Watch for Traffic!

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

Traffic is always a bit crazy here but during Christmas month it is even crazier – tourists and shoppers are everywhere. But ‘traffic’ does not just mean cars, trucks, motorcycles, vans, taxis, golf carts, buses. It also means the animals who we share the roads with. We arrived at the orphanage on Friday to take Paola shopping at Mega and this is what we saw that morning: (keep in mind – we don’t live in the country! This was all in town on the way to Mega)

A loose donkey grazing along the road

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A traffic jam of horses and a construction lift

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Some other horses checking out what was happening in the orphanage – and eating the garbage

Some loose cows having lunch – kinda close when you’re sitting at a light in a convertible!

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Not to mention the dogs, cats, lizards, chickens and jugglers! This is definitely a very different world and we love watching for the unexpected as we go about our day.

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.

Let’s Go Shopping

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

A number of you donated money for me to bring to Manos de Amor and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be the messenger who got to deliver your gift. We had two very specific ideas.

First, we wanted to take each sibling group shopping to buy a gift for the parent or grandparent who cares for them outside of Casa Hogar. This was an interesting personal test of my own merciful heart as I sort of thought that these parents didn’t really deserve a present all that much. These children aren’t generally living at Manos de Amor because they have great, upstanding parents. Some are prostitutes. Some have in the past abandoned their children for weeks or months at a time with no food. Some have abused their children. Many (most?) are drug addicts or alcoholics. But I know that to the children, these flawed adults are their first love – they are mama or papa or abuelita and Grant and I knew that they needed a way to express their love and to be able to give. So over the course of 3 days, we took all of the children to Walmart or Mega to buy a gift for their caregiver. They all took it very seriously, trying to decide what their parent would want. Some of them were very conscious of price tags, others just really wanted to buy some toys. One boy tried convincing me his mom really loved Lego. Another tried for an Xbox. One asked if he could buy something for his mama- whom I know he hasn’t seen in years. It was fun and just a bit heart breaking. I have no idea if the parents will give a gift back. Perhaps the gift they got from Walmart is all they will get this year. But regardless, it is important that these children learn that giving is a part of life that brings great joy.

The second thing we wanted to do was put together some food hampers to send home with the children when they left for Christmas vacation. I always worry when the children leave for the weekend. I know that some of them may not eat for a few days. They may be alone most of the time. But these parents/grandparents want to have a relationship with their children. They know they can’t care for them so they allow them to live at Manos de Amor during the school year, but on vacation they want to be a family. Even if they don’t have the emotional or financial ability to do it all that well. So we went shopping for 13 large baskets of food – rice, beans, pasta, tuna, dried fruit, nuts, cereal, and of course some fun Christmas stuff like cookies and candy canes. How excited they were when they realized they got to take the big package home.

img_20161216_154845 We drove Rubi to meet her Grandfather who sells chairs and rugs by the side of the road. As we drove, Rubi asked if the money for the food baskets came from my friends in Canada and I said yes. She hugged the basket and looked up and said “Gracias Dios. Dios is grande”. Thank you God….God is great. I guess that pretty much says it all. Thank you to my Canadian friends who follow our story and support these children with us. I am so happy that Rubi recognizes that although it was Canadians who provided the funds, the thanks goes to God because He is good.

Let’s Get this Party Started

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

It’s been a Christmas kind of week! We arrived here on Monday night and got right to work celebrating children and Christmas at Manos de Amor.

First let me say that our 6 bulging suitcases full of miscellaneous ridiculous and yet vital crap made it through all of the screenings and security and red/green lights. While sitting in Calgary on a layover, we heard that the Regina airport was shut down because of a ‘suspicious object’ that had been found in a bag. I can’t lie – my mind raced through the rather long list of suspicious objects, powders and liquids in our bags and I wondered if we were the cause of the shutdown. I mean, who travels with a BBQ, potato peeler, box of Borax, guacamole spices, bathroom scale, hummingbird feeder, sugar bowl, a giant tub of protein shake and 84 cold sore pills. Oh, and a Christmas moose.

We waited patiently as our bags were almost the last to come around the turnstile and after assuring the security guy that I only had some clothes and a couple of things for our home, we were in a taxi headed HOME.

On Tuesday, we headed over to the orphanage to reunite with ‘our’ children. I had been worrying for quite some time that we had been gone too long, that our relationships might have been damaged or their trust broken. But I forgot that children are not like grown-ups. They just love really easy and hug really hard and we were welcomed and kissed and dragged to the swings to get the party started.

On Wednesday, we helped accompany the children to a party hosted by Walmart. After a fight about who would get to drive in the convertible, we were off for the first of many sugar fests held over this season. The Walmart employees had each bought a gift for a child and the sorriest looking Santa I have ever see handed them out. I realized that children are pretty much the same everywhere. Brayan put up his hand to inquire if he could get a sandwich without onions cause he hates onions. Zimbry held his hand to his head when he looked in his bag and didn’t see the truck he wanted. Many tiny hands grabbed Grant or myself to run to the bathroom. When they discovered the hand dryers which they had not seen before, they washed over and over, giggling like crazy. It was just a fun day of mayhem, fueled by sugar and juice boxes.

The next day, a family from Canada came to the home with gifts for everyone (yay more sugar!) and face paints and balloons. I love how the children at Manos de Amor are so open to entertaining strangers. And I loved how every few minutes they would run back to Grant or me to show us something or give a hug – assuring themselves there was a familiar safe place nearby. I love how Carlos and Brayan asked for their faces to be painted with mustaches “similar a Grant”.

During this festive season, many people are eager to share with those less fortunate. There are many tourists who will come over the next 2 weeks to bring gifts and donations and we welcome them all. Not because they will bring toys and candy and other gifts that every child wants. But because they will step outside of their own comfortable lives to be part of the very difficult story of a lost child. Even if just for a couple of hours, their own hearts will be broken and transformed just a tiny bit. That is the only way we can really change the world – by allowing ourselves to be broken enough that we are willing to give it forward. So thank you Walmart. Thank you generous tourists. Thank you.

Goodbye Lumsden

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

Today is a weird day – our house is sold and we stayed at a hotel last night because we no longer have a home in Canada. For the first time in a very long time I don’t actually own a home anywhere. I have a rental in Bucerias and a chunk of land near La Cruz that will someday be the place where I will sit on the deck watching the sun set over the ocean. But today I woke up in a hotel because I am sort of homeless.

We have been in the Lumsden area since 1995. When I think about it, the whole Swanson home parade in Lumsden has been anything but normal. It has been unusual and creative and severely backbreaking.

It started in 1994 when we purchased 25 acres overlooking the beautiful Qu’Appelle Valley with a pretty creek running through it. 6 others purchased land there as well and we built a little community together. Of course, we didn’t just build a simple house like everyone else. We moved a giant of a house 152 km from a farm in Ogema to Lumsden.

It was the wettest summer in history and our house sat stuck in a field for much of the summer – finally arriving the day before school started. It was a ton of work getting it set on the new foundation, building a garage and creating a yard but it was a blast for our daughters to play in the woods in the treehouse Grant built them. We had friends over for bonfires in a clearing and skating on the creek. We watched foxes play in the valley and deer wander through. It was a good place for our family. But our purpose had been to flip it to make some money and after 2 or 3 years we sold out. By that time our girls were committed to friends and school in Lumsden and they begged us to stay in the community.

Unfortunately, the possession date for our sale was quick and there were few houses available in Lumsden, so we bought the oldest, ugliest house in town. Ugly. Really ugly. It was 100 years old with lots of character. Unfortunately, most of the character was from the 60s …. Imagine purple shag carpet everywhere.

So we set to work stripping a dozen layers of wallpaper, moving walls, building stairways and tearing up floors. We added a garage and a loft. It wasn’t quick and we lived in the middle of the construction for months – but it was to be our family home for the next 14 years. It was a good town to raise a family. Our girls could walk to school and take off on their bikes without concern. We had friends over to toboggan down the church hill and walked the dogs down by the railroad tracks. After a stroke in 2005, I spent many months sitting beside the river at the railroad trestle – meditating and praying and healing. It was a good place for our family.

After High School, both of our daughters went off to University and new careers kept them from returning to Lumsden. Grant and I began to dream of our own future adventure and decided to finance it by diving into one more crazy Lumsden house experience. Because our home sat on a double lot, we were able to subdivide our land and make room to build one last Canadian Swanson home. Just as we got started, a real estate building boom hit our province and Grant’s company was swamped with work. Which severely hampered his plan to build our house in his free time. Being as he no longer had free time. Our dream got a bit dusty sitting on the shelf. I am grateful I did not know how long this would take and how hard it would be. I also did not imagine how beautiful this last house would be and how much love and heart Grant would pour into it. We lived in it for a year and loved every moment of it.

But yesterday was our very last day in Lumsden. As we cleaned and packed the last boxes, we watched children tobogganing on the hill and remembered the many pots of hot chocolate we had brewed for our girls and their friends over the years. A dog that looked just like Carmel ran up the hill and I remembered the many times she dragged Brett around town on their walks. I thought of the many litters of kittens we raised in a box in our closet and imagine that perhaps that is why Meigan loves her cats so much today. We walked around the now empty house with the new owners and heard their excitement – and trepidation – for this new stage in their lives. I told them that I hoped they would be happy there, that they would love this house and that this would be a good place for their family.

Finally checked into our hotel, exhausted and emotional, we poured ourselves 2 glasses of champagne to toast the very good life we had lived in the little community in the valley and to the hope we had of a very good life by the ocean. And then we got on a plane. It’s time.

It’s a Done Deal!

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

Well this was a VERY GOOD WEEK and I am reminded – embarrassingly so – that life happen as it is meant to happen, in the timing that is best for us, and usually without a lot of my brilliant help. God has this – and I know that and I let myself worry anyway. But this week a lot of stuff came together and I can’t deny that the timing was pretty much perfect on all of it.

We have been negotiating for almost a year to sell Grant’s business and today we received the papers from the lawyer with all the clauses and appendixes and addendums agreed to. The closing date is January 15^th – it’s a done deal.

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We’ve had our house for sale for 5 months – and we’ve been building it for an eternity before that – but this week we accepted an offer and today we received word that the appraisals and financing and conditions were complete. The closing date is January 9^th – it’s a done deal.

And best of all, today we had our interviews at the Mexican Consulate in Calgary. We’ve been dreaming of this day and researching the process for many months – years really – and today we heard the words we were hoping after we submitted all the forms and photos and bank statements “You’re approved – come back in an hour and pick up your Visa. You’re officially a Mexican resident”. It’s a done deal.

I don’t want to frighten you with the real picture…. Meigan says I’m ‘stern’

So basically, within a 24-hour period it all came together – the business and the house and the visa. What are the odds of that? It was supernatural and miraculous and humbling and affirming. We also found out today that just last month the rules in Mexico changed so we can now import our truck, which was deemed too large in the past. Another problem solved on our behalf just in time.

Of course, this is all bittersweet and our happiness is touched by the finality of it all. Grant has been operating Vision Enterprises for most of his adult life – it has been good to us and he has been fortunate to have been able to create his own work for all of these years. Although we have not been in this house long, Grant built every part of it with his heart. We raised our children right next door. Except for 2 years, I have lived in this province my entire life. And then there’s our church, our families, our friends, our people…..

That is how a full life must be. No new crop can grow unless a seed falls to the ground and dies. I cannot embrace “hello” until I whisper “goodbye”. Banderas Bay Enterprises can only flourish when Vision Enterprises is gone and I can’t create my home by the ocean until I drive away from my beautiful house in the valley.

So today was a good day and I celebrated by having a full fat latte WITH whipped cream. Crazy right? Now to finish packing and hit the road in time for a Mexican Christmas with our daughters. I am ready for the adventure to become more permanent. It’s finally a done deal!

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A Happy Update -and a Bunch of Weeds

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

Last week was dark – this week I saw light again. Not a floodlight by any means, but a tiny glimmer – which is enough to reignite the needed hope to keep moving.

Yesterday Grant and I drove back to Valle de Banderas and we went to the home of the Grandma of the sweet little girls who were the cause of our despair last week. And they were there! Dressed, clean, hair brushed – and reaching out arms for hugs. They stood back at first, not really sure if we could be trusted. But as soon as I called their names and reached out my arms, they were in them. Kisses. “Te Amo” (I Love You). It’s still a difficult situation. The home is tiny, Grandma is poor – but for today they are safe and in a home with family who loves them.

Seeing these girls, and a bunch of weeds, taught me an important lesson today. 18 months ago, my friend Bernie and I were working with Team Restore and Veronica asked us to plant some plants outside of Casa Hogar. What seemed like it would be an easy job was anything but. We started with small garden shovels and moved up to pick axes. The ground was hard as rock. No, it WAS rock. We laughed through the whole job – there is NO WAY any plant is going to grow in this dirt. We could not see any hope at all that these plants would take root or bloom in this heat and among these rocks. NO WAY.

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Planting in rocky soil, May 2015

Fast forward to yesterday. As we drove up to Casa Hogar we saw some of the boys outside doing chores. They were weeding the overgrown garden. Not only had the plants we planted taken root, they had grown out of control. The rock had produced life – in spite of our prediction of certain death.

So what do those weeds have to do with 2 little girls in Valle de Banderas? Life here looks very dark some days. I don’t always see how life and love can exist in a community that is poor, broken, addicted and hungry. But I am beginning to realize that I am shortsighted and maybe I give up way too soon. Last week I saw no hope for these girls – the same way I felt about those plants – but I planted anyway and this week I recognized an overgrowth of green leaves, and a 2 tiny smiles. Love grows in hard soil and the tiniest light banishes darkness. So I am going to keep on planting, to keep loving and hugging and feeding and let God’s love soften the rocky soil and produce the light. And from time to time, I might just grab a pick axe and do some damage!

Good Hombres

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

In spite of what Donald Trump has been spouting, we are finding the Mexican people we meet each day to be kind and helpful – good hombres and mujeres. I admit our days crossing the border were a little uncomfortable and I am still a little unclear exactly what went down when we imported our tools and trailer. In fact, we still haven’t been able to get the correct paperwork from our broker to actually get plates on our trailer. We are patiently waiting for the package that was supposedly shipped from Nogales a number of days ago. But the people we meet each day in our neighborhood are welcoming and helpful and a lost telephone reminded us of that this week.

On Tuesday we spent all afternoon at the beach in Nuevo Vallarta riding our boogie boards and eating chicken nachos, celebrating being back home after a quick business trip to Canada. On the drive to the beach, we stopped to take pictures of the amazing purple vines that have bloomed in October. From the airplane it looks like a purple blanket has been gently lowered on top of the other trees and vegetation.

After we got home and cooked a shrimp feast, Grant realized he couldn’t find his phone. We searched everywhere in the house and drove back to the beach. No phone in sight. The Security guard hadn’t seen it; the restaurant nearby was now closed. We were pretty sure it was toast – forever lost or more likely sold. Slight panic set in. I sent a text to the phone with my contact info – please call if you find this phone.

2 hours later I received the hoped for phone call – someone who speaks English had our phone – let’s meet at Chedraui parking lot in Valle Dorado in 20 minutes. I was thrilled – but I was also nervous. Valle Dorado is a bit rough – were they going to give us the phone or were we going to get shaken down? It was now close to 10:00, kind of late for a parking lot rendezvous. We stopped at the bank to get some money to pay a reward and then went to the grocery store parking lot where we met some wonderfully kind people – a couple in their 30s or 40s and an older lady. Big hug from the younger lady as soon as I got out of the car. Another big hug. She said they had just seen the corner of the phone sticking out of the sand – the rest was buried. But she knew how important it must be to us. Then the older lady got out of the back seat, rushed over to me for another hug and said “I really want to pray for you.” I said “Absolutely – we’ve been praying to find this phone and you’re the answer to our prayer”. She literally screamed with joy, grabbed me for more hugs and then prayed an awesome prayer for health and safety and blessing – in the middle of Chedraui parking lot. Whatever you believe, I do believe in prayer, especially when it comes from the heart of a kind stranger just when I need it most! So Donald Trump has it all wrong – Mexicans are definitely ‘good hombres’ and I’m proud to be living on this side of his wall!

Introducing Alison Naomi

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

I’d like to introduce you to Alison Naomi. Her mom is named Irandi and she is fourteen years old. This isn’t Irandi’s first pregnancy – she had a miscarriage at twelve so Alison was born by Caesarean. That’s tough for such a young teenager. Alison isn’t the only baby to be born to a young mom in this family. Irandi has twin sisters – Ivon who had baby Lupita when she was thirteen and Ibet who gave birth to Kevin at fourteen. Besides these 3 daughters, this family also includes Nasabid, Laurentino, Isabel and little Jose. The 9 of them live with their mom in a one room home made out of tarps. Now that Alison is here, Irandi has gone to live in the next town with her boyfriend and his mom. Laurentino and Jose go to Manos de Amor Casa Hogar each Monday morning so they can attend school and be cared for throughout the week while their mama works 11 hours a day to earn $5 or $6. Isabel who is now twelve has recently decided she no longer wants to live at the Children’s Home – she wants some freedom and she wants to dress ‘sexy’. Although she tells me she is still going to school in her neighborhood I am terrified for her and for her future.

We arrived here in Bucerias on Friday and after stopping at Manos de Amor to say hi, we went to the new store in town to buy a dolly and some baby clothes and headed to San Vicente to meet Alison. As always, Lupita, Kevin and Jose ran out to meet us.

We did not know Irandi and her new baby had moved away but Ivon agreed to help us find her new home. 7 of us piled in the car – and a dog which we kindly removed. It has been rainy season here which means the normally crappy roads are now crappy mud holes and our little car struggled to get through.

The area where Irandi now lives is called Primavera. Kind of ironic that primavera means “spring” in Spanish but it did not feel like a place of new beginnings or growth at all. It is different in that the homes are made of concrete and the one Irandi lives in has 3 rooms instead of 1. The roads are definitely just as bad and poor Azulita (that’s my little blue car) bottomed out in some of the mud and water filled potholes. But eventually we found the complex where this new young family lives and as we got out of the car we yelled for Irandi. We climbed the stairs to the little home and met the cutest baby I have ever seen. She looked healthy although her young mom looked tired and in a lot of pain. One day in the hospital after a C-section seems harsh and Irandi looked worn out. But happy. And proud of her baby. And really happy to see us and share her story with us. 6-year-old Jose lovingly kissed his little niece. Lupita stared in amazement at her new cousin. Kevin ignored it all and wandered outside where he promptly closed his finger in the door of our car – setting off the alarm and screaming down the neighborhood. The idyllic moment was gone and life with a bunch of toddlers resumed. Because they do not own band-aids, Irandi took a piece of Kleenex and tied it over his bloody finger with a string.

After our visit we headed back to San Vicente. Isabel joined us so we had 8 people in our tiny car – a new record! 4 in the front and 4 in the back.

The neighbors laughed and waved and I realize that even though this life doesn’t look at all familiar to me, every person in it is trying to live their best life and my role is just to walk alongside them and let them know they are loved. Before we left I asked Irandi if I could pray for little Alison. I took her two tiny hands in mine and prayed that she would know love, that she would know God, that she would have a hope and a future. Whatever that might look like.

And now another piece of my heart is missing.

First Day Back

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Karen moves to Mexico

Here are some of the sights we saw on our first day back that reminded us why we love this place:

Children of Manos de Amor – as we drove up the anthem started “Karen, Karen, Karen….” and children ran to the gate to greet us with big hugs and sloppy kisses. Some jumped in our car, Natalia barely acknowledged me but jumped on Grant and refused to let go

New animals in town – we have 2 new donkeys wandering around the neighborhood. We saw a donkey chasing a dog who was chasing a donkey who was chasing a dog. The donkey won!

While Grant was busy unloading the truck in the garage, a chicken wandered in to check out what was happening
We spent the afternoon at the beach and while we were boogie boarding we saw dolphins jumping a bit further out – and a big skate or ray of some kind jumped right next to us
We love the kitties that wander around the restaurants looking for some loving while we wait on our food – which by the way cost us $7 for a burrito and enchilada and a rice water – all GIANT

The door-to-door produce truck – check out the huge grapes I bought for less than $2 right outside the door

A great first day – the simple pleasures of children and food and ocean and animals. Really, what else do we need?

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Karen Moves to Mexico

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