Top Ten August 31

10. eva is walking!!!
9. we have fianlly come into the rainy season, seriouly more rain than I have ever seen, and they have a really poor drainage system, so the streets become rivers in a really short time. I have been grateful for my plastic croc's and short pants.
8. Jusitno was put in the bishopric. I think I may have already posted that, but some people don't know.
7. I went to the store in a bus, ALL BY MYSELF, and then talked the taxi driver down 10 pesos, so I didn't have to ride it back. A serious personal triumph.
6. We have been teaching with the missionaries at night, and met a great young mother named Silvia. She has three kids, and is really down to earth and cool. Seriously seeking truth and has been to church twice.
5. Our case has been transfered from Attorney General's office to Department of Homeland Security, and Juliann our contact in Hatch's office, has been in touch with Micheal Chertoff. directot of DHS, still no timeline, and still no word, but we're praying for a visa THIS year.
4. Learning a lot about what faith really is, submitting the will of the Father, even if it means living in Mexico with NO IDEA what your future holds, and trusting him enough that peace overides the panick. I think I understand it, I am not sure I have it completely. Every day is a new struggle, but onward we march one day at a time.
3. Justino is really longing to work. We are still agressively looking and not finding. Somedays I am sure that means we are going home soon. We are praying that is the case.
2. Eva loves her shoes now. Last week she learned how to take them off, and she threw them off the balcony onto the neighbors water tank. I looked for two days before I fianally found them. Crazy Eva, she is so bootiful.
1. We are still alive here in sunny, actually rainy mexico. WE love you Brook

Hurricane Dean

Today I braved Hurricane Dean. It hit in Nautla, a beach town near here, about a thirty minute drive. I saw rain and wind like I couldn’t have even imagined before today. We had no power, or water. The phones were off and on, we were left to wait, and watch and ponder the amazing power of God.We are all fine, and didn’t lose anything as a result of the storm, but the devastation to most of Martinez was truly humbling. The roofing on many parts of our apartment building were blown off. We are grateful that our roof is concrete, unlike others that have a metal slats. Many of the tenants here we left without a roof. There is a house right in front of our building was left completely without a roof. On the corner, there lives a lady that comes to clean our building. Her roof was also lost, and her walls are carton and so she was left with a mound of muddy possessions, where her humble house once was.We drove through town and there were ENORMOUS trees uprooted, and window broken. The river is huge and swift. There are many stores with their large glass window blown out. The most amazing site was a club ( Club de Leones) that was used for parties and other gatherings that had completely lost its roof.

Top Ten August 15

Some of you may have noticed that these Top Ten entries are starting to be farther and farther apart. Quite truthfully it is because moments when I feel positive enough to write one have also started to really space out. I had a glimmer a few days ago, that was extinguished before I could get to the computer, but today I am doing ok, have had a pretty good day so far, so here it is

10. My birthday sucked. We were invited to a wedding, and the only thing I wanted to do was dance with Justio and eat cake. The two days prior were stake YM/YW camp, so I took Eva to my sister in laws, and planned on leaving her there while we went to camp, and while we spent a glorious day alone on my birthday. Well, NOT SO MUCH. We called to check on her Friday night when we got home from camp, and she had been screaming for hours. Jusitno went straight to get here. I was gald she was ok, when we got her home, but sad that our day was seriously compromised. We determied to go to the wedding anyway, but we got there at 9p, and the bride and groom had not arrived, It was a great party, but dinner didn't start until 1030, and by the time we ate Eva was hysterical. We left before the dancing and the cake started. The next day they told us they danced until 4am. That would have been so fun. But the good news is, that they also brought us some leftover cake, and Justino and I danced in our apartment. It was ok, afterall.

9. Camp was an experience, it was like 120 degrees, and It was a struggle for me. The great part was when we got in the river (see attached photo, I am the orange blob in the river) and the kids had a great time. Justino, being in the stake Young Mens, planned and carried off the whole thing. He was a hero. I was not. I left the first night after not being needed all day, and came home and slept in my own bed, and then slept in, WAY IN.

8. With Eva gone I went to the park in the morning for some breakfast, and found a library. It is small, but I am thrilled. It really seems strange to me that there are such poor facilities for books here. There aren't even book stores. I still can't get over it.

7. After some breakfast I went home and cleaned like a fiend. I scrubbed the walls of my kitchen, and mopped the floors, I cleaned every inch of our place. Then I washed for hours on the roof, and got completely caught up on laundry. I hurt my hand, doing it, and haven't been able to lift anything with that hand since, but it felt good to get caught up.

6. I got an ironing board, I have been ironing on a towel on the floor. I put my foot down, and bought an ironing board.

5. Due to some generous contributions of bday money, on Monday I decided to buy a washing machine. Oh imagine my delight thinking I would not ever have to wash again buy hand. I shopped around, and found one at a good price, but my plans were haulted when we heard from Juliann on Monday after noon.

4. Our case has been sent to Home Land Security. We have learned that due to some new immigration laws, ( I'd like to know how they got any new laws passed and when, but whatever) all of the immigration issues that were under Attorney General's jurisdiction have been sent to DHS. Juliann has been in contact with that office to express Senator Hatch's personal interest in our case. She still has no idea for a time line, but says she'll keep me posted.

3. Eva is walking a lot more. Just in the past two days she has gone from walking three or four steps, to walking all the way across the room. Also many thanks to her aunt Jaquis, who sent her about ten pairs of new shoes this last week.

2. Speaking of Jaquis, my father in law came back from the states to live here for a while. Jaquis sent with him my Harry Potter books. I am way behind I haven't even read the 6th, but now I have it. I am re-reading 4 and 5 because it has been so long, it has been so nice to have a book to read.

1. I have been depressed, and realized that it was because I had decided how I thought God should have worked this all out, and once again he is not doing what I want him to. You'd think after no visa in February I would have learned that he thinks my ideas are stupid and always does his own thing. Anyway, I have really come to a place where I know that what I need to do is SUBMIT to His will. Granted knowing that and doing that are two different things, but momemt I am working on that. I hope you all are well, I miss you, and I miss american food. Please eat some for me, paticularly cookies, and Olive Garden. Brook

Naughty Eva

Nothing Like Scuddling Daddy's Church books outside, and then she dumped out a kilo of black beans on the floor. SHE IS MY BOOTIFUL TINY!

Aug 3 2007 TOP TEN

So here we are the long awaited date, and do you believe it? NO NEWS FROM THE GOVERNMENT! Typical, really, but still disappointed. I have been so depressed this week, really bitter, angry, beyond sad, is more descriptive and accurate. I don't know if you noticed that I didn't even write a top ten last week. But here we go again, I think I have surfaced enough to muster the positivity to write this again, so her goes...10. On Mon the 23 I went to the red cross here and they took out an ingrown toenail that I have had for months. I looked into having it done in the states while I was home, and it costs hundreds of dollars with no insurance, so I thought I could stick it out. Not so much It was a little more aggressive here, but it cost 7 dollars, 70 pesos, NO PROBLEM!!

9. Two Sundays ago they out Jusitno in the bishopric. They interviewed him during sacrament meeting and sustained him ten minutes later. The stake president said that in other wards often a lot of prayer and fasting is needed because so many people could do the job, but he laughed as he said that in our small branch the choice is so obvious, that no prayer is required, and said he was sorry that the counselors kept leaving the stand. After every one thrilled, and I was angry. No one asked me if I would give away my husband for MORE church work, as if a stake calling and four ward callings wasn't enough, he didn't get released from any others, by the way, He took me home and spent the whole day at the church. I prayed and swore at God, and told him how angry I was with Him, He sent me to the scriptures and D and C 100 comforted me. Especially when it says that Zion is chastised for a time but will be redeemed, or something like that, it means we will be home someday.

8. I also got the feeling that I need to make my life more conducive to it being just me and Eva, so we rigged some gates around the stairs so that she can crawl outside and not die, and that has been really fun for her. She is still not walking, she stands alone, and takes a few steps but still

not walking, but really have you seen a cuter baby?

7. I got mad at Justino one day last week and so I ran away, and drove all the way to the beach by myself. It took an hour and a half, and I was triumphant that I knew the way and didn't get lost. It was very healing. I need to be alone. That baby never leaves my sight. I am a little sick of here, and her dad.
6. On the 24th I was said that I was missing the party, and wanting to feel American so we bought a dominoes pizza. It was fun.

5. I went to the grocery store alone at 10p the other night to buy food. Another personal, all by myself, triumph. By the way that is not the time to shop here, I waited in line for like 30 minutes. When I go at 9 in the morning, there are no lines. Mexican are night owls.

4. This Sunday I cooked for the whole bishopric and their families, gotta love crock pots, we had chicken legs and frijoles charros. SO GOOD, I was really impressed with my Mexican cooking skills, so were the members. We ate at the church and then I went home. Justino was there until seven. The poor other counselor lives so far away that his family has to come and stay with him the whole day. I can't believe the way members sacrifice here. Church is so hot, that I rarely feel the spirit with sweat in my eyes, and I just sat there Sunday and thought about how nice the chapels are in Utah, and how close to home they are for every body. IF you live in Centerville you can throw a rock at your church. WOW I miss that.

3. After the marathon that is Sunday, Justino and I laid in bed all day and played with Eva and watched "Friends". At one point I turned to him and said, " Remember when we lived in Mexico and we laid in bed all day and watched friends and we were so sad and missing the states, and longing to work, don't you wish we could go back there?" We both had a teary cry and got some perspective.

2. The flea market on Thursday has been on my top ten lots before, but I LOVE it so much. This week I took pictures. Someday I am really going to miss Thursday mornings.

1. In the middle of writing this we had a HUGE thunder storm. The maids downstairs started yelling, they call me Justino, because they don't know my name, because I had clothes on the line. Jusitno is visiting his sister, with Eva, and I am having a break. In a panic I ran upstairs and took down the clothes. The water hadn't come yet but the thunder was shaking the building. I got the clothes down just in time, and then the biggest fattest wettest rain began to fall, and something old inside of me came alive. A part of me that has been stifled by adulthood, and motherhood, and third- world-country hood, and I stood in the rain in my white night gown and gloried in the rain, until I was so wet that I slipped down the stairs to my apartment. It was like God had sent a cleanse for my truly troubled soul. I have been hurting so deeply, and he washed it all away. And for a minute I didn't have to wash by hand, or kill cockroaches, I was just me in the rain. And when it was all over, Brook Ann the Great was back.

Top Ten July 22

10. It is Saturday night and I am finally up and at it again. I have had a bad back all week. I went to a mexican healer, who rubed my back into place, then wrapped me in an ace bandage. I can't decide if it was a hoax that this guy actually fixed me and I would have been better by now anyway, but we decided to take that route becaeu the American Trained Doctor that i was thinking about seeing was four times as much money. At any rate. I am ok.
9. As we walked arougd the flea market this week buying our produce I felf overwhelmingly happy and really impressed that I should cherish this cool experience becaseu it will be over soon. Who knows what that means, I am starting to learn that God and I don't really have the same definition for words. SOon to me and soon to him, are quite different.
8. Justino has been really urgent about finishing all the geneolgy that he can before we leave. He has also felt that are time is limited here and he will regret it when we get to the states if he doesn't have all the work done. Again it makes me hope that we will be out of here soon, but there is that work, again, SOON.
7. Eva is almost walking. She took 11 steps the other day, and that so far is her personal best.
6. I might of mentioned it last week, but I did all my laundry at a sister in the ward's house. She has a washer, and it was a dream. If I did mention it last week, it is so worth mentioning again.
5. Justino and I were sad on the Friday, the 20 becuase we knew the family was at the parade and the fireworks, so we tried to feel extra american and we went to Dominos and bought a pizzza. While we were waiting a barefoot handicapp child asked me for money. He was so dynamic and yet not pushy, and I was overwhelmed that most of the world lives such a harder life than I do.
4. We have visited Justino's very old, over 100 year old grandmother twice this week. She has been sick, but still helping us with names and dates for geneology. I love the gray hairs of the world. They have so much to offer.
3.Mexico beat the USA in soccer in the Panamericanos games, and we were all sreaming and dancing at the music they play when Mexico scores. Eva was having a riot. She was as excited as Jsutio.
2. And by the way, as many of you saw while Iwas in Utah, Eva loved me the best. That is nno longer the case. She wants nothing to do with me, she wants to be with her daddy every minute She cries when he leaves the room, I can leave no problem. But she is madly in love with Jusitno.
1. We went to eat breakfast on the corner. this lady wakes up at three and cooks until seven then serves breakfast ont he corner. We went down there and it was overcast, as it has been alot this week thank heavens, and Eva sat like an angel on her daddy's lap and ate eggs. It cost us about three bucks to eat awesome food, and I told justino, even thoguth I am missing american food, that is impossible to get here, I will miss those breakfasts on the corner if we ever get home.
Hope you are all well. Love ya

Top Ten July 13

SO It has been a little hard coming home to Mexico this time. Seeing and being with Justino has been a dream come true, but I do;t know the uncertainty of this situation and the nature of this beast has really been getting to me. The first time I came everything was new and that was fun, but now I am just wondering if we will ever be in a place that we can feel liek we are really setteled in to. We feel stagnant, and like we can't really progress becaseu our future is so uncertain. We expect to knwo the status of our case by Aug. 3 and then we hope that will give us some direction, in the mean time here is my top ten.

Also the trip to Utah was great, Kami's wedding was perfect, and I am so grateful I got to be there. I am sorry that there are many of you that I didn't get to see, but know I love you.

10. Jusitno got a TV while I was gone. His sister had one that they didn't use. Jaquis sent us out DVD player from Florida, and I have been watching my "Friends" DVD's. makes the apartmet so much fun.
9. It is way cooler than when I left, now about 98 to 100 instead of 120. Also it rained today and the locals here say that this could be the start of the rainy season, which would be great for me I love the rain and it really cools off when it rains.
8. Eva wa an angel on the plane ride home. We got home without incident, except for that Jusiton drove the truck to pick us up and got pulled over by a federal highway patrol for not having a front plate. Then he haggeled with him about the permit we have for having the truck in Mexico, long story shourt it ended up costin us 1000 pesos, which is right about 100 USD. Corrupt bastards, if you pay them enough they let you go. At least it wasn't more than that.
7. Becaseu of the pull over incident, Justino was an hour and a half late picking us up. I didn't panick, Eva and I practiced walking up and down the terminal, but Eva regognized her Daddy immediately, and hasn't wanted to leave his side since.
6. Jusitno said that he had a surprose for me, and he had the whole house full of flowers. It was cool, and we had a wonderful reunion.
5. I was complaining the other day, because all I wanted was a good cookie, which doesn't exsist in this country, and Justino went on a hunt and found oreos. I really meant like some home baked good, but the gesture was so sweet.
4. My back has been out, and we went to see a chiropractor who perscibed three deep tissue massages, the first of which was today. It was pretty nice. THere are some luxuries here. \
3. Eva has taken about three or four steps on her own, but she is way not motivated to do more than that. We are hoping she will be getting around soon.
2. I washed this week at a sister in my ward's house. I was too behind to do it by hand. So how good was that! I got to use a machine. YEAH.
1. Justino is the best, and we are having so much fun being back together. We don't want to be separated, ever again. In the mean time, I hope that you all are cherishing your luxuries, like couches, and carpet, and appliances, warm water. All of which I miss, but will have again soon, I hope. Keep praying for us so that we will be home soon. Love you, Brook