Ups and Downs

Mobilizing CAM - Interested in short term trips??

2009-04-16T10:14:00.002-07:00

Karin Rountree, short-term coordinator and campus rep for CAM, recently visited the Mexico field. If you are interested in short-term missions, she's the gal! Contact her at krountree@caminternational.org if you would like to know more about a short-term trip!

Wondering what she's eating??? It's called a Salchica Snax! It's basically a Vienna sausage in a wrapper with salsa...a favorite among the kids in Mexico. While visiting a grocery store with our family, our kids told her it was disgusting, but had never tried it. She insisted we couldn't say it was disgusting unless we had tried it. We all had to take a bite after that! And we confirmed our suspicions!

Easter Sunday

2009-04-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Sunday Service in Mexico was amazing! We attended church together with about eight other churches in the area at our CAM Camp in Amaelco. Praise God...two people came to know the Lord at this service!

After church, we stopped to get some nieves (Mexican ice cream).

Nuevo Nacimiento Retreat

2009-04-16T10:04:00.001-07:00

Our church, Nuevo Nacimiento, recently took a 2-day retreat to Hidalgo, Mexico where we worshipped, played, ate, and relaxed! It was a beautiful time together!

Spiritual Emphasis Camp

2009-04-16T10:00:00.001-07:00

During Semana Santa (Holy Week), the CAM missionary kids had the privilege of attending a spiritual emphasis camp at CAM's Koinonia camp in Amaelco. They had a great week of spiritual renewal. Thanks to all who helped put this together!

A short visit to Texas

2009-04-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

We made a quick trip to Texas mid-March. While there, Brent preached at Grace Bible Church in La Vernia (our sending church) and did a super job! Caleb and Haley did the special music. Haley sang the song she wrote (see previous blog for sampling) and Caleb accompanied with the guitar. It was amazing!

Sweet Memories with Gampy and Rara

2009-04-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Le'Ann's parents (Riney & Karen Jordan aka "Gampy & Rara) visited Querétaro in March. Here are some highlights from the trip!

Making new friends with Leti, Carla, Carlos, Adriana. This precious family touched their hearts. They bought Le'Ann's mom flowers and gave them some chocolate.

Discovering Guanajuato- such a delightful city!

Le'Ann finally found some toilet paper in Guanajuato! One of her prouder moments!

Eating delicious quesadillas at Leti and Carlos's home/business.

The market in Querétaro...always an experience!

Singing praise and worship with Haley

Le'Ann's dad is a motivational speaker and speaks all over the US to school districts, hospitals, and other organizations. He taught the homeschool speech class while they were here. For more information about having him speak at your organization, click here!

Annie's 12th Birthday

2009-04-16T09:34:00.001-07:00

The Downs' women know how to celebrate birthdays! We celebrate for about a month. Here are some pictures from Annie's Birthday Month.

Celebrating with the Buhler Girls - They had a sleep-over and made t-shirts.

New shoes! We celebrated with Annie's grandparents while they were here in Querétaro.

Family Celebration - We ate out at a Japanese restaurant.

Some of our Mexican friends had a surprise birthday party for Annie and Kathryn (who also celebrated her birthday recently). The girls helped cook quesadillas and had a great time together!

ESL Classes Continue to be Successful

2009-04-16T09:25:00.000-07:00

The ESL (English as a Second Language) classes continue to be a success in our community center in Querétaro. We currently have about 40 students with hopes of more growth. Le'Ann teaches the children, Haley teaches a youth, and Brent teaches the adults. Le'Ann's parents visited in March and the adult classes were able to interview them in English. It was great to how much the students have learned over a few months. Brent is also teaching at a local business next door to the church. He has about 10 adult students in this class. Please pray that God will continue to use this ministry as a form of outreach. If you are interested in sponsoring a scholarship for a student that can't afford classes, please contact us at bdowns@caminternational.org. The classes cost the students about $15 a month for 8 classes per month. These costs cover expenses of copies and supplies. Thank you for your prayers in this ministry.

El Dia del Amor y la Amistad - February 2009

2009-04-16T09:18:00.001-07:00

This year for Valentine's Day (El Dia del Amor y la Amistad) our church's youth group decided to have a romantic dinner for the couples of the church. The kids sold tickets, decorated, prepared a delicious meal, and served the food! It was a beautiful evening!

Fellowship & Future Stars ???

2009-04-16T09:15:00.001-07:00

One thing we love about being in Mexico is fellowship with our Mexican friends. We recently had our friends Jose Luis and Estrella along with their kids (Pablo, Jasmine, and Nicole) over to have comida with us. We had a great time! The guys played chess, the ladies visited, and the kids played "Lips" (Wii's karoke game)...that is until the adults interfered!

Haley's first invitation to a Quince Año

2009-04-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

In February, Haley was invited to a Quince Año by one of the neighbor girls across the street from us. Haley had a wonderful time and looked beautiful.

Team Taco

2009-02-03T11:22:00.001-08:00

CAM has recently undergone some restructuring. In the past, we operated in circuits. Now, we are operating in transformation teams. The purpose of these teams are to help each missionary grow as disciples in order to better disciple others. If you are in a cell group at your church, this is very similar to what we are doing. The CAM buzz word/expression is T2 - Transformed to Transform. Basically, we must be transformed in order to help transform others. Within our T2 group, we grow together as disciples, take care of CAM business, and encourage one another as we reach out to share the Gospel with our Mexican neighbors. Check these four different websites or blogs that can give you more information. The first one is CAM International's website. It will give you an overview our our organization. The next one is the T2 Blueprint which gives you information about CAM's Transformation Teams. T2 Sandbox provides highlights from different T2 Teams. Finally, the other T2 blog that we'd like for you to visit is our team's blog. Our T2 team is called Team Taco. Check it out to find out what our CAM T2 Team is all about!

Cena Matrimonio (Marriage Dinner)

2009-02-03T11:15:00.001-08:00

Once a month, our church has a dinner for married couples. At this dinner, we serve a meal, have a message, and do some fun activities. At this one in particular, we had a "Newlywed Game." It was great fun to see how well the couples knew each other! Thanks to Bob and Sharla Buhler, CAM missionaries, who did an outstanding job organizing this event! Please pray that this ministry will continue to grow and be used to glorify God and produce strong marriages that honor Him.

Giving English Classes

2009-02-03T11:06:00.001-08:00

Our Community Center, "El Puente," is now open. "El Puente" means "The Bridge." It is our desire to be the bridge between the people of Mexico and Christ. Through the community center, we are offering English classes with the plan to offer other types of services and classes as we grow. After our first two weeks of English classes, we have approximately 40 students. We teach classes Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 am, 4:30 pm, and 7:30 pm. We also have classes Thursday afternoons at 6:00 and two Saturday mornings per month. Pray that God will give us many opportunities to share Christ with the non-believers that attend.

Quesadillas with Letty and Juan Carlos

2009-02-03T11:03:00.001-08:00

Every Friday night, Letty and Juan Carlos make and serve quesadillas from their home to the people in their colonia. These are the best quesadillas that we've ever had! Letty and Juan Carlos, along with their daughters, attend our church. Just about every day Caleb asks, "Can we go to Letty's on Friday for quesadillas?" Come visit us and we'll take you there!

Monthly Evangelistic Movie Night

2009-02-03T10:59:00.000-08:00

Once a month, our church, Iglesia Nuevo Nacimiento (New Birth Church), has an evangelistic movie night. Please pray that we will reach more and more people for Christ via this form of outreach. The attendance was small for this first time, but we know God can do amazing things and we expect more people in attendance the next time!

Home School Co-op...more highlights!

2009-02-03T10:46:00.001-08:00

The Home School Co-op continues to be a huge success! It's probably one of the highlights of the week!

In science, the kids made butterfly feeders. They put sugar water in a sponge in the center of the flower (made of foamies) and the butterflies feed from the "fake flower." They are studying insects right now, with a focus on butterflies. We live near the state of Michoacán where every year over 100 million monarch butterflies migrate to this area. Find out more information by clicking here!

In our study of the dust bowl, we used the book Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Here Le'Ann's students are during a "jigsaw" activity where they rotate around the classroom (or house in our case) and list events that relate to each theme found in the book. It's a great way to summarize the book by themes!

Another fun activity with insects. The students made insects out of clay after studying the parts of the insects' bodies.

Natación

2009-01-16T17:47:00.001-08:00

Haley absolutely loves the water! She recently changed sports from basketball to swimming (natación). She's in the pink cap! She's loving it! Pray we can meet other parents and share the Gospel with them while watching her swim.

Brent preaching

2009-01-16T17:41:00.001-08:00

Proud Wife quotes: "My husband has preached two times already this year at our church here in Querétaro Mexico. He is doing a great job preaching in Spanish. So far he has given a message on 'Change' with the focus being Jesus came to the world to change everything. He also used Paul's experience on the road to Damascus. Two weeks ago he preached on Jonah 1 and shared how God's love never fails, even when we are disobedient. I'm so proud of him! He rocks!"

Querétaro Home School Co-op

2009-01-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 15, 2009 was the first day of our Querétaro Home School Co-op. We had 25 students here...all missionary kids who live in Querétaro or nearby! Next week we'll have 28. Including teachers, we'll have 34 people in our home doing school! Le'Ann teaches a literature class to jr. high students! She's loving it and getting her "Teacher Fix!"

The Jr. High group is doing a web (teacher talk for brainstorming) about The Great Depression and the Dust Bowl of 1934. They are reading Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Great book for all ages!

Annie made a fossil of a pterodactyl in her science class.

The jr. high and high school students are taking a speech class via video. They also have a "live" teacher who facilitates the class. In addition, they are taking a logic class! There are 14 students in their class! Please pray for our Home School co-op. Our mission statement is to "glorify God in all that we say, think, and do!"

Guanajuato

2009-01-16T15:18:00.001-08:00

Shannon, a friend we met while studying in Cuernavaca, came to visit us over the past weekend. We took her to Guanajuato, probably the coolest city ever in Mexico. Here she is trying "esquites" - roasted corn mixed with mayonnaise, lime, chile, and cheese! It's delicious!

This is the statue called "Pípilo." He was a hero of the Mexican Revolution.

This is a view of Guanajuato from the statue. It's an incredible view!

One of the many markets in Guanajuato

San Miguel de Allende

2009-01-16T15:16:00.001-08:00

Pictures of our day in San Miguel de Allende. This is where all the Gringos go to retire. We have to go back because on our way out we saw a restaurant by the name of "The Longhorn Smokehouse!" And it even had a UT poster in the window! Of all things!

Watching Over Me (composed & arranged by Haley Downs, ©2009)

2009-01-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

Watching Over Me

by Haley Downs

Lord, you have protected me,

Every minute, every hour, everyday.

If anything happens to me,

I trust you completely.

You help me when I am in need.

CHORUS:

Oh, my God, you are watching over me.

You are watching over me always.

What should I fear,

When I know you are here?

You are watching over me always.

Lord, you know my every move;

You know what I think, say, and do.

You're always by my side,

I've got no where to hide.

You know when I sit and I rise.

CHORUS

Sometimes I feel lonely, and think no one cares,

But then I remember that you're always there!

CHORUS

Christmas 2008

2009-01-05T15:13:00.001-08:00

Annie and Haley with sparklers...

Mexican-size sparkers!

El Sparko!

Money, boxers, and slippers from Gampy and Rara...

Silver coins from Grandpa and Grandma...

and chocolate and more money from Aunt Jenny! Yea! We can pay rent!

Al Mundo Paz (Joy to the World)

2009-01-05T14:46:00.000-08:00

Caleb, Haley, and Annie performed "Joy to the World" or "Al Mundo Paz" for the Cena Navideña at our church. They did a great job! We were proud parents. Haley has since lead the music at our church for the past two Sundays with Caleb playing guitar last Sunday.

Cena Navideña

2009-01-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Each Christmas at our church, we have a Christmas dinner and invite non-believing friends to the event. This year we had about 70 people at our Cena Navideña. We had a wonderful meal, special music and skits, a beautiful Christmas message, and, of course, piñatas!

Ladies Christmas Breakfast

2009-01-05T14:40:00.001-08:00

Several of the ladies at our church went out for breakfast and exchanged Christmas gifts. Sharla, another CAM missionary, and I received small scarves made by Claudia. They are beautiful! It was a great day!

Rudolph cookies for the Cometas

2009-01-05T14:37:00.000-08:00

Haley and I made Rudolph cookies for her basketball team (The Cometas). The kids loved them at the party! Notice the little boy with his hand ready to grab one! Some of the adults took them home to save them. They didn't want to eat them! They were a hit to say the least!

San Juan del Rio

2009-01-05T14:36:00.001-08:00

The locals still fascinate me! I think they are beautiful people. These photos were taken in el centro de San Juan del Rio.

El Zocalo de Querétaro

2009-01-05T14:30:00.001-08:00

Our family in front of the humongous Christmas Tree in downtown Querétaro

There were these "sweet" torpedo balloons that you could buy downtown. They would soar through the sky! We invested in two which quickly deflated within 12 hours!

The big tree with the musically synchronized and choreographed water fountain

We enjoyed our meal at "Los Anojitos" in the zocalo! What a fun family outing! We also handed out 100 Christmas tracts while we were downtown. Our goal is 1000 next year! Come and help us! We'll have a great time!

You should see the other guy!

2009-01-05T14:26:00.000-08:00

The first of many black eyes to come! Caleb is in boxing and is doing quite well, with the exception of his recent black eye! His coach, Don Panchito, says Caleb has talent and drive! He will compete in his first tournament at the end of January. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

We Wish You A Merry Christmas...

2009-01-05T14:21:00.003-08:00

About 10:00 pm on December 22nd, we heard a trumpet in the front of our home. Suddenly we heard Christmas carols sung in Spanish from carolers! Caroling is no common event during Christmas here in Mexico, so you can imagine our surprise. It was such a treat to have a group of Believers from Cristo Salva gift us with sweet music! Thank you Lambert family for suggesting our home this year! We were honored!

Thank God for IBC Rootbeer!

2009-01-05T14:18:00.000-08:00

There's a store near our home called "Aladinos." They sell imported products. Occasionally, when we get a hankerin', we visit Aladino's and buy a few products from the states that we typically can't find in the grocery stores here. Inevitably, the products are more expensive than in the states, but sometimes we throw caution to the wind and buy IBC Rootbeer and Bisquick!

Picnic at Coroneo

2009-01-05T14:11:00.000-08:00

The leaders of our church had a picnic at Coroneo. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon with a serene lake, sheep nearby, and great company!

Cooking Arachera and Nopales (flank steak and cactus)

A flock of sheep nearby

Haley and Kathryn jumping on the bridge

Kids Praise

2009-01-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

Every Sunday morning during worship, the kids from our church, Nuevo Nacimiento, come to the front of the church and sing a song. This particular Sunday they sang a song from last summer's Bible clubs..."Bueno es Dios" (God is Good!)

Jewels

2009-01-05T14:06:00.001-08:00

Each month one of our missionary moms has a Bible Study sleepover for the missionary girls. In December, I taught the girls how to make yarn angels during their Jewel's meeting. They are precious girls with hearts that "SPARKLE" for Jesus!

Turning a Bowl

2009-01-05T11:46:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Caleb made me (Le'Ann) a wooden bowl out of pine. Brent helped him turn it on the lathe. It is one of my most precious gifts ever!

Cena de Aprecio

2008-12-08T11:08:00.001-08:00

Each year we give an appreciation dinner to our national pastors and leaders here in the Bajio. To show how much we appreciate them, we provide a nice meal...

...piñatas for the children...

...a time of entertainment (This year we had Toyo the clown)...

...we serve them (Here's Caleb - happy to serve!)...

...and we have special music (This year the kids performed with handbells and they sang as well). It was a beautiful day! We enjoyed meeting and visiting with these amazing leaders!

CAMex Conference - 2008

2008-12-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

CAMex Conference was so much fun! Pictured here are all of the missionaries serving in Mexico with CAM. What a wonderful family we have!

During "Family Night" the kids from the Bajio Circuit performed. They played handbells...

...and sang! They did a great job!

Caleb made a new friend...Mike Pelton. His father, Randy Pelton, was our guest pastor. They hit it off and had a great time together. As you can see, they were perfect angels!

Also during "Family Night" Haley sang a solo and played the piano. It was beautiful!

We had a family craft time when we made gingerbread houses. Annie's friend, Kelsey, and she did a super job decorating ours!

The youth were discipled by the folks from Cypress Bible Church in Houston. The conference was uplifting and we were well fed...spiritually and physically! Looking forward to next year!

To Conference We Go

2008-12-08T10:49:00.000-08:00

It never ceases to amaze us how God provides! Last week we traveled to our annual CAM-Mexico Conference with the Buhler family (CAM missionaries) and the Hamms (Dr. Darren Hamm, his wife Suzie, and their family goes to conference every year to provide medical services to the CAMex missionaries). On the way to the conference in Veracruz (about a 6 hour drive for us), our car broke down. We let the car rest and started it up again. Two other times it "died" but we were able to find a mechanic on the side of the road. We needed a new fuel filter, and as God would have it, the Buhlers who drive the same year Suburban as we do, had an extra filter with them! The mechanic replaced it while we enjoyed quesadillas at the road-side tienda. Que milagro! (What a miracle!)

We passed this mini-van with this enormous piñata on top of it's roof! We followed "The Star" to Veracruz...where thankfully there was room at the inn!

Querétaro Community Center

2008-11-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

One of our responsibilities here in Querétaro is to establish and oversee a community center. This community center will be used to offer English classes, marriage and family workshops, sewing classes, etc. as a means to draw people in and share the Gospel. Would you please partner in prayer with us as we plan to launch this center in January, 2009? If you are interested in contributing to this project, you can donate online. Just click here and type in project #063599. Thank you for your prayers for this project!

Haley's First Ever Basketball Game

2008-11-26T08:45:00.001-08:00

Haley has joined a basketball team here in Querétaro. They are called "Cometas" (The Comets). She has never played before, but is doing very well. She practices twice a week, and had her first tournament last Saturday. She did a great job and is having fun with her new friends! By the way, the sports complex was at the foot of a pyramid! So cool!

Pata & Prayer

2008-11-26T08:40:00.001-08:00

We were recently at a prayer meeting. We have these every Thursday evening and they are so wonderful! We sing, offer up petitions to the Lord, and then glorify Him through prayers of praise. Following the prayer meeting we have cena (light dinner). It is always a cultural experience. This last meeting we were served Pata...in English...COW HOOVES! The flavor was excellent, but the texture is probably something you have to grow accustomed to. They serve it on a tostada. We were grateful for the meal, the time of prayer, and the cultural experience, however, it will probably not be a dish that we will be serving at our home.

Ladies' Retreat

2008-11-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

I (Le'Ann) recently had the privilege of attending a Ladies' Retreat at Almaelco (a camp started by CAM). It was wonderful for Spanish and I made lots of new friends. We made yarn angels, homemade pumpkin pies, and pillows. Blanca Colorado was the speaker and did a great job! The theme was about being a daughter of Christ and knowing that He always has a plan for your life.

Peña de Bernal

2008-11-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

Peña de Bernal is the second largest monolith in the world. It is located in our state of Querétaro and is quite a site to see. Brent, Caleb, Haley, and friend Crystal hiked to the top. Annie and Le'Ann made it about one-third of the way.

Halloween in Querétaro

2008-11-26T08:20:00.001-08:00

Crystal Langer was here and helped carve the pumpkin! It was some version of Harry Potter, Gangster, Metro-sexual, and Frida Kahlo (note unibrow)

Annie was invited to go to an exclusive gated, ritzy neighborhood with one of her friends to go trick-or-treating! She had a ball. She dressed up like a baby, but 99.9% of the kids here dress as goblins, witches, devils, etc. Annie wanted no part of this, so she chose the baby option. People literally stopped on the streets and took pictures of her. She was unique and everyone loved her!

Not sure what he was thinking...but we didn't let him out of the house looking like this!

Le'Ann's mom was here during Halloween. She helped the girls get out all of the seeds from the pumpkin and we roasted them! We had a wonderful time with Rara.

Caleb's 16th Birthday

2008-11-26T08:16:00.001-08:00

Caleb had a great 16th Birthday on October 20th! The tradition is, after you blow out your candles, everyone shouts "MORDIDA! MORDIDA!" which means "bite." When the birthday honoree leans down to bite the cake, someone always pushes their face into the cake! Little Josiah did the honors!

Marriage Conference

2008-10-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

Our church in Querétaro recently hosted a Marriage Conference. It was well attended with 17 couples. The majority of them showed an interest in attending a monthly Bible study on marriage enrichment. Please pray for these 17 couples as several of them were not Believers. Pray that God can use this ministry as a venue to touch their hearts to seek and follow Him.

Sweet 16

2008-10-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Caleb celebrated his 16th birthday on October 2oth. You can read about his birthday in our current October, 2008 newsletter under the Newsletter tab to the right of these pictures.

Ain't Homeschoolin' Grand?

2008-10-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Haley, as well as Caleb and Annie, enjoy studying and reading in our hammock in our backyard here in Mexico.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

2008-10-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

This caterpillar was in the box of our new refrigerator here in Querétaro! It was beautiful! And humongous!

Redneck livin' at its best!

2008-10-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

Attention all Rednecks! This is a picture of an outhouse at our missionary camp here in Mexico. Notice what is attached to the right top corner! Are we suffering for Jesus or what?!

The Downs Dynamic Duo

2008-10-23T08:32:00.001-07:00

Click here to watch Haley and Annie singing at Calvary Baptist Church in Hamilton, TX. They had never sung in front of an audience before!

Our Families are such blessings!

2008-10-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

During our stay in Texas, Le'Ann's mom took her and her sister for a mother-daughter weekend. They went to "Escondida Hacienda Spa and Resort" near Kerrville, TX. Brent's dad took him and Caleb out on his sailboat at Canyon Lake. We always enjoy our time in the states with our families!

Cousin Time

2008-10-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Haley and Annie spent some extra time with their cousins in Ft. Worth. They had a wonderful time with Anna Rose, Sam Henry, and Luke Allan!

Nashville

2008-10-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

During our visit to the US, we were invited to speak at a church in Goodlettsville, Tennessee near Nashville. We stayed with some good friends, The Taylor's, who have 7 children! We have known Melissa and Jimmy for 25 + years. Melissa's sister, parents, and grandparents live right next door to them! Our kids met their kids, nieces, and nephews and connected immediately, as you can tell! While we were there, Jimmy and Melissa had connections to get us into the Grand Ole Opry...backstage passes! Le'Ann got her picture made with Little Jimmy Dickens! What a treat!

Driving and Flying!

2008-10-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

While we were in the US for the month of September, Caleb had the privilege of going to the Air Force Base in San Antonio with a good friend of ours (Glenn Quarles). Caleb is hoping to be accepted into the Academy when he graduates. He met officers in the Air Force and practiced flying a jet in a simulator! A week later he passed his test to receive his drivers permit!

Haley's 14th Birthday

2008-10-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Haley's 14th birthday in Hamilton, TX. Notice her "Mexican Flag" cake, "Feliz Cmpleaños," Mexican flag painted fingernails, she's dressed in red, white, and green, AND she requested "Tinga" (a Mexican dish) for her birthday meal! We think the girl loves Mexico!

Saying Goodbye - Despedita

2008-10-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

It was tough saying goodbye to Conchita and Blanca. They were our neighbors next door in Cuernavaca. They own a little store where we bought our Coca Colas each day. We will miss them terribly!

Chiles en Nogada

2008-10-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

Chiles en Nogada is a delicious Mexican dish! It's very common dish especially from July to December. The name comes from the Spanish word for the walnut tree (nogal). It consists of poblano chiles filled with "picadillo" (a mixture containing ground meat, fruits, and spices) topped with a walnut-based cream sauce and pomegranate seeds, thus giving it the three colors of the Mexican flag (red, green, and white). It is served at room temperature and is absolutely delicious. Our Mexican friend Sony made this one! Fabulous!

The Buhler and Downs Girls

2008-08-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

The Buhler's are also CAM missionaries in Mexico. They serve in Querétaro where we will be living in October. They have 3 children, the oldest 2 being girls about the same age as ours. As you can see, they get along wonderfully. By the way, they went out in public looking like this!

Teopotzlan

2008-08-18T05:11:00.000-07:00

We went up to Teopotzlan with our intern Amanda and 3 of our pastor's kids - Sony, Dani, and David. We had a ball. The younger ones (including Brent) climbed up to the temple at the top of Teopotzlan. It's about a 2 hour intense climb! Especially in strong rains! Three others (Sony, Le'Ann, and Annie) thought shopping in the village during the rainstorms would be more challenging.

Brent's First Sermon in Spanish

2008-08-18T05:07:00.000-07:00

Brent preached July 27th at Iglesia Biblica el Renuevo in Spanish. He preached on Jonah's obstinance and God's mercy. He has a very proud wife! He was amazing!

Paso de Cortez

2008-08-18T05:05:00.000-07:00

Our beautiful active Popocatapetl here in Cuernavaca! This was taken at Paso de Cortez.

God's Will for our Family

2008-07-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

Do you ever struggle knowing God's will? Our family has recently struggled with knowing God's will for our future. As many of you know, we had accepted the invitation to minister in Uruguay with CAM. We were thrilled to be considered, and even more thrilled to know that we would be working with some the finest missionaries with CAM...Jim and Cheryl Eberline. As time has passed, we have begun to wrestle with this decision. Over the past month, the lack of peace has grown stronger and stronger. We began to pray together as a couple on a daily basis, crying out to God to show us His will. We also began to seek out wise counsel from many people...most of them being other missionaries. Through reading the Word, prayer, and wise counsel, we have decided to remain in Mexico for the time being. Although our hearts ache with the loss of serving with some of our best friends, we realize that now is not the time for our family. At this point, we have requested to stay and serve in Mexico. We will know by the end of August as to where in Mexico we will be serving. We ask of you to pray for three things:

1. The CAM-Uruguay team - That God will continue to build this team and provide unlimited opportunities to share the Gospel in this lost country.

2. Our family - That we are sensitive to God's leading as we seek out different ministry opportunities here in Mexico.

3. The CAM-Mexico team - That God will continue to open the hearts of the Mexican people as the CAM missionaries share the Gospel and seek to serve Christ with all their hearts.

"And thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Cor. 2:14-15)

Youth Camp in Amaelco

2008-07-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

Caleb and Haley had the privilege of attending a Mexican Youth Camp in Amaelco just last week! They had a wonderful time meeting other Mexicans and growing in their faith. The theme of the camp was "Making Wise Decisions." Several youth made decisions for Christ. It was interesting to hear Haley's comments on the camp. She said, "I never knew how spoiled I was to live in a Christian home. So many of the kids in Mexico that were at camp have grown up with abuse, alcoholism, drugs, broken homes, times of pure poverty, and on and on." Please continue to pray for the youth of this country. They need Christ.

Club de Verano (Summer Club)...The highlight of our year!

2008-07-23T18:41:00.000-07:00

Words cannot express the incredible experience we had during our week of Summer Club here in Cuernavaca. We had the kids club in the morning and the youth club in the afternoon. In the mornings, two missionary youth led the club. Each day the Gospel was shared and the kids had a wonderful time singing songs and learning the Word. During youth club we had a soccer tournament for the boys and a craft club for the girls. Each afternoon the Gospel was presented in the form of a skit, devotional, or game. We had over 70 kids attend during the week! Several made decisions for Christ and 8 families from our colonia visited the church the following Sunday. Thanks to Riverpointe Church in Houston who donated the money to purchase all of the craft supplies, soccer balls, and soccer goals for our Summer Club. Please pray for our colonia and the children that made decisions for Christ.

If you are interested in helping in one of our clubs next year, either by coming to help serve or helping financially, contact us at bdowns@caminternational.org.

It's been the highlight of our first year as missionaries!!!

Paying Penitence

2008-07-23T18:32:00.001-07:00

We never cease to be amazed at the misconception of faith here in Mexico. Here is a perfect example of how so many of the people here believe you have to work for grace. This man has been running barefoot carrying a large wooden crucifix. He's headed to Chalma to fulfill his oath he made to God in return for blessings.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

A Friend Loves at All Times (Proverbs 17:17)

2008-07-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

We have been praying for friends for our kids since we arrived in Mexico. Praise God for Christian friends for each of our children.

Dani and Haley

Annie and Valeria

Caleb and David

Making Tamales

2008-07-23T18:08:00.001-07:00

Lety and Leonel are our next door neighbors. They housed the interns while they were in Cuernavaca. Lety taught them and our family how to make tamales! A laborious process, but well worth it!

Interested in an internship with CAM?

2008-07-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Interested in the CAM Intern Program? Click here to find out more information about this amazing opportunity!

Interns singing "Yes God! Yes God! Yes, yes God!" in our den! It was a beautiful time of worship for all of us!

Annie taught some of the interns how to make "George Washington" hair in the water! She'll teach you too if you are interested!

All the interns together with a few extras...and Annie who was right in the middle of all the action the entire two weeks they were here! From left to right: David (Mexican missionary serving in Ixtapaluca, Mexico), Emily, Jonatan, Steven (a CAM missionary serving Hispanic USA in Texas), Brooke, Crystal, Abby, and Annie (an intern wannabe)

Not sure how to explain this one...

Brooke taught Caleb how to salsa! Something every good missionary in Mexico needs to know!

Teaching ESL

2008-07-23T17:45:00.001-07:00

Teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) has been an amazing experience for us! Brent teaches the adults and Le'Ann teaches the kids. It has been a great opportunity to develop relationships in our colonia and to open the doors of the church to the people here. Pray that hearts will be opened to hearing the Gospel as we use these ESL classes as a tool to share Christ with the people of Mexico.

Not OSHA Approved

2008-07-23T17:37:00.000-07:00

We recently took our youth group to El Rollo. This is a water park in Mexico and let's just say...it's not OSHA approved. But praise be to God that we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and came home in one piece!

What a Team!

2008-05-23T07:13:00.001-07:00

CAMex Team - These are all the missionaries from Mexico who are part of CAM! What an awesome team! This picture was taken in November '07 at our annual conference. Our family is on the top right above the Hotel Fortin de las Flores sign.

Beans and Bandanas Slideshow

2008-05-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

Big Bug

2008-05-21T05:41:00.001-07:00

This bug was in some dirty clothes that Le'Ann was carrying downstairs this morning! It's larger than a standard wooden clothespin. We've heard they're related to the scorpion family, have a wicked stinging ability, and when killed, spray a scent that smells like vinegar! And yes, those are pinchers at his head!

¡Cristo Vive!

2008-05-20T16:45:00.001-07:00

This week, we had the privilege of teaching the niños of Iglesia Biblica El Renuevo (our church here in Cuernavaca). We taught about how Christ was resurrected and lives! They were very attentive and participated in telling the story.

Each child had part of a storyboard to help tell the story of Christ's resurrection.

Each child chose a lollipop with questions attached. They answered the questions to summarize the Bible Story.

Brent read the story to the children. Afterwards, they made megaphones and shouted "¡Cristo Vive!" Christ Lives!

Beans and Bandanas

2008-05-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

At youth group this week, we did a team building activity. The kids had to balance a cup full of dried pinto beans and carry them across the garage on a bandana. The focus was about the body of Christ and how we all play a part in serving.

After balancing the beans across the garage, the kids had to go through a small obstacle course. It was neat to see the kids work together to accomplish the goal! Keep praying for the youth of Cuernavaca, Mexico.

The Jordan Family

2008-05-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

During our trip to Texas for some training with CAM, we had the privilege to visit Le'Ann's family in Hamilton, Texas. This photo is of Le'Ann's parents, their children and spouses, and all

of the grandchildren!

This is Riney and Karen (Le'Ann's parents) with the grandchildren...12 in total! They own some beautiful hill country land in Hamilton, Texas.

CAMU

2008-05-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

This is our future CAM-Uruguay team! We currently have two other singles interested in joining us to head to Uruguay

in January 2009. Do you want to come, too?

Quest - April, 2008

2008-05-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

Also, in April, we attended Quest. This was a wonderful time with other CAM missionaries which served as an opportunity for training. We learned about generational differences, counseling skills, and leaving a legacy. What a privilege to learn how to be more effective on the mission field!

Girls-in-Action

2008-05-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

In April we visited our Girls-in-Action group. They are from First Baptist Church in Thorndale, Texas. They faithfully pray for us every week! They are precious!

Popocatapetl

2008-05-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

A beautiful sunrise with our active volcano Popocatapetl aka "Popo."

Queta the Maestra

2008-05-20T16:19:00.000-07:00

Queta was Le'Ann's and the kids Spanish tutor for two weeks. Here we are at the market tasting gorditas.

Queta taught us how to make a piñata.

We also learned how to make tortillas from masa! She was a wonderful teacher (maestra)!

Future Uruguay Team

2008-03-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

Brent & Le'Ann Downs, Jim & Cheryl Eberline, and Jacob & Liz Plata

The Plata's are tentatively planning a short-term stint in Uruguay with us. We also have several other families from Mexico that are praying about joining the CAM-Uruguay team. Please begin praying for the CAM families that are definitely going. They are: The Downs, The Eberlines, The Parkers, and The Blakes.

Pie de La Cuesta

2008-03-28T08:32:00.000-07:00

Le'Ann's parents were here for a week during March. We visited all over Cuernavaca and took a quick trip to Pie de La Cuesta near Acapulco. It was delightful!

Atras de Las Paredes

2008-03-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

Atras de Las Paredes (Behind the Walls) is a non-profit organization here in Cuernavaca. It's basically a tour of homes of the "Rich and Famous" and the profits help the poor of the community. This is just one of the 4 homes we saw! Incredible!

Dia de Amistad y Amor

2008-03-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor, Conchita, invited our family over for Dia de Amistad y Amor (Valentines Day). We had a beautiful celebration with many new friends.

Mexscape

2008-03-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

We participated in "Mexscape" in February. This is a weekend retreat for Mexican pastors and their wives. The focus is on learning how to love and respect your spouse. It was a wonderful experience for us in that we were able to help minister to these precious couples and we saw God work in our marriage as well! The first picture is of a "romantic dinner" that we provided for all 5 couples. The second picture is a "foot washing" ceremony that each of the couples participated in. It was a sweet time of serving one another.

Popocatapetl

2008-02-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

Popocatapetl is an active volcano that located on the east side of Mexico City. This photo was taken at the foot of the volcano last week when we traveled to Ixtapaluca.

This is a view of "Popo" at sunrise from Cuernvaca. It is about 50 miles from our house...as a crow flies!

El Dia de Los Reyes - Day of the Kings or Feast of the Epiphany

2008-02-05T19:02:00.001-08:00

The kids received gifts from the Three Kings on Dia de Los Reyes (Jan. 6). Children leave out one shoe, and the three kings fill them with toys and a letter. What special "royal" neighbors we have! Carmen and Alejandro left gifts in the kids shoes with precious letters for them to read in Spanish!

Rosca de reyes (The Kings crown) is a bread that is served on this day. Inside are small plastic babies representative of the baby Jesus. Whoever receives the first piece of bread with a plastic baby is the person who is to host the next fiesta on February 2nd when Mexico's celebration of Navidad officially ends.

We celebrated El Dia de Los Reyes with the Cottrill Family, another missionary family here in Cuernavaca.

Christmas 2007

2008-02-05T18:44:00.000-08:00

Exchanging gifts with our Mexican Family...Heri and Axel, grandchildren of our landlords, were so excited to see their gifts from us!

Our Mexican Family at Christmas

(In order from left to right, Le'Ann, Brent, Alejandro, Heri, Caleb, Elizabeth, Annie, Haley, Axel, and Carmen)

A huge surprise for the kids from their grandparents!

Snapshots from Montevideo, Uruguay

2008-02-05T18:08:00.002-08:00

Montevideo is a city of about 1.5 million people. The need for evangelism is huge! Atheism is rampant, suicide rates are high, and a loss of hope is evident on the faces of the people. Pray for the people of Montevideo that God will begin to stir their hearts.

Brent drinking mate with a Uruguayan friend. Mate is basically green tea leaves with hot water. The mate cup is made out of a gourd. You simply put the yerba (green tea leaves) in the mate cup, fill with hot water, and drink with a straw that has a filter on the end. It is a 200 year old custom in Uruguay as well as in Argentina.

The Chivito...the national sandwich...heart-attack on a platter!

Speaks for itself

Mass Communication

Our Vision Trip to Uruguay

2008-01-19T16:43:00.000-08:00

Our vision trip to Uruguay was a huge success! We learned so much about the Uruguayan people and their need for Christ. Please join us in prayer as we seek to reach the people of Montevideo, Uruguay. Our plans are to move to this fascinating South American country in January, 2009.

Taxco

2007-11-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

Taxco is a beautiful city where silver was mined years ago. Our family visited this quaint town this past weekend! It's lovely!

Dias de Los Muertos

2007-11-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

"Day of the Dead" is a cultural tradition of the Mexicans. It is practiced from October 31st through November 2nd. Some believe that it is a time to commune with their dead relatives. They offer "ofrendas" for their dead relatives in hopes that their spirits will visit their homes. It's difficult to understand this tradition when we, as Christians, serve a Living Savior and believe our relatives of the past, who chose to accept Christ as their Savior, are experiencing eternal life with Christ.

Making Tinga

2007-10-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Tinga is a delicious Mexican meal with chicken, broth, tomato sauce, and chipotle. It's our favorite! This is our landlord Carmen teaching me how to prepare it.

Life in Mexico at a Local Fair

2007-09-19T12:44:00.001-07:00

ZOTE...The all-purpose soap!

2007-09-06T15:52:00.001-07:00

OK...so we're a little slow! When we were out of bath soap, we went shopping at "Mega," our local grocery store. Most food and sundries are very expensive here, so when we saw this bath soap on the shelves for a great price, we bought several bars. The soap bars are huge! In fact, they don't even fit on the little soap shelf in the shower. But we bathed with the monster-size bars, and we were happy and clean. One day, our sharp little Annie said, "Mom! Look at the Zote wrapper! This stuff is for handwashing our clothes, not our bodies!" Yes, it's true...THE LEARNING CURVE IS STEEP FOR US GRINGOS!

The Benefits of Not Owning Acreage

2007-09-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our back pasture! It takes Brent all of 10 minutes to cut it...literally cut it.