It Hasn’t Been an Easy Week… BUT…

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

The rubber has finally hit the road (actually the rubber literally hit the road) on our journey to relocate our belongings south of the border. Truly, this whole move has been one of the most difficult – and confusing – things I have ever done. I am used to making a plan, putting it on a spreadsheet, and getting it done. But this thing has had more twists and turns than you can imagine and I have reluctantly surrendered to the uncertainty of it all. We are taking it step by step and the spreadsheet is in the shredder. It is probably good for me to be ‘out of control’ but dang that is tough. I know Grant feels exactly the same way. We are living on pure faith and have seen so many mini miracles that remind us that this journey is not our own.

I won’t go into a lot of details but want to share some of the highlights – and lowlights. IMG_20170319_134847 After a difficult week in cold Regina emptying our giant trailer and repacking it to make sure the weight was distributed better, we hit the road on Sunday morning. We were pleased at how well the trailer pulled and our first stop was to visit some friends in Montana – college friends we had made 40 years ago but lost touch with until a chance encounter in Wyoming last year. It was a good visit and Charlie prayed a sweet prayer over us as we set out.

As we have travelled, we have encountered problems and challenges – lots of them – BUT we have also been given solutions in amazing ways.

Our very first night we looked out of our second-floor window at our 115-year-old hotel and saw that one of the tires on our trailer was missing. Not just the rubber but the entire tire – gone. Brand new tire. What is with us and Montana and tires? BUT – there was a tire shop directly across the street in this TINY town of 605 people and the owner agreed to work as late as necessary to repair all the damage that had been done.
The next day I forgot my purse – with our passports and Mexican immigration cards, etc – in a Mexican restaurant in Billings and didn’t realize it for 15 or 20 miles down the road BUT some kind soul turned it in without looting the contents.
We came across a snowstorm in Wyoming, BUT because of our delay in Montana we only caught the very end of it.
We had to unload our entire truck in order to go across the border to get our needed vehicle permits BUT the room we had booked at Holiday Inn was the largest room I have ever seen and the elevator was right next to our room so we had lots of space to store our 4 dining room chairs and millions of boxes after making 6 trips up with the luggage cart.
The super bumpy roads caused tire and brake problems with such a heavy load, BUT the tire guy in Pueblo, Colorado, the trailer hitch guy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the trailer brake guy in Nogales, Arizona – they all dropped what they were doing to fix whatever needed fixing to keep us on the road.

Seeing the country – Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona

This 115 year old hotel – Kempton Hotel in Terry, Montana – has never been closed. Over 42,000 days in operation

So now we are at the border and that is where it all comes together – or doesn’t. Although we have followed all the rules – the 10-page list of every item, translated into Spanish, with Make, Model and Serial No – I know there are many things that can go wrong. Mexican rules are fluid, and sometimes that works for you and sometimes that works against you.

Friday we arrived in Nogales – at least 1 day behind schedule. We needed to get our list of belongings, known as the Menaje de Casa, approved at the Mexican consulate and a permit issued. Everything I read said if you dropped the paperwork off today, the permit would be ready tomorrow. But that doesn’t include weekends so the earliest we could expect to get it would be Monday afternoon. We arrived at the Consulate on Friday at 2:00, with lists and photocopies of passports and immigration cards and letters of request in hand. The lone man at the desk said we could have an appointment at 3:30 and the permit would probably be ready Monday. And then I remembered my word for the year: BE BOLD. So I said, “Senor, we have a difficult week and we are behind schedule and I really want to get home – is there any chance we could get it today?”. Well let me see…… and he started going over the list. Item by item. All 383 of them. He reminded us that the consulate has the authority to say NO to any one of those items if it seems like we’re bringing too much. Which you know we are. Finally, he looked up and said, “Your list is very good. Come back at 2 minutes to 5:00 and I might have it done”. And he did. First thing done. (I knew my spreadsheet skills would come in handy!)

The next thing was our car permit. We had received our first 6 month permit on September 25^th. The truck must be back at the border before that permit expires – and yesterday was March 24^th. We had only a few hours left. But we weren’t sure exactly how it would work. Last time they almost didn’t let the truck in because it is so big. I have read that they have relaxed that a bit, but I couldn’t find anything official saying large trucks are now allowed. And the trailer. Apparently you can only bring in trailers up to 16 feet long – and ours is 32 feet. So we really didn’t know if our trip would end here or if they would give us a new permit to match our new residency status.

Nogales

We had to drive 35 miles into Mexico to the Banjercito office where vehicle permits are given. We weren’t ready to take all our belongings through customs, so that meant we had to empty our truck before heading across the border. Finally, at about 9:00 pm we set off – first to the office where they cancelled our old permit, refunded our deposit and scraped the sticker off the windshield. Grant then pulled a U-turn in the middle of the highway to get to the office on the other side to apply for the new permit. And it was uneventful. We got a new permit for truck and trailer, applied the new windshield sticker and paid a new deposit. The vehicles are legal.

By the time we got back to our hotel it was 12:30 am. I was more exhausted than I remember being in a long time. The many hours in the truck, the crappy fast food meals, the worry about lists and permits and tires and brakes – it all landed on my heart and I knew Grant felt the same. We made a decision to take a couple of days off before tackling Mexico. At 7:00 on Monday morning we will meet with the Customs Broker who must give us the final paperwork to get our stuff through Customs. And then we will head out. If we get the green light, we will be on our way. If we get a red light, there is a potential the border guards will make us unload the trailer. Either way we will be fine. We will tackle each step as it comes because we know we are following the footsteps that have gone ahead to prepare our journey.

And today? We are definitely tired. BUT….we’re going shopping. We’re going to be tourists. We’re going to find a nice steak dinner. Through it all, we’re having a blast together. We’re living the dream – just not quite how we pictured it!

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. BUT take heart! I have overcome” John 16:33

Heading North

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

Can’t say I’m thrilled to leave the perfect Banderas Bay weather to head into the snowy north, but we have stuff to do and need to spend a few days in Canada. In a week or so, we’ll hitch our load of personal belongings to the back of the Dodge Ram and drive home. We need to have our truck at the Mexican border by Mar 25 so we have no time to drag our feet.

I’m sad to leave the kids behind – we had a teary goodbye from some, Natalie just glared and refused to say goodbye at all – but there are things we’re excited to do over these next few days. Seeing friends and family is obvious – that goes without saying and will take a big chunk of our time. What are the other things that we’ve been missing and need to squeeze in:

A Medium Timmie’s with one cream two sugar and a breakfast bagel
A movie without subtitles or dubbing and a giant popcorn
A steak – the Keg or maybe Applebees
Viet Thai – oh I so miss Viet Thai
Browsing in Chapters with a Starbucks Vente Skinny Cinnamon Dolce with extra shot of espresso and no whip
Watching at least one episode of Home Hunters International and maybe a Dr. Phil
A shopping trip for running shoes and underwear and meds and hair clips and proper yellow file folders
Church at Bloom with my bloomin friends
BATHS! A lot of bubble baths
Perogies – I need to find me some perogies
Laundry that gets washed AND dried
Western or Houston Pizza and maybe a Greek salad
Putting on makeup knowing that it will still be on my face in an hour
I would say driving on roads without potholes, but well I’m going to Saskatchewan in the spring

The list of what I’ll miss it way too long so I’m not going to think about it. I’m nervous about having to follow traffic rules, about having to park on the correct side of the street, about having to pay more than $3 for a meal. It’s just really good to know that Bucerias now feels like home, and the trip we’re about to take feels like ‘vacation’ or ‘business’. I always wondered if that could happen – if a person who had more life behind than ahead could relocate so drastically and make a new home. It can!

A Sick Baby & A Scared Mama

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

Imagine that you are a fifteen-year-old mom with a 5-month-old baby (a really cute baby). Your grandma died 2 weeks ago in a nearby hospital – she had a harsh sounding cough which quickly developed into pneumonia and she was gone. Now your baby has a bad cough. You have no vehicle to get her to a doctor, no money to pay for one. Your own mom is still struggling with losing her mom and really doesn’t want to go back to the hospital. You’re scared. What would you do?

You would do exactly what every good mom would do – you would call a friend and ask for help. That is what Irandi did this week when Baby Alison’s cough started sounding ugly and obviously causing pain. She was scared – really scared when she called me. She wanted to see a doctor but had no money or health insurance. Would I help?

Of course we will help – that’s a no brainer. But the question we face every day here – what is the best way to help in the short term without hurting in the long term? I don’t have the answers fully worked out in my head so for now I go with my heart. There’s a sick baby that needs to get to a doctor and her mama is scared.

Grant and I went to San Vicente to pick up Irandi and her baby and while we were at her house, I suggested that her sister Ibet who is 16 come along and bring her 3-year-old son who has had a runny nose for many months. We filled up Azulita with worried mamas and sick babies and headed to a pediatrician’s office in Mezcales. We probably could have gone to a local general doctor, but I remember when my youngest daughter Brett was 6 months old she had a similar bronchial infection and had to be hospitalized and kept in an oxygen tent for a number of days. I remember how serious this type of infection can be for a baby and wanted to get the best care.

The doctor was great. He asked many questions about her life and the life of her baby. He asked who I was and Irandi told him I was a friend of her family. He was kind and concerned for Alison. He prescribed a number of medications and put her on oxygen for 30 or 40 minutes. He knew little English and we struggled to understand one another but he tried to keep me involved in what was happening. He asked us to come back on Thursday afternoon. Kevin also received some antibiotics to help his infection.

On Wednesday night after I had gone to bed, Irandi called in a bit of a panic. Alison was still coughing. Maybe we should go to the hospital in Vallarta in the morning. But that is where Grandma had died and no one wanted to go there again. I could hear Alison in the background and she sounded strong so I told her to call me early in the morning and we would decide what to do.

In the morning, I had my friend Anita call the doctor using the cell phone number he had given us, to ask if we could see him sooner. He was in another town until later in the afternoon, but he offered to phone Irandi and find out what was happening with Alison. That calmed everyone down a bit and we decided to stick with keeping our afternoon appointment with the pediatrician.

That afternoon we picked up Irandi and Alison and this time Irandi’s boyfriend’s mom came along too – I was so relieved to have some family support for this young family. The doctor listened to her lungs and sent her to xray where it was confirmed she did have a lung infection. He felt she could be treated at home with the medication he had already prescribed. He gave her more oxygen and sent us on our way, to come back in 2 weeks.

Again I am faced with the reality of what poverty looks like when you look it in the eye. Honestly, I just want to kick it in the head most days.

One of the cool parts of this story is that just the day before Irandi called me, I had looked in my purse and found a folded bundle of cash. I had no idea why it was loose in my purse, or where it came from. It wasn’t in my wallet with the rest of my money – just a loose wad. I had asked Grant if he had any idea what it was and he looked at me with the “what are you talking about” look. I still don’t know where it came from – but it was almost exactly the amount that I needed to pay the doctor’s bill and purchase the medication. So I told God, “I don’t know what I’m doing here, and we don’t have all that much money now that Grant’s not been working, but if you keep filling up my purse, I’ll keep using it to care for the people you put in my path.”

I now recognize one more thing I need to learn: what medical and financial resources are available for families like Irandi’s when illness strikes? How can I help these young moms stand strong and be wise as they care for their children?

Yesterday I received a text from Irandi. “Thank you Karen. For yesterday. Thank you. Alison is much better.”

Another day, another baby, another difficult life lesson. And another miracle.

Irandi and Alison Naomi

Learning a Language

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

The more time we spend here in Mexico, the more we realize the importance of shared language to build relationships and experience success. Every day we struggle to explain something we need or want – to express an idea or an emotion. We are fortunate because there is a lot of English spoken here in the Bay – it is a big tourist area and we really could live comfortably if we never tried to speak Spanish. But we don’t want to live life on the outer edges – to be tourists in our own town. We want to experience life in the center of the community, to be able to speak to our neighbors and especially to communicate well with the children at Manos de Amor. duolingo2 So we are doing our Duolingo every day and slowly getting better. Grant is way ahead of me in the program – he has a bigger vocabulary and has done many more lessons. I am more willing to just start talking, even if I sound ridiculous and make no sense. We are each learning within our own personalities – the introvert and the extrovert – and we are slowly making progress.

Using the Duolingo app every day gave us an idea – why not use this same type of fun technology to teach the children how to speak English? The children at Casa Hogar are already one step ahead of many of their family members and peers because they are regularly attending school. They receive help every afternoon with homework from our tutor Jezebel. They are all bringing home good report cards. If they stick with it, this will definitely help them get a job when they graduate. But we live in a tourist zone – if they learn English another door will swing wide open for them to work in the hotels and restaurants. We have volunteers throughout the year who come to the home to help with English, but many are in the area temporarily and we have not been able to set up a long-term English program.

Last summer my friends from Bloom Church came to Bucerias for a week of service – working with the local churches in several surrounding communities and of course working at Manos de Amor. At the end of the week there was around $1200 left from the money they had raised and we didn’t really know where to use it – so they told me to hang onto it until I saw a good place to use it. One day a few weeks ago Grant and I decided this might be it – let’s buy some tablets and combine fun technology with language learning. It’s working for us – surely it can work for children. We went shopping and bought 5 tablets.We downloaded Duolingo for the big kids and a few English learning apps for the little kids. And we jumped in. Obviously, they were super excited to use the brand new tablets – and I am impressed with their progress.

We are just getting started. We have had 4 or 5 classes using the old and very slow computers in the homework room and now we have switched everything over to the tablets. We will have 2 classes a week for the big kids and 2 classes a week for the little kids. They will work through the apps at their own speed and at the end of the class there will be some time for game fun. At first Grant and I will supervise and we hope to figure it out enough that volunteers can step in and work with the children.

Thanks to those of you who donated money to Bloom last summer. We would love to buy more tablets – if that is something you would like to donate to, you can do so by giving online. You will receive an income tax receipt if you donate using the Canadian or American link. Go to www.manosdeamor.com and click on Give Online tab.

Stay tuned for a progress report! I suspect it’s going to be a bumpy adventure.

Raising Some $$$

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

It has been a whirlwind, but the fundraising season for Manos de Amor is almost over. In the span of 5 ½ weeks, we have held 3 major events: a Cocktail Party, a Hamburger Fest and last weekend was a GIANT event called Rhythm and Ribs where 1500-2000 people sampled food from almost 30 restaurants, drank beer and danced under the stars to the music of a local band. It has been fun – and exhausting – and I’m pretty sure that all of us on the steering committee are happy that this part of our job is finished. We have auctioned off almost 150 items, given away 70 raffle prizes, and split a pile of 50/50 money. We have sipped wine and danced on the beach, flipped burgers and sang Karaoke in the middle of a street and gnawed on ribs in a big empty field. Most importantly, we have raised a lot of money which is essential to keeping our home running and keeping our children safe and educated.

Dancing Under the Stars

Hamburger Fest

After picking the short straw, I had the privilege of chairing this last big event and I am so grateful for the dozens of volunteers who worked hard helping this greenhorn pull this off. I have led a LOT of events, but this one was certainly unique in so many ways.

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Although we have not seen rain here in Bucerias for months, my biggest fear was the big black clouds that began to spit just as we started. To my great relief, instead of rain we were given a beautiful rainbow. I took that as personal encouragement! At the end of the evening, we were treated to a fireworks display by the nearby hotel. Pretty awesome start and finish to a great event!

I have been in charge of venue setup for many gymnastics meets, and my friends Lorne and Barry have often teased me (you were teasing right?) about how I bossed them around during equipment setup. (I want the vault runway there…. No there….. no 2 inches to the right…. I mean 3 inches to the left….). Well I have to say I get much better service here (now I’m teasing). I mentioned that we really needed to get someone to move a car that was parked in a bad spot, and instantly I had 8 Mexican men literally pick up the car and move it out of the way. I picked up a table to move it and a nice Mexican man told me ladies don’t have to lift tables.

She said she wants the car moved…..

So my inauguration into Bucerias fundraising is over. I met many very cool people, counted a LOT of pesos, sampled ribs and tamales and ceviche, and shook hands with Mexican politicians. I translated spreadsheets with income and expenses (I can truly say I have never had a line item for ‘Bano revenue’ before), cooked 120 pulled pork sandwiches and walked a LOT of steps. I can’t say it is my favorite part of charity work – I’d rather just play with kids- but I do know that raising funds is super important and I am grateful for the many snowbirds and other tourists who supported our children. GRACIAS!

A Blooming Good Life

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

I recognize that sometimes I use this blog to complain and grumble about the things that are difficult here (no my windshield has not been repaired yet), or sad (my fingers caressing the many infected cuts on little Kevin’s legs), or irritating (the barking dogs at night – oh so many barking dogs). But this morning I walked out into my garden and just felt so grateful for the beauty I saw there. I generally suck as a gardener, but we bloomed stuff! I reminded myself once again that even when situations here are difficult, when what I encounter in the homes and people I visit feels like walking in a dry and parched land, life is good. Very good. And I rejoice in it.

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.” Is 35.2

What is a Typical Week?

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

My last couple of blog posts have been complaining about our car woes but I want to be very clear – we are loving our new life here and recognize that we have a purpose here that goes far beyond being comfortable in our wheels.

r-r-2017 Last week I made a quick business trip to Canada and returned Sunday afternoon, eager to get back to what is now my normal life. Every day we go to the orphanage to spend time with children. I am now on the Steering Committee of the home and we are in the middle of the fundraising season. Our largest fundraiser is in less than 3 weeks – 1500 people will come to eat Ribs and listen to music and hopefully spend lots of money on raffles and 50/50 draws and auction items. I am chairing the committee for this event even though I don’t have a clue what I am doing – which is kind of how I rolled in Canada too (ie Gymnatics Nationals 2007!). But what we love most is connecting with the children at Casa Hogar and last week was a typical week in our life there.

GROUP VISITS

On Wednesday we helped conduct a group visit. All we knew was that a group was coming from the Four Season in Punta de Mita to tour the orphanage. Shortly after 2:30 a giant bus pulled up – I can’t imagine how the driver navigated through the narrow roads in this neighborhood but the children were pumped to see this bus stopping at their house. 40 top producers of a software company – Qualtrics – poured out of the bus and spent the afternoon playing road hockey and other games and touring the home. They left a GIANT pile of fantastic gifts – schools supplies and backpacks and clothes and fans. They also presented us with a cheque for $100,000 pesos. Veronica asked me to thank them in English and I admit I had a hard time talking as I choked back the tears. During the winter we have many tourists who visit – they don’t all leave $100,000 pesos but they all leave something – a bit of cash, a bag of toys, some ice cream or candies, always smiles and hugs and pieces of their hearts. I love looking at the children through their eyes and reminding myself why we moved here. Thank you Qualtrics – and all of the other visitors who have blessed us this winter, including my own friends Melanie from Weyburn and Alex and Jill from Regina.

CHURCH

Wednesday night we accompany the children to Spanish church. Nothing is as lively and life-affirming as Spanish church and we love dancing around with the children – and holding young Jose as he inevitably falls asleep in my arms. As much as we believe in feeding the bodies of these little ones, feeding their souls with God’s love and hope is the most important – and satisfying – thing of all.

ENGLISH LESSONS

We started a new program last week using Duolingo to teach the older children English. Duolingo is language software that Grant and I have been using regularly to learn Spanish. It has the capability to be set up as a classroom – using individual lessons and group activities. This means that we can help facilitate their learning without being fluent Spanish speakers. And it is perfect for children and teens because it feels like you’re playing a video game. We worked with Miguel, Rubi, Paolo and even young Edgar last week and they are all eager to learn English – and to help Grant and I learn Spanish. Win/Win! We would love to invest in a few tablets which would make using this technology much easier so if you have any old ones you don’t want let me know! For these children, learning English will open doors to working in the tourism industry and it will absolutely change the direction of many lives.

HELPING DAD

The home had a broken Golf Cart sitting in the yard for the last few months and Grant set to work fixing it. He had a LOT of helpers who wanted to hang out with him and help.

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SWIMMING AFTERNOON

Just like in Canada, teachers here schedule In-service days one Friday per month. Last Friday school was out and we were all invited to go swimming at the Yacht Club in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle. The Yacht Club is the winter home to many families who live on boats, traveling the world. The children who live on these boats are home schooled and don’t often get the chance to hang out with other children, so they loved hanging out at the pool with our children. It was a fun afternoon and we ended by making pipe cleaner bracelets.

After swimming, Grant and I drove Jose home to San Vicente as we do every Friday and visited with young Irandi and her baby Alison.

It was a full week and after dropping Jose off we drove to Nuevo Vallarta and ate pasta and sipped wine in a quiet garden restaurant. Although we are where we want to be here in Bucerias, sometimes we need to withdraw from the crazy noise of children and dogs and roosters and music and close our eyes and just breathe. To be together. To reconnect. To toast this life we are figuring out. To just be Grant and Karen.

MAKING FRIENDS

Last night we attended a Western Themed party. We are slowly making our own friends here – some Mexicanos, some Gringos. I don’t think you could survive here if you didn’t have people to ask the tough questions: Why does my stove dial only have numbers 1 to 5 instead of degrees? Where do you buy your spices? Flour? Do you eat vegetables anymore? You found dried cranberries? Where? What is your favorite taco place? And always… did you hear that music last night?

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Tonight we will go and pick up Jose and deliver him back to Casa Hogar. Our week will start again. We will spar with car dealerships and conduct committee meetings and eat tacos and sweep up the never-ending supply of dust that comes through our windows. We will laugh with children and maybe cry for them. But whatever this week brings us, we will live boldly and fully. We will be grateful. And we will eat tacos.

El Dia de los Reyes

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

On Friday we went with the children to the last fiesta of the Christmas season. Here in Mexico, January 6^th is known as El Dia De Los Reyes (3 Kings Day). It is the last of the 12 days of Christmas and symbolizes the three Kings who found Baby Jesus. This is a day of family gatherings, parades, gifts and the special bread called Rosca de Reyes. The children of Manos de Amor were invited to a party at the La Cruz Yacht Club, sponsored by the mostly tourists who sail in the Bay and live on their beautiful boats. It was a fun party with lots of games and crafts and hot dogs and a gift for each child.

20170106_133016 One of the highlights was the cutting of the Rosca. The bread (it reminds me of Easter Bread) is a sweet bread shaped in a circle to represent the crowns of the Kings. It is covered with candied fruit. Hidden inside the bread are little plastic dolls – baby Jesus. The tradition is that whoever finds the baby must host a Tamale party on Feb 2^nd. For these children, the promise is whoever finds the dolls gets as many tamales as they want on Feb 2^nd. It reminded me of when we hid money in our birthday cakes when I was young – what kid doesn’t love a fun choking hazard treasure hunt? And the best part??? I got a Baby Jesus! So I think that means I have to host a Tamale party.

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That brings to an end Christmas 2016. Like all children, these ones have been loaded with candy and spoiled with gifts. I have no idea if they understand that it was the generosity of total strangers that gave them the Christmas that most other children get from their parents. I don’t know how their parents feel either. It is something I wrestle with all the time – how can we help without hurting? I don’t have the answer and so for now I just trust my heart and give what feels right. Thank you to those who donated money and time and gifts to make Christmas special for these sweet children. I trust that you will reap the blessings of spirit that come from sharing your heart. Oh, and I guess you’re invited to my place for tamales on February 2nd!

A Crappy Week of Mananas

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Karen moves to Mexico

I have always said that I am going to take it all in stride. I am not going to expect things to be easy here or for everything to go smoothly. I will have lower expectations and take each day as it comes. But I admit that this week has presented an irritation that is threatening to make me just a tiny bit cranky.

Last Friday – that’s right, 7 days ago – this story began. Our girls were still here and after a few days working with volunteers at the orphanage, we were excited to go boogie boarding at the beach in Nuevo Vallarta. It’s one of our favorite beaches to enjoy some chicken nachos and some sunshine and waves. When it was time to leave we packed up the lawn chairs, the boogie boards, the umbrella, the towels and sunscreen and books and bags. As we were walking to the overflow parking lot down the road Grant reached for his keys – and I watched the panic cross his face. The keys to our car and our house were gone – he had forgotten they were in the now empty pocket of his swimming trunks. The keys had joined my glasses that were swept away by waves a few years ago. We were stranded at the beach – I know, worse problems right? But forget the beach part of that sentence, the point is we were stranded. As best as we could we asked around – the security guard, the restaurant guy. (The same people I had asked the day Grant lost his phone AT THE SAME BEACH.) We wandered through the shallow water looking for waterlogged keys. Nada. So we hailed a taxi, shoved all our stuff in his trunk and headed home.

Walking the beach…. looking….

Did I mention that our house keys were on that ring too? We were back at home, but stuck on the street in our bathing suits. I went to our neighbors who are related to our landlady and asked if there was any chance they had another key. They laughed at me. So Ninja Warrior Grant set to work. He climbed the tree in front of the house, shimmied across the roof, used the umbrella pole we threw up on the roof to reach in through the bedroom window to slide the balcony door key close enough to grab, and opened the balcony door. We were in. And in case you are a Mexican house thief reading this, don’t even bother. We have moved that key so you won’t be able to reach it.

Now the good news is that we do have 2 sets of house keys – our friend Marioo who had stayed at our house had the second set. But I knew he had lent them to our other friend Carmelo who needed to borrow a light one evening. And I didn’t know where to find either of those guys. So I contacted Zac, who contacted Marioo, who contacted Carmelo, who brought the keys to Marioo, who eventually brought them to us. We were in and we had house keys again. That is the end of the good news.

The next day we went to Poncho’s for breakfast – we knew we needed a Mexican friend to give us a hand. We realized that there is no easy way to get a new computerized key cut. We had purchased 2 extra keys online while we were in Canada but had not programmed them to our Mexican car yet. We figured we would need to tow the car to the Volkswagen dealer – but of course it was a Saturday and when we called there was no one there who spoke English. Poncho called for us and they said they could do it but it would take 3 days and cost $1700 pesos. And we would have to arrange for a tow truck. BUT…. Poncho knew a guy. Brandon the key guy. Within 10 minutes Brandon was at our table in the restaurant asking what we needed. Yes, he could do it. That same day. He would meet us at the beach at 2:00. It would cost us more than the dealer, but we would have it that day. Perfect.

At 2:00 we took a taxi to the beach and surprisingly Brandon showed up almost on time. He jimmied the door open and took apart the door lock mechanism in order to take it back to his shop to cut the key. img_20161231_141543 He said he would be back in less than an hour but we knew there was no way that was happening. Especially since he said he had no gas in his motorbike and all the gas stations were closed because of the gas hike that was going to happen the next day. He assured us he would be back – if he didn’t run out of gas. We went to the beach, took out our tablets, ordered some lunch and some drinks and settled in to read and play some Candy Crush and wait. He arrived back in about 2 hours, after having driven to San Vicente to get gas. So far so good. Surprisingly good. And then it wasn’t. The last step was to call Volkswagen for a code to do the final programming. And they were closed. ALL of the Volkswagen dealers he knew were closed. It was New Year’s Eve. So…. Monday. We would have to finish on Monday. Are you sure Monday isn’t a holiday? No, no, no – we will definitely get this done on Monday. I will call you on Monday.

Okay. We can handle that. Both Brett and Meigan had been up all night sick from food poisoning, so we weren’t really planning a New Year’s Eve party anyway. We walked down to the Thai place for some supper and came home to watch fireworks from our balcony. On Sunday, our family vacation was officially over. The girls had to take a mini bus with their suitcases to the airport, but they were feeling better and were okay with this last Mexican adventure.

On Monday morning, we walked the 25 minute walk to Bucerias Centro to Brandon’s shop, eager to get little Azulita back on the road. Nope, Brandon is not in today. Manana.

On Tuesday morning, we walked the 25 minute walk to Bucerias Centro to Brandon’s shop…. Nope Brandon is in Guadalajara today. Manana.

On Wednesday morning, we walked the 25 minute walk to Bucerias Centro to Brandon’s shop… Nope Brandon is not in. Maybe this afternoon.

Now the good news is that my FitBit was very excited counting steps – we have walked a LOT over these last few days. My daily update congratulated me on being an overachiever with over 10,000 steps each day – over 18,000 on Saturday alone! We have taken taxis and buses and mini vans. But mostly we have walked. And now I want my car back. So Wednesday we decided to go back to Plan A and call a tow truck and take the car to the Volkswagen dealer.

So I used my crappy Spanish – and a bit of help from Poncho – to call a tow truck. It’s a lot harder to speak a new language when you can’t use charades. But I did it. We took a taxi back to the beach where we met the tow truck guy and were driven to the dealership in Puerto Vallarta.

And then we met Raul, who assured us the car would be ready at 6:00 that afternoon. They would reprogram the key and it would ONLY cost us $2400 pesos. Remember they had told Poncho it would be $1700 just two days before – we were now being quoted the price with the Gringo Tax added on. Fine. Just get my car on the road.

That afternoon we had a blast with a whole bunch of visitors at the orphanage – one of my jobs is to meet any visitors who want to visit and make donations. Of course we had to walk there from our home, carrying our BBQ, but it was worth it. We played games and did crafts and ate hot dogs and it was just too late to grab a bus back to Vallarta by 6:00. Which is a good thing because at 5:45 I received an email. “We are having some problems and your car is not ready…. Manana”.

A bus ride, known as a Mexican Massage, complete with musical entertainment

On Thursday morning I called the dealership….. Yes your car will be ready in an hour. Should I call to confirm before I come? No it will definitely be ready at 12:30. Okay – here comes another 45 minute bone shaking bus ride to downtown Vallarta. This time we could actually see the ground going by through the holes in the bus floor. Worth it so I can get my car back. As soon as Raul saw us I could tell by his face that this was not happening today. Facial expressions are bilingual. There is a problem programming your key – when you used your new key to try and start the car, the anti-theft device scrambled up the program and we need to buy a new mechanism. From Pueblo. Which will take 4 days. At least. And cost $8500 pesos. So maybe next week?

Aaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhh. That’s it. Time to call the other Poncho – our car rental guy – and beg him for a car for a week. It’s high season – cars online are $400-800 US per week and there aren’t many available. But Poncho is ‘our guy’ and he gave us the special rate he always gives us – $148 for a week. We promised not to throw his keys in the ocean. We were back on the road.

Poncho from Fox Rental – our car guy.

When I moved to Mexico I fully expected “Manana” to be the way of life here. I did not expect the telephone guy or the gas guy or the cable guy to show up today. I knew he would be here “Manana”. But this week gave me 7 Mananas and I am not really convinced I am any closer to having a key for my car. But as we walked towards the bus stop today I said to Grant, “Isn’t our worse day here still the best life ever?” Every life has its challenges, its disappointments, its frustrations – but when you are where you love to be, you just go with it and eat another taco. It’ll be better….. manana……

Making some Deliveries

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

Besides the children at Manos de Amor, we made up some extra baskets for some other families who desperately need help.

First we delivered baskets to our family in Cardboardlandia in San Vicente. Three daughters – three babies. Born to 13 and 14 year old moms. I held and fed and hugged baby Alison. She was happy – she laughed and smiled the entire time. She has no idea what a difficult road is ahead for her. Her mom loves her and dresses her up so she is cute – the same way my daughters did with their baby dolls or Barbies. But Alison is a real baby, a little girl with many challenges ahead.

Her cousins – Lupita and Kevin – were excited to see us. Lupita ran to our car yelling “Abuelo, Abuelo” to Grant (Grandpa, Grandpa). She is tiny – too thin I think – but happy. Although she is 3, she never speaks but definitely knows how to laugh.

Kevin was also excited to see us, hugging us both tightly, his perpetually runny nose mingling with our hair as he grabbed tight. We stayed for an hour or two – Alison’s mom told me she would like me to teach her English, so maybe she hopes for a better future. As we got ready to leave, Kevin climbed in the back of my car and refused to get out. Thinking we would bluff him into wanting out, we started to drive away and his young auntie and cousins yelled “Adios Kevin”. He sat up with a big smile on his face, waved at his family and yelled “Adios” before settling back down in his seat. He was truly hoping to leave with us – where did he think we would go? – and it was heartbreaking to have to wrestle him down while he was screaming to take him out of our car. He was ready to leave with us, perhaps somehow aware of his unlikely future there in that desolate community made of cardboard boxes and pieces of tarps.

Next we drove to Valle de Banderas to deliver clothes, gifts and the food hamper to the family I told you about a few weeks ago – the two little girls who cannot stay at Manos de Amor because they don’t have their papers. Since I wrote that post, their mom has decided she does not want the 2 older sisters living at Manos de Amor either, so all 4 girls are now living with grandma or mom. As we drove up, the oldest daughter ran to our car and threw her arms around us. She has always been closest to Grant and she held him for a long time. We went in the house to give the gifts to Grandma and there were the 3 other girls. A bit shy for the first few seconds but then the two littlest ones jumped into our arms. I truly don’t think I have ever felt a hug as tight as the one I felt from the littlest daughter. She held me for many, many minutes as tight as she could. She simply wouldn’t let go. Grant was experiencing the same thing with the second daughter. They were desperately hungry for our love and we let them cling to us for many minutes. No words. No questions or explanations. Just hugs.

Eventually we left and again our ride home was quiet. How do you process or understand or discuss what we see here?

In our home, as in yours, Christmas has always been a big deal. Lots of gifts and stuffed stockings, fancy brunches and dinners, decorations inside and out. Archie comics, Life Saver books, Lip smackers. Even the pets received gifts. But now I see that for much of the world Christmas is not about getting more stuff. It is a parade in the town square, a party at school, some fireworks in the street and a LOT of music with family gathered close. Today my daughter texted and said “Let’s keep it simple this year. Let’s not get caught up in the commercialism”. I couldn’t agree more. Let’s keep it simple. Let’s hugs some kids, give some time, and spread some hope. Let’s count our blessings and just love those around us. Let’s worship the One we celebrate on this day by loving the least of these.

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Karen Moves to Mexico

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