Manchego cheese, Ministries, and Dolphins

So it's already been almost 3 weeks since I've arrived in Mexico, and at the same time I feel that I've been here forever and that they couldn't have flown by any faster.  I'm starting to get a great ring tan on my finger, Manchego cheese and tortillas have become staple foods in my diet (while I'm here for the summer, anyway), and we recognize faces and faces recognize us wherever we go in GTO and in the village.

So many exciting things have happened since my last update, and this time you'll see some pictures, too, but first let me share with you some

Things I am thankful for:

1. Cheaper books:  Lately I have really been wanting to read Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Spanish, so every time I see a bookstore or any place that sells books I go in and check the price.  The cheapest I've found it is 200 pesos, and the most expensive is 290 pesos, which would be about $19 and $28 USD.  Dear Amazon.com, you and I will most certainly reunite when I return to the States.

2. Free bathrooms:  I don't mind having to remember to throw out the paper, but it also costs 4 pesos each time you use "un sanitario público".  We celebrate every time we see a bathroom that doesn't have someone guarding it in front.

3. Being a "gringa":  Sometimes this can be to your advantage.  Sometimes it can get you free time to help train dolphins.  (*See below.)

4. Cool mornings:  I appreciate the cooler temperatures of the morning more and more.  The weather is so dry during the day that the grass crunches loudly when you walk on it, but the morning and night air is breathable and free and cool.  Yum.

5. Swept floors:  It's also rather dusty here.  During the first week, I saw my first daredevil whirling across the brown land in the distance.  We have to make sure to seal our containers with forks and spoons tightly or else the dust gets in, and I remind myself not to leave my laptop open because if I do, the next time I open it and start typing, it feels like I'm playing a piano that hasn't been touched in years.  And -- please bear with me in my future mom moment here -- sweeping the floor gives me a grand satisfaction when I see the floor change from brown to blue when all the dirt gets re-located into the trash can.

6. The Office:  Yes, as in the TV show with Steve Carell.  We love winding down and resting with an episode or two (or three) of The Office.  We're currently in Season 2, and I just want to fast-forward to when Jim and Pam are actually together.  But really, watching the seasons and munching on some snacks together is so relaxing, and I am so thankful for these moments.

7. Asian food:  Gol-LY do I miss my mom's home-cooked Korean food!  The food here is great (last night we went to Tacos Roy, again!), and we interns and the staff take turns cooking for each other, and of course the amazing Elvida, a pastor's wife from Irapuato, Mexico who used to own a restaurant, comes by and surprises us with above-standard meals…  But still, if I hadn't had to run out to catch the bus last night, I would have grabbed some Instant Ramen from the shelf and paid for it at the counter.  I found decent Chinese fast food at a mall in León, so every Saturday when we go there (for English Club at the church later at night), my cravings will be partially satisfied.  Maybe next time I'll be brave enough to even try out some of my Mandarin "skills" with the couple of Chinese workers there.

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And what of the ministries, you ask?  Since I last posted, we have had two ESL classes (I'm writing this before I get to the city with internet access, so by the time I post this online, we really will have had three), one official English Club meeting in GTO, and one English "Club" meeting in León.

ESL in Tejaban:  Mary Frances and Tori both did a fantastic job leading the classes on Tuesday and Thursday when we taught them about food and then reviewed the last three lessons with games.  The children are definitely getting more and more comfortable with us, evidenced by their growing rascally attitudes during free time, as well as their growing level of joking and friendliness.  By the end of the summer, I'm sure will we all have nicknames for each other and inside jokes. :P  I am just very thankful to God for blessing this ministry so much with energetic kids that keep coming back class after class and keep wanting to hang out after classes, too.

English Club in GTO:  This has just been sensational; God has certainly blessed this ministry, as well.  Our last meeting was held in a little café that both served delicious food and hosted great conversation.  I am so encouraged by the people that come to the Club and their enthusiasm to build friendships with us.  We made plans to hang out on Friday, so this past Friday we played soccer and basketball with them at their church, and later saw "X-Men, Primera Generación" at a local movie theatre (each ticket was less than $1.50, and it was fantastic).  We were invited to go see "Psycho" (Alfred Hitchcock) with another girl this Wednesday…  I thought that for the sake of building a friendship I could put on a brave face and see it, but I might just chicken out…

English "Club" in León:  I am so thankful to God for strengthening us and blessing us with an amazing two hours on Saturday.  We were expecting a relaxed atmosphere of conversation and music, something like English Club in GTO.  But when we got there, we found that they came expecting actual classes.  So we split up into two groups depending on their speaking level and taught lessons on the spot.  I was rather nervous at the beginning, having to put together a two-hour lesson in a minute for a group of people that spoke only Spanish, but God absolutely delivered.  Thanks to teamwork with Laura, Kaitlin, and Elisa that produced interesting lessons and a fun game, the encouraging enthusiasm of the students (ranging from ages 7 or 8 to almost 50), and their hunger to learn beyond the "planned" lesson, it was the smoothest class I had ever taught.  It just taught me that no matter how much I am prepared or am unprepared, it is really GOD who delivers, and it is HIS victory that I reap!

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* I know this is a long post, but if you want to stick with it a little longer, your curiosity of my above dolphin comment may be gratified.

On Sunday, our team took a break and went to a waterpark called "Splash" in Silao (Sabbath is for rest and rejuvenation, right? :P).  The slides were great, but what I was most excited about was getting to swim with the dolphins.  Maggie, Mary Frances, and I decided to make one of our dreams come true and swim with dolphins, which was unbelievably incredible.  Before that happened, though, we went to the dolphin show in which we volunteered Kaitlin for a dance-off with four Latina girls and cheered for her so loudly that she won the prize of swimming with the dolphins for free.  Afterwards, we met the dolphins, Chame (20-year old male) and Habana (6-year old female, my favorite!), and it was such fun swimming with them, getting hugs and kisses from them, and "water-skiing" by being pushed by their strong noses.  They are such beautiful creatures, and I am so excited to have played with God's amazing creation liked we did.  Not only was it an unbelievable experience, but we gringas were also invited to come and help train the dolphins any day, any week for the rest of the summer!  Of course, ministry first, but what an incredible opportunity!  I hope it happens :)  Dear Habana was so beautiful!

Things to pray for:

1. Thanks to God for a great team.  We're finally all here (including Emily, who will be here until July 1), and we're always praying for unity to stand against difficult times and to work together for God's ministries here, and that as we work to build relationships with people here that we would also build strong relationships with each other

2. The children of Tejaban, that they would keep coming to classes and that we would just love on them with God's love

3. The two English Clubs and the friendships we're building, and that at the club/class in León God would continue to strengthen me as I will be teaching the non-English-speaking class by myself

4. For me, that I would be able to trust in God's omnipotence in every circumstance, but that at the same time that I would be surprised again and again with a bigger perspective of His greatness

5. For strength, as I miss people dearly.

I am so encouraged by your reading my blogs, and for your prayers!