Day 1: Mexico City

The day started at 3 am mountain standard time with a groggy and bleary-eyed trip to the airport.  A quick flight to Dallas, a short layover and another flight I found myself in the Mexico City Airport.  After being herded like cattle through a maze of dimly lit hallways, I emerged from customs unscathed.

Jonathan Baker, his children Josiah and Abigail, another couple named Mark and Angelica and a young woman named Priscila were there to greet me at the airport. They even made a sign for me! I instantly felt welcome and home with all of them.

Straight from the airport we drove to Palacio de Bellas Artes.  It is Mexico City's cultural center.  The outside is ornate and embellished with intricate stone statues. Simple incredible!

Palacio de Bellas artes

Just a block down the street is a restaurant in a building called La Casa de los Azulejos (The House of Tiles).  The building is known for it's unique blue tiles which line the walls, staircases and doorways.  Originially called the Blue Palace, it was built in the 16th century.  Throughout it's odd and sometimes haunted history it has served as a house to nobility, a jockey club, a political headquarters and now a restaurant and department store.  

 Notice the Blue tiles around the doorways

The Main dining room of Sanborns, the restaurant now in La Casa de los Azujelos

From there we walked toward the central Plaza of Mexico City.  The streets, filled with bustling business men,  mothers shopping and teenagers up to no-good were an incredible sight of life, activity and color.  Street musicians trying to earn spare change,  well-dressed men and women stand in the doorways of boutiques in the hopes of luring in easily influenced high-rollers and street vendors lay out blankets selling small items as means of making a living.

Despite what many people think, begging is very rare in Mexico. Especially in the more urbanized areas.  Men may not have regular jobs but they will do just about anything to make a bit of money on the streets so they can bring home something for their families.  They take great pride in providing for the families and going home empty-handed is a deep form of shame. 

At the center of the city is Catedral Metropolina (Metropolitan Cathedral).  It sits caddy-corner to the government building of the president.  I will comment more on that later, but it is very interesting that the Metropolitan Cathedral is only a stones throw from the President's office.

The Cathedral itself is stunning.  Even on a Monday afternoon the inside of the Cathedral was busy with people praying and worshiping.  Again, I will write more about this later but first I wanted to share a few pictures.

 This is the Cathedral organ,  much more impressive than ours in the States!

 This is the front altar, it is about 45 ft tall and everything is made out of real gold.

This is a shrine dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe who often becomes the focus in Mexican Catholicism rather than Christ.

And that was my day in Mexico City! After that we drove to Pachuca, about an hour north of Mexico City and I settled into my new home with the Bakers! 

I got to have tamales for my first dinner here in Pachuca and they were delicious! 

God is truly moving in incredible ways here and I am so blessed to be a part of it for this summer.

Keep praying for wisdom, energy, and of course the language skills for me. We start planning for English classes tomorrow and have lots of big plans in the works.  

Gracias por sus oraciones!