How will I survive this weather WARNING? And yet another Doctor visit!

I'm not sure why my phone alerted me to "Severe Weather".

How will I EVER survive this 80º High and 60º Low? Oh, it'll be a rough day!

Thank you for your prayers that I would find the breaker for this light switch

so that I wouldn't have to replace it with power running through it.

Turns out the breaker was 2 feet away and hidden. Prayers answered and there was no danger.

There seems to always be impromptu parties that happen here. 

One night a missionary named Raymond from California (that's lived here 7 years)

bought hotdogs, grilled them up, and a few people grabbed guitars and headed over for some music and worship.

The next day it rained.

 Here are a few pictures of the main house Matriz.

This is a very tropical place compared to Utah. 

Everyday the kids have chores, some of which include 

sweeping and picking up the leaves twice a day.

This year I was able to go to the doctor yet again.

I ended up with pink eye and was worried that it was highly contagious so went to the doctor and have been very carful to wash my hands and touching people.

You probably can't see behind me, but the price for the doctor was MX$50 pesos.

The medicine was another MX$40 pesos. It was MX$90 pesos total (US$5.00) and it took 15 minutes.

I've really grown to enjoy going to the doctor here.

I've been coming 12 years and I'm still totally surprised at how long it takes me to get things done here.

Often times I just need to make things work with what I have.

The way we would say it in English is "Jerry rigged".

My Hispanic friends in the US call it "chicanada".

There's a real talent in making things just work and I'm working hard to develop that!

Here is a new facet that I was able to install.

I've gotten a few repairs done here, but honestly it's been very few.

I'm blessed to get to spend some quality time with a few of my favorite people.

Praises: Thank you for your prayers in finding the beaker box. I would've changed the light switch with power to it and I'm sure that I would've gotten shocked, for sure. Every thing was so tight in that box.

Prayer requests: I have a high level of frustration today with my Spanish. It's hard in life to learn new things, to purposefully put yourself out there and be willing to look the fool and fail. Today I feel that I'm not enough. My time here is going fast and the saying that comes to mind is "What will you do with this one precious life that you've been given?"

I need patience with my learning ability, help in my ability to comprehend, focused time to prepare some meetings that I have back home, time in prayer and communion with God.

Aliens in my room and why I'm in a Police Car

 

Welcome to the back of the Police Car

This could be an exciting trip to see a part of Mexico that I haven't seen yet... Jail.

But no... I'm just at a military expo where they're showing off their power, creating public relations and possibly getting you to join up.

This guy wouldn't let me take a picture holding the gun.

I considered taking it from him, then decided that wouldn't be the best idea.

The special forces diver let me wear his life jacket and flippers though.

So I began thinking... Who are the enemies of Mexico? I ask my friend and he said that they don't really have any foreign enemies. The enemies here are from within. Think about that for a minute, the military's main objective is to protect the people from the people that live within their boarders. It's very different than our foreign enemies in the USA.

Some people ask me if I'm afraid to come to Mexico. Here is one of my favorite saying within it come to being scared:

• My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. 

Here is a picture of my bedroom and the way I'm trying to kill the unwanted "aliens" (mosquitos).

This room has a lot of mosquitos every year that I'm here. Well, it's probably not just my room, but rather the area that I'm in. I ordered a mosquito light from Amazon Mexico (yup, that's a thing) and last night it mostly worked which made me very happy.

Nacho's for the Super Bowl with friends also made me happy today.

I did end up replacing a faucet today. 

But honestly I'm being pretty lazy this year on making repairs.

Praises: So glad the mosquito fan came (it took a week). So glad that relationships are easy here, everybody is so friendly all the time.

Prayer Requests: That I'll find the breaker for the electricity to replace the light switch and not have to change it with the power on.

Fun, work and more fun right before the girl yelled "I'm dead"!

Today I had some adult time paying volleyball.

My team was teenage boys so, I think, we had an advantage. Of course they had me on the team, so that hurt them a bit. But then again we had 5 and they had 4. But one of the girls on the other team will play in a tournament soon (she's really good), so... All in all maybe it was fair? There were 5 games in all and we won by one game.

The kids here sweep and clean the property twice a day (which is needed because there's so much vegetation).

They also clean up the kitchen after every meal.

As you can imagine, with so many kids and workers there is always something to do.

I've also gotten some work done. 

Here I installed a new faucet. 

Here we changed part of a roof from fiberglass to metal

and moved a solar panel.

The orphanage has a dentist that comes sometimes and she didn't like the noise because the air compressor (for her tools) was in the same room. I was able to move it upstairs (you can see he hoses coming down from the ceiling).

This is what the compressor looks like. I was amazed that it was just an off the shelf compressor and not some kind of special medical grade type. It's much quieter in the dentist's office now so she is very happy.

The kids have a ton of fun playing here and I'm blessed to be able to play with them. Here's a couple of videos of some fun we had:

It's fun to see the kids become braver and braver as we went along.

This is a 4 minute video, but it will be worth it to see one girl say "Mi muerte" (I'm dead)!

I think this type of activity is crucial for kids development and growth as a person. It's good to not be sure if you can do something or not, try it, and then succeed. I'm blessed to be part of it.

Praises: Earlier in the week my prayer was for someone to sit down and help me with my Spanish. I was thinking maybe a preschool teacher, because that's the level I'm at. Well it turned out that God sent the dentist to me. Out of the blue she asked if she could help me with Spanish, so we were able to talk for an hour yesterday. An hour will not make you good at anything. However an hour here and an hour there and before you know it, you can go places that you never knew that you could go. My communication skills have improved every year that I've come and I'm amazed. That's something that I'm very grateful for.

Prayer Requests: The kids have gone with family with weekend, so there are very few people at the orphanage. My prayer is to continue enjoying my rest and relaxation. Also for continued one on one time with people to enhance and grow our relationships. And of course that my Spanish can get better so that relationship can be easier.

Arm Wrestling, Church, Shopping, Ice

I started out arm wrestling these boys, but it turns out I'm not as tough as I use to be and lost to both of them.

The young man on the left (in the top picture) is in the green shirt here playing the bass at church.

It's good to get youth involved.

He's 16 now and I've known him since he was 12. He's a great young man that is on a different course than when he arrived at the orphanage.

There are 12 adolescent boys that live in this house.

Here they are all piled into the van on the way to soccer practice.

 

I decided that I needed an easier group of boys to arm wrestle, so I went back to where I'm staying at the middle age kids home. There are maybe 30 kids that live here with boys sleeping in one wing and the girls in the opposite wing of the building.

These kids are so much fun and are always laughing and loving.

I kind of had to cheat and use both hands on this one!

Here a few of the kids are reading letters that their sponsor send down with me to give them.

There are a few ways you can sponsor a child, you can pick one and send cards, letters and possibly gifts and there are financial ways that you can sponsor if you wish.

Here is more information, visit their website at:

https://hogardeamor.org/donar/

Or contact me and I can get you everything you need.

On this day, they didn't have school. So they had the adults line up and pick kids (like you would do for your team in basketball or if you were playing a game). It's hard because some kids always get picked last and there is a lot of commotion. I finally picked all mine and they said "now go do something with them." I asked "like what?" They said "anything you want to do." So we piled in a truck and went shopping.

We also stopped and got a cup full of strawberries and cream. It's the best!

(This was my second trip there in under a week, hehe)

After the shopping, we stopped by to get a treat for all the kids at the main house.

Shaved ice! It was made the way I've never seen before.

Click here to watch the video:

Answered Prayers: I was finally able to get somewhat of a schedule going. I was able to move an air compressor for the dentist to a different room, she didn't like all the noise while working on patients (imagine that). I was able to change a faucet that was leaking and installed a cover on an electrical breaker. It's good to feel productive and not just be lazy and relaxing. I'm still looking for that balance.

Current Prayer Requests: For the people around me not to get frustrated with my repeated questions on Spanish, especially when it's the same question over and over again. They are very nice people, but everyone has limits as to how much Dan they can take.

60 Seconds of Soccer and Duolingo is paying off

After over a dozen trips to Mexico, I finally got to attend my first Fútbol (Soccer) Game.

The city league had come to visit the kids in the orphanage and asked them to come to one of their games (for free!). I was fortunate enough to be able to drive them, however as we arrived, I was forced to watch the game from the parking lot because I got a flat in the van. 

Well, it's in the sidewall, so that tire is ruined.

Normally, you just put the spare on and continue on your way. However the one thing that I've learned is that everything takes longer in Mexico.

Ugh, there's no jack or tools. Luckily I was able to make a few calls and had a jack delivered. Unfortunately the jack would bleed down so I was attempting to get creative with the local rocks to jack a little, support the van a little,  then jack a little more.

Rocks as Jack Stands

I finally got another jack, oh but wait, the spare tire doesn't have much air. Let's figure out how to get some air in it.

Finally everything worked out and I was able to get a spare tire on and made it up to watch the very last part of the big game.

I was only in my seat for about 60 seconds when the ref blew the whistle and it was over. Team Colima lost 0-1. Well, let's all load up in the van and go kiddos! Well... that was exciting (but not in the way I was thinking).

----

Here we are sitting on the benches in the middle of the main house. This is an area that always has people sitting, talking and playing. This morning it was a little chilly (62º) so I had my hoodie on.

Every night the adults sit around on the bench and talk. I try to join them, but it's hard because they speak to each other so fast that it's impossible for me to understand anything. One of the highlights of the day was when one of the men from church was there, he was speaking about what was happening with the Panama Canal and the water problem. I WAS AMAZED! I understood most of the things that he was saying. This was an absolute first for me to be eavesdropping in on a conversation and to understand any of it.

I've been on Duolingo learning Spanish for 1562 days in a row without fail. It sure feels nice that all that hard work is paying off.

Answered Prayers: I asked for prayer to remember the kid's names. Well I was able to remember some of the kids names, but was also able to stall enough and tease enough that I was able to draw the names out of them or have other kids tell me. None of the kids felt unremembered or unimportant.

Current Prayer Request: That I will find the right balance between getting repairs done, having meaningful relationships with my friends and family here (they aren't really blood, but I feel they are family), and the right amount of rest and relaxation and studying.

2024 Off to Mexico yet again… and I’m ready to get NAKED

 

I’ve made this trip over a dozen times before, sometimes with a group of others, sometimes by myself. It’s still a very anxious feeling to wonder if I brought enough luggage or too much for my current 3 week trip. 

Will I get to the airport on time? Will I get stripped down and everything tore apart at customs? Will I be safe in Mexico? How will I get from the airport to the bus station and to the orphanage? Will I remember the kids names (cause they always ask if I remember them, oh they long to be remembered so much and it’s such a horrible feeling to tell them that I don’t remember!).

The day started pretty rough… You know that feeling you get when you finally get to the airport, you get through checking your bag, you wait in the ‘oh, this is gonna take forever’ line to go through security, then you finally arrive at the de-robing station?

You know… you’ve been there… It’s the place where you’re rushed to place your items in a bin, your mind is racing with “what else is in my bag that needs to be taken out and put in the bin”.

I think, maybe this time I can leave my shoes on… I look old, I can probably get away with it. Crap, I think… you have to be like 70 years old to leave your shoes on, I don’t look 70! I’ll just take my shoes off. This is GROSS. Why am I taking my shoes off!

As I peel yet another layer off of me that consists of a backpack, shoulder bag, hoodie, hat… I realize “there went my hearing aid”. It flies out of my ear and just disappears. I mean it’s literally gone! Is it in my hoodie… no. Is it on the floor? Yikes! There are so many people everywhere, quick… stop all people from walking in this area, look around frantically, I can’t find it! It’s only 6 weeks old, it was super expensive!

I look in the bins, I take my hand and feel around the cracks under the bin holder, EWWWW! That’s gross! (But I found a penny, oh, just leave it!) Holy crap, this was not expected… I search, and search and search and it’s just gone, disappeared, vanished!

I continue to inform the flood of people coming behind me and waiting behind me to just go around, “I’m gonna be a minute”. GREAT, now I’m that old guy in line that looks like he’s confused about what to do, I’m just looking everywhere and appear to be lost. I’m checking all my clothes yet again. Maybe I can leave my shoes on, I’m feeling that old now. Oh, this is so frustrating. I can just forget it, continue through the line and have it cost me $1,500 for another pair of hearing aids… NO WAY!

I keep looking...

It’s literally been over 5 minutes that I’ve been doing the exact same routine over and over again looking for this thing… Check my clothes, check the bin, check the floor, check my clothes, check the bin, check the floor, check the cracks in the conveyor belt, check my hair (oh wait, I don’t have hair… it can’t be there), check the floor...

I finally tell the airport employee (that is helping people with the bins) that I’ve lost my hearing aid. He says, you don’t have to take them off. Ugh, I know that! I’m intelligent enough to know that! Oh, but not intelligent enough to not pull it out of my ear when I remove my shoulder bag. I’m feeling very old and discombobulated right now.

Well, I guess it’s time to do what I always joke about. I guess I’m gonna have to take off all my clothes and GET NAKED in an attempt to find my hearing aid and go through airport security! (It seems like that would make the whole process easier and faster, but I digress) It MUST be in my clothes somewhere. As I shake my shirt and collar one more time before the drastic move, I hear it fall (I still had one hearing aid in). THERE IT IS! Oh, I’m so grateful!

Dang it, I guess I really should keep my clothes on to proceed through security.

I made is safe and sound to Mexico

20 minute taxi ride to the bus station and the day is getting long

The day is looking up, I've finally made it off the 3 hour bus ride

My friends picked me up and the fist stop was...

El Taco Loco for authentic Mexican tacos. The friends and the tacos were amazing!

Here is a recap of some of the events of the day:

I was up at 4am, arrived in Orphanage in Colima at 8:30pm.
It’s been a long day. I had choices with my attitude that I could have made all day, I could either pick the first thing or the second:
My passport is locked in the safe and I can’t get it open, got it open… crap, my passport isn’t there. 
How blessed am I that I found my passport elsewhere and that I even have one!
—
Ugh, have to get up at 4am.
So glad I had a good nights sleep and the ability to wake up when needed.
—
These pushups and setups are really hard today, should I even do them?
I did my exercises and I feel fine, I’m blessed to have discipline and a body that works.
—
Yuck, it’s raining like crazy and we can hardly see the lines in the road as we drive to the airport.
How awesome that my boy Chase is driving me to the airport and we made is safe and sound.
—
I felt stupid and old loosing my hearing aid.
How blessed am I to even have hearing aids, how awesome that I had the patience to relax and find them. 
—
The airport food is ridiculously priced, $14.00 for a sandwich, tots and coffee!
How blessed am I to have been blessed with the resources to not eat at home and buy overpriced food,.

Attitude is everything

One of the best examples of this is... If you were to enter into this world, it was pitch black and you were given a flashlight, you would have a choice as to where you shine your light. It’s important to purposefully shine it on the good, because the negative scary stuff will make your life horrible.

Today I’m blessed to have chosen the positive.

This quote flooded my mind before and during the trip:

Courage is being scared and doing it anyway.
If you’re not scared, it’s not courage. Today I chose to be courageous.

Prayer requests:

Please, please, please help me to remember the kids names. I want them to feel special.