Our beautiful back yard

Ok, enough of the ice and snow already.....

Let me share with you a few photos I took several evenings ago as Marc and I were sitting outside enjoying our beautiful backyard.

notice the lime water :) Marc enjoying that wireless internet called Telmex

Love these beautiful pink geraniums...and the tall bamboo.

El Fogon

We tried a new restaurant (new to us) near our house the other night called "El Fogon". I wasn't too crazy about what I ordered, but everyone else loved their food.

Cameron's tacos al pastor looked and tasted great!

Indiana Winter Wonderland

Would you look at this? Just beautiful....these pics are taken out the windows of my in-laws home in Bedford, IN.


Love those icicles....

The sun shining on that freshly fallen snow is gorgeous...looks like a postcard.

As much as I love our pretty weather here in Mexico, my heart does pull me "home" to this winter weather and this beautiful snow. My husband and boys love snow so much (much more than I do) and I know they'd love to be out enjoying this.

Maybe someday....

A Lesson in Flour Tortilla Making

On Sunday afternoon I was talking to the pastors' wife and her sister and mother, and they began to ask me what Mexican foods I am learning to cook. I mentioned several things I make, but then confessed that making flour tortillas just seems to not go well for me. "No me salen bien" - or they don't turn out well for me.

With a little smile, they asked if I would like to have a lesson in tortilla making. Of course, I happily agreed and we got started. They gave me the "receta" as we went, but the best part was getting to watch Pastor Alejandro's wife actually do it, step by step. And I tried to help as she showed me the steps.

Trying to do exactly what she does....

Hermano Daniel - he's a big tease - came through the kitchen about the time I was rolling one out and said "Ah, la hermana hace mapas" - she's making maps! It's a great joke with them that when the tortillas aren't rolled out perfectly round, then they look like maps. So we named each of my tortillas....Kansas, Maryland, Ohio etc...it was funny! I did do a few perfect ones, but mostly I made maps. I will say though - those maps tasted good!

You can obviously tell which one is mine!

You should watch them rolling out the tortillas, giving them a half turn, rolling again....as fast as greased lightning! I may have to buy a tortilla press and forget the rolling out. :)

Muchas gracias, hermana, por la leccion de como hacer tortillas de harina! Thank you so much, ladies, for the tortilla making lesson!

Sunday in San Rafael

Yesterday our family spent the day with our Bible Methodist people in the village of San Rafael. This village is about an hour's drive from our home in Saltillo. Our Bible Methodist people from the village of La Boca dismissed their services for the day to come and be with us in San Rafael.

We attended and participated in Sunday School in the morning, enjoyed a wonderful meal and great fellowship at the home of our friends, Daniel and Lorena Pena and their children, and we sang and Marc preached in the evening service. We felt the Lord's presence with us as we worshipped together and it was so great to be with our Pastor Alejandro and his wife and family and all our friends in San Rafael and also Pastor Alfonso and people from La Boca.

Jordan talking with his friend Josue after church.

Enjoying lunch (chicken cooked in foil pockets with potatoes, carrots and peppers; rice and the most delicious corn tortillas I've ever eaten)

Hermano Daniel leads the singing and testimony part of the service - he does a great job.

Some of the men sang a special song in the service last night. They sang "The Fight is On" "La Lucha Sigue"- one of their favorites here in Mexico.

Jordan took the offering in the evening service.

Sorry for the poor quality of these next 2 pictures. Marc and I sang a special song with Daniel before Marc preached. We sang "Yes, I Know" / " Si, Yo Se". I always enjoy harmonizing and singing in Spanish.

The Lord helped Marc preach last night on "Como Entrar en el Reino de Dios"/ How to Enter the Kingdom of God.

Another really fun thing about yesterday was my flour tortilla making lesson...check back for pics and details!

Enjoy your Monday!

Homeschool

Our first 2 quarters of this school year were "hit and miss" at best. We spent that time on the road, holding 66 Share Support services in the States.

So needless to say, this is catch up time. We're working 6 days a week, extra pages each day..... The teacher's not very popular right now, but hey - it's gotta be done. They'll thank me this summer.

On a side note....the forecasted temp for tomorrow here in Saltillo is 81 - yay!

Gotta love this....

This is our new favorite drink - water with fresh lime! If you want a sweet twist, add a packet of artificial sweetener.

It's so refreshing. You should try it.

Welcome Home

As legal residents of Texas, we say to Former President and First Lady George and Laura Bush - Welcome Home!!

My Sunday School Class

On the last Sunday of 2008 during church elections, I was elected to be the Sunday School teacher for the Primary Class here in our Bible Methodist Church in Saltillo. Immediately there was a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. :) I had been out of day to day Spanish for at least 8 months while traveling and raising our support, plus having to live in TX for 7 months before that dealing with Logan's medical issues. Needless to say, my Spanish needs some work.

The Sunday school classes here are no 20 minute deal. Sunday school is the order of the morning service - there's no "after service". So classes last from usually around 10:45 until noon at least.

Another thing is that after Sunday School, each teacher and class stands in front of the whole church and makes a presentation of what they learned that morning. What was the theme of the lesson, questions over what they learned, saying the memory verse, singing a chorus...

Starting to understand my nervousness?

I went to the young woman in the church, Noemi, who had been teaching the class up until that point and asked for her help. She agreed and she and I are team-teaching the class for awhile. We split up the responsibilities between Bible story, memory verse, choruses, etc....I'm learning alot from her.

I have 4 students in my class. Not a large class, but it's not a large classroom. :) We pretty much fill it up.

This morning I taught the kids the chorus - "Todo el mundo esta en sus manos" - He's got the whole world in His hands. They had never heard it before and I was amazed at how fast they caught on - complete with 4 verses and hand motions. After we presented our theme and memory verse and words to the new chorus, I played the piano and Noemi led the kids in singing it for the people. They did a great job!

Our son, Logan, is in my class. This is so good for him - helping him learn Spanish and make friends with the kids. He and Jahziel, the pastor's son, are already big buddies!

The white board that Jahziel is writing his memory verse on was a gift from the Underwood children from the Florala, AL Bible Methodist Church. They gave an amount of money to our boys during our share support service this fall and asked them to use it for a project for the Mexican children. Our boys agreed that their Sunday School classrooms in Saltillo needed white boards and here they are! Thanks so much, Underwood children!

It's my plan to continue using a team teaching model as much as I can. When my Spanish improves until I no longer need weekly help from Noemi, I plan to ask other young ladies in the church to help me in the class. I want them to learn how to teach Sunday school and to work with children. I want them to be involved in the work. I feel strongly about this. I am not here to take their "jobs", instead I'm here to help, support, teach, mentor....as I'm able. Would you pray for me in this ministry God is giving me? (nervousness and all)

More birthday stuff

We ate Sunday lunch last week at the Correas' home - for dessert they had 2 special treats: carrot cake and lemon pie. They were delicious, especially the lemon pie. Everyone sang happy birthday to me - in both languages!

A birthday custom in our churches here in Mexico: I was asked to come to the front of the church after Sunday school last Sunday so everyone could sing happy birthday to me, pray a special prayer of blessing over me, and file around to shake my hand, give me a hug and wish me happy birthday. So sweet!

Marc brought me beautiful roses a couple days after my birthday - I loved them. Thanks, honey. Love you.

A thank you dinner

Our Pastor here in Saltillo, Pastor Dolores, his wife Sylvia and his family, were just an immense help to our family during our recent 2nd move to Mexico. They worked so hard to help us make appointments to see houses, make repairs to the home we would move into, help us clean, provide meals for us, and more!


As the Conference President and pastors (and parents of 6 children), they are extremely busy, trying to finish the remodeling on their own parsonage. This "cena" (supper) was a small way to try to say thank you for all they did for us.

After supper, we looked at photo albums, talked while the kids played upstairs, made chocolate chip cookies and coffee - just had a great time.









Muchas gracias, Hermano Dolores, Hermana Sylvia y familia - les amamos y les apreciamos a ustedes!

Visit to the Bible Methodist Missions in Zacatecas

Yesterday, Marc, Steve, and Pastor Dolores and his family went to visit the missions in Zacatecas: Sabana Grande and San Antonio. This was Marc's 3rd time to visit the people there and as always, he came home with his heart touched with their poverty and their hunger for the Gospel.

It is about a 3 hour drive from Saltillo, so as you can imagine, it was an all day affair. They preached, sang, gave out Bibles and Christmas gifts, used clothing and other items. The boys and I weren't able to go this time because of trying to make up for lost time with homeschool, but the next time, we want to go!

Pastor Dolores and his family have a great ministry here in these desert villages. It was encouraging to watch them minister to their own people - they have an obvious burden for the people here in this region.

Here's a few pictures to show you.

Pastor Dolores preaching to the people in Sabana Grande

The people receiving their Bibles

A couple village boys "driving" their "burro"

Pastor's wife Sylvia leading the children in some choruses

Pastor Dolores preaching in San Antonio

New spectacles

The "masses" have been asking to see my new spectacles (as Tamra calls them) so here they are. I'm still getting used to them. My depth perception always takes a hit when I put on new glasses. Is that just me? probably....

I think it's great that she and I were doing this at the same time, completely unaware of it. I knew we were good friends! Check out her new specs when you have a chance.

Melodie turns 37

Yes, I'm getting old - I know. Don't like it either. But I did like my birthday. Steve, Beth and Kent came over for pizza and strawberry birthday cake. Marc gave me an awesome electric skillet that I have wanted/needed for a long time to replace my wedding gift one; and a beautiful card. Thanks, sweetheart. My boys gave me a very sweet card. Our oldest son, Jordan, gave me a wonderful relaxing CD to listen to and a Strawberry Pie candle, which smells so good!

My inlaws gave me a beautiful sweater, Stetlers gave me a pumpkin candle, my wonderful friend Tamra sent me a sweet card and a money gift. SO many of you sent me birthday wishes by email, text, Facebook, snail mail cards - thank you to everyone!