Monday Morning Honors Program

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

In My Opinion by Molly

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

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.

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!

Sweetness

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

Aldama Street

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.

Dengue Fever is a Risk Here

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.

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.

Special Treatment

Hi All,

I am sitting in town at the Cyber Cafe looking through the blog to read new comments. Molly is sitting next to me Face Booking. I just have to let you know what is going on all around us. Five muchachos (young men) are hanging out about eight feet from us. And, the size is growing by the minute. They are making a lot of racket, saying Molly´s name in English, laughing and cutting up. I asked Molly why they are saying her name over and over and she said, ¨Because they think it is cool.¨ This is the way it is everywhere my kids go. They are such an item of interest. Every day after school I hear stories. We are hearing random English words directed our way with laughing. Molly is pretty good at being kind to the young men but ignoring them when it is appropriate. She handles them with grace giving them enough attention to not be rude but not too much to encourage them.

Our children are treated with great honor. They are forced to take the best seat, to be the 1st in the lunch line, etc... This bothers my kids. Today they laid their feet down and insisted on going to the back of the lunch line like everyone else. I am not sure if this okay to do. We are continually trying to figure out the social graces here. There have been a few social blunders....

Mike and I have had the same experience yesterday. Madeline came down sick and her asthma starting acting up. We had to take her to the local hospital since her rescue inhaler wasn´t cutting it, and when we got there, there was lots of people waiting to see a doctor. I thought¨oh my goodness, this is going to take awhile¨. Well, they rolled out the red carpet for us and took us straight back to see a doctor. Mike says the school principle called ahead to let them know we were coming. I was glad MAddy got immediate attention because she truly needed it but we all know what emergency rooms are like in the US.

Yesterday the doctor wrote several perscriptions and then sent us out to the pharmacy to pick them up. We had to visit a couple of pharmacies to find each medication. One store owner gave our persciptions to us without knowing us at all. Then, after returning to the hospital with the meds, the doctor admitted Maddy for treatment. This same doctor has made herself available to us day and night while we are here in La Haucana. The school principle came to check on us while there. After being there for a couple of hours, we were excused and expected to pay nothing. What a blessing this was since we really didn´t have the money this would have required.

God takes care of his people!

Gwen is Teaching Molly Spanish

I was delighted when Molly brought home Gwen on the second day of school. Every since, the two girls have been connected at the hip. Gwen is a very nice young lady and speaks no English. This is a real plus. Molly and Gwen are constantly learning each other's language. They have to work hard to be friends. In fact, Gwen is constantly teaching our whole family.

Gwen and her parents invited our whole family to go out to dinner on Friday night. Since her parents don't speak any English either, we had a very quiet evening. No, not really. (It's never quiet with the Knutz's!) Mike is good at making conversation even if people can hardly understand him. Both of Gwen's parents are teachers in our community.

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.

Snorkel Mania

The verdict is in. All the Knutz's love to snorkel. This was a first for us. It was amazing to be so close to God's magnificent creation. A gentleman who works on Iztapa Island took us to the best spot. He got in with us with a package of crackers. After opening them, their were hundreds of beautiful fish all around us. It was nearly impossible to drag the girls out of the water. ~T

The Mexican Dishwasher/clothes washer

No, I am not referring to Molly but the cement cistern sort-of-thing you see here. Every home sports one of these in a patio or courtyard. It is filled with water in the middle. We scoop water out of there into wash and rinse pans. The dishes are washed and dried out of doors. The water dispenses underneath. Most people use the cistern to wash their clothes as well. See the other end? Women's courtyards serve more as their kitchens a being equipped with these and wood-burning stoves. It is refreshing to wash dishes in the heat of the day.

*Notice the kitchen window behind Molly. All the "windows" are like this with netting. It's a joke though since it obviously doesn't keep any critters out. Dishes have to be washed after and before use since lizards crawl around in the cupboards.

The Knutz's have many new chores:

1. Washing Dishes

2. Hanging clothes on the clothes line

3. Making home-made salsa daily

4. Making refried beans often

5. Pressing wrinkled clothes

6. Shopping in the market place daily

7. Burning garbage and recycling plastic, glass, and metal.

8. Doing scorpion checks before bedtime

9. Keeping tile floors clean! (A big job with all the dusty roads!)

10. Tanning in the hammock daily

Old Man in Town Square

OK- I am just posting this picture because I love it so! I have yet to take my picture of an old man riding a donkey on the cobble-stone. Do you think this picture will get a blue at County Fair? (No, I have never met the man, but Molly and I had fun taking it anyway!)

The Knutz's are becoming authentic Mexican cooks. There are TONS of fresh vegetables and fruits here! I am making salsa and refried beans from scratch almost daily. No canned salsa in this country!! I have searched! I buy onions, avocados, peppers of all varieties, jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro in large quantities. You know how you see Mexicans in your home town loading up on these items at Winco? Well, that's me! Carmen will be coming over next week to teach me how to make maize tortillas.

BTW~ the fruit here is incredible. I never really knew how a real banana tasted until now. Avocado trees surround this valley.

Internet Cafe Where We Visit With You From!

Mike is working on the blog there with his laptop. We can all get on at the same time. It is $3 pesoes for 15 minutes. Divide by 12 and the cost will translate to Amercian dollars.

Sharon & Tress and Their Four Pooches

Sharon and Tress are our friends we met while living in Tillamook in 1994. They adopted our family and we adopted them. We stopped in @ Sun City CA to see them and enjoyed a scrumptious meatloaf dinner and a breakfast on Sat. morning before our long drive to southern Arizona. Their home was so warm and peaceful. It was so wonderfoul to see them!!! Molly tried to stuff little Sophie (black doggie pictured) into her sweatshirt on the way out the door but was caught red-handed.

Molly's Debute

Molly up on stage during the animal actors presentation at Universal Studios. She was calling a pigeon to her hand. Well it landed on her head instead. She is going to keep her day job.M