{"id":382,"date":"2013-08-20T10:21:22","date_gmt":"2013-08-20T17:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/crystal-pierce\/?p=382"},"modified":"2013-08-20T10:21:22","modified_gmt":"2013-08-20T17:21:22","slug":"crystals-crossings-spring-2013-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/crystal-pierce\/2013\/08\/20\/crystals-crossings-spring-2013-update\/","title":{"rendered":"Crystal’s Crossings :: Spring 2013 update"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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Family Trip 2013 – in front of the Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany<\/p>\n

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And this is how my car spent most of February and part of March. \u00a0In the shop. \u00a0Actually it visited the mechanic, tire people, and suspension guys. \u00a0I was able to sell it in April in less than 5 hours! \u00a0I’m so thankful to have been able to sell it so quickly!
\nPlease be praying as I am looking for another car. \u00a0I’m looking at just waiting until I make it to Oregon & buy one there, so I can get it registered and insured there.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Hello,
\nWell I’m back from my three week vacation. \u00a0It was so much fun to be with family and see some of the history of my grandma’s life. \u00a0We got so much crammed into three weeks, including castles, Omaha Beach (and another one), where my Dad was born, where my Grandma grew up, where she lived after the WW2, and of course spending lots and lots of time with Grandma’s cousins and their children. \u00a0We had a wonderful time. \u00a0And now I’m back in the “real world”.
\nI made it back from Germany on April 8th. \u00a0Sold my car the next day – in less than five hours! \u00a0Got to ride in to Chihuahua with a missionary lady, Allison. \u00a0July (my cat) was super thrilled to see me. \u00a0And then life was almost back to normal!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Remember Edwin? \u00a0Well he is doing wonderful after his back surgery and physical therapy. \u00a0But as I got back to Chihuahua, his wife Anita, starting having really strong abdominal pain. \u00a0Just the Sanchez family and I were here at the Ranch, while the students, Grangers and Lloyds were in the mountains for the practicum for two weeks. \u00a0With Anita’s pain, they went to the doctor and found out that she had stones in her gall bladder, and the one that was the size of a golf ball was blocking the exit. \u00a0So she had to have emergency surgery to take out the gall bladder. \u00a0Which that meant that I had to pitch in and help with picking the kids up from school or taking them to school! \u00a0It was such a crazy week as we worked on getting the Ranch ready for the students coming back, a guest speaker coming for two weeks, rides for the kids to the school and 5 soccer games, plus physical therapy for one of the boys, and general errands. \u00a0In these moments of craziness, I am continually reminded of the need for working in teams to get things accomplished. \u00a0Anita came through the surgery just wonderfully and has had no complications!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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(picture to come next month)<\/p>\n

Mixteco Team<\/strong><\/span>
\nRight before I left for Germany, I got an email from the Mixteco team in Baja California, inviting me to join the team. \u00a0The single girl, Arehmi, really needs a co-worker to help round out the team. \u00a0After receiving the go ahead from my home church and much prayer, I accepted their invitation! \u00a0I have plans of heading down to Baja California at the end of September. \u00a0The team will be here in Chihuahua in a week so we will have time to get to know each other more and also answer all my questions that I have for them. \ud83d\ude42 \u00a0Have I mentioned that it is a Mexican team and I’ll be the only American? \u00a0Isn’t that cool? \u00a0Having the opportunity to work with Mexicans on a team was one of the reasons why I was drawn to Mexico. \u00a0That also means all our meetings, and everything will be done in Spanish! \u00a0I am so thankful for the two years I’ve had here at the Ranch working on keeping my Spanish at a high level. \u00a0In the next email I’ll share with you more information about my team and working with the Mixteco people.<\/p>\n

I am finishing up the semester here at the Ranch. \u00a0Last Friday we had the graduation for 6 students. \u00a0This week is partly free for me to be able to pack up my house and partly spent in meetings. \u00a0We have a four day Confereence for the missionaries here in Mexico at the end of May. \u00a0Then there will be an 8 day Advanced Language Workshop at the beginning of June – I’ll be attending plus cooking breakfast & dinner for them! (No, I’m not busy or crazy or anything at all!) \u00a0Finish packing and cleaning house. \u00a0Then find a ride to El Paso, and then onto Oregon for three months of a furlough.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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The last week of classes I had the opportunity to teach a class called “Singles in Ministry”. \u00a0It was a very fun class to teach, and I enjoyed it so much. \u00a0It was a lot of hard work because I had no resources in Spanish, so I spent about two weeks translating English to Spanish. \u00a0Some day I should do a blog post on “what it’s like being a single missionary”.<\/p>\n
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This past Friday we just had a graduation for 6 of our students (picture below)! \u00a0It was very inspiring to see them finish and exciting to see what the future holds for them. \u00a0One student has plans to end to Tanzania, two are planning to go to Papua New Guinea, one wants to go to Colombia, and two are willing to stay here in Mexico. \u00a0And all six have desires to see unreached people hear the good news of salvation!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Summer Furlough<\/strong><\/span>
\nAfter three years here in Mexico, it’s time to get my churches and supporters updated with what’s happening in my life! \u00a0I’m so excited to be able to head to Oregon for a bit and especially to spend the summer there. \u00a0I look forward to enjoying summer BBQs, fishing trips, maybe some camping, Fourth of July at my Grandma’s, grass, air conditioning, and so much more! \u00a0I’m thrilled to also have the chance to share with some churches about what God is doing in Mexico and where He is leading me to next. \u00a0Plus I have a lot of supporters to meet up with too and catch up.
\nWith this short 3 month time, I know that I will encounter some challenges too.<\/p>\n