Moved in

I can't believe it has already been two weeks since I moved! There are still boxes to be unpacked and painting has not yet happened, but it is already beginning to feel like home.

Mia and Riley are getting along well. I was trying to get Mia to catch a frisbee....it worked...... until Riley charged Mia to steal the frisbee.

Hmmm...perhaps Riley does not realize that he is- a) a cat, b) a lot smaller than Mia, c) not the kind of animal that catches frisbees.

This is Mia's watchdog face to keep away all the neighborhood thugs.

The tail wag is an indicator that she is getting ready to attack. BEWARE!

Riley is helping pick out paint colors. He decided on "amaretto" (a burnt orange) for the kitchen and "sweet annie" (an olive green) for the master bedroom. Good choices! I couldn't have done it without him.

there's no place like home?

I was supposed to close on house back in December, but everything fell through because of a bad appraisal. BUT, God has definitely taken care of the details! Everything that didn't work out with the other house seems to be going smoothly with this one. SOOO, hopefully I will be able to close mid-February! AND, there is even room for the doggie some very sweet friends are giving me :)

Thank you, Lord, for all the "no"s along the way!

New Fav

Toasted 15 grain bread
Humus
Freshly sliced tomatoes
YUM!

Thanksgiving at Gramma's House

The cousins!

Yum! Dinner! Thanks grammom!

Aunt Keri did NOT have anything to do with any spilled drinks,
no matter what any other people might insinuate (uncle steve)

Uncle Bob, Uncle Steve, Mom, Grammom

Trish and Nicole

Tortellini Soup

Tortellini Soup:
3 Chicken Breasts
1 TB butter or olive oil
3 cans chicken broth (also use the broth from the chicken when you boil it)
1 (9oz) package of refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini
1 (10oz) package of frozen spinach (thawed and dried)
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (undrained)
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Boil the chicken in salted water for about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Saute garlic in butter or olive oil. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add tortelliniand cook 6-7 minutes or until tender. Stir in spinach and tomatoes. Shred chicken and add to soup. Simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve. Alternatively you can leave out the chicken and make it super easy and quick.

muffin + pumpkin = muffkin?

It is fall. It is time for pumpkin muffins.

1 8oz can of pumpkin
1 box spice cake mix

Mix ingredients.
Put in muffin tin.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Follow box directions for time/temp.
Bake and eat!

Back to School

It is almost incredible how quickly time has flown- we are already in week number 6 of school. All the enthusiasm of the first few weeks is beginning to wear down and it has finally hit us-summer is over, school is work, lunch break is only twenty minutes, and all those dreams of doing everything differently, being more "together" are dwindling (but not without a fight!).

Please pray for all the teachers in your life :) It is hard work, and often our dreams of changing the world drown in the sea of paper grading, parent phone calls, and lesson planning.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Jess and I enjoy some coffee and early morning flag football during our High School Retreat at Windy Gap (A Young Life Camp)


These Seniors are ready for flag football!


More seniors, supporting their dodgeball team. The seniors went on to win this years class competitions. Congrats!

Forgiveness

This quote was on a missionary update I read recently...

"Should it surprise us, then, that when God determined to forgive us rather than punish us for all the ways we have wronged him and one another, that he went to the Cross in the person of Jesus Christ and died there? As Bonhoeffer says, everyone who forgives someone bears the other's sins. On the Cross we see God doing visibly and cosmically what every human being must do to forgive someone, though on an infinitely greater scale. I would argue, of course, that human forgiveness works this way because we unavoidably reflect the image of our Creator. That is why we should not be surprised that if we sense that the only way to triumph over evil is to go through the suffering of forgiveness, that this would be far more true of God, whose just passion to defeat evil and loving desire to forgive others are both infinitely greater than ours." --Tim Keller, The Reason for God

Home again, home again, jiggity jog

Sunday night Jenny and I arrived back in Charlotte. My school was visible from the airplane window....it definitely brought tears to my eyes. Traveling and searching for adventure is very exciting, but there is nothing like coming home. Especially when you realize that the biggest adventure is trying to live and love the Lord right where you are. Praise God for a good summer and safe travel. I am glad to be home!

A Pirate's Life For Me!

Thursday, my friend Jenny Eicher and I arrived in Honduras! The first part of our trip....a pirate type adventure!

1. We pilfered: Andrew Davis, Jenny, Andrew's friends (Hugo, Meli, and Hector) and I did some damage at the grocery store. A pirate must eat (of course).

2. We commandeered a ship: The ferry was not running from La Ceiba to Utila, so Andrew found us a not so sketchy guy who would take us across for 30$ a piece...not bad, except the boat was really small and the waves were really big. Therefore, we got really wet (including my poor camera that is not working anymore).

3. We got shipwrecked: Well, not really, but we were accidently dropped off at someone's private dock and we were so wet that it looked like we, and all of our luggage and food, had just washed up on shore.

4. We ended up on a deserted island: this part was actually planned! Our friend Andrew rented Little Cay Island....at only 115$ a night, even a pirate can't complain :)

Priceless

Bus Ride from San Luis Potosi to Mexico City: 31$
Two nights in the Hostel Cenote Azul: 20$
Turibus: 10$
Taxi: 10$

Seeing Mexico City and hanging out with RUF people and almost getting struck by lightening: PRICELESS!

Angel de Independencia

Library at the UNAM (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico)

The Zocalo: the main plaza in Mexico City

10 QUE?

Last Sunday I ran my first race since October.....a very slow 10K! I was just glad to run and praising God that I could.

Funny thing...since every thing was in Spanish, somehow I ended up without a chip timer. Glad I had my handy-dandy watch. Next time, I will know!

http://www.maratontangamanga.com

Downtown!

Lillian and I took a walk to the Centro.

Plaza de Armas

Our really amazing lunch!

Agua de Coco!

Pretty Handwriting

I learned a very helpful phrase yesterday :)

If your friend asks what you think of a guy/girl, and you want to say that they are a nice person, but maybe not that good looking, you can say "Tiene bonita letra," which means he/she has pretty handwriting.

Movie Recommendation: Under the Same Moon

Feliz Cumple, Lily!

Sunday was an exciting day!!! My friend Lillian celebrated her 30th birthday AND got baptized all on the same day. Afterwards we went to her family's house to celebrate!!!

Jaime, Lillian, Mario, and Melissa

Mi Ranchito

Lillian and her new friend Christina.

Patrick and Lisa....Lisa was the first one of us to brave the horse ride.

Luis and his little puppy....they both had scratches on their noses.

Jose and Antonio added their special, super secret ingredient to the asado.

Jim had quite an audience as he shared pictures.

Antonio used to be the McTighe's gardener. His family (meaning his immediate family, cousins, sisters, aunts, nieces, nephews, etc) were so kind to us!

The Mexican people are so beautiful and hospitable! Saturday we were invited out to a Rancho where the McTighe's gardener lives. What we thought would be a morning event ended up being a whole day event that included eating TWICE, riding horses, playing with kids, telling stories, and just spending time together. The McTighe's really have a gift of ministering to people just by being with them, where they are!

NOT a coincidence

Last Monday I went for a run in Parque Morales, right near the McTighe's house. During my cool down walk, a lady coming towards me stopped and said, "Hola.........Miss Jackson?" WHAT! It was the mom of two of my former students!!!! She was in San Luis visiting her family.

We talked a little and then she asked me if I knew anywhere that she could go to church while she was in town, so I invited her to a Bible study that I knew of.

Wednesday, the day of the Bible study was amazing!!!! We all (8 or so of us) ended up being there four hours just sharing stories of God's faithfulness. This lady (from the park) told how she had prayed, on the way to San Luis, for God to provide an opportunity to go to church in Mexico. It also turns out she has been attending Grace Covenant Church (where the McTighe's go when they are in the States and my old church) for the past month and a half! AND, she shared about how God used her sons and SouthLake school to show Himself to her. WOW!!!!

Feliz Cumple

Friday, June 20 was my 28th birthday.....I can't believe it! My friend Lillian organized a fun night out of Salsa dancing at a place called the Gallinero. Notice there are no pictures of the actual dancing because that would mean that I could actually DANCE! Ha! Lillian, Karla and Rudy left us in the dust with their rug-cutting skills.

Huapangueros

Last Sunday I went to eat some tacos with the Mazariegos family whom I met 8 years ago on my first trip to San Luis. There were some guys playing music in the corner of the restaurant. John Maz said that if you told them your name and gave them some money they would make up a song about you....so he did.....and they did!

Read about Huapango (english/spanish)