Rainy Season...

Nobody ever told me that rainy season begins in August! Before coming I had expected to encounter the hottest weather known to man in August. I have been very surprised by the amount of rain we have had! I have been here for two weeks and it has down poured for some portion of every day except one. Last night the rain was so heavy that several of our staff members were stuck off base because of flooding. My little room is up in the attic of the main building on campus... right under a tin roof. It sounds like one hundred charging buffalo when it rains! All this rain has been quite a different experience fore me...

Yummy tuna!

Tuna, tuna, tuna... that's what these little critters are called! Tunas are the fruit of a cactus plant. They sell them in the grocery store here right next to the cucumbers and tomatoes... I picked one up at the store to try and realized that I had no idea how to eat them or which part you were supposed to eat. Some of the Mexican teens here were quick to help and we had a tuna eating party!!! Tunas are filled with seeds that you simply swallow. The best way I can describe the taste is like that of a mild kiwi... really not too bad :) It was a great bonding time with the teens and another exposure to Mexican culture!... the only bad part is that I am still pulling cacti spines out of my fingers...

Memo and me eating tunas... don't I look excited!

Vamos Tigres!!!

Last night I went to a Monterrey Tigres soccer game with some new found friends! Soccer is HUGE here in Mexico! The whole night was an adventure. It started with driving part of the way, then getting a taxi, then riding the city train, and finally reaching the stadium. We were on the Metro with hundreds of other Tigres fans. All you could see were bright yellow and blue jerseys. The stadium itself was a sight to behold!

We estimated around 35,000 Tigres fans were there. There is one section of the stadium that is reserved for the "loco" fans... basically these fans stand the entire time chanting and dancing. While we were watching the game we got video taped by the news! We saw ourselves on Mexican television today as they covered the game. I have never been on TV in the States and within my first two weeks in Mexico I am a Mexican super star (okay maybe that is a little exaggeration :). The Tigres won the game with a score of 1-0. The fans were satisfied. On the Metro ride home the crowd was so intense that it was literally moving me! I don't know if I have ever been around this many people before. We ended the night by sharing our testimonies with each other at a local hamburger stand. My fellow teacher at the school, Ruby, shared about her past life and how God has brought her out of sin and into His kingdom. Cheque (with the hat) lives with his mom and dad and 10 sisters on our property. His parents are the house parents for the Esther House (a teen girls home for the girls who used to live in the children's homes and are now in high school or college). He told his amazing story of being high one night several years back and in the midst of it all hearing the Lord speak to him call him out of that lifestyle and into his glorious light! Cheque has never been the same since that encounter with Jesus and is now serving Jesus with his family in Monterrey. Jhon also came from a hard past. His father left his family when he was very young and Jhon found himself making some very poor choices through his teen years. Again, our faithful God gave him a hope and a future and Jhon is now serving Jesus by working at the children's homes. Praise Jesus for all this redemption all over the place! To sum it up it was a great night: a good soccer match, and great conversations about saving grace.

I'm Here!

Well friends, I am finally here in Monterrey! I arrived a little over a week ago and have been spending every spare minute moving into my apartment and getting the school ready for classes.

My drive down was eventful as Maglich trips always are! My madre went with me to help with the driving. On the first leg of the voyage, the check engine light came on. We were a little nervous, but luckily made it to Kansas City with no problems. There my wonderful uncle found that a wire was out on a cylinder and was able to repair it in no time. We spent the night and next morning with my sister, Lydia, then drove 12 more hours to San Antonio. There my mother and I visited the Alamo (a historical sight my mom couldn't pass up!). We continued our drive later that day and met up with the Huffer family in Mcallen, TX. The Huffers have been on staff with B2B for a year and a half and graciously agreed to help me cross to Mexico.

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about crossing the border with my car and all. I have heard horror stories about crossing the border and was hoping not to have one of my own. Again God showed me His beautiful favor! The border patrol men were some of the nicest there are! They were joking with us and being very helpful. I easily got my visa and was on the road to Monterrey in an hour.

As I drove across the USA border and into Mexico I felt a sudden assurance in my spirit that I was right where God wanted me to be. I felt confidence surge through me and a gentle peace surround me... this was all right. This was where I was supposed to be. This is what I was made to do... Thanks for that reassurance, Lord.

From the border it is around a 3 hour trip to Monterrey. We drove through the most intense rainstorm I have ever been in. We were in the middle of a flat plane and could see lighting striking the ground around us... definitely kept me awake at the wheel! I was ready to end our 30 hour drive when we arrived late that night.

Since my arrival I have been moving in, setting up the school, reconnecting with friends, meeting new ones, and getting a feel for driving in the city. Let me tell you, driving here is very different from driving in Oxford! I am slowly making my apartment feel more like home :) My bedroom is a tiny loft above my kitchen and it is painted bright red! I love it! I am privileged to have my own small bathroom as well. I will be sharing the kitchen and living room with two other girls my age who are doing a STINT program with B2B for a year. They arrive tomorrow!

I have been putting in some long hours at school these past few days. My mom helped me to arrange the furniture and start some curriculum planning while she was here. Now I am hanging up posters, organizing, and trying to figure out how I want my classroom to run this year. I feel very new at all this. It takes me awhile to organize my thoughts and to decide how to best do things... pray that God gives me wisdom as I make decisions for the course of the year.

As far as Spanish goes... I see how much I do not know! It is fun and good practice for me to speak it everyday. I am already learning new words and phrases... pray for grace with the language as well.

When I was at the store a few days ago I decided to get a cactus to try! They sell cactus in the produce section of the supermarket. I thought that it would probably be good in a salad. I tried to cut it up and eat it today, but it was FULL of little hard seeds. I wasn't sure what to do and realized that I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to eating cacti. I'm hoping to ask a native cacti eater about it tomorrow... I'll let you know what I find out :)

A misty nightfall view from my bedroom window....