =0)

Mujeres Cambiando Ixtapaluca

This morning I noticed it was BEAUTIFUL out! Perfect weather, clear view of the volcanoes.... so i took the dog out for an early morning walk.

When I got to the park, I noticed a group of women working on cleaning and painting the park swings. I have seen them before. They alway wear the pink vests that say mujeres cambiando Ixtapaluca (women changing ixtapaluca). Today i stopped and asked if i could help.

Yep, they looked at me like i was crazy!

But i tied my dog to a poll, picked up some red paint and a paint brush and got started!

I found out that they do things in Jesus Maria once a month. They actually have a group that works in a lot of the parks in Ixtapaluca. Cool!

We finished and I gave them my phone number and they told me they would let me know their schedule! I'd love to help and get involved in this!

Plus the backdrop isn't bad, huh?

English Tutoring

On Sunday evening a lady that lives behind me came over. I have helped her younger boys with their english homework before. That has always consisted of me writing a short (2nd grade level) story in english and the boys illustrating it! Easy, and kinda fun!

She has a niece that is in prepa (High school) her and her friends needed help prepping for a high english exam this week. They wanted to know if i would be willing to help them for a few hours on monday. Sure!

Monday came and five youth showed up (on time- thats how i knew they really needed help!)

They had 200 pages of a workbook they need to finish and get ready for this exam. gesh!

Three hours later we got a dent in what needed to be done.

Tuesday they came again.... for five hours (7am-12).

Today they are back... and tomorrow too (their exam is friday).

Right now, they are writing short essays. The instructions said, "write a short essay on... The Benefits Of......". One girl is writing on the benefits of foreigners in Mexico! HAHA

English tutoring is not something I consider myself good at and not something that i usually enjoy. But, I have had a lot of fun with these kids! They are funny, work hard trying to understand the english rules, we have drank a lot of coffee and ate a lot of tamales.

I do wish they lived in Jesus Maria.

Anyways, i wasn't expecting to do this all week, but it has been fun! I hope that they pass this english test! They have also asked a lot of questions about why i am here, what i believe etc. I hope that now that they heard the Gospel that they will think about what they have heard!

whats been happening?

It has been a couple weeks since updating what has been going on. Here is a quick catch up...

- We have been getting ready for summer interns, visitors, and teams!
            -We are hoping to start outreaches in two new areas (prayers for that appreciated).  We will be having movie nights, sport outreaches, english classes, game nights.... should be fun! =)
           -We have so many fun things happening this summer... one of which is a ventriloquist heading down here in July to do a few events (one in Jesus Maria, one in Palmas, one or two at public schools?,   church etc).
           - We are hoping to give away 50 more wheelchairs (if you are interested in giving to this project send me an e-mail.
       

- I was up in Phoenix for the International Wholistic Missions Conference last week. It was a good time of connecting with other people doing wholistic ministry on the field, getting some new contacts and dreaming about the future.


- We hope to start phase two of our building project in August. Please pray for that as well. It will require money to be raised, permits to be obtained and hands to help! They did a little clean up yesterday... read about it on Rods blog!