Only a Week

Whew! We have been working hard. It seems like we have been here a lot longer than just 8 days. We do have a lot to show for all the work which helps.

I made it back from Mexico City yesterday night at around 11pm, after having left on Wednesday night at 10pm. Overall it went really well. I had to attend a course put on by the Mexican FAA. The quality of the course was actually very surprising. I left the course glad that I attended. I actually learned some things, and was reminded of some minute details of the aviation world. In order to get a Mexican pilot's license, you have to attend one of these courses. Thankfully, there was no test, attendance was the only requirement. I went to and from Mexico City (about 6 hours away) on a public bus. It was a much different experience than what we were accustomed to in Ecuador. Very clean, very quite, very efficient bus service. Even the bus stations were clean and gleaming white! Strange! This country boy even rode in a subway for the first time in his life while in Mexico City. (Not so clean and quite!)

Today I worked with our pastor friend most of the morning trying to finish the plumbing and electrical for our washer and dryer. We are getting close. Hopefully tomorrow we will finish. We also cleaned and serviced our water heater. It was in horrible condition. Now it is working MUCH better. In all of it's 8-10 year life, I don't think it had ever been serviced.

In the afternoon, our car was finally ready. I went and completed the paperwork and things, and then drive home our "new" car. While there are more requirements here in Mexico to owning a car than there were in Ecuador, the used car lot that we bought the car from took car of all the details. I only had to show up, slap down some cash, and sign a few things. Buying a car makes me nervous in English, I guess because of the amount of money involved and the reputation of car salesmen. It makes me even more nervous to do it in another language. Thankfully, I feel like I was treated well and fair. Now, we have to see if our Nissan Pathfinder is faithful. I think it will be.

I start "work" on Monday. Being able to get a car, lots of furniture, washer and dryer plumbed, (maybe a cell phone), groceries, trip to Mexico City, etc, etc. makes it feel like we have been here a lot more than a week. We are slowly getting settled and are even getting a glimpse into what our "routine" might be. We still need to get our Mexican Visas (we are on tourist visas at the moment), get my pilot's license, get a Mexican driver's license, and who knows what else.

I heard in a sermon one day that when a rocket is launched, it uses up around 70-80% of all its fuel in the first few minutes just trying to overcome gravity. Once it is on it's way it uses the remaining fuel to complete it's mission, which is exponentially longer than the first few minutes of flight. I say that to compare what it has been for us as we have lived in three different countries in that many years. It always takes so much time and energy to get things rolling, and then finally you get established enough that you don't have to use as much energy to complete the same tasks that were required at first. Needless to say, the next few months we will still be in the "overcoming gravity" stage of getting settled here in Mexico. The plan is to have me flying solo to most of our airstrips by the latter part of April. (i.e. lots of work and details) It will only happen with your prayers. Thanks!