Life in Cuernavaca

As I write this blog, our friends are across town awaiting the moving truck, which was supposed to arrive at 10 this morning. Apparently it broke down in Mexico City and will arrive sometime this evening. They wait in a near empty house I'm sure reflecting on the many precious memories that have been made over the last 8 or 9 years. When I am finished this blog, we will take a taxi across town to wait with them. Eventually, we hope, we will come back to our house to spend the night and then will travel together tomorrow to the city of Puebla by bus. They will carry on to the state of Veracruz for a missionary field conference and we will make our way to Los Heroes, a large housing development in this city of over 2 million people. If all goes well, we will have pumpkin pie by tomorrow evening with American friends and will celebrate with them American Thanksgiving.

This week we began formal language classes and have had a good week. Of course we have been learning new things every day since arriving and have done everything we can to saturate ourselves with Spanish, even to watching a TV program similar to American Idol. It goes for hours it seems with rapid fire Spanish, but this is a good way to tune our ears. It is interesting to understand what the distorted voice over the Walmart loudspeaker system is saying now, for the most part. And we overhear people talking and understand more of what they are saying. We praise God for the increase in comprehension and capacity to communicate.

With God's help, I will preach on December the 7th in Spanish. We plan to involve ourselves in the activities of the church and just be with the people as often as is possible. We are looking forward to a Christmas party on December 19th.

People are asking us what we will do for Christmas. This will be the first Christmas ever without any of our children around and without access to any family whatsoever. We are not feeling sorry for ourselves but rather look forward to entering into the joy of celebrating Christ's birth with friends and brothers and sisters in Christ here in Mexico. Who knows what will happen?

I should close. Your prayers for strength, stamina, agile minds and liberty in talking as well as for wisdom in relationships and in counselling and encouraging our friends here are deeply appreciated. I will write more soon.

Blessings,

Gary for the both of us.