Hello, I'm sorry and Goodbye!!!

Dear Friends and Family,

Hello! I have been home for three and a half weeks now and I have had the pleasure of visiting with many of you. I am writing to inform you that I will be leaving for Mexico again, tomorrow. This time I will be located in Cuernavaca which is about an hour south of Mexico City. I will be living with a Mexican family and going to school for 15 weeks. I will be sure to fill you in on the details of my family after I meet them!
I apologize for not following through with my promise to inform you of what the last three weeks of my time in Ensenada looked like. For those of you who haven't heard and would like to know feel free to email me and I will inform you. It was an amazing time and God taught me so much about myself and His love. He stretched me in ways that I didn't think possible and although it was a difficult process I have been changed. I am really looking forward to this new journey and I hope that you will want to continue journeying with me. I will have more email access and I intend to share more of my thoughts and experiences!
Thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers. I have been so blessed to have amazing friends and family members! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Remember to watch for updates!!!!

Sincerely,

Violet Read

p.s. I had a lot of fun during the time I was here. Here are some pics of some of my adventures!

When I was at home in Milwaukie the best thing me and my friends could think of was to go to Tebo's (a.k.a "older people" restaraunt) and have desert and take silly pictures!

from left: Kristine, Ashley & me

I had many coffee dates and usually they ended with silly photo shoots. =)

from left: El & me

Hanging out at Detroit Lake with friends......

Kristine & me

I had spare time to hang out at the beach and relax.


ANd...... I was able to have fun adventures like touring the Pittock mansion in Portland and hiking Ape Caves.

As you can see....... I have a lot of Fun!!!! =)

Lo siento mucho.....

I have so much to share with you all but no time. I'm soooooo sorry. I'll have to tell you all about me becoming a watsonga, my youth camp experience and the tarantula I saw tonight. =) Thanks for checking my blog and I'm sorry I can't share with you right now.

TORTILLAS

On Thursday evening Allyson, one of the missionaries here, took us to her friends house. I'd like to share this experience with you because it was one of those experiences that I will NEVER forget. Since I don't know how to spell her name I'm just going to write Hermana.

Hermana spent her entire day cleaning her very tiny house for us. She painted, she covered all the furniture and rearranged all of her things. She spent hours preparing the food that we would eat. Hermana lives in a very small house, well at least what I would consider small. She lives there with her husband, five kids, daughter-in-law and grandchild.

We began the evening by helping prepare some of the food. I had the please of helping put together the Sopes which were absolutely delicious. After we ate the main meal we were given a lesson in making tortillas. Hermana's husband, Chato, said every young woman needs to know how to make tortillas if she lives in Mexico. So I now know how to make homemade tortillas. After this Hermana made quesadillas and shared her testimony upon my request. We then topped off the night with flan.

I'm sad to report that I did not talk much this evening. It was a hard situation because there were six of us and her and her family. We didn't really interact to much which made me sad. But what I will remember from this experience are the words Hermana spoke to me. As she hugged and kissed me goodbye she told me that she loved me and that I was welcome anytime at her home. What generosity! What hospitality! What love! This woman doesn't even know me and yet because she has the love of God in her she showers me with everything she has to offer. As we departed they yelled after us to come back. They told us they were blessed by our presence.

As we drove home, I was at a loss of what to think. I don't know how I'll be able to return to the states and live contently when I know what is here in Ensenada. I don't know why I am in Mexico, but I am hoping that as time goes by God will make all the puzzle pieces fit. I'm hoping that he will reveal what my time here this summer meant, it's significance. I'm overwhelmed by the love and presence of God I sense here. And that is all I have to say!


Here are the tortillas we made. I ate my first one so then I had to make a second one. I think I did quite well considering it was my first time. I'm looking forward to experimenting with making tortillas when I get home.

Sadly, I don't think taco bell will satisfy my craving for Mexican food any more.

San Felipe!!!

During the first week of training one of our jobs was to create a San Felipe. Every Wednesday night we have a special dinner and this years theme is "Break San Felipe Style." This dinner is to raise funds for the Missions Training Institute at Agua Viva. We play fun games and then we listen to the director of MTI speak. We finish off the evening by praying over the new seminary building that is being built. This seminary is for Mexican natives to come and receive training in ministry so that they will be successful in their hometowns and ethnic groups.

These are some of my closest friends at Agua Viva. Steffie, Liz 2, Liz 1 and Allyson. We usually have lots of fun at San Felipe. One of the best things about San Felipe is seeing the American groups reactions. San Felipe is a real place and it's a little over 200 km south of where we're at. We always tell the groups that we're going to San Felipe and many times they actually think that we're going to the real thing. They are required to wear beach attire and then we have a bus that takes them to the special location. I've heard that our San Felipe is actually better than the real thing!

Here are the girls and I just playing around.


This last Wednesday was the 4th of July so as we awaited the arrival of the group we hung out in the hammocks and practiced singing patriotic songs. Here's a picture of me trying to stay in the hammock and not on the ground!

I'm Happy! =)

After a very long and exhausting week last week I would like to let you all know that I am Happy! I have not been the best at keeping you all updated and so many of you were unaware of the difficulties I have faced here. I haven't shared much with anyone but I would like you to all know that I am content where I am at and I feel that God has me here for a reason.

I have definitely been challenged and led down some paths in which I was blind to. But now that I have moved past being frustrated with the new challenges and I've embraced them I am experiencing happiness! I've been faced with the reality and necessity of change but most importantly I've discovered that it is not I who makes the changes but that it is "God who works in [me] to will and to act according to his good purpose" ( Philippians 2:13).

New Friends & New Memories...

This is Liz 1 & Me. We found crazy sunglasses on First Street so we decided to get them. Mine are hot pink and she has crazy orange ones.



This is the Summer Staff at the Beach. From left: Me, Liz 1, Liz 2 & Steffie. Steffie is the newest addition. This is before Liz 2 and Steffie almost died!


So the other night I was introduced to Paz-ookie! And I love it! It's a giant cookie that is not entirely cooked covered with vanilla icecream. The catch is, everyone has to eat from the same pan!


Here's Me, Melissa and Becky digging in! We like to have fun on our off time! =)

Yay! I Can Navigate!

So this is the Mexican Flag. BUT..... It's not just the flag it IS the LARGEST Flag in ALL of Mexico. It's really pretty because it's right near the bay.

This is the Summer Staff standing underneath of it. From bottom: Liz 1, Liz 2, Me & Steffie.














This is a picture we took at the Beach. This past Sunday we went to the beach. I watched two of the Summer Staff get saved by a young Mexican life guard. What a story! I had just gone to look for the girls to tell them I wanted to head back to camp when I discovered I couldn't find them. Last I had seen they were waist deep jumping waves. Anyhow I began to panic and I told Liz 1, "Oh no, where are they? This is NOT good." She said, "Oh, look..... there goes a lifeguard looks like they are okay." THat didn't settle well with me. I began praying and asking God to keep them safe. Luckily, no one was injured or hurt but they were saved by a Mexican lifeguard, Ha!




This is Ensenada at night! It's beautiful! Much prettier than during the day, I think! And the best part of all, is that I'm fairly confident in navigating Ensenada. Yay for me!