A cold rainy day

When you think of Mexico, I know all of you back home think hot, sunny weather. Well, last week was hot, but this week brings us Hurricane Kiko, and with that the high temperature today is a mere 51 degrees! It's about 45 out now and drizzling rain stuff that is almost like sleet...fine, thin, cold rain that cuts right through you! Brrrrrrr I'm freezing! Remember, we have no heating here and no carpet either (all tile)...that makes for really cold toes! I made myself some mexican "atole" drink (a hot beverage made from cornstarch...today I made chocolate flavored atole, so it tastes a bit like hot chocolate). Now I'm sitting with my feet wrapped up under three blankets getting some things done around the house, since its not a day to venture out with all the rain, wind, and cold! I almost feel like its fall, with this cold weather...I guess that's a blessing because I was just commenting on how much I miss the fall season back home...I tink you all are having warmer weather than me! The rain started three days ago and we've had some nasty electrical storms as well! Thank you Hurricane season!

On brighter notes, I got a wonderful and very encouraging phone call from my English student Viviana last night. She and her family, and her neighbors Enrique and Gloria all atttended my classes and are also Christians. She called just to see how I was and we talked for nearly an hour I think. She shared a really special blessing with me; we never know when or how God is working! When they first began attending my class, Gloria was painstakingly shy and would not even look you in the eye. She is the mother of two girls and her husband is the son of the elderly man in the church who passed away several months back. After about class three of attending, I started seeing a visible change in Gloria--smiles, laughs, conversation, actually eye contact, not such awkward social behavior, and a real desire to learn and get to know the other students. Viviana shared with me last night that many, many brothers in Christ were praying for Gloria as she had been like that for quite some time and nobody knew why, she even had fears of going outside to see people. Viviana told me that through going to the classes with her daughters and as a family, Gloria has "returned" to her normal self...she is happy, talkative, giggly, and open once again. It is so neat to hear how someone changes, when you think God is least likely working! We agreed to try to get together for fellowship or just a meal every month, as Viviana said that Gloria really latched onto me and comments constantly about how she misses going to English classes. (For those who didn't hear through my prayer letter or previous posts, I am no longer having my English classes until I have finished visiting other ABWE ministries and at that point will see in which ministry I can best serve.) I am excited to see them, as it has been very hard for me to not see the students and people I grew very close to over the past almost year.

In other great news, Darlene, my roommate is now a Settlers of Katan fan. This is a German board game my brothers and I love. We play it as a family every Christmas, Thanksgiving, or other time of being together. Ben and Aaron gave me my own game last Christmas so I could play it and teach it to Mexicans, all the Christmases and Thanksgivings I would spend away from home! They even got the directions printed in Spanish for me. Well yesterday, being a cold and dreary day, I asked Darlene if she wanted to learn. We played twice last night as she soon became an addict (either that or she just wanted to win since I won both times!). The concept of the game is building settlements and cities and roads on a map, and you have to collect different resources and trade resources to be able to build. You get so many points for each thing you build, and the winner is the first to ten points. So we played for two hours last night and now we want to teach some of the people at her church and our teammates because it truly is a great game.

Well, I'm off to get more done. We are reading a good book as a team, that I have to finish my reading for still, entitled "Transforming Grace: Living Confidentially in God's Unfailing Love," by Jerry Bridges.

One other note...I am for sure coming home for Thanksgiving...I arrive Wednesday November 14 and will be in the USA until I fly out on Wednesday November 28. I will be in Minnesota with my grandparnts and Harper side of the family a majority of the time. Looking forward to seeing many of you.

Bethany