Good-bye first half of 2009

At first I was thinking thinking that I really don't have that much to say, but then I made an outline and realized I have plenty to share. Keep in mind that my outline is like my Spanish, a little hard to follow but if you really try you can figure it out, and every once in a while it is worth the effort.

• We're still going to these nightly prayer meeting things. I pretty sure the guy can see now but they are to embarrassed to tell us to stop coming so we keep coming. There is this relative there with her 3-year-old that is still nursing. Julie, thinks it is "progressive." Last night the mom opened a bag and handed the girl something that looked to me like chocolate chips. Someone asked what it was, it was cat food, dry at least. The mom said that she eats fish food too.
• Mascota is not a quiet place. For the past week they have been celebrating all sorts of sacred things: hearts, blood, people, etc. They celebrate with fire crackers, today they started before 5am. Along with this there are church bells, not on the hour or evenly spaced out. I'm pretty sure that anyone can ring the bells at any time for any length of time. Elections are July 5th, that is loud too. This morning a truck was driving around announcing that for the 4th and 5th it is illegal to drink. A few days a witch doctor was in town announcing all of the things mental and physical that you could get healed from. There is also a circus in town. The houses here all have propane tanks and 5 gallon purified drinking water. All day every day trucks drive around playing their water or gas jingles ("Zeta, zeta, zeta gas!" and "agua purificada! running water sounds") then you go out side and wave them down if you need anything. It is very convenient, but once again, noisy.
• On Thursdays Luz and I go to the town jail for a Bible study. They really have nothing better to do and are a very respectful bunch. One guy has been in there for close to a year for stealing a chicken. Last week while we were there some one new got locked up, he seemed quite familiar with all of the procedures and I'm thinking it wasn't his first time. The week before last we took a break because someone was coming to deliver cigarettes.
• I really like Fridays, there are three Bible studies so I don't get bored. Last friday I decided to do my laundry, by hand. I'm sure I used more water than necessary but city water is a standard $80/year. In spite of all that water it is very easy to tell which of my clothes I washed because they smell like soap. Any tips?
  Last week I mentioned that the water heater wasn't working. Now it is. Some old man came on his bike and fixed two water heaters for $5, one of them had been broken for over two years.
• Sundays are very boring. On Sunday we went out to breakfast, there was a dead fly in my sandwich. Every Sunday night there is a big party/mating ritual in the town square. I wasn't planning on going because it isn't something you go to by yourself. However, it was 9:30 and I was bored and they sell fresh churros. So I put a few pesos in my pocket and headed downtown in my overly casual attire, smiling to myself about the patheticness of my situation (however, not as pathetic as that Friday night in Concord when I took my dog to get her nails cut). And when I got there, what did I find? No churros! So I left where the churros are supposed to be and went to see if they were are in another place, and what did I find? Still no churros, BUT "Joy, why are you here by yourself? come to dinner with us." It was one of the girls that I've been getting to know on Friday mornings and her husband and their son. So no churros but a friend.
• I finished my first art project last night and for some reason I started a second one even though I only have one more session. The class has been a huge blessing because it gives me something to do with my excess of free time. If you want to purchase on of my works of art, I think I'll start auctioning them at $500

• Yesterday we were hanging out with my favorite 90-year-old lady so I took my picture with her and will attach it. She still cooks all the food for her and her husband and is appalled that people buy canned food. Her husband is like 94 and still rides his horse.
  

• There are some rumors going around about me moving down here more permanently. I don't want to completely refute them because I want to be open to where God wants me. However, He hasn't told me yet if/when I'm supposed to come back and for how long so I personally am not making any plans.