CASA HOGAR :: BARRA DE NAVIDAD::JOEL’S BIRTHDAY

(FRIDAY: Joel Writing)

Friday Leslie and I went with Alisha and Amy to Casa Hogar. It is an orphanage out by the airport. The first impression is awesome... It is a gated compound with nice white buildings and neat architectural flourishes. The girls had been working in the Baby section of the orphanage for almost a month. They will be leaving next week.

I am impressed with people who can work with young kids. I am sure it will be different when they are my own, but these kids were so needy. They have 15 kids and only 1 or 2 Lady volunteers. Some of these kids are in really bad shape. Imagine 15 of Jackie’s little brother Pelucas. The majority of these kids are non verbal and hyperactive. A few seem to have mental or physical disabilities, it breaks my heart that I can not heal them. There were two that I held for a while and they seemed pretty un- responsive. One girl was very skinny with thin hair. She was just laying on the ground in a twisted position. I picked her up and held her, but she did not react like a normal child. Instead, she rubbed her face against my t-shirt as if she enjoyed the sensation. Her hands were grabbing her own feet, her hair was in her face and I felt as if I could not do anything to help her. Another child wanted to be held all the time. I had the joy of feeding him lunch. A half of spoon full at a time for about 20 minutes finally finished his bowl. I do not know how old he was. He had his bottom 2 teeth, the beginning of the 4 front tops and the addition of two molars. He was not eating any solids. When he would cry and I did not know what to do, Leslie came to my rescue and magically calmed him down.

Some of the healthy ones need medical attention for (diaper rashes, skin sores and bug bites). When I first heard there were only 15 kids I thought that was nothing. But these kids really need more one on one attention. The only orphanages I have seen have been on TV movies. This was nothing like Pipi-longstocking, Little Orphan Annie or Oliver Twist. It was Hot and sweaty and these kids have not been introduced to boundaries. I know the ladies there are doing the best they can, but these kids need more care.

After the Orphanage, Leslie and I decided to travel to Barra de Navidad to explore some more of Mexico. It is about a 3 hour drive from Vallarta. We pass by the ocean on the first leg of the trip, then it is into the windy mountain roads. We passed some pine trees, mango trees, agave plants, cows on the side of the road and a few small towns. I think there was just one gas station in the middle.(Agave Fields)

There was one section of the road that the road looked like it was moving. After about 30 seconds, we realized there were little crabs that were crossing the road. They moved very fast. I do not think I hit any, but there were quite a few crab cakes on the road.

The most interesting vehicle of all the ones we passed was a Truck with a doll tied to the back... the picture should speak volumes.

We are staying in Hotel Delfin. $50 for both of us, free wireless internet and it includes a locked Garage for our car. The climate is about the same as Puerto Vallarta, but I notice a lot more BUGS! Big ones, small ones, biting ones, crawling ones and Flying ones just to name a few. Tomorrow we plan on sleeping in, eating breakfast and surfing at some nice beaches.

(SATURDAY: Leslie Writing)

We woke up this morning at around 9AM and decided to go eat breakfast. We have notice that Barra is a little muggier and a lot less breezy than PV which causes us to sweat a lot more. Our impression with Barra is good, but we like PV more. We ate breakfast this morning in a place called “Banana’s Cafe” in another hotel right on the ocean. The stretch of beach was really nice, and smaller than the beach in PV.

(The Community by El Carreyes)

After eating Breakfast we decided to hit the road as the beach recommended to us by the locals is about 45 minutes North. We drove and drove and must have missed the turn for it. In all, we took two side trips off the main road. One was to check out a Hotel called El Carreyes. It was very impressive; built 30 years ago and BEAUTIFUL! The pictures don’t do it justice. It’s a great place for those really looking to “get away,” because it’s miles from anywhere.

The second stop was a a random beach since we passed up the one we were supposed to go to. The wind was blowing really strong and the water was very violent. We decided to brave it anyway, and I had an accident the first wave I rode in. It was so strong that instead of pushing me smoothly to shore, it pushed me directly board first and head first into the sand. My board was stuck up and down at one point in the sand as was my body. As I was being tossed around, my body bent backwards and Joel came over and picked me up out of the water. The under toe was VERY strong too and it took a lot of strength just to get out of the water. God was watching and protecting me...We were miles from nowhere on a TOTALLY deserted beach and my neck or back could have snapped and broken! As soon as I was out of the water and realized what happened and what could have happened, I began to cry and decided that I wanted to go home. We are so thankful something worse didn’t happen!

We made it home safely and in time for dinner. We decided to try a new place per Joel’s Uncle Bob’s recommendation, called Barcelona. It was similar to a Tapas bar in Spain. We ordered two entrees each to share per the recommendation of our waiter. The food was wonderful and we will probably be going back there again. It’s a fun place to bring friends because the more people who come, the less you have to order as the theme is “sharing.”

(SUNDAY: Leslie Writing)

Today is Joel’s actual birthday. I organized a surprise Birthday cake and surprise singing of “Happy Birthday” at church. Randy and Sandra picked up a cake that I ordered at COSTCO and brought it to church. Joel wasn’t expecting it at all, so it was a nice little surprise.

Our neighbor Leina had her first communion today and there is a celebration going on all day within our neighborhood. We came home from church and ate a big breakfast and Leina just informed me that it’s time for more. Pepe, Leina’s dad said there might be a little pinata action later for Joel’s birthday. After eating in a few minutes, Joel has decided he wants to go see a movie.

When we get home, we have a couple options for a birthday present...his choices are either a Wii, life vest, or new wedding ring, although he just got a replacement ring for $10.

That’s about all we know for now. It’s been nice being adventuresome for the past couple days. Our plan this week is to help at the construction site again, maybe twice, and Casa Hogar again. Also, Pastor Luis Miguel from Pan de Vida tells us that the water trip for the kids is tentatively scheduled for next Saturday. The water park didn’t work out, but we will be able to take them to the beach or river. Pastor Ric comes back on Wednesday and the mission teams don’t start trickling in for another week and a half. We are planning on doing a trip to Guadalajara after church next Sunday and staying until the following Friday or Saturday. Since Sayulita is on the way too and from, we plan on staying a night or two there too.

Please be praying for continued good health for us and for our trip plans to work out. We have been saving little by little to be able to do something like Guadalajara and Barra de Navidad since we got here. We appreciate you checking in and are becoming anxious to come home.

We love you guys!

The Kellners

WORKING HARD IN THE SUNSHINE

Hello Everyone-

This week is the first week with no Pan De Vida. Our first two days were pretty much the same as every other week. Monday we worked around the house and I did work for Fine Designs. Tuesday we went to Sayulita with Armando. Armando is our next door neighbor who is originally from Manzanillo. He owns a surf board but never gets to go surfing. We have been inviting him to Sayulita for many weeks. He finally got the approval for a day off from his work and we squeezed his board inside our car and headed up to go surfing.

We were hoping there would be no jellyfish so we could all enjoy the water. When we pulled up, we walked to the water and there were no jellyfish or waves either. The bay was completely smooth. The water was clear and very warm. We could not even ride our body boards. I decided to try finding the wedding ring, praying for a miracle. For about an hour I searched but did not find it. I realize it is probably gone for good, buried below the sandy bottom.

In the afternoon some small waves came in and Armando and I paddled out to the surfing side to try to catch something. I caught 3 waves all the way to shore. Armando’s board was much too small for the size of waved they had that day. He did not catch even one wave. We had a good time hanging out in the water and catching sun. Armando got very dark in just one day... When he went, he was about the same color as Leslie, by dinner time he was looking like a Native American.

After we came home, I went down to the Malecoln with Leslie and we bought a replacement wedding ring for $10 at a silver store.

Today Leslie had her last day at Quimixto. When she came back we both went up to Mezcales in Nayirit to help Lee Short and his wife Carol build their house. Lee and Carol are a missionary couple who go to our church. They helped us paint Vera’s upstairs. It was an opportunity for us to give them some help back.

Their property is in front of a mango grove. They are building the foundation right next door to another building under construction. The neighbors house is one story high, and they have dug a 2 by 2 meeter septic tank. They also just dug a well that drained a little water into the septic tank.

It is tough to work in the sun! My job was to dig out the soft dirt in an 8 foot hole on the other side of the septic tank. As I began digging the water from the well run-off leaked into my hole. It turned the squishy dirt into a thick paste that would not slide off the shovel when I tried to toss it out of the hole.

I ended up climbing into the septic tank and bailed out the water then filled in the gaps of the tank to prevent water from leaking onto Lee’s foundation. After patching the inside of the tank, I patched the outside as well. When finished I was exhausted!!! My t-shirt was drenched with sweat and I had a little headache.

Leslie was tying together the rebar for a large column. It was fun to be there doing work together. She taught me how to tie the bar together with wire. I helped a little while trying to recover from my over exertion.

After we finished tying together the rebar, one of the mexican workers helped me clear out the hole. Part of my frustration was that after 15 minutes I had no place to put the dirt. This meant I had to throw dirt from the hole to a dirt shelf above... then climb up and shovel the same dirt again. When the other worker was there, he would shovel the dirt to me and I would shovel it out to a bigger pile... with that system we eventually got the sticky mud out of the hole and chiseled away at the wall to make a 1 meter square platform. We used Shovels, picks, and a very large chisel to square up the walls.

I realize that I have never really worked that hard in the bright sun. At Alaska Airlines I was always inside the plane in the shade and the work happened in chunks. The plane came in, and we would down load the bags and then rest for 5 min or so... then upload the bags and push the airplane back. When all you have is a shovel and a hole that needs about an hours worth of digging, I did not know how to pace myself and boy did I get tired!!! In the late afternoon I did a lot of sitting around. I had a headache and felt a little nauseous.

Leslie ended up picking up a shovel and pick and worked on digging a hole for the footing of a wall. By the end of the day we were surrounded by gnats. Leslie said she felt like a dirty dog with all the gnats swarming around us. We dashed to the car to run away from our cloud of insects. Leslie pictured herself as Linus from Charlie Brown.

During the car-ride home, I was telling Leslie I did not feel well. She offered to drive. I made it from Nayarit back into Jalisco. Somewhere between the Corona factory and the Marina I vomited into my hat. Between heaves I emptied the contents out the passenger window. I can imagine the passers-by thinking I am a tourist who had too much to drink. It was pretty embarassing but made me feel much better!

After showering, resting and eating dinner we are ready for bed. We both have had too much sun these past few days. Tomorrow we plan on staying inside most of the day.

It is hard to believe June is almost over and we will have just one month left. If possible we would like to go to Guadalajara in these coming weeks.

Thanks for checkin’ in.

Joel and Leslie

Thunder and Lightening

Hello Everyone-

What a HOT week this has been. We can really tell that things are warming up A LOT. Between small spats of rain and sun, it’s really getting a lot more humid and hot. Last night, or early this morning, we had a small electrical storm with thunder and lightening. It was pretty incredible. The lightening was striking right in the bay outside our window. We got up at about 4:30AM and went to the balcony for some pictures and got a couple pretty good ones. It soon started raining so we went back to bed. The sun was able to burn off the clouds by about 11 this morning and the sun came out.


Today we took our latest “cool cash” grand prize winner and her brother to see Kung Fu Panda. We took them to Burger King for lunch, got her little brother, Raul, a graduation outfit, and then saw the movie. Our grand prize winner’s name is Nailley, and she chose to invite her little brother, Raul. He is graduating from kindergarten this year and needed a uniform for the graduation, which is what we bought before seeing the movie. They had a great time and really enjoyed the movie! We liked it too!


This was actually the last week of Pan de Vida, contrary to what we were thinking. Next week is school registration for next year, so the kids will be preparing for that before they are actually out of school for this year. Along with helping pastor Ric with his mission teams, pastor Luis Miguel and Lupita have also asked us to help with a mission team that will be coming to do a VBS for Pan de Vida and build some houses. They would like us to be interpreters, so we feel like we will be having our hands full with “out of towners.” Since we don’t have Pan de Vida next week, we are sure there will be other things for us to do.

(This is Luis, one of the kids at Pan de Vida. He drew a picture of himself today!)

This was my first week back to Quimixto since it was raining last week and it was cancelled. Our new friends that are here for a month were invited to come along (Amy and Alisha), but only Alisha came as Amy was sick. She had a great time and I was able to see about ten people. The “clinic” seems like it is going well, but with school winding down, this next Wednesday will also be my last. Hopefully Amy will be able to come along this time too since she is also a newly graduated nurse.

Joel had a very productive week for Fine Designs He was at the internet cafe a lot and made some good progress. We are continually thankful to God for allowing him to be able to work from here and for providing for us in that way.

Tomorrow at church we will be saying “goodbye” to Dennis and Faye. About this time every year, they pack up and drive back to the US for about a month and a half to see family and raise support. They stay in the Bay Area of San Francisco with friends when they go home. They have been such a blessing and encouragement for us while we’ve been here and we’ll miss them. It’s been so nice to have connections like them while we’ve been here...someone to help take care of us if we need something.

We continue to enjoy watching the neighborhood kittens. The second set of kittens across the way from us have grown up quickly. They enjoy playing in the plants and driving “mama kitty” crazy! They like to wrestle with each other too...here in Mexico it’s called “Lucha Libre.” Nonetheless, they provide us with great free entertainment. We also still have one kitten left over from Pancha’s batch too.

(This is the one kitten we have left that's living on our balcony along with her mom, Pancha)

(The babies like to sleep in the plants where it's nice and cool)

(Mama Kitty (Micha) sleeping in the plants while her kittens sleep behind)

That’s about all we know for now. Please be praying for our car...it has started making some funny noises and we know it could use some mechanical intervention. All the cobblestone streets, our hill, and the dirt roads out at the dump make for rough conditions for a car.

Thanks for your continued prayers and for checking in!

Joel and Leslie

19th WEEK (or 17th)

Our Chinese Laundry when the rains were here

A Sunset shot of the Bougainvillea on our balcony

Hello Everyone-
My mom has pointed out that we have not posted a blog in a while. I bet you are are wondering what we have been up to...
I titled this blog Week 19 because we first flew in the 9th of February and it has been 19 weeks since we arrived. If you minus the 2 weeks we were in Washington, it would be the 17th week in Mexico.
Friday after school we went to Costco and tried to use a “Costco Card” to buy the remainder of the swim suits. Unfortunately, they do not accept US cards in Mexico. That meant we had to spend $100 of our own money to round out the final 7 suits. Saturday we found out that they will not be going to the water park (which was the whole reason to buy the suits in the first place). Pastor Luis said the contact at the water park has changed from past years, and they can not do it when they expected. If they do end up going, it will be at the end of summer after we are gone. I am sad that I wont be there during that fun time especially since Leslie worked so hard to get those suits.
Saturday, we had a really great discussion with our kids about the Lords Prayer. Our neighbor Armando had given me a book mark in Spanish about :: “Don’t say the OUR FATHER”. It breaks down line by line the Prayer that so many people have memorized. In English a few of the lines might go like this: don’t say OUR if you are only concerned with yourself, don’t say FATHER if you don’t act like his son, don’t say WHO ART IN HEAVEN if your mind is only on earthly things... and so on. Of all the craft projects we have done on Saturday morning, I feel this was the best at actually discussing spiritual things with our students. We had done the Romans Road, the Fruit of the Spirit, the Plan of Salvation and every week they seemed only shallowly interested. This last week they really were writing down and understanding what we were sharing.
The previous week we learned that there is only one name under heaven that men must be saved, the name Jesus. Our craft project was the reverse Jesus seen Below


Typically people make this with wood, but we did it with construction paper.
*if you cant see it just stare at the screen for a while, the JESUS appears in the white space.

Ceci’s 8th birthday was also on Saturday and we bought her a Costco cake. It was decorated with Sun and flowers. We did not bring our camera to take pictures, it was a beautiful and delicious treat for everyone at the school.

Saturday afternoon we had our first sunny day at the beach in over a month. We were unable to go to the water since my surgery May 9. When we did go to Sayulita last Sunday when I lost my ring, it was cloudy. Saturday was a very nice day. Good sun, nice waves and a great break from the rain and routine. For dinner we ate at the SIRLOIN STOCKADE. It is sort of like an Old Country Buffett. Afterwards we were able to buy a new camera cord for only $7.

Sunday was very different at church. Ric is always early and has everything set up by the time I arrive. This last Sunday was much more un-organized for the pre-church time. We did get everything set up and Randy did a good job covering for Ric. The sermon was on the importance of the Holy Spirit in the new testament. Starting with the Conception of Jesus, to his Baptism, to the promise of the coming for his disciples. The same Spirit that allowed Jesus to work miracles is given and working today. He shared of some healings he witnessed as he has traveled around some 3rd world countries.

Monday Leslie and I both worked very hard. She cleaned, and did laundry. I worked for fine designs and put all of my completed events on the server for the past 3 months. It took a while but needed to be done.

Tuesday we again went to Sayulita and witnessed "agua sucia" which means dirty water. There were several Jellyfish that were stinging several people around us. Leslie was very frightened and did not even try body boarding for fear of being stung. I was out for a while but witnessed 4 stingings myself. God protected me from any stings. The Jellyfish were small and washed up on to shore they were mostly clear with a blue/purple center. Again I am sorry we do not have any pictures of the jellyfish.

For those of you who read everything, Here is a posting of a June Bug that was on the floor of the apartment. It is so crazy the diversity of insect life here in Vallarta. Just think something so small running/flying around for hours without any batteries!


God bless you all-

Joel and Leslie

Rain, Rain and More Rain :: Job

Hello Everyone-

We are now heading into our 6th straight day of “Washington weather.” We just got done with five straight days of rain and today the rain has held off so far with the exception of a few sprinkles...I was even able to hang some clothes outside! We were starting to feel like maybe we should build an ark as the streets were flooding pretty good, but hopefully the weather will start to be sunny again. It was nice for a “cool” break, but we’re ready for the sunshine.

This week has seemed to be dragging for me a little bit. Monday was the usual “work around the house” day for me, and Joel worked for Fine Designs all day. Because it was raining on Tuesday (normally our beach day), Joel worked again all day and I got cozy and read a book.

Quimixto was cancelled on Wednesday due to the rain and the kids were out of school. I had invited two girls I met at church to come along as one of them just graduated from Nursing School. Luckily it wasn’t raining Wednesday morning, so Joel and I went to meet them to tell them we had a cancellation. We invited them back to our place for breakfast and a visit. Their names are Amy (the nurse), and her best friend Alisha. They are here through an organization for one month. We had waffles and got to know them a little bit and had a good time.

School went well also. We are wrapping up “in the house.” I made a crossword puzzle for all the words of objects they have learned. They had a sheet to go along with the puzzle with pictures of the items they had to find...and of course they had to remember and find the English words. They could help each other and ask us for help, but they weren’t allowed to look at their previous worksheets for help. In all, they did a great job remembering...spelling is another issue...

Today, Thursday, there is no Pan de Vida. I guess it has been cancelled on Thursdays now due to some money and political issues which would take a long time to tell about. Luckily, we aren’t anywhere near the center of what’s happening and we will be glad to stay that way. Please just pray for the Pan de Vida ministry as a whole and for the ultimate leader to be the Lord.

Joel worked this morning for Fine Designs while I stayed home to try to clean up a little...there has been a lot of stuff from outside tracked in because of the rain. We just got back from a Dr.’s appointment who says Joel is healing really well. Joel has had a couple days with some pain and discomfort and you could be praying for that too. After the Dr., we went and ate at Comida Corrida....we love it! For those that don’t know, Mexican lunch time is between 2-4 in the afternoon where many of the restaurants advertise “Comida Corrida.” You get a soup and fresh tortillas, with an entree, dessert, and juice for under $5. It’s all home made and delicious!

Since last Monday when I had all my interviews until about this Tuesday, I had been anxiously awaiting a response on job positions. I am glad to say that I was offered two positions, one at Mary Bridge on the general peds. floor, and one at Tacoma General in the NICU. After a lot of praying and consideration, I accepted the position in the NICU today. The position starts on September 2nd, whereas the other position starts July 7th. The interview in the NICU felt a lot more comfortable and laid back. Also, I wanted to be really careful about NOT basing my decision on WANTING to stay in Mexico longer. Though we do get to stay longer, I really feel like God isn’t done with us here yet. Pan de Vida doesn’t get out until July 4th and it will be nice to finish out with our kids. Pastor Ric is gone for most of this month, and Joy, his wife, will be gone for a good portion next month, leaving the church in need of worship leaders, which Joel and I will be responsible for while they are gone, especially while Joy is gone since she’s usually singing with Joel. After they get back, they will be hosting 2 mission teams which they have asked us to help with. The decision comes with a lot relief because now we can be a little more certain of when we will be coming home, which is something we’ve been praying for clarity for. Our tentative return date is July 31st.

Please be praying for Joel’s healing and for continued good general health for both of us. Jackie’s birthday was over the weekend, and continued prayers for her would be appreciated too. Please pray for Pan de Vida and for the rest of our time here to be blessed and productive.

We love you guys...Thanks for checking in!

Joel and Leslie

PS...sorry for no pictures...we can't find the cord to transfer the pictures to the computer...I hope we didn't leave it in WA!

Ministry Video :: Surfing & Lost Ring

Hello Everyone-

I finished the Ministry Video for Dennis and Fay and have uploaded it to YouTube.

If you would like to see in action what we have been up to, please check out the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG9RwzsIHbw


We are getting closer to making a decision about our departure, but tomorrow should bring more information and we will update you then.

Cool Cash auction did not go as well as expected. The kids were not as excited as we thought they would be for the backpacks. But other than that we sold everything and drew a new winner for a trip to the movies.

Saturday evening we had dinner with Dennis and Faye. They approved the posted video.

Sunday after church we went to Sayulita with the mission team from Colorado. As you know we go Boogie boarding often, but Sunday I had an opportunity to try surfing. It is a similar concept to catching the waves, but surfing you lay completely on the board paddling and boogie boarding you walk on the sandy bottom. I had my boogie board the first part of the day, and later tried surfing on one of the boards a team member had made. I caught one wave all the way to shore and I felt awesome. On the way back out, I was paddling and felt my wedding ring slip off my finger (I know what you are thinking "those kellner kids can loose rings like no other"). For those who do not know, Leslie had lost her ring on Lake Tapps shortly after we first got married. I borrowed my Dads scuba gear and was able to find it the next day under water. Unlike Lake Tapps, Sayulita has a very strong current. I stopped and tried to find my ring for 10 minutes and had no luck. To have any shot at finding it , I would need a metal detector and net and team of searchers. A few minutes later, I caught a 2nd wave to shore and had to share with Leslie the bad news. She was as gracious to me as I was to her when she lost her ring. I guess we can add this to a list of losses, but it came amidst the thrill of surfing some big waves all the way to shore! We will always remember we lost the ring at Sayulita.

Today was a productive day of work both for Leslie and I. We hung an indoor clothes line and Leslie did laundry/changed sheets. I went to Ric and Joys and burned the multiple copies of the DVD for Dennis and Fay and also sent every thing to screen and cleared out the email mailbox. I am trying to do 3 logos before heading back home. I have written this on a break from fine designs.

God Bless!
Joel and Leslie.

Back in Mexico :: First RAIN

Hello Everyone-
We have not even been back for one full week, yet things have been busy. It seems like a long time since Stefan and Celeste's Wedding.
Monday before we returned, Leslie had 3 interviews at Mary Bridge in Tacoma. They were all Residency positions in Pediatrics, which is exactly what she wants. They said she should hear from them in a week, and the waiting has been difficult. Every free moment she wants to check her email or go to the internet cafe to check her voicemail at home. So far we have no word, but we appreciate your prayers that God would show us the right position if any. It is always difficult to be in a period of waiting. Depending on which, if any, position she is offered, we may be coming home early July or Early August.
The flights down went smoothly... We had no delays and had seats next to each other. We picked up the Car and drove home and took a nap to recover from the busy visit at home. Wednesday we were back in business at the school, our class was very happy to see us! We reviewed the Bathroom and Office (two rooms that were taught while we were away). They seemed to learn well from the substitute teachers.
This week Ric and Joy are hosting a team from Denver Colorado. We went with them to a church in Mezcales, (a city in Nayarit, north of Puerto Vallarta). Leslie and I played some childrens worship songs in Spanish for the community outreach. The team from Colorado prepared some skits and testimonies. There were probably 30 kids there and it was good to teach them songs and be a part of their exposure to Gods Love. Afterwards, I played with the boys and Leslie hung out with the girls.
Thursday I stopped in at my Doctor and was given the "OK" to go to the beach and resume any/all activities. He says it is about 95% healed and there is new skin that has not dried yet. Hearing him say that I am healing well has made me feel better already.
Today I had worship practice in the morning and Pan de Vida in the afternoon. We brought the backpacks for the "Cool Cash Auction" but 2 of our students were missing. Through the grapevine, we heard the principal from the local school came by and said 2 of our students were supposed to be in class with him, but instead had been coming to Pan de Vida. They were getting behind because they did not do their homework. This happened while we were away and so our class of 6 has been cut to 4. We want to be fair to the missing students and give them the same opportunity the others have in this auction because they were with us most of the month. We plan on having the auction tomorrow after Saturday school with or without our other students.
The group from Colorado came to Pan de Vida towards the end of class. They brought Balloons and face paint. It was fun to have them participate with us. On the road home we were invited to dinner with them at Carmelitas (a restaurant that is up the hill from even us). We were told to meet them at the bottom of the hill around 715. Around 7pm it started raining! It is not the torrential rain we will experience later in the summer, but more of Washington rain that sprinkles for hours. We have been here in Mexico since February and this is the first precipitation we have seen that got the whole ground wet. We took the van to the top of the hill and the restaurant was fogged in so we ended up eating at PIPI's. It really has been great to meet all these people doing short week long missions as we are in the middle of our short 6 month mission.
After dinner the group decided to walk the malecon in the rain. Leslie and I decided to walk home since we have seen the malecon when it is dry and did not feel like walking in the rain. =)

It is still raining at 11pm as I write this... Hopefully tomorrow will bring clear skys and fresh air that happens only after some rain.

God bless-

Joel and Leslie