Boxing Day Gathering

December 26, Debbie Murphy (CrossWorld Missionary) drove over from Puebla with the Cepeda Family, Jose Manuel, Paola, Geovani, and Waldo.  

It is always an exciting thing to "Conocer" a new place or city.  That means to experience it and to get to know it personally by being there. This was the first visit for the Cepeda family to Cuernavaca.  After a great pancake breakfast we began our day of getting to know Cuernavaca by walking to catch a bus downtown.  Buses are called "rutas" here in Cuernavaca. Every city seems to have different names for their public transportation buses.   (I think all of the drivers go to the same school, basically training for the Indie 500) 

Gary sat with the boys on the ruta and enjoyed watching them take in the very different sites of Cuernavaca.  The city of Puebla, their hometown, is basically flat and dry, a high desert.  Cuernavaca is built on the side of a mountain and has three different temperature zones, depending on how high up you are, or how far south you are in the city.  It is called the city of eternal spring and thus is green all year long with flowers everywhere.  Streets wind around hills and valleys and it is hard to get where you are going unless you are a genius.  Someone told me that Cuernavaca was God's first attempt at designing a city.  (Heresy I know)  After a bit of walking we came to a waterfall in the center of the city.  Quite stunning, even if the water going over the falls is a bit blue/grey looking.   

In the picture below we are sitting in the Zocalo enjoy coffee drinks from the Italian Coffee Company.  

Gary gave Waldo and Geovani the camera and they headed off to take pictures.  Jose Manuel decided he should follow and after a while I caught up to them in front of the Palace of Cortes.  Yes, the Cortes from Spain.  He liked Cuernavaca too. One of the boys took a picture of Gary and Manuel in front of the Palacio de Cortes.  

After walking throughout downtown we were getting tired and hungry. So we caught a couple of taxies and came home for a BBQ.  Manuel did a great job of cooking up burgers, arrechera (kind of thin steak) and hotdogs. We invited Pastor Lorenzo and Mari Carmen to come for a visit and we all enjoyed quite a BBQ feast together.  

Here we are watching Jose Manuel do all the cooking.  

Around 5:30, it was time for our guest to head back to Puebla.  Harley got back in his tavel bag and Geovani was so proud to carry the little pet on his lap all the way home.  

A final group foto.   How precious to share our Boxing Day with dear friends.  Jose Manuel is a leader in Puebla with the CrossWorld ministry there.  

We love hanging out with Debbie any chance we get. Debbie has the Christian bookstore in Los Heroes and leads a number of Bible studies with ladies in the community.  Thanks for coming Debbie and for bringing our precious Mexican friends with you.

Hamburguesas-The Best Hamburgers in the World

Quiet Streetcorner in Cuernavaca

There isn't anything that I can compare this hamburger stand with in Canada. It is completely mobile and sets up and tears down every night. It is famous in that there is always a line up, but you won't find it advertized anywhere that I am aware of. It is a word of mouth kind of famous. And I guess, that is really the best kind of famous.  The owners are believers and play Christian music over their two speakers. The meat is absolutely fresh, the fries are to die for, and the burgers, seriously, are the best I have ever had.  And I have eaten a lot of burgers! 

All told, it took two cars and a taxi to get us there. Fourteen people, three families, and a handsome young novio from Puebla.  The Servin family (our pastor), the Harers, and Kim and I met on this magical corner to renew fellowship and just to celebrate friendship and the love of Christ.  

The ambiance is really incredible. You just feel like you are somewhere ethereal. It is dreamlike, yet sublimely real.  You don't want to leave.  But you can only eat so much and others are waiting for a table, since there are only four. 

How good it is to be with brothers and sisiters in Christ, to laugh, to love, to bless, to eat good food together. 

When we had eaten all the burgers we needed ( I did want another), we caravaned back to the Lidstone house for good coffee, fresh from the market, pie and icecream and chocolate chip cookies. The Servins have been such a help to many missionary families, including Kim and me. 

That night, both the Harer family and the Lidstones got to hang out with some wonderful people, some of our favourite people.  

Just imagine when we all gather around the throne together, from every tongue and tribe and nation.  We can at least dream about it. It will be unlike any moment, magical or not, that we have ever experienced.  We won't want it to end, and it won't.  Even so, come Lord Jesus. 

A Mountain Top Experience - Tepoztlan

One of the ministries we hoped to have while here in Mexico was to provide a place of refreshing for missionaries.  What a treat it was to have our friends come to visit; Ken and Diana Harer with their great kids Daniel, Maria and Cristina. After convincing them to stay a second night, we shared a mountain climbing experience together in the town of Tepoztlan, just 30 minutes from Cuernavaca. Below is a photo blog of our day.  

Driving into Tepoztlan

Walking through the narrow streets to the base of the mountain

Stopping along the way for a Quesadilla - a bit of energy with which to climb the two Kilometer trail

Only 70 minutes more of climbing!

Ya, we have to climb through there...the steepest part of the hike. 

Why build a temple on top of a mountain in 1200 AD?

Kim and Ken chatting inside the pyramid, just in front of the altar. 

Gary and Maria standing in front of the pyramid.

From the back side of the pyramid as the afternoon sun was lowering. 

Back in town, it was hard to believe we were up there. 

Zooming in as the sun was setting. 

Christmas Day with an International Flare

Christmas Day was a gathering of a few friends and a teacher from the university where we study Spanish.  Kim prepared an outstanding Christmas turkey dinner, Canadian style!  Pictured below is Gary with Sanne from Netherlands.  

How does Kim keep her cool when dinner is ready and we are waiting for our Mexican friend/teacher to arrive....2 hours late?  

Sanne and Cristina (Mexicana) chatting with Timothy(hands) as we await dessert. 

Timothy(USA) and Luca (Switzerland) chillin' before dinner. Both before and after dinner we had wonderful conversation with these new friends. 

The group foto!  Timothy had enjoyed a wonderful conversation with a youth pastor who was staying with him and continued the conversation with Kim while helping with the dishes.  We will keep up via Facebook, etc.  

How special it was to lead this group from different parts of the world in a prayer of thanks for the birth of Jesus.  It was difficult to be away from our family over Christmas, but Kim's plan for a dinner for those who did not have family made our day very special. Thanks Kim!!!!