Blessings from Costa Rica

In 2009, a few people from International Teams Costa Rica came to Queretaro and did a short training on the Life of Christ discipleship (which is where we are pulling our chronological study of the Life of Christ from for our discipleship group).  Among those who came were Luis and Marcia.  They are near our age, and we became friends with them.  Ever since Luis and Marcia were in Queretaro the first time, they have had a burden to come back long-term/permanently to disciple men and women here.  As I know we've mentioned many times, there are very few people in Queretaro who have a relationship with Christ.  

The beginning of 2014, Luis and Marcia began meeting with JP and I going over the Life of Christ study and discipling us.  Well, the end of February 2015, God allowed them and their daughter Valentina to move to Queretaro!  They are working with another I.T. team in the coffee ministry, and we are so happy that they are here!  They will be a blessing to the coffee team, and we are excited to be able to meet with them face to face too!

Over the past year, JP and I have showed MANY pictures of our FAVORITE taco place to Luis, Marcia, and Valentina... This past Sunday, we got to go there with them.  They said the pictures we showed don't even do the food justice, it's WAY better than they could've imagined!  haha!

They also accompanied us to celebrate Judith's (JP's mom) 75th birthday.  Judith has been praying for this family for the past 5 years that the Lord would allow them to come back to QRO!

The Market and the Pilon

The beginning of each month, I go get about 20 pounds of fruits and vegetables from the market.  This lasts most of the month, with the exception of some fruits that don't last long, I need to buy those again later in the month.  So I take my market bag and head off.  The place I go has really low prices (a head of broccoli for 20 cents US, 2 pounds of tomatoes for 50 cents, etc).  The thing that some people don't like about this particular place is that the guys who work there choose your produce for you.  You ask for a half pound of jalapeños, but they get to put them in the bag for you.  But I have rarely been disappointed - it's rare that I get any produce that I wouldn't have chosen myself, and you can see the produce displayed so if you see that tomatoes are squishy, maybe you shouldn't buy them that day. 

I tried taking a couple pictures of the produce place without being noticed, because people just don't take pictures of the produce place, that's weird!  haha!

Here are the market bags for sale, as well as bananas, tomatillos, oranges, mushrooms, cilantro...

And this one really didn't turn out well, but there are boxes of carrots, onions, broccolis, zucchinis, and cactus leaves.

This stuff comes straight off the farm, so it lasts for a couple weeks in the fridge since it didn't spend 2 weeks in a truck or grocery store!

Then there's the "pilon!" (pee-LONE)  They don't give a pilon at this particular market, but the lady who owns the little store on my street gives me the pilon frequently.  A pilon is: when you buy 10 eggs and she gives you an 11th for free; you ask for 1 pound of sugar and you get 1.1 pounds; buy quite a few things in the store and the owner asks you if you want the half head of lettuce that someone bought the other half of.  It's like your freebie for being a good customer.  I even got a free churro once because I was there when the churro delivery guy (yes, that's a thing here!) came while I was talking with the store owner. 
JP and I really miss the punch card system in cafes, restaurants, and stores in the USA.  But we have pilones here, so even though it's not a formal "buy 10 get one free" card, and you never know when you're going to get it, getting a pilon is always a treat!

Bringing the Dish Back Full

A few years ago, I ran across some bananas on sale for like 2 cents USD each, and bought loads of them and made a lot of banana bread with them.  I gave ziploc bags of banana bread muffins to JP's mom, and to friends at church.  I also gave a pyrex baking dish with banana bread in it to a neighbor.  About a week later, the neighbor knocked on my door to return my dish, and it had homemade cookies in it!  I told JP later, "Guess what!  When Vivian returned my dish, she put all these cookies in it for us!"  JP looked at me strange, and said, "Of course!"  I was confused.  He explained to me that if someone gives you a non-disposable dish of food, you need to return it with food in it!  (Glad he told me that before anyone ever gave us a returnable dish of food!)  So now, when giving baked goods to friends, I kind of hesitate to give them something in a dish that I need back - I don't want to obligate them to give me something in return!  A couple months ago I gave our next-door neighbors a plate of cookies, and they returned my plate with a glass bowl of homemade caramel corn (because you can't easily put caramel corn on a plate!)  So I gave their bowl back with some brownies in it.  Then last week I gave them a plate with banana muffins on it, and the neighbor told me yesterday that she will give my plate back soon, that she hasn't had time to make anything yet.  I felt terrible, and told her she's not obligated to put anything on my plate for us, and she was confused as to why I thought she might give my plate back empty.  I hope she didn't think I don't want her baked goods, or am in a hurry to get my plate back...

If you go to dinner at someone's  home, and they ask you to bring a salad, dessert, etc. (which is common, because upon being invited you should ask what you can bring!), you leave the leftovers and your dish at the host's home, unless all the food you brought was eaten, then you can take your dish home.  The hostess may prepare and "itacate" (see post below), and send you with your dish immediately, or she may not return your dish for sometime. 
When JP and I were in the US, it was soon our turn to bring dessert to our small group.  I made a cobbler and brought a tub of ice cream.  When the group was over and we were getting ready to leave, the hostess handed me the almost empty cobbler dish and the half-eaten tub of ice cream.  JP and I insisted that she keep both things, while she said that she didn't want to have ice cream in the house because she'd have to give some to her boys, and may not remember to bring my dish back.  Then I remembered that in the US, you take whatever is left of what you brought with you!  JP felt bad that we ended up taking the food home, but we both had to tell ourselves that we did the right thing for US culture!

Living in two cultures keeps us on our toes!

The Itacate (ee-tah-KAH-tay)

The great thing that happens in Mexico when you go to a large meal at someone else's home.  The doggie bag.

If you're invited to someone's home for a meal and there are a lot of leftovers, the hostess may prepare an ITACATE for everyone to take home with them.  This generally consists of a few disposable containers full of several dishes that were served that day (and sometimes some other random thing from the hostess' fridge, or at least that's what happens to us when we go to JP's grandma's house!)

A good Mexican wife must have her stash of these in the house for preparing itacates:

Yogurt and sour cream containers, any type of disposable, yet reusable dish is great for sending guests home with salads, rice, meat dishes, desserts, or whatever was served at your home.  The guest gets another meal out of it, the hostess doesn't have loads of food clogging up her fridge, and the guest doesn't need to bring the dish back!  This is win-win in my book!  :)

Taco Juan

**(Due to the fact that this is not our personal story, we've changed some names)**

We may have mentioned Juan before, he's the owner of our favorite taco restaurant the Rancho.  He's been coming to our church since sometime before JP and I returned from the USA last year.

The other night, we went to the Rancho with some friends after JP preached at their church.  In a rare moment of non-busyness in the restaurant, Juan told us his story.

Our good friends, Luis and Sandy, had been going to the Rancho for some time when they invited JP and I (who, at the time, were engaged - circa 2008).  We immediately recognized the world's best taco upon eating there, and have been regular customers ever since.  Luis and Sandy had shared a bit with Juan about salvation in Christ.  He was interested in spirituality and was open to hearing what they had to say.  JP and I also talked a little with him about Christ.

Juan has a sister who lives in Canada, and she accepted Christ.  Because her town doesn't have a church service in Spanish, she looked for sermons online and found a Mexican church that offered live-streamed services every Sunday, so she began to tune in regularly.  Juan went to visit his sister in Canada, and she also told him about Christ, and encouraged him to attend a Christian church.

In 2011, our church, Horizonte Queretaro, got a new pastor.  He and his wife moved up from another city, and we took them to the Rancho.  They were hooked, and went frequently.  They, too, began sharing with Juan about salvation in Christ.

One day, Juan's sister came to Queretaro to visit.  She was in the restaurant talking with him about attending the church she tuned into online, which happened to be here in Queretaro, when suddenly that pastor walked into the Rancho!  It was Kike (KEE-kay), the pastor of Horizonte Queretaro, who was by that time a friend of Juan's.  Juan found all this to be too much of a "coincidence," and decided to go to church.  He began attending Horizonte regularly, then accepted Christ!  He now uses his restaurant as a way to point others to Christ as much as possible.

We had heard bits and pieces of Juan's story, but it was amazing to hear him tell how God orchestrated everything to bring him to where he is today!

(Just a side note: since me and another girl listening that night are from the United States, Juan piped up that he had spent some time in the US too.  "But it's in a place where hardly anyone from here (Queretaro) knows of - Portland Oregon."  Couldn't be closer to home for JP and I.  Literally!)

JP going after the "trompo" of BBQ  pork at the Rancho

My FAVORITE dish, BBQ pork and cheese taco

Just Another Wednesday Night at Tacos!

Mexico City!

The first week in May we spent with JP's dad in Mexico City!  It's always nice to be tourists there!

 

National Fine Arts Palace...  JP is in there somewhere, with a blue shirt and khaki shorts...

 

National Post Office in Mexico City.  Looks like a museum!!

 

JP in downtown Mexico City

 

And now for the FOOD!

Fried quesadillas!  Filled with string cheese and either pulled chicken, mashed potatoes, ground beef stew, or cooked mushrooms!  You can also have them with corn smut!  Yep, the fungus that grows between the corn on the cob and the leaf.  It's not our favorite, but not too bad!

 

I LOVE fried "kekas!"  (KAY-cuz)

 

JP at the famouse churros and hot chocolate place!!

 

It was a good time in Mexico City, but we are glad to be back in Queretaro!!

 



Goodbyes and Holidays!

Our good friends Justin and Lluvia left Queretaro this past weekend to move on to a new ministry assignment.  I've worked with them the whole time I've been in Queretaro, and JP worked with Justin even a bit longer than that!  So we're sad to see them go, but happy that they will be used in another country soon!

Jean Paul, Jessica, Lluvia, Justin, and our good friends Sandy and Luis.

September 16th was Mexican Independence Day, so we got to celebrating on the 15th and 16th!  My first Mexican Independence actually being a Mexican!

We celebrated at church this year :)

Some of the ladies that participated in the "traditional dress" contest at church:

JP and his mom in front of the Queretaro State Capitol building

Every time is food time on this blog:

Here's a common snack in Queretaro: a big crispy pork rind with cabbage, tomatoes, onions, salsa, and thin strips of PICKLED PORK SKIN on top.  NOT one of my favorites, but it's quite popular!

This IS one of my favorites, in fact there were made at my house by me for lunch on the 16th - Queretaro Guajolotes (wah-ho-LO-tays) or in Mexico City they're called pambazos (pahm-BAH-sohs)  - sandwiches where the bread is dipped in sauce and roasted, filled with beans, cheese, chorizo sausage, onion, lettuce, and cooked squares of potato and carrot.  REALLY YUMMY

And the typical elotes (ey-LO-tays) - corn on the cob covered in mayonaise, grated white cheese, chile powder and lime!  We had a guest from Guadalajara at our house for lunch the other day and we were talking about typical foods in Queretaro and Guadalajara, and he just about gagged when we said we eat mayonaise and cheese on corn...  I guess that's only in this region of Mexico!

We had a great weekend!

La Rosca de Reyes

First of all, if you haven't seen the pictures of our New Year's in Mexico City, see post below!

We have another Christmas time holiday here in Mexico that isn't commonly celebrated in other countries (well, maybe Latin America, I'm not sure!)  It's "Wise Men Day."  This is the day where we commemerate the wise men bringing Jesus gifts.  Like Christmas, this day has turned into a gift-buying night-mare, in which the real significance of the day gets totally lost.  But, on January 5th, kids get a helium-filled balloon and attach a piece of paper denoting the present that they want.  Supposedly, the wise men come that night and bring them the gift.  On January 6th, kids wake up and lo and behold, the gift they asked for! 

Since this is a day for kids, adults don't get presents.  We get "Rosca de Reyes" bread. 

This bread is special.  Apart from having candied fruit, figs, and walnuts on top, it carries surprises in it too.  Each rosca contains a little white plastic doll (like a plastic army-man, just it's in the form of a baby) baked inside.  Depending on the size of the rosca, there may be multiples.  And there's a catch to the dolls.  Each person cuts their own slice of rosca.  And if they uncover a doll, or there's a doll hidden in their slice, they must buy tamales for everyone present on February 2.  I guess that's why there's more dolls for a bigger rosca - so tamales for 20 people can be bought between 5 or 6 people.  I ALWAYS get a doll.  Every year.  Last night, JP and I went to a prayer meeting for Horizonte Church leaders.  Being January 6th, we cut a rosca.  JP got a doll.  We foung 5 dolls in total, and there was a lot of rosca left.  I took a slice home, thankful that I didn't owe tamales in February!  And, as I was eating the bread at home, I bit the doll!  But we'll just say it didn't count because I wasn't with the others who cut the rosca when I found it...  :)

Just a little interesting piece of Mexican culture for you!

New Year's in Mexico City!

Jean Paul and I went to Mexico City last week to spend New Year's with his dad (Vic)!  We'd gone to visit before, but always just for Saturday and Sunday.  This time we went December 30 - January 3, almost a week!  It was a relaxing time, and we were also able to be tourists for a while, as well as spend New Year's Eve with Vic's family!

First stop was the Chapultapec Zoo!

I love giraffes!

JP and Vic at the Zoo

New Year's Eve at Grandma Conchita's house!

There were probably about 30 people in total - aunts, uncles, cousins, and cousin's kids (JP and I are the youngest of the cousins)  Most of the relatives were people we'd never met before, or who JP hadn't seen since he was 5!

Here's JP with Aunt Mari (in purple), Uncle Lorenzo (the older gentleman), three cousins and two kids!  We'd met Mari and Loren before, but this was the first time meeting the cousins!

It was great to be considered part of the family even though most relatives hadn't seen JP for almost 25 years!  The little kids even called us Uncle Paul and Aunt Jessi! 

 Here's us with Vic and Grandma!

We rung in the new year in the traditional way - counting down to midnight, then eating a green grape for each of the 12 clock chimes, and singing the National Anthem after.  Jean Paul and cousin Carlos did a piñata for the kids... a piñata filled with manderin oranges, caña (sugar cane?), and jicama!  Now THAT is traditional!

On New Year's Day we headed to a part of Mexico City called Coyoacan.  It's almost like a small town fit into the big City!  But it was PACKED on January 1st - not much is open on New Year's and everyone gets bored, so going to Coyoacan is apparently quite the thing to do!

We ate our very favorite fried quesadillas in the food market!  Uncooked tortillas are filled with cheese and your choice of: shredded chicken, mushrooms, sausage, shredded beef, mashed potatoes, chile poblano, ground beef, or any variety of other foods, including three that are very strange for people in the United States - cooked cactus leaf, the orange flower the grows on the end of zucchini, and CORN SMUT.  Yes, you read correctly - corn smut - the fungus that grows between the husk and the corn on the cob!.  It's actually really good!  Then the uncooked tortilla with it's filling goes into the oil to cook to perfection!  Top it off with hot salsa and a fruit punch pop, and it's EXCELLENT!

Here's JP and Vic at the food market!

And in one of the four HUGE malls that we went to, we found something that's not quite so unusual for people in the States but IS for us:

A Dairy Queen Blizzard!  YUM!

We had a great time in Mexico City, and hope to be going back more frequently, even if just for a weekend, to visit!

Navidad in Queretaro

Christmas time is always fun in Queretaro!  Since we have few family members living in Queretaro, and they were out of town this year, JP and I celebrate just the two of us, but by going to the Centro for the Bible-story-float-parade and the yummy food-booths!

This year we ran into Gaby and her dad!  I lived with Gaby and her teenage kids for my first two years in Queretaro!

Christmas dinner for us consisted of lots of street booth goodies!  This was the first time we'd seen pronto pups - JP LOVES them!!

And my favorite bread EVER - Pan de Acambaro!  It's very soft sweet bread with a few nuts in it, and the ovens are right there under the tarps on the street, so we get it fresh and hot from the oven!

We had a pretty laid back Christmas - the parade, sleeping late, watching movies etc.  It was good!