February 2011

February 2011

Our time here so far has been spent getting our house up and running. Our house is beginning to look like a home. My first load of laundry is in the washing machine right now and the phone guy is here to install our land line. Internet will be soon to follow. It has been hard to be patient when tasks unhampered by a different language and customs could be done much quicker and efficiently in Canada. We are eager to begin our work at the orphanage, but we continue to be working on the house. Please, pray that we will have resolution to our plumbing problems and that we'll get screens for our windows soon.

 

   

 

We live about a 10 minute walk from the orphanage and 3 minute walk to the “Mexican Walmart.” We have a large backyard which needs to be cleaned up. The kids don't play in the backyard yet because of all the debris lying around where some nasty critters likely reside. The house is large and airy and I like my kitchen. We have been blessed by people helping us to furnish and clean our home. Our landlady is very kind (albeit a little slow getting the necessary repairs done to the house) and thankfully even speaks a little English. We intend to get a dog for security as many people are advising us to do so. Please, pray for a good match of dog and family.

Everyone asks about the weather and it is quite nice. The windy season is still lingering and the dry season has begun. There likely won't be any rain until June, but while the wind is here it helps to blow away the heat. We find the sound of the wind very lonesome at night, so we play our favourite music to drown it out. At night is cools down to the low 20's and during the day it goes up to about 30 degrees. It is so windy that our water heater, which is housed in a niche at the back of the house, has had the pilot light blown out everyday. We light it just before shower (“trickle”) time.

Hannah and Jude are amusing themselves, but are looking forward to beginning homeschool. My goal is to begin homeschooling on Monday. There is a family next door which attends the church of the Nazarene. They have a little girl about Hannah's age who is friendly. Jeremiah gets all the attention when we leave our home. Mexican custom is to touch, kiss, and hold babies. If one does not touch the baby it is the same as wishing the baby harm. This is completely opposite from our concepts of hygiene and personal space! We need a balance of wisdom and grace.

At the orphanage I will be teaching art to two classes in English and assist with keeping the classroom and school supplies organized. Sam will make repairs on the orphanage, work at the ranch on building projects, and will work with mission teams which come to work. This is the general plan, but in reality we'll be helping out in many different ways. Our job description is varied and open ended. Please, pray that our Spanish will grow daily and exponentially so we can work here effectively.

Thank you for your support and prayers.

Sam, Wendy, Hannah, Jude, and Jeremiah Dieleman