Happy Birthday!!!

Yesterday, I was coloring with some of the kids, and they began singing the birthday song. Since it's sung just a tad different in Mexico, I recorded it to share with you all. Plus, Luz was just so cute singing :).

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We are pretty much as far away as we can get from my December birthday - but my both my parents "completed years" (as they say in Spanish) in June, so we'll say this video is for them. Happy Birthday Padres!

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At the end, you'll hear the little boy say "Bite the cake!" Here the birthday boy or girl has to lean down to take a bite of the cake, and a nearby friend or family member lovingly shoves your face into it :)

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Be healthy

Advertisements on TV and billboards around here sometimes make me smile because they come with helpful messages written at the bottom. "Exercise," "Eat well," and "Health is beauty" are some of the more common ones. Just the other day one cracked me up, I forget what the commercial was for, but the helpful message at the bottom of the screen was "Eat cantaloupe and watermelon." Ok.... :)

While we're on the health topic, I spent several days this past week struggling with a clogged ear. It was my own fault for not heeding the "nothing bigger than your elbow in your ear" rule, but my right ear ended up stopped up real good (thankfully with no pain). I hoped it would just go away if I left it alone, but that wasn't happening.

Finally, on Friday, I went to the pharmacy section at the local grocery store armed with the Spanish word for earwax scribbled on a paper in my pocket. I explained my problem and they handed me a bottle of ear drops and asked if that was what I wanted. Scanning all the medical words, I found "earwax removal" at the bottom, and said "Sure!"

And I was amazed at how well those drops worked! I ended up putting them in both ears because the one was suddenly feeling clearer than the other. I was so excited about it, I wanted everyone to try it. The people I talked to haven't been quite as enthusiastic about it as I am though :).

This business with my ears has caused me to reflect on the miracles of healing Jesus did during his time on this earth. Those drops felt so refreshing the first time I put them in my ears - how much more amazing must it have felt to be one of the many who had their hearing, sight, mobility, or even life, restored by Jesus. No wonder people just had to tell others about the wonders of what had happened. I'm so excited about ear drops - and that's incomparable to the excitement of experiencing the Messiah and his wonderful, mysterious ways.

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When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd,

he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

Matt. 14:14

45 minutes on the beach

Last Thursday afternoon I got a phone call from Jo Ellen Reaves, letting me know that while Cindy Hoover and her mother, Anne, had been enjoying a trip to the beach, Anne had a stroke that morning and they were on their way to Mexico City for medical care. Our task was to make a trip down there to pick up their luggage and Cindy's car.

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So, that night I boarded the midnight bus with Jo Ellen and Bruce Dockter as we set off for Hualtulco (wall-tool-coh), one of the nicest coastal towns in Oaxaca. We arrived 8 hours later, and went about getting to the hotel and communicating why we were there.

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While the hotel had been extrememly kind when Cindy and Anne were needing help, unfortunately we didn't get quite the same reception. Let's just say the hotel staff didn't go out of their way to make us feel real welcome :). But, we did enjoy a breakfast with a beautiful view and were allowed about 45 minutes to enjoy the beach - and so, armed with our cameras to document that we had in fact visited Hualtulco, we headed down to the sand and waves.

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By noon we were back on the road home, and a record 7 hours later with no stops at military checkpoints, our weary selves arrived back in Oaxaca. The most recent news is that Cindy will be helping her mother transfer back to the United States this weekend so that Anne can begin physical therapy there. I'm sure they would appreciate your prayers.

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I would like to present the following as proof of our 45 minute beach trip :).

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Beach, waves, cameras, action!

Jo Ellen enjoying a little dip in the ocean. I think she meant to just dip her feet in, but as you might notice by her wet pants, a wave caught her by surprise - sorry Jo Ellen! :)

Bruce trying to feel God's pleasure as he runs down the beach - can you hear Chariots of Fire in the background? :)
Dun dun dun dun.... dun duh du du.....

And I thought I'd include this video - in case you would like to enjoy the sound of the birds and the waves for a minute :).

The Longest Day

Last week I finally picked up the top book on my "read someday when I have time" pile. This one caught my eye because I saw the movie version of it many years ago, during my World War II movies phase.

I realize now that that's not a real common phase for girls :) - but I truly enjoyed those great ones - Stalog 13, The Great Escape, Bridge over the River Kwai, etc. Watching those so many times is how I learned my few phrases of German, French, and Russian. Nicht-schiezen: Don't shoot, Telephone pour moi: Telephone for me?, and Ya vas lublu: I love you :)
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I remember bits of the movie The Longest Day, but reading this story about D-Day has turned out to be just about as "hard to put down" as any other book I've read. Though I am eager to finish the book, demands of the past week have forced me to put off reading it quickly. However, that has also provided an interesting perspective, as I have been reading about the events of June 2-6, 1944 on practically those very same days these 65 years later.

It is incredible to read about both sides as they approached that fateful day - full of so many crazy and inexplicable events surrounding D-Day. In Obama's speech today at the Allied leaders tribute in France, he said, "Long after our time on this Earth has passed, one word will still bring forth the pride and awe of men and women who will never meet the heroes who sit before us: D-Day." It certainly has done that for me as I read this tattered book that somehow made it into my hands in Oaxaca, Mexico.

At this point, I am only halfway through. Even though I know the end, I am still on the edge of my seat 'watching' the events unfold. Sounds akin to having faith in Christ's triumphant return, but still struggling with the worries of each day, eh? As my fellow missionary colleague, Cindy Hoover, would probably say, I think there's a sermon in there somewhere :).

Randoms

First of all, my landlady brought me this star-fruit the other day, and I love that there is fruit like this in the world. It's like God just puts some things here so that we can delight in Him :)

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As I was cleaning up the toys in the nursery if the children's home, suddenly I heard a man's voice speaking Scripture. It threw me off for a moment, until I realized I had tossed a talking Jesus action-figure into the bin of toys. Oh brother.

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And third, I thought I'd share this moment from yesterday with you. Five year olds + balloons on string = a solid 1/2 hour of them entertaining themselves (and me).