Week 3

For any of you who haven't been keeping up with our blog, it is laid out so that you have to read it starting at the bottom of each week. It's the easiest way for me to update it.

Interesting VW Beetle huh. These cars are still all over Mexico and many like this one are outfitted with some pretty interesting add-on's.

After our lunch as we were leaving the restaurant, brother Knapp, began witnessing to this man who spoke pretty good English and offered him a Bible study.

The chef at this little taco joint we stopped at for lunch is showing off an octopus that will be served up on our seafood tacos.

Ken was determined to get his finger bitten off by this parrot.

Here we are in front of the Kingdom Hall just before heading out into the field ministry.

Here is a picture of the territory. As you can see, some of the white is yet to be mapped out. There is much to do here in the ministry and they welcome any help from the friends. They have around 130 territories but were only able to cover about 30 of them last year.

Here's one of our service groups. We usually have a lot of support for the groups.

Here's why we loved this restaurant. We each shared a meal which cost $9. You get what you see here.....a whole fish (it might look scary but it was amazing) covered with grilled shrimp, rice, bread and salad. But before this arrived they brought us each a cup of this amazing soup with shrimp in it, crispy corn tortillas with pico de gallo and then a bottle of tequila for the table. After the meal they bring you dessert which was this fried plantain covered with some kind of delicious sauce and finally each a glass of iced kahlua. That's $4.50 each! I just can't get over how good and inexpensive the food is here.

Our friends Todd and Amy Wartenbe

This is Cher and Joel from Canada. They were here for 3 weeks and will be leaving on Wednesday. They were a lot of fun and we will miss them.

Crazy Mexican!

We stopped at this great restaurant on the way home from the hot springs and we all had the pleasure of posing with the sombrero.

This peacock was hanging out on this old truck in the owners yard. I was hoping to get a picture of him opening his feathers....sorry.

I was....we were.....nevermind.

Here he is up closer.......ok, I zoomed in on him.

This is the largest Iguana I've ever seen. It was sunning on the tree above the hot springs and was around 5 feet long from the tip of it's tail to the end of his head. His body at the thickest part was probably the size of a football.

Jared, Chaz, Corbin and Ken all taking a turn at the hottest pool.

This is the first pool where the water is coming in from the spring. The water is around 114 degrees!! I was just getting in put as soon as you can you have to get your hands and feet out of the water as you see Tammy doing to be able to stand it. You can only handle it for a few minutes at most.

The springs are pretty primitive as you can see, but then again that keeps the price really low, $4 each for all day! The owner drained all the pools (there are many more you can't see) at the end of the day when we were leaving. He then cleans them and let's them fill back up from the natural hot spring. In the foreground is the part where the water initially comes in our of the ground and it's HOT!

Here we are claiming our spot at the springs.

Sandy petting one of the burros at the hot springs.

On the way to the hot springs we say this funny picture. They don't feed the cattle corn here like they do in the States, but apparently watermelon instead.

Saturday after service most all in the congregation met in front of Wal-Mart to spend the day at some hot springs about 45 minutes away.

Chastity's orchid she planted in our front yard. Even though she's been keeping it misted with water, it's not liking the dry heat so far. We'll see if it survives.

Here are a couple kids that live next door. They have made this kite themselves with some sticks, string, and some plastic bags from the grocery store. Pretty amazing especially considering how well it flew! Most of the kids here are very poor and have to make their own toys, even so , they are all so happy and respectful. They are always eager to have their picture taken and when you show it to them afterwards they just laugh out loud.

Chaz and Tammy working together in the door to door ministry.

Chastity enjoying her vanilla yogurt at the Costco's here. I think they may have more at this Costco than back home. It's really weird being in there. Though I did notice that the buggies here aren't nearly as full as the ones back home.

Chastity's awesome beef tacos. She's trying to compete with the locals and so far she's winning!

This is what the doctor did to my back. He put some kind of suction cup thingy to help my bad back. It must be working because I'm doing much better now.

Here I am Tuesday.

Here I am Monday.

This lady sells churros from a little cart a few blocks from our house. It's spotlessly clean and cheap.

Monday getting ready to go for a run. Yes that says "Bimbo", it's the main bread company here. If you ever watch any soccer you will see this on the jerseys of the players. We thought it was too funny to pass up getting one.

If you look close you can see Chastity on the path down below. I was up on top of a tower.

So Tuesday morning we are just getting ready to leave the house for the field ministry and as I go to lean down to put my shoes on, I yell out an agonizing scream and fall to the floor. The ole' back is out! I can't move and so Chastity goes into paramedic mode and grabs some massage oil and starts massaging my back until I can finally get off the floor and onto the couch. We get ahold of Ken and he makes me an appointment with the massage therapist next door to him. I'm there pretty much all day long and the doctor even told me to come back at any time for free if I needed him to work on my back some more for free. Chastity went out in service on Wednesday, but I stayed home on the couch with an ice pack on my back. She was happy she went because she started a bible study with a girl that morning!