I have told you that my Spanish is getting better, and it is, but it is also a constant reminder that I am not perfect, and I already have so many of those reminders. I was going to take another Spanish course, but in the end, with the extra money and time I would spend getting down there and back, I decided against it, and in its place I am starting to trade English for Spanish lessons/conversation and getting to know better the people in my community. I have a guy I talk to almost every day as I pass by his store on my almost daily run up and down the hill. Mostly Spanish with him, but I am hoping more English will come when he sets up his new store (he was so gung-ho when we met him, showing us the English lessons he was working on while he was taking care of the store, but lately, he has been doing more with the store.) Starting yesterday, another friend and I are getting together once a week to start trading stories and getting the English/Spanish juices flowing. I am excited about this as it is so hard to make friends down here.
But what I wanted to relay is about H-. H- is the father of one of my 3 year old students at the guardaria. He sees learning English as almost the only way to a better life for his son and family. He was a bodyguard for years, making good money at clubs, etc. There are bodyguards and security everywhere around here. I noticed one at the mall parking lot today that had a semi-automatic weapon (it could have been automatic, I do not know much about guns, but it was big and looked heavy-duty). Anyway, one night, several years ago, H- was working and his pregnant wife was with him. Someone came in and wanted to sequester, rape, and kill her. It came to blows, H- threatened to kill the guy with his bare hands, and eventually the guy ran off. So, he quit being a bodyguard, and has a little store 3/4 of the way up the hill from my house before the traffic circle that divides the richer from the poorer section of the colonia. He took a pay-cut, a big one, and works from 7am to 11pm everyday to put food on the table for his family, but, the store is his, and he is much happier. He has told us multiple times he does not want his son to grow up here. And is very fearful because of the drugs, sequestering, assassinations, etc (unofficial numbers put it at about 150,000 people in the last five/six years.) It is sad to see how desperate he is to get his family out of Mexico. We know American citizens down here that have a Mexican spouse. Their spouse cannot come into America because there is a five year waiting list for immigration to even look at their paperwork for a visa. Another friend of ours is dating a Mexican. They have been dating for over two years, and applied for a visa for him to visit her family in Wisconsin. He was turned down because he does not make enough money. He is an artist, and we figure that the American government is afraid that once he gets into America, he will not leave due to the better possibility of making a living. There is a concern that H-'s family will not be able to get into America, but he says that since he owns a business here in Mexico, it is easier for him to get a visa. So, we talked today for about an hour, a Spanish/English mix, and I plan to go back everyday or at least a couple times a week to stop by on the way back from my run to help him with English, while he helps me with Spanish. Please pray for him and his family. There is a bit of desperation there, and he would be considered more better off by our pueblo standards since his family owns the store. A good amount of people down here have what is considered, "informal" jobs, ie. selling things on street corners/buses/etc. They do not earn salaries, but just the extra from what they sell during the day. One of the ladies I know is a bagger at a non-Walmart grocery store up the way. She had to buy her uniform, is considered a volunteer with no benefits, and makes whatever money people give her for tips. Her good day is making 70 pesos in a nine hour work day, about $5. She actually turned down a steady job working as a cleaning lady at our guardaria because the pay was better being a bagger.
The weather here is wonderful, and it is sunny out right now. Things are starting to look good for the prayer group, and we have about 20 or more families interested and should be starting up things in the next few weeks. Please pray for the families, the getting together of the group(s), and the possible continuance after we have left. Thanks.
