The Heidi Ogg Blog

A trip south

2011-03-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

The BBS family went on a road trip. We headed south to visit another bible school and also took a night to camp along the ocean.

Our camping site.

Director Sorensen giving instructions on putting up the tent.

The girls getting to work

Miss Elena Sorensen checking in on the girls

Almost there

And the finished project. Girls home done.

And this was Jonny's bed

It was a great time to step away from city life, to be together, and to enjoy the beautiful creation God has made here on the Baja peninsula.

Surfing

2011-03-25T16:17:00.001-07:00

It is nearly the end of the term. In fact, next Friday is graduation day. We will be celebrating what God has done in year two at Baja Bible School. In preparation for this special day, I am going to post a few highlights from spring term... starting with surfing pics.

I never went surfing while I lived in Oregon, but this past term I had a chance to surf down near Rosarito. In January, our first week of school was spent in Rosarito studying the Fatherhood of God. It was a great week of teaching and we were blessed to be by the ocean with many sunny days. So one day... I joined Jonny and gave surfing a try. I never officially stood up, but I really liked it, and would love to try again some day.

Feliz Navidad

2010-12-16T16:11:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Tijuana! Our first term of school has come to an end, which means staff and students are on break and enjoying time with family and friends. For the first time, I have been spending most of my break in Tijuana/San Diego. I have enjoyed the christmas lights, the champurrado, christmas tree lots lit up at night, and a multitude of cars driving around with reindeer antlers.

A December day in Tijuana

Our Baja Students celebrating at the Christmas party

Lots of great decorations around the city

Staff ladies enjoying some fun with our Christmas antlers

Car with antlers...

Champurrado. A thick chocolate drink that warms you up on a cold winters night. It is made of masa, cinnamon, abuelita chocolate, milk, and of course sugar.

Merry Christmas!

Mi Casita

2010-11-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

I received a great gift this year... the opportunity to live in my own little house on the campus grounds. It has been titled "Heidi's cottage" by the students which is quite appropriate. It is small, but also very cozy. I thought I would give you a bit of a tour.

This is the downstairs. God provided furniture, a rug, couch, and most of the stuff even matches :-)

And if you were to turn back toward the entrance you would find the kitchen area. I love having my own little oven. I baked my first fall treat yesterday... pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

The staircase

And the upstairs level. This the bedroom area, and I have a little bathroom up here too.

And this is me having fun decorating my own little home.

Tijuana Life

2010-09-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

After taking a summer break from blogging (and from life in Tijuana), I am home now, and so it is time to blog once again. I had the chance to live in Oregon for the summer. It was a summer of waitressing (lazy Susan Cafe... wonderful breakfast place in Cannon Beach, OR), catching up with good friends, and rest. The time of rest was good, and now it is very nice to be home in Tijuana.

Here are a few shots to highlight the new additions in my life as year 2 of Baja Bible School begins.

I left Tijuana in April and drove up to Oregon. At the time of departure all four doors were red. In June, I became the proud owner of a red Subaru with a blue door. I am thankful for this little car, and now it has a bit more character.

Meet our new students. Natalie, Megan, and Jonny have joined us for year 2 of Baja Bible School. We are very thankful for a great group of students.

My dear friends, the Magees, have moved to Mexico. So now one of my favorite families lives just about 1.5 hours east of Tijuana. Meet Abigail and Audrey Magee.

And finally, I learned about the world of root canals this summer. I started the process in Oregon, and then received my crown in Tijuana. As a root canal survivor, I can honestly say that they are not as terrible as everyone says. Today my friend Richell and I were driving in the city though and this dentist's office (actually a root canal specialist) caught my attention. Here in Tijuana, many medical offices have pictures on their signs/front windows that are associated with the work that they do. Please look at the tooth in the upper left hand corner... ouch.

More highlights of Tijuana life and the adventures of Baja Bible School coming soon.

A visit to Bol-Bol

2010-05-01T11:33:00.001-07:00

I had a chance to visit Bol-Bol a few weeks ago. I had never gone bowling in Tijuana before, and it was a lot of fun. Much like the states, they have bowling leagues, cosmic bowling, the crazy shoes, video games, and all the other familiar features you would find in your local bowling alley.

This particular bowling trip was special because our friend Miguel went bowling for the first time. He did great and scored over 100 in his first game ever. In fact, he nearly won.

Here is your word lesson of the day. In Spanish the word for bowling is Boliche.

Here the men are studying the lane as we prepare to begin our game. Giving Miguel some tips before he plays for the first time.

And here he goes... bowling for the first time ever!

This was just the third frame, and notice the fun spellings of our names.

Almost finished...Ryan ended up winning, followed by Shawna, and then Miguel.

Rainy Tijuana Days

2010-04-23T00:22:00.001-07:00

We just had another rainy Tijuana day, so I figured it was time to post a few photos of what that looks like down here. The driving in Mexico becomes a little more interesting after a good rain. Depending on where you are in the city, the roads can become like mini rivers. Here are a few shots coming down the road from the Castillo.

This group of rain photos came from a rainy day adventure that Stephanie and I took last year. We had been out visiting some friends and it began to rain pretty hard. It was a good thing we had the Sorensen's Jetta that day because the roads were full of water as we headed home. The Jetta is able to tackle just about anything :-)

The rain adds a few things to Tijuana life. One thing... Potholes! After a good rain, you have to be extra careful as you drive. New potholes have likely developed on the roads you were once familiar with and can easily catch you by surprise, or at least your poor car by surprise.

The rain also adds beauty to the city. The hills turn green and the city looks really beautiful this time of year. Here are a few shots from Eastern Tijuana.

Graduation Week

2010-04-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a celebration! It was graduation week here at Baja Bible School. The first year has come to an end. Thank you all that have prayed, given, and walked with us (staff or students) in our very first year. Both staff and students learned a ton this year and the staff is looking forward to coming back and starting our second year of school in September. After some good rest this summer of course :-)

Here are a few shots from the last week... me and my dear girls, Leah and Katie, and of course a photo of the graduates. Congrats to our first group of graduates from Baja Bible School! We will miss you. Andrew we will miss you too!

Andrew and Chuy. Andrew has been with us the past two years as the Business Manager. He joined Chuy and family in working at the family business :-)

Leah, Katie and I enjoying a meal at the taco stand.

The graduates. The red sweatshirts became our version of the cap and gown. :-)

Leah and I

Katie and Leah... very dear to me!

El Dia del Amor y la Amistad

2010-02-18T15:23:00.000-08:00

I enjoy watching Mexico celebrate Valentine's Day. I blogged on this fact last year, but seeing it is only my second Valentine's Day ever to be celebrated in Tijuana, I decided to write another Valentine's Day post.

A few things I appreciate about the celebration down here:

1. It is not just a romantic day. Everyone is invited to celebrate because it is the day of love and friendship. ( Amor y Amistad)

2. The streets become very colorful with lots of pink and red. As you drive down the street on Valentine's Day you find bouquets of balloons tied to cars, lots of flowers, cellophane wrapped gifts ready to be given to a loved one or friend.

3. The gifts are bigger and more creative than most things I have ever seen in the states. I took a picture of what I am hopping to receive next year :-)

Here are a few photos for you:

Setting up for Valentine's Day .

So, if I was to pick a gift, I would vote for this tree of roses :)

A few of my favorite things

2009-12-19T13:59:00.000-08:00

As we head into a new year and a new term of school, thought I would tell you about two of my favorite moments in Tijuana last fall.

1. The Mariachi Party at the local nursing home.

I went to visit one Saturday with a few of the students. We entered into a very festive scene. A band had come to play for the residents. This meant clapping and dancing...and a piñata. I think this was probably my favorite thing of all, the piñata. The residents were taking turns striking the piñata, but not with a bat, or sticks, but with their CANES:-) What a sweet scene. Never too old to play!

It made me think of 2 Cor 4:16 which says: Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our inner man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

2. Making Caldo de Albóndigas.

This is meatball soup and is one of my favorite foods in Mexico. I got the chance to make it with our friends Maria and Chewy. (Many of you know them from eating tacos at Rene's, Maria and Chewy are his parents). I enjoyed the time with Maria, and now I know how to make one of favorite soups. But again, I was so impressed by the hosptitality of the Mexican Culture. First, the three of us sat and had caldo together and then she sent me home with a whole pot of soup for the rest of the BBS family. And all of this was done on their one day off of the week.

Caldo de Albóndigas cooking on the stove.

Our dining area in the midst of their restaurant (the restaurant was closed, but Chewy put together a little seating area for us)

The delicious end product... YUM!

Happy New Year to You! May it be a year filled with peace, joy, and contentment.

Feliz Navidad

2009-12-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! We finished our first term at Baja Bible and now both staff and students are on break visiting family and friends in the states.

I wanted to share with you something that I have really enjoyed in the pre-Christmas season in Tijuana; cars dressed up like reindeers! I first saw cars driving by the Castillo in November sporting both antlers and a nose. As we moved into December, I saw many, many cars decorated with this seasonal flair. It is a strange thing, but I really enjoyed seeing the festive cars drive by. See for yourself...

But, it does get better. The students were entertained by me. I was easily distracted by these reindeer cars as we were out driving in the city. So, one morning, to my delight, I found my little Subaru decorated for Christmas too! Before leaving for Christmas break, I did get a chance to drive around Tijuana displaying the antlers. I decided to remove my antlers before crossing the border as I wondered about them flying off. I was informed by the border guard however, (he asked where my antlers were after spotting the nose), that they would be fine at high speeds :-)

Another fun holiday shot... coffee at the local Starbucks. My name is very confusing in Spanish :-)

Fall Term Life

2009-10-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

Week 7. Hard to believe it, but today begins our 7th week of classes at Baja Bible School. Life has been filled with time studying the Word with our instructors, studying Spanish, getting to know the city, eating Mexican food, and getting to know one another. Here are a few photos that show a bit about school life and our lives here together in Tijuana.

Recently, we visited CECUIT, which is the home of the local IMAX movie theater, museo de los Californias (museum telling the history of Baja California), and a garden area filled with many Mayan statues. This photo shows La Bola as it called down here and home of the IMAX screen.

Meet Katie and Leah. These are the two women that I get to be dean to.

This large head is part of the garden that you can visit at CECUIT. And joining Katie and I in this photo is our neighbor, Alex.

Meet Rory. This is another one of our students and he graciously let me take his picture as he headed out to do his laundry. The students get to use the local laundry mat down the hill, so he has wisely developed a system using his suitcase with wheels. He weekly rolls it down the hill. I always get a kick out of this.

Every Saturday and Sunday night the students have been eating dinner at the local taco stand down the street.

The fall fog...beautiful morning views

this time of year.

Meet Elena Sorensen. Maybe one day a future student, but for now she adds a lot to all our lives as we get to watch her grow up.

Perspectives Course in Tijuana

2009-10-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

This winter, Baja Bible School is going to be the site of an intensive perspectives course. What is perspectives? Well, it is a course that takes students through the biblical basis of missions, the history of missions, and concludes with classes on church planting, culture, and how we can partner with God as He works among the nations. Normally this course is offered over 15 weeks, but it can be structured in what they call an intensive format. So, this is an invitation to you all to join us in Tijuana on the campus of Baja Bible School from January 18th to February 5th. For three weeks, you have the opportunity to take this course and to do it in a cross cultural setting.

We would love for you to partner with us as we prepare for the course in January. Here are a few ideas:

1. Come! Be a student and be very blessed by an awesome class.

2. Tell a friend. If you know someone that would want to take this class, please tell them about this opportunity.

3. And most importantly of all, please PRAY with us. PRAY that God will guide specific people here to take the perspectives course this winter.

For more information please check out http://www.bajabible.org/perspectives.html

Gracias!

Independence Day in Tijuana

2009-09-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

This past week was an exciting time for us at Baja Bible School as we shared the week with our first ever class of students. They spent their first week with Dave Burdette going over culture and spending a lot of time in the city learning from the people of Tijuana. So, in the theme of being learners and getting to know Mexican culture, we headed out to celebrate Mexico's Independence Day. It is a very celebrated event down here, and is celebrated on the 15th and 16th of September. We participated in the evening events on September 15th. This is the night that people gather in the city squares all over the country to participate in El Grito. This occurs at 11:00pm traditionally and is done in honor of the war heroes that were part of Mexico becoming independent from Spain. As El Grito begins (which is a shout), the president yells !VIVA! and then proceeds to go through a list of war heroes... !VIVA HILDALGO! and the crowd yells back !VIVA! This went on for a few minutes followed by three shouts of !VIVA MEXICO! Then there was music and shouting and fireworks and lots soap being sprayed out of cans :-) It was really cool to be there and celebrating with them. I have posted some pictures from our outing together, including the results of what happens when you get caught in the soap spraying festivities. (I really thought it was silly string at first, but very glad that it was soap :-)

Students and Staff celebrating and wearing the large Bigotes (mustaches) that they were selling on site (We were not the only group wearing these :-)

Being Sprayed

More Soap

The fireworks after El Grito were amazing

Time for School

2009-09-07T09:54:00.000-07:00

Baja Bible School starts on September 14th! This means we are now less than a week away from opening for the first year of school! The dorms are finished and the classroom is ready after the new floor was just recently poured. If you would like to see how the floor was transformed, check out bajaandbeyond.blogspot.com to see photos from the concrete pour.

The next week will be filled with many finishing touches to get the campus ready for the students. A few will be joining us on Saturday and then we officially begin the year together on Sunday night.

I have included the most recent photo of the dorms (as of today) and the finished classroom. For those of you that remember the campus in the earlier forms, I added a couple of those photos too...pictures of His faithfulness in supplying countless workers and supplies.

The dorms, ready for students!

The finished classroom

The Graduates of 2009

2009-08-04T10:51:00.001-07:00

This summer, I have been able to attend two very special graduations. The first was for our neighbor Pablito. He graduated from Kinder. As the class of 2009 celebrated and prepared to head out to 1st grade, they had a short and very sweet ceremony. Each student received a certificate and walked forward to the sounds of pomp and circumstance playing in the background. I was invited to attend the service as one of Pablitos padrinos. As young people graduate here in Mexico, they have sponsors that come and bring a special gift. Depending on the graduation, you may walk forward with the graduate as well. As it was kinder graduation, my duties were very simple, and I presented Pablito with some candy and a special graduation balloon. Below are a few photos from the ceremony...

Class of 2009

Pablito receiving his certificate

Pablito and his mom Betty

The second graduation was very special to me as it involved my mom. She just finished two years of serious study and received her Masters in nursing education. We made a family trip over to Phoenix, AZ to celebrate with her. Congratulations MOM! I am very proud of you!

Mom and her Masters Degree

my sister, me, Mom and Step-dad

Albercas y Toboganes

2009-07-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

I grew up loving to go to waterslide parks. In the summer, it was a special treat to visit the Tri Cities (WA) and go to Oasis Waterworks for the day. So, yesterday we took a summer day and spent time together as a staff at one of the local waterslide parks in Tijuana. Tijuana has several parks that have pools (albercas) and waterslides (toboganes), and we decided to check one out. So... off we went, the Baja Staff, local friends and our guests visiting us from Washington State. I will just say, it was awesome. Fast slides, short lines, and not too many rules. You could go down slides backwards, headfirst...

The group before the sliding began

The park has been in Tijuana for over 50 years

The Medusa. Imagine the ride at the fair with the gunnysacks... add water and you have the Medusa.

I tried out the white one and really liked it. The blue slide next to it is called the Kamikaze. It was definitely the tallest slide at the park and even our neighbor Chewy knows this slide. I am not sure this picture shows the top part well, but I was told that the tube was probably there to make sure you stayed on the slide :-)

This was my favorite slide. You went down the tube and it shot you out into the larger bowl. Once you entered the bowl you could go around inside 1-3 times before being dropped out the bottom shoot.

There were several water games throughout the park too. In addition to this one they had a rope swing, a river and a wave pool.

It was a really good day. We came home tired, content, and a little sore from playing so hard. I would gladly go and do it all over again.

Episode 6... A Baja Morning with Dave

2009-07-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

This past year, we have had the opportunity to meet with Dave Burdette on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We have been working our way through the book of Mateo (Matthew). We've been discussing what it means to follow Jesus and live Kingdom life under the Father's rule and reign. This past week talked about the themes that characterize kingdom life. Words that were used were wholeness, liberty, authority, and hope. This is the good news and that is what Jesus spent time proclaiming to people, the good news of the Kingdom. We just finished chapter nine this past week and it ends with Jesus saying this: The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest. Matthew 9:37-38

In just a little under over two months we will beginning our first school year. As we talked in class this past week about the good news of the kingdom and workers being sent out into the harvest, I thought of our students and of us as a staff. May we be people that enjoy living under the reign of our Father and partner with Him in seeing His kingdom extended wherever He leads us.

Now onto class time...

Time for some Ice Cream

2009-06-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

Time for a little more Tijuana life. This episode takes you to a very popular stop; the Michoacana. The place of ice cream, popsicles, strawberries and cream, fruit salad... lots of delicious treats. My personal favorite is the paleta. This is a popsicle and I highly recommend the coconut if you get a chance to try one. Enjoy!

Karaoke in the Park

2009-06-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

I have driven past this sign many, many times and finally made it down to Karaoke Sunday. Every Sunday afternoon, from 2:00-6:00pm, one of the neighborhood parks has a free Karaoke time. People are invited to sign up, choose their song, and then perform for all the locals in the park. The performances ranged from junior highers singing Latin Pop to more mature performers singing what I believe would be considered the classics here in Mexico. Lyndsay has challenged me to get up there one of these Sunday's and sing a song of my own... but... I am not so sure. Singing in public on a microphone and in Spanish; I think I might need a little more time :-)

The karaoke stage

A place to sit and enjoy the show

And here is a bonus photo... possibly my favorite photo of the week. Lyndsay and I were sitting on the park bench, enjoying karaoke, and we spotted this local dog. He looks a lot like Yoda, but in dog form.

Time for more episodes of Tijuana Life

2009-05-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Well after taking a few weeks off from life in Tijuana, I am now back home. I enjoyed seeing LOTS of friends and family up in the Pacific Northwest. But speaking of Tijuana Life, we have some exciting new episodes for you to check out. I was slow in posting Episode 3, so now get to watch not only one great episode but two! Enjoy watching the quest for the infamous apple fritter followed by an exciting morning in the city walking with the locals.

Adventures of the Subaru

2009-05-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a run in with a garbage truck. Not a serious one, but it made an impression on my Subaru. I had given one of the volunteers from the nursing home a ride home, and after we had visited for a bit, it was time for me to head home. It turned out that it was garbage day, so the garbage truck was also slowly moving down the road. The men had a lot of work to do as there hadn't been a pick up for three weeks. As I was leaving, the garbage truck was just a few houses down from my car and was parked diagonally. I couldn't get by. After some time they had picked up a small area behind the truck so that one car could pass at a time. I didn't really want to do that because there was still a good amount of trash on the road including a few glass bottles... but soon other locals were choosing this route and I realized I needed to as well. I started to drive through and in my efforts to navigate through the pile well, I ran into the back of the garbage truck with the side of my car. The garbage guys just shook their heads at me, and then straightened out my mirror for me. Then, I backed up and continued on my way. In the end, the car has a few small marks and I will know better how to drive around the garbage truck next time. :-)

The Subaru

I like to think of this as a racing stripe rather than a scratch

This is the part that got stuck on the truck :-)

Tijuana Life: Episode 2

2009-05-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Episode 2 of Tijuana Life is here: Caffe Sospeso. I enjoyed being part of this episode as it included having a really good cup of coffee. It turns out that the owner of the cafe is one of only 358 Q graders worldwide. What is a Q grader? Well, they are professional cuppers accredited by the coffee quality institute to judge and certify specialty coffees. This means that he knows coffee VERY well and they serve a good product. I enjoyed un cafe del dia. The coffee of the day was a blend of beans produced in 3 different states of Mexico: Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Enjoy getting to know more about Tijuana Life!

Weddings and Picnics

2009-04-27T15:01:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I was able to attend a wedding with my friends Shawna and Miguel. In traditional church weddings in Mexico, the couple have padrinos (godparents) that present symbolic gifts to them throughout the service. In can vary depending on the wedding, but at this wedding the couple had padrinos that presented them with cojines (small pillows they kneeled on up front), Libro (a Bible), and their rings. They also had Padrinos de lazo and Padrinos de arras. The lazo is a decorated cord that is in the shape of a figure eight. It is placed on the shoulders of the bride and groom for most of the ceremony and then is removed at the end. It is a symbol of their unity and commitment to one another as a couple. The arras are 13 gold coins that are passed from the groom to the bride. This is symbol of his wealth becoming her wealth, and his commitment to provide for her.

The bride arrived in this vintage car... it was a surprise from the groom.

The bridal party preparing to enter the church

There were three little girls wearing these beautiful dresses. They passed out rice and bubbles to all of the guests toward the end of the ceremony.

And then the next day...

Sunday morning I arrived at church with Ryan and Stephanie, and we discovered it was the El Dia de los Niños. Kid's Day is actually April 30th, but we celebrated early. The kids had seats reserved for them in a special seating area and we began the service with songs that were familiar to them. We were dancing, singing, clapping, hugging... it was a lot of fun. We also got to sing praises bluegrass style which I particularly enjoyed. The kids were all assigned a certain color to wear (and the parents matched the kids) depending on the age group that they are a part of. The church was filled with lots of color: red, green, yellow, white, and orange. The funny thing was that everyone was dressed extremely casual for a Sunday. When I say casual, I mean the ladies were wearing jeans and that is not a normal occurrence. Stephanie and I were laughing because we were intentional to dress up for church and it turned out to be "casual Sunday".

After church the celebration continued and the church had a picnic out by the beach. A few of us headed out there to join in the festivities. There was a lot of food, games, music, and again celebrating kids and how much God loves them. Pretty cool.

One of the first games they played was tug of war. They started out with kids and parents on both sides.

Here is the Red Team

And here is the White Team

It turned out though that the brute strength of the parents proved to be too much, and after breaking two ropes they moved to a kids only competition. It was very entertaining to watch people fall down like a row of dominoes (not just once, but twice).

Red Team in the kids only version

And the White Team Kids... they were the champions!

The next game was one of my favorites. The little ones got to compete as pinguinos. They tied their feet together and they waddled like penguins (no jumping allowed) to a tree and back.

Language Blunders

2009-04-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Ana Maria and I

Language Learning. As you learn to make a new culture your home, picking up the language can be both humbling and comical. In many ways, you are at the level of a young child learning to speak all over again. I had one of those comical moments on Saturday morning. Our neighbor Ana Maria stopped by and we were having a cup of coffee. I was making some oatmeal at the same time and offered her some raisins as she wasn't in the mood for oatmeal. This is where I ran into some trouble. The word some is unas, so I said unas pasas. That was okay, but then I continued on and said uñas secas. I was trying to say dried grapes, but instead I offered our neighbor dried fingernails. As I am learning Spanish, there are times that my brain wants to try using new words and then forgets the meaning of the words that I had previously known. So here are the three words that I got mixed up, unas (some), uñas (fingernails), and uvas (grapes). She just looked at me weird, Lyndsay started laughing at me, and then I realized my error. So, there is my comical language blunder of the week, and a reminder that it takes time, patience, and humility to be a language learner. And a good sense of humor :-)

Tijuana Life

2009-04-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

Here is the first episode of a exciting new series called Tijuana Life.

In Episode 1, Dan and Andrew (my fellow Baja Bible Staff members) take you to the local market. Every Tuesday this market sets up just down the hill from the Castillo. They are called sobreruedas. These markets set up in different neighborhoods all over the city on a specific day of the week. As you will see, people can head to the market to buy food, clothing, household products, really just about everything you would need for daily life. More episodes of Tijuana Life to come! Stay tuned.

Spring Hills and the coming Summer

2009-04-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

So here are a few shots from Tijauna and the surrounding areas this spring. It is a beautiful time of year here as the hills are green, and the days are filled with sunshine (most of the time).

I continue to enjoy the new sights that come with life in a new culture.

So, down here at the beach you can listen to a live band, buy a sombrero, and enjoy fresh churros or elotes from the local vendors. I love that! We have also discovered a new coffee shop over at the playas too. Lat 32! Ocean breeze, good coffee, and a great view.

As summer comes for Baja Bible School it means several things for us. One, school is roughly five months from starting! We are getting applications and ask that you continue to pray with us that God will send students to be part of the first year here. We continue working on the dorms and are getting ready for our summer staff to join us. We were talking this morning at our meeting about Proverbs 16:3, Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established. We continue to commit this work to the Lord, and are enjoying watching Him establish it.

Good Friends and a Chocolate Fountain

2009-04-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

We will soon have a new family member at Baja Bible School, BABY SORENSEN! She is due to join us in early June. In the honor of Stephanie and the little one, we had a baby shower to celebrate. It was a bicultural shower with friends from Tijuana and the United States. We enjoyed our time together watching Steph open her gifts, and also enjoying the special foods that baby showers inspire. We had a chocolate fountain and crepes! In cultural appropriateness, we had a fiesta!

Here is a photo of the little gift I bought for mom and baby. I couldn't resist the yellow sundress, it was so sweet. And the wonderful diaper cake, that is the handy work of my very talented sister. Heather was able to come down for the shower and stayed a few extra days too. It was very good to have her with us.

As you see above, we had a lovely display of treats. That is the chocolate fountain, sitting in the center of the table. All of the ladies loved it! And finally, my good friend Melina came too. She has been an encouragement to me in many ways. We met at church down here, and I am very thankful for her.

March Update

2009-03-30T16:19:00.000-07:00

The month of March has been filled with lots of visitors at the Castillo. We started out the month with a group from Ecola Bible School, followed by our guests who attended the Baja Bible experience weeks. Gracias a Dios... He sent many workers this past month and He sent amazing people to experience a sample of Baja Bible School life.

The Group from Ecola Bible School

Time with Lisa and Tina as they came down with Ecola

Hard at work pouring concrete

One of the Ecola projects... we now have a sidewalk!

Following our time with Ecola, we had a week to finish a few projects and get the campus ready for the experience weeks. During each experience week, people had a chance to take classes with future Baja Bible instructors, serve in the community, explore the city, and spend good times in fellowship with one another.

The classroom set up for the experience weeks

Our new kitchen area

Out for Chinese food with our group from the first experience week

Here we are with the group from the second experience week

It has been a good month for us. We have enjoyed the fellowship of good friends, made new friends, and experienced a taste of what God is preparing us to do this fall. The word is continuing to spread regarding the school, and also people are experiencing that Tijuana is a much different place than what the media continues to report. Please keep praying that He will send the students that He has chosen for this first year.

Valentine's Day around the world

2009-02-20T15:33:00.000-08:00

I just celebrated my first Valentine's Day in Mexico. Down here it is called El Dia del Amor y la Amistad. So, both love and friendship are honored here. I enjoyed driving through the city and observing how the day was celebrated. It is a good reminder that this is a culture that places great value on relationships (family, friends, that special someone) and celebration (fiestas!).

Lots of balloons for sale

A lovely lady who has received her valentine or is getting ready to pass one on

These stands were set up all throughout the city in front of markets and houses. They were selling balloons, candy, and stuffed animals.

Flower stands were set up for the special day

More balloons for sale downtown in Centro

After seeing a Valentine's Day in Tijuana, I was curious about how the day was celebrated in other parts of the world. Most countries were similar to the United States, but here is one that is a bit different. South Korea. So, it turns out that on February 14th, the ladies give candy to the men. That seems reasonable, but the celebration is not done at this point. On March 14th, the men are expected to return candy to the ladies that gifted chocolate or candy to them. This day is known as White Day. But wait, there is one last thing to wrap all of this up. It is called Black Day. On April 14th, all of the people that did not receive anything on the earlier dates go out to eat noodles covered in a black bean paste. This a tradition celebrated mostly among the younger generation. So there is your interesting cultural fact for the day.

Life in a Border Town

2009-02-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

One of the very interesting parts of Tijuana life is certainly the border that sits between the United States and Mexico. There are two border crossings that we can use in Tijuana, but most times we use the San Ysidro crossing. It is the busiest land border crossing in the world, and it is estimated that over 50,000 people cross each day. That is crazy to consider.

We had a funny crossing incident among our staff the other day. I had been to the states on a Tuesday and done some grocery shopping on my way home. As I put my groceries away that night, I realized that I lost one of my avocados. It was late though so I did not head to my trunk to look for it. So... the next day three of the staff headed to the states in my car. Each border crossing is different, different guard, different mood of the guard, and occasionally a trunk check. Well, they checked the trunk on this particular day and guess what they found, one avocado. My very gracious staff friends took a detour to secondary and the Subaru got an X-ray. And the border patrol confiscated my avocado. We had a good laugh about the whole story, but it was a good reminder that we live in a unique setting. Two worlds meet at the border and they are very different. I know that I have learned a lot from the Lord in my crossings of that border and I know our students will too.

Here is the border as you head East toward the airport. Crosses have been added to the border on the Mexico side in remembrance of those that have died in attempts to cross illegally.

The new border fence. Construction is currently underway to rebuild the fence.

My view from the office. I was sitting at my desk the other day, and realized that I have an incredible view. I look out at the city of Tijuana and San Diego at the same time. Baja Bible is in a very unique setting indeed.

Day at the park

2009-01-30T16:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome to one of my favorite places in Tijuana, El Parque de la Amistad. This is a beautiful park in the eastern part of the city. I spent some time out there a few weeks ago enjoying the sights of the culture and a warm Tijuana day. It was a Saturday, so lots of families were out spending the day together, people playing soccer, and the wonderful aroma of carne asada was in the air.

I really enjoyed the vendors in the park. Lots of interesting things for sale...

Futbols and toys

Bubbles!

Cotton Candy

School Update...

It has been a good couple of weeks for everyone down here. We have been helping Dan and Lyndsay Silver get ready to head out for their second recruiting trip. They will be spending the month of February talking to people in California, Oregon, and Washington State about the school and the upcoming Experience Weeks. A big task for everyone right now is spreading the word about the Experience Weeks in the month of March, March 16-20 and March 23-27. So... if you know of any people that might be interested in coming please join us in spreading the word. The weeks will include challenging teaching, service opportunities, good fellowship, and time to learn about the culture. The cost for the week is $100 and that includes lodging and meals. We are asking the Lord to send many people to the Experience Weeks, so you could join us in that too.

The lights of Tijuana

2009-01-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

I really enjoyed the night sky yesterday, and thought you might too. Enjoy the beauty of Tijuana and the exceptionally good view we have from the Castillo.

The Border LIghts

Happy New Year from Tijuana

2009-01-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to you all! I just returned to Tijuana after a very restful Christmas break. I was able to visit family and friends in Cannon Beach, and then I made a visit to Yuma, AZ to celebrate Christmas with my mom, sister, and stepdad. I have included a few photos from Christmas break for you to enjoy.

In theme of the the new year, there are some new things regarding Baja Bible that you should check out. We have updated our website. You can now view the new brochure, and find information about our upcoming Baja Bible experience weeks. We are going to have two one week sessions in March for prospective students, pastors, and other interested individuals, to visit the campus, take a class, and experience life in Tijuana. The website has details including the dates, cost, and registration information. You can find all of these new items at bajabible.org.

In the theme of new things, I have been thinking about the new year and how life is filled with constant change. It is in the midst of newness and change, that I am again reminded of Jesus, and that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. To me this is good news. As we enter into the new year, we have a God that goes with us, a God that is constant, and the promise of His love that endures forever. Again Happy New Year to you all, and welcome to 2009.

My sister and I visiting December Nights at Balboa Park in San Diego.

I had a surprise waiting for me in Cannon Beach, a welcome home party with a chile pepper pinata!

Time with the Steynor family. Christopher, me, and Erica.

It snowed at the coast during my visit. This a photo taken on the way to Manzanita, OR.

Thankful

2008-11-19T17:35:00.001-08:00

In just week, it will be time to celebrate Thanksgiving again. I wanted to share with you one of the things that I am thankful for this year. Time with my family. Yes, I moved to Mexico, but I actually moved closer to my mom and sister. Heather is living in San Diego and my mom is just 2.5 hours away in Yuma, AZ. I have been able to see my dad twice already, and soon will have one more visit over the Thanksgiving week. I am thankful for each of them. They have been very kind and encouraging to me as I transition to this new season of life at Baja Bible School. Here are a few photos from our recent adventures together.

A few weeks ago, Dad, Gwen, and I spent a day together in Tijuana.

It was a cool fall day, so we were all bundled up.

Dad and I at the beach in Tijuana

Mom came over for a day with Heather and I this past weekend.

It was a beautiful fall day. We had a great time.

Mom and Heather

WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR TODAY?

El Refugio

2008-11-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

This is El Refugio, La Casa Para Ancianos. This is one of the nursing homes found in Tijuana. Ancianos is the spanish word for elderly. I like that this one is named "the refuge". I have been spending Wednesday mornings over there this fall. Part of my job this year (as we prepare to open in September), is to become familiar with the city and to establish relationships with local ministries. Next year the students will be working with local ministries and serving the people of Tijuana. I hope some will have the opportunity to serve at El Refugio.

At this point, over 100 ancianos live here. It is a Christian facility, so I have enjoyed seeing the the presence of Christ's love in a place that can be lonely and often lacking kindness. The facility was started as there were many older people on the streets with no place to go. Now they are given shelter, warm meals, and a family.

Last week I enjoyed watching the ancianos be spoiled. Lots of groups come through to serve, doing things like shaving, bathing, cutting fingernails and toenails, or simply cleaning the facility. One of my favorite groups thus far is a group of ladies that are from a local gym. They are probably just a bit older than me and they come to visit once or twice a month. This last visit was great as they brought Birria (a shredded beef), warm tortillas, and papaya. Oh... people were very happy! In addition to the good food, they brought live music. So at one point, one of my favorite ancianas, was wheeled up to the singer and just started dancing in her wheelchair. It was such a sweet sight. She had a huge grin on her face.

My favorite couple at the Refugio happens to be from China. They do not speak much Spanish, or English, but frequently talk to the staff, and to me in Chinese. They are very sweet, and the Senor is such a hard worker. He was helping the staff with chores this past week.

A word of wisdom from one of the women at the nursing home. God is love and nothing will we need. Just a good reminder that we have a great Father in Heaven who loves us a lot, and He takes care of His kids. Gracias a Dios!

Meet the Staff

2008-10-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

Here we are, in our first official staff photo. I would like to introduce the Baja Bible Family to you. Starting from the left side: Dan and Lyndsay Silver, Ryan and Stephanie Sorensen, Kelly Hinz, Addie Horn, Me, Paul Baughn, Andrew Bjorkland, and Oscar.

One of our staff meeting times. This happens to be the beginning of Spanish class.

Sunrise from the Castillo. Stephanie took a great photo that captures well one of my favorite times of the day. We have been getting up early to exercise in the morning and it certainly has it perks. I have missed the beauty of the Oregon Coast, but God has graciously provided beauty of another kind to enjoy in Tijuana.

Baja Bible Staff Retreat

2008-09-30T17:56:00.001-07:00

Last week we headed south from Tijuana for our Baja Bible Staff retreat. We visited an area called Laguna Hanson. What a cool place to visit. In just four hours, we found ourselves in a whole new world from the city that we live in. We were surrounded by trees, cows grazing in the fields, and the calming silence that comes along with the camping life. At night, you could see thousands of stars which in itself was an extraordinary site. During our stay there we spent time as a group getting to know one another better, preparing for the year ahead, and we also did some exploring. I took a multitude of rock pictures as I have not seen so many interesting rocks in one place before. Enjoy the sites of Laguna Hanson and another part of Baja California Norte.

This one I am going to call Little Rock

Steph and I out exploring

Our home at the campground

Other visitors at the lake

I like to call this one Whale Rock

Early morning by the lake

Adventure in the forest

Los banos

Steph, Lyndsay and I out enjoying some rock climbing or as we called it scrambling

For the first time

2008-09-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I have had the chance to do some new things in Tijuana. So I thought I would share my list with you.

For the first time I...

*went to a quinceanera. Stephanie and I joined our friend Ruth Gollings and we celebrated Sarai's 15th birthday. It was a beautiful celebration, much like a wedding in the states. There was a ceremony in the church to start and this was followed by a reception. Throughout the ceremony she was presented with gifts from her family and friends including her first pair of high heels! I think this had to be my favorite part. It was a sweet moment as her mom and dad took of her sandals and placed the high heels on her feet. The pastor had her take a turn around the chairs to prove that she was ready to walk in them :-) In addition to the sentimental value of the moment, I am just impressed with Mexican women and their ability to wear high heels. Whether the terrain is good or bad, they look lovely and walk well.

*celebrated Independence Day in Mexico. September 16th is Independence Day in Mexico, and the eve before is the time to celebrate. The Baja Staff went over to our church for dinner and games and we ended the night at the Palacio Municipal. Here we found thousands of people out celebrating with music, food stands, carnival rides, and probably the biggest pieces of cotton candy I have ever seen. It is traditional to yell !Viva Mexico! at midnight, but we missed the offical grita (yell). I have heard that the best place to celebrate this event is in Mexico City.

*ate a hot dog in Tijuana. A friend of ours has been claiming to know the "Best hot dog stand in Tijuana" and so we headed out as a group one night to give it a try. I admit it was good. Beans, salsa, onions... and much more than that all on a hot dog. Pretty tasty.

*have my own functioning bathroom. That is right, this past week I had the first flush and first shower in my new bathroom. The water was officially turned on.

Stephanie, Ruth and I joining Sarai at her quinceanera.

The site of one of the best hot dogs in Tijuana!

Staff laundry day at the Castillo

Duane and I working having fun sanding the walls

Another view of my little room and the functioning bathroom in the background

Welcome to Tijuana

2008-09-04T21:55:00.001-07:00

Hi from Tijuana! I made it home from language school and have been settling in at the Castillo. I returned from Chiapas to find my new room waiting for me. I have really enjoyed making it my new home for this next year. As you can see in the photo, I have a view outside of my front door, and then a ladder to take me up to my loft. It is currently a storage loft, but a loft none the less.

The current projects at the Castillo have involved working on dorm rooms and finishing housing for the incoming staff members. This year at Baja Bible there will be 8 staff members living on site and preparing for the upcoming school year. It is our hope to open the school to students in the fall of 2009.

I have been learning some new construction skills, so here I am learning how to tile sinks. The other highlight that day was learning how to use power tools... a tile cutter. That was a new one for me!

Here is a photo of the current staff living at the Castillo. We took day to visit the beach after church last Sunday.

It has also been a neat time to have guests visit the Castillo. We had the Baja Bible board meeting this past weekend, which meant friends from Oregon were here to visit. I enjoyed catching up with Becky and yes true to our days at Ecola, we had some coffee together. Michael is also on the board and was able to stay for our beach/Starbucks outing. It was refreshing to see good friends from home.

My Family in San Cristobal

2008-08-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of the people that helped to make my time in San Cristobal very, very special.

This was my last day in the city, so we had a special lunch. In this photo, Jorge (my teacher), me, my good friend Merideth who moved in my last week, and Reynaldo... the dad of the house. In the back row is Coco, my Mexican mom :-) She was a wonderful hostess.

This is a photo of Merideth, Ricardo, and myself enjoying a good lunch in the backyard. Ricardo was visiting for two of the weeks that I lived with the family.

Merideth and I visited La iglesia de San Cristobal. This was one of the two churches that sits at the top of many, many stairs. We climbed to the top one day to visit the church during the festival of San Cristobal.

And finally, this is Yoli. She works with Coco, and was one of my favorite people to speak with. I miss her!

LAS RUINAS

2008-07-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

PALENQUE! I finally made a trip to Palenque. Palenque is the site of well known and often visited, Mayan Ruins. It is set in the jungle, and has a humid/hot climate. It was quite a change from San Cristobal. I left San Cristobal on a Saturday morning and made the five hour bus ride to Agua Azul. This is a park filled with waterfalls and many places to swim and cool off. After taking some pictures and waiting out a rainstorm, I joined a group of backpackers and headed to Palenque. We arrived in El Panchan which is a place well known on the backpackers circuit. It hosts many hostels, cabanas, and restaurants. I ended up staying in my own little cabana which was very comfortable. It had two beds, a bathroom, and well screened windows to protect against the mosquitoes. I slept great in my little cabana, and enjoyed listening to the sounds of the jungle as I headed to sleep. On Sunday morning, it was time to visit Palenque. I arrived early to enjoy cooler temperatures and fewer tourists. All I can say is that it is an impressive place to visit. The work of the Mayans is amazing. I wandered through the park for a few hours, visited the museum, worked on my Spanish homework, and then once again waited out a rainstorm with a nice couple from Guanajuato. (This is another state in Mexico) It was a full day as I returned to San Cristobal at 11:30pm. I was very happy to home! I missed my Mexican family and was ready for a post jungle shower! I must say that the buses are the way to travel in Chiapas... much nicer than the Greyhound. They have reclining seats, movies, and they gave us a complimentary beverage as we boarded the bus.

Lluvia...it was a weekend of rain here as we experienced some of the effects of Hurricane Dolly. It has been a bit cooler in San Cristobal and wet, but nothing compared to some of the other states in Mexico. We have been watching the news in the evenings and there is a lot of flooding and damaged cities.

El Palacio...the main center of the ruins.

Me and the ruins... I drank A LOT of water!

My favorite pictures of the day! The leaves from the trees were huge and this little guy was helping his sister stay cool. People were using the leaves as umbrellas and hats.

Waterfalls at Agua Azul

Welcome to El Panchan! I stayed at El Jaguar.

My Cabana! I stayed in only part of this building... the stairs are leading to my room.

MY DAY AT TONINA...Tonina is a smaller ruin compared to Palenque. It has menos turistas (fewer tourists), but it is still a beautiful place to visit. I headed to Tonina two weekends ago. It was a good lesson in the cultural practices of public transportation. I left San Cristobal on a colectivo and headed to Ocosingo a city just over 2 hours away. Many, many curves and many, many speed bumps. My biggest traveling dilemma has been several boughts of car sickness. Oh well...Once I arrived in Ocosingo I headed out on colectivo number 2. This dropped me off at the ruins. It was a very quiet place as there were about 10 tourists visiting this huge ruin. I wandered around for a couple of hours and then headed back toward San Cristobal. On my trip back, I met a couple from France that just happened to be Spanish teachers. I talked with them a bit, and then joined them on the colectivo to San Cristobal. It was a cozy ride as I was in a seat reserved for four persons! It ended up being me and three men. Uses of space are very different here in Mexico, and this was a very good opportunity to learn about that! Below are a few photos of the ruins at Tonina (Toe-nee-na), and the views of the surrounding area.

Daily life in San Cristobal

2008-07-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from my life in San Cristobal. Many different colored buildings and a variety of churches to visit. I think there are over 16 churches listed on my map of the city, and I have two more I still need to visit.

A few things I have been learning about the culture in the city... walking on the sidewalks. Well, some of the sidewalks here are very narrow. Really, there is just space for one person to walk. In most cases, the younger person moves to toward the street when a older person is walking toward them. This is a sign of respect. Also, if a man is walking toward a woman, it would be respectful of him to move to the outside and let her pass by. These courtesies are not always followed, but I try to move to the outside of the sidewalk as I approach the more mature people of the city.

Doing your laundry in San Cristobal... well they have shops called lavandurias that wash and dry your clothes for 10 pesos a kilogram. The first time I went, I dropped off most of my clothing and it was only a little over 20 pesos. That is essentially $2.00. When you go to pick it up, you will find your clothes neatly folded and packaged.

I have been visiting the markets during the week as there are many people to observe, both vendors and buyers. One of my favorite things to buy has been roses. They grow beautiful flowers in a village not too far from San Cristobal. I hope to visit it this weekend. The roses are 4 pesos each, and at some markets they are 2 pesos each. I have enjoyed having fresh flowers in my room, (just a few) as they are a bit more affordable here.

Chedraui... this is the plaza in the city that has a movie theater and a large grocery store. It is a bit like being in the states as you go here as they have McDonalds and a Dominoes Pizza. I have gone to visit there a couple of times because movies are just $2.50 on Wednesdays. I am trying to learn to use public transportation, so I headed over by taxi, watched WALLE, and then headed home on a colectivo.

This is a city that is great for lots of walking. Everything is relatively close, and there is a lot to look at. The street filled with people (in the photo below) is called Miguel Hidalgo. It is a street for pedestrians only and goes through the main center of the city. It is usually full of people during the day and in the nights as well.

I hope you enjoy seeing a few of the sights from San Cristobal...

Chiflon and Los Lagos de Montebello

2008-07-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

Well, for my second weekend in San Cristobal, I headed out to visit Chiflon, which is a park with beautiful waterfalls. As you can tell from the pictures, it was a beautiful place. I had my raincoat on because I started to get really wet as I got closer to the waterfall. The trail ended at a platform that sits in the middle of a heavy mist. I walked up to the top of the stairs, but I didn't stay on the platform very long. My pants were completely drenched in about 5 seconds. I decided to head down as those were my only clothes for the day and Chiflon was our first stop. I am thankful to have lived in Oregon because I am well trained for walking around wet. The mist from the waterfall definitely surpassed the rain storms in Cannon Beach. The good news, I dried off in about an hour. Once I hiked back down from the waterfall, it was warm and a bit humid. Perfect conditions to dry off in. I was ready to get in the van and head off to Los Lagos de Montebello.

The lakes were about an hour from Chiflon. There is a park that contains over 50 beautiful lakes of different colors. We were only able to see five of them as we had a 2 hours there. Our travel group was made up of 13 people. Seven of us were from the US, and the other six were from Mexico. While we were at the lakes, I ate lunch with college kids from Georgia. They had brought along PB & J and were kind enough to feed me. My favorite part of the day though was talking to a Mexican woman and her daughter. It was very encouraging. It is tempting to spend time with the tourists that speak English, but on this particular tour, it worked out to spend more time with the Spanish speakers. I thought she was a teacher at first because she was very patient and spoke very clearly. She encouraged me to keep practicing and that I was off to a good start. At our last lake, you could see the border of Guatemala and Mexico. So in the mountains behind me and my patient friend, you can see Guatemala. I thought that was pretty cool.

A Day in Chenalo

2008-07-02T14:59:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I was invited to visit Chenalo with Tom and his friends. Tomas (Tom) is staying at Coco's house too, and is pictured below with the flags. It was a festival to celebrate St. Peter. Many of the towns people were dressed in special clothing for the day, and many of the men wore hats covered with brightly colored ribbons. In front of the church they had musicians playing and children dressed up in costumes dancing. At one point, a older woman joined them for a dance before she entered the church. That was fun to watch. She had a good time. Also during the music, a man ran around carrying a costume that was supposed to look like a bull. The interesting part though was that the bull shot of fireworks as he ran around. He ran fairly close to the crowd at times, so close in fact that the man next to me had a hole burned through his clothing. You had to be on your guard! It was fun to experience a local celebration and local comida (food). We enjoyed chicken mole for lunch. In addition to it being my first local festival, I also took my first taxi ride. On the way there, our group of six squeezed into the taxi, but it was a bit cozy. Poor Tom had his head nearly out the window most of the time. So... we split up the group on the way home. It is a very good way to travel and affordable too. It was only 20 pesos each way, and Chenalo is about an hour outside of San Cristobal.

El Canon Del Sumidero

2008-06-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

This was my first weekend outing, El Canon Del Sumidero. I caught a colectivo on Saturday morning, and headed out toward the canyon. Once you arrive at the river, you buy a ticket and then join about 30 others in a boat like this one above. A guide takes you through this beautiful canyon, stopping occasionally to let you see waterfalls or even crocodiles! The tour was a little under 2 hours.

A view of the canyon

One of the beautiful waterfalls

This waterfall was my favorite. It looks like a Christmas tree from the distance. They call it el arbol de Navidad.

The crocodiles... we saw four on our tour. The best one was at the end as we saw a mom with some of her baby crocodiles. You could just see her head, but the babies were sitting out on the rocks. They were very small and our driver told us they were just 20 days old. At one point the head of the mom disappeared and I leaned back from the edge of the boat just a bit... moms can be protective you know :-)

I met a couple from Belgium on the tour, so they kindly let me ride back with them in their taxi. Many people from all over the world visit San Cristobal. They spoke three to four languages each. That surely is motivation!

Our adventures with Heather in San Diego

2008-06-26T15:51:00.001-07:00

The San Diego portion of my trip would not be complete without adding these photos. Sorry they are a bit late Heather! Dad and I drove through the California heat wave on Wednesday and Thursday last week and ended up at Heather's apartment in Pacific Beach. We were pretty tuckered, but we still had a great time together. Here are a few pictures of our adventures together. My favorite place we visited was La Jolla. If you are in San Diego to visit sometime, you should go there.

Heather and I had never had Fat Burger before, so Dad treated us to Turkey burgers. They were very good too. We enjoyed a nice lunch of the boardwalk of Pacific Beach.

We had ice cream on this part of the trip too. It is sure refreshing to have a cone on those really hot days. Right Dad?

A funny story about the ice cream. We had cones on our way home from Fat Burger, and then headed to a drug store to find something. Well, it happened to be cholesteral screening day, so we had a family check up. A funny thing to do on your family vacation, but it is good to know none the less :-)

The family enjoying the ocean view.

Bienvenidos a Chipas

2008-06-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Mexico City! Yes, they have Starbucks there too. I made a stop while I was waiting for my second flight. Cafe Espresso Americano con hielo. It was pretty good.

I was happy to see this sight as I was walking into town one day. I am a fan of corn tortillas and get to eat them daily at home with my host family. It is fun to walk the streets of San Cristobal because the buidlings are all different colors. It is beautiful.

I have been walking around town a lot trying to visit lots of different places. This is la iglesia de Guadelupe. I walked up the stairs yesterday and was pretty winded. The elevation does make a difference! This church is close by to my classroom where I study Spanish with Jorge.

A view of San Cristobal from the steps of la iglesia de Guadelupe. The city is surrounded by green, plush hills. The elevation is about 7000 ft above sea level, so the weather is pretty moderate. Not too hot and not too cold.

My first cup of coffee in San Cristobal at Cafe Selva. I had my favorite a cafe aulait. It was pretty good. I came back for another today. The coffee shop is a nice place to study and catch with things on the computer.

I had my first Spanish lesson today. I will be studying with Jorge, my teacher, for 3 hours a day. I start at 9:30am and end at 12:30pm. A typical day here is breakfast with Coco, my host mom, and then off to class. There is time to explore or study after as we eat lunch here at 2:30 or 3:00. More time to study, rest, drink coffee, and then a lighter supper at 9 or so. A bit different than our traditional schedule.

I am very glad to be here and I know I am being stretched. Not being able to communicate can be a really frustrating thing, but that is why you come to study right? More photos to come...

Trip to Tijuana

2008-06-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

Dad, Erica, and I at Peet's Coffee as headed out from Portland

Our first stop in California, Mt. Shasta

It was VERY HOT in central Cali, so we stopped for ice cream at Bud's

Dad and I at the Castillo in the Baja Bible student lounge

Dad and I at church in Tijuana