We're in Puerto Morelos...Home!

It took alot longer than we anticipated....
as you can see the roads were not the best, it must be the season for road construction because we went through alot of it.  :) it was all good tho.

Breakfast on our first morning into Mexico

Our trip started out with alittle hitch at the border, we were only delayed a few days tho, due to the weekend and holiday on Monday, but we had a title problem, our title had a B instead of an 8, Monday 8am Iris at the courthouse faxed us our corrected registration,  we then went to the border and got our sticker, but "el Capitain" thought we needed again to pay duty on everything we had, even tho it was "personal belongings"  and that meant everything had to be opened and a amount of value placed on it.  So we decided to stay one more night and cross when he was asleep...4 am it is...perfect time to cross!!

At 4 am this morn the officer there to give us the red or green light must have been sleeping and was very cold , and since we couldn't answer any of her questions in Spanish she gave us the green light so she could get back inside! Yay!

We have hit many check points and been pulled over many times today, but not knowing the language and putting a set of mags in their hands has sent us on our way....again yay!   One officer wanted to start going thru our stuff so we rolled down the back window for him and we had a sack of wet swimsuits and underwear,  he asked what it was as he is picking it up and examining it, Larry simply said "dirty underwear " he dropped it and sent us on our way immediately ...after he got his set of mags,  of course :-)  This is one of the Mexican towns we passed through, beautiful! 

We were stopped many, many times but all have been good, one officer seemed to be an inactive brother, so Larry encouraged him to return, he seemed (language barrier) to agree and that he would.  

The directions were interesting!

Lots of road construction, this one is one of the better roads.

One morning we stopped for fuel and as usual tried to place the mags with a couple we were getting breakfast from, she was dressed very modestly (most are not) and in a dress, a huge smile lit up their faces as she reached behind her and got her bookbag out and showed us the February mags,  we had found our friends...it seems the food stand is their start in the morning and then later they meet for service...what a Joy!

This was a beautiful bridge

We arrived late on Saturday...our condo is in the middle and beautiful...everyone we talk to cannot believe the deal we got, we are paying for the month less than what they are paying for the week or about the same... Does not Jehovah provide...you can NEVER call the hand of Jehovah short!!

We dont know why they kept pointing up and saying whats in there?   The blue thing is the 3rd seat, we needed more room inside so we put it in later. We can haul 9 passengers, with seatbelts, a perfect service rig!

We are one condo away from the beach...less than a 2 minute walk...mostly out of our front door and around the corner...pictures to come later....until then Have a GREAT day! 

The first leg of our Journey-USA side

 We got an early start Monday Jan 9, but noticed our transmission was still leaking, so after a day and 1/2 of convincing it not to leak we headed out again with no leak on Tuesday Jan 10... 


driving was uneventful...we got anywhere from 19 to 21 miles per gallon...
and our suburban weighed 8,000 lbs, yes we just had to get it weighed... yes that is with us in it...lol

So once we got to the border we found out the DMV made a minor mistake on our title... they put a B instead of an 8....so our registration is invalid until it is corrected...

We are still in good spirits tho...kinda a mini vacation inside a vacation...

We are "roughing it" at the Marriott, 

Monday is a legal holiday so it will be Tuesday 9am before we can do anything about our title...hopefully it will only be a emailed or faxed fix...

 Good things come to us so we know this is for our best interest! 

There were a few rest areas on the way and

 here Larry and Lex are feeling their oats.  

I just had to get their pic.  

I will let everyone know how things went on Tuesday! 

Home Sweet Home!

Today we secured our home away from home:
   
One of the last condo's on Javier Rojo Gomez st.

Looking forward to being there!  We got news that the congregation has an English group now that has a watchtower study every week!! Yay!

Our Condo has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths.  1/2 block off of the beach,
just a short 2 min. walk...Yay!  We have a pool shared between 6 condos.
Fully furnished of course...I'm sure our suburban will be loaded on the way
down.

Things are coming together nicely...thanks to the wonderful blessings of Jehovah!!

Our target date is January 17, 2012- first night in our new home for the next 5 months.

Puerto Morelos 2012 YAY!!

The time has come for count down... We plan on heading back to Puerto Morelos for the winter sometime in January...

We have been scrambling to get everything ready on the Suburban and things around to be on our way...I will let all know as things progress!

We have a couple electrical projects still working on but almost finished...and still in the ministry...trying to get our studies securely handed over to others in the congregation before we go.

Preaching in Puerto Morelos

They still havent had the dedication for the new kingdom hall in Puerto Morelos, I'm sure it will be done before Memorial.  

Things have been busy here for the last month or so...We are still waiting on the call from the new Kingdom Hall in one of the Mayan villages about 40 or so miles away, we havent seen it yet, but are looking forward to it.

Yesterday was a good day in service, it is the regular day for service in Puerto Morelos...Larry started a study with a man that had been there in the shadows all along, listening when Larry would talk to the guys in the booth next to his,  finally he stepped out and said he would like to learn more,  so at two different times yesterday, Larry was able to go over a few paragraphs in the BT book.   We also started a study with a lady that had been around when Larry studied with Rudy, in the background,  but said she was too busy to study, but when asked if  she would like to live forever, if that would be enough time, it peaked her interest, so this morning we are heading out to study with her.  There are a few rv's we will hit when we are there and then off to the beach, we just wear our swimsuits under our dress cloths and we're set.

We have heard rummors of a fresh spring water just in front of a hotel we swim at alot, so we will go looking for it this afternoon!!

Bible Studies in Puerto Morelos

Here is one of the Kingdom Halls in Playa Del Carmen, it is currently only Spanish but 3 congregations meet here,  they had an issue with their electrical so Larry and I took an afternoon before the meeting to look at it and see what we could do.
They have 3 rows of fans and currently had only one row working, but it had a problem and had melted down the rheostat...thus not working anymore.

3 Spanish congregations meet here, in Playa Del Carmen. 

Here is the inside of the kingdom hall...very beautiful!!

We thought you would appreciate this Dad...
We did fix it up alittle bit and made things kinda proper but we could only do so much...it is safer now.  Here on the left you can see the melted down rheostat... when we left it had been replaced and the other two sets of fans were working.  We still have some issues with the set of fans that melted the rheostat...and didn't have time before the next meeting to trace out the problem.

 This is an afternoon in the ministry,  one of Larry's bible studies works the night shift for his family hotel security and doesn't get up til 1pm or so...so we stop and see him for his study just before hitting the beach.
 this is Miguel,  he reads his in Spanish and Larry in English, then they discuss it.

We already went swimming and are heading back when we take the opportunity to study with Rudy,  he usually is very busy at his restaurant and only has a few minutes to discuss a question in the truth tract,  but today he was a few doors down from his place and relaxing...perfect timing...Larry was able to discuss more in detail and to get a few paragraphs in the bible teach book!! 

We are really enjoying our time here in Puerto Morelos, the friends are wonderful and the territory is ripe for harvest...the people are humble and willing to learn, they love the bible and show much reverence for anything it says.  It is surprising how much are non-denominational, and dislike Catholicism.  I really thought Mexico was mainly Catholic and traditions would be an issue but it is not for the most part that we have seen, or at least in this area.   

Puerto Morelos, Preaching and Kingdom Hall

Here is the finished Kingdom Hall...This is the day we said goodbye to all our friends on the RBC and the local brothers, since there is only a Spanish and Mayan congregation currently here.  We will be going to the next Kingdom Hall build and spending a week or so there to do the electrical again...it will be about 50 or so miles to it.  

From the stage looking at the audience...do you see we are in our usual spot...he he.   The brother behind us is in the Spanish Kingdom Hall. 

Larry, Lex and I are standing just outside the kingdom hall at the road just before the RBC brothers and sisters got on their way...the sister in pink next to me is Ezekiel's wife, she and her husband Ezekiel sat next to us at the first Mayan meeting we went to...then Ezekiel got up on stage and did a special needs talk letting the brothers know they reallllly needed help on the kingdom hall and it is not a time to be sleeping but a time to be working hard on their own kingdom hall,  the sister in the blue hat, and her husband in blue is part of the RBC, Rafielle is his name,  his wife works side by side with him and she works like a man...I was VERY impressed!! and she did everything!!! 

Here is the truck and trailer that the RBC uses for the hall builds,  in it there is everything you would need for construction...the RBC here just feeds only the RBC members appointed by Bethel,  we fended for ourselves for dinner at noon,  we just biked to the kingdom hall so we just biked home, had lunch and came back in an hour,  it was very easy. 

Looks like Rafielle likes the necklace!! 

Fernando, the brother next to Lex took us fishing the day before,  she accidentally left her necklace in his truck so he was trying to see what he could get for it,  Rafielle was seeing if he wanted it for his "esposa" or wife...Lex was fit to be tied!! (they were just teasing her) Rafielle is offering money and Lex wouldn't let him give it.  

I'm not sure what Rafielle is trying to get Larry to do but I'm sure he is saying "por que"...or  why?  

I'm not sure what Larry is doing but looks like he's got enough trying to stop him...lol 

This is Jerry and Debbie Waas, We worked in service with them today in Puerto Morelos,  they are from Wisconsin...it is almost a full moon behind them...this picture really doesnt do it justice...it was so beautiful.  

This is break out in service...right on the beach,  its tough but someones gotta do it...anyone want to join us here?  We would love to have you here!! 

This is a sister, Marisol, from the Spanish congregation in Puerto Morelos,  this is her booth/shop space,  we had just got a bathing suit for Lynn.  

This is the service group in the center square of the town,  there are some missing here,  they weren't back from the territory yet but we met some bros/sis from Montreal Canada and since you can always tell JW's they picked us out and had to get our picture...the bro in shorts is one of the ones not in service (just vacationing)
We had just been doing territory, kinda canvacing because the territory used to belong to Cancun, but since our cong just split it was given to our congregation (Playa Del Carmen Norte) and as of yet we haven't got the territory cards, so we have no record of where the english is...so we are searching...we found one lady who used to study, due to circumstances had to quit and is now ready to start back up again,  since she speaks only spanish all we could do was get her phone number and address and give it to the Spanish cong here is Puerto Morelos.

Puerto Morelos Kingdom Hall Update

 Here is an update for the Puerto Morelos Kingdom Hall Build... They were hoping to be done by Friday but it didn't happen so next Friday is the next done date... Soon after that they plan on a dedication and our first meeting...we would like to see an english group started here but we dont know yet...its in the works.




Here is Larry getting ready to hammer drill through the cement block to put in a security light.

Here is a brother that is from Oregon, he is in a Spanish congregation there,  he is here to help the brothers in this area with construction,  his daughter lives here,  he is a professional dry waller in the states.

Here I am holding a wad of electrical wire, the electrical panel is just behind me ,  later you will see how they  "mud" the walls with cement,  it makes them much stronger and durable.  

this is how they pour cement...its funny when the chicken walked through it from next door...the fence going up is to stop the chicken from coming right in, which she does whenever she feels right now...then all shoo her out...its quite a site! 

We're almost done...painted, lights in, windows in...now all we need is doors...thats next.  Oh and just to let you all know...this is not a dress code that is acceptable in the states,  I'm wearing Alexis pants ( I didn't bring jeans, didn't know I'd be working on a hall build)  They dont care what I'm wearing as long as we are there to work, willing to work and are decent.  Now I'm looking to buy some Jeans...there is another hall build on the other side of Playa del Carmen...and we've been asked to go and do the electrical... 

Here id one of the young Regional Build brothers putting cement ( a very thin coat) on the sheetrocked wall to give it stability.  It looks real nice when done and fits in with the rest of the decor of the kingdom hall. 

here the dog walked through the recently poured cement...silly  dog. 

the dogs in the area are not like belizean dogs... they are well cared for  and healthy...this one belongs to the neighbor and liked the cool sand just dumped...by the way this is just after walking through the wet cement...look at its paws...he he

these are the finished sheetrock/cement walls...they just need painted...they're beautiful. 

Here is Lexi working with us...and the kingdom hall almost done!!  We are done for the day and taking off our hard hats 

We have been working every day on the kingdom hall here in Puerto Morelos,  studying every morning for 2 or more hours with Marco and trying to keep up with the studies on the other (ocean) side of Puerto Morelos.  Its a challenge but well worth the effort...Marco is really making us prove to him (and ourselves) the reason for our faith... what a joy to see when some bible truth hits them between the eyes!! We really look forward to the next 3 months.

Today is Sunday,  we had our Public talk and Watchtower last night so we are watching Markito (Marco's 9 year old son) while he works today...we will go to the Hall to see how things are going today...its the time the local brothers are off work and no meeting, a good time for them to work in the service til noon and then work on the hall.  I will post more pictures when I can...

We havent been to the ocean in over a week...we will soon and post more pictures of that for you all...

Much Christian Love to All.....

The New Kingdom Hall in Puerto Morelos

Here is a progression of the new Kingdom Hall that will seat 120 very comfortably,  with two bathrooms and a second school!!

This is the Security that stays the night, every night, the first time we saw the kingdom hall

This is the next day or so we stopped by just to see what was going on and of course Lex and Lynn

 Here is the rough sight ...it still needs alot of tender loving care...

 Here they have half of the roof up and some cement on the floor...we are getting ready to start running pipe for the electrical

The roof is done and half of the concrete floor is in.  They are getting ready to lay tile ... it is a beautiful white.  

here is the stage tile...it is a beautiful blue!!  

The walls for the second school are going up!

I am working on pulling wire for the main hall

Larry and another brother are setting the electrical panel...

I will post more pictures when I have alittle more time...Heading to the kingdom hall again today!!

We are going to pull more wire

Have a great day!! May Jehovah bless all your hard work...

Kingdom Hall in Puerto Morelos

Here lately we have been working on the kingdom hall in Puerto Morelos.  There currently is two congregations meeting there...one Mayan (the first meeting we went to was the Mayan cong, as you see in the pictures)


There are about 20 in the Mayan Congregation and 118 in the Spanish,  and about 30 chairs,  yes the all stand at the Spanish meeting...thus the need for a new Kingdom hall!!   More to come this evening!!