The Beach Chronicles - Part I

A week ago, we took a fun (and quick) detour from la vida normal and headed to Bahia de Kino: Jenna, Zulema (a friend and sister in Christ here in Magdalena) and her four kids, and my kids and I.

This was the sign I taped to the back of our large, white, fifteen-passenger robber van!

It was a truly blessed time, and I am so thankful we were able to go... God had His hand upon our time together. :)

Early morning sand art... a tradition!

Our neighbor was super-kind to the kids and gave them leftovers to throw up in the air to the birds... there were a lot of birds; I don't think I've ever seen that many at the beach!

Scaling the wall/ledge in front of our rented house...

We went on an early morning walk and Keyla "wasn't going to get wet."

Yeah right.

Kids + Water = Inevitable saturation

Aron and his "top-hat"

Candi and a starfish she found...

Zulema was using this small shell like a clam opening and closing... pretending it was going to bite Caleb; who continued with this stone-faced look.

It is a serious, serial killer kind-of look.

But when he breaks out in a smile... it's totally worth the wait! :)

Zulema and some of the kidlets walking through the water...

Jenna identified this "fish" as a "mop fish."

I'm pretty sure most of the kids believed her... ;)

Remember the serial killer mentioned above???

But a pretty cute one...!

Angel and Marcos buried my feet and legs (because I was getting burned) and then decorated with these shells...

Two of the many talented architects we had these few days... :)

Zulema and Caleb in the water; this was a feat for her! She is terrified of water... even in swimming pools. I couldn't believe that she actually went in the water, and even stayed there for some time! I think it helped her kids to see their mom go out in the water, too! It was cold, though... ohhhh, was it cold.

Eating sand for snacktime.

One of the dead stingrays the kids found... notice I wrote one.

There were a couple.

And the smelled really, really great.

Which is why Diego got told [forcibly] that we were not taking it home with the rest of the shells.

And that it wasn't even going to hang out on the porch.

But help us out... we only found one with its tail still attached; why is that???

Las gringas... who were getting very, very RED.

You know when you start wearing hoodies and wrapping up in scarves that it's time to go inside.

On a sidenote, every time Candi sees this photo she says:

Ay no, Jenna... me da miedo!

["Ay no, Jenna... that scares me!"]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Go ahead.

Let yourself be smitten. :)

Keyla eating her shrimp cocktail; there's nothing like seafood when you're at the beach!

[Although, admittedly, I'm very, very safe with my choices of mariscos!]

Thank you all so much for your prayers!

I met a gentleman this week who encouraged me so much with how he has been praying for us... for me, specifically. He didn't know me before... I was just a face on a prayer card. But he was interceding for me as his sister in Christ and as a worker in the vineyard. That is what is so amazing about the body of Christ... and prayer specifically. I have been encouraged to continue pleading for and interceding on behalf of those that God has brought into my past and present life... knowing that prayer is truly our strongest weapon in this spiritual battle against Satan for the souls on this earth.

So, truly... thanks for those prayers!