A few days ago a couple from San Jose, CA. moved to Valle. They were here about 6 weeks ago. Stayed here a month and decided this was where they wanted to be! Their names are Louie and Gay Carlstrom. They are both regular pioneers and he is an elder. A welcome addition to our congregation! I think that may bring us up to about 23 publishers now. We may have to consider moving to a smaller congregation.......just kidding.
Yesterday the Carlstroms were able to rent a very cute small 3 bdrm., 2 bath house for about $275 US. We were so happy for them!
Starting this weekend for a week the town will be extremely crowded because of easter celebrations. We have been advised to stock up on food and buy gas because the town runs out of both! So later we are going out to do just that. To get into town we will have to take the long way around but people don't go that way too often so it shouldn't have too much traffic. That's our favorite way to drive in anyway.
We will see if having so many people in town will be good for service or make it impossible. We'll let you know!
Friday, April 3, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Food
I haven't mentioned how great the food is here! Every place we've ever gone in Mexico we've managed to find the cheapest, best food. Basically through trial and error. Last week however, we spent too much money on places that just weren't worth it so now it's just hole in the walls for us!
For instance, on Mondays here in Avandaro (just outside Valle) there is a market in the town square. Great taco stands! The other day we each got two beef + french fry tacos (they put the papas in the taco) and a beer for the equivalent of $4. That's 4 tacos and 2 beers! And what would we pay for that in Palm Springs?!
Then yesterday we found the best tiny place downtown where I got a breast of chicken, rice and beans covered in chipoltle sauce with papaya water and Mike got meatballs, rice, etc. for about $2 each. It was fantastic! Hmmm, I must be hungry. It is about lunchtime.
And as a bonus we met a man who speaks perfect English while we were eating. He came to our table to help us order because we weren't understanding too well. Mike placed a book with him and after lunch we stopped by his business to visit some more.
I'm putting some new pictures on Flickr today. The link is somewhere on the right hand column. Hope everyone is well. Thanks for the occassional emails and blog comments!
For instance, on Mondays here in Avandaro (just outside Valle) there is a market in the town square. Great taco stands! The other day we each got two beef + french fry tacos (they put the papas in the taco) and a beer for the equivalent of $4. That's 4 tacos and 2 beers! And what would we pay for that in Palm Springs?!
Then yesterday we found the best tiny place downtown where I got a breast of chicken, rice and beans covered in chipoltle sauce with papaya water and Mike got meatballs, rice, etc. for about $2 each. It was fantastic! Hmmm, I must be hungry. It is about lunchtime.
And as a bonus we met a man who speaks perfect English while we were eating. He came to our table to help us order because we weren't understanding too well. Mike placed a book with him and after lunch we stopped by his business to visit some more.
I'm putting some new pictures on Flickr today. The link is somewhere on the right hand column. Hope everyone is well. Thanks for the occassional emails and blog comments!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Great Day in Service!
Today we worked in a territory near the K.H. Mike and another brother went into a small hotel to see if we could leave some magazines there. A man said come back in 15 min. So 15 min. later Mike and I went back. A young lady had arrived who spoke English. She had us sit down to talk and her grandmother joined us. To make a long story kind of short, the grandmother said that she had learned many good things from Jehovah's Witnesses. The young lady said that earlier in the day a Spanish sister had approached her and her boyfriend, and now here we were! She said it must mean something, so she went and got her boyfriend.! He is visiting from Wales. We talked and showed scriptures for about 30 min. Placed a couple of books with them and are going back next Wed. to start a study! You just never know around here what's going to happen!
Several of the brothers are starting to spruce up the K.H. in anticipation of the Memorial. They have been pressure washing the chairs and painting. We have a very nice building, but unfortunately it is on a not very nice street. I think we should clean the whole street, at least on that day! Also, our Memorial won't be until 9 PM. I guess the sun doesn't set until late around here and there's another congregation before us.
We got a kitty! She's kind of a homely little thing but extremely playful and funny. We named her Olivia.
One last thing. We were on the back porch the other night and heard rustlings in the bushes so I turned a spotlight into the yard. There was a very creepy but interesting possum looking at us!
Several of the brothers are starting to spruce up the K.H. in anticipation of the Memorial. They have been pressure washing the chairs and painting. We have a very nice building, but unfortunately it is on a not very nice street. I think we should clean the whole street, at least on that day! Also, our Memorial won't be until 9 PM. I guess the sun doesn't set until late around here and there's another congregation before us.
We got a kitty! She's kind of a homely little thing but extremely playful and funny. We named her Olivia.
One last thing. We were on the back porch the other night and heard rustlings in the bushes so I turned a spotlight into the yard. There was a very creepy but interesting possum looking at us!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Butterflies, topes and taxis
Sunday we went to pick up the literature about an hour from Valle and we were able to see the Monarch migration on our way! This is the 3rd time we've seen it and it's awesome! Watch the short video below.
Also, we decided to count the topes (speed bumps) on our way to the K.H. There are 28 really big ones; which makes 56 for the round trip. They are so irritating but necessary to slow down the local drivers! They are insane.
The topes and the drivers.
Another interesting fact is that there is no bus service in this area but there are 1000 taxis!! The taxis are mostly the crazy drivers. Time is money you know.
Also, we decided to count the topes (speed bumps) on our way to the K.H. There are 28 really big ones; which makes 56 for the round trip. They are so irritating but necessary to slow down the local drivers! They are insane.
The topes and the drivers.
Another interesting fact is that there is no bus service in this area but there are 1000 taxis!! The taxis are mostly the crazy drivers. Time is money you know.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Centro
Wanted to check in and tell you all what fun we're having in service! Of course, we go door to door, make RVs and go on other people's studies (so far none of our own), but the most fun is just walking around the center jardin and saying "Hi" to people. Not buenas dias, but Hi. When they say Hi back it's so fun to ask them where they're from, how long they've been here, whatever they want to talk about. We always place some literature in the end and a meeting invitation!
Today, for example, the second we sat down at the jardin a young man approached us and asked if we knew someone who visits the congregation from Canada from time to time. Yes, we know them. This young man met this Canadian couple over a year ago and went to a bookstudy. Being gringos I guess he just took a chance to see if we knew the couple. We talked to him for 15 min., placed 2 mags and the Teach Book, got his name and phone number and found out when a good time to study would be!
Then we walked away from him and said Hi to a foreign looking lady who stopped and talked for another 10 or so minutes. She's Canadian. We somehow started talking about global climate changes which led to placing the Water Shortage AW.
Then we started to walk back to the car and met a man from Maryland who has lived in Mexico for 25 yrs. Very friendly. He took something, I can't remember what. All these people took their time to talk to us. They didn't have to run off to do something else in 30 seconds!
One other neat thing that happened today; I had gone with another sister a couple of weeks ago on a study with a lady who teaches English. The lady told me to stop by any time as she might have some English words that she might need help pronouncing. Mike and I did go there today. She was so happy to see us! She thinks her children might respond to Mike talking to them about the Truth (she is a widow) so she invited us to her house tomorrow night when she is having an open house for her English school. And she's making tamales too!
It was a wonderful day in service!
Today, for example, the second we sat down at the jardin a young man approached us and asked if we knew someone who visits the congregation from Canada from time to time. Yes, we know them. This young man met this Canadian couple over a year ago and went to a bookstudy. Being gringos I guess he just took a chance to see if we knew the couple. We talked to him for 15 min., placed 2 mags and the Teach Book, got his name and phone number and found out when a good time to study would be!
Then we walked away from him and said Hi to a foreign looking lady who stopped and talked for another 10 or so minutes. She's Canadian. We somehow started talking about global climate changes which led to placing the Water Shortage AW.
Then we started to walk back to the car and met a man from Maryland who has lived in Mexico for 25 yrs. Very friendly. He took something, I can't remember what. All these people took their time to talk to us. They didn't have to run off to do something else in 30 seconds!
One other neat thing that happened today; I had gone with another sister a couple of weeks ago on a study with a lady who teaches English. The lady told me to stop by any time as she might have some English words that she might need help pronouncing. Mike and I did go there today. She was so happy to see us! She thinks her children might respond to Mike talking to them about the Truth (she is a widow) so she invited us to her house tomorrow night when she is having an open house for her English school. And she's making tamales too!
It was a wonderful day in service!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Found: English Speakers!
A quick note regarding our service yesterday....In about 2 hours we found over 10 English speakers on two streets. So that shows there is potential here! It took 2 hours to work 2 streets because the streets go straight up! More steep than San Francisco streets! I have to take the camera with me sometime to post some pictures of where we walk in service. An added bonus is that we are getting in better and better shape!
Also we have found English speakers in the vegetable markets, restaurants, hotels, ceramic stores, computer stores, you name it!
Oh yeah, Michael is now the Service Overseer and Watchtower Conductor. We just signed up to regular auxillary pioneer also. It's so fantastic to be finally starting to do what we came here to do!
Also we have found English speakers in the vegetable markets, restaurants, hotels, ceramic stores, computer stores, you name it!
Oh yeah, Michael is now the Service Overseer and Watchtower Conductor. We just signed up to regular auxillary pioneer also. It's so fantastic to be finally starting to do what we came here to do!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Busy Week
This week we moved! Remember I had said we weren't liking it too well in town, so we decided Thursday to search diligently for something in a quiet, clean area. We actually used Remax real estate. A very nice young lady drove us all over timbuck too and we found something just right for us!
We met the owners the same day and signed the necessary papers. We spent the night in our new place that night!
I put a link to my flickr account in the right hand column. I posted about 10 pictures of our new surroundings. We are in an area called Avandaro. It's 6 miles from Valle de Bravo. It's a winding lakeside road to get here! This area of the lake is a Ponderosa Pine forest. The healthiest pines we've ever seen. There are other types of evergreens, Madrona, citrus, banana and avacado trees also. The vegetation is very much like where we lived in Washington state minus the last three types of trees! There are also rhodadenrons and azeleas and tons of other flowers. It's quite amazing.
Another reason we came out this far is that this area really needs to be concentrated on in service. There are many English speakers out here but they are mostly here on the weekends. Hopefully we can get a regular group to find all we can out here. Next posting will be about service experiences! Had to get that moving thing out of the way!
Well I hope you enjoy the pictures.
We met the owners the same day and signed the necessary papers. We spent the night in our new place that night!
I put a link to my flickr account in the right hand column. I posted about 10 pictures of our new surroundings. We are in an area called Avandaro. It's 6 miles from Valle de Bravo. It's a winding lakeside road to get here! This area of the lake is a Ponderosa Pine forest. The healthiest pines we've ever seen. There are other types of evergreens, Madrona, citrus, banana and avacado trees also. The vegetation is very much like where we lived in Washington state minus the last three types of trees! There are also rhodadenrons and azeleas and tons of other flowers. It's quite amazing.
Another reason we came out this far is that this area really needs to be concentrated on in service. There are many English speakers out here but they are mostly here on the weekends. Hopefully we can get a regular group to find all we can out here. Next posting will be about service experiences! Had to get that moving thing out of the way!
Well I hope you enjoy the pictures.
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