School!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friends and Family,
This just in on tonight’s breaking news, my darling wife has just started classes this last week! My informants tell me that there will be exciting pictures on Photo bucket in the coming weeks (visit my blog for the pics http://jonnicolleinmexico.blogspot.com/). This last Monday Nicolle and I went to this school that Huberto and our pastor told us about. She took the written placement exam, and got signed up for classes. On Wednesday she returned for a half day of classes. She participated in a kind of oral exam/get to know you activity and found that she is about in the middle of the class as far as overall ability. This last Friday was her first whole day. She says she doesn’t have any thoughts about it yet, its school. But we think that these classes are going to be really good thing; actually, a Godsend! This school is less then 15 minutes away by buss, has exactly the kinds of language classes Nicolle wanted to further her Spanish, and costing a fraction of the other schools we looked at. And, another bones, I have been accompanying Nicolle to classes (a good thing to do in the big city) and studying in the library which will really help on the home work front. We really only have two months and 15 days left here, and I really don’t’ want to be cramming projects in the last three weeks that I am hear. That being said, my goal is to finish all assignments by the end of the first week of November. Definitely doable.
In other news, I just attended a Youth Ministry conference with my PRIME mentor Dennis Poulette (recently returned from the States), Huberto, and a few of his youth ministry students. It was big fun! I got to hear Josh McDowell speak and was quite impressed with the amount of Spanish he could speak. After he finished his break out session, I got to meet him and speak with him for a little while. He is quite personable, smart, and has a good sense of humor! I really appreciated what he is doing by helping ministers here in Mexico, because big things are happening hear, youth ministry is on the ground floor and needs all of the trained help it can get.
As cheese as this might sound, one of the highlights of the trip was the ride to and from the conference! I had a lot of fun with the other college students riding on the subway and such. They are fun! (again, see the blog for more pics!)

ease pray for: My school load, for getting home work done; for Nicolle and her classes, and for our ministry hear with the kids.
—Shalom.

preaching and playing

Friends,
Ok, believe it or not, I actually did many, many things this week. However, I do not have pictures. So, I’ll tell you what; next week I will have the camera surgically implanted in my forehead so that I will get shots of everything that I do.
So what did I do you ask? Well, lets just say, if I told you, I’d have to kill you! Not really. But this last Wednesday was really fun because Huberto and I went to a movie with some of the kids from our church and the local community. We saw the new Vin Diesel movie…it was ok, but I wouldn’t go again. Heck, I wouldn’t rent it! It had a good start, a good middle, plenty of action, and the DUMBEST ending of a movie I have seen sense Dule (you remember, the 70’s movie, crazy truck driver…yah, that was a waist of time). Ok, so the out of church movie night was a hit, and we plan on doing it once a month.
In other news, I GOT TO TEACH for the Saturday afternoon youth meeting for the FIRST TIME!! It was a good experience, and I learned much. I think the kids did too, and really, were interested. Actually, just today one of the students asked me to e-mail her all the verses that I had looked up. I am glad that her interested has gone beyond youth group and church and has moved into her personal study. While the kids that I really wanted to talk to (from the local community) did not show up, I think that once the word gets out that the church is not boring, and that we do have something to offer them and their lives—to improve their lives, they will come. But this takes time, and relationships of influence. And that is what you can pray for.
Something else has been going on the last few days, something that I do not quite understand. Drunk people love me, they really do. I have had more conversations with drunk people sense I got here than I ever have in my life! Now, if you think I have trouble with Spanish when the people are sober, let me tell you, I get next to nothing when the person is drunk. And it not for lack of trying. Anyway, there is a guy that lives across the street from the church who has been coming by the church for the last week. He often starts conversations with me, but I, unfortunately, have to ask other people to talk to him because I have NO IDEA what he is saying. Well, today was his second time coming to church, and I really think that God is moving in his life. After church got out, a couple of people and kids from youth group went over to his house and cleaned it up, did his laundry, and got him a little food. This guy has seriously hit rock bottom. While I was there I noticed some of the art trinkets that we helped the kids make in V.B.S. a month ago. Those little cards and toys had bible verses on them, and other like “God is with us,” “God is in control,” and “God loves you.” I seriously think that this guys kids came to V.B.S., gave their dad some of their things, and he saw them and got curious and came seeking. I pray that he finds God and gets cleaned up.
Oh, one last thing! Last Sunday I got to play bass in church! It was great, really. I haven’t gotten to play bass in church in over three months, so as you can imagine, I have really missed it. I think that I will get the chance to play bass in the future, and for that, I am thankful. May God richly bless all of you my friends.


Please pray for: help with my Spanish as I teach on Saturdays, me and Huberto’s ministry here in the neighborhood, for Juan (the guys that lives across the street from the church) to clean up and choose God, and for Nicolle as she starts classes next week.

Independence Day!

To my beloved fans,
Last night all of Mexico joined in celebration of their independence. It was really fun (see photo bucket for more pictures and videos, http://jonnicolleinmexico.blogspot.com/)! There are many similarities between America’s 4th of July, and Mexico’s 15th of September, like fireworks, the big ones you go see, and the small ones that the kids set off 20 feet from our apartment window…yah, I almost pooped my pants. Seriously, this one that went off, I thought I was going to go out side and find body parts, or a car flipped upside down…broken glass to say the least. But, all was well…until I chase those punks down!!! Ok, not really.
To celebrate Huberto and I decided to take a group down town to see the show, play the games, and what not. We had a great time down there, I even won a Elmo doll by popping three balloons with three darts! I also tried some interesting food that I had never had before, a Mexican Elephant ear for one, apparently their not just popular in the U.S. We walked around and saw all of the carny rides, listened to the ride drivers trying to get us to climb aboard, and the kids screaming in with excitement. They even had bumper cars, which, to be honest, I really wanted to ride! There was also a stage where they had singers performing classic folk songs that everyone knew and sang along to. That was fun because the singers were dressed in full out classic Mexican garb. Sorry, none of the pictures turned out, I was too far away, and it was too dark. After those guys sang, a huge mariachi band came up and played! There were six or eight violins, just as many guitars, four horns, and a bass. I think that was my favorite part of the show. So, at eleven pm the culmination of the party started when the governor of the state came up and presented a little speech where he shouted, “long live Hidalgo!” and other such hero’s of the revolution. Then there were three chants of “long live Mexico!” that everyone in the audience helped with, directly after which they rung the special bell, and the fire works started! It was a good show, but there were times when I was worried. A few of the fire works went off before they reached altitude; I think one of them actually went off on the ground! But, it was really cool!!!


Please pray for: me as I plan and teach on Saturdays, Huberto’s and my ministry with the kids, that God would open their hearts for His gospel, for more Spanish (to understand, and be understood), and for Nicolle as she starts classes at the end of this month. THANK YOU!

a new skill...IT IS TO MANLY!

So, I have no reasoning as to why I learned to crochet. Nicolle and I were just chilling one night, watching a movie. She said to me, "wouldn't it be cool to tell people that you did that stitch. Well, she helped me do one stitch, then another, and then I practically did a whole square. Its actually kind of fun, and its great to do while watching T.V., it keeps the brain moving. You know, your body burns more calories sleeping, than it does while watching T.V. So there you go, get your self a hook and yarn!!!!!!!!

Holy beginings

Dear friends, family, and anyone else that may be reading this,

This week has been a little on the slow side. Still trying to get back in the loop after our vacation. My biggest story to tell, unfortunately, has no pictures to accompany it. Please be advised that what I am about to tell you is a true story. Under no circumstances should you try to repeat, or reenact what I am about to share with you, the viewer audience!
What bums me the most about this story is that I literally missed everything by 25 minutes. Anyway, I had just finished another day of office work with Huberto and he and I left for home at about 6:00pm. About 20 minutes later, while the pastor and a few others were setting up the church in preparation for the married couples counseling group, this lady stopped by to say hello to someone she knew. As it turned out, she was pregnant…very pregnant! I am not sure how the order of events took place after that, but the short and long of it is she ended up giving birth to her baby in one of the Sunday school rooms!!! From what I heard there were some minor complications a day or two later, but that the baby and its Mom were in the Hospital and doing well. Too cool!
In other news, Nicolle has taught me another useful skill that will provide hours of avoiding home work in the future. That’s right, I have learned how to do a little crocheting! We are working on a blanket right now, her first large piece of work. So large that she recruited me to help! I’m not complaining, I actually like it because it doesn’t take a lot of brain power, but keeps you from feeling like a zombie when watching T.V. Good stuff!


Please pray for: me as I plan and teach on Saturdays, Huberto’s and my ministry with the kids, that God would open their hearts for His gospel, For more Spanish (to understand, and be understood), and for Nicolle as she starts classes at the end of this month. THANK YOU!

Cooking madness!

Dear Friends,

If you want good Tacos, you have to go to Mexico. Now that I am painfully aware of that fact I have been practicing my taco skills so that when I return i can make them my self! The four tacos of wonderfullness you are looking at are made of left over BBQ chicken, scrambled eggs (yes, they do that in Mexico, and mashed potatoes too), oaxaca cheese, lettuce, and hot sauce on flour shells! so gooooood!!!

And yes, the latest and greatest experiment from me and Nicolle's kitchen it Shish Kabobs! Chicken, pineapple, apple, cucumber, red and green pepper, Lime slices, onion, and a wonderful olive oil based marinade. yah, I was drooling the entire time they were cooking! so, so good; the pictures do not do them justice.

I LOVE GRILLING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. yes, the skewers are made of coat hangers.

Birthday surprises!

So, last Monday was my Land Lady's birthday (Elide, center)! Her children (2nd photo, purple, black, and white shirts) through her a surprise birthday party and it was super fun...I would know, because I WAS INVITED!!! It was lots of fun, and the cake was very good! =)

The in-laws are here!!!!

Ok, I do have some excuses to offer for missing two weeks in a row. First of all, I was trying to read a book and write a paper before my in-laws came down and this endeavor took up every spare minute. And second, as the pictures and my first sentence indicate, MY IN-LAWS CAME DOWN TO VISIT!!!! Let me be the first to say we had an absolutely fantastic time! Now, for the recap…where should I start…I think the day before Bryan and Michelle came is a good place. The original plan was to have Bryan and Michelle stay at Huberto’s Alma Marta, The Baptist Theological Seminary. Nicolle, Huberto, and I went to the school the day before to make sure that our arrangements were still in place. When we got there to check out the married housing and the “big beds” we asked for (I just couldn’t put my in-laws up on student bunks that are the size of a cot) we were shown a twin mattress, no joke! Now, Nicolle and I aren’t the biggest people in the world, but even we would have trouble being comfortable on a mattress that size! Well, to make a long story boring, we went to Wal Mart and bought an air mattress. That’s right, me and the wife on the floor, and the in-laws on our bed. If you haven’t seen our apartment it is small…let me put it this way, I’m pretty sure my brother’s living room has more square footage than our entire apartment; I mean, they put the toilet in the shower to save room! Well, we were tight, but it was more convenient and we ended up being glad that it worked out that way because we had a lot of fun cooking together, hanging out, and watching movies on the lap top.

Bryan and Michelle were able to stay with us for eight days, and I’m thinking that after the week we had all of us are going to need a vacation to recover from our vacation! We tried not to jam too much stuff in, and we planned some days for relaxing, but it is sometimes hard to relax in Mexico City because to go anywhere you have to fight traffic that IS SO BAD that it takes forever to get anywhere. Case in point, after driving from Ohio to Detroit, flying to Dallas, a three hour layover, and then flying to Mexico City, we picked Bryan and Michelle up and drove them through an hour and a half of the worst rush our traffic that, according to Bryan (a good source as he is a trucker), is only rivaled by New York. Bryan said he will never complain about Chicago traffic ever again… “it could be worse” he said. Not exactly a red carpet welcome, but we were all happy to see each other.

Well, as you can see by the pictures, we took them to see some ruins in Teotihuacan, one of the most interesting and largest ancient ruins in Mexico. The main attractions are the two large pyramids of the sun and the moon, the former being the third largest in the world; AND I HAVE PICTURES OF US ON THE TOP!

After walking all over down town to see some statues and do some shopping, we decided to skip town, leave the smog behind, forget about the traffic and go to FABULOUS ACAPULCO!!!! Well, we got there after battling our way through an hour and forty minutes of rush hour traffic (the store of my life in Mexico…), but this gave way to six more hours of some of the most beautiful country side we had ever seen. We had a grand time chill’in on the beach, catching some rays, playing in the surf, and building sand castles. It rained a little here and there, but that is why we were able to go; the rainy season is also called the CHEEP season. Thanks for the weekend away Bryan and Michelle!

Please pray for: Our ministry with the kids, that we would make the most of every opportunity to love in the name of Jesus, improved Spanish skills, building relationships with the kids, wisdom for the foundation of youth ministry we are setting at Renovation church, and traveling safety, and that God would soften the hearts of these kids. THANK YOU!