Is Leprosy contagious?!

One look at Burt's ankles... and we were all wondering... but NO... it turned out to be a massive attack of mosquito bites... 

It has been an incredible week... for all of us... the children are precious, and the blessing of seeing their faces soaking up all we share, and ours soaking up all they pour out to us.  As we begin our last full day with them, it is already hard to think of leaving them tomorrow... but that is tomorrow, and there is MUCH to be done today.

The families have had an excellent time processing the teaching as well, and we continually are deeply grateful for the opportunity to be here.  

We send our special thanks to all who are praying, and special love & greetings to our Dear Ones- one request to say "Hello" to Jeanine. ;-)

I haven't quite taken my 3,977 pictures... but am getting close...so anyone who would like to see the slide show, let me know...

Thankful to be ON the Team, and FOR the Cause,

Zoe

Moving on...

Our Team spent yesterday touring an old island... so very sad and humbling... but Kermit had it right... it is so good to see it redeemed, and folks playing soccer and just living there now...  then had a true "native" lunch & supper... complete with local flies feasting with us... and trying the local fruit (eating only the inside of course...).

Today we met for church around the table, sang, shared the Word, focused on our part in the next week... and prayed.  Talked with Big Bird... running short on sleep and long on responsibilities... please pray for renewed rest on the flight to "Mexico".  We travel today to the area where we will be staying this week... praying over those we will pass... and that our hearts and bodies are ready to be poured out in service.   Blessings to all on this Lord's Day... we are thinking of you all, and praying for your time together today.  Zoe

Safe Arrival

The team had a smooth trip to "Mexico"... and have arrived safe and sound... and excited to see all the Lord has for us to do here...

It's cool and dry... ha..ha..ha.. oh, yeah... it's a "dry heat"... ha.ha...

We've changed into our native dress, and are ready to head out for a day in the city...

More later... Zoe

Burt is ALIVE.

Well... I think I am going to live.

The past few days have been rough. Although, from an optimistic perspective, I learned a lot about how the medical system works when you are only running on 2 cylinders. Monday morning I became very nauseated by some of the food out in the bush, and with a few days of that, I soon developed a terrible headache. I'm usually pretty good when it comes to pain, but this was the most painful experience that I've ever had. That started on Wednesday morning. It was amazing that I made it onto the plane from Caracas to Denver in one piece. Once we got to the Guest House, I crashed and tried to sleep all day. Wednesday night was just awful. When I wasn't sleeping, I had a headache. And the headache was keeping me from sleeping. Vicious cycle.

Thursday was just as bad. Thank God that there was a doctor who has worked in the field for over six years staying in the room right next to me. His initial diagnosis (and remains the current one) is that I came into so much foreign material while staying out in the bush and I developed a severe sinus infection. He was able to go to a pharmacy and get me some initial antibiotics and amazing little Vicodin pill. That did a great job of relieving the pain enough for my body to get about 3 hours of good sleep. I woke up, and the pain was back. At this point, we were worried about all those nasty bugs like Malaria and Typhoid and Meningitis that I paid an arm and a leg to be vaccinat

ed against. 

Lemme tell ya. Prayer is an amazing thing. About the time Dad was able to get in contact with some of the church members, there was a prayer chain going. Within a few hors, the pain had calmed down to a mild headache that was manageable with some ibuprofen and tylenol. 

It is now Friday night. The pain has yet to come back as fierce as it was yesterday and the day before. That deserves a WOOHOO!

But it was a good experience for me as I look back. As I'm sure Chavez and Consuela will agree, as well as Ricky, Lucy and Rosa, that getting sick is a natural occurrence here in Latin America. Our bodies just aren't ready to handle the stress we put them under. Especially as I'm just now hitting the Week 3 marker. But there are plenty of things that I was able to take note of.

Water is everything. So

metimes coming from our wonderful square state, we get used to the dry climate. And sure. It gets hot at home. But it rarely breaks 1oo degrees, and we never see a week of 115 degrees everyday. So many times what would normally work back home as far as water consumption is not enough for over here. That was my big problem. I thought 2 liters of water was plenty for a day out in the bush. Definitely not. So then your body gets dehydrated.

We also spent a lot of time NOT eating. Breakfast here is very light, and so is lunch. But many days our dinner was up to our own means. That meant snacking on tuna and crackers because we had no language skills to go out and get food. So with little nutrition, and in no way was it balanced, we were slowly wearing away. It all starts to eat at your immune system, until you ultimately crash.

So with not nearly enough water, and poor nutrition, my body didn't have the stamina to fight off this sinus infection. And it hit hard. But praise God that I am starting to feel better. I still have the nagging headache. But I would rather go a week with that than another day with the full on [elephant stepping on my head] headache.

One of the suggestions I have to those looking into going outside of the country on later trips, is to start (about 6 weeks before you leave) taking a daily multivitamin. That way, if you have to go a few days without good food, at least your body is able to maintain some of the important vitamins and minerals to keep your immune system running.

Pray for Ernie. He has also been dealing with illness as well. For the past few days he has been fighting a bronchitis of sorts, and also dealing with dehydration. Again, just another way for dehydration and malnutrition to rear its ugly head. He has been sleeping better, but recently he has been feeling nauseous when around food. Pray that as the team comes in tomorrow morning, they will be able to love on him and encourage their pastor.

Tonight is the last night of Phase Two. Phase One was Chavez and myself in the country of Mexico. And the second Phase was Ernie and myself in Venezuela. Now, we begin Phase Three. This involves 7 more team members arriving tomorrow morning, and our awesome youth pastor coming on Monday. This team will be in charge of the children of those working on the field. They are doing a VBS of sorts, and it is going to be exciting to see what the Lord will do to minister to these kids. Ernie is going to be leading the spiritual aspect of the retreat for the adults. Then later in each day some field workers are going to work on team building exercises with the adults. But the main goal is to provide a relaxed environment for a vacation and for families to spend time with each other. Some of the older teenagers go to boarding school, and that means this retreat will provide time with family that wouldn't normally happen. So pray the Lord will bless this week and make it an enjoyable experience for all who are involved.

Also pray for those who are in the air tonight. They will have to hit the ground running, and I can already tell you that Culture Shock will be a big element in their first few hours here in Denver. It is just so much unfamiliar territory that if you aren't accustomed to international travel in developing countries, it will hit you hard. So pray that until Ernie and I meet up with them, they are able to stay calm and not get into any trouble. Not that they will, but that is worst case scenario. The Denver airport is pretty easy to manage. But it all comes back to the Culture Shock. Once you step off the plane and onto the tarmac, it hits you that you are now on the other side of the world.

On a lighter note... we have found a somewhat familiar animal here in the wilds of Latin America. It turns out, Wiener Dogs are quite common guard dogs here in the region. They aren't really the most effective of guard dogs. But they are pretty good at climbing into holes and catching rats and snakes and 

squirrels. So I guess they serve a purpose. It's more of a purpose than our Wiener Dog, who just lays around all day. But we did notice even these dogs manage to find hours and hours to snooze in the sun.

Drugged up on pain meds, and ready for bed,

-Burt

Latin America can be mean sometimes.

Thank you for your continued prayers while Ernie and I are in Venezuela. We got rain today! What a blessing! It was quite a downpour here in the capital, so hopefully the rain made it out to the bush as well, where some volunteers are working on a farming project.

This farming project needs LOTS of prayer right now. I was able to see it today and learn about how it is working. Basically, some volunteers are trying to teach conservative farming methods to the people here. The traditional methods just aren't working. Because the culture says you are more important if you have more land, the resources are poorly used, and each man ends up owning more land than he has time to plant, weed, irrigate, etc. So the volunteers are trying to teach methods that involve using less land, more even distribution of seeds and fertilizer, and a more strategic plan to eliminate weeds.

Unfortunately, culture usually trumps common sense and an open mind. So when a bunch of foreigners come to the village and want to show a better way to farm, it is rejected solely on the basis that it is new. Or they will say, "Well, white people may farm that way. But it won't work for us." So the whole project is generally frowned upon. On top of that, they have already begun planting seeds, and if they don't get consistent rains, the seeds will burn up, and then there is nothing to show for this new farming method. So pray that, although the odds are against a productive harvest this year, God will provide a harvest that is enough to show the benefits of this conservative method. If the people of Venezuela can see that even in bad years the harvest is still greater, they might adopt this new method.

Also pray for the volunteers working in the fields. Almost every day, sometimes twice a day, the people of the village stop by the farming project to tell the volunteers that they are ridiculous and that this new farming method will fail miserably. It is so discouraging o these volunteers to have to deal with this day in and day out.

I also was able to experience another side of the Venezuelan people, when I was allowed into a formal argument. It is one thing for two people to argue. But when there is a major conflict that needs resolved in latin american culture, it involves the whole village. A man was accused of performing animistic sacrifices last week, and it was brought before the village last night, while I was there. The short version of the story is that there was no sacrifice made. But the conflict arose when the man was openly accused in front of everyone, instead of the accuser talking to him in private first. It ultimately turned into a matter of church discipline. Both men were believers, and it was a great way to show conflict resolution within the small church in the village.

If only it didn't take 3 hours last night! I wasn't in bed until midnight or later. And I woke up around 5. So it's been a long day. And unfortunately, right around the time Ernie gets better from his most recent bout with dehydration, I eat breakfast out in the bush, and consume some well water that has put a nasty bug in my system. So pray for both Ernie and I, as we realize that Venezuela can be a harsh place at times.

We have only one more full day here in the capital. Hopefully, both of us will be able to leave our rooms and have the energy to see some of the urban ministry here in Caracas.

With both the fan and AC going strong, I bid adieu to our readers, so that I can go to bed.

-Burt

At the end of the road... (the ends of the earth?)

It is amazing how God can completely alter your entire plan, but still work it out perfectly. We finish camping and spending time with a completely unreached people group. After a night of rest, we meet up with Brandon, a man who has been on the field for maybe 7 months. But he is so fired up to share the Word. It is amazing. We go with him to see some of the ministry projects that he is working on, with the idea that we were going to continue through the day following where God led us.

So we go to the river, where a man supposedly live that we wanted to greet. Well, apparently he only lives there for about 3 months out of the year. But that is okay, because going into a village while trying to find this man allowed us to meet and pray for another individual that we met.

With a new set of instructions as to find this fisherman, who was thought to live ten minutes from town but actually lives about and hour from town, and keep driving. Throughout the day, we meet and interact with people as they direct us to this fisherman. Even when we couldn't remember the name of the village, God provided ways for us to figure out the little details.

By the time we find the right village, we encounter a large group of men who claim to know the fisherman. They direct us to his home. But as soon as we enter through the door, Brandon immediately knows that it is the wrong man. Turns out that this man has the EXACT same name as the fisherman we were looking for. And on top of that, both men live in the same village. I don't know how that didn't get extremely frustrating for all the people in the village!

We were literally a translated sentence for asking permission of this older man to leave his house and continue searching for the fisherman. But out of the blue, this man said that he had met some people in Caracas that had the same faith that we have, and that our faith was much better than his, because followers of the Lord keep their promises and show mercy and love. Bam. Within five minutes we had an open invitation to explain why we can be so loving and merciful to the people of Venezuela. He was very open to the concept that we share the love that our Father shows to us. He was an older man, and it was obvious he had lived his life, and realized that his faith just didn't work. But he wasn't ready to jump on the Salvation Wagon just yet. He was still apprehensive to the concepts that involved turning away from his old faith. Pray that Brandon can make many more visits to this man to share the Word of God with him. 

After a spiritually exhausting day, we crashed in our room and drove to Caracas this morning. Now I am Skyping with the fam, and waiting for Raquel and Jaime to take us to dinner. So for now... rest...

-Burt

...As we encounter a Venezuelan Samurai...

Wow! The Lord has been doing amazing things in this part of the world! Haha. Excuse my excitement. Now that it is out of my system, I can continue. =)

 

We arrived in the country of Venezuela, which is southeast of Mexico, on Tuesday afternoon. It was quite an interesting flight. Ernie and I were amazed at how relaxed other countries are in terms of security in airports.  As we got off the plane, there was a man seated behind us who pulled a 3-foot souvenir sword from the overhead compartment. Talk about crazy!  And it was perfectly normal too. Maybe our society is just too over cautious. Who knows.

 

As we drove through the capital city of Caracas, our colleagues Raquel and Jaime safely navigated through the THOUSANDS of motorized scooters. It was amazing that we were not involved in a single accident! Fortunately we arrived at our rooms at the time we did, because as soon as we got to the rooftop (which was where our room was located) a massive dust storm blew through, followed by a downpour of rain. It was so strange to think that a dry place like this Wednesday we took off bright and early into the heart of Venezuela to spend time with the indigenous people of the country. This was a very exciting time. The people that we were trying to reach were a nomadic group that followed the water and grasses with their cattle. Praise the Lord that we were able to find them after many hours of searching. And not only did we find them, but they were very gracious and allowed us to spend the night in their camp. From what Raquel told us, this was the first recorded time that our organization was able to camp with this people group. Talk about cutting edge!

 

These people were very hospitable, and were very open to our conversations. We asked them a lot about their culture and lifestyle, because we know very little about them. And they also asked us many questions about our home. This led to the questions of why were there. They were amazed at the fact that we wanted to share with them stories from the Word of God. Because their culture is based on oral history, stories are much more appropriate than providing a written scripture. Ernie was phenomenal at telling relevant stories that were simple, but not patronizing to the people. They were quite open about stories that pertained to our Savior, and this was so encouraging. Our Lord was working very hard on the hearts of those men and women that night.

 

The next morning we continued to share stories with these people. It was important that they were able to know the stories well enough to repeat them to their friends and family, so Ernie retold some of the stories from the previous night. It was only when we were ready to dive deeper into the story of our Savior, was when a religious teacher showed up from a nearby town. It was very obvious that the word had spread, and he came to argue apologetics with us. It was at this point that the doors we had worked so hard to keep open were shut. But we pray that our Father brought that man for a reason, and we know that those people were able to hear the Good News. Pray that the Holy Spirit convicts them and shows them the void that can only be filled with the redemption our Savior offers. And pray that the stories from God’s Word were not told in vain. Our hope is that those stories are retold to the extended family of this village, and that the Good News is spread through that family, and ultimately that people group. Raquel and Jaime plan to return in several weeks to continue the process of telling stories that show them to way to our Lord.

 

As simple as it seems, pray for rain. Just stop right now and say a simple prayer, asking for rain in this part of the world.

Okay… Done? Good. =) Rain is so crucial here. When your whole life is based on your livestock, the grass in your fields HAS to grow. The people we visited lost many of their animals because the rain has come late this season.  So as your pray for us, pray for rain, so that the people here will know that the strangers that visited their village really do know an Almighty Lord who can bring rain to their fields. Pray that their wells do not run dry this season, so that they may be blessed with strong cattle.

 

The rest of today was spent driving through the country, spending time with Raquel and Jaime. Ernie and I are working herd to gain a broad perspective on the work that the Lord is doing here in Latin America. So the time with our colleagues gave us a lot of insight into the many great things that He is doing here.

 

And so, as I sit here in our bedroom, with the television that has one channel (It is in a language I have never heard of. But all that I have gathered from this foreign Soap Opera is that the main character has escaped from prison, held up a bank, and has just out that his primary female hostage was his teenage girlfriend. I’m quite interested right now.) I pray that our Lord grants us the wisdom to accurately and compellingly continue to share stories from His Word, so that an unreached people group may begin to know Him as their ultimate Savior. And I pray that the church body at home will have the same prayer this week.

 

Ciao!

Burt and Ernie

Travel News

(This update is being posted by Ricky, on behalf of Señor Ernie, due to technical issues with Internet access while he travels)

We have arrived at our destination. All is well, although a bit tired. We saw rainy season . . . huge dust storm followed by huge rain storm! Internet is very slow so we may not even be able to post to the blog. If not, we will send the info via e-mail and Ricky can post for us. We will leave for the more deserted regions tomorrow. It will be good to get some sleep.

Travel was interesting. I sent Burt a note as I was getting on the plane in Atlanta. I was seated next to this cute kid. Then I found out that she had been separated from her parents. I volunteered to move so her mom could sit next to her. Guess what . . . 8 rows back . . . next to a woman with her baby and another woman. God has a plan. The woman with the baby had a husband 12 rows up. The other woman offered to trade with the man, who would now be seated next to me. Turns out he is a man from "SL" who is in charge of all of the organic farming efforts in "S" and who has an office in "Mexico City". We had a great 8 hours together and left having exchanged business cards. He invited me to his home if I were ever to come back to "SL"! Pretty Cool Huh!

In addition, my new seat had a large wad of chewing gum in the seat belt, obviously un-noticed until it was all over my pants. The stewardess worked for 20 minutes to clean up the mess . . . on the seat belt! She asked how I could be so calm and collected with such a mess. What an invitation. Turns out she was from Aurora and graduated from Hinkley HS!

Do keep us in your prayers. I'll share more, but it's a nap before orientation with the M's.

Blessing!

--Señor E.

Chavez has leprosy. Just kidding.

No worries. He just got a funky rash on his face. It looks like it is going away. It is possibly from the medicine we are taking. But pray that it is gone in the next few days. He is also experiencing aches and pains. Possibly from the medicine. Maybe just Mexico. Who knows.

We are nearing the end of the first leg of the adventures that our Lord has for our church here in Mexico. It was an awesome experience that involved exciting possibilities for future trips to this part of the world. We are excited to come home and share some of the ideas we have gathered from our time here. 

Today involved a lot of driving from Mexico City to a city about four hours north of Denver. This is where we are staying for the night, and will continue in the morning towards Denver. It was very relaxing to be able to spend the evening on the beach and in the waves, and also had a really good dinner with Poncho and Gabriella. Plus, I get to bust it funky style with the mosquito net that is hanging around me. this is the first instance that we have used them so far in the trip.

Thank you so much for your prayers, and know that they have not gone unanswered by the Lord. We have gone so much further with His strength than we ever could have on our own. We now ask for safe travels. Both for Chavez as he makes his way home, but also when I catch up with Senor Ernie on Tuesday and fly to nearby Mongolia. I will be on the emotional drain from this first part of the trip, and I can already tell you that if I were to try and do all of this by myself, I would fall apart at the seams. I thank God daily that we have been given so much strength to work hard and endurance to continue being an encouragement to those who live here.

Well, it is getting late here, and since we are getting up early to leave tomorrow for Denver, I need to get some sleep.

Hasta la pasta!

Burt

TIRED and more Tired with a side of TIRED

OK right back at it! Burt and I got home from being out in the bush today. We had a lot of new experiences and we will take home some great memories but nothing could be as cool as seeing these people view and hear "the Story
" for the first time! Pray that this can be the beginning of a new life for them AND also pray for the people here in Mexico that serve them.

We got home around noon and have been trying to catch up on sleep and e-mails etc. Tonight we will have dinner with a man that Consuela met and shared with on our last visit. We also want to deliver some books to this man as he is an English teacher here in Mexico. These will be our last Blogs till we get to the internet. We will make our way back to "Denver" where Burt will meet up with Ernie and Chavez will fly home.

See you later

Burt and Chavez

Chavez jumping in here to write about day 2 out in the bush. We awoke the next morning several times dealing with heat and humidity issues. Our tent didn't have AC and there was no wind.....so needless to say we didn't sleep well or stay dry. :( We had 2 breakfasts. The first consisted of peanuts and tea the second was leftovers from the night before. The LITERAL left overs of the sheep included, lung, intestine, kidney, stomach and liver. All taste great and both Burt and I never got sick. After a breakfast of firsts, medical treatment was given to some horses in the village by one of the men in our group. He also gave some horse hygiene advice to the farmers before we headed to the second village. We stopped along the way so that other horses could be treated. When we arived in the second village we drank tea and had an afternoon nap under the village tree. After our nap we walked around the village looking at the fields and various trees. In the evening we again showed the film Ricky, Lucy, and Rosa made. It was a HUGE hit! Everyone enjoyed the film and tried to find themselves or friends they knew in it. Like the night before we also showed "the Story". After the films we ate a late dinner, and had an even later bucket shower. This time though everyone showered with 2 goats and probably a few toads. The shower facility had no walls and had a great view of the field with sheep bedding down for the night.

Till next time this is Chavez and Burt

I'm with a Goat.

-The following few blogs were posted on Friday, but for the sake of our tired memories, we are writing in the present tense.

Today we took 3 pick-up trucks and left for some villages out in the bush. The drive took several hours and mud made the trip difficult at times. At one point we had to pull the 2nd truck out of the mud puddle. The first village we went to had been hit by a brush fire and they lost most of there food and parts of their village. When we arrived with their food a celebration broke out. Children turned over bowls and used them as drums, and women danced as the men unloaded and distributed the food and supplies. We ate dinner in the village and shared the video Lucy, Ricky and Rosa made on the last visit. We were also able to show "the Story" on the DVD player. Today was the first time most of these people have heard of our Savior. Satan was working hard to slow the process, but thank God that the video was able to be shown in its entire form. For a while we were afraid the DVD player was going to break, and other times we were heavily distracted from others in the village who weren't watching the movie, but everything worked out.

It was a late night, but it was also a very encouraging one to see the way the Holy Spirit could work in the hearts of the people. I had the pleasant and relaxing experience of showering outside (with a bucket) behind some of the homes. I even had an audience. There was a goat that wandered into the shower facility and decided to hang out with me until I was finished. I am currently "one up-ing" Chavez on our contest to have the most... unique... experience here. =)

Did someone call for take-out?!

Last night we were able to deliver some of the pictures that we had been given by Rickly, Lucy, and Rosa. To give those pictures away was a lot of fun, especially when some of the children had not seen their own picture before. And although my digital camera has a display with a playback feature, its not the same as being given your picture to KEEP. =) The amazing thing is that they remember the times that our last team was here as if it had happened earlier that day. It is amazing to think about the impact that our teams have on these people.

Today we we able to sleep in, somewhat, and relax during breakfast. Once we were dressed and ready to go outside, we went to the market to buy fabric so that more traditional "mexican" clothes can be made. That is a major boost for the people who we meet, because us attempting to wear traditional clothing shows a level of respect for the culture that many white people who visit Mexico don't care to show. So we went to some of the fabric shops in the market and the took it to a tailor to have our clothes made. The plan is that as more teams come to Mexico, they can hit the ground running with clothes to wear, which also is impressive to the people with which we come into contact. So for those future travellers to Mexico, you will have plenty of sweet threads when you get here.

Later this afternoon we will be travelling to Oaxaca to load three pickup trucks full of food and supplies that we will be delivering to villages in the middle of Mexico, some of which were villages where Ricky, Lucy and Rosa took pictures. It will be about a three day trip to delver th food and spend time with the people. So Chavez and I will be out of contact until possibly Friday. Please pray for God to move in the lives of those whom we meet, especially since there is a real chance that the Gospel will be presented for the first time to some people. Pray for safe travels, especially since our vehicles will be going hrough rough terrain, with little room for mechanical failure. It would be a LONG walk back home. Also pray for fair weather. Rain would be great for the land and crops here, but we also don't want it to hinder the delivering of the food. Can we ask for a continual light misting? Perhaps what you get at amusment parks. That would be AWESOME. =)

We humbly ask for prayer with regards to a friend of ours, who spends a lot of time with Poncho and Gabriella. He has heard the Gospel many times, but the continuing pressure from family keeps him from taking any sort of "next step" concerning his relationship with God. We have seen that he understands much of what we say, but lately he has been stuck on some of the differences between our beliefs. So we ask that God grabs a hold of his heart and shows that He can fill any void that we have in our hearts and lives.

So for now Chavez and I will be resting until we leave to deliver food.

Adios!
-Burt y Chavez

Welcome to Mexico City!

We mudded our way into Mexico City today. The area had much more rain than anywhere else we have been previously, but Diego navigated in, around, and through the puddles (some could be classified as ponds and/or large bodies of muck). Needless to say, it was a lot of fun.

We passed new candidates for the "Carcass Calendar". These will be open to review later in the month. (If you are unaware of this publication, please consult your nearest pastor[ AKA Senor Ernie].) Hopefully these new pictures make the cut.

We had a wonderful meal with Gabriella and Poncho in their home once we arrive in Mexico City. Currently we are looking through the 7-8 lbs of pictures. Chavez feels like Kinkos. We will later distribute these photos as soon as possible and reconnect with the families that Rosa, Ricky, and Lucy met earlier this year.

We also spent time with Poncho and Gabriella as we watched the videos that was made in the previous trip. We are excited to see the response of the people, because many of them were involved in a skit concerning prenatal health issues.

Today we are primarily getting settled. Tomorrow we expect some rain, but pray that the electricity stays on. The last time it went out here it didn't turn back on for about 20 hours. Almost 20 hours of no power here is like a strawberry limeade with no strawberries. You could do it, but you'd much rather have the strawberries.

Hasta la vista from Mexico City!
-Chavez y Burt

Stopped for the night

Hola!

This is going to be a post that is somewhat delayed. As I’m sitting on my bed in the town of “Ranchero”, I have realized that I need to write down the day’s experiences while I still remember them. We may not have Internet for a while. But if I can type this up on the laptop, I will have a better recollection for those reading at home.

Today we left with Diego and his son from their home to travel to meet up with Poncho and his wife. Throughout the night our prayers were answered in the form of rain. We awoke this morning to a light sprinkling that was a great way to cool off the climate, as well as control the dust. So it was a true blessing. We then set out for Ranchero, which is the meeting point in between the homes of Diego and Poncho.

We went mudding today.

“It was awesome!”, says Chavez from across the room.

Basically the rain intensified the farther east we travelled. Almost as soon as we left Diego’s home the rain had stopped. But the mud remained. It definitely made the drive to Ranchero much more interesting. One of the newer concepts to our idea of Mexico is grass. Most of the time, it is too dry and hot to grow much vegetation. But with the onset of the rainy season, grass can seed and grow. It looks like a massive carpet of green stretching across everything. It’s something that makes the whole area seem like a new country.

As we arrived in Ranchero around noon, one of the first places we stopped was a restaurant that served an excellent rice and peanut sauce. Diego was very willing to pray in the native language, as to allow anyone listening to hear us. We then walked all through the town, performing the traditional greeting with them. It is a process that shows a lot about how we aren’t just tourists, but that we care about the people and their culture. It is more lengthy than a common “hello”, but is not too long, and can be done with little knowledge of the language.

Many people wanted to know why we were there. Diego was very accurate in explaining that we were there to show them the way in which they could have a right relationship with God. In fact, Diego was able to share the Creation to the Cross message. The concept is about as simple as the title. It is a basic Gospel message that can be understood within the context of the culture. Many people were coming in and out of the conversation, but one man really was interested. He asked many questions, and understood all of what was told to him. He shared with Diego that he did indeed want to believe what Diego was saying, but we knew culturally that it was very hard for him to make any kind of life changing step with so many people around. So hopefully the seed that was planted will grow, and that this man will see that he needs an Almighty and loving Savior that can save him and wants a personal an intimate relationship with each and every one of His children. That concept is very hard to grasp here. The idea of a loving and personal relationship is far from what they are used to in their current religious practices. But pray for this man extensively. A seed was for sure planted in his heart.

That evening a younger man was able to show us around the hospital that was recently built in Ranchero. The government and UNICEF partnered in building the compound, but somewhere in the process, money was not given to hire staff or provide equipment and supplies. So the entire building is vacant. Pray that the funds will arrive soon, since this hospital, when operational, will be one of the nicer places to be treated in the entire area.

After a delicious moonlit dinner, I am slowly dozing off. So I think it will be a good time for me to sign off.

Hasta luego!
-Burt


P.S. The highlight of today was when we were leaving the town that Diego lives in. About five minutes after leaving the ton, we were pulled over by the police who were siting on the side of the road. They really just wanted to find something that we were doing wrong, and possibly receive a bribe. ultimately it came down to them checking everyone's seatbelts. Knowing my luck with the authorities, along with my extensive knowledge of their ways, I was the one that was thought to be wearing my seat belt wrong. I was in fact fine, but it was slipped under my arm, and not seen by the police at first.

Who would have expected it. I get to now say I have been the reason we were pulled over OUTSIDE of the US also! =P

We're here!

We have finally arrived in the wonderful country of Mexico! After 12 hours of flying and 5 hours of awesome car time, we have stopped for the night with Diego and his family. Chavez and I are slowly getting used to the time difference, and freezing, frigid, sub-arctic temperatures. ;) The windchill today was great; it felt around 115 degrees outside! =D It is the beginning of the rainy season here, so please pray for rain, so that crops will grow to provide food for the people.

We had the opportunity to spend some time with children that live around Diego's home. The name of the game was Uno. Not kidding. Uno. No codename here. We also had some time to drive around the town in which Diego lives. The culture of the area is still settling on us, so pray that we are able to adjust quickly to the societal norms, so we do not step on any toes, or over any lines.

Adios mis amigos!
- Burt and Chavez

And so we begin

Hey!

Well the time has finally come! It is "Burt" here for everyone to read ("Senor Ernie" will be joining me in a few weeks.). I will attempt to continue an ongoing account of my travels. Your prayers have been felt even before I have gotten onto a plane! With the everything running smoothly, I am now ready to depart on our 8 hour flight to "Denver"*, with my faithful companion, "Chavez". Upon our arrival in Denver, we will meet up with our friend "Diego" and his son, who will later take us to their home.

But for now, surviving the plane trip is my biggest concern.

If I get to Denver and begin posting nonsensical blog posts, blame either the slow loss of intelligence due to boredom, or perhaps food poisoning from the airline food. ;)

As we begin this amazing trip, pray that we are able to be an impact and an encouragement to those whom we will meet.

In about 12 hours, we will be ready to board the plane!

- Burt

* For security purposes, many of the names used in the following posts will be changed to the ones in quotes. If you need to refresh your memory, please see Chavez and Consuela's blog to become reacquainted with some of the names.