Getting Caught Up – summary of the months of April and May

Thank you for your prayers,

School has come to an end and vacation has begun.

Now I have time to catch-up on the more paperwork that needs to be processed for the loss of my Van.  Before I am able to import an American car I need to pay 25,000 pesos (around $2000) in the cost to make a car Mexican, taxes etc.   Thus, I have chosen to wait (maybe it WILL show up) and buy a Mexican car.  

I am now a proud owner of a Chevrolet Sonora (SUV), which was owned by the wife of my friend Sabrina’s brother.  It is the same age as my Van but it has been well taken care of and will still carry the kids and animals etc. here in the village. A benefit is that I will be able to get permission to cross back and forth through a tollbooth just up the road with out paying.  (A person needs to own land near the tollbooth and have a nationalized vehicle.)

How are things going with the investigation of my van?

While I was working on more paper work for the insurance, and had to go the Central Station of Investigation.  The attorney, working on the case of my van, came by and was happy to let me know he got the names of the women and now needed to go and get the addresses.  He had to search several receipts because the timing on the videos and the cash registers were not in sink t.  He just went to the video of them pushing their carts out the door and used the items in their cart to compare with the receipts.  Well, I have to give him a hand that he is still working on the case as well as manyothers.    I know it is slow, but in a society were people do not trust each other and all work is sent to a central place, I am glad he is doing the little that is being done. It is only a mater of prayer to get things done here.  I am glad we have a BIG GOD and we can rest in HIM.

My plans for this summer is to catch up on a thousand and one projects.

It is 107 degrees outside and I am in my one air-conditioned room trying to get a few things done on the computer and maybe even read some books for a change.  I do not plan to travel this year but catch up on cleaning out drawers, my storage area, organizing club materials and maybe get my slides from my adventures in the olden days and put them into my computer by taking a picture of each one on a screen.   This is going to be my mini-vacation of catching up on life.  When I travel, teach school or involved in activities, my house, storage area and projects get put on HOLD and never get done.  This summer I am cleaning out the drawers, finishing my personal projects and not planning crafts for others, lesson plans, school projects.  NO this is going to be a summer of staying home (which I have not done yet!!!! but I am hoping…) Pray that I can get a lot of details done around here.   And get all those details done for my new vehicle – insurance, registration, new tires, and have a physical for the suv at the mechanic. And maybe this summer I can get more exercise and drop a few pounds – that would be an added plus.

• Oh yes, I am going to have lessons on how to do things on my website.  I am sorry but that has been a sore spot as I do not understand why what I do does not work.
• Then I need to get a prayer letter out for those poor soles who do not have computers or are not receiving these updates.
• And I would like to get some thank you notes out for those who keep me going here on the field – bless your hearts.
• Plus, one day a week I will try to have more help in my Spanish.  It is a slippery slope for me to learn a language, but it won’t hurt to help my neighbors by saying things correctly.

Women’s Bible Club is still going but earlier in the day while the children are in school.

Changing the time started out with only 2 women, then 3 and this week 6.  They are learning to do cross stitch.  I am learning that these women have not learned to think so doing a lot of these projects are hard for them.  I play games at night with different people that come to visit.  Last night one mother was struggling playing Skip-bo.  It took her so long to realize the numbers were going in order.  So doing these craft projects has been a challenge for the teachers, but I think it is a good thing to help the women “Think!”.

• Pray that next year we can get a Bible Study started for the men.  It will take a lot of prayer as this is a big battle for them to trust God in their lives – to even attend.
• Pray for more school supplies and craft items.  I am looking at what I have and ordering things that will put some of the mixed crafts together to make enough for 30 children.

I want to thank all of you for your prayers this past school year.  It has been full of events and your prayers have been my strength.

Pray I can get the rest I need to start again in August (teaching first and second grades) and that I get caught up around the house.

Barbara Russ