I am a Mexican Chef!

Hola!  Sorry it has taken me so long to update this. I really have not had a lot of time since getting back from Ajijic to sit down and write.  We finished with finals and then headed to Ajijic for a weekend get away and it was absolutely beautiful…a little hidden treasure in Mexico. Although, I heard just as much English as I did Spanish.  It is a place of retirement for many Americans and it was a great break to actually understand what everyone was saying.  We started our next set of classes last Tuesday and I will definitely be more challenged in the upcoming weeks.  I am getting so frustrated with having to use my dictionary to look up everything and getting really confused with all that we are learning right now. 

We went to Guanajuato this past weekend and these places continue to astound me.  It had much more tourists than Ajijic and again, I heard a lot of English.  It was a cute little town filled with Cobblestone streets, beautiful architecture and grounded in incredible history.  There are so many things I want to research when I return to the states to really be able to appreciate the history of these cities.  We had a cooking class last night, which was so interesting and so tasty.  I am now a professional Mexican chef and even have the certificate to prove it!   This weekend, we have a soccer game scheduled and then going to a place called Mazamitla, better known as the “Switzerland of Mexico.” 

I miss everyone so much and it is very hard for me not to countdown the 24 days I have left here!  God is continuing to show me Himself through His Word and I had such sweet times with Him this weekend.  We had a balcony off our room and I was able to just sit out there ALONE with an amazing view and enjoy some much needed prayer time and time in His Word. It is so hard to find a place here to be alone.  Please be praying that I continue to seek His Word alone and get to know Him through it, that I am able to find a time and place for intimate prayer and that I persevere in this crazy language.  Hope everyone is doing well!  Know that I am praying for you from Mexico! 

Proof that I am a Mexican Chef! We learned how to make several different kinds of salsa, guacamole and the best enchiladas I have ever had and I don't even like enchiladas!

AJIJIC...

The view from the center of town was breathtaking.  The town of Ajijic is nestled in between mountains and a lake.  

Our little "hideaway" suite in Ajijic.

GUANAJUATO...

Most of the streets were all in Cobblestone.  The look here has a very "Spanish" style due to the invasion of Spain.  The history here is so fascinating.  I can't wait to get back to the states and research everything in English that I have learned to make sure I have learned it all correctly!

We ate at this little cafe on afternoon.  There were cafes all over Guanajuato similar to this one.  Most of the people in this photo are most likely Americans.  There were tons of tourist in Guanajuato.  

Really half way done!

So, now I am really half way done (happy Jonathan?) and am so excited I have a few days where I don't have to study Spanish!  We had our finals today and I am super glad they are over.  Finals were not as easy as mid-terms, which I guess makes sense, but I am just thankful for a little break.  We are headed to Chapala early in the morning.  Tonight is the last night I get to hang out with a lot of great people I have met here.  By the time I get back from Lake Chapala, they will be gone and new people will have arrived.  God is continuing to teach me so much about Himself and how important His Word is.  I think I have become so reliant on books, bible studies and friends to teach me about the Word and I tend to neglect truly digging into the Bible.  I was so excited to find a Christian store right around the corner from my house (which by the way has Hillsong United in Spanish!!), but everything in there is in Spanish.  Basically, I have no choice but to get to know Him solely through His Word.  I pray that the Spirit intercede for me and I continually pray for insight and wisdom, to walk away from reading His Word changed, knowing Him more intimately.  I so want to use this time wisely. I really do have so much down time here and I don't want to look back thinking I could have used it better.  

"See, God has come to save me.  I will trust Him and not be afraid.  The Lord God is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.  With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!  In that wonderful day you will sing:  'Thank the Lord!  Praise His name!  Tell the world what He has done.  Oh, how mighty He is!  Sing to the Lord, for He has done wonderful things.  Make known His praise around the world.'"  Isaiah 12:  2-5

MI ESCUELA...

Almost half way!

Is it bad that I am looking forward to the halfway point?  Hope not!  We are almost done with the first minimester of classes and will have finals on Thursday.  We have Friday through Monday off with classes starting back up on Tuesday.  We are planning to go to Lake Chapala and make some day trips to various places throughout the weekend.  I am excited that I am almost halfway done, but also am a little sad that the girls I have gotten to know are leaving this weekend and a whole new group will be coming in.  Its seems like I have just now gotten comfortable with people and they are leaving!  There are a couple of girls with CEA that are staying for the entire 10 weeks, which is a little comforting.  Please pray for the people coming in and that I would be anticipating all that God will do in the upcoming 5 weeks based on how sweet He was these last 5 weeks. Through my grumbling and complaining, He provided companionship.  This past weekend, I went to the Centro (the Center of town) and then back to Tonala as well as a great little town called Tlaquepaque.  Please also pray for my last week with these classes.  I am getting so frustrated and the more I learn, the more frustrated I seem to become.  Again, there is so much and the more we learn, the more we realize how much we have to learn!  Mi mama mexicana continues to tell everyone who walks in our door that when I got here, I knew no spanish and now I am understanding so much (well, I think that is what she is saying!) but I just don't feel that way!  It is all jiberish!  I miss ya'll and love you like crazy!  

En "El Centro" at a little cafe where we stopped for cafe!  These are my friends from class, Socorro and Laura.

The view from the cafe.

This is what I like to call a "bowl of heaven."  We stopped and ate at a cute little restaurant in Tonala after shopping!

Tlaquepaque had the cutest streets and we stopped to take a picture with this nice man!

Tlaquepaque had the most beautiful churches.  

Tequila

We went to the town of Tequila and to the Jose Cuervo plant to see the process of making Tequila from start to finish.  It was so interesting and I wish I could have taken more pictures inside the actual distillery but they wouldn't let us.  I only have 3 more days of class and then our finals are on Thursday.  We don't start up the next minimester until the next Tuesday, so the girls in my group that are staying 10 weeks are taking a trip to a place called Lake Chapala.  I have heard it is beautiful and very relaxing, which is what I need right now!  I hope everyone is doing well!

There were thousands and thousands of the Tequila Cacti!  

The town is actually called "Tequila."

 El hombre es muy, muy viejo!  

Pictures from the weekend

Here are the pictures from this past weekend.  We are headed to Tequila tomorrow to see how Tequila is made...we actually are going into the fields and watching the process from start to finish!  Should be interesting!  Miss ya'll!  

View from our balcony

Our walk to the beach..so pretty!

Our hotel

Everywhere you looked, there were mountains!

Where we ate breakfast every morning..right on the beach.  

La Fin De Semana!

I had such a great weekend!  We went to a beach called Guayabitos (might be mispelled!) and it was such fun!  It was an all inclusive resort and there were so many activities included.  We went kayaking, "bananaboating", bike riding and just got to relax on the beach.  Well, I don't know if relax is the right word with all the vendors in your face every 5 minutes trying to sell you something.  I forgot to download my pictures, but will do that tomorrow, so you can see the mexican beach!  It was so great to have air conditioning (please don't take that for granted!), hot water to shower in and it was incredible to take a shower that wasn't just water "dripping."  It was a great break and a great vacation.  But, it also made me realize how much I take for granted.  As we were walking downtown, I looked around and saw small boys and girls working for every penny, sweating in the hot sun and thought about the fact that they don't get to go back to an air conditioned home or a great shower.  I pray I will always appreciate these little things when I return!  

On Saturday, I was reading through Ecclesiastes, and really got excited about what I read. Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 says "And I know that whatever God does is final.  Nothing can be added to it or taken from it.  God's purpose in this is that people should fear Him.  Whatever exists today and whatever will exist in the future has already existed in the past.  For God calls each event back in its turn."  I looked up this passage in commentaries and found this:  We have the world so much in our hearts, are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things that we have neither time nor spirit to see God's hand in them.  Wow!  How much we should realize how fleeting our lives really are.  We are meant to spend eternity with Him and are simply visitors on this earth.  We focus so much on the trivial and meaningless junk of life, all the while, we are called to fix our eyes on the author and perfecter of our faith.  I pray that my eyes are fixed on Him during this time.  Ecclesiastes 6:10 says, "  Everything has already been decided.  It was known long ago what each person would be.  So there's no use arguing with God about your destiny."  There are so many days I want to argue with God!  But, how much should I revere and fear Him knowing that He knew all of this long before I was even here.  The commentary on this passage says, "Our life upon this earth is fleeting and uncertain.  Let us return to God, trust in His mercy through Jesus Christ and submit to His will.  Let our sight rest on God and not dwell on present things."  This was so timely for me, because I am so homesick right now.  I am so ready to come home, but know I need to focus my sights on Him and His purposes for me here.  He is not done yet!  I want to be, but He is not!  Sorry this is such a book today, I just really wanted to share what He taught me this weekend!  I miss ya'll like crazy, am praying for you and loving you!