Meeting Mr.Richter Scale

Hey Y'all!

The Baja Life is still treating me well. One week until I make the trip home for Christmas and I have SO MUCH to accomplish before then! Tomorrow I am heading to the church in Colonet (2 hours south) for the monthly get together with all the other churches. On Sunday I teach a class for the Teen Girls and Babies. And next week I will be shopping for Christmas presents for all the kiddos in Colonet. I will also be having my last Bible Study and Cooking Class with the women at Colonia 89 before the New Year. After discussing some ideas with my mom, I think we will be making puppy chow and peppermint bark. Tough life, huh?

Last weekend I spent time with Murrieta Church of Christ. They came down for their annual Christmas bash with the Maneadero congregation. It was such a success! It was so well organized and the food was delicious. We had carne asada, beans, rice, and homemade Christmas cookies! The event was held at a park in Maneadero. It turned out to be so perfect and I believe they are planning on having it there next year! I am so glad I was able to help out with that. Afterwards, we headed to the church building to measure for the new kitchen they will be building. I played a game of basketball with some of the guys back at the church. After being held hostage in my house by bronchitis a few days prior, that was just what I needed :)!

So about this meeting with Mr.Richter Scale...On Wednesday, my friend Misha and I headed to Mexicali to hang out with my host sister who is in school there. She had already finished her finals and we were going to ride back with her the following day. So we left about 8:00 on Wednesday headed to Mexicali. 5 hours later we enter Mexicali. First of all, I was so excited to have the chance to see another part of Mexico!!!!! Deserts and Mountains galore! We ended up exploring Mexicali all afternoon and we went bowling that night haha. So I am peacefully laying in my bed that night staring at the wall and felt the ground shake a little. I really thought it was just my imagination, but then it really started shaking. I was smart and just continued to lay there...But seriously, I was scared out of my mind! I got up because I heard Misha and Liss talking about it. They kept making fun of me! How rude! So I got back in my bed and still felt it shaking. I was like, "Guys, I think it's still shaking." Baha no, it wasn't, it was just me shaking. Anyways, we ended up looking on a website that records earthquakes and it just so happened that Mexicali had already had about 10 that day. The one we felt measured at 3.9. I will be just fine never having to deal with Mr.Richter again.

Other news making headlines this week:
Trip to Velmar Hospital in town ends in Bronchitis diagnosis.

New Fish Taco Stand opens just minutes from City of Children. (It's pretty delicious.)

Teen Boys at City of Children announce what is topping their Christmas List this year: My sister, Meggie, and Pants, my dog. (I'm going to try my best to make this happen)

Tortilla Tally-132

"Modern man has lost the perspective of eternity. To distract himself from the gaping jaws of death, he engages in ceaseless activity and amusement. The practice of being still in My Presence is almost a lost art, yet it is this very stillness that enables you to experience My eternal Love. You need the certainty of My loving Presence in order to weather the storms of life. During times of severe testing, even the best theology can fail you if it isn't accompanied by experiential knowledge of Me. The ultimate protection against sinking during life's storms is devoting time to develop your friendship with Me."

Eyem teeching Inglish now

FYI: I will be in Mexico the first weekend in November every year from now on. The Baja Missions conference rocked! I'll be honest...I thought it would be boring. Nope. Not one bit. Everyone that came from the States was either hilarious or really nice. I had so much fun getting to know other people who love the Baja so much and who really care about making their Baja trip a success. I traveled with the Mayfair group to San Quintin. What a fun group! I made 2 new friends...Renee Graham and Jan Brewer. After spending a few days with them, I quickly decided I want to be them when I grow up. They are just the sweetest Southern ladies you've ever met! And everything they say is hilarious! I hope I am able to spend time in Baja with them again!

I just taught my second English class today to the Colonia 89 congregation. I teach the class an hour before their teens meet for class on Saturdays. Learning English is a good way to get the teens to come to class. Hence, this is where I come in. So far we have covered Salutations and numbers. I have had about 8 people both times and I am loving it so far! I was pretty against teaching an English class before I came for many different reasons. However, I've learned that you can't be picky when you're trying your best to follow God's plan for your life. The plan now is to teach this class until I leave next July.

I just got back from Temecula, CA today with Tom Begin (City of Children Director). I spent most of the Thanksgiving week with his family. They spoiled me absolutely rotten! His wife Jeanie cooked the best food and I got to spend time with their 4 year old grandson, Ethan. On Thanksgiving we ate traditional Thanksgiving food, hit a piñata (haha!), and watched half of Napoleon Dynamite. I forget how funny/dumb that movie is! Basically I am already planning my next trip up there. It's so good to know I have somewhere great to go in the future if need be :)!

Border Patrol was really hopping today! They just located another drug tunnel yesterday in the Otay Mesa area. It just so happens to be the same place that we cross the border. We got stopped at the border and again right after we crossed the border which has never happened before. That all went smoothly except for the fact that one of the military dudes had on a freaky Halloween mask. Who told him that was okay to wear?! At the next Military checkpoint the guy flat out asked me if we had drugs with us. okkk. If I did, would I tell you?! Never a dull moment here in Mexico.

Next week Murrieta Church of Christ from CA will be coming to spend time with the church in Maneadero. I will be helping out with that next weekend wherever I'm needed. I will also be continuing my classes with the teen girls and babies at the City of Children and the women at the church in Colonia 89. After Christmas I will begin working with the women at the Maneadero congregation. We will be talking about physical, emotional, and spiritual care. I am excited about that! I may even try to fit some kind of Yoga class in my time with them. We'll see!

I want to share this next quote with you. Um convicting. I am guilty on all counts.

For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that lead to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved. (Richard Stearns Version)

My prayer is that we will see people as God sees them and not as the world wants us to see them. It's so easy to let the world tell us what to think of foreigners, prisoners, homeless people, etc. Do you think that's how God sees them? We all need His grace and love just as much as the next person. Let's stop pointing fingers and start asking God to help us see His People through His Eyes.

Love y'all!

P.S. Tortilla Tally-do I have to tell you??

Visitors, Visitors!

I have recently had a few visitors here in Mexico. A group from Boyd Buchanan came to the City of Children for their fall break trip. I was so impressed by their group! They were so prepared for their trip and they even sang songs in Spanish. AND, it was so AWESOME to hear "y'all!" every other word. I LOVED it. Also, they made sweet tea for every meal. I must have had a lot because Mario started talking to me about the dangers of too much tea. Oops :). They were so sweet and it was a good reminder of why I love living in the South so much.

Allyson Hall came to visit this past weekend. She is a dear "friend" of Misha's and they were sweet to let me
hang out with them! We went to a place called "Las Canadas". There we ziplined and also walked across some scary bridges. The pictures say it all. If you have facebook, you should check them all out. This is my scared face!

In other news...

A rooster conveniently moved into a house across the street this past week. My alarm clock is no longer needed.

2 Black Widow spiders were brutally murdered outside the Baja Missions office with the help of teen boys from Boyd Buchanan.

I'm coming home in 2 weeks (Yipeeee)!

I accidently used the verb "fallecer"(to pass away) instead of "fracasar"(to fail). Maybe numerous times.
I really have no idea haha!!! Special thanks to Pilar for correcting me on that!

Pilar and I ate at this delicious restaurant a few weeks ago. A rather tipsy American lady came up and started talking to us in Spanish (very basic). She complained about some "alergias"(allergies) while pointing at her eyes. It was very comical and I was actually doing very good at keeping a straight face. Well, then she looked at Pilar and said "tu primera vez aqui?"(Your first time here?). Oh my dear. I totally busted before she could even finish the sentence. Pilar's FIRST TIME IN ENSENADA?! I don't think so! I wanted to tell her that Pilar basically owns Ensenada but I refrained from saying anything.

The Baja Missions conference is next week! I am very excited for it, but also very stressed out :). I'm trying to perfect my Spanish, prepare to teach 3 classes next week (one for the conference), and am trying not to freak out :)! Please keep me in your prayers!

Tortilla Tally: 92 (Don't judge me!)

"This is what I've come to believe about change: it's good, in the way that childbirth is good, and heartbreak is good, and failure is good. By that I mean that it's incredibly painful, exponentially more so if you fight it, and also that it has the potential to open you up, to open life up, to deliver you right into the palm of God's hand, which is where you wanted to be all along, except that you were too busy pushing and pulling your life into exactly what you thought it should be."
-Shauna Niequist

love Y'ALL.

My Mother, there really is no other.

Wowsa. It would be a tall task for me to write about everything that has happened since my last post, but I will try to fill you in on the most exciting things! My parents came to visit me two weekends ago, along with Jimmy Smith. WHAT a weekend. The weekend basically consisted of mom trying her best to speak Spanish, Dad asking me to translate American sayings that don't exactly translate in Spanish, and me and Jimmy just looking at each other like, "What is going on?!". My very favorite quote of the week came from the mouth of my mother, Linda Bumpus. "Poor little Reyna really needs help with her math homework. She couldn't understand anything I was saying to her." Oh dear, I do recommend that you hire my mom as a tour guide if you ever want to visit. Seriously. She provides cooking services, translating services, and can show you the best places for Christmas decorations! Love you, mom :).

In other news, I traveled to San Quintin this past Saturday to attend a youth meeting at the church there. San Quintin is where I have spent time my past 5 Spring Breaks. Before we started our trip, we stopped at Pemex (gas station) for coffee. Not just any old coffee, but cinnamon coffee!!!!! The trip there and back is absolutely breathtaking! Just imagine big mountains, vineyards, fields, the ocean. Ahh, I was definitely reminded of why I love this place so much. It was truly hilarious to see my little friends there and the looks they had on their faces when they saw me. The picture on my blog is of me and 3 little girls from San Quintin. The little girl on the right in the pink hat is "Tania". She is my absolute favorite and we got to hang out together all day. She kept telling me that she really wants to come home to Nashville with me one day!

Exciting highlights of the week:
On Sunday, a cow was spotted walking around the City of Children. It got to visit a few gardens and apparently ate everything in the Mediano boys garden. The last time we saw it, it was heading for the workout equipment at the teen boys dorm. No joke.

I got a young professional haircut for...$5.

One of the mediano boys (Enrique) took my Spanish bible from me and pretended to read it in Chinese. If you know Enrique, you're probably laughing. If not, you should come meet him!!

I started my Bible class with the women at Colonia 89 last week. It went so well! Tomorrow we will be having a cooking class and we will be making my Mimi's recipe of Apple Pie Goody. YUM!

I started classes with the babies and the teen girls at the City of Children this week. I will be teaching them every Sunday after church.

Tortilla Tally: 72

I really appreciate all the letters, messages, encouragement, and prayers that have been sent my way. It REALLY makes a difference. While I really do feel like I'm in the right place, it's hard not to have doubts sometimes about my purpose and my abilities. While my Spanish is definitely improving, it's still a constant source of stress and worry. I continually feel God putting it on my heart to be grateful for my circumstances. If I weren't so dependent on Him right now, I probably wouldn't be able to experience the love and strength that He provides me with everyday. I want to share this thought with you from my devotional book:

"Many people spend a lifetime or a small fortune searching for someone who understands them. Yet I am freely available to all who call upon my Name, who open their hearts to receive me as Savior. This simple act of faith is the beginning of a lifelong love story. I, the Lover of your soul, understand you perfectly and love you eternally."

Lately

This week I met with Chanita and Ariana, both members at Colonia 89, about working with the women and teen girls at that church. We will have a Bible study on prayer and an activity every other week. This class will last from October to December. After that, I will be doing something similar with the women at the church in Maneadero. I will soon start spending time with the teen girls at Colonia 89 so that I can develop friendships with them before I start a class/activities with them in January. Beginning in mid-October I will be starting a Bible study with the women at El Zorrillo. We have yet to decide what we will be discussing.

A group of Australians visited the City of Children this week. Unfortunately for me, I was only able to spend time with them one day. Pilar and I accompanied them to the Maneadero church for food relief. We visited different families that attend church there.

On Friday, Carole Stout (former COC director) invited me and a few other women for "Ladies Day" in San Diego. We ate lunch together, got our nails done, and went shopping. It was so much fun! The only part that wasn't fun was sitting at the border for 2 and 1/2 hours!

On Sunday, I ate with the teen girls at the City of Children after church. After lunch a few of them practiced a dance to a Black-Eyed Peas song. It was hilarious! Then they asked me to dance...alone. I didn't exactly want to dance by myself so I told them I didn't really know how to dance. And then they responded with, "We've seen your Glamorous video, we know you can dance!" What?? I don't think I danced in that video, and I'm really embarrassed that they've even seen it. I'm really embarrassed that anyone has seen it!!! So I promised them I would do a dance for them this coming Sunday when my parents are here. I'm sure my mom can help me come up with some dance moves. Maybe she can even dance with me??

My parents come this week!!!!! Everyone is anxiously awaiting their arrival. Especially me. I will be meeting them in San Diego on Thursday and then ride down with them on Friday to the City of Children. Jimmy Smith, a family friend, is also coming with them. He is COMPLETELY CRAZY and I can't wait for him to get here! If you can't tell, I really like visitors! I know I've only been here 2 weeks, but I still really like visitors. I miss everyone so much! Please know that I think about family and friends daily and I pray that you can feel God's love and calling for you. Much love!

P.S. Tortilla Tally: 50

It's been a week already?!

I can't believe it's been a week! Seriously, I could write a blog post for every day that I've been here so far.
I have been so busy and so much has happened! Basically this week I've gotten settled in, met with the church leaders at Colonia 89 and El Zorrillo, and spent time at the City of Children. I think I'm going to start a count of how many tortillas I eat while I'm here. It will be my tortilla tally. Tortilla tally: 33. Yep, I don't know how I feel about that...

My host sister, Lissandra, came into town on Wednesday from Mexicali where she attends college. On Thursday, Lissandra and I rode a bus into town (scary!) to meet up with Pilar for the Independence Day Parade. Before we went to the parade, I practically begged them to go to my favorite cafe for pastries and coffee. Cafe Kaffa is the name and it is my favorite little cafe here. Good coffee, delicious pastries, and the sweet little man that works there make for a delightful time! I can't wait to go there everyday when my parents come in 2 weeks!! On Saturday, I traveled with Misael and Alejandro (Baja Missions translators) to El Zorrillo. We met up with a group there from the Yorba Linda church in California. Did I mention that Misael and Alejandro serenaded me with George Strait songs on the drive there? It was pretty
hilarious. While they poured concrete, I stayed at the church and spent time with Yolanda (preacher's wife) and their family. We decided that I will probably be teaching a ladies class there every Saturday or every other Saturday.

 All in all, this whole experience couldn't be going any better. I have felt a tremendous amount of peace ever since it was confirmed that I would be spending time down here. It won't go away! I have no doubt that God has me here for reasons unknown to me and I have to keep my eyes on Him. I know some of you are praying for me and I really appreciate that! Be open to His calling this week.

P.S. I will post pictures soon!

Thankful to be on the other side of goodbye

I strongly dislike goodbyes. I would rather leave without anyone knowing than to have to say goodbye. It's just too hard for me! All that to say, I am glad to finally be here! I absolutely love it. Things I forgot: my passport (yes, it's true), my hairdryer, and the spider traps mom bought for me (baha). I might have "accidently" left those at home.

Gary Halford from Arkansas is here this week visiting the City of Children and the church in Colonia 89. He is on the Board at the City of Children and they have a meeting here later this week. I can't tell you what a blessing it's been to have him here for my first week. He's a big jokester and keeps hating on Tennessee football. Not ok!

On Saturday while we were playing kickball at the City of Children, someone spotted a rather large spider. It was a tarantula. I made the mistake of looking at it. Now everything I look at is a tarantula. How does my mom always buy the most outlandish things (e.g. Spider traps), and then I END UP NEEDING THEM?! Also on Saturday I was reunited with 2 friends, Carlos Ramos and Ivan Sanchez. They both grew up at the City of Children and now live in Ensenada. They are both hilarious and I am so happy to spend time with them here after so many years apart! On Sunday, I ate goat (actually delicious!), a paleta, salsa verde chips, and manzana lift. I mean, seriously, could it get any better??

Today (Monday) was my first day with Baja Missions. I am currently sitting at my desk, and I just got back from lunch with Pilar. She is a dear friend of my family and she also works for Baja Missions. My plans for this week include meeting with the church in Colonia 89, celebrating the 200th year of Mexican Independence, and drinking lots of coffee.  Life here is very tranquila (calm) and that's why I love it so much. Have a great week y'all.

Caroline

Here We Go!

Today's the big day and I can't believe it's finally here. The past month has been somewhat of a blur getting everything ready for the next 11 months of my life. 11 months! I honestly can't grasp that length of time in my head right now. Leaving has made me realize just how much I love Nashville and the community that I have found here. Things I'm going to miss most include: Panera's Hazelnut coffee, Baby Andrew, Rhodes, and Ella Grace.... and of course my family and friends! The past two days I've had two going away parties and I'm so glad I got to see so many of my good friends before leaving.

To begin my travel day, I'm going to a late breakfast with my family and Angi in East Nashville at my favorite little French place called Marche. Then my family will be taking me to the airport for my 2 o'clock flight. Once in San Diego, Stan and Carole Stout will be picking me up at the airport and I'll be staying with them tonight at their house in San Diego. Tomorrow we will be driving down to San Diego with Ron Brown for his annual City of Children Cookout. I can't wait to see and play with all my favorite kids all day tomorrow! After the cookout I'll be heading to Esperanza's house in Colonia 89 which will be my home for the next 11 months.

Thanks to everyone who has encouraged, supported, and prayed for me as I have prepared for this trip and next phase of my life. I am confident this is where God wants me to be for the next eleven months and I can't wait to see what He has in store for me in Mexico. Please continue to pray for me during this time of change and transition. I love you all!

-Caroline