An Answer to Someone's Prayer

Upon completing my classes today, I felt I should get closer to two students who were designing an indigenous home for an exhibition later that day. As I admired their production, one of them came to me and asked me whether I had any experience working with the youth as a counselor. I explained my experiences in both work and church and then he asked if I could help him with a problem. We talked for about an hour and a half. I shared a few answers to questions he had had for so long, answers he couldn't get from anybody. His humility and willingness to be teachable and to receive advice filled my heart with gratitude. It was amazing how he transformed throughout our conversation and his dark eyes became bright and happy. Towards the end, he shook my hand with joy and pronounced the following words: "Thank you teacher. You have been an answer to my prayer." My heart was filled with joy and gratitude again as I left that old classroom knowing that I had been an instrument to help someone today. As I thanked him for his trust, I replied truthfully, "YOU have been an answer to mine." Experiences like these ones make me so grateful for the profession I chose a few years ago. I hope that I will continue to be an answer to someone's prayer and that I would take the time to listen in my heart when someone is in need of help and advice.

International Festival at Colegio Latino

Emma is waving as the Tabasco girl representative

Ashlie and Gina are standing to the right...

Villahermosa, Tabasco

Our Beautiful Tabasco Girl Emma...

Visiting Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco

This weekend we went to the Immigration office and finally received our Visas. Since we were in Villahermosa, we decided to stay in a hotel and visit the city. As you can see, our children had fun in the swimming pool, which was on the top floor of the hotel. We visited the Tomas Garrido Canabal park. Nowadays, this park carries the name of the man who founded it in 1930, and who originally called it Tabasco Park. The park was created to house the commercial cattle market, which the state is famous for. It received its current name in 1965 and was remodeled for its reopening in 1985 with new architectural and visual elements representing pre-Hispanic and colonial times. This beautiful park is located right by the shore of the Laguna de las Ilusiones. We also ate in nice restaurants and had to visit Walmart!! Charlotte went to the temple in the evening while I stayed with the children in the hotel room watching a few movies. It was a great weekend with a beautiful sunny weather.

Three Days of Unceasing Rain

15 inches in the last 24 hours...

We have been here for two months and it's been raining on and off since then. We would be amazed at the amount of rain and people would say, "Wait until the tropical rain season begins. You will see more rain," which we did not understand until now.

It's been pouring for 3 consecutive days so our streets are flooded now. We have never seen so much rain in our lives. Cars, motorcycles, and pickups are getting stuck in the water. Fortunately, we are staying in a 3-story house, which is built on high grounds; so we want to believe the water won't reach us. We feel so bad for our neighbors who are removing water from their houses; but I guess they are so used it as we heard this happens every year.

My supervisor just called and told me that there would be no classes tomorrow due to the fact that there are so many streets which are flooded in the city of Cardenas. How much longer will it rain? Who knows? Some natives said, "Ohhh...it will rain only in October." Others say, "Be ready because it won't stop until November." Who to believe? None!!! I want to believe that it changes every year, so we will just go with the flow...

Lucas' Adventure to School

Every morning Lucas wakes up and asks us: "Blanco o naranja?" which means, "White or orange?" What he truly means is which uniform he is supposed to wear. He dresses himself and after a light breakfast, he leaves for school. He loves his new Dora and Diego lunchbox, where he packs his juice and snack.

Charlotte usually buys a breakfast made by moms at school. It costs $12.00 (Mexican pesos) which is less than a dollar. This money is raised to buy materials for the classroom as they don't receive much financial help for this. Mothers take turns; they are assigned by the principal and it's your turn, you must do. It's not an option! If a mother does not participate, she has to either pay someone else to do it or she will be fined.













Lucas carries his backpack and this blue folder, which is for homework. He is doing very well in Spanish. It's truly amazing to witness his progress in the language. Though he is so young and attends a school equivalent to a Head Start in the US, both teachers are extremely good at teaching him. What I'm trying to say is that his school does not act as a Day Care Facilities. The academics play a very important part even at such a young age.







As Lucas leaves for school, one can see all these munchkins dressed in orange and blue walking to the school holding their mother's or father's hand...Such is not the case with our Lucas, who has become very independent lately just like his sisters have always been at that age...













There he went all by himself hoping that his school is open today because it had poured so heavily the day before and it rains like that, Lucas does not have school because the streets flood and so does the school. Thank Goodness it was all dried by then and he had classes.

Ants Fleeing the Rain...

We could not believe this massive invasion of ants as it started to pour this afternoon. They were trying to escape from the rain and wanted to find refuge inside the house. We were ready for them with RAID!!! Muahahahahaha!!!!

Our Daily Rain Shower

Here is our front yard getting flooded.






The backyard of the house during a heavy rain...








The front of the house

The Most Humbling Experience

Yesterday a family from Church came to pick me up early in the morning for a very special mission: traveling 20 minutes to a very small town to visit a couple whose 3-month baby son had passed away the day before. As we arrived in this very small part of the outskirts of Cardenas, my heart humbled as I witnessed the most humbling experience I have ever had. The house was situated next to a huge sugar cane field. Though Cardenas weather is always cloudy and rainy during this season; yesterday the sky was blue, the birds singing a beautiful melody, and the sun was bright and beautiful. We arrived at their humble home where chairs had been set up in and out of the house for guests who would visit the family. As we entered what it seemed to be the living-room; I observed the tiny beautiful baby's body placed in a very small casket, which was placed in the middle of this sacred place. A small flower bouquet in the shape of a bear was resting at the foot of the casket and four candles were placed around this angelic body, whose life had returned back to the presence of that Being who gave him life. I met the young couple whose faces showed that they had been awake all night long viewing their baby, as it is the custom in Mexico. The family accompanied them. As we greeted everybody, we sat and then the bishop from the LDS Church conducted what I considered one of the most spiritual funeral services I had ever witnessed in my life. We sang hymns, such as How Great Thou Art and God Be with Thee Till We Meet Again. I was asked to offer the opening prayer, then the bishop took charge and pronounced inspiring words of comfort. As he opened his mouth and talked about love, hope, patience, and preparation; I could not hold my tears as I felt the Holy Ghost invade my heart so deeply. He spoke with conviction and authority. It was as if God Himself would have spoken as the Holy Ghost confirmed in my heart that his talk was true. Everybody in the room was touched by it and shed tears as they were being comforted by the good word of God.

This experience made me wonder about how important this life is. This is the time to prepare to meet God. I pondered on my own preparation and came to the realization that I have to improve my life every day of my existence. I know that God lives. Jesus is the Christ. I'm grateful for what He did for me, which allows me to repent, change the course of my life, and be forgiven. I am grateful for life, for my family, and for the knowledge I have that one day I will return to His presence and live with Him forever.

Why Am I Here?

I can't believe how fast time flies. This Friday it's going to be 2 months since we arrived to Cardenas Tabasco. It's been a wonderful and challenging experience. It's absolutely true that we have had the most amazing time with friends, as our pictures in Facebook and this blog clearly explain it. It's also true that it's been challenging as well, which is perfectly normal as we live in an imperfect world full of opposition and challenges, which help us grow and become stronger and stronger each day. What have those challenges been? I could give you a numberless list of them; but it would be kind of unfair as I personally think we have had more blessings than challenges. I know what Charlotte would say: "I miss my dryer!!!!!!" and we do... The heat was a trial here. I thought I knew what humidity was as I was raised in Argentina; but I had no idea what I was talking about until our feet stepped out of the plane into the heat of Tabasco...Wow!!! The positive aspect is that our bodies are getting used to it; though I heard that the hottest months are May and June...so we are not looking forward to it. The rain here is unbelievable!!! We are now going through the rainy season and it pours constantly and faithfully every day at about 4:00 pm. Our main challenge is how much we miss our family and friends; but thanks to technology, we are able to contact them frequently.

The challenges are many, but as I see the many blessings we are receiving, it becomes easier every day. It's so wonderful to see the progress of our children's Spanish. How amazing it was to receive Emma's 100% in speed reading and comprehension knowing that it was in Spanish...It's beautiful to see Lucas interact in Spanish with his classmates and with me...When he gets upset or excited...he switches to Spanish and nobody can stop him. Ashlie attends Seminary each day. If she had stayed in the US, she wouldn't have been able to...She and Gina are taking French and doing so amazingly well...They are meeting new friends and doing things they wouldn't have been able to do otherwise and gaining appreciation for the things they so easily took for granted before...

In Church, Charlotte is serving as the Primary President and I was just released from being the Sunday School President for 2 weeks and called to be the Young Men President. We love going to Church and helping our ward here. I know that this is exactly where God wants us to be without any doubt in my mind...

I could also mention the delicious Mexican cuisine and the most beautiful places we have been to and will be, but those are trivial things. It is the amazing people of Mexico who makes our experience delightful. We have met great, hardworking, and humble people who sacrifice so much each day to live and provide for their families... I have students who get up at 4:00 am in order to arrive to their 7:00 am class because they have to take a 1-hour bus ride. Most of them work after school is out at 3:00 pm. I truly admire their devotion and desires to progress and become educated. Yesterday I was talking to the cleaning girl in the building where I teach. She is studying Psychology at a college in Villahermosa (45 minutes from here) in the afternoon. In the morning she cleans the building at our college, then she travels to her college and back to our town at night. "My parents are humble but they want their children to have the education they couldn't have," she said. What an example they are!!!

I am so grateful for both the challenges and the blessings I am gaining as a person here. I enjoy teaching my students...They are the reason for which I'm here...They have already become part of my life and I pray that I will have the strength to bid them farewell when they graduate in December or when we depart in June...Their examples make me a better person each day and I hope that I can become like them one day...I also know that I couldn't be here without my true strength: my family. I'm grateful for their support and for being here with me during this, our Mexican Experience.

Cultural Shock...

When Fulbright sent us to Washington DC for an orientation, we were introduced to this theme of Cultural Shock, which is very common when someone moves from one country/culture to another one. This video was presented, which I found extremely interested and amusing as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

John Paul II's Relics in Cardenas

I can't believe we witnessed this historic event in Cardenas. The relics of the late Pope John Paul II are traveling around the world. When he was alive, the Pope visited Mexico more than any other countries besides Poland and France in the world. Therefore, his relics are traveling around the country; but they were not supposed to come to Cardenas as they were visiting the capital cities of each state. Last Thursday after the girls left for school, the cathedral's bells rang for an hour followed by fireworks. I was concerned at first as I knew this was not common and later I found out that the relics of John Paul II were visiting the town. Charlotte and I had to go to downtown that morning and we were able to see the faithful Catholic people entering the church building and leaving with yellow-white flags (Papal flag) and all sorts of souvenirs. We didn't have the chance to enter the church as we did not know what they were showing; but at the end of the procession we were able to talk to a family who showed us a picture they purchased of the actual wax figure of the Pope and a vial of the ex-pontiff's blood. Though I do not share this belief of worshipping a wax figure and adore a vial of someone's blood; I thought it was very interesting and felt lucky to have been nearby for this historical event.