El Puente de Ojuela

Come visit a magical place discovered in the 1500's.





The mines of Ojuela were discovered during the early colonization of Mexico. Soon settlers came and built this ancient town atop two majestic mountains. The mines were exploited for centuries until in the 1960's the place was flooded and the settlement abandoned.

We went last Friday went it was freezing cold and so foggy at first that you cold not see more than 10 feet in front of you. I felt like I was in a ghost town from a movie. I invite you to check out the photos of our adventure.

Honeymoon and Wedding Picts from Mexico

Hey Everybody!

What you have been waiting for is finally here! I have posted pictures of the wedding in Mexico and our honeymoon in Parras de la Fuente. I hope you all enjoy :D

A Beautiful Evening in Fellowship

I just wanted you to know that last night was wonderful with our friends from work. One of the husbands who has been very hardened against his wife and God was very grateful to have been there with us and be presented with the gospel. He opened up to me about struggles in his life that only the people closest to him know. Also their two sons communicated that they would like to give their lives to Christ. They are young, but maybe they are ready. The wife expressed that she was very happy to have been able to come participate in a small group where she could be fed spiritually.

Also my friend from work came and he wants to come back and also invite us to his parents home. We are praying for him and his ex-wife. They want to re-marry, but her parents are strongly against it.

These opportunities are exciting, and last night I was walking on air. Leslie and I can't wait to see what God is going to do over the next few months. God is answering prayer.

Model Lessons for Jr. High

For all of my Jr. High students of English, this is a link to the page where you can find the information about modal verbs that is necessary for our next exam on Tuesday, Nov. 14.

Study the charts for modals: must, have to, should and might. You will find examples of sentences using these modal verbs for each situation in which they can be used.

My Hope, Mexico

At the end of this week, Leslie and I are going to have several friends over to see an evangelistic program about Jesus that is coming on national television called Mi Esperanza. I invited two colleagues from work, and I found out that one of them had a brother who lived several years in this very apartment.

The gatherings in our home will be Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Please pray for God to touch people's hearts by the Holy Spirit, and that Jesus may be lifted up in people's lives over religion. I am really excited.

A Weekend Retreat to the Mountains

Last weekend the men of the church had a beautiful getaway in the high sierras of Durango for spiritual retreat, and a time to learn to pray. We had between 40 and 50 men go, and several of the men were new faces that are not yet Christians.

The place itself inspires one to praise the Creator with its impressive mountains, diversity of wildlife, towering pine trees, and extreme temperatures. During the day, the temperatures were very nice, but at night... it was FREEZING cold!!! I shivered all night long, even though I was wearing two layers.

We woke up with frost covering the forest floor. After waking up we all walked over a mile to the mountain lake, singing and praising all the way. The frost covering the plants almost looked like foam. I have never seen anything like it.

The most special time for me was Sunday morning. All of the baptized believers share the Lord's Supper together in an unforgettable moment. This trip was hard to beat.

Take a look at my photo page and participate in the adventure yourself.

Scenery from la UAL

Morning sun on a crisp, cool day.


Here are some of the beautiful flowers that I see every day at the university.


What do you think of our pet rabbit? Looks like itneeds to put on some weight.

Leslie at Photo Shoot

Awaiting Internet Connect

Sorry guys, I have been without internet since we got married because we are both spending time at the new apartment, and not at Leslie's mother's house where the internet connection is. We should have our new internet connection at our apartment by early next week. Right now I am on break at school, and I am enjoying the wire-less connection for the first time because I actually brought my computer to class.

Just a freebee: this is a picture from our photo shoot before the wedding in Mexico. Isn't that a beautiful bride!!!!

Cake and Punch

Just Married!!!!

Well, now I'm a married man.

More from the Shower

Leslie's cousin

Leslie and her Dad

Fotos of the Despedida

Showers of Blessing

Well, new events are starting in my life today. This evening, starting at 7:00, we have our first wedding shower. This is one of the four that Leslie will have here, and today's will be with friends from work. We have been cleaning all afternoon here at Leslie's house because the shower will be here.

I am glad to see that important events in people's lives (like a marriage) are celebrated with friends and family. These are time to acknowledge the end of one stage of life and the beginning of a new stage, as well as to pass on blessing and words of wisdom.

I look forward to seeing how the despedida de solteros (goodbye for singles) is different from a traditional wedding shower in the U.S. I know that here in Mexico there are not separate celebrations for the shower and the bachelor (ette) parties, rather both are rapped up into a single festive occasion. At our parties we will seek to celebrate in holiness instead of the culturally common, unrestrained ways of celebrating the right-of-passage from single life to married life.

Walk In to Junior High

Now you have a special chance to walk into my junior high class. I have invited some of my students to participate in my blog conversations, so we'll see if they come along to practice English.

To all of my students, Welcome! I hope you enjoy getting a special peak into my life as a missionary and professor.

Mixing the Two/Going Against the Grain

I was reflecting on the location of my apartment last night as I was walking to the corner store at 11:30 to buy ice. My location is perfect for starting a fellowship of people of different socio-economic backgrounds. To the north of my apartment is an upper-middle class area (Ampliación Los Angeles) that would parallel many common North American neighborhoods, and everything to the south is a poor area (called Moderna) with many people out in the streets until the wee hours of the morning.

Moderna has many more visible evidences of need for the Gospel because the people are more visible. In Ampliación Los Angeles people stay in their houses more, and it will be more of a challenge to enter into their lives and get to know them without some specific connection. It will be beautiful to see fellowship in Christ between to groups that society does not permit to meet together.

The Beautiful UAL

These are some natural photos from the university where I teach. I just started my classes today. Things are going great with the students, unfortunately we are having problems working out the paperwork so that I can get paid.

Marcos and Mormons

Yesterday I went to the beginning of a seminar on teaching English as a Foreign language in Mexican Junior High Schools. It was quite interesting to get that insight as an outsider, but what was even more interesting was that God lead me to visit with two young teachers that turned out to be Christians. This was a gathering of over 100 English teachers from all over Torreón, and the two I visited with on our break were Christians!

Even more interesting to me was that one of the guys is a family friend of Marcos Witt. He grew up in Durango nearby, which is Marco's stomping grounds. The fellowship we had together was encouraging, and they were my first new friends in Torreón.

Later as I was leaving the school building, I met up with several Mormon missionaries who had just finished a regional meeting. I think it was pleasant for those on both sides of the religions to have found fellow Americans, and they were suprised that I knew about their religious background and history. I think I won some special respect, and they already have my respect because the Mormon missionaries have been good to me all over the world, even in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.

FUN STUFF

A Weekend Update

Hey Guys,

Now that I am in my own house, I don't have constant access to the internet. I will be trying to access every one or two days to keep communication up. I would love to hear from all of you.

I would like ask for your prayers for Leslie's family. Financially it is a very difficult time for them. The family restaurant is going under because clients just aren't coming, and Leslie's brother's boss has not paid him in more than 2 months. Apparently he will not pay him, and her brother is looking for other business opportunities. We are all quite strapped, and Leslie and I are having to help provide for them temporarily. Together we will make it through by God's grace.

I met two of my neighbors today, which are two university students that live in the other building in my complex. I also met the guy who lives across from me; he is a part of the intelligence agency that investigates drug traffic. Interesting mix, and definitely great opportunities for ministry.

Again, thanks for your prayers and generosity. May God continually bless you all.

Signing out for tonight,
Brian

Study Room

Plenty of Shelves

Kitchen

This kitchen is next to the breakfast room, separated by the breakfast bar that can be seen in the photo of the breakfast room.

Wash Room

This room is completely screened-in, but receives plenty of natural light and fresh air. I wash my clothes on a scrub board (tallador), and hang the clothes to dry on the line.

Hallway

Same hallway : 2 different pictures

Breakfast Room

Tio Josué, Esther, and Leslie

Master Bath

Yes, that is a wirlpool!

Our Bedroom

Just mine until October when Leslie and I get married.
Currently I'm sleeping on a pallet blankets on the floor.

Guest Bath

Before Cleaning

Living Room

Living Room (otherwise known as the cathedral)

Dining Room

The dining room right as you enter the house.

New Apartment! & Pics Coming

Tuesday we received a green light from the Lord, and Leslie and I rented our first apartment (which will be for me until we get married on October 7 here in Torreón). Our landlady is from an Arab family that is super nice. It turns out that even though our apartment is not in the same city, Cecilia (our landlady) attends a Bible study in the home of one of the members of the congregation in Lerdo.

(Click here for a map of the area)

Another exciting fact is that last month our pre-marital counselors looked at and considered the same apartment. They own a Christian bookstore in Gómez Palacio across the state line, and our landlady has been to their store. When Leslie and I rented the apartment, we didn't know about any of these connections! Crazy considering that we live in a metroplex of over 1 million people!

The apartment is way beyond anything I had ever dreamed of living in, and the price was the same as that of many other tiny places we had seen that were much less luxurious. God had an awesome blessing in store, and we praise his name. Thank you for your many prayers.

I am taking some of Leslie's batteries to my apartment today to take some pictures so that hopefully I can have some up for you tomorrow. I think you'll be impressed.

Prayer for Health Needed

I ask for your prayers for my health over the next few days. I have had a respiratory infection that started a week ago, and I began taking an antibiotic to knock it out. The antibiotic apparently has not had effect and my doctor says I should have already been well. I am going to begin taking another antibiotic today that is stronger to see if we can overcome. Most of all we ask the Great Physician to heal and restore complete health. Thank you for your prayers and concern.

A Sandy View

This is a view of Sam's Club across the boulevard from Leslie's house during a sand storm. They are pretty mean around here.