August 2006

August 1, 2006 -  Today was about the same as yesterday.  I worked all day at the church building on my lessons.  Memo also came at around 5pm and I helped him for about 2 hours design a webpage that he needed.   I went home at around 8pm.   I need to go get a bed for my room.  I am still sleeping on the floor. jaja.  That is no fun at all. But I am waiting to see how much all my bills are going to be before I buy any big stuff that I might need.  I need a new pair of shoes but I am holding out un till they fall apart,  there al most there though.  jaja.

August 2, 2006 - Well today was just like yesterday.   I worked at the church all day.  We are waiting for the other group to get here Saturday.  I have two lessons going on right now so I am working on getting them done before  Saturday.  The Carthage Church of Christ web sit went down today and its not back on line yet.   Maybe I can get up tomorrow.

August 3, 2006 - Well today I worked at the church all day.   I did some cleaning today because the man that does it is on vacation.  Also today we cooked a big meal at our house, (I watched as they cooked, jaja)   One of the guys that I live with wanted to have his host family over so that is why we had the big meal.   I just take my host family out for dinner,  jaja.   Tonight I listened to the Carthage Radio station because it was election night.   I didn't like the way things turned out but that is how it goes.

August 4, 2006 - Today I worked some more at the church building.  We are getting ready for a group of Americans that are coming from Oklahoma tomorrow.   They will be doing VBS for the younger kids here at the church.    We also had the youth class tonight.

August 5, 2006 - Today I stayed at the house and cleaned all morning.   We have two guys staying with us from Oklahoma.   I also went to Wal-Mart and bought a Microwave.  We need one really bad.   The Oklahoma group got to the church building around 7pm and it was coming a flood.  Some people missed there flight so we had to wait for them until around 10pm. 

August 6, 2006 - Today was Sunday and worship services was really good.  Raul preached and I could understand most of what he was saying.  He did go really fast and that makes it hard for me to understand a lot.  After church we had a meal for everyone which went really good.  Then we had a huge singing at around 4pm.   We then had pizza for supper.  The Americans also fixed all the rooms for VBS tomorrow.

August 7, 2006 - Today VBS started and it went really well.  We are still working on making the shirts which I hope we can order tomorrow.  I am preaching this Sunday so I worked on that a little also.  Also I think the two guys are moving out today,  jaja.  They didn't stay long.   They are moving in with another family from the church that they know.   That is fine with me. 

August 8, 2006 -  Yeah I had a bad day.   I am no longer working with the youth as far as the youth group goes.   I will still be working with them on a one on one base.   I am really uncomfortable with some stuff going on in the youth class on Fridays.  Number one being clapping and some other stuff I feel is wrong to do during worship service.  There is also another problem with one of the girls that has been helping out.     She (in my opinion) is not setting a good example for the kids.     I have talked to Raul about my concerns and for now I believe it is in everyone's best interest that I not go to the Friday night class.   We are going to all set down and look to the Bible and see what it says about a lot of the stuff going on in the class.   I don't want to start trouble or division but I can't be apart of something I don't believe in.   If the men of the church here are ok with that stuff then I will step out of the way.  I will not and can not teach it or be apart of it though.   It has got way out of hand and (in my opinion) the door needs to be shut on this kind of stuff.  It only brings other problems down the road.

August 9, 2006 - Today was better then yesterday.   We got the shirts ordered and they were delivered this afternoon.   VBS is still going good for the kids.  We had a huge cookout tonight at the church building.   Raul and Kim (his wife) have also decided to take all the Americans living here in Toluca and working at the church away for a few days.  With all the groups that have come and all the other things going on its a good idea to get away for a few days.   I know I am ready.   So we are leaving next Monday and going to Ixtapa.    We should be back around Thursday.   

August 10, 2006 - Today was suppose to be a slow day for me.   The Americans all went to another city to do some site seeing.  I stayed in Toluca to get some work done.  I started washing clothes and had just set down in front of my lap top to work on my sermon on Sunday.  I  then got a text message that said go watch CNN because something was happening in USA.    So I ran to the church and got on the internet to read what all was going on.   I then had to try and figure out what we were going to do with all the Americans here.  They are suppose to leave tomorrow.  After reading everything and keeping up with it all day.  We decided they could go ahead and leave tomorrow.   This afternoon I took 2 of the boys at church to the movies to see Superman.  I have been working with these 2 for about 6 months now.   I hope and pray that some day soon they will be ready to accept Jesus and to be baptized.     Later tonight I meet up with all the Americans and we had supper at the mall.     It was a long day and a lot of stuff going on.   I hope tomorrow is not as busy.

August 11, 2006 - Today the Americans left.  This was the last group we have coming this year.  I spent most of the day putting the final touches on my sermon for Sunday.  I also cleaned and did some laundry.  Tonight I did not go to the youth class but I went with some other members from the church to there house for a few hours.   It went really well at there house.  All of this stuff that is going on with the youth group has really got to me.   I don't know really what the best way to handle it is.  I do think that me stepping away until it is solved was a good idea.

August 12, 2006 -  Today I took it easy.  I went over my sermon some. Just to make sure I had it all down.  Tomorrow is a big day for me here in Toluca.   Also tomorrow begins my birthday week.  Yeap,  I get to celebrate my birthday for a whole week,  jaja.   

August 13, 2006 -  Well the sermon went really well today.   I got a lot of good things said about it.   Preaching is something that I really enjoy a lot.   I like preparing it and then presenting it.  I talked about what it means to be committed to the Church.  

                    Raul and I                                        My host mom and I                                   My cake and I,  jaja

Today also started the celebration of my birthday.  I went out to eat with my host family after church.  Noe will leave for USA on Wednesday and Kike is leaving for Baja Mexico to live for a few months.  After lunch we went to there house and had my birthday cake.   In Mexico the birthday person has to take the first bit from the cake.  Most of the time some one will mash your face into it.   It was a fun afternoon there.  It was good to relax with them.     After I got home I had to pack because we are staying all night with Raul at his house.  We leave tomorrow for the retreat.   I think its more of a vacation though.   Which is fine with me.  I need time to be away from Toluca to figure out how to handle the problem with the youth group.  

August 14-18, 2006 -  Well I know I don't like to do this but im going to just do the whole week at once.   We left Monday morning for about a 7 hour trip to Ixtapa.   This was suppose to be a time for us to relax a little from all the work we had done with all the groups coming from America.   Well one of the kids from the youth group found out we were leaving and so his family decided to meet us all there.      No one was happy about this.   Raul and Kim tried to talk them out of going but it did no good.   Everyone told me to turn my cell phone off so they could not call me and find out where I was but this goes against everything I have told these kids for the last 6 months.     They know if they want to be with me all they have to do is call me.   So when they called I answered.    Even though I was suppose to be away from my work in Toluca it was ok with me to hang out with the young boy all week.  The trip was ok,  I really don't like being around Americans a lot while I am in Toluca.  And I have been around a lot of them for the past month.  I also got to have another birthday party while I was away.  That was fun also.   Well it was a great week but now its time to get back to Toluca and get to work on all the stuff there.

August 19, 2006 - Well today we left Ixtapa and it took almost 13 hours to get back home to Toluca.  We had car trouble and had to wait till it got fixed.  We got home at around 9pm.   It was a long day and a lot of driving and waiting.

August 20, 2006 - Today I went to Church which was great to see everyone again.  Everything went really well.  After Church the youth group wanted to take me to DF for my birthday.  We went to the mall and had lunch and then we had Krispy Kreme donuts. I think some of the other Americans got upset that they were not asked to go.  I know that one of them told someone it was not fare that I got to go and they didn't.   I hate to say this but the Americans being here have made my work a lot harder.  The oldest is 22 and most of the time I feel like I am fixing there problems.  The thing is the youth group asked me to go with them.    I can't invite people to something when I was the one invited first but some of the Americans think they should get to do everything I do.   They don't understand I worked for almost 4 months alone and I worked hard on my friendships.  They should do the same and not expect to just be asked to go every where with every one. I know I might sound mean about this but its true.   Also today I talked to some of the helpers with the youth group.  I talked to them about some of the problems I had with the stuff going in the group.  They seemed to understand and we are going to have another meeting Wednesday.   I don't know how thing are going to turn out though.  There is a lot of praying going on and I hope that we can all look to the word of God to solve the problems. 

August 21, 2006 - Today I worked at the church building on getting thing updated on the church web page and some other things that I need to get done.  I also went to Wal-Mart to get some stuff.  Oh and I have my bed now, jaja. I got it last night.  A man from the church gave me one to use.  It is a nice bed.  Tonight I stayed at the house and worked on some reading and stuff.  I am preparing for the meeting on Wednesday.

August 22, 2006 - Today I worked at the church building all day.  I have started planning for a Family Fun Day which I hope to have sometime in October.  I am going to get the youth group to help with all of it.  They need something to do anyway.  Tonight we had the first 20 and 30 singles class at our house.   One of my roommates is in charge of getting it all together.  We had about 20 people there.  It was a really good class and I think it will turn out to be a really good thing for this age group.  Memo also took me out to play pool today for my birthday. 

August 23, 2006 - Today I worked at the church on studying some stuff for the youth group.  It is still raining here in Toluca.  Its been raining for about 4 days now.   Some of the roads are flooded a lot.  The rainy season should be coming to an end in about 2 more months, jaja.  Tonight I had the big meeting with some men from the church and Hatie and Beto.   I expressed my concern at some of the stuff that was going on during the youth class and that my faith would not allow me to be apart of it.   After about an 2 hour meeting it was decided by all that the group was not going in the right direction.   The "Never ending Party" has just seen its last days.   Starting Friday the group is going to be shaped into a loving and caring group that is going to work hard for Christ and his Church.  That is going to be a hard job though but everyone in the meeting said that is what needs to happen.   Its something that is going to take time also. I can't expect everything to just change over night.

August 24, 2006 - I did some work on the Family Fun Day today.  I think the day is going to be October 28.  That gives us about 2 months to work on everything.  Also I went and watched "Miami Vice" today.  I would recommend that you not see this movie or let your kids see it ether.  Just trust me on this one and don't watch it.   After that I went to visit my old Spanish teacher. She seems to be doing ok.  She is trying to find a nursing home to place her mother in so she can go to DF for some test's at the hospital.  Well that is about all that happened today.

August 25, 2006 - Today I worked at the church most of the day.  I also took my 2 roommates to a coffee cafe that some of my friends go to some time.   I don't they liked it to much though.  I also went to the Youth class tonight.  This was the first time in more then 2 weeks I have been to the class.  Everything went really well.

August 26, 2006 - I don't do to much today.  I stayed at the house most of the day and did some cleaning.  Tonight I went and played pool with the other Americans.

August 27, 2006 - Today I went to church which was great as always.  After church I went with 2 of the boys from the youth group and got something to eat.  I then went back to church and worked till about 4pm on some stuff.  I then went over to a friends house and watched a movie.

August 28, 2006 - Today I worked at the church on some stuff for Friday night and for the family fun day.  Also I have another meeting with all the youth workers Wednesday night.  Raul and Kim had a meeting with all the other Americans about some problems there dealing with among there self's.    Some of them are just to young to be here.  The youngest one is 18 and just out of high school.     I think a lot of there problems are just they have not learned how to live away from there parents or other adults.   

August 29, 2006 - Today I worked at the church all day.  Its still raining a lot here.  The rainy season just keeps getting bigger and bigger.     Hurricane John is just south of me in the Pacific Ocean.  I am to far away for it do any harm to me.      Tonight we had the 20 and 30 year old cell group.  It went pretty good.  The only problem is that the people don't leave till like 11:30pm and then we have to clean up after everyone.   This is a problem for me because I like to be in the bed by 10pm,  jaja.       But I will live with it I guess,  jaja.

August 30, 2006 - Today I worked again most of the time at the church today.    Things are finally getting  in to a normal pattern.  Tonight we had the meeting with some of the people that help with the youth group.   Trying to get this group back on track after a wild summer.  I have had to change the family fun day around because of different things going on in the Church.    September 15 and 16 is a big holiday in Mexico so the church is having a get together then.        The youth group wants to have a lock-in  sometime in October so I am now going to put that together and in December the youth group wants to have a "huge" get together for everyone at the church for the end of the year.  So I get to put all that together also.  jaja.    

August 31, 2006 -  Today things were kind of slow.    I didn't get into much today.  A little work at the church was about all I did.

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