Desde Saltillo

So this week has been more of a vacation that physical labor and construction projects, but it is a welcome change nonetheless. Last Saturday Bill, Raul and I drove to Nuevo Laredo (another border town 3 hours west of Reynosa) to meet up with a group from San Antonio. It's a tiny team of four people but we joined up with a congregation here in Saltillo and while there's more fellowship and eating that actual labor hours being contributed, we still manage to have a good time.

This foto was taken in the local parque with Harry (actually Hector but doesn't he look like Potter? 10 yrs old and a great ball player, beisbol that is... ), Alejandra (14, I'm waiting for her to turn 15 so I can go to her quinceanera, she sings with the worship band), Suri (pronounced like the Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes baby, wants to be a chef and is a great help in the kitchen). The tiled bench behind them is quite popular and native to Saltillo (azulejo=tile).

In fact we headed up to the biggest ski resort in Mexico where it actually snows at certain times of the year. Can you believe it, I used two blankets and actually had escaliofrios, or goosebumps in the morning! There was a pool, jacuzzi and time for some nature hikes amongst a backdrop of purple gray mountains. The picture below is the main lodge not where we stayed directly but it provides an idea of the lujo I experienced for the night!

We are staying with a family from the church who have children my age: Issac 20, Ishmar 19 and Ishmael 14. It's been a different experience working on the site, I worry less about what materials are or are not present and what the schedule is for the day (it's kinda nice passing that responsibility on to someone else) but the focus here is definitely more on fellowship and getting to know the congregation from Eben-Ezer Presbyterian.


My bilingual buddy Nefty (on my right) lives in Texas but comes to Saltillo to spend summer vacation with her abuelita. All the cousins are here and with freedom to stay up late playing, who wouldn't want to come? She's going into 3rd grade next year. When I asked her what her parents do she explained succinctly, "My dad puts corn dogs in a box and then wraps it up with tape". PS- She likes corn dogs con picante.

On Thursday night we drove to a nearby town called Ramos where a young couple have started a growing youth group and bible school. Originally they planned a week-long vacation bible school but children kept returning to ask when the next event would be so know they hold two services weekly, play games, sing songs and have a good time just being kids.
On Friday we finished off the week with a bonfire (marshmallow/bonbon/marvavisco roasting included) and pozole a traditional soup dish. This week has been one of my favorites because of the relationships built between the two groups, the congregation from San Antonio and Saltillo. Plans are in the midst for a reunion midyear on the board and with luck enough local church members may be able to receive visas and travel to Texas next summer for a mission trip.