Less than 4 weeks and counting

Hi Team,
Well it FELT like I had just recently updated this site, but I guess not. Sorry about that. Well as the title says the countdown to my return to Canada is on. Its a strange feeling to begin to prepare yourself to return to your own culture. These last few weeks here will be filled with preparing to leave everything well as well as return to Canada well. I am having some really fun last experiences along the way.

Two weeks ago today Heather Hahn and I headed out to watch the anniversary show of the orphanage we've worked alongside of in Cuernavaca. It was so much fun to watch the children preform all their different talents and show the audience what it is they are taught in the home. Three young children spoke memorized poems on different topics, such as how to say no to someone who wants to hurt you etc. A number of kids demonsrtated the karate that they learn from the director's son who is a black belt. Others performed a skit on happiness. Finally about eight of the elementry schoolers put on a violen concert as the director got government funding to pay for music lessons (something almost unheard of here). After being awed by the talented children we got a chance to speak to the movers and shakers of Christian ministries in the area. They were rather encouraging as they pointed continually to prayer and service as the way to reach children and the whole world too.

After the anniversary service Heather and I headed out to a town called Taxco which is built on the side of the mountain and has long been the headquaters of the silver mining in Mexico. It is beautiful up there, with steep cobblestone streets (slippery) and all white with red roofs buildings. We stayed the one night in a christian hotel right near the center. In the morning we enjoyed a guided tour of the old catholic church. I had never had a guided tour before, but was thankful this time as he was able to answer a lot of our questions about catholicsm in Mexico as well as provide infromation into the town's beginnings. There were many little shops all around the center and we picked up a few keepsakes, but mainly just enjoyed the shopping. After lunch we left the town, but on the way back into the city stopped off to see the "grutas". The grutas are natural caves that were created when a river ran right through a mountain. I have never seen such a large cave in my life. Its very long too, about 2 kilometers if I remember correctly, but you can't go all the way in because the air pressure is too much by the end. There are many different formations within it that they take you through and give their versions of what they are. All along it is a concrete, lighted path that you follow. Heather and I left the tour group early to make it back to the city on time, but it was a little creepier to walk with just the two of us back towards the enterance even WITH the lighted path.

We returned to Pantitlan in time for the English group that Tuesday night. It was really good for me to see more of this beautiful country during my time here.