The stereotypical image of the sleeping campesino has been immortalized with its use in everything from ceramic figurines to restaurant menus. Even one high school class was inspired enough to make it into a scarecrow for a cultural celebration (pictured above.) Nevertheless, it would seem that the people of San Felipe, a fishing village on the coast of Yucatán, have broken so far from the image of the lazy Mexican that they’ve gained international attention.(article is in Spanish)

A diplomat from Timbuktu, Mali, who had arrived to participate in the first ever World Tourism Encounter of City and Local Governments United, was so smitten with the work ethic of the fisherwomen of the Yucatán that he decided to ask permission to take one home with him.

“Ï have four wives, but the law of my country allows me to have six. I would like to ask authorization from the governor of Yucatán (Ivonne Ortega) to marry a fisherwoman. I’m surprised that they get up at three in the morning to fish and return to take care of their families.”

The delegates who had gathered for the event originally thought that Dédéou Traoré, the diplomat from Mali, was joking, but he made his remarks in all seriousness.

So far, there has been no response from either the governor or a fisherwoman.

Photo by Rebecca Plevin available at blogs.vidaenlavalle.com

“Some random shots of my trip out east to hang with my brother and his family and to minister in Warrenton, VA”

From Washington/Virginia Trip 2010, posted by David Godzwa on 7/03/2010 (9 items)

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Pow Wow meant travel to Rocky Mount Royal Ranger Camp in central Missouri. It meant sleeping in tents, and eating in the open air. It meant BB guns, and tomahawk throwing, and non-stop action from early in the morning until late at night.

I took a few pictures of the event that I thought you might enjoy. Take a look, and relive with us a change of pace for this itinerating missionary family:

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Reading this via text email or RSS feed? Are the captions showing? If not, check out the pictures here:
http://www.disciplemexico.org/?p=1331

Now, you may ask, “Why are you telling me?” It’s because there is still time to be a part of this major event in our itineration schedule. We need $48,000 in cash in order to return to Mexico, $30,000 of those dollars to be raised are designated to expand the Bible school facilities in Merida, Mexico, which currently houses 4 separate programs, from undergraduate to the master’s level, in just 2 classrooms.

I understand that 48,000 may seem a bit overwhelming, but if we break down the sum into the miles that it takes for us to return to the field, that total can seem much more attainable. It takes 2240 miles to reach Merida from Springfield, MO where we currently reside. Breaking that total down, we come to roughly $22 dollars per mile for us to reach our destination. Would you be able to commit this week to a mile or perhaps more to get us closer to our destination?

If you’d like to know more about this effort, you can visit http://www.disciplemexico.org/marathon-for-mexico-2, where you will find a PDF flyer and a link to enable you to give securely on-line.

If you’ve already responded to another request, thank you! If you haven’t, there’s still time, but only if you respond today!

Breakfast burritos. Their popularity is undisputed. Far from being a Mexican restaurant only fare, they can be found nearly everywhere from McDonald’s to 7 Eleven. Still, although you may have enjoyed a breakfast burrito, perhaps as recently as this morning, can you say you know how to make one?

If your response was no, then Jonathan, our 6 year-old offers you this visual step by step guide on how to make and eat the famous breakfast burrito in this video. Enjoy!

Piñatas are a common site these days, cropping up in kid’s parties almost as often in the US as they do in Mexico. But what happens when the piñata is for adults? Take a look at this video from Mérida and see how piñatas have the tendency to bring out the kid, and the competition in everyone of us.

Can’t see the video. Check it out here.

It’s a common scene, actors, tears streaming down their faces, holding their award, reciting the list of people who contributed to their success, and although recent years have seen limits placed on award acceptance speeches, we’ve come to expect the laundry list of names; we’ve come to think of it as a natural part of graciously recognizing that one’s accomplishments are not achieved without the contributions of others. It’s funny though, when we think on special occasions, like the Father’s Day that we just celebrated last Sunday, we tend to bask in the attention and forget those who’ve made us the fathers that we are, our kids.

As I woke up Sunday morning, on the breakfast table sat the new desk set that Kelly had purchased for me–a letter organizer, a pen holder, and a nifty paper clip dispenser, but what gave me pause was a picture frame holding the image that you see above. Immediately, it put the day in perspective. If it wasn’t for my kids, I wouldn’t be a father. So permit me to brag on them a bit in this post.

Rebekah our oldest, aside from being the beautiful 9 year old that she is, is a voracious reader and extremely intelligent individual. When it comes to trivia, she loves to be right, and usually is. Not limited to book knowledge, however, she’s amazingly creative and has style all her own. She’s a lover of animals like her mother, especially horses, who she hopes to treat one day as a veterinarian.

Joseph is our dreamer. He’s got big plans and the persistence to achieve them, but he doesn’t just have his head in the clouds; he’s firmly planted on the ground, often on all fours inspecting the latest insect that has caught his eye. We expect him to take up a career as an electrician, planning skyscrapers or as a biologist studying the nature that he loves.

Jonathan, our youngest, is a happy-go-lucky kind of kid. He knows no strangers and is quick to converse with whoever might be around. He has a natural kindness and an attention to detail that enables him to know just when to use it, be it to give the timely hug to lift a parent’s spirit or the well placed comment to receive the sip of juice or cookie that he’s had his eye on. We expect him to take up a career in public relations.

Yes I’m a proud father, and although it’s come with it’s challenges I’m thankful for the ones who have made it possible for me to be called Dad. And while I have them with me, I’m intent on enjoying every moment.

The English language is much in demand here in the Yucatán, especially with the tourism that places like Chichén Itzá attract, so we often run into students who want to practice what they’ve learned with us as we go about the city. Businesses as well like to get into the act, capitalizing on the popularity that English enjoys, and billboard and signs in English are common. Unfortunately, some businesses such as the one above use English but don’t quite understand it.

This sign in the picture says: “Super 32 Thanks God is Monday” I’m trying to decide if it’s a Monday morning encouragement or a new theology. So far we’ve not had the chance to ask the owner about it. In the meantime, what do you think? Do you have any ideas as to what they might be trying to say? Leave us a comment if you’d like to take a stab at the interpretation.