The Knutz Family In Mexico

On the Road Again!

2009-03-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hola! Wanted to let everyone know that we are departing today at 5 PM! As you can imagine, we are all very anxious to be home and reunite with our family and friends! There are many mixed emotions since we will miss our friends in La Haucana. Everyone has been so very good to us!

We ask for prayer covering while we travel. It is epecially important the next three days since we are traveling this time alone with no translators. Choosing safe hotels along the way is very important, and traveling through the border towns can be risky. We expect to cross the border on Saturday in Nogales Arizona.

Should be seeing you all next week then! Drop by the house to see us. We are used to a full house!

Monday Morning Honors Program

2009-03-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

Every Monday morning the school has an honors program where the band marches and plays during the flag ceremony. They sing the National Himno and the school song. Announcements are made and students are recognized. Being that this would be our last Monday here in La Huacana, the school principal Roberto, presented us with the Flag of Mexico. Molly also sang our National Antheim as they honored the American Flag that we had given the school. Both Tammy and I were moved to tears hearing our daughter´s beautiful voice and thinking about returning to our home country.

Molly sang an additional song dedicated to the staff and students of the school called ¨Do It Anyway¨by Martina McBride. The words of the song have such a good message that I am including them in this post.

You can spend your whole life building something from nothing One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway

You can chase a dream that seems so out of reach and you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway

God is great, but sometimes life ain’t good And when I pray it doesn’t always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway, I do it anyway

This world’s gone crazy and it’s hard to believe that tomorrow will be better than today Believe it anyway

You can love someone with all your heart, for all the right reasons, and in a moment they can choose to walk away
Love ‘em anyway

Fiesta Adiós!

2009-03-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

Last week the school took some time away from their regular schedule to throw us a good bye fiesta. It started with the school band playing tribute to our whole family. Their performance was excellent. Then Raramuli, a math teacher who has hosted us in his home and several excursions sang to us with two of his friends.

The school´s Mexican cultural dance team performed a couple numbers. We felt so honored by all the effort that went into the fiesta.

Then towards the end of the performances, Ranulfo and the Vice Principal Romiro presented us with white polo shirts with the schools logo on the front. On the back written in both Spanish and English was the commitment of unity of La Huacana Technical School and OSU to education and culture. Ranulfo´s wife had made the shirts for our family along with a minuture school banner.

As we reflect on our time here in Mexico, we have all agreed that we have been treated with the upmost respect and honor. We have made friends that we hope will visit Oregon and that we will be able to return in the future to La Huacana. We were told by several people before we came that we would really love the people. One person even said that we would be treated so well that we would not want to return. At the time I heard it, I didn´t believe it. But now I do. Good thing the highest tempertures of the year here in La Huacana are approaching in April and May. It seems like it is getting hotter each day. Even though we have been treated like royalty, the heat is making these Oregonians all the more eager to get back home.

Another Weekend in Morelia

2009-03-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Morelia with Enoch and his family. We were able to stay two nights at his brothers Cabaña (cabin) on a hilltop just out of Morelia. This place is a work of art. It has a lot of handcrafted wood items from doors, pillars, and more. The vista was beautiful. We also enjoyed the cool mornings. We actually wore a jacket for the first hour of the morning.

On Saturday we went to Moroleon the city with the large clothing market. The clothing is inexpensive and Molly and Tammy prefer the more feminine styles.

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Saying Goodbyes, Honoring Those Whom We've Come to Know and Love

2009-03-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

The school director, Roberto, (right) welcomed our family into his school. He went out of his way for us by hanging an American flag next to the Mexican flag so that both could be honored. Roberto looked out for our family's well-being during our stay, providing us with free medical attention and free lunches. Once during a quick onset of a virus that comprised Madeline's lungs, had called the hospital ahead, making it possible to receive immediate attention upon arrival. Roberto visited Tammy while ill with dysentery, doing everything possible to drag her to see the doctor. He even sat with us one afternoon while visiting with Tammy's parents for a couple of hours through Skype. His leadership and fatherly nature made us feel well-cared for.

Having given up her home for over 3 months, Lupe (left) has shown us what real sacrifice is. Not only has she shared her house and all her personal belongings, she has been a friend. Many times she picked up Tammy to go to her school, to drive around town to take pictures, taught her how to make enchiladas, and accommodated Tammy's need to get out of the house to exercise a little. Lupe took the whole family to see Morelia for the first time, the city Tammy fell in love with. As a full-time teacher and a single mom, our family appreciated all of her sacrifice on our accounts.

Gumero and his wife Carmen (right) welcomed us into La Huacana for the first and most critical weeks. Gumero introduced us into the Mexican culture, took us out of town on several occasions and to a few local fiestas. Our kids were moved by his kindness. Little did they know that they were about to experience that sort of kindness by all the people in the weeks to come.
Our La Huacana neighbor, Fernando (left) is a strong brother in the Lord. Always a joy to bump into him, he is overflowing with the power and love of God, ready to give glory to Him. Fernando was our first friend in La Huacana and has seen us through clear to the end. His amazing witness is how he cares for His aging Grandfather, having totally given up his life in Acapulco. It will be impossible to hold back the tears when saying goodbye to Fernando.

Raramure (right) opened his heart and his home(s) to us. His gentle spirit and his kindness made us all feel at home in La Haucana and in Morelia. He has made his casa (house) our casa...giving us an open invitation in any of his three homes at anytime. In fact, we plan to take him up on his offer next year when we return for a month by moving into his empty house here in La Huacana. Raramure will also visit us in the US with his uncle and we look forward to showing him the same kindness he has showed us.

Enock (left) made it his mission, along with his nephew Raramure, to make our time in Mexico enjoyable. He spent a lot of time caring for our family and because of him, we were able to see many new places. He had treated us to witnessing the turtle project (See blog post Tortugas), amongst many other great places. Besides weekend travels, we played chess, dominoes, basketball, and ate enchiladas and carnitas together. Enock's personality is full of quick whit and laughter. Our kids decided that he and their Grandpa Ron would get along great. That is good news since Enock will be visiting the US in June in the new teacher exchange program between OSU and Mexico. The Knutz children have decided they would like to host Enock at their Grandmother's home for dinner, since that is the place of the best made American food they can think of.

Esther (right) is a kind friend to Tammy. I previous post told of how she came immediately to the house once she heard Tammy had come down ill with dysentery. With her she brought home remedies and a niece to help clean-up the house. Esther was a wonderful companion on our out-of-town excursions and made yummy food for all of us.

Enock's & Esther's three sons were as hospitable as their parents. Eatabean, especially, was always just a phone call away. Like the time his father called him to go and fetch a plant from his house so that a brew could be made to alleviate our family's pain from severe sunburns. I could tell many stories of all Eatabean's acts of kindness. A mother could only hope their sons will turn out as well as all three of these young men.

A Few That Stood Out in the Crowd

2009-03-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

It's going to be very tough to leave this respectable young man behind in Mexico, having been adopted as a son. (Right). Calling me his "Americano mama", we share many laughs together. Although particularly drawn to Molly, Javier came to the house and spent time with all of us on a daily basis. Javier quickly became popular with each and every one of us. He has set the standard for how all young men in the future should come calling on one of our daughters. Javier will be a tough act to follow.

Eric (left) became very special to all of us and earned his title, as "Mexican son". He has a servant's heart, washing our dishes frequently. Communicating with Eric was challenging in words but definitely not in humor. He would easily make Tammy laugh until she cried. Eric spent every day with us. Both Eric and Javier, cousins, became so special to us, we couldn't spend a weekend without them so they were invited to an Ixtapa resort for the weekend with the family. Both share dinner with us every night.

Rodrigo (right) played games with us. How many games of UNO can a person play?

Tony (left in the center) was dubbed "little brother" early on. He always came with a smile on his face and was willing to work on learning some English to try and communicate with us.

Karen (left) is very special to us. She served as our translator frequently, once when Maddy had to visit the local hospital, and on several fun excursions out of town. Molly and her are very good friends and she will be greatly missed as being named as Molly's best female friend ever.

We all enjoyed getting to know Juan, (right), mainly known for being the subject of some major teasing at school. Our family visited his parents' taco stand on numerous occasions. They have a knack for yummy quesidallas. In future days, when authentic mexican food is thought of, Juan will be part of those thoughts.

Hugo (left) was content just to "hang" with us. We were unable to communicate much. He enjoyed watching sports channels on our TV.

A sweetheart and a crack-up, Carlos (right) spent many afternoons in our home playing games. He was in continual competition with Tony for the "little brother" title.

Adeleine (left), from L.A. and living in LaHuacana for only a year, we could relate with each other as fellow Americans.

Antonio (right) whom we had many great times with. He could jump quiet impressively at the La Presa.

Paola, (left) a very shy and intelligent young lady that Josh picked out among the crowd...

Rieece, (right) a friendly soul who helped teach Tammy how to make maiz tortillas from scratch. His English also came in handy when our house was full of Spanish speaking kids.

Thank you to all these kids! We loved sharing our home and our hearts with you. You made our stay in Mexico more enjoyable!

Saying Goodbyes, A Thank you To The Secondary School

2009-03-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

For providing our family with a memorable school experience in Mexico. At school, the Knutz kids were able to practice their Spanish and build some strong friendships.

The school chose to honor the American flag alongside their Mexico flag during the Monday morning opening ceremonies.

We were treated to good tasting tacos for lunch every single day...

The Knutz kids were never lacking for attention.
*Note: Josh in the center of the crowd.

Many kids from the school will be remembered by the Knutz Family!

In My Opinion by Mike

2009-03-09T21:48:00.001-07:00

What I Will Miss About Mexico
-The wonderful friends I have made
-Javier and Eric, our Mexican sons
-Sunshine every day
-Visiting the tropical beach
-Fresh fruit & veggies
-Fresh meat and chicken
-The students of the esculia secondaria
-Weekend excursions with Raramure and Enock and his family
-Authentic Mexican food

What I Won't Miss About Mexico
-Hot afternoons
-Bumpy Streets of La Huacana
-Waking up at 4 AM with all the roosters
-Megaphone cars with their advertisements

What I Look Forward to Once I Return to America
-Seeing my family
-Being in my own house and bed
-Attending services at Creekside Community Church
1. Worship through song
2. Hear Steve's teaching in person
-Cool weather, even some rain
-Yan's Chinese Restaurant
-Our dog Ayla

In My Opinion by Tammy

2009-03-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

What I Will Miss About Mexico
~All the teens we have come to know, especially my adopted Mexican sons, Javier and Eric
~The wonderful adult friends we have made, namely Raramure, Enock and Esther and their sons, and Lupe and her adorable children
~Being treated so kindly and lovingly by all the people; respected and honored by the young people
~Experiencing such good manners in Mexican teens
~Having kids in and out of my house all day
~Trying new foods
~My husband's work schedule being less demanding (having him home in the evenings and weekends)
~Buying hand-made items for good prices
~The strong sense of community - the town plaza, a place to go and find friendship
~Experiencing a different culture and see how it effects people's lives
~Being apart of something so amazing that started 20 years ago

~Learning new lessons about life, some of which are:
*People and relationships are above everything else
*Learning to be more thankful for all that God has given me
*Seeing life from a renewed perspective
*Learning what factors effect the Mexican people and make them who they are
*Falling in love with the Mexican people
*Growing in compassion for those in need
*Learning how to be more flexible, rolling with the punches
*Becoming more hospitable
*Being taken outside of my comfort zones and challenged on every side of me
*Being 100% needy and requiring God's sustenance
*Learning a new language
*Growing in Faith- God constantly being faithful as provider, protector and friend
Knowing He is with me, esp. during times I didn't acknowledge Him

What I Will Not Miss About Mexico
~Extreme bouts of home sickness, the emotional ups and downs
~Cobblestone streets
~Dry, cracking, high-maintenance feet
~Being 3,000 miles away from my family
~Night times - constant concern of scorpions, bugs and lizards that are in my bedroom
~Mexican roads, Mexican driving
~That my church is not here
~Grocery stores- the uncleanliness of them, challenge of feeding my family with different and limited ingredients
~The heat
~Our family being such an item of interest (starring in the market place)

What I Am Looking Forward to Once I Return to America
~Hugging my mommies and daddies, my sister, having some girlfriend time with friends
~ Winco - to "drive" to the store and buy a week's worth of groceries in one wack
~Appliances: dishwasher, washer and dryer
~A cleaner and more organized house; a house that seals out weather, smoke, noise, dust and bugs
~Having the family back on some kind of a routine
~Cooking for my family, American food
~Consistent full nights sleep & snuggling up under blankets with my hubby
~Worshiping with Creekside Community Church
~To seeing all the ways this journey impacts our lives, coming to a fuller understanding of all God's purposes. Being changed. Watching my children grow in wisdom and character.

In My Opinion By Madeline

2009-03-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

What I Will Miss About Mexico
~Learning Spanish through immersion
~My friends Javier & Eric
~Warm beaches
~Seeing other places
~Living a simpler life that is less busy than in America
~Walking around the town plaza and seeing friends there
~The cute little lizards

What I Will Not Miss About Mexico
~The starving dogs that walk around town
~Litter everywhere
~Scorpions
~Mexican food
~Hot climate
~Our La Huacana house
~Dirty floors

What I Look Forward to Once I Return to America
~4H
~Friends & Family
~My house, my bed
~Walking around the house with fuzzy socks, my comfy robe, wrapped in a blanket while looking out the window and watching it rain
~That cleaning our house will be easier
~My Church, Creekside Community
~English TV
~My rabbit and my dog Ayla, and Lily, Molly's chicken
~Quiet nighttimes

In My Opinion by Jake

2009-03-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

What I Will Miss About Mexico
*Beaches, tropical water, Ixtapa, hotel, the sand
*Javier's friendship
*Tony, Carlos
*Beautiful scenery
*Mexico's money system - purchase stuff for much less money
*Fresh meat

What I Won't Miss About Mexico
*The climate- being sweaty all day every day
*Ants that come into the house
*My bed or bedroom
*Not being allowed to flush toilet paper
*Night times with dogs that bark all night and bugs that bite you in the night
*Having to wash dishes everyday by hand
*Crusty clothing off the clothes line

What I Look Forward to When I Return To America
*Working along side Grandpa Ron
*America TV programs, video games and movie rentals (all in English)
*Being cozy in my bed under blankets
*4-H activities
*Hanging out with my friends (Air soft war games)
*Wide variety of supplies in the stores
*Real American food

In My Opinion by Josh

2009-03-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

What I Will Miss About Mexico
*Javier, Karen, Carlos, Tony, Sandra, Paola, Hugo, and other friends
*Be with my friends every day, visitors at the house all the time
*Some of the food, esp. the fresh chicken and fresh fruit
*Experiencing the unusual- living a different lifestyle for a short while
*Visiting new places and seeing new sights

What I Won't Miss About Mexico
*General uncleanliness of the environment, being sweaty and dirty
*My La Huancana bedroom, dusty and hot
*Climate is too hot
*Nighttime - too warm and too loud
*Cobblestone streets - having to watch the streets ahead of your steps, feet hurting after walking
*My clothing coming off the line crusty

What I Look Forward to Once I Return To America
*The need to use blankets at night
*To only have to shower once a day
*My bedroom and bed
*To play my electric guitar
*Our house
*Quiet nights
*Our dog Ayla
*Creekside Community Church and the youth group
*Drew Family, Isaiah K.,

In My Opinion by Molly

2009-03-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

What I Will Miss About Mexico
~Karen, the best female I have ever clicked with
~Javier, a great guy who clicked with my entire family
~The sunshine, happy & bright atmosphere
~Not being lonely (constant companionship)
~Tasty food such as tacos and enchiladas
~ Fresh fruit; mangoes, coconut, starfruit, papaya, guava, avocados, pineapple
~The looser, more carefree attitude towards life
~The school and all my friends I have made
~The super-cute feminine clothing styles

What I Will Not Miss About Mexico
~The sugar ants (constant problem in the house)
~The bumpy, shoe-ruining, toe-stubbing cobblestone streets
~People who stare at our family because we are white
~The guys and men who holler and whistle at me

What I Look Forward To Once I Return to America
~Creekside Community Church And Youth Group
~Grandma Diane, her country home and her cooking
~Ice Cream (no such thing as mint flavor here)
~Anna D., Chris M., Andrea D. & Cody D., Nathan M., Brad H.
~My white coachin chicken named Lily
~Walking around in public and not being starred at
~Excell Fitness Gym (my job and exercise)
~Running in the morning with my dad

Night Pictures of the Cathedral in Morelia

2009-03-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

I have posted pictures of this cathedral before but these are different - much more beautiful. This is the biggest and most visited cathedral in Morelia. It is located right by the town square. Travelers come from all over the world to see it.

I took these pictures standing beneath the cathedral. A person feels sort of engulfed in it's majesty. This is only one small section.
A unique view...

Night Pictures of Morelia

2009-03-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

I loved having the opportunity to walk through the streets of Morelia when it was all lit up.
Snapping pictures from every angle that I can. I feel like I am in London. No, this must be better.
Morelia's post office! Would someone explain this?
I am unsure of this building but took the picture because the building says "Morelia".
These arches extend throughout the city. Lanes of traffic travel through them.
There are several cathedrals in Morelia. We have been able to visit three of them. This Sunday our friend Raramiri walked us in the middle of a mass service. We joined the people down front, and of course, with being Americans, all eyes were on us. Our public display was worth it though since I was able to thoroughly take in the beauty of the cathedral from inside. (This one picture here). Wow! It was amazing, being decoratively painted in real gold.

Winding Down Our Time Here; The Future For This Blog

2009-03-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

A few butterflys flying above us.

As of today, we have about two weeks left in La Huacana Mexico. Our plan is to head for home on Wed. March 18th. For the next two weeks, I will continue posting more on how we are spending our time and what I think you might want to know and see. I am excited to answer some questions that a friend had sent to me by email. One was "what will you miss about Mexico" another "what will you NOT miss". I am currently polling my entire family because I know that these answers will vary. Each member of my family has had a their own unique experience.

Once I return to my home town, I plan to finish off the blog. I will post on our travel across Mexico and then into the US, and finally our arrival to our home town. This blog will continue for a short while as the Lord leads. Since I can't predict the future, I am guessing that I might blog about readjusting back into the US, lessons we have learned, how God has changed us, and the like. You can imagine how much we have all learned and how many great stories there are to tell! Eventually, this blog will come to an end, just as our stay in Mexico has to come to an end. I do believe, however, that our time in Mexico will impact us all forever.

Stay posted for the results of the poll.

The Morning of the Monarca Mariposas; Getting Ready

2009-03-04T14:48:00.000-08:00

After breakfast we waited for every one to get ready so we could head out to the place of the butterflys. I marveled as this grandson, Erwin, combed his grandmother's hair. I tell my daughters that they can find a nice young man by watching how a son treats his mother; in this case, his grandmother. Enock's three sons are very loving to both, their mother and grandmother. Eatabean, one of Erwin's brothers, had picked his grandmother up once to help her down one step, while wrapping his arms around her, also giving her a big hug and kiss. Again, we are all impressed by the strong family ties and good manners.
Our family was served breakfast first, then everyone else sat down and chowed down after us. Mike remained at the table.
On Saturday morning we shared breakfast with Esther's family. A common breakfast is the cow intestine soup. Since this food is so new to our family, we all feasted on the refried beans, tortillas and scrambled eggs. Our friends were understanding of our inability to partake, commenting that if they came to the US, they would unlikely be able to eat some of our foods. I appreciated their graciousness.

Monarcha Mariposas (Butterflys)

2009-03-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

This is at the top of the trail right before we reached our destination. Isn't this beautiful. Jake snapped this picture. That is the beauty of having more than one camera. Each person takes their own kind of pictures and sees things from a different perspective. I am usually surprised at my kids' ability to foresee a good photo.
On the way up the trail. The teens seem to doing fine with the elevation issue....
These tree limbs are hanging because they are heavy laden with millions of butterflys. Since it is close to sunset, they have nestled in for the evening. Unfortunately, our group reached the top at too late of an hour to watch them fly around.

Mariposa Monarca ~ Monarch Butterfly

2009-03-04T12:02:00.000-08:00

During our most recent trip Morelia our friends, Enoch and Raramure took us to the easternmost part of the state of Michoacan to the Monarch Butterfly Reserve. This is the home of millions of Monarch Butterflies who travel from as far North as Canada and all over the United States to hibernate for the winter here in the Mexican highlands. They travel an amazing 3,000 miles at a rate of 7 mph at an elevation of 500 feet above the ground. Most arrive in October or November. March begins their breeding season. Males die shortly after breeding and females are left to make the treck back to the U.S. Interesting enough, the females will fly north but not reach their orignal destination. Their offspring will continue the journey northward. It may take up to five generations to make the complete mirgration from Canada back to Mexico.

After riding in the car for over 5 hours (we had taken the scenic route) we were ready to ascend the mountain to see the butterflies. Within the first minute of hiking, Tammy and I felt like we were going to pass out. We had to stop several times and take a moment to do deep breathing exercises. We then learned that the elevation of this mountain was equivalent to Mount Hood (11,000 feet). After reaching the top and enjoying the mass quantity of butterflys, we thought it worth the climb.

2009-03-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

Our family traveled to Morelia this weekend with our friends Raramiri, Enock, Esther and their sons. On the way, we stopped in this town to grab a bite to eat. Throughout Mexico, people set out tables and chairs outside the doors of their homes to serve up "cena" (dinner).

As we arrived, the lady set out the table onto the sidewalk. Behind the curtain is a bedroom. Our group is standing just off the sidewalk, in the street.

This is all the ingredients for tostados including shells, lettuce, cheese, chicken, beef, pork, and salsas. We stood on the road and watched the chef make our dinner and then ate them there. Our group of 13 people ate for $12, including sodas!

Refreshing Treats

2009-03-04T11:23:00.000-08:00

In my freezer are the common fruit ice treats. Down the street a lady sells them from her home for one peso each. They come in numerous flavors and are delicious while the cool you off. I plan to make them myself once I return to the states but I doubt they will be as good as these.
All over towns and roadsides are these containers full of refreshing fruit drinks. Everything from orange, to watermelon, to coconut and pineapple, these unique flavors will quench your thirst.

This is our good friend Enock fetching some "aqua fruita" for Molly.

Mexico's Cheese; Queso

2009-03-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

This is the authentic quesidalla, topped with queso.

It has been an adjustment for us Tillamook Cheese Factory fans to appreciate the cheese in Mexico. Hard and crumbly, it has a very strong flavor and smell and is not refrigerated. I finally figured out what the common smell is the penetrates every grocery store.

This store has the cheese enclosed; the first time I have seen that. Usually, it is sitting out on a counter on top of a cooler.

2009-03-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

This is 3 views of a house down the street from ours. The kids pass it everyday walking to school. This is the home of one of the young men that visit us. There are many homes like this in Mexico, many of which do not have any brick used in their construction. (Notice the box spring mattress).
This is the front view of the house. Because of the gate and the sign, you can tell that the owners are also selling out of their home. This is how most people make their money.

Notice that this side of the house is also held together with a box spring mattress, along with other supplies.

"Mi Casa Es Su Casa", My House is Your House

2009-03-04T06:56:00.000-08:00

Raramiri is a teacher at the secondary school that Mike and the kids are attending. He is Enock's nephew and one of the four that will be traveling to America for the new teacher exchange program. Our family has spent a lot of time with him. We look forward to showing the hospitality to him in Oregon that he has shown us in Mexico.

Raramiri and Maddy have been very good friends. Madeline helps him with his English. They have a special and unique friendship. Raramiri, a single, 31 yr old teacher, has told us that when he grows up, he'd like to have a daughter just like Maddy. He appreciates her energy and enthusiasm for life. One day, Maddy was having a tough day and was down cast. Raramiri went out of his way to cheer her up. He couldn't stand to have seen the positive energy gone even for one day.

Raramiri owns three houses, two in La Huacana and one in Morelia (the city I love!). We went with him to Morelia this last weekend and slept in his house for two nights. He has made it clear that "mi casa es su casa". Funny thing, he really means it! We can stay in Morelia at his house anytime now or in the future. I have begun to speak of the house in those terms. When I stepped off the porch to take these pictures, I announced that I wanted pictures of "mi casa" in Morelia. Raramiri in turn says, "let's return to Tammy's house".

In a year our family will be coming back to LaHuacana to stay for a month and we will be living in Raramiri's house in LaHuacana. Since Mike's sabbitical will have been used up, he will be using accrued vacation days. This allows us to go home and study Spanish diligently for the next year and then to come back to brush up on it with our new Mexican friends.

Had A Scorpion in My Hand the Other Day

2009-02-27T02:01:00.000-08:00

I picked up a pair of shorts that had been sitting out on my patio waiting for stain treatment for a couple of weeks. As I looked closer, there was this little creature sitting there on my shorts; slowly but assuredly I determined it was a dead, baby scorpion. The curved tail was a dead give-away. Flicking it off my shorts with my hand, the critter went flying through the air and landed on the patio beneath me. As it crash landed, the thing started crawling frantically to the closest pile of rubbish to hide under. (Their favorite habitat). This sent shutters through my body - the venomous creature was alive and had been in my hands and very close to my face!

Last weekend I was on a mission interviewing our friends to find out how many times they had been stung by a scorpion in their lifetimes. Sadly, it is a cruel fact here in Mexico and something these people have to live with. But, to my surprise, the Mexican people do NOT appear afraid of them. It is true that scorpions have the power to take lives and do successfully every year. During my interview with Enock, he told me that a person has 2 hours from the point of sting to total loss of respiration; the stung must immediately rush to a nearby hospital to be treated with the anecdote. The statistics are online on how many people die each year of a scorpion sting, and the percent is remarkably higher in Mexico than other places.

The results of my interviews:

Fernando- 5 times
Raralamee- 6 times
Esther - 5 times
Enock - 10 times

Eeek! To me, that sounds like it is just a matter of time before... I think it is the scorpion, the lizards, and all the creatures in Mexico that would never allow me to make a home here permanently. I am still not sleeping well at night, full well knowing that all of them come out at night crawling the floors and the walls. It is always an adventure to use the bathroom or grab a drink of water in the middle of the night. I make sure that several feet in front of me is well lit while walking through the house like a detective. The entire family has learned to inspect the floor in front of them with every step, night and day. One night I looked up from my bed, and there was a lizard right above me on the ceiling. I have seen them on the wall above my head where my bed connects to it (we have no headboard that places a barrier between us and the wall). As I toss and turn at night, I am afraid to smack my hand or arm against the wall to bump up against with something that is breathing. Mike reports that I will wake him up at night requiring that he take care of something on the wall. I do not know what he is talking about. I cannot imagine a better means to stretch this American woman than for her to have to co-dwell in the same quarters as scorpions. Well, maybe venomous snakes could be worse. Oh, yeah, they live in Mexico as well.

"Just Because"

2009-02-26T12:19:00.000-08:00

I like this picture since it is typical of what our home looks like on a daily basis. There are kids around the corner in the living room and likely a couple in the kitchen to the left. One of my kids just randomly snapped this picture and I like it since it looks so natural. (Although Carlos is posing). My pictures always serve some purpose while this one is "just because".

Molly and Xavier are studying languages together, Molly Spanish and Xavier English. They often sit at the table and help one another.

2009-02-26T12:11:00.000-08:00

A banana plantation planted with palm trees.

The Tequila Plant

2009-02-26T11:57:00.000-08:00

This is the plant that is used to make Tequila. The Mexican people are proud of their Tequila and word is, it is of the best in the world. I do NOT like the flavor of Tequila myself but have learned to like the famous Margarita which has Tequila in it.

In Mexico, the preferred alcohol is Tequila and Corona Beer, both readily accessible. Unfortunately, they are even available to teens.

2009-02-26T11:48:00.000-08:00

There are many entertainers in Morelia. Aren't these young men so handsome in their attire? We asked to take a picture, tipped them and were on our way - didn't hear them play. Three amigos, reminds me of some movie title. ???

Speaking of Artistic Archictecture, More Pictures of the Cathedral

2009-02-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

After posting about our trip to Morelia weeks back, my mom got as excited about the city as I did. (See Mexico's Best Kept Secret, & The Soul of the City). Looks like dad better start saving his nickles because after viewing the pictures, she is insisting on a trip to Mexico. This month they had their 42nd Wedding Anniversary so maybe for their 50th...

Mom, I was shocked to see the pictures that Mike had on his camera. They were so much better than mine! I have added more here for your enjoyment.

We had fully enjoyed our few hours in Morelia; I totally fell head over heels in love with this city. Who needs Mexico City when there is Morelia?

Can you see that cute little guy standing in front of the cathedral door? That is Lupe's son who is 17 months old. He is all giggles.

Our family will being staying two nights in Morelia this weekend with Enock's family; they own a second home there. I can hardly wait.

We will then spend a night in Morelia next month when we leave our home in La Huacana to travel home. One last chance...

The streets of Morelia are lined with beautiful stone buildings. This picture is a little deceiving making the street look wider than what most streets in Morelia are. This is the main street, most streets are single lanes. While riding in our van, I felt fully incased by the goregeous stone buildings - like I was being swallowed by beauty with them towering over each side of me.

Artistic Architecture

2009-02-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

This post is for you architect lovers. There is some very unique and gorgeous architecture in Mexico.

This is gorgeous as it gets! I took this picture in a town on the way to the beach. Notice how the family lives in the top portion and sells out of the bottom - very common in Mexico.
A very typical house in La Huacana. My comparison, it is middle-class, not as poor as some you have seen posted on this blog but not as nice as a few classier homes. Common is the unfinished upstairs. A family of ten was raised in this house, all adults who now have family of their own. The two very old ma and pa live alone now.

This beautiful house is the one we have had the priveledge of renting during our stay in La Huacana.

A Few Useful Natural Remedies For You; Friendship

2009-02-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

This is Esther, Enock's wife with her niece. Esther has been a very good friend to me. The language barrier has been challenging between her and I, but even when you cannot communicate well with words, the spirit of love comes through loud and clear.

Esther drove straight to my house the minute she heard I came down ill. In fact, her sons came with her. With loving concern, they all were eager to check in on me. Esther brought with her one of Mexico's natural remedies to settle a volatile stomach and stop diarrhea. How well it worked I am still unsure due to the nature of my illness. I am not sure it is fair to judge it when trying to stop a strong case of dysentery. I'm certain I benefited from it's use. Here it is for you to try the next time one in your family comes down sick. She claimed that it serves as a instant plugger-upper.

1 heaping tablespoon of corn starch
2 fresh squeezed juice from lemons (small lemons)
1 small bottle of coca-cola (use of the caffeine, coffee can be substituted)

Take 2- 3 times in one day.

Natural remedies are widely used in Mexico. Medicine isn't as prevalent as in America and is very expensive for the people, most of which are very poor. As vinegar is valued in the US, lemon juice is in Mexico. Lupe is always telling me of how I can get rid of this problem or that with the use of lemon juice. It can be used to stop the mosquito itch, and it can be rubbed all over your skin to prevent the mosquito bite.

Mike stubbed his toe badly, it having swelled up more than twice it's natural size. Our neighbor across the street, Alahaundra, went to her yard to pick some Arnica leaves. She lovingly wrapped my husband's toe in fresh Arnica leaves and by morning all the swelling was gone. (I would have liked to have access to these leaves in great quantities when I badly sprang my ankle a few summers ago and it was swollen for months!) Later, I learned that I have an Arnica tree in my own back yard. It is an important plant for the Mexican people so everyone grows them. I'd love to be able to plant one in my yard at home.

Esther had not only given me the medicine that comforted my stomach but she delivered medicine that touched my soul. Her visit to help me in my hour of need was invaluable; she and one of her nieces also fully cleaned my messy house. The people continue to amaze me by their generosity, their positive attitudes, their readiness to help and just how happy they are. Most Mexican people live in challenging circumstances so it is obvious that their happiness isn't determined by these means. I pray this is what I can bring home from Mexico with us.

The Full Meal Deal Part 2; My Experience with Dysentery

2009-02-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

We were warned about what our life-style should "look like" in Mexico. The University met with Mike more than once to give him the facts, like don't brush your teeth in the tap water and stay away from fresh unpeeled fruits and vegetables. In our possession is enough paperwork on the subject to keep us busy for a long time. Not only that, we are students who like to read and prepare ahead for such a thing as taking our family to a tropical, underdeveloped country. But, the truth is, we tend to get laid back at times and can be overly optimistic. On one hand, I feel as if we have blown it big but on the other, I feel so blessed. Mike was told that 50-80% of Americans who travel to Mexico will come down sick within the first week. OK- let's do the Math... there are 6 of us and we have been living here now for 10 weeks, I'd say we are doing pretty darn good! And, most Americans are traveling for vacation purposes, visiting the beach towns that cater to American travelers' needs, like providing purified water. Our family has been living in a town that is as authentic as it can possibly get.

Let's be realistic though, the recommended precautions would be extremely difficult for a family who is living in Mexico verses visiting for a couple of weeks.

*Buy purified water and use for all cooking and drinking, or boil your water for 10-15 minutes
*Don't brush your teeth in the tap water
*Stay away from all fresh fruit and vegetables unless it can be peeled
*All foods ingested must be prepared with heat to kill any organisms
*No cold drinks prepared with ice or water in the market place
*Avoid unpasteurized milk products, raw meat, shellfish, salads
*Avoid all food prepared by street vendors or others whom you don't trust their sanitation methods

That doesn't look like much but actually walking it out week after week is extremely difficult! First, that means I have to do ALL my own cooking for my family for weeks on end. We are prohibited from even picking up an ice cream cone in the market place. In La Huacana, the streets are lined with vendors selling fruit cups, fresh squeezed orange juice, tacos, refreshing fruit drinks, home-made ice creams, home-made breads, interesting treats of all kinds, most of which we don't even know what they are and most prepared in people's own kitchens. Do you realize that it rules out me making the famous Mexican salsas and guacamole? They both contain tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro which would all be no-nos. Following the guidelines would reduce us all down to saltine crackers. Comparing to the choices available to me at my local Winco, supplies are very limited. Every single store has just about the same stuff, most of which is fruits and vegetables and toilet paper. Without salsa and guacamole, I am not sure what we would eat. Preparing food for my family in Mexico has been an ongoing challenge. I'd say that American grocery stores are what I miss the most about my home, including my own bed.

What is dysentery? It is the result of ingesting unsanitary drink or food that contain micro organisms. These organisms take up residence in the intestines and cause infection and damage to the lining of the intestinal walls. There are two kinds of dysentery, amoebic and bacillary. Amoebic is parasitic and is commonly spread through fruits and vegetables and through negligent hygiene. There are many form of bacterias, some you might be familiar with are samonella and E-Coli. Basically, the person who is preparing your food can forget to wash his hands after using the bathroom then pass the amobic or bacteria to you. It is commonly passed through human feces. The reason Americans are easily infected is that they haven't acquired the immunity that those have grown up in the area. I 'd say the local residents have guts made of iron! This is a common problem in tropical climates and underdeveloped environments that have less than ideal hygiene and sanitation methods.

We have no idea what took up residence in my gut but I know one thing, my gut didn't like it all. After searching online, I decided that I was infected with a very strong case. My Mexican friends are sure that it was the fresh milk but then again I am sure they don't understand the level of poor sanitation in their own community. You might gasp to see how food is prepared in my current town, usually with no running water or refrigeration nearby. As I observe Mexican chef's prepare my food I always wonder where that knife was laid last, when the hands were washed and in what water or when the last time the wooden cutting board was replaced that is oozing in meat juices in 95 degree weather. Worse yet, watch the local butcher cut-up your carne! At these moments I am reminded that I could resort to only saltine crackers, but instead, I gratefully say "gracious" and devour the scrumptious food provided to me. Yes, I have experienced Mexico to the fullest degree and my bout with dysentery has changed a few habits around here but after thinking on it further, I am sure there was no way it could have been avoided. We are praying that our family can make it back to the US without Mike or one of the kids contacting it. We are thankful that we have made it this far with only one of us coming down since we have broken every rule there is.

For an update on me, I am much stronger today, up and out of my bed and caring for my family. I get tired easily, still have no appetite to speak of, have infrequent bouts of diarrhea but feel more like myself again. As of yet, I am not anxious to sample anyone's authentic Mexican cutlery; saltine crackers and I are close friends.

Maybe next week.

Update on Our Health

2009-02-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

Hello To All,

Last week was a very long week dealing with dysentery. Tammy wasn't able to eat a normal meal until Saturday evening, was very weak and had nausea, stomach cramps,bloating and diarrhea that continued for the entire week. After feeling a little more herself, we were able to get out of the house for a day and enjoy a nearby water park. After returning home that night, she came down ill again, having been woke up in the night with all the same symptoms. Our local friends believe that her sickness was from the fresh milk that we are having delivered to the house. (Although she has not touched it recently). Please continue your prayers for her and the family. The bug appears to still be in her body, has caused her to loose 7 pounds in a week and is making it difficult to eat and stay hydrated.

Josh, Jake and Maddy have been sick this week too with a bug. Fever, sore throats, tiredness, and earaches. Both Josh and Maddy have ear infections.

Thank You So Much
Mike

Some Things We Have Learned

2009-02-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

The principle, Roberto, came to the house in an attempt to load me up to take me to the hospital. He had been very concerned about me having come down with dysentery and a day prior had sent a car to the house to transport me for medical attention. Twice he sent students to the house to request that I go. My stubbornness though won out; I knew that once the vomiting stopped, I would be able to treat myself with the medications I brought from the US, very likely the same medications I would be treated with by a doctor here. I was blessed by this man's kindness. Pictured here I had finally taken my first shower after a few days in bed. Roberto pulled out a tube of wrinkle -reducing, bag and dark-circle eliminating eye cream. He proceeded himself to apply it gently to my eyes having noticed my hallowed eyes. His visit cheered me up.

During that visit, Mike and Roberto were looking at pictures on the computer. My parents called from Oregon using Skype's Video calling feature. Mom and Dad were able to have a meaningful conversation with the school principle. This time, however, Mike and I were the translators! Practicing our brand-new language in front of family was quiet fulfilling, I must admit. My dad had many questions for our guest and Roberto reciprocated by asking questions about our country. I'd like to share some of those facts with you while throwing in a few others that we have learned.

In Mexico, "minimum wage" is $2 (American Dollars) for 8 hours worth of work (full day)

One American dollar equals 13 pesoes.

In the middle school, this year so far, 100 students (male) between the ages of 12-15 have dropped out of school to find work to help pay their family's way.

A mass majority of young men have no father in the home. For example, a young friend of ours, his father is in the United States working and sending money back home. This is very common.

Numerous children are living with grandparents and aunts with no male role models. Families move in together to survive.

Families choose between owning a house or owning a vehicle. Some can't afford either.

There is no such thing as "homeless" in Mexico.

It is very expensive for people to travel outside their home town and often difficult. Many people rely on buses and taxis.

A brand new truck costs around $31,000, same as in the United States.

A house like the one we are currently living in rents out for $38.00 per month.

In Mexico, you can purchase four nice houses for the same price as buying one modest one in America.

One of the reasons the laws are loose is that when a law is created and enforced, the people couldn't afford to pay the fines.

Living Expenses:
This week, it cost us $180 to have our van repaired at a local body shop. We were quoted $1500.00 in the US.
One meal eaten out at a "cafe" cost approximately $2 per person, including a drink. (Resort towns excluded).
Cost of a coca-cola - 62 cents.
Cost of one chicken quesidalla -$1.15
Cost of a whole BBQ chicken dinner for two, including 10 tortillas, lettuce, chili sauces, condiments and 2 drinks- $3.oo
Cost of one bunch of bananas - 61 cents
Cost of 1 kilo of maize tortillas - $1.15
Cost of fresh gallon of milk delivered to your door -$2.46 (milked that morning)
Cost of 1 kilo of ground hamburger $3.84 (equals 2 pounds)
Cost of gallon of gas - $2.47
Costs of using a public restroom - 23 cents!

Every single peso counts!

My purpose in sharing this and all the pictures is to encourage thankful hearts. I know my family could be more grateful than we are. In America, most people do not know how blessed they truly are. Basically, a person is fortunate to be "born" into America. What about the people who are "born" into this country? For them, fortunate comes in a different way.

After living in La Huacana, I have more compassion for the Mexican people and have come to better understand their day to day lives and who they are. Living with them has been eye-opening and creates in me a need to reevaluate what I thought I already understood. I hope this blog passes a little of that on to you and that it can be a means by which you can experience the goodness of Mexico as well. (The goodness of Mexico is the genuine, warm-hearted people - future post coming).

Feel free to email me your questions or to ask them when we return to our home in the US.

Snapped a Few Pictures on My Way Home From Santa Clara

2009-02-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

The Full Meal Deal - Dealing with Dysentery

2009-02-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

I was teased by email yesterday by a friend that I had taken this desire to experience Mexico way too far; I have come down with the all too common dysentery. Today, I can hold my head up long enough to write this post. Yesterday, I was violently ill unable to keep anything down, including the medication my family doctor sent for this very purpose. Today I am drinking fluids (praise the Lord!) but not without a price since even the fluid causes a ruckus in my gut. My stomach burns and churns and rambles and rolls continuously but there is an improvement since yesterday. Diarrhea continues but the throwing-up has ceased. I am thankful that I can sleep today and can intermittently watch the American Network Channel here in Mexico which makes me feel like I am at home in my own bed.

Before I left the states, I had set-up an email prayer chain where we could send out regular prayer concerns to those who committed to pray for our needs; I also wanted it in place in the case that any of us in the family contacted dysentery. It took much time and effort to form that list - getting over 60 email addresses entered correctly. When desperately needed, it only took 1 minute for Mike to type up a quick prayer request and shoot it off to our praying friends. Also, two telephone prayer chains were set into action, one through our home church and one with the Christian Cowboys that Mike's parents host at their home. If you were missed in any of these efforts, this post is for you!

For this I thank everyone at home who are praying! Yesterday I thought it possible to die and had a very worried husband; torrents of fluids were leaving my body. My inbox was flooded with well wishes, I love yous and I am praying for yous. Mike came into my bedroom multiple times to update me that you all were writing me and what you were saying. All of this has been comforting. Once I have gained my strength and can eat again, I plan to post again about my experience with the well-known Mexican plague. For now I wanted you all to know how much I appreciate your prayers. Back to bed....

Pictures of the Beach

2009-02-17T23:21:00.000-08:00

Look - no people! This beach was enclosed by the rocks which made it private and quaint. I have climbed some stairs to take this gorgeous picture of the ocean. It was a cloudy day, the first we have seen since our arrival.

This is the hut where we relaxed in hammocks, played games and shared a meal, overlooking the ocean.

More on Our Time at the Beach

2009-02-17T22:44:00.000-08:00

The meal we shared together on Sunday evening after playing in the tropical ocean. We ordered a seafood platter. Since tortillas are served with everything in Mexico, it is easy to figure out what to do with the new foods you are served. Our family has come accustom to eating with our fingers.

I can see and hear the ocean from the hut I am resting in. Little did I know I was already infected with Mexico's famous dysentery and that I would be violently ill in a little more than 24 hours.

After witnessing the turtles make their venture into the sea world, the group drove to a privately owned beach. Enock has friends all over these parts so were able to relax the rest of the day in a covered hut that served as a restaurant and provided numerous hammocks with an ocean view.

Our Trip to the Beach

2009-02-17T21:59:00.000-08:00

Holes were drilled into coconuts so we could sample fresh coconut water.

The fishermen prepared us an incredible seafood cocktail. Yum!

It was a beautiful drive to the coast, the roads being lined in palm trees, banana plantations and other fruit trees such as mango and agave. The locations we visited were privately owned, which meant they were not flooded with people and were quiet; a huge difference compared to our trip to Ixtapa.

This is Esther and Enoch with their three grown sons. Last week alone, we spent 6 days out of 7 with them. Enoch made the arrangements with the fishermen so that our family could witness the harvesting of the sea turtles and then them being released into the ocean.

I can't say enough good about these 3 brothers. They have joined their parents in their effort to entertain us, and take care of us. They are incredibly nice young men with hearts to serve others.

Sea Turtles "Tortugas"

2009-02-17T18:43:00.000-08:00

The Knutz family got a real treat this last Sunday when we went to the coast. Our host, Enoch and his family took us to a sea turtle conservation project where local fisherman in cooperation with the University of Michoacan are working to protect sea turtle nesting grounds. The site was less than a couple acres in size. But what a joy to share in the this conservation effort. We were able to watch as one of the fishermen and Enoch's son Erwin dug up a nest of hatchling turtles.

Sea turtles begin their lives as eggs buried by their mothers on a sandy beach. After 45-70 days of incubation, baby sea turtles emerge from their sandy nests and immediately head for the ocean. They reach maturity in 25 to 50 years. After mating, adult females often cross ocean basins back to their original nesting beaches to lay eggs and renew the cycle. They are excellent navigators, able to sense minute variations in the Earth’s magnetic field. The chances of surviving to adulthood are extremely low, so turtles lay up to 150 eggs per nest and may nest up to three times in a season. They nest every two to three years.

The Black Sea Turtles that we released have declined globally 80 percent over the last 150 years. Breeding populations of black turtles off Mexico are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. In the 1980s, black turtles at their major nesting beach, Colola Beach in Michoacán, Mexico, declined significantly from 5,500 nesting females to a low of 171. The population is now increasing, though numbers are still well below their natural levels.
There are two other varieties of sea turtles that nest at this site, one of them being the leatherback sea turtle. Since 1980, leatherbacks have declined by 95% at their major Pacific nesting beaches. If current trends continue, Pacific leatherbacks will go extinct within the next few decades and there is a 50% chance they will be gone within 11-12 years.

This was our eniter party. Enoch and Easter have three sons who are gentlemen with a heart to serve others. Enoch and his family have really befriended us and have invited us to several outings. Enoch teaches welding and physical science. He always has smile on his face and a good attitude.

The two girls are Karen (in the red shirt) has been a wonderful translator for us. She has also become good friend to Molly. Her sister Adeline is a joy to be with as well. They live in L.A. but are spending this year in La Huacana with their aunt who is also in our group photo (left).

My Valentine Took Me to Santa Clara, Part 11

2009-02-16T11:20:00.001-08:00

Mike and I walked through 2 long streets of shops which ended up being 6 hours worth of shopping. Happy Valentine's Day sweetheart...

These are a few of gorgeous items that are made in Santa Clara. It is hard to believe they start as ugly pieces of brick or wire and are hand-crafted into this.

Finally, a fruit bowl large enough to hold a bunch of bananas and all the other fruits my family enjoys. (It's huge!)

These canisters were taken to the next level of craftsmenship. Because of the gorgeous overlay, no polishing will ever be needed. Azucar means sugar and cafe means coffee. I can't wait to add these to my kitchen counter tops in Oregon. I will discuss later why there are butterflys on these canisters. That will be for a future post, after we travel past Morelia next weekend.

A smaller fruit bowl perfect for Mexico's lemon and limes. I particularly love the leaves.

Every shop sells the classic Mexico designer plate. It was overwhelming to see all the copper items. One shop in itself was enough but this town has two long streets full of shops, each loaded with beautiful merchandise. A woman's paradise!

U.S. Soccer Team defeats Mexico's 2 to 0

2009-02-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

We had a house full last Wednesday night for the U.S. soccer team vs Mexico. We had over 8 students here and 2 teachers. You can imagine the huge disappointment when the US beat Mexico by 2 to 0.

Tammy prepared two batches of guacamole and two of Mexican Salsa. Tammy brought back to life her infamous 3 can chili green sauce that she had frozen by adding it to one of the batches of guacamole. It was hot! Hugo made a face that made us all laugh when he bit into his tostada with the secret guacamole sauce.

We were really blessed by the the Math Teacher Raramule who gave us a carving of Jesus that his uncle made. We have been entertained by him and his family all week. The following night, he and his uncle the Physics and Technology Teacher Enoc took us to a fish hatchery and had a fish fry. Both Raramule and Enoc plan on coming to Oregon this summer when OSU 4-H hosts teachers from Mexico.

My Valentine Took Me to Santa Clara Mexico

2009-02-14T19:29:00.001-08:00

Mike and I traveled to Santa Clara to visit a town that is known for it's hand-crafted copper. In Mexico, many towns are known for craftmenship of something. Mike drove Josh to a town known for it's guitars; we went to the clothing market in Morelos; we have heard of a town that markets it's woodworking projects, etc... Santa Clara was a perfect place to spend Valentine's with my husband.

Mike and I were invited inside a shop to watch a demonstration on how these hand-crafted masterpieces are created. The items in the shop were looking very expensive until we saw how much effort is required. No machinery, just artistic hands, a lot of heat and a few simple tools.

After the copper is red-hot, the craftsmen manipulate the medal with tools. This man is heaving the sludge hammer over his head and slamming it back down to form round decorative marks for eye appeal.

Creating gorgeous household items requires a lot of grunt labor and heat! As if Mexico isn't hot enough, this room is filling with heat and smoke. We tipped these men and were off to purchase a few items after gaining a new respect for what goes into them.

Young Men With Character

2009-02-14T18:22:00.000-08:00

Today Mike and the kids went to the local swimming pool with a teacher's family. About 3 minutes after they pulled out, 3 of their friends showed up at the house. I invited Xavier, Eric and Antonio in for a few minutes to show them the beautiful bouquet my husband gave me for Valentines. The fact that I was the only person home didn't matter. These 3 young men stayed with me for the next 6 hours until my family returned home.

First, we visited for awhile. Next, I made them something to eat. After eating, they proceeded to clean my kitchen and then my house! I had swept and mopped my floors just two hours prior. Eric and Xavier would not take a No for an answer. Since Mexico is so dusty, they were successful in finding plenty of dirt.

After the house was spic and span, Xavier, Eric, Antonio and I sat down at the computer and looked through hundreds of pictures. Last, I decided to offer a DVD. Lupe has a hearty stash of Spanish movies. The movie occupied them for the rest of the time while I stole a siesta while pretending to watch with them.

Now it is almost 9 PM and they are all sitting at the table playing cards with Mike and the kids. They had arrived around noon. Pictured above is Xavier, sweeping, preparing for Eric to mop. He is 17 years old and has become family to us.

Eric has won my heart. Every time I turn around, he is in the kitchen washing a sink full of soapy dishes. Eric is selfless. He has brought gifts to all of us and is always looking for ways he can serve our family. If Eric hears the van pulling up to the house (Mike returning), he will run out to the garage to unlock the gate for him and make sure basketballs and anything else is out of his way. He sees what needs to be done, and does it on his own accord. But, it's not his willingness to do chores that has won my heart, it is his gentle, loving spirit.

What I like about the young men that visit our family, is that they come to see ALL of us. They engage their friends' parents and offer friendship to the younger siblings. They talk, joke, laugh and visit with all of us. This is especially true with Xavier and Eric.

Building Lifetime Relationships

2009-02-14T17:46:00.000-08:00

Madeline with a couple of her amigas. These girls have a very shy, sweet dispositions.

When are house is full of teens, we are all happy and having a fantastic time. It is refreshing to be around young people, especially such wonderful teens as we have come to know in Mexico. Mike and I have been blown away by exceedingly good manners. Having a large houseful of our teenage Mexican friends isn't a headache because they make such good house guests. The only problem is my timidness when it comes to cooking for them. I know they all are used to the authentic Mexican food. Mine is only a sad attempt.

This is Jake with Tony and Carlos. With these two young lads, we have a whopping of a good time!

Molly with her new "little brother" Tony. He calls me "mi mama" and Molly "mi hermana". Tony is energetic, positive, humorous, considerate, very loving, and brights up our days. He will be greatly missed when we move back to the states.

Household Responsibilities Take Alot More Time

2009-02-11T10:51:00.000-08:00

I am including a second post on laundering and about my Mexican dishwasher -by request.

Caring for my families clothing takes a large part of my day. I am fortunate enough to have an electric clothes washer but how I wash and how others wash here in Mexico are two different things. I wash 2-3 loads each day, as many that will fit on the clothes lines. With six of us wearing adult-sized clothing added with frequent changing due to the climate, this demands a lot of washing. I use my washer for every single load but most people only use their washers only for jeans -those that own washers that is. Instead, the cement cistern (I do not know what else to call it) serves as their washing machine. Mexican women scrub everything on the rivets you see here and with a scrub brush. I am impressed with how every one's clothes look. Meticulously clean and pressed. I asked Lupe why she doesn't wash all her clothes in the machine but she didn't explain. Could it possibly be because this is the way it has been done for generations or because their machines don't clean very well. I think it may be both.

In the center is where a large amount of water is held; on each end is the deep square wholes. One end serves to wash clothes, the other for washing dishes. Each end has a drain for the soiled water. There are many living creatures swimming in that water and grasping onto the bottom and side walls. Madeline has made issue of it several times trying to show me but I have had to turn my head and look the other day. (What I don't know won't hurt me!) After all, my kitchen dishes are being washed in this water.

This end is where my kids wash the family dishes. The water is scooped up out of the cistern into large wash and rinse containers. The dishes dry outside in these drainers. All the water is room temperature. This cistern can be handy. I haul out all the dirty dishes and scoop water into them to soak. They can wait outside until someone is ready to attend to them. Meanwhile, the kitchen inside is clean!

Once I am back in America I will kiss my dishwasher and my washer and dryer! I have heard my kids discuss how incredibly disappointed they will be if they learn upon their return that our dishwasher has broken down. They say it with a giggle. However, I wouldn't mind having one of these handy things on my deck!

The Cena Meal in Mexico

2009-02-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

The Authentic Mexican Enchilada

"Cena" is the last meal of the day, translated "dinner". It is eaten late in the evening, somewhere between 8-9:30 PM. The food you see cooking here is being fried-up all over town in numerous outdoor eateries. This is what most people do for a living - cook from their home. And, like in America, many people eat their meals out. This has surprised me. The difference is price though; our whole family eats out very cheap.

Our family was taken to this restaurant last night. My kids used to by shy about ordering but last night we must have had a break through! They have eaten out enough now to know what they will be getting. The welding teacher and his wife have taken a new interest in our family and have taken us out to eat four times this week! He hoovered over the kids, Mike and I, standing ready to order us our next entree. The people have been so kind to us. Every time we have eaten out, our friends insist on picking up the tab. This is hard for us, knowing that their income is significantly lower than our own. We all go home completely stuffed.

This "stove" is classic for what is used to prepare Cena. This one is powered with gas but I have seen several that are made out of stone with a fire built beneath.

There is pollo (fried Chicken in back row starting on the other side of the red spatula), then papas (fried potatoes), taco rolls, guesidallas, enchilada fried tortillas, and then more of the taco rolls. Not far away is a table lined with containers that have all the ingredients that will finish off the meal. Shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, pickled onions and peppers, chili sauces of all flavors, chicken feet, and jalapenos.

Enchiladas are the community favorite. I guess after eating tacos for breakfast, then again for the 10:30 meal, and a third time for the 3:00 meal, when it is time for Cena, enchiladas are a welcomed treat. When planning to eat Cena with Mexican friends, their faces light up while they declare they will be taking us somewhere that serves enchiladas. They are proud of this Mexican speciality and want the Americans to delight in them as well.

In Mexico the enchilada is not anything like what is made and served in America. The first few times I had one, the entire family decided that we didn't like them. But, after being "treated" several more times by our friends, the flavor has grown on me. I now look forward to the next time I will get to experience the authentic enchilada.

The enchiladas are made like this. They are served like a taco with a layering of ingredients:

1. a tortilla deep fried in oil after first being dipped in a home-made enchilada red sauce
several are slapped on the plate with ingredients piled on top
2. shredded fresh cabbage
3. a fresh pickled salsa made of carrots, onions and peppers
4. fresh diced, cooked potatoes
5. jalapenos
6. a sprinkling of cheese (very different than US cheese)
7. A piece of chicken served on the side for you to shred and include in your tortilla

Bountiful Bananas

2009-02-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Bananas grow year around. Banana trees are everywhere you turn. Each family is sure to have a variety of trees in their yard, including mango, agave, lime, lemon, orange, and even hot pepper trees. Mexicans take pride in the fruit that grows in their country.

Last night we went for a walk a long a street of homes. I was able to get a clear shot of this banana tree over the top of the fence. I plan to go for another walk with only Mike and I. This way I can freely take pictures of the homes themselves. On this walk, with us was the welding teacher, his wife, and several young men from the Hispanic family.

~BTW, I have said it before on this blog, if you haven't tasted a fresh banana from Mexico, you haven't tasted a real banana. When eating my first banana, I couldn't stop oohing and awing. Bananas are my absolute favorite fruit even before leaving Oregon. This incredible fruit doesn't last long in my house and I can't blame it on my four growing teens. One day this week, I ate three consecutively. Mike has been known to hide a bunch somewhere in the laundry room hoping to save himself at least one. In La Huacana, bananas are 8 pesos for a large bunch. This converts to $.64 dollars. The pineapple is equally as tasty. Has the fruit in Mexico ruined me forever? Wonder what it will taste like from Winco.

Jake Learns to Weld

2009-02-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Jake learned to weld during the shop class at the school. The other students and the teacher were eager to help him.

The teacher gave me a new shop shirt like the one he has.

The Welding teacher told Jake that he learns much faster than many of his other students. Maybe Jake takes after his grandpa Ron with his welding skills. Anyway, Jake is looking forward to learning more here and getting some practice with Grandpa Ron.

What is It About the Knutzs?

2009-02-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

For the fourth time since our arrival in Mexico, an unwelcomed quest from the arachnid family paid us a visit. Timing was perfect as usual, about an hour before bed. The scorpions are making their rounds, each time showing themselves in a different location. This time, the location was the wall of my bedroom. Two weeks ago a scorpion visited Madeline's bedroom. Consequently, that room has been abandoned.

Would someone please explain this to me? Lupe shared with me that she has never seen a scorpion in her house. In her humored sort of way, she joked that scorpions like us and aren't we so lucky! Well, aren't they just friendly, welcoming this US family to their country? No, thank you. Why can't the little stingers stay outside in their cozy wood pile?

Last night's visitor was a smaller scorpion. The smaller scorpions really bug me. If it is baby, that might mean there is a whole litter of siblings waiting till big brother declares the coast is clear. Or worse yet, where is mother and father?

I am thankful that scorpions are relatively easy to kill. They just sit on the wall unknowingly as the hammer is coming down. They take their destiny rather well. There was one exception. The scorpion that was found on the ceiling of Madeline's bedroom took off on a dead-run after Mike climbed to the ceiling with his hammer in tow. The ugly varmint torpedoed to the floor and Mike had to chase it down, slamming the hammer multiple times before killing the little buger. Bam, bam, bam! You think smashing a spider is gross?

Every night when I head for bed I feel a tightening of all my muscles. There is something about finding a scorpion in your bedroom. Getting up at night requires all of the lights to be turned on, a thorough scan in all directions and the shaking out of my slippers. The hardest task yet is to fetch a drink of water at night for my parched throat. My need wins out over my fear. This will require me to stick my hand behind my refrigerator to turn on the kitchen light. I have yet to figure out how to communicate to them I'd like them to quit their night job.

I am constantly on duty, inspecting day and night for these creepy crawlers. This may sound silly to you, but ask my family how I handled seeing a daddy long-legged spider in my bathtub as a little girl. Four more rooms, and the scorpions will have successfully greeted the Americans in every single room of this house. Once Lupe moves back into her home at the end of March, she will never have to worry about these litter critters; they would have used up all their appearances.

Commenting on This Blog

2009-02-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

I am hearing reports of unsuccessful commenting. We had alterated the settings needing to block a couple anonymous users whom we did not appreciate their comments or their lack of desire to be known. Since that original change, no comments have been published (to my frustration). After several attempts, I have gone back to the original settings, so please try again to post your comments. Email me personally if your comments are not posted. Sorry I can't seem to figure this out.

It is important to us to hear from you! Much heart, time and effort is put into this blog.

Ignorance was Bliss

2009-02-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

The other day I was "let in the know". Lupe told me that my family's clothes looked wrinkled and that I needed to start ironing. Since I come from the states and own a dryer, I normally only iron on special occassions. If something looks terrible coming out of the dryer, it is usually replaced easy enough. A few little wrinkles have never bothered me. Also, I use this handy-dandy wrinkle-release spray, and whatever job it can't handle, well, I usually don't wear that item to often.

I have been informed though that here in La Huacana, wrinkles bother everyone; that people are staring at us and thinking ill thoughts. This all came as sort of a shock. I ask my kids what they know. Molly confessed that someone had asked her if Americans iron their clothing. Had I been letting Mike go to school and teach classes everyday in clothing that would make him look ridiculous? Mike and I have been teaching the kids to adapt to the Mexican culture. They are frequently reminded that we are guests in someone else's country.It took days for that talk with Lupe to sink in. I decided to think on it awhile. She, afterall, was asking alot from a family of six all wearing adult-sized clothing. While "thinking on it", I started observing all the people around me. Sure enough, it was true. Every one's clothes were meticulously ironed. Not a wrinkle anywhere to be found. Even t-shirts get ironed. Oh, my goodness, this means life in Mexico was dramatically about to change.

Today, I ironed for atleast two hours, after ironing three yesterday. I am ironing silly t-shirts, basketball shorts, casual shorts, blouses, everything accept socks and underwear. I have to admit, I think Lupe and the rest of her country are right. The clothes look so much nicer. I can hardly believe we were walking around a wrinkled mess. The clothes line just doesn't cut it. For seven weeks I didn't iron and for the next seven, it will take time out of every day. This mama won't be able to do it all on her own. This week was declared "learn how to iron" week. I should have took the suttle hint way back when our translators dropped us off in December. Norma had told me that an iron and I would become best-friends.

Aldama Street on Sunday Evening

2009-02-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday evening this is what Aldama Street looks like. I am taking the photo from the front of my Mexican home. Many times we have been pinned inside our own house, unable to get the van out of the garage. One week, Mike returned and could not park his van back in our garage. Our van's side door was damaged trying.

Why are all these cars here? Well, we found out! A local stopped by our house to invite us to see. Rooster fighting is a legal way to gamble. Roosters are raised to fight to their death for the purpose of people making money. Mike had taken a picture of two roosters fighting, I just could not bring myself to publish it. (Made me think of Gladiators).

People are finding partners to see who'd like to bet $50. Each rooster has a colored band tied around the leg, along with a weapon, since some roosters look so much alike. I will spare you much more details but it was difficult to eat dinner that night. Our curiosity got the best of us; we don't plan on seeing what all the fuss is about again. That's what I get for being afraid to miss out on something.

Sweetness

2009-02-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

This is Molly with Lupe's daughter Yuriana. We love Lupe's two children.

An Average Day in the Life of the Knutzs

2009-02-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

A few people have asked what a "normal" day looks like for us in Mexico. This is how most days work themselves out.

6:45 AM
Mike, Molly and Josh leave for school

7-1o AM
Showers, breakfast, morning chores, Tammy starts laundry, ironing, floors, Spanish lessons on computer begin, alternating people

10-1 PM
*Home school for Maddy and Jake, email and blogging for Tammy
(Activities are interrupted multiple times from people stopping by to ask about this, to sell that, and students dropping in)

10 PM MONDAY ONLY
Monday market day. Vendors come from all over with fresh foods, household items and clothing. It is the cheapest way to buy things here. And, it's just plain fun!

1:00 PM
*Mike and teens arrive home from school. With them come 5-15 students on any given day. This time changes frequently.

2 PM THURSDAY ONLY
(No English class today) Mike hauls a van loud of kids to La Presa to swim and jump (see blog!)

1-4 PM
*Mike studies for his English class and does bible study with students
*Teen hang-out time, card playing, goofing off,
*Practice the language with the studengs through friendship
*Tammy: make snacks, wash cups, serve drinks, translate English for Step class that afternoon, serve salsa and guacamole
*Knutz kids try to get their daily chores done amongst the chaos, Kids teach card games

4-5:30 PM
*Mike teaches an English class to local school teachers
*Tammy & Molly attend Mike's English class since we learn Spanish at same time
*Josh and Jake practice basketball at school with the team
*Maddy chills at house

5-11 PM FRIDAY ONLY
Friday Night Fun Night, kids come to have salsa, guacamole, tostadas, soda and Pizza. Card playing, goof-off time, a movie in Spanish at 8

5:30 PM
*Lupe picks up Tammy. Tammy teaches Step class for 2 Spanish teachers at her ranch house
*Mike hangs out with students that come to house after basketball, gives kids snacks, sometimes prepares dinner

7:30 PM
*Tammy returns from exercising. Time to eat. Many times we walk to town for real Mexican food. We can feed the whole family for under $15. We have two regular students who have dinner with us every night.

8 -10 PM
Normal Activities, depending on the day:
*Shop in downtown tiendas for groceries.
*Walk and hang out in plaza.
*Visit with Fernando (see blog)
*Recap with our kids, take time to encourage and instruct with what's been happening in their daily lives in Mexico

Sunday Night is Plaza Night. The evening mass ends at 5:30 PM, the tiendas close up shop and everyone stays in (after mass) town in there best Sunday attire. The Catholic church opens up into the town square. People walk the town square, or gather on the benches to enjoy a long evening of fellowship and fun.

WEEKENDS ARE DIFFERENT. We try to leave town to see what else is in Mexico! It requires about a 3 hour drive whatever direction we travel.

Testing the Limits of My Hospitality

2009-02-04T07:24:00.000-08:00

There is no quiet hour. Living here pushes all the boundaries of my hospitality. This morning I was in the shower. Around 7:45 AM, two of our regular student visitors show up. Maddy welcomes them into the house, something she does several times a day already. Unknowingly, I open the door to the bathroom to talk to my daughter who should be the only person in the house. She screams, "Mom! Be careful! We have company!" Madeline has to help me get from the bathroom into my bedroom and not be seen by the young men. This makes me chuckle and shake my head. Better be more careful!!!!

Welding class was canceled since a teacher didn't show up. Instead of waiting around school for the next class as normal, Reece and Rodrigo decide to come see us. I have learned to be extremely flexible! I am honored they all like spend time with us. Sometimes the noise level gets bothersome but I send up a quick prayer and remember why I am here.

I have finally drawn one boundary. No more basketball playing in the house. I am proud of myself.

Coolness

2009-02-04T06:46:00.000-08:00

Xavier, Jake, Eric and Hugo. The three muchachos visit daily. Eric, behind, is wearing my women's sunglasses.
All the teen boys like to wear my sun glasses. The come into the house looking for them. In such a sunny culture, few people wear sun-glasses, at least in La Huacana. They are a luxury. A lot of times I leave them at home. Walking through town in sunglasses screams, "Rich Americano!"

Tony and Hugo sport both Mike's and my sun glasses. Mike gave his sunglasses to Tony; read I am Sad Tonight, Tony's Story.... He walks around town like he is real special now.

(I asked them to pose this way. It is a joke between us. They aren't really this tough looking They are well-mannered kids. I am hoping they rub off on my children).

Aldama Street

2009-02-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

I love this picture! I pass this house every day since it is about 4 houses down from mine. I have come to love Aldama Street. The past week, we have all become a little sad and are realizing that before we know it, it will be time to pack up and move out. That is still 7 weeks away but it seems way to close.

Every seven years Mike can take a sabbatical leave from his current job for academic development. This period can be 3 months, 6 months or even as long as a year. Mike chose a 3 month leave for two reasons. His job as a 4-H agent couldn't do without him that long and because of our four teenage children. Unsure if they could handle an extended time away from home, a 3 month stay was the best option. All of our kids have a load of friends and are heavily involved in numerous activities.

After 8 weeks, all four of our teenagers have adjusted well. Surrounded by friends, they are happy and thriving, most of the time. If we could go back and redo it, a 6 month to one year stay would be chosen. We have fallen in love with the people and we'd like to stay long enough to perfect learning the language. Many of our adult amigos are teasing us, saying we should remain in La Huacana forever. Students are signifying to us by rubbing their fists into their eyes that they will cry when it is time for us to depart.

I am sure I couldn't make this my permanent home but I could visit for an extended stay annually. Molly, however, has become Mexican. She is asking me if she dyes her hair and tans her skin if she'd pass. Of all my kids, she is the one I predict will reture here in the future on her own accord. Molly adores Mexico, their customs and culture, especially the warm-hearted people she has met.

Mexico's Best Kept Secret

2009-02-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

Morelia is the best place you have never been. The colonial heart of the city has been well preserved; it was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1991! I was awestruck by the 16th and 17th Century stone buildings, baroque facades and archways that line narrow downtown streets and are home to museums, hotels, restaurants, exquisite bars, rooftop lounges, chocolaterias, and sidewalk cafes. Few tourists have discovered this city. Could it be because they are not willing to trade the artistic architecture with a tropical beach?

My 15 yr. old son approached me while in Morelia. It was clear that this city was having the same effect on him that it was having on me. With a sparkle in his eye, Josh confided to me that he will be bringing his wife to this city on their honeymoon. Entertaining ideas myself, Morelia had a romantic feel.

Traffic jams in this city won't bother you. The slower pace will have you drinking in it's beauty and snapping pictures as fast as you can. One of my teens said, "Mom!", with an embarrassed flick of his head. I must have looked like a silly tourist. A sense of urgency had overcome me.

In the town square there are free public concerts, art fairs, performers, and music. Oh, and I have to mention the adorable doves walking about. It is a place you wouldn't mind hanging out in all day - or all month. Does it sound like I have been hired to sell Morelia. No - I just loved the city and wasn't able to be there nearly long enough. If you are planning to come to Mexico, it would be a mistake to leave Morelia out of your tour plans.

The Soul of the City

2009-02-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

The front doors leading inside the cathedral.

The Soul of Morelia

2009-02-03T07:56:00.000-08:00

This is the cathedral located in Morelia, Michoacan. It is not just gorgeous; it's inspirational! Your surroundings beg you to get on your knees and worship in reverence. We were on holy ground.

On Saturday nights, the streets glow, classical music blares and cannons blast fireworks into a black sky where they explode and drip color on the bell towers.

I could not stop taking pictures. I fell in love with Morelia with the ancient buildings, the busy town square and the breath-taking cathedral.

Thurday and Sunday are La Presa Days

2009-02-03T07:25:00.000-08:00

A sweetheart swim down the river. Very refreshing! These days are looked forward to since we know we can bring down our body temperature a little. It is too warm to even hold hands in the country! We managed to get located in the warmest part of the country this time of year.

OK, I simply could not resist posting this picture. They all love jumping, esp. if I have the camera in my hands.

Thursday and Sunday afternoons are "La Presa Days". The kids know that they can come here to meet us to catch a ride up to the swimming hole.

Every week the kids take turns diving and posing for my camera. Later that week, our amigos visit us eager to see themselves in a slide-show on our computer.

Downtown Tiendas

2009-02-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

This is the main street of La Huacana.

Most businesses have their living quarters on top of their grocery stores. Garage doors roll up to allow customers in. Sometimes, when I walk into the store, the home is visible, just father back into the building on ground level.

Yesterday Mike and I had lunch together in a "restaurant". After inside, we could see that we were eating in someone's actual home. It was mostly out-of-doors and very spacious. The food is incredible.

There are numerous small businesses here. Most people make their income through selling food either in an outdoor eatery or in a grocery store. There are other small business as well, but food is the main enterprise. These are the true essence of "home business".

By Request, More Information on Daily Living

2009-02-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Debra has specifically asked for more information and pictures on daily living. This post was created with her in mind.

This business sells vegetables from a warehouse. It is a great place to shop! There is a large variety of fresh veggies to choose from. The "tiendas" mostly stock fresh foods. Little processed foods can be found. Our diet consists of vegetables, fruit, meat, corn tortillas, fresh milk, cereal and a little bit of pollo (chicken) and carne (meat). That is it. Oh, and that doesn't count the local ice cream shop. Mike has found an ice cream bar that tastes like Tillamook Udderly Chocolate, a family favorite.

If we drive out of town, larger stores stock processed foods. Most stores are 3 hours away! Foods that we rarely purchase at home, like Oreos or Snickers, we will purchase here just for the sake of familiarity. It makes the kids happy to eat something "normal".

Mike enjoys shopping in the local market. The two of us walk to town daily to find (literally!) our goods. The stores are small and are spread out all over town. Since we can carry only so much, it requires frequent shopping.

Local Cementarys

2009-02-03T04:51:00.000-08:00

Roadside Memorials

2009-02-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

Roadside memorials decorate all of Mexico. God knew that I should stay uninformed as to their significance until just the other day. I recently learned that for every roadside memorial, someone has died in a car accident. Eeek! That would be quiet a bit for they are all along the roads and highways! Based on the driving here, it is believable. It has been an adjustment for me to travel in Mexico. For 6 weeks, I was frightened to get in our van. Yesterday while driving to Morelia, for the first time I was not afraid.

This memorial here is a little more extensive than some. Some are left up for a few months, others forever, while some are displayed annually in remembrance of a loved one.

Primary Education

2009-02-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

School Supplies is scarce. This was it for one classroom. Most learning is done through recitation.

Dance is very important part of Mexican culture. Kids practice everyday after school in all grades.

I regularly visit a primary school in LaHuacana. I have had the privilege of playing volleyball many times with some younger children. My blue eyes are of great interest. Mexican people may get to see someone with blue eyes once in every ten years. Like my kids, children crowd to my sides trying to communicate with me.

This is after school help. The children have already gone home to change out of their uniforms.

Volcan

2009-02-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

Jake took this photo of a tree growing out of a rock. Nice job Jake!

It took about 30 minutes to hike up the mountain. We started about 8:30 in the morning so it was cool in the shade, but that disappear within the hour. Behind Jake are several pine trees. this area of Mexico looks much like eastern Oregon and even having pine forest in the mountains. They look like Ponderosa Pine.

Ranufol, geography teacher is explaining the history behind this volcano (volcan in Spanish). The Jorullo is a cone volcano with a crater 500 meters in width and 150 meters deep. We are standing on the crater wall where the lava flowed out from in September 29, 1759. Prior to that eruption, this area was a flat fertile valley farmed by the Don Pedro. Two rivers disappeared the first night of the eruption and continue to flow underground and emerge in geyser form with a temperature of 52 C or 125 F. We hiked down into the crater and could feel the hot rocks and steam coming from vents. Not something that we really wanted since we were already hot from the hike.

The class was able to hike out onto the lava flow which covers a 9 km (6 mile) area on the north side of the mountian. There is a large drop to the valley floor just a few feet from the students pictured in the distance of this photo.

Three students stand on the top of a church steeple that was covered by lava during the eruption. It is the only evidence left of the ranchero (small village) that once inhabited this place.

Mike

Mike and La Huacana Teens; A Good Combination

2009-01-30T10:44:00.000-08:00

Mike gets along with teens. He has always amazed me. Back at home, kids like him. I have knocked it off as him being their 4-H agent. After all, youth development is his specialty and what he gets paid to do.

I have been surprised that it is the same here. Teens in La Huacana want to be around him. It is clear that the kids come to our home to see Mike just as much, probably more, than they come to see our kids. I watch him interact with them students closely. The teens enjoy his company and respect him. That can be easily seen through their body language and how much they laugh with him even as they struggle to understand each other's words. More incredible, the students are eager to teach him, spending a lot of time saying the same words and phrases over and over until Mike can get it out correctly. In this picture above that is exactly what is going on. Maddy and I were amused with this conversation that went late into the night.

This is Tony and his cousin, Rando. Mike is studying Proverbs with them. Mike read a verse in English and then one of the guys read it in Spanish. We are so thankful for the Spanish bibles we brought with us, thanks to a friend!

What a wonderful way to study language together.

A MESSAGE FOR THE LADIES @ CREEKSIDE COMMUNITY

2009-01-30T10:26:00.000-08:00

Hi All! Want to let you know I am thinking about you and praying for you this weekend. I know the ladies retreat is this weekend and I wish I could be there with you. I went last year and had a fantastic time. I was greatly encouraged spiritually through the teaching but what I liked most about the retreat was the ability to let my hair down, to laugh and enjoy my sisters in the Lord. There was a lot of time allotted to enjoy each other, to play together and share in the things of the Lord. Last year, I particularly remember having the opportunity to get to know and appreciate Cindy J. We have been friends every since.

This weekend I pray for these things for you! I pray God moves heartily in each of your hearts accomplishing want is needed in you as individuals. May you laugh, and cry together, grow closer to God together and come home refreshed and better equipped to serve your Lord and King!

Love to You All, From Mexico! Tammy

We are Half-way There!!!!

2009-01-29T07:53:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it! I just realized today, we are at the half-way mark.

We left Dec. 9th from our home town in Oregon. April 1st is the tentative date for our arrival back. I flood of emotions have hit me. Just last week I was desiring to fly home, and now today I realize that I have so much that I want to accomplish here, with only 7 weeks left to do it.

Amanda H., my good friend, sent me an encouraging word last week. She encouraged me to make every day count, that in light of eternity, our stay in La Huacana is extremely short. At the time, those words were like smoothing sauve on a wound. That week was my hardest yet. Isn't God's timing always perfect? There was a few of us in the family with real bad attitudes. Missing family and friends, exhausted from the heat, sleep-deprived from the crowing roosters and barking dogs, weary of constant company, sick of Mexican food, fed-up with the dust and dirt, irritated from loud, continual music and just plain cranky. And, I was sick and tired of being, sick and tired! Today, my heart has been renewed. Half-way, already! Could it be true? So little time and so much to do! There is no time for bad attitudes or ungratefulness.

I Am Sad Tonight. Tony's Story. . .

2009-01-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

I'd like to introduce this young man to you. His name is Tony and he has become very fond of our family. At least it seems that way since he spends as much time with us as he can. When I introduce you to Tony, and I am also introducing you to countless other young people like him. The reason for this is his story is all too common in Mexico.

Tonight started out to be a delightful evening. We walked into town to have a taco. With us was Lupe and her children, the owner of the house we are living in, Tony and one other student from the escuela secondaria. We enjoyed a tasty dinner and a long stroll afterwards. The evening ended very sad. Lupe, Mike and I got into a very heart-felt discussion. Mike told Lupe Tony's story. Lupe went on to tell us more than our hearts wanted to hear.

Tony's story is very sad. See, his father died when he was a baby, serving in the Mexican army. Shortly after, Tony was forced to move in with his grandparents and lives with them to this day. His grandparents are very poor. Why did Tony move in with his grandparents? His mother decided she wanted to start a new life in America. She found herself a new lover and moved to America and has stayed there every since. Tony's mother has had four more children of whom Tony has never met. This means Tony never saw his mother again.

Lupe wasn't surprised by Tony's story. She knows how true it is. Lupe told us that "mucho" of the children in her school live with relatives. Parents abandon their children to chase after a new, promising life that America offers them. The reason they don't take their children with them? Because they have to get to America through dangerous territory, crossing deserts and swimming across waters. Many die trying.

Tonight Tony asked us if he could come back to America with us. We said, "Yes, you come over to see us in America. You will need a VISA". Tony replies, "No, I will go around". I am sad for this young man and all of us are loving on him while we can. Tony knows that VISAs into America are rarely granted.

GREAT DIFFICULTY IN MEXICANS OBTAINING VISAS

It is barely possible for Mexicans to obtain VISAS. We desire that our new friends here in La Huacana would be able to come to America to visit us and experience life there. They have been invited but they say there is no way. The process takes too long, is very expensive and they will be told no in the end. Our friends won't even give it a second thought knowing the facts.

I wanted to gain more understanding for the Mexican community. Wow. I have learned so much. There is about 7 weeks left. Wonder what else is in store.

Dengue Fever is a Risk Here

2009-01-28T11:47:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, there is mucho littering in Mexico. This picture was taken at the swimming hole I posted about last week. Right next to this man-made swimming area is standing water with litter floating. This is prime conditions for mosquitoes to live in that spread Dengue Fever. I sat next to this pool of water watching my family swim. (The water was NOT clean enough for me to want to climb in). I was ready to go home after 20 minutes since the water next to me was unappealing. Then, Tony, a student that spends a lot of time with us, guided us up the hill to a beautiful, refreshing site.

This truck is heading out with a load of kids to work on a community clean-up project. They will attend to all the streets of La Huacana. Mike, Molly, Josh and Jake have all joined the crew this week in cleaning up litter, looking specifically for containers that mosquitos would want desire to make a home of.

While not as well known as malaria and yellow fever, dengue fever is the most common disease spread by mosquitoes and is the biggest concern here. Dengue fever is increasing and more travelers return home with this viral disease. It is causes serious illness and can be fatal. Like Malaria, it is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Unlike Malaria, the mosquito that carries dengue, bites during the day and also at night. It breeds in urban areas where standing water can be easily found (e.g. in discarded tires, buckets, containers, etc..). Fornately, there is an effort being made in La Huacana to discourage these mosquitoes from living here by eliminating their chosen habitat. It seems to me though, this would potentially be a year-around full-time job. People readily leave their garbage everywhere.

We are getting bit by mosquitoes. As I speak I am covered with bites. Yesterday I visited a park with multiple swim areas. Today, I will cover my legs in deet before going.

There are measures that can be taken to prevent mosquito bites. Percautions should be taken just incase you are bitten by the mosquito that carries the dengue virus. Our family has made the practice of eating fresh garlic. I make garlic sandwiches by smoothering bread in butter on both sides and frying it as if it is a grilled-cheese sandwich. Then, I peel and slice 3 large garlic cloves; I sandwich them in between the bread. The last few bites are spicy but following with a cold drink makes it tolerable. Eating garlic is also helpful in recovering quickly from a sickness. It was amazing how much better I felt after eating several garlic sandwiches in one day. Garlic works as a powerful, natural antibiotic. The smell your skin will emit when eating garlic discourages bugs from wanting to bite you.

We brought tons of deet with us but forget to use it. The first several weeks the mosquitoes favored Molly. Her ankles and legs were covered in welts after each night's sleep. We figured out why; Molly was using aromic creams and lotions. Once stopped, the bites improved.

Dengue fever comes on quickly with a high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and a general feeling of weakness. As our children clean-up the litter that the mosquitoes are attracted to, we'd appreciate your prayers for God's protection. God has been with us every day of this trip so far. After many bites, no one has come down with Dengue Fever. And that is just one aspect of His ongoing care.

Community Clean-up; Protecting Against Dengue Fever

2009-01-28T11:34:00.000-08:00

Mike heading out with a group of kids to clean-up garbage in the streets and in people's yards.

This is a work crew. Notice the garbage bags.

The students are knocking on doors. Everyday a new class goes out into the town. They search people's backyards for litter. Sorting through the burn piles is important to retrieve half-burned plastic bottles.

Thankful Pictures

2009-01-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

I will be taking more pictures of Mexican homes. Next time I want them to be here in La Huacana.

Many people have dirt floors.

It has been a blessing to find out many young people are reading this blog. Abby and Grace J., Talia and Judah K., Kara and Bryanna L., Lacey K., Andrea, Cody, Zach, Jessica D., Kylah G., & Tiffany R.. That is the kids I know about! They are learning so much about Mexico!

Please let me know if you are reading this blog and are not on this list.

I have only seen one home that has a grass lawn. If you have grass, you also have money.

A Series of Photos on Mexico Homes

2009-01-28T08:56:00.001-08:00

Mike and I drove to the closest town to us to get groceries. It was only an hour away. I snapped some pictures in the in-between small towns. People in America need to see how most of the people here in Mexico live. We could all be more thankful. I will be calling these my "Thankful pictures".

I know that there are many who love to look at landscape, architecture, plants, and scenery. These pictures are for you.

Wouldn't you love to live here? Like in America, there is the rich and the poor. There is town life and country living.

Teaching Card Games

2009-01-28T08:49:00.000-08:00

A House Full Every Single Day...

We are able to practice the language while showing God's love to kids who mostly come from very tough circumstances.

Maize Tortillas & Real Guesadillas, A Cooking Lesson

2009-01-28T08:23:00.000-08:00

Three students came to our home to teach this American mom how to make home-made maize tortillas. We had a great time together. Reese, center, was a fantastic leader, telling everyone what to do. It took several hours but the product was worth it. We turned them into guesadillas. The flavor and texture of the tortillas in Mexico far exceed the ones sold in grocery stores in America. They are fairly easy to make. Also, I have never eaten such wonderful guesadillas. This is one skill I will be happy to take home with me.

These young men visit our home daily. We cook together, play cards, play basketball, practice our language and go swimming. I wish we would have brought more games and card games. We have played a thousand rounds of UNO.

This is Tony. He is one of our regulars. His mom lives in the United States, having remarried and started a new family after his father died. Tony lives with his Grandparents and is extremely poor. (We have heard lots of stories like this).

Read it and weep, these nice young men insisted on cleaning up the mess after cooking. In my house, the rules stands; if you cook the meal then you don't have to do the clean-up. I tried to shew them out, really, I did!

This Cracked Me Up

2009-01-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

You have to have a sense of humor when you are an American living in Mexico. I was headed out to town on my daily route and around the corner from my house was a donkey grazing in the street. I failed to get the picture of him I really wanted since as soon as he noticed me he high tailed it out of there.

We Are Official Skypers

2009-01-27T07:04:00.000-08:00

Wanted to let you all know that we have downloaded the Skype software and are offically online chatters. We have used it multiple times this week, although not without difficulty. We have a webcam so we can be seen when called. It really is a simple process and easy to learn. Our mistake has been to skip the tutorial step. The connection is clear as a bell. I talked to my brother last night which is over 3.000 miles away for about an hour without missing a word. He was even able to send me a picture through skype while talking! And, all this for free! This is so great for us since we can talk long distance for free. Our current long distance charges are $1.59 a minute.

Here is how it works. I don't think it works for dial-up users. Anyone know?

1. Google Skype. Find the offical website. Register as a new user.

2. Download software.

3. Go through the tutorial.

4. Search for us under contacts using Tammy's email address. Add us to contacts.

5. You will need either a headset with microphone OR a webcam. I was told these are relatively inexpensive.

6. Give us a call

*Ask some computer savy person for help if this sounds overwhelming.*

Thank you Steve M. for letting us know about skype. Before leaving the states, he handed us a headset to take with us telling us about skype. And, as soon as he heard we were hooked up to DSL, he gave us the needed nudge. (Thanks Steve). Neither of us knew about it.

Oh, and the picture was taken in Ixtapa right before we boarded a boat to head out to Ixtapa Island. That was a few weeks ago.

Streets of La Huacana

2009-01-25T08:58:00.001-08:00

When looking through the blog I realized that the pictures do not display what we see everyday. I am working on getting new pictures and will be posting more on common sites in Mexico. Yesterday Mike and I drove to a nearby town. I was able to get some pictures of peoples' homes. These pictures are especially hard to get since people are often outside in large groups.

Where's the Beef?

2009-01-25T07:30:00.000-08:00

WARNING: Photos in this post may contain graphic images that may not be suitable for younger audiences or those who don't know where their meat comes from. Animals were killed in the making of this post.

Unlike in the states where your meat may be starting to brown at the supermarket, meat here in Mexico is fresh. It is likely slaughtered the day before you purchase it. Another aspect that I have enjoyed is walking into the carneria and seeing the wholesale cuts of meat in the cooler. I asked the butcher to cut the meat or grind it into hamburger right before my eyes. Just like the old days in the U.S.

The down side of this old fashion service is the reality check of where your meat comes from - as you can see from the photos I posted. This doesn't bother me since I grew up on a farm and would often watch steers and hogs get butchered. Tammy prefers that I purchase the meat. I am sure we would have a lot more vegetarians in the U.S. if they had to purchase their meat like this. Not only is the meat fresh but I have noticed that there is not much fat as well. This is likely do to the fact the steers are pasture feed and that Mexican people still use lard to cook with.

My family had a small hog farm growing up with over 250 head of hogs in the operation. My dad would often say that unlike other livestock, people use everything but the squeal. By the looks of the hog head, I'm sure they live by that saying here in Mexico. ~Mike

Happy Birthday to My Baby Sister!

2009-01-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

Taking a Small Intermission from the Mexico Tour

Today is my sister's 37th Birthday. I am missing

her so much today since I am over 3,000 miles away and mom and I can't take her out to lunch. She is my only sister and younger by 3 years. At a very young age my brother dubbed her "Care Bear" and that name stuck for obvious reasons.

My sister and I are as different as night and day are different. I have used this phrase a hundred time to describe us. Not only is she a blondie and I a brunette, she is short and I am taller and we lead opposite life syles. She knows this, and I know this. What I love about our relationship is that we can disagree with each other lovingly and don't judge each other. We can talk on the phone endlessly, sometimes till my jaw hurts. My sister provides a comforting shoulder to lean on; a safe place for me to spill my guts. I can trust that she will do her best to understand me, to love me and to provide her best counsel.

Even though my sis and I are so very different, having strong conflicting views in life, we manage to fully understand each other. I love the sound of her perky voice on the other end of the line, better yet when she is in person. Kerry is a bright spot in my life and I am so glad God gave her to me as my sister.

Happy 37th Birthday Sis! I love You So Much!

"Pastel Leche" Translated "Milk Cake"

2009-01-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

This cake makes my mouth water. I haven't been too fond of the different desserts that are offered here. They are drastically different than what we are used to. The leche cake though is out of this world. I new there was a reason why I like to pour milk over my cake in America. If you have never tried a leche cake, you can order them in bakeries in America. Although they are the norm here, you have to special order them in the states. The leche cake is usually served at all fiestas.

Don't miss out on giving this dessert a try!

Farming the Old Fashion Way

2009-01-23T15:57:00.000-08:00

During another visit to the School's parcella, I learned that they do things the old fashioned way. I am about to plow a field in preparation for planting Sorghum. Actually, I learned that they just want me to have a photo with the plow team. I was thinking, I can't believe they are going to have me plow without any instruction. Just another one of those communication errors.

They may plow the old fashion way, but they use modern technology for growing the crop. The teacher explained to the students that this planting will be grown organically. During the class, students inoculated the seed with Mycorrhizae a fungus that has a symbiotic association with the roots of the plant. The fungi grows between the cells of the roots and uses ten percent of the carbohydrates the plant passes from the leaves to the roots. In return for the energy taken from the plants, the fungi grow out and search far and wide for nutrients and moisture and effectively extends the roots of the plant 10 fold.

Agriculture Education

2009-01-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

Having been an agriculture science and technology teacher, I was most impressed with this program. The school owns a 20 acre farm that includes cattle, lemons, sorghum, and mango trees. There are a few schools in Oregon that operate a farm which is called a land lab. Students get a 2 hour block to work at the school farm (parcella). The cattle are cross bred between beef and dairy breeds in order to have duel purpose animals (Meat and Milk). I took this photo of a Holstein and Brahman cross. She was one big cow and their best milk producer. They also had crosses of Brown Swiss and Shorthorn. The Brahman breed is from India and known for being hardy in very hot weather. It is not uncommon to have temperatures in the hundreds during the summer. I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the calves born over Christmas time.

The parcella raises sorghum to feed the nearly 20 head of cattle. The milk goes to the school for the candy making class and the surplus milk and beef is sold in town to fund the parcella. The lemons and mangoes go first to the school’s lunch program with the surplus being sold as well for the operation of the parcella.

La Huacana News Tonight Featuring the Knutzs!

2009-01-23T15:02:00.000-08:00

The local television company came to our house and interviewed and taped our family. The program will be airing tonight at 7:30 PM. He took turns interview the kids and the parents. This man asked us many questions like~

What has been your greatest challenge?
How do you like the weather?
What do you think of school?
Why did you come to La Huacana?
How are you doing with learning Spanish?
ECT...

He also asked us to speak two sentences each in Spanish. That must be for the comedy section of the show....

Mail Service; Thankfulness

2009-01-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

This is La Huacana's postman. He rides up on his bicycle during the heat of the day and taps on the bars of my gates. A basket holds about ten envelopes to be delivered. After a couple of deliveries to our la casa, this man has been happy to deliver to us. To assure that our mail gets careful attention, we have decided to tip him.

We were told before leaving the states that mail in Mexico is very undependable; our mail from America may make it to us or not. There were a couple of very important packages that we were concerned about containing needed medicines. Our friends were praying for protection over these packages. Not only did these packages make it in a timely fashion, but several others as well. I am thankful for the two Christmas pictures that were sent. They hang on my refrigerator and we look at them daily. These are the only pictures that I have.

Maddy has been encouraged by a couple of friends who have sent letters. I told her that she is getting kind of expensive since I have to tip the mailman every time she gets a letter. (Not really, keep 'em coming).

So far, everything that has been sent has made it no problem! Thank you Lord.

No Seat Belt or Car Seat Laws

2009-01-23T11:02:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to get this picture since I got here. I have to be sneaky. The fuzzy photograph was taken though the windshield of our van. Of the people who own a vehicle, a a small truck is the most popular. There is no need for mini vans like in America since a truck packs a lot more people in the back. Also, people can haul their goods from town.

Most people don't own vehicles. Walking, buses and taxis are what most people depend on.

A Beautiful Place to Cool Off

2009-01-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

We found a refreshing place to swim. It is located about a half mile from our house. A student took us there. Down below is a man-made swimming area where most of the people go to swim. Our family prefers to hike up to the more natural, private and cleaner pools. Mike said this was the first time he was chilled since our arrival.

Isn't this beautiful?

I didn't post the pictures of the family jumping off the side of a cliff since I figured it would be concerning to grandparents. LOL!

Several of these pools are located on up the hill. Hike a little further, and there is another place to swim and places to jump into cool water.

My Guacamole Girl

2009-01-22T16:58:00.000-08:00

A Recipe

Here is a recipe that I tried last night and liked. Guacamole though really doesn't need a recipe. Just mash a couple of avocados, add chopped onion, chopped tomato and whatever other flavors you like. I have sampled numerous varieties since being in Mexico. Madeline is very good at throwing ingredients together and making the dip delicious. She has decided to make her own recipe for the Yamhill Co. Favorite Food Fair.

Avocados are extremely nutritious, raising your omega oils which is often lacking in most people's diets. The problem is, they are very high in fat, up to 60 grams! (Imagine the calories). Mexico produces 80% of the avocados in the world most of which are grown in Michoacan. They are also very cheap. On any given day, there are 6 or more large avocados on my counter. There is no wait time since they are ripe enough to use right away. When I serve avocado dip, I try to substitute it as my "meat" for that meal. They are that hearty. Lunch is often a tostada, smeared with avocado dip and topped with fresh salsa. Yummy!

Here is the recipe

2 large avocados
3.5 TBSP. minced fresh cilantro
3.5 TBSP finely chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped tomato
2 serrano chilis, finely chopped
1 avocado pit
salt to taste

One secret to mexican cookery is finely chopped ingredients, esp. the peppers! Add fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice to the dip to keep it from turning color. Garnish this dish with a little of the onion, tomato and cilantro, and drop the pit in the center to make it attractive.

Speaking of peppers, there are numerous varieties. Mexicans call all peppers "chilis". It took me awhile to figure that out. I had been shopping for chilis as a form of a pepper. I plan to search online and study each type. Each recipe requires a different pepper and each kind does drastically change flavor.

Women use stone bowls and stone tools to grind ingredients. This looks interesting so I plan to buy one to bring home!

Muchachos in the Afternoon; Ninos in the Evening

2009-01-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

It looks like we will host the muchachos after school and the ninos in the evening. . . What a blessing this evening was! Two little guys rode on by on their bikes, around the ages of 3 and 5. Hussling into the house, I searched for the gifts that we brought for the children. They consist of mini bubbles, gospel bracelets (see wrist of the boy) and Spanish bibles. Amanda H. came over the week before we left and made over a hundred of these with my children. Sherri J. donated a bag full of small, Spanish new testaments. (Thank you ladies!)

The two little boys brought a couple of friends and then those friends brought their friends, etc.... before long we had a very large excited group of children in front of our house. They were in no hurry either. They stayed quiet awhile asking questions about our family.

We have learned enough Spanish in the time that we have been here to be capable of telling these children the gospel story, using the 6 colors on the bracelets. Bright-eyed, the children left saying, "hasta manana!" which means "see you tomorrow!" Looks like I had better figure out how to make cookies over here! Or this may be where the animal balloon making kit will be handy that Sherri and Gabe J. sent with us because I have a feeling we will be having frequent young visitors!

The children are a blessing to be around. They are very sweet and friendly. (Wish I had attended CYIA in Spanish)! I have to admit though, the kids lighting fire-crackers right in front of me with no adult supervision was a bit stressing. It was concerning as to rather they would get out of the way or throw them fast enough before they ignite.

After School Visitors Every Day

2009-01-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

School kids come home with Mike and the kids everyday. I need to start looking for some cookie ingredients to feed all the muchachos! No chocolate chips here though. Or cocoa powder for that matter. This has become routine; if they don't come with my kids, then they will be coming home with Mike.

The three shorter guys on the left closest to Mike, well, that is Mike's fan club. They hang very close to Mike at school and are eager to help him with his Spanish. Mike says they are always flipping through his dictionaries to look up words. They are nice boys and like Mike's company.

This is What Makes Mexico, Mexico

2009-01-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

El hombre (a man) riding his cabello (horse) down the

middle of the street, with the rest of traffic. I have yet to get my photo with an old-man on a donkey.

Snapping pictures can be tricky. I try to be discreet but sometimes there is no way around it. Today I got a dirty look. I have missed a lot of great pictures for fear of being rude. I have not seen people here taking pictures ever, like we do in America. Electronics are more expensive than in the states, while everything else is considerably cheaper. ~T

Policia in La Haucana

2009-01-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

Police usually hang together in groups in our town. It is not usual to see them riding down the streets and highways in five or more in the back of a truck, especially on the toll roads. They look sharp!

We have been comforted by their obvious presence here in La Huacana. Armed and ready, they stand outside the town hall, with their M16's draped across their bodies. Imagine 6 or more together with their guns. Quiet a sight! Our family has felt safe since our arrival. ~T

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs by Madeline Knutz

2009-01-21T09:26:00.000-08:00

Hola everyone. Mexico is amazing but dogs make it even more interesting. There are dogs everywhere. Most dogs are starved. The people don’t care if dogs are skinny to the bone. I'm close to be making a orphanage for them. Usually, I wouldn’t care for a couple of ugly dogs to be hungry. But these doggies need help. What surprises me a lot is our neighbors own a dog and its bones stick out. I’d say these people are not good owners. There are few dog lovers in Mexico, counting us.

At night I like to sleep but these sad, mangy mutts don't. All the dogs fight and bark all night as if they have nothing better to do. While I am stuck looking up at the ceiling, sickly dogs are making their claim with other dogs that they are the boss. I'm usually a dog lover but sleep is what I need.

I feel sorry for those poor dogs because they have missing hair spots. And the fleas is a lot of trouble for them. I suppose that's why people don't like them. But, people can do something about it if they want. I never thought that Mexico would be so different from home. It's a life time experience that I will never for get. Written by Maddy.

Gentlemen

2009-01-20T20:35:00.000-08:00

These two young men came over to our house after school yesterday. The muchacho on the right speaks some English. Both hung out for the longest time, perfectly content to sit on the couch and visit.

They agreed to come over to teach this girl how to make maiz tortillas from scratch. That seems kind of funny to me but I am happy to oblige! (They are only in middle school). Mike walked to town with them and bought the necessary ingredients to make a lunch the next day to compliment the home-made tortillas. Mike was impressed with their good manners, carrying all the bags for him back to the house.

Notice the formal school uniforms. The white shirts are worn with ties (which have been stuffed in their backpacks) and those a real slacks you are looking at.

Milk and Water Delivery to our House

2009-01-20T07:03:00.000-08:00

The milk the lady is pouring is still warm. It is that fresh. They come every day around noon to bring us a gallon of fresh milk. Imagine that! Delivered to my door! I pay 32 pesoes for 4 liters. That makes it $2.56 a gallon in American money. The kids love their fresh milk.

Purified water is also delivered to us weekly. It is very inexpensive. I was reading over our travel packet yesterday and by their standards, we should have come down sick long ago. We have broke every rule in the book, like brush our teeth in the tap water, use tap water to wash our fruits and vegetables and have been eating what we want, from wherever we want. Like the time I ate Uchepas from the back of a truck.

I have decided to start boiling the fresh milk. That sort of makes me nervous. Even the residents of La Huacana recommend that. I'm very thankful that we have had no sickness and credit that to God's protection. Thank you to all our friends and family who pray for that daily.

Told You Josh is Tired After School

2009-01-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

Have you ever relaxed in a hammock? They are absolutely amazing! In the afternoons, I need to rest my feet so I grab my book to read for 15 minutes with good intentions of getting back to my work. . . Zonk!!! Sweet dreams! Didn't get past the first page....

I think it is because the hammock contours your body perfectly and literally rocks you to sleep with the gentle sway produced from climbing in. Once in, you don't want to move a muscle. For a long while. Everything that seemed so important no longer needs your attention.

You can see here how much Josh likes the hammock. He enjoys a daily siesta. I am thinking about taking one back to Oregon with us but am wondering if that would be wise. We might like it too well.

Do you think it would look too tacky in my living room? I'm sure they come in different colors.