One language in, the other out

It's been a little while that I have given an update on what is going on here. Not too much has been happening in the home since Easter. The kids are chugging along with school and getting excited for the summer, which is unfortunately still two months away. A few things worth mentioning that has been happening in the house/life in Mexico. 

• A few weeks ago was my birthday, for those who know me know that I am really big on birthdays. I didn't know what to expect with mine since I was working the entire day, but the kids definitely made my day wonderful. I received so many wishes, hugs and kisses. One of the girls played a Mexican birthday song on her violin and I was wished a happy birthday by another kid the night before because they wanted to be the first to wish me a happy birthday. Needless to say it was one for the books.
• A few weeks ago was Visitor's Day, a day where families of the kids come and spend the day with them. Everyone goes to the Miaca home and the day was filled with many emotions. Some kids literally sit by the door all day waiting for their families who may or may not even come. It was pretty heartbreaking to see the kids whose families never showed. But it was so great to see the kids visiting with their families and see how happy they were. It may be the only day of the year that they are able to see their family. One of my boys asked me to be his visitor which I gladly accepted and we have become great pals ever since. 
• Mother's day here was cute. There is a kid here whose mom works in the kitchen and so the day before he asked me if I would go with him to get flowers for her, obviously my heart melted as a result of his gesture for his mom. It was so nice seeing him so excited as he told the florist what flower he wanted in the bouquet. A few of the girls also made gifts for the encargadas (care givers) who are like their mothers. 
• A few weekends ago was Día de Padrinos (Godparent's Day) in the home, a day for the godparents aka the people all over the world who sponsor our children. They had games and dances that were specifically from each country that we have sponsors in. Our kids practiced every day for this dance, so basically I have memorized three of the songs since they were played on repeat for hours a day. One of the groups of boys about age 6-8 did a dance from Germany and they sang the German national anthem. It was pretty adorable. 
• I have travelled a little bit lately. A few weeks after Easter I climbed an inactive volcano in Toluca that had two lakes in the crater. It was absolutely stunning. I also went to a beautiful puebla called Taxco, I went there my first weekend here for a day but it was good to return for a longer period of time to see more of the town. My fellow volunteer and I went to a place close by with three natural springs with waterfalls that you can swim it. It was breathtaking, not just because it was beautiful but because the water was so freaking cold. We also explored a cave and zip lined. Finally this past weekend we went to Puebla/Cholula. Cholula became my favorite town I have visited. It is rich with culture, history, and the world's biggest pyramid. We explore the tunnels of the pyramid and the outside of it, walked around the adorable city square (which kind of reminded me of a Mexican version of my home town) and soaked in the culture. 
• Finally, the biggest thing I have noticed with my Spanish (which is constantly improving, thank God) is that I have started to struggle with English. It's a weird feeling to struggle with something that I have been doing since I was a toddler, but it is also really cool because it shows my brain is still processing Spanish even when I am not speaking Spanish. For example, the other day one of the kids asked me how to say "what are you afraid of." I knew exactly what he was talking about when he asked me in Spanish, but it took me longer than I would have liked to answer in English. In response to my delay he said, "what, don't you know English either?" That gave me quite the chuckle. Also, in Spanish you said "hacer ejercicio," which literally means "to make exercise." The other day I said to my roommate, "yeah and I made exercise today with one of the kids, I mean I exercised today with one of the kids." Like what the heck? I asked my roommate and my aunt when they were learning Spanish (they were submersed in the language too with little to no Spanish) if they experienced the same thing and they said yes and that it's a great sign. 

Other than all of that, not much else is going on in the home. I celebrated four months in Mexico last week week, obviously I had tacos to celebrate. Finally, am looking forward to the end of May/beginning of June because my sister and one of my best friends from home are coming down to visit for a long weekend :) 

That's all folks. Till next time,

Katie 

Gratidude

Gratitude. A simple word that holds so much significance. A word that therapists suggest for their clients to write down X amount of things they are grateful for when feeling depressed. A word that can help remind of us all that we are blessed with. A word that isn't nearly used enough in the world. A word that I have tried to focus on when I am having a difficult day and need to be remind of all that is good in life. A word that reminds me of all that God has provided. Gratitude. 

Maybe I am writing this more because today is a day where I need to be reminded of all that is going well in my life. Maybe I am writing this because some days are harder than others. Maybe I am writing this more for myself than anything. Maybe, just maybe. Tal vez, solo, tal vez.

I am not writing this on a day where everything is sunny and perfect (although that is exactly how I would have described the weather today). But today is a day where I need to remind myself of everything that God is providing. A day where I need to be thankful for everything that has led me up to this experience in my life. A day where I need to remember that it is more important to console rather than be consoled, to understand than to be understood, to love than to be loved (St. Francis of Assisi Prayer).

The children 

The children here are so beautiful and patient. Yesterday one of the kids came up to me to just chat. We have struck up a deal where she speaks English to me and I speak Spanish back. That way we are both practicing the language that we are trying to become fluent in. During the conversation she handed me a sheet of paper that she is going to be reading in English for a Día de Padrinos (Godparent's Day, NPH Godparent's= sponsors) video NPH is making. In her letter it had a section for thanking the volunteers, for all the hugs, love, and silly games and dances we do with them, for being the light to their days. After I read it she said "Katie, thank you for coming down and volunteering to be with us." I honestly almost cried after hearing that. I am grateful for her. 

They are also the most patient and best teachers. During 90% of the conversations I throw the word "como" or "qué significa es ____" (a respectful way for saying "what" or "what significance is ____") at least five times. The kids who patiently sound out the words that I have a difficult time pronouncing. The kids who have been attempting to teach me how to play soccer, although I have no idea if the day will ever come where I can implement a four step kick into the play. The kids who have shared their secrets with me, who have told me about why they are in NPH, who have told me about their different family problems, who have told me how much they miss home, and even when they just tell me who they had a crush on. Their smiles, hugs, conversations we have, and the love they show me despite me barely speaking their language makes so many of the stressful days worth it. 

I am grateful for them.

Safety

Contrary to popular belief, I don't walk out of my door and am afraid of what I might encounter when I walk down the street. Only being here for three months I have yet to fear for my safety. I hope that doesn't change, but Cuernavaca and a large part of Mexico (from what I have been told) isn't that unsafe, you just have to use your head just like you would in any other large city in the world. I have a safe place to sleep and a safe place to live. We have a 24 hour security guard who makes sure that nothing will happen to the kids or the employees/volunteers that live on the property. I am grateful this. 

Basic needs

Something that has been really difficult for me to see in Mexico is the poverty. I have a helping heart, so anytime I can't help someone it hurts. The kids who have been selling things on the street verses being in school, kicking around a soccer ball, or just hanging out with the friends. The families whose houses have tarps to make a roof and have cardboard covering the windows who are in the middle of their neighboring mansions. The people downtown who are homeless, severely disabled and aren't able to receive the proper medical care, and the people who are begging for money. Last week during a really heavy rainfall I started thinking about all the basic needs that I don't have to worry about, even when living in an undeveloped country. I have a roof over my head, clean drinkable water (even if there are days where we run out of water to shower with), I don't have to worry about where my next meal is coming from, I have enough clothes to not repeat outfits for a over a week. As the rain was pounding down I was thinking about the families who have the tarps for roofs, what were they doing on that cold, rainy night to stay warm? I am grateful for this.

God

Out of everything in my life, I am most grateful for the one who has provided it all. The one who I can turn to 24/7 with every experience, every frustration, every joyful moment, and every moment where I just need to cry and cry. I am grateful for the Father for providing me with the ability to learn a new language, despite the fact that I am not learning as quickly as I would like. To the one who will never abandon nor forsake me, even if I forget to start my day with prayer or whisper his name throughout the day. To the one who has provided me with a beautiful and supportive family, especially my parents, sisters, and grandma. To the one who has provided me with this opportunity to serve him and my brothers and sisters, even on the days where I question why I gave up so many of my comforts in the States. To the one who has provided me with my roommates to cry to, vent to, laugh with and travel with; my wonderful boss who has become like a brother, the staff that I have become friends with, the people in this home away from home who have started to become like family. To the one who has provided everything. I am grateful for him. 

So maybe I just needed to write this post to remind myself of a lot of the things I have to be grateful for. Maybe I needed to write this so that when I have more days like today I can refocus and be reminded of all that He has blessed me with. Maybe if future volunteers are reading this then they can be reassured that even though the whole volunteer experience won't be amazing literally every hour of every day, they can know that most of the time it is pretty fantastic, even in the mundane and repetitive days. Maybe, just, maybe I needed to write this so that I would know that it will all be okay and that God will provide, especially in the hard times. 

Gratitude. 

Semana Santa (Holy Week) en México

When I accepted my position at NPH a woman who had volunteered with NPH contacted me and asked if I wanted to get coffee since we both lived in Minnesota. She invited another woman who had recently finished her year of service at NPH México's Miacatlan home. She was able to describe her different experiences and one of them that got me the most excited was Holy Week (Semana Santa). The two NPH homes gather starting on Thursday and stay for the Triduum in Miacatlan. So without further ado, here are some snippets from a beautiful week. FYI, some of photos were taken by my roommate, who is the photographer for the homes. 

Domingo de Ramos (Palm Sunday): "As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; and now as he was approaching the slope of Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of disciples began to praise their God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen." Luke 19:28-20

Palm Sunday in the home was pretty casual. Myself and my fellow volunteer Emily handed out palms before mass started. I was talking with one of the pequeños, who was the alter server for the mass, and he told me how excited he was for Domingo de Ramos; hearing that made my heart so happy. I couldn't understand a good portion of the mass, but it was still beautiful. Because Sunday was after all a special day the cooks had prepared tacos for everyone. Since I have been here they haven't had tacos in the home so it was definitely a treat! The rest of the day was filled with relaxation, futbol, and other various activities. The kids started their vacation two days before so the whole weekend had been pretty chill. 

Playing the music at mass.

Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday): "Before the feast of the passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved his own in the world and he loved them to the end." John 13:1

On Thursday, after a very hot bus ride, we arrived to an ever hotter Miacatlan. With temperatures topping around 97 degrees it quickly became evident we were not in Cuernavaca anymore. You would think as a Minnesotan I would be used to these temperatures but I came to realize how much I have been spoiled by the cool mountain temperatures in Cuernavaca. Despite the uncomfortably hot weather, I was grateful to be in Miacatlan celebrating the Triduum with about 650 children, the encargados (caregivers for the children) and a my fellow volunteers. The mass for the Last Supper was beautiful. We celebrated it outside right next to the chapel. It was a combined celebration of the Eucharist and first communion for about 100 or so children. It was a wonderful surprise when I found out the kids would be receiving it at mass, even one of the teenagers from Cuerna received first communion. Bonus, during the mass I understood most of the homily! Score for continuing to boost my Spanish confidence. Fr. Phil also did the washing of the feet during the Gospel reading. I had never seen it done like that before, but it made it a lot more intimate and even more real. After mass they had their traditional "Last Supper" meal to represent, you guessed it, the Last Supper. It contained rice, beans, tortillas and carnitas (fried pig, not my favorite thing I have tried here) because obviously that was what Jesus and the Apostles ate (JK). But as usual it was delicious!

  

Viernes Santo (Good Friday): "But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep, each following his own way; but the Lord laid upon him the guilt of us all." Isaiah 53:5-6 "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Luke 23:34

Good Friday is one of my favorite days of the year, because it is the true testament of love and sacrifice. At noon we celebrated a prayers service that wasn't much different than what I would have witnessed if I were in the states (the beauty of the Catholic Church), aside from the fact that it was outside, there were 650 children, and about 90 degrees. It was hard to get into Easter mode when it there wasn't any snow, well at least when it wasn't around 40 degrees out. The prayer service was lovely; a lot of the kids were able to participate in the music, the readings, and holding up the cross to be kissed at the end of mass. 

After the service I decided to walk into town to go to one of the chapels. Around 2:00 I heard a lot of noise and decided to go see what it was and am I glad I did. The town had done a reenactment of Jesus' walk into Calvary. I had never seen anything like it before. They had Jesus and Simon and the two criminals walking with the crosses, the guards, the Virgin Mary, John and Mary Magdalene, and everyone else who was involved in the crucifixion. I was so glad I went into town so that I was able to witness it! The rest of the day the children had activities (futbol, swimming, volleyball, etc.) and later in the evening they watched the Passion of the Christ and ate a lot of treats! 

Sabodo de Gloria (Holy Satuday): "A clean heart, create for me, oh God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me." Psalm 51:12

Saturday was wonderful, can you imagine a water fight with about 500 people? Nope? Before Saturday I couldn't have imagined it either, but it helped make Saturday wonderful. Right after breakfast the fight began, and I mean right after breakfast. As I was walking back to the volunteer housing to drop off my coffee and get my water fight weapon I got nailed with about five water balloons by the kids from the Cuernavaca home. They were definitely the first ones I got back when I had my water

One of the pequeñas and I soaking wet.
Featured: in my left hand the milk carton weapon.

fight. As for my weapon, I found an empty LaLa Leche carton from breakfast and made a bigger hole to attack with- reduce, reuse, recycle am I right? The next two hours were spent laughing, running away from a buckets full of water, and refilling my little carton as many times as possible. As you can imagine, by the end every child, volunteer, and employee was soaked. Seeing the little kinder kids with their little buckets was probably the cutest, they couldn't throw the water very high but it was a valiant effort on their part. The water fight easily made my top five favorite Mexico moments. After the water fight the kids went swimming. I didn't partake in the activity because as a guerra (white person) I was already starting to burn, so I retreated back to the volunteer's housing to relax. After lunch the Cuernavaca kids returned back to the home. I wanted to see the sunrise mass in the morning so I decided to stay in Miaca for one extra night. 

Pascua (Easter): "But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, as He said." Matthew 28:5-6

The empty tomb in the NPH Miaca Home

At 6:00 on Easter morning we were all sitting in outside in the darkness as Father carried the Easter candle down the aisle saying "Cristo es luz del mundo."- "Christ is the light of the world." As the homily was starting the sun was rising and the kids were beaming. My heart was melting celebrating Christ's resurrection with the kids and during the service as one of the younger boys was cold and asked me to put my arm around him to help keep him warm. After mass they served hot chocolate and donuts for the kids, and each child was given a chocolate egg that was donated by NPH sponsors. Staying in Miaca an extra night and waking up at dawn was well worth it. After the donuts and hot cocoa I headed back to Cuerna to be with my kids for the day. Mass was in our chapel in Cuerna and we all got hot chocolate, donuts and chocolate eggs afterwards. After that we had an Easter egg hunt. There were different prizes, but the one the kids were most excited about were two eggs with 500 pesos, two eggs with 300 pesos and two eggs with 100 pesos. Some kids got into it while others just sat around hanging out but it was a great time. After that the rest of the day was pretty casual. Later on in the evening I got to Skype my family, which helped make being away from them a little easier. Overall it was a perfect Easter day, complete with perfect mountain temps.

Semana Santa was definitely one of a kind and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Coming up next the kids have one more week of break from school, then we are going to keep on keeping on until summer break. As always, please keep us all in your prayers! 

God bless and Happy Easter season!
Katie

PS if you made it to the end of this long blog I applaud you. 

Two of my fellow volunteers.

Grandma didn't really understand how FaceTime works. 

Month two in Mexico

Because when you are in México and there is snow
you build a snowman and name him Nievecito. 

Yesterday was month two in Mexico. The past month has been hectic, but good. I have settled into my job in Projects and love it every day. One of the things that have really opened my eyes is before when I thought about people donating to an orphanage I would think that they would want toys, clothes, sports equipment- don't get me wrong they do- but I would not have thought about the fact that the home may need a donation for new boilers, or waterproofing different parts of the home, or materials for the farm. Working in that part of behind the scenes of the home has been one of my favorite parts of serving at NPH.

The weather this week was odd for March- it rained and
it was colder than it's supposed to be, but the clouds
were fantastic all week.

Being with the kids continues to be the highlight of my time here. In the middle of February one of the pequeñas asked me if I wanted to go to Parque Ecological Chapultapec, an ecological park in Cuerna with her. It was hard to believe that it could be in Cuernvaca because it was so quiet and tranquil. Cuerna is a city of 400,000+ people it makes for a noisy place to live at least compared to the farm town I am from. We walked around, saw the different types of animal they had in the mini zoo, and they had a lake and so we went paddle boating for a little while. They also had an organic market and for those of you who know me, I was all over that. The day was perfect and it was a beautiful way to continue connect with her. During this past month I went home for two weeks for my grandpa's funeral, NPH they told me to spend all the time I needed with my family. The support from the home was wonderful. When I came back so many of the kids were so cute. They extended their sympathies, gave me a lot of hugs, told me they missed me, and that they were glad to have me back. When I saw one of the girls for the first time since being back she ran up to me, gave me a hug, pulled away and said "I don't remember your name but I missed you." I got quite the chuckle out of that. Earlier this week I sat next to one of the girls I hadn't had the chance to speak with yet. She is a gem. About 1/4 of the way through the conversation she asked me if I would be able to help her with her English, so we came up with a deal- I would speak Spanish to her and she would speak English to me. Since then it has been going great! She also taught me the "Our Father" and "Hail Mary" in Spanish and wrote them down for me to help me learn them. Another favorite activity I like doing with the kids is running. Every day they have to participate in an activity for an hour and a half or so and running is one of them. It allows for 1-1 conversations, encouraging each other, and just spending time together. A few of the girls asked if we could do yoga on my roof this weekend, so I am looking forward to that! 

Somos familia.

The weekend after returning to México my roommate Emily, boss Oscar, and I decided to see the mariposas (butterflies) that migrate from Canada and the States to México every year. Sanctuario de la Mariposa Monarca in Michoacan, Mexico is one of the largest butterfly sanctuaries in the world and we had heard wonderful things about it. The week before México experienced a cold front and at the sanctuary it had snowed. We checked our sources to make sure the butterflies survived the cold front luckily they had. Oscar and I googled how far away it was and Google Maps said it would 2.5 hours, so we decided to make it a day trip. Well, turns out Google Maps was very wrong, it ended up taking six hours one day. After a lot of missed turns, pulling over to ask for directions, and laughter we finally made it. At the beginning of the hike a volunteer told us that as a result of the cold front that the butterflies were low to the ground verses flying all over like they usually do. Halfway up the hike we stopped to build a snowman, Emily named him Nievecito. When we finally got to the field it took our breath away, well the little breath we had left after the hike up the mountain. Despite the fact that there weren't as many butterflies as per usual, it was still absolutely beautiful and it made the six hours worth it. The butterflies flying around, the mountainous hills, horses and sheep roaming around and the great company made for the perfect day. 

Upcoming in the home is Semana Santa (Holy Week). I am so excited, from what I have been told by former volunteers it's an absolutely beautiful week. Starting Thursday we will be in Miacatlan for the weekend so that both homes can spend the three days as one big family. Please continue to keep the home, the children, and the employees/volunteers in your prayers. 

God bless,

Katie 

One of the women in Michoacan making table runners. 

One of the many butterflies from Michoacan.

Paddle boating at the ecological park.

At the ecological park in Cuerna.

A month in Mexico, my first two weeks of work, and Pope Francis

Well, I have officially been in Mexico for one month and two days. I wish I would have been better at writing down different tidbits of my days here because after working for two weeks straight all the days sort of merge together. Two weeks ago myself and another new volunteer moved into our new apartment with a volunteer that has been here for 6 months already. After unpacking the first night and settling in I already felt at home. 

The new fish pond that was from my first day on the job.

One of the beautiful kids from Miacatlan

A quick reminder that I am the Project Assistant for both homes. So myself and the Project Coordinator create, plan, and see through various projects that either homes need. We have about 20 current projects that are mainly construction projects, repairing things around the homes, and purchasing supplies for the children, schools, and various items for the home. 
I have enjoyed learning about the Mexican business culture and how it differs from the United States. My first day on the job was baptism by fire. Myself and the Project Coordinator went to the Miacatlan home to oversee the installation of a multipurpose pond whose membrane was donated by a donor from the states. It will be used to irrigate crops, store water during the rainy season to help put out fires during the dry season, and breed fish for the children to eat. The donor and her family came down to oversee it as well. It was wonderful to hear about her story about falling in love with NPH and the fundraising/donating process. We also met with a couple different contractors, architects and had other various meetings- all in Spanish.. Luckily my boss speaks English and translated what I didn't understand (which let's be honest- it was most of it). We have been down to Miacatlan a few other times for various projects and the rest of the time in the office has been spent working on projects, laughing, and attempting to teach me Spanish. 

Some of the kids from the kinder section in Miacatlan

The second half of the days I have spent with the kids who have stolen my heart. On "long week" after working in the office from 8:30-1:30 we work from 4:00-9:00 with the kids. From 4:00-5:00 we hang out with them, 5:00-6:00 is homework hour where we either just chat with them or help with any homework- so far I am only able to help with their English homework, 6:00-7:30 are activities- each day they vary, but most days there is dance, futbol, basketball, music, volleyball, and running, and T/Th the girls have a program called Chica's that my roommate runs. My favorite to participate in so far has been running. Then we serve them dinner from 8:00-8:30 or so then bed at about 9:00. One of the highlights of each day is going around the girls dorm and saying goodnight to them. During "short week" after the office we work from 2:30-6:00. We serve lunch, hang out with them, and then help during homework hour. I love just hanging out with the kids, kicking around a soccer ball and attempting to speak Spanish to them. My Spanish has gotten better in the past few weeks, thanks to many of the kids who have been helping me, but I definitely have a long long way to go. During the working weekend in between long and short week it was a lot of relaxation. After the long school week the kids just want to relax. I watched my first telenovela, ran around, and just continued to get to know them. On Superbowl Sunday my roommate and I thought we were going to have to beg them to put on the game for us, but when we went downstairs they had it on the big screen. It was pretty entertaining to hear "si, si, si," or "va, va, va," ("go, go, go") being yelled during a football game, but nonetheless it was wonderful to share the experience with them. Overall, my first two weeks of work were filled with many emotions, but the two most prevalent feelings were joy and love. One of my best things is how many hugs I give and receive throughout the day, even from kids I haven't gotten a chance to talk to yet. It's truly wonderful! I can already tell that these kids are going to completely capture my heart.  

One of the beautiful girls that has become one
of my many Spanish teachers and running
buddies.

After two long weeks of work it was finally the weekend off. Emily (my roommate), Kevin (a Miacatlan volunteer), and I made a journey to see Pope Francis in Mexico City and boy was it ever an adventure. Never again will I be able to say that I slept in the city center of one of the biggest cities in the world. We decided that in order to see Pope Francis up close we would join many others in sleeping in the zocalo. Around midnight we got in line and at 2:00 we were in the zocalo with a sheet for warmth, a backpack as a pillow, and a lot of excitement for the morning to come. To say the least we were very unprepared to sleep in 40 degree weather. At one point when we were trying to sleep Emily decided it would be a good idea to use a chip bag that was unopened for a pillow. Later in the evening we decided to switch pillows and when she realized I wasn't getting comfortable with the chip bag (because who would?!) she said "I can use the chip bag as a pillow, I have gotten used to it." Probably the best quote that came from the weekend. The time finally came for Pope Francis to start his journey to the Cathedral (in the zocalo). He first stopped at the Mexico City Palace (also in the zocalo) to meet with the Mexico president and many Mexico leaders and diplomats, as well as give a speech. If you have time you should read through it, it was very well writen (Pope Francis welcoming speech). After all night of waiting and hours of standing we finally saw the Holy man himself. It was very quick (30 seconds to a minute) but just so powerful to be in the presence of one of my favorite people in the world. We estimated we were about 150-200 feet from him and six rows from the security fence. So sleeping overnight in the zocalo was worth it not only for the experience, but also for being so close to Papa Francisco. We didn't do much the rest of the weekend since we were so exhausted from our Saturday adventure. But we did go to the Cathedral for mass on Sunday, wandered around the zocalo, and explored Chapultapec Park (the Central Park of Mexico City). 

Papa in front of the Cathedral.

Mexico City Cathedral 

View of Mexico City from Chapultapec Park

So, my first two weeks of work were wonderful and I can already tell that I am going to learn an immense amount about Mexico business, Spanish, and love within the next 11 months. I can't wait to see what is to come. Please continue to pray for the children- especially for God to mold their hearts during this Lenten season, the NPH staff and volunteers, and for Pope Francis' words and impact on his visit to Mexico to implement changes throughout the country. Thanks for bearing through the longer post. Until next time!

God bless,
Katie