Visit to Beautiful Bernal

I forgot to share the last couple abc photos from school. Last Friday, Fanny, a daughter of one of Norma's friends came over to visit. We met a couple weeks ago and I guess she enjoyed visiting with me. She is taking English classes at school, so was fun to listen to her talk and teach each other.

One thing I don't think I have shared yet is how common it is to see a motorcycle with 2-4 people on it. You will often see a family on a motorcycle. You may also just see parents holding their kids in the front seat or back seat of their car. Or people riding in the very back of a truck. So different from the United States, but they are all alive and well : ) You may also see 2 people on a bike heading somewhere.

Last Saturday, Ricardo, Norma, Michelle, Marlen and I traveled a couple hours to a beautiful city, Bernal. We enjoyed lunch, lots of walking and sight seeing. The Pena of Bernal is so huge and beautiful. I was amazed at all the details in the streets, buildings, scenery and items being sold. I may have went a little picture crazy!

I think I may have shared this before, but I am in awe at how hard the people here work. They will haul all their food or goods to the street to sell. I think setting up for a garage sale is a lot of work, so I can't imagine having to haul stuff every day to the street. That's just what they do! Or they have a bike that they travel with and sell things that way. They sell some of the most beautiful and creative things. I can't imagine how much time they spend making things.

Friday evening we talked about leaving around 8 or 9, so we would get there early. I think we ended up leaving around 10:15. Ricardo says that's what happens with teenagers, but I am learning that is the Mexican culture. The last couple Sundays we have been 30 minutes late to church, but no big deal : ) The service is usually 2 hours long, so we still get in on most of the service.

Sunday as we walked into church they were singing the song The Stand. I recognized a few words and the tune, so started singing in English : ) They also sang our God is an awesome God. I love how God speaks through music.

I also some of our students at church. They waved and smiled. I even got a hug from one of them. It's starting to feel a little more like home : ) No yelling of Ms. Sarah though! I sure do miss those yells in the hall or on my walk home!

Each Sunday, they have food for sale for people to buy and the money goes to the church. Norma and I helped make enchiladas and pomboza. It was nice to help a little bit and learn how to make something new. These ladies work so hard and just love serving others! Of course, the ladies all kept telling me they want me to teach them English. I am hoping maybe later in the year I can do that : )

Sunday evening I was able to meet Norma's mom, a couple of her sisters, her brother in law and a nephew, so that was fun.

I feel like each day at school gets a little bit easier. Although I am still working at letting things go and not being in control. God continues to remind me it's okay if we don't get everything done as planned. There's always tomorrow. I would rather take it slow and have them learn than cram it all in. I am working on smiling instead of getting frustrated as it takes less energy and will make someone else's day.

We got a new student Tuesday and today. It sounds like there may be another one on Monday. We are running out of room! Praise for new students, but be praying for students in other classrooms that have more space : )

The kids are so creative with their work! They love music and games! Music is so catchy, so we do lots of that. I will have to try and get a couple videos of them singing and dancing. So fun! Makes me smile! I feel like the kids are warming up to me, so that's been good too!

I have learned to go with the flow and keep things simple! The other day as we were waiting for kids to get picked up I taught Daniel to play thumb wars and he loved it! We kept playing and he kept giggling! So simple, but so fun! It was so great to giggle! The next day he came and sat by me while he was waiting and had his hand ready for a thumb war : ) Same thing today. This boy has a special place in my heart. He has given me so many hugs since I have been here!

When I first arrived they thought I was going home for good in December, but that is all figured out. I got the okay to come back the end of December or beginning of January. School is happy to have me back and Norma and Ricardo are graciously taking me back too.

Norma and I have done some Spanish/English the last couple nights. It's great to learn, but man am I tried by the end of the day. Teaching English during the day and then trying to learn Spanish in the night!

That's an update of what's going on with me. Thanks again for your prayers, love, support and encouragement! Even though some days and moments are hard, I have so much to be thankful. I can't say enough how thankful I am for the family I live with! They continue to spoil me! Also, thankful for Liz and her translating for me. Thankful for technology as I often text and e mail with friends and family. I have been zooming each Sunday with my family which we started doing when COVID first started. I was able to chat with Stacey the other night on the phone and try to talk to mom and and a few times a week. I think I talk to them more here than I did when I lived in Wadena. I am thankful for a couple friends that send Marco videos, whether it's of them, their kids, church, worship, they all make me smile! I was thinking the other day, that I have been able to eat most foods and haven't gotten sick or had to rush to the bathroom, so that's been good. Overall, my health has been good. I did wake up with a scratchy throat this morning, so hoping it's short lived. I am thankful that God is always with me and continues to be in each and every detail on this journey with Jesus in Mexico. One more praise, the school was in need of some money for books and tuition, so I was able to donate some of my extra money I had. Thank you to those of you that so generously donated and made that possible. I see God working through this school. The kids are so happy to be there!

Please keep praying for peace and comfort as some days and moments are hard, but the good out weighs the hard, so that's good. Be praying about direction with teaching adult English classes. I did tell the pastor I can't do it right now, but maybe later once I get more in the routine with school. Right now I know I need to focus on the kids and school. One thing at a time. Continue to pray for my relationship with Liz, co workers and students as well as my family. Be praying for my attitude and that I choose to smile instead of getting frustrated! Also be praying that I can catch on to the language, especially when people are talking. I can actually translate fairly well when reading, but listening is much harder as they talk so fast. Tomorrow after school, I am heading to Rosa and Rafael's for the weekend. Rosa is the director of the school and doesn't speak much English, so be praying it goes well and we can get to know each other better. I will get a little piece of home on Saturday as Rosa, Rafael and I are planning to go visit my cousins that will be in Mexico on vacation from Minnesota! They will only be an hour away, so we are planning on getting together for a bit on Saturday. I can't wait! I am sure there will be pictures in my next post : )

Feel free to look at the MANY photos! Until next time.....

Writing ABC's and drawing a picture to go with it

Pozole for lunch at school. It's like a soup : )

Fanny and I coloring and visiting

Street in Bernal, Pena de Bernal in the background.

Couple facts about Pena de Bernal

1. It is considered one of the 13 natural wonders of Mexico.

2. It is the third-largest monolith in the world, surpassed only by the Rock of Gibraltar in the Iberian Peninsula and the Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro.

Zoomed in Pena de Bernal

Ricardo thought I needed picture : )

Norma, myself, Michelle and Marlen

Another street shot

Beautiful art in the restaurant

Inside the restaurant

Lights made with buckets. So creative!!

Another view of the restaurant

Look at the colorful lights

Gorditos

Inside of Gorditos, potatoes and cheese

Beautiful church

Cousins : )

Another view of Pena de Bernal

Selfie in my sombrero

Walking towards the Pena de Bernal

Zooming in

Hotel in Bernal

Beautiful Flowers

Scenery

Another street view

People are set up along the streets selling

More stuff for sale

More flowers

Little store

They also set up their food along the street.

Another hotel

Walking the street up towards the Pena

People ride 3 wheelers up to the Pena

Another selfie with the sunglasses this time

We are getting closer : )

The Pena

Scenery view

Another scenery view

So huge!!

Stopped to get an orange flavored water. So refreshing!

Even got some sour gummy treats with it!!

Scenery view

Scenery View

This is the path we were walking on

What an awesome view

Another view

Scenery view

More scenery

Selfie with the Pena

Scenery view

Look at those clouds

So beautiful

How majestic

Scenery

Close up

And more scenery

From a distance

Distant view

Zoomed in

People were hiking, but we decided to just view it and not hike.

These are made by hand

So detailed

Norma thought I needed a picture : )

Me again

Ricardo, Michelle and Marlen taking a rest

Love the clouds

Creepy dolls. I took this for my mom : )

Info about the Pena de Bernal

Selling homemade items on the street

Roosters : )

You can also ride these golf cart looking things up to the Pena

Few more stores

Fun art on the wall

Restaurant

Another hotel

We had to pay .25 to get toilet paper and use the bathroom

Young girl playing music to earn money

Dancing to the music

Some people have their food or goods on a bike and haul it that way

Street view

Another hotel. They all look so different.

Strings of lights in the street. I bet it's beautiful in the evening.

Norma thought I should get a picture with these beautiful ladies

Different street view

Another street view

On the drive home

Love sunsets

Cooking enchiladas for people to buy after church

Hard working group of ladies

Yummy enchiladas : )

Tang to drink : )

Made flags with playdough

Play dough flag

Mexico Independence Day is this week. So we tore tissue paper to make flags. It was fun to see how they were all different. We also talked about where they are from.

So proud of his flag