We woke up a little late this Tuesday morning and while I was filling the washer with the hose for a load of wash, several of the boys from the school came to the fence to talk. I asked them how they were doing and some spoke up and said they were fine. Then I asked if they’d like to come have an art class today and they said they could come after computation class, which ends at 4. So I’m going to get ready for lots of kids today and hopefully they’ll let me take their picture. Lord willing, it will be some seeds planted for the Kingdom.
Being here in Tepeyac has been a learning process for us, as far as the cultural aspects of this area of Mexico are concerned. I was already familiar with the culture of the area of Baja, Mexico we lived in for 7 years, and it had a strong Indigenous influence as many of the people we ministered to there were Trique and Mixteco natives from Oaxaca, Guerrero and other southern states.
But here in Coahuila, the culture is different, and I’m sure, influenced by the U.S. that is not far away. We haven’t seen many homes with televisions but see that some have satellite dishes on top of their homes. There are only a few school-aged children that don’t attend classes, and we’ve tried to encourage them to go to school, but their parents haven’t registered them so they can’t attend. We are praying God will work out those problems as they have little chance of leading very productive lives wandering the streets at 10 and 12 years old. In the meantime, we spend time with them, and they like to hang out with us when they’re not riding horses and hanging out with their friends.
Here in town, 35 children attend the local elementary school up through 6th grade, and laterthen they are bussed to Palmira for the upper grades. It was a nice surprise to learn that a teacher comes to Tepeyac from Acuna to teach computer classes on Tuesday and Wednesday. The children told me they really enjoy that class.
Right now, many of the families are picking pecans for money. In Jiminez, there’s a business that allows you to pick their pecans and pays for you to sell them back to them, after you’ve shelled them. Most of the people we see here have the tell-tale black thumbs and fingers that come from shelling pecans (nogales). They tell me that for about two or three more weeks they can do this type of work. There are lots of trees in the orchards, they say, and we’ve seen little grandmothers, and even youngsters with the evidence of this hard work. One lady next door told us she and her daughter picked and shelled 190 kilos one day. A kilo is a little over two pounds, so you know they worked hard. I can’t imagine it. I think they told me they made 25 pesos a kilo of the shelled pecans, which is about two American dollars for a little over two pounds. Right now, it is the most profitable work to be had in this area. When you think of how much we pay for pecans, it gives you a whole new perspective of what goes into that product. Most jobs here make about $60. U.S. per week.
When we get a chance, we will try to pry the door on the pickup so that it will open again. I sure hope the mare that hit us last night is okay. Bill’s going to go look for her later today.
Blas asked us if we could help him haul a sheep that he’s purchased that’s pregnant. He needs to move her to his house, and he and Bill will get into the back of the pickup and ride with her. Who would think we’d be hauling sheep in the back of our pickup in Mexico? I’ll try to get some pictures….sounds like another adventure to me!
We will try to keep you updated whenever we can and appreciate your prayers for us and reading our blog. God bless you today as you keep Jesus first in your life!
In His service,
Toni and Bill
By the way, on our way over here to San Carlos, we saw the mare that walked into our pickup last night and she looks fine. Thank the Lord!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Monday Night
Wow! What a Monday!
We got up early and got ready for a trip to Del Rio, when Blas and Paula showed up to patch the holes in the wall near the roof. He mixed cement and threw it into the holes while I covered the table in the house to prevent the cement that was coming into the room from falling on my letters. Excitement from the beginning of the day!
We left about 10:00 and went to San Carlos to upload our blog post and then headed on across the border. We picked up mail and sent out lots of letters and changes of address, and then went to lunch at IHOP. While we were there, we met a couple, Bob and Bonnie from Michigan who now live in Timberon, New Mexico. They were passing through Del Rio on their way to Zapata, Texas, where they are selling their property there and we got to pray with them and had a wonderful visit. They sing gospel music at churches and at nursing homes, and it was so interesting to talk to them.
Then we went to the Toyota dealer to find out about our tail light for the pickup. We’ll have to pay for it before we order it, and it’s almost $200. So that will have to wait awhile.
After that, we went to Walmart to pick up some Kibbles and Bits and bread, and then we filled up with gas and headed back across the border. When we got to Acuna, we stopped to get an estimate for Bill’s teeth, and spent about an hour with a very nice lady dentist right on Bravo as you enter Acuna. She told us Bill will have to have surgery to scrape down the bone on his jaw (he’s had this done on the bottom but not on the top) in order for the dentures to fit. She priced the surgery (with another dentist) and the denture (upper) and lower bridge at a total of $1,600. U.S. So, we will be praying for provision for that need for Bill and were grateful for her free consultation and estimate for Bill’s dental work.
We drove on to San Carlos and there were so many children dressed up for Halloween in the streets of Acuna and San Carlos. I think we got behind a sort of parade in San Carlos, because it took a long time to drive the mile at about 5 miles an hour through the pueblo.
The most amazing thing happened on our way home, between Palmira and Tepeyac. I mentioned that we didn’t see our usual group of horses, about 8 of them, that we see walking down the middle of the road. Just after I said that, Bill said, “There they are!” and they were walking straight toward us. I had my high beams on and slowed down and stopped while they walked by, but must have blinded them, Bill said, because the biggest brown horse walked alongside and right into the passenger side of the pickup, moving the rear-view mirror and denting the door so badly we can’t open it. I hope we didn’t hurt the horse, but we weren’t moving when it hit us, so I think it must be okay. They all walked off and into the darkness behind us. What a weird experience. Jimi Coplen told me that deer walked into her car more than once, and I could hardly imagine an animal doing that, but now I know it can happen.
No sooner did we get home and discover the door wouldn’t open so Bill had to climb over the driver’s seat, than we had another odd thing happen. A boy was on his horse, galloping down our road chasing a running white bull with big horns through the town, trying to rope it. The bull ran through our neighbor’s yard, with the cowboy chasing after it in the darkness. What a night of odd animal activity! You’d think it was a full moon, but I checked and it wasn’t…Just a funny night in this part of the world, I guess.
Bill is lying on the bed with the dogs, resting, waiting for me to come to bed. It’s almost 9:30 and way past our bedtime so I’ll close for now, before anything else happens!
I almost forgot. We bought some candy in case we had trick or treaters, and three boys came by saying Happy Halloween so I gave them some candy and took their picture! They were having a great time, running around with painted faces and asking for candy. I thought I’d share it with you. Good night, sleep tight…
We got up early and got ready for a trip to Del Rio, when Blas and Paula showed up to patch the holes in the wall near the roof. He mixed cement and threw it into the holes while I covered the table in the house to prevent the cement that was coming into the room from falling on my letters. Excitement from the beginning of the day!
We left about 10:00 and went to San Carlos to upload our blog post and then headed on across the border. We picked up mail and sent out lots of letters and changes of address, and then went to lunch at IHOP. While we were there, we met a couple, Bob and Bonnie from Michigan who now live in Timberon, New Mexico. They were passing through Del Rio on their way to Zapata, Texas, where they are selling their property there and we got to pray with them and had a wonderful visit. They sing gospel music at churches and at nursing homes, and it was so interesting to talk to them.
Then we went to the Toyota dealer to find out about our tail light for the pickup. We’ll have to pay for it before we order it, and it’s almost $200. So that will have to wait awhile.
After that, we went to Walmart to pick up some Kibbles and Bits and bread, and then we filled up with gas and headed back across the border. When we got to Acuna, we stopped to get an estimate for Bill’s teeth, and spent about an hour with a very nice lady dentist right on Bravo as you enter Acuna. She told us Bill will have to have surgery to scrape down the bone on his jaw (he’s had this done on the bottom but not on the top) in order for the dentures to fit. She priced the surgery (with another dentist) and the denture (upper) and lower bridge at a total of $1,600. U.S. So, we will be praying for provision for that need for Bill and were grateful for her free consultation and estimate for Bill’s dental work.
We drove on to San Carlos and there were so many children dressed up for Halloween in the streets of Acuna and San Carlos. I think we got behind a sort of parade in San Carlos, because it took a long time to drive the mile at about 5 miles an hour through the pueblo.
The most amazing thing happened on our way home, between Palmira and Tepeyac. I mentioned that we didn’t see our usual group of horses, about 8 of them, that we see walking down the middle of the road. Just after I said that, Bill said, “There they are!” and they were walking straight toward us. I had my high beams on and slowed down and stopped while they walked by, but must have blinded them, Bill said, because the biggest brown horse walked alongside and right into the passenger side of the pickup, moving the rear-view mirror and denting the door so badly we can’t open it. I hope we didn’t hurt the horse, but we weren’t moving when it hit us, so I think it must be okay. They all walked off and into the darkness behind us. What a weird experience. Jimi Coplen told me that deer walked into her car more than once, and I could hardly imagine an animal doing that, but now I know it can happen.
No sooner did we get home and discover the door wouldn’t open so Bill had to climb over the driver’s seat, than we had another odd thing happen. A boy was on his horse, galloping down our road chasing a running white bull with big horns through the town, trying to rope it. The bull ran through our neighbor’s yard, with the cowboy chasing after it in the darkness. What a night of odd animal activity! You’d think it was a full moon, but I checked and it wasn’t…Just a funny night in this part of the world, I guess.
Bill is lying on the bed with the dogs, resting, waiting for me to come to bed. It’s almost 9:30 and way past our bedtime so I’ll close for now, before anything else happens!
I almost forgot. We bought some candy in case we had trick or treaters, and three boys came by saying Happy Halloween so I gave them some candy and took their picture! They were having a great time, running around with painted faces and asking for candy. I thought I’d share it with you. Good night, sleep tight…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)