on the way up

We're Getting Married!

2008-07-29T20:43:00.004-05:00

Jedidiah proposed on the Fourth of July and we are planning a New Year's Eve wedding in Cincinnati!
I feel so incredibly blessed that the Lord brought us together and we are looking forward to starting our lives together!
Thank you all for your love and support! I will not be posting quite as much in the following months, but I'm back in the states if you want to give me a call!

Love,
Katie

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T12:08:00.000-05:00

I have the best dad in the entire world!
I love you big as the world, Daddy!

Love,
Kates

Hello, Ohio

2008-06-11T10:34:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for your well-wishes and prayers as I made the huge move from Monterrey to Ohio. I'm doing well back in the States, still getting settled, which takes a bit longer since I need to spend excessive time with precious friends and family. Hopefully my computer will be fixed very soon so that I can post pictures from my last few weeks in Mexico.

Love to all,
K.

and then i fell down...

2008-05-23T11:44:00.003-05:00

lately i've been having a bit of trouble keeping things together.

my vonage phone broke.
i dropped my cell in a puddle.
i cracked the screen on my macbook pro.
my car isn't running.

we went to matacanes (more on this later) and i fell down about 100 times AND contracted poison ivy. :)

so.
i'm sorry that i haven't posted lately.
i'm moving to ohio on june 1 and hopefully the computer situation will be solved in a week after that.

thanks for your prayers and support as i'm finishing my time here in monterrey!

blessings,
k.

A blessing

2008-05-06T11:38:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to my friend who gave birth to a healthy baby boy Sunday afternoon. He weighs about 5 pounds and has lots of beautiful black hair. Both mother and baby are doing fine.

Please pray for this family with me. She is just 18 years old and lost her boyfriend in a car accident about three months ago.

Isaiah 49:16
"See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands..."

Happy Birthday Emma!

2008-05-06T11:35:00.002-05:00

Emma turned 10 on Sunday and we celebrated her birthday at school yesterday. My first trip to Monterrey was in April of 1998 when Beth was pregnant with Emma. I wish I had a picture to post of me holding her as a baby, but I don't have any digital pictures from '98. It was the stone age, remember?

Thank You Calvary Christian!

2008-04-15T12:10:00.004-05:00

I want to give special thanks to John Wallace and the Calvary Christian crew for putting on a show for us, getting our students involved, and faithfully providing our curriculum each year. We appreciate you so much!

Happy Six Months, Jedidiah

2008-04-07T23:05:00.002-05:00

Happy Staff Picture

2008-04-07T13:12:00.003-05:00

Home again, home again...

2008-04-03T13:21:00.005-05:00

Hi Friends!

I just got back to Mexico after ten days in Cincinnati and Columbus. It was quite a whirlwind and I'm excited to spend more time with loved ones in Ohio. I was able to see my parents, Mary and Ryan, Will and Jackie, and their daughters, Claire and Eva, my Mimi and Papaw, and some wonderful friends. I got to dance with my nieces, watch lots of basketball (I'm sad about my Muskies!), cheer the Crew on to victory in their season opener against Toronto, hang out with Jedidiah's mom who came in from Connecticut, and hear some great live music!

Many of you know this, but I am moving back to Ohio on June 2 and will no longer be on staff with Back2Back Mexico. I feel like God has called me back to the states to work toward my Masters in Education and spend more time with my family. This was an incredibly difficult decision; I love my life here in Monterrey and cannot imagine doing anything else. I smile when I think that the first job I ever had was my dream job. I feel so grateful to have been a part of this ministry and I know it will always hold a special place in my heart... and hopefully my future!

All this to say, I'm still here for two months, and I'm excited to make the most of my time with friends, students, jovenes, and groups. I'd love prayer for my future- I'm still not sure where/when I'm going to school or where I will work. I feel a little bit like Abraham when God told him to leave, he left, not knowing the future. I hope that, like him, I will be faithful and obedient to God's calling.

Love,
Katie

GET THAT CORN OUT OF MY FACE!

2008-03-08T20:10:00.002-06:00

Naco Libre, anyone?

El Clasico

2008-03-08T20:02:00.002-06:00

Today was one of two of the biggest futbol days of the year here in Monterrey. We have two professional teams here- los Tigres and los Rayados. They play each other twice a year and it is complete madness- there are fights all over the city.

A bunch of us went to Texas Grill to watch the game. The Tigres were up 3-2 with three minutes left and the Rayados scored- but it was called offsides. The game went into stoppage time and the Rayados scored again off a corner kick but it was called back. The Tigres won. We were robbed!

Field trip to Carl's Jr.

2008-03-08T19:57:00.004-06:00

Carl's Jr. offers school tours so we decided to go this past Friday to check it out. The kids got their faces painted, played in the playland, and toured the kitchen. Needless to say, I won't be eating there any time soon.

Liseth's Quince

2008-03-06T12:17:00.002-06:00

We had a wonderful time with the Family Christian group at Imperio de Amor, Lalo's new children's home. It was so good to see Liseth and Diana and meet new friends like Lily, Laura, Alondra, and baby Justin.

Coppelia

2008-02-27T21:37:00.002-06:00

Last week we took SMCA to a ballet in Monterrey. It was especially for children and they even had a narrator, audience interaction, and a time for questions afterwards. I love it here.

Vamos Monterrey

2008-02-18T16:44:00.008-06:00

Katey, Ruby, and I got to go to a Monterrey Rayados game this past Wednesday. Ever since I moved here in 2005, I have always wanted to attend a professional soccer game. Monterrey has two teams- the Tigres and the Rayados- so there is a huge rivalry within the city. The fans of the Rayados are so crazy- they were singing and chanting the entire time, pounding drums, throwing confetti, and setting off fireworks-- check out the video! The Rayados won 3-0, so it was a very exciting game to be a part of! Thanks for the playeras Beto! :)

Happy Balemtins Day!

2008-02-18T16:37:00.003-06:00

We had a lovely Valentine's Day celebration last Thursday. All the kids created precious handmade cards for each other- my card from Jacob read, "Happy Balemtins Day!" We decorated heart shaped sugar cookies, read a special story, and did some Valentine's crafts.

It was an extra emotional day for everyone at SMCA because it was also the Merrill sister's last day of school. Jenna and Ella, along with their family, moved to Michigan on Friday and we will miss them so very much! Please pray for their family as they readjust to life in the United States, new jobs, and public school.

Happy 100th Day of SMCA!

2008-02-11T19:04:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful celebration today of our 100th day of school. I cannot believe that I am more than half-way through my third year of teaching here in Monterrey. In some ways, I feel like I just got here, but at the same time, I feel completely at home. God is good and He has blessed me so richly with this opportunity.

Anyway, for our celebration, each student brought 100 things to share with the class- Sarah drew pictures of 100 dresses, Evan brought 100 football cards, Emma brought 100 lollipops, Jenna brought 100 sticks, and Ben brought 100 playing cards. I brought 100 conversation hearts to share with my class. We made crowns with the number "100" on them, made fruit loops necklaces with 100 pieces of cereal, read a special story, ate a snack shaped like the number "100," and did some creative writing. Miss Ruby brought lots of great ideas and a fun song that she used to sing with her students in Indiana. She changed it a little bit for SMCA:

(To the tune of "I've Been Working on the Railroad")
We've been working in our classroom for 100 days
We've been working in our classroom here in Monterrey
Rising early in the morning, bring your books and pencils too
Every day at SMCA we learn something new!
The 100th day is here!
The 100th day is here!
Let's all give a che-e-er!

It was a wonderful celebration and I am so blessed to have such wonderful students and such a great friend to teach with!

Estanzuela

2008-02-01T21:03:00.000-06:00

Jedidiah came to visit Mexico for two weeks at the beginning of January. One of my favorite experiences with him was taking three boys who live at Douglas, Ricardo, Jose Pablo, and David climbing at Estanzuela. I haven't been up there since Christmas of 2002 when my entire family and I were in Monterrey for Christmas. We ran up the mountain, explored riverbeds, and hunted for bears. Jed taught the boys how to blow up their muscles. It was a lovely day.

pato

2008-02-01T20:59:00.000-06:00

Meet Pato. (Pato means "duck" in Spanish. I do not know his real name.)
He is a Mexican baby duck.
I met him on Wednesday.
He likes my couch.
He lives in the Joseph House with Miguel and Sofia has come to believe that he is her pet.
Someday, when I grow up, I would like a duckling.

Sierra Madre Christian Academy Dedication

2008-01-08T16:18:00.000-06:00

We had a special dedication ceremony for the eight members of Northstar Vineyard who are visiting. My kids recited 'Twas the NIght before Christmas (a little late) and several Bible verses. I am so proud of them!

Thanks to Northstar Vineyard and Mark and Shawn Weller for their generous gifts that allowed us to build our new school! We also received seven brand new laptop computers, a projector and screen, and pretty much everything else we could dream of!

Thank you for your faithfulness to God's call.

New School Photos!

2007-11-30T23:05:00.000-06:00

A very special thanks to Northstar Vineyard and the Weller family for their generous contributions that made our new school possible! Here are a few pictures from the first day in the new school...I'll post some next week with all our Christmas decorations up!

If you are interested in donating anything for the new school, we have a wish list! Please e-mail me if you think you, your company, or church would be willing to sponsor one of our needs!

katie.housh@gmail.com

Happy Thanksgiving/December!

2007-11-30T22:57:00.000-06:00

It has been a busy past few weeks! We moved into our new school on Sunday, November 19, I turned 25 on November 21, I was home for Thanksgiving to see family and friends until November 25, and then I came home to Monterrey and was met by our wonderful women's group from Cincinnati! It is always my favorite week of the year because women from my home town, many of them mothers of my friends from grade school, come to spread Christmas cheer to all the casa hogares we work in. As always, it was a delight to have them on campus. One morning, Angie Carl and Angela Stutz, both CHCA moms, came to my classroom to do Christmas crafts with my students!

I was also able to participate in a girls night we did at LDM tonight. We invited the girls from Douglas and the girls on campus to get dressed up- we did their hair, make-up, and nails, and the boys served us a fancy dinner. Later, we decorated gingerbread houses and sang Christmas songs! I was especially excited to see Lizeth and Diana who now live in Don Lalo's children's home. It has been months since we've seen them since they left Douglas and they seem happy and up to their usual tricks! :)

Vineyard at CHD

2007-11-17T13:28:00.000-06:00

I was happy to get to hang out with some folks from my home church, The Vineyard. We had a wonderful night of worship in English and Spanish. We sang and laughed and worked on crafts. Sundays are always a little strange for some of the kids because only a select few receive visitors while the others wait all day hoping that someone will come to see them.

(I'm still) Alive

2007-11-13T16:37:00.000-06:00

So it's been about three weeks...sorry I haven't been posting. Things here are good- I've been busy with teaching and working with Beth. I'm going home to Cincinnati in one week, so if you're in town, give me a call. I'll be home from November 20-November 25. Hopefully I'll be going to the Vineyard on Sunday morning, so if you're there look for me!

SMCA is really coming along- they are hooking up the power today and we may even be moving in this weekend! I'll be sure to post pictures when we're all moved in.

This is a picture of my class on top of the school- we were just checking out the amazing ThermoTekking (like my new word?) skills of Melissa Briner!

GO POKES!

2007-10-23T20:53:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile. It was fall break this past weekend and I got to go to Oklahoma to see my sister Elizabeth and her husband, Cole. It was such a nice break to spend time with family! We cheered the Cowboys onto victory against Kansas State! I love the weather there- going to a football game really made it feel like fall!

The new school is coming along- Ruby, Katey, and I painted last week and the tile is going to be put in this week. It's really coming together and it was great to have Mark Weller and the Northstar group here to see the progress!

We are looking forward to a wonderful group from Drexel, North Carolina this week- I'm practicing my best southern accent for Kelly's kinfolk.

More soon...Thank you so much for all your love and prayers!

Felicidades Jim y Betty!

2007-10-15T13:40:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we were blessed to be a part of Jim and Betty's wedding! What a wonderful day and an amazing testimony to God's faithfulness!

Happy Birthday RUBYDUUUUU!

2007-10-11T12:16:00.000-05:00

Today is my sweet friend Ruby's birthday! Check our her blog here.
As Ben said, Miss Ruby is Really Nice, Unique, Beautiful and YOUNG!

Welcome Northstar!

2007-10-10T12:41:00.001-05:00

I am excited that Mark Weller and a few men from Northstar Vineyard in Cincinnati are coming today! Northstar is the church that donated the money to build our new school! I can't believe how quickly everything is coming together! The second picture is from inside my new classroom!

Paslm 103

2007-10-07T22:53:00.000-05:00

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all His benefits--
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is rewarded like the eagle's.
The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His deeds to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in Love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will He harbor His anger forever;
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His love for those who fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him;
for He knows how we are formed,
He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But frome everlasting to everlasting
the Lord's love is with those who fear Him,
and His righteousness with their children's children--
with all those who keep His covenant
and remember to obey His precepts.
The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
and His kingdom rules over all.
Praise the Lord, you His angels,
you mighty ones who do His bidding,
who obey His word.
Praise the Lord, all His heavenly hosts,
you His servants who do His will.
Praise the Lord, all His works
everywhere in His dominion.

Praise the Lord, O my sou.

A HUGE Thanks to Calvary Chemical

2007-10-07T16:45:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to take a minute and thank my cousin Tyler, Uncle John, and his company for their generosity this past week! Ruby and I were able to take a trip to Office Depot and pick out whatever we needed for the school! We feel so blessed and humbled by your gift. Thank you for your faithfulness to the Lord and to Back2Back!

Dia de (Insert Saint)

2007-10-04T19:22:00.000-05:00

Lots of fun things happened today:

My cousin Tyler arrived- he'll be here until Sunday! (Aunt Lisa, I saw him actually working! :)

Ruby and I went to the chiropractor for her neck.
We also got pulled over for no reason and pretended not to speak Spanish...

We had a cookout at Douglas where I had to convince every single child that I was not, in fact, Elisa OR Mary

On the way home, we encountered this in our neighborhood--

AND Julie and Matt came home with baby Caleb and I got to hold him! He is so perfect and he looks just like his daddy!

Cooper Baby (Take 6)

2007-10-03T13:18:00.000-05:00

Caleb Lincoln Cooper was born last night, October 2, at 11:45. He weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces. Both mama and baby are happy and healthy. Matt is on his way back here to pick up their kids to visit their new brother! Pictures to come...

Girls Weekend!

2007-10-01T17:05:00.000-05:00

I am so blessed to have Ruby and Katey here! I've been praying for more single people to come on staff since before I moved here in 2005...these two sweet friends were worth the wait!

It's Baby Season! (3 down, 1 to go!)

2007-10-01T12:41:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to announce that Camila Porto Iannuzzi was born this morning, October 1, at 12:15 am.

Update: 10.02.07 Rosa and Camila are home, healthy, and safe! I just got to hold her and change her diaper! :)

Psalm 146

2007-09-26T21:30:00.000-05:00

Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortal men who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
the sea, and everything in them --
the Lord, who remains FAITHFUL FOREVER.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free,
the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord.

Multiple Personalites?

2007-09-25T16:48:00.000-05:00

This past weekend during our staff retreat, I learned that I have multiple personalities. After taking the Myers Briggs test, it seems that I am almost 50/50 I and E, 50/50 S and N, and 50/50 T and F. Sheesh!

That means I could be on any given day an:
ESTJ or ISTJ
ENTJ or INTJ
ESFJ or ISFJ
ENFJ or INFJ

Overall though, it was a lot of fun seeing everyone else's personality test results. We had a great afternoon session with a professional who taught us a lot about how we can work together as a team.

Frida

2007-09-25T16:24:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of going to Monterrey's modern art museum (MARCO) yesterday to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. As I'm sure you know, she continues to be a very controversial artist, especially in her own country. The exhibit was shockingly beautiful and truly moving. It really was a once in a lifetime experience to see so many of her original paintings.

She was involved in a serious bus accident early in her life, and the painting I am sitting in is one she painted while in the hospital recovering from her injuries. Her body and spirit never fully recovered and the physical pain she experienced influenced the majority of her paintings throughout her life.

SMCA Lunch

2007-09-23T15:53:00.000-05:00

Sierra Madre Christian Academy hosted a little lunch for the US staff on Friday afternoon. My students recited their Bible verses, Hebrews 12:1-3 and Miss Ruby's class recited a poem as well as their Bible verse. The kids had a great time showing off everything they have learned so far this year!

Polaroid Scavenger Hunt

2007-09-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

The US Staff arrived on Thursday for our five day staff "retreat." We began the long weekend with a scavenger hunt. We had to drive around the city taking pictures of our group in ten different scenarios. My team won, of course, mostly because it was a contest. And because I'm competitive. The team who turned in their cd of photos to Meme first was the winning team. Knowing this, Juan and I brought along our computers and blank cds in order to transfer our photos in the car on the way back home. It was sweet action.

Bueno es Dios, Siempre Fiel

2007-09-18T22:56:00.000-05:00

It may not seem like a big thing, but tonight I went to Bible study alone. Usually, Jazmine comes with me, but tonight she couldn't make it. So I went. By myself. To a Bible study completely in Spanish.

I've been learning a lot about faith lately. I can't get over this verse:

Romans 4:20-21
"Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being FULLY PERSUADED THAT GOD HAD THE POWER TO DO WHAT HE PROMISED."

We're talking about Abraham. His descendants were to outnumber the stars in the sky. God told him to sacrifice his only son on an altar. Talk about a test of faith. Everyone knows the story, Abraham tied his son up, raised the knife, and God provided a lamb. The Lord promised Abraham he would be the father of many nations. Yet he bound his only son and placed him on an altar because the Lord told him to.
Did he cry while looking into his son's terrified eyes? I'm sure he did.
Did he wish he had stayed home? He was only human.
Did he trust the Lord? Absolutely.
Abraham believed that even though God told him to sacrifice his only son, God would provide a way out. Abraham expected God to show up. And He did. And He still does.

On a much smaller scale, I was intimidated tonight. I didn't really want to go to Bible study alone. I know enough Spanish to get by, but if you know me at all, you know I hate saying the wrong words. Honestly, I thought about staying home. It's comfortable and safe. But, I went. And God showed up. He always does.

Every single time I go to my Bible study, I am able to understand every word of Spanish that is spoken. This is a group of 20-something women chatting away about what God is doing in their lives. They use words I'm know I've never heard before.

But, the Lord is faithful. I am convinced that it is by His power alone that my mind ceases to translate every word to English. I just get it. It is God's word whether in Spanish or Japanese. Same Spirit. Same Lord.

He is faithful.

"I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will always be on my lips."
Psalm 34:1

Eye Taco

2007-09-17T16:19:00.000-05:00

After living here for two years, I'm finally taking a Spanish class. Today, the most important thing I learned is that if a guy is cute, you can call him a "taco de ojo." Personally, I'm more of an eye candy kind of girl.

Ostriches = Pure Evil (What I learned at the Monterrey Zoo)

2007-09-16T13:41:00.000-05:00

I am not afraid of many things. I live alone, I walk to the laundry room by myself in the dark, I kill tarantulas and scorpions with no problem. I am, however, terrified of ostriches. The Monterrey Zoo offers about thirty different "areas" to explore. I'd say five of these house ostriches. What's up with that?

In case you haven't seen an ostrich lately, they have red, beady eyes, three gnarly toes, and sharp beaks. They are just ugly. I know they are the largest birds in the world and all, and they can run really fast, but five cages of ostriches? Really?

Gracias!

2007-09-15T11:40:00.001-05:00

This is a picture of where our school is being built, taken last May. (It will be behind the Joshua House.) Northstar Vineyard generously donated the money to build a new school building.

John, Todd, Corrie, Bill, Cathy, Greg,Christy, Steve, Gabo, Kelly, Antonio, Celso, and the masons worked all day yesterday pouring the roof on our new building. Thank you so much for all your hard work!

today we remember

2007-09-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

Today, I sat down with my students to pray for the families of those who were killed on 9/11/01. To be honest, I planned this time as an afterthought at the end of the day and was not prepared for the questions I faced.

I reminded them briefly of what happened, and like all children, they were brimming with questions:

"What is a terrorist?"
"Are the people who died that day in heaven?"
"Were there kids and babies on the planes?"
"Was God sad when all those people died?"

Psalm 34:18
"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

beauty for ashes

2007-09-10T22:11:00.000-05:00

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives... to comfort all who mourn...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
Isaiah 61:1-3

Happy Who Dey!

2007-09-10T17:03:00.000-05:00

Can I just tell you that today is going to be the best Monday of the year, no matter what. It is the one Bengals game I get to watch on television until I go home at Christmas. AND it's a Monday night game. Not just any Monday night game, THE FIRST MONDAY NIGHT GAME of the season.

All that to say, Happiest of Who Deys to you all. I'm sitting in Las Alitas, an hour prior to kickoff attracting the stares of many confused Mexicans.

Futbol? You know, the American kind? At least they changed the channel, that's all that matters.

A little Monday night Katie Housh/Bengals history:

2005: My first niece, Claire Suzanne Housh, was born on October 25. This was one of the happiest days of my life, made even more perfect by the first Monday night Bengals win since October, 1990. (We played Denver, Rudi had 119 yards, Chad had 149)

2006: What Monday night game? It never existed as far as I am concerned.
The only Monday night game that COUNTED in 2006 was the preseason slaughter of Green Bay on August 28. Evan and Josh joined me at Las Alitas to cheer our team to victory!

2007: Cincinnati 27. Baltimore 20. I want to marry Michael Meyers.

you know you live in Mexico when...

2007-09-09T20:19:00.000-05:00

Does anyone have anything to add to the list Ruby and I made?

-you put your shoes on to kill a spider
-cows and chickens are your alarm clock
-you can smell what your neighbors are cooking for dinner or hear their dinner conversation
-you have to get out of the car to open a gate to leave or come home
-you have to turn down plastic bags of shrimp for sale on the highway
-it rains just as much inside your house as it does outside
-the only TV you watch is last season's DVDs
-you carry your laptop around on Sunday wearing your team jersey and checking espn.com
-you take walks carrying rocks to fend of the wild dogs

Obviously these things are specific to our Back2Back community and not necessarily the entire country of Mexico!

a mexican delicacy

2007-09-09T20:07:00.000-05:00

I finally broke down and tried cabrito (baby goat) tonight. It is a regional specialty of the city of Monterrey, Mexico, and the surrounding state of Nuevo Leon, based on the Jewish cuisine of the founders of the city. Apparently, it is slow cooked over a charcoal fire for about 8 hours, turning it every 15- 20 minutes.
I pass the restaurant El Rey de Cabrito, in downtown Monterrey, every time I go to the market. It is a huge tourist spot. I've been avoiding the eating of the baby goat since I moved here two years ago, but Rosa's cousin, Angela, who is here to help when the new baby is born, decided to prepare an ENTIRE BABY GOAT last night. Today, she graciously invited us to try her delicious, um, meal.

I thought it tasted like putrid, slimy chicken, but that's just me. Has anyone else ever tried it?

it's saturday night and we ain't got nobody...

2007-09-09T12:57:00.000-05:00

so this is what we do. i love having ruby here!

i'm a proud sister

2007-09-08T13:27:00.000-05:00

Making the grade

Reynolds continues to impress on field and in class

By David Youngblood
Sports Writer

Cole Reynolds often finds himself in demanding situations as the holder for Oklahoma State, but the pressures of playing football are overshadowed by the pressure he puts on himself to succeed academically.

Listed as a sophomore for football after being redshirted a year, Reynolds will already have fulfilled his requirements for graduation as an international business and Spanish major in May 2008 in just three years. He’s maintained a 3.96 GPA while taking between 19-22 hours per semester and is in the Honors College.

“I’ve always been a student first before an athlete,” Reynolds said. “It just means a lot to me to be able to manage my time wisely and be competitive in school as well. I take a lot of pride in my school work.”

Reynolds, who also serves as the backup punter, said his several of his teammates give him a hard time about his grades.

“Some guys just refer to me as the GPA booster of the team,” he said. “They joke that the only reason they let me on the team is because I raise the cumulative GPA a little bit.”

Reynolds was one of the 13 Cowboys who earned Academic All-Big 12 honors last year. Coach Mike Gundy said the coaches talk to players every day about performing academically.

“There’s only a very small percentage that will have an opportunity to play and do this for a living,” Gundy said. “The rest of them need to get good grades and give themselves a chance.”

Reynolds said his parents always stressed the importance of academics, telling him he couldn’t play ball forever. With that in mind, he plans to enter law school, though he hasn’t decided yet whether he will do so now and forgo his final two years of football eligibility, or stay at OSU and get a master’s degree.

Reynolds has carved himself a role on the team, though it hasn’t been easy.

An accomplished quarterback and punter at Edmond Memorial High School, Reynolds suffered injuries as a senior that prevented him from playing quarterback in college and is behind All-American Matt Fodge at punter.

He said it was hard at first to adjust to being on the bench.

“There’s times when I wish I could be out there more often, but really, it’s just fun to be a part of the team and get out there in any facet,” Reynolds said.

This will be Reynolds’ second year as the team’s holder, and special teams coordinator Joe DeForest said it has been clear that he’s the right man for the job.

“Everyone has a certain niche that they can do to help the football team,” DeForest said. “As a punter, Cole understands how to take a snap and put it down. He works with those kickers every day, so it’s a great relationship.”

In addition to balancing football and school, Reynolds is involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

He talks at schools and churches three or four nights a week and said he loves doing outreach and ministry.

Finally, Reynolds devotes as much of his free time as possible to being with his wife, Elizabeth. The couple were married in July, and Reynolds said her support has been important.

“Right after we got back from our honeymoon, I got thrown into camp, 7-10 every day, and was completely locked up,” Reynolds said. “But she’s been a trooper through everything.”

Sophomore Cole Reynolds, left, was a two-year starter at quarterback in high school but serves as OSU’s holder. He has a 3.96 GPA in college.

This story was published in the O'Collegian on August 29th, 2007 under Sports.

it's baby season!

2007-09-07T23:01:00.000-05:00

Antonio and Priscila, two great friends who are on staff with Back2Back, just gave birth to their first child last Monday. Baby Zua is so beautiful, I can't wait to visit her again!

Meme's daughter, Janet, and her husband, Jose Angel, welcomed their third daughter about three weeks ago. She is still without a name, but they are thinking about naming her Chelsea. Meme is such a proud abulelita!

weather report: hot and rainy

2007-09-07T22:52:00.001-05:00

A few neighborhood/barrio kids find a good way to cool off.

welcome

2007-09-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

I created this blog to keep in touch with all of you while I'm living here in Monterrey. Here is a picture of our students on the first day of school. Miss Ruby just joined us this year and is teaching K-2. I am teaching 3-5. We just finished our first week and are taking a much-needed night off!

Check out my facebook photo album if you want to see more SMCA pictures.