El Ajusco

Last Saturday a group of eleven from RUF and English Club hiked up El Ajusco. It was super windy and rather steep...with a GREAT view of the Mexico City down below! We packed lunches and ate at the summit.

According to Google: Ajusco is a 3,930 m (12,894 ft) lava dome volcano located just south of Mexico City in the Tlalpan borough of the city. It is the highest point in the Mexican Federal District, which contains Mexico City.

Hiking back down

Eating lunch

Me and the cross at the summit of El Ajusco

Me at the summit with Mexico City in the background

Hiking up...

Me about half-way up the mountain

Hiking up...

Club de Ninos

Every Saturday a small church that meets in a poorer part of town, has a Kids' Club for the children of the neighborhood. There are anywhere from 50 to 100 children that come, from ages 2 years-old to 10 years-old. One of the regular Kids' Club workers is Lizeth, who is also a student at the UNAM and a member of the RUF group. She has invited me to go several times to help out at the Kids' Club, and I LOVE IT!!! We sing, play, eat, have arts and crafts, and a Bible story. It's great!

Toluca

Toluca is a city about and hour outside of Mexico City. I have several friends who live there and have had the privilege of visiting a few times. Central Plaza of Toluca

Toluca is known for its Chorizo (a type of sausage). I ate a really big Chorizo Quesadilla!

Botanical Gardens of Toluca

There are plants from all over the world!

... as you can see, I was in Toluca and my name is now on a bridge there!

Fiesta de Bienvenida

Last Friday night we had our "Welcome Party" for the RUF group. Our welcome parties are a time of fun, fellowship, food, and a great time to invite new faces to the ministry. We played games/ice breakers, ate, and just hung out. I think we had between 45 and 50 students show up!Almost everyone!

Socializing

Playing games

Faces of Mexico

One afternoon last semester at the UNAM a girl approached me and asked if she and her "camera crew" could take my picture for "The Faces of Mexico" book they were creating for Mexico's 200 year anniversary. I assured her that I was not a student at the UNAM, nor a Mexican, but she said it didn't really matter. (I think she had a quota to fill...) So, I cooperated for the picture. Well, a few weeks ago a friend sent me the internet link to my picture that he saw in the official "The Faces of Mexico" book that was published by the government.