On the Road Again!

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!

Speaking of Artistic Archictecture, More Pictures of the Cathedral

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.

The Full Meal Deal Part 2; My Experience with Dysentery

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

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

The Full Meal Deal - Dealing with Dysentery

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....

The Soul of Morelia

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.

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.

Mail Service; Thankfulness

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.

Milk and Water Delivery to our House

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.

Why Are We Here, Part 2

I posted a blog on January 8th, explaining what we are here to do in Mexico. I’d like to add a few more details. These details date back to when Mike and I first got married. On Nov. 5th of 2008 we celebrated our 20th Anniversary. There has never been a dull moment as Mike’s wife. I appreciate his loving leadership in my and my children’s lives.

Mike told me right from the start that he desired to take our family on a trip out of the country; this was even before we had any children. He knew that teachers often exchange country to country. I can’t help but think that God new the need to plant this seed well in advance to get this girl ready. I am not much into spontaneity (unless it is going out for Chinese food).

In my heart I made “my” plans for the past twenty years. I had read all the fantastic, adventuresome missionary stories. We will go far far away to a remote country with no running water and eat only beetles for food. Well, God determined the outcome, not us. There were several attempts to bring it about this last year. First it was a location in Brazil. Then, he worked on plans to travel to Argentina. Each time, his efforts were in vain. God picked Mexico. Mexico? Mexico was the last place I would choose. It didn’t suit my criteria.

It was a year ago Mike started coming home with ideas. Willies jumped in my stomach each time he wanted to talk with me about it. Our oldest child would be turning 17 so time was of an essence. If it were not for the fact that we had discussed this long ago, I most definitely would have recoiled and come up with a hundred excuses as to why I couldn’t possibly go. I knew that if I wanted to, I had the power to shut this whole operation down. God’s calling early on is the only factor that assured me that this was from Him. I knew that I could trust my loving savior. i most certainly knew who the real idea creator was.

Mike continued to work with his colleague, Mario, to refine plans. Mario had a brother in a small town in Mexico. Both Mike and Mario knew the ins and outs of the system on how they could make something like this come together and find funding. In fact, Mike became a “trail blazer” for a brand new program they were designing; a teacher exchange program specifically between Mexico and Oregon State University. Each time Mike would come home to privately give me an update. I would weakly say, “ OK” feeling very shaky about such a life-changing event. After some time I figured out how to reason it out. God would confirm this trip as being the one that He laid on our hearts years prior through the mere fact if all circumstances came through.

The next 6 weeks of waiting was both exhilarating and scary. During those weeks God built our faith. There were loose ends yet, and we learned that we would have to leave the unfinished details to Him. No more waiting for everything to work out “perfect” to determine if we were to go. The call 20 years prior gave me incredible strength and faith. The “loose thread” was an additional $2,500 worth of funding. Without it, we may not be able to afford to travel back home. Mike didn’t find out that we would get that money until a couple of weeks after we left home. I also had to trust God with a daughter's health. God had moved in our hearts strongly to trust Him.

Why did God choose Mexico? I am sure that God will spend the rest of our lives revealing those reasons to our entire family. Daily I pray that God will reveal more of what we are to do here. We have been tempted to think we aren’t serving enough. “Lord, we want to love on little orphans! We want to feed the hungry!” All those missionary stories have conditioned our thinking. Then God reminds me that He laid this on our hearts 20 years prior, and that I can most definitely trust Him for the rest. I don’t have to “do” but I can just “be” by following Him. In my walk with Christ, He has proven over and over that God is at work in and through His people even when they don’t know it. In my experience I have also learned that this is when God works the best! For me and for the rest of my family, living in Mexico has been a day by day faith walk. Every day is full of surprises and requires us to exercise trust in our God.

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!

Banyos in Mexico

Bathrooms is a questionable subject to write about I know. It is one of the most unique things about Mexico, and the least desirable. It has been the hardest life-style change. Public restrooms cost denarios to use. Public restrooms are disgusting. Yep. You walk to town and if you forget to throw some change in your pocket then you can just walk straight back home. It is the case all across this country. Kids carry “Carmen” with them to school. Families carry rolls and toilet seat covers in our car. One has to be armed and ready.

Mexico restrooms are not stocked with the ordinary items like in America: toilet paper, paper towels and hand soap. As we traveled from the border, into Sonora, and through several more states, I noticed a pattern. Each restroom stop, there was a “bathroom manager”. (The family laughed at my term). Someone stationed out front with a bowl for you to drop in your $ and then would hand you a pre-rolled slice of tissue paper. This “bathroom manager” empties all the garbages and “keeps it clean”. In Mexico, no paper is to be flushed and rarely is a bathroom really “clean”.

I have thoroughly enjoyed Mexico but this I won’t miss. On our first day in Mexico I was a little tweaked about having to pay for something so stinky and unclean. A lot of times there isn’t even a lid to sit down on. Our entire family walked by the sign: Banyos $3. If it weren’t for Mario, we could have been guilty of theft. ???? He asked my kids, “Can’t you read signs?” I humbly shrank behind them. I had read the signed but had walked passed it myself.

On occasion we do find a clean smelling, “normal” bathroom. This is usually in a resort town or nicer hotel. When this happens I just sing a song of praise to the Lord and take a long inhalation. Never thought I’d be praise God for something as simple as a clean-smelling bathroom. ~T

Taking a Time-out in Ixtapa!

Hola to all our familia y Amigos! It is good to be on the beach for a few days. Our family was in desperate need of a good night's sleep. The noise level has been tremendous every since our arrival in La Haucana. Our hope is that life will settle down after the holidays but we are doubting our neighbors' roosters will go on sabbatical anytime soon. (LOL) The continuous loud music may subside, but the dogs will likely stay on guard. Can you believe that it was quieter in our resort hotel on New Year's Eve than in La Haucana? I am not joking! There was a lively fiesta by the pool and the beach front was full of people. The fireworks all the way down the beach were amazing. Anyway, we have been enjoying the tropical ocean, the sunshine, the comida Mexicana (Mexican food), swimming in the pool and baking in the sun. This is our vacation time. Once we return to our pueblo (town) then it is time to buckle down. Mike will start teaching in the escuela (school) and the three oldest of our niños (children) will be joining the Spanish niños in escuela. Maddy has decided to continue in her home schooling with me. Carmen, me la amiga espanol, will come to me casa every day to give us lessons in both language and cooking.

Mike and I enjoy all your comments; they prevent home-sickness! It is agreed that this blog is keeping us connected in the states. Like I said on a comment, our family is so blessed to have been given this wonderful opportunity that we want to pass on our Mexico experience as much as we can. I have hardly had time to miss home yet. Since we are at the 3-week point, reality is starting to set in. We aren't going home anytime soon. The past three weeks has been an adjustment/settle in period and now we understand that the real stuff is about to begin. Our heart is that God will work in us and through us, effecting others' lives as well as our own. We know it is only through God that our family is here. This could not have been pulled off by little 'ol us. We continue to pray as a family for this, trusting God for His purposes that we may not yet fully understand or see. We are walking by faith, not by sight.

I will be posting a series of pictures soon. WARNING: pictures will contain warm ocean beaches and sun-tanned bodies. As hard as it may, try to be happy for us. We love you all and miss you a great deal. Everyday we are reminded of how much we love our home in America. It may be rainy and cold but "there is no place like home"!

Thank you immensely for those who pray daily. Those prayers give me an amazing amount of strength and faith. ~T

This is Mike and Fernando studying the languages together. Fernando knows some English. He adores Mike and lights up whenever they meet. When we are walking in town, Fernando will jump out of nowhere and shout, "It's my brother!" I've tried to get in on the excitement but it's just not the same. When parting one evening I asked him if there is anything I could pray for for him. He responded, "Oh, yes, I have God in my heart 100% and pray all of the time." I was delighted and told him we shared the same faith. Fernando said, "Yes, I know. The God in my heart sees the God in your heart." That was a blessing since we had been wondering if he was one God had brought into our lives to tell Jesus about. Instead, He has brought Fernando to us to enjoy christian fellowship, to study the language and to learn the culture here in Mexico. This friend is full of joy and has a way of making you feel special. ~T

Buenos noches de La Huacana, Michoacan, Mexico! (Good Evening from the town of La Huacana, in the state of Michoacan, Mexico.) We have been here almost a week and have been striving to learn the language. It is a lot of hard work and we covet your prayers. This week we have settled into our casa (home) and have attended several fiestas (parties). The most time consuming thing has been learning to shop in the market place for groceries with very little language skills. We have been very grateful for our picture Spanish/English dictionary and the many folks that God has set in our path to help in those times that all we could say is "no intendo" (I don't understand). The people have been very hospitable to us. Since La Huacana is off the beaten path from tourism, the presence of six Anglo people attracts quite a bit of attention in this town of 10,000.

We have been very blessed with the great food, the sunshine (although we think 90 degrees is a bit on the warm side) and the help and friendship extended to us by several families. Mario and his family served as our guide and translator from the time we crossed the border in Arizona up until they left town several days ago. Gamaro (Mario's brother) has served as our host family since we have arrived. They have shown us around, provided meals, invited us to community events as well as family fiestas. Please keep praying for our ability to learn the language quickly. We will soon be able to upload more photos to our blog. Our only Internet access is at a cyber cafe. To dispell what you may be thinking about a cyber cafe, it does not serve coffee or any food. I had visioned myself sipping a mocha while doing my email and blog. With temperatures near 90 (I hate to mention that again with all the snow you guys have had back home), I am looking for the nearest ice cream shop. On Christmas Day we plan to go to the beach and swim in the tropical ocean water. We hope that will ease the pain of not enjoying a white Christmas with family and friends in McMinnville. ~M

Feliz Navidad!