In My Opinion by Josh

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.,

The Morning of the Monarca Mariposas; Getting Ready

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.

Mariposa Monarca ~ Monarch Butterfly

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.

Sea Turtles "Tortugas"

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).

Household Responsibilities Take Alot More Time

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!

An Average Day in the Life of the Knutzs

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.

Mexico's Best Kept Secret

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.

Told You Josh is Tired After School

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.

Escuela

This is Mike and the principle of the school he is teaching at. In February, Molly and Josh will be moving to the preparatory school. They have been attending the middle school since the high school is undergoing 5 weeks worth of testing.

Molly and Josh are pictured on the right.

School is Quiet an Experience, But Anything But Quiet

Do you see Josh in the middle of this crowd of kids? Josh said this is what happens when he slows his pace or sits down. My kids are quiet popular since they are white Americans. Josh said he was asked to sign autographs yesterday. I will be asking if he actually consented. (I sure hope not). All of the attention and being immersed in a foreign language makes them very tired after school. Josh routinely finds the hammock on the back patio. (Not to mention the heat and having to wake up earlier than they ever have had to). School starts at 7 AM! Public school is a first for all of my children. They have all been home schooled their entire lives.

School in Mexico is just like every other part of Mexico - loud. Classrooms are very rowdy. Just like in America, some teachers are better than others. Every day teachers don't show up for their classes. There is no such thing as hiring a subsitute. Kids are left to hang-out and goof off during those class times.

Molly has a Face book account and Josh has a My Space. Both of them are recording their Mexico experience and posting pictures. Maddy and Jake have personal email accounts. Email me if you want their address.

God Protects His People, Again . . .

Another Unwelcomed Visitor

We learned the importance of wearing your shoes in Mexico. Every time Lupe has come to visit and has caught one of my children meandering barefoot, she has practically thrown a fit. She points at her shoes and in her broken English shouts, “Shoes, shoes, shoes! You get sick!” Lupe will grab her throat and squeeze to signify sickness. Skeptically, I tried to reason it out. Are there parasites in the soil that can be absorbed through the skin? In faith, I began to warn the kids in the same alarming manner, adding, “I may not be able to explain it but we are going to do what Lupe says.” I decided it was likely some old wives tale; Lupe had also told Madeline not to drink cold drinks due to her Asthma. Her throat would swell shut. The kids were to play it safe but more importantly, honor Lupe.

Now I can see how God had been using Lupe to warn us about bare feet. Last night, Jake walked to the kitchen and returned with Madeline following him. I heard a loud, fearful screech. Madeline had stumbled upon a scorpion that Jake had just crunched with one of his shoes seconds prior, unbeknownst to him. The scorpion was wiggling, half alive. Thankfully, Jake and Madeline were wearing their shoes, having been admonished frequently the prior two days. There had been regular traffic between the kitchen and living room by all of the family the entire evening. Josh presently sat on the couch in his socked feet.

I thank God for using Lupe to warn us. Of course I took the opportunity to use my mothering skills and pointed out the fact how easily any one of them could have been barefoot at that moment. God had truly gone before us knowing that scorpion would visit. I still don’t know about parasites, but scorpions alone are reason enough to wear your shoes in Mexico. In the future, I doubt that mom nor Lupe will be needed to warn kids to keep their shoes on.

God protects His People!

Why Are We Here?

This week everyone went to school for the first time. Mike, Molly, Josh and Jake all went to the esculea secondaria (middle school). Madeline is picked up every morning by her 5th grade teacher. Since Mike is a professor for Oregon State University, they allowed him to come here on a sabbital leave to immerse into the culture and learn the language. He is teaching English classes at the middle school, providing guidance with the school farm (agriculture background) and taking the spanish classes. The same is true for the rest of us. English is highly regarded here and the people are very excited we are here. The kids are recruited to help in the English classes. Mike´s growth here will be valuable for his job back at home. It will provide him with language skills and understanding for the Spanish audience in our home community, enabling him to better reach spanish people with the 4-H program. Our children´s growth is valuable too. I can´t even imagine at this point all that the Lord is going to do through this.



Mike and I decided this was the best way for them to get as much as possible from our trip is for them to go to the public school. They are forced to interact all day long with Spanish speaking adults and children. Oh, the stories that I heard this afternoon. All the children crowd around my kids in large groups. It´s a very unique experience for the children to have white English kids in their school. Josh said that if he slowed his walk or paused to sit down, in 30 seconds he was surrounded with excited, jabbering kids. Madeline has found herself to make friends easy. All are eager to help them with their very poor Spanish.

Ross Warner said to me before leaving the states, ¨It will be interesting to see how God uses this in your children´s lives in the many years to come¨. That was eye-opening for me. My heart did a little leap as I considered his remark. I had been so focused on the here and now that I hadn´t yet considered this. Our children have needed reminded over and over that they themselves have been called to be in Mexico. It has been a lot to ask to pull them from their home and their friends to come to a foreign place. The only way to makes sense is to be serving a higher purpose. I tell them that this is what it means to walk by faith. We may not fully understand today why God he has us here or can physically see what He is doing. We can fully trust that He is always at work. It is likely beyond what our little ol minds can comprehend.

I am content as I watch my kids gain a better understanding of these people. I desire for all of us to have a greater love for them and to be able to communicate with them. I know there are many Mexicans who live in our home town that need to be shown God´s love. We all look forward to seeing God´s plans and purposes unravel, in His timing.

City Walk

We have been very careful not to make Josh angry.