I am posting some more Mexico pictures below, but wanted to say a few words about what has been happening around here this week.
I have been saddened by the news of two deaths this week. Maria Chapman, daughter of Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman was killed in an accident in the family driveway on Wednesday evening. Even though I don't know them personally, this death of a young, beautiful 5-year old girl affected me. To make matters worse, one of her older brothers was driving the SUV that caused the accident. Please keep this family in your prayers in the weeks ahead. They were looking forward to celebrating an engagement and graduation this weekend, and instead had a funeral. Denise has some personal connection to Steven. She was friends with his former personal assistant several years ago, but they have now lost touch.
On Friday evening, I learned of the death of a current Goshen College student, Deanne Binde. She has just completed her May term class and was driving home when she was killed in a car accident in Minnesota. She had just completed her junior year and was very active in theater productions and other activities on campus. She was a good friend of my friend Susie, who now is dealing with her own grief as well as helping other students begin to process this tragedy. Please keep the entire GC community in your prayers as we deal with this.
On a more positive note, I am having a good Memorial Day weekend, except I need to go into work later tonight to finish a presentation for my conference this week. I went to lunch at my parents after church and hung out with them for a few hours, then came home and tilled up a corner of the field to fence off and plant eight tomato plants. I hope they do well and I have wonderful fresh tomatoes this summer. Tomorrow I am looking forward to going to my aunt and uncle's house in Northwest Ohio for the day for a Yoder family gathering.
And, I am typing this from my deck, enjoying a beautiful evening. I LOVE wireless internet!
Now to more pictures,
After our tour of Mexico City we took a bus to Cuernavaca, a town of about 400,000 people on the other side of the mountains in the state of Morales. When we stopped at the toll booth, we noticed armed guards watching us (on the roof, and at the bottom right). We heard that they were there to help with drug trafficking, but it was kind of unnerving to have them there! 
We drove through some beautiful mountains on our way to Cuernavaca. I really didn't know what to expect of Mexican scenery, but this wasn't what I expected. Unfortunately, the haze/smog made it difficult to see. Much different from Alaska where you can see for miles! 
The school in Cuernavaca that coordinated much of our trip. 
In the garden of our hotel with our coordinator in Cuernavaca, Harriet Guerrero. 
View from the door of my hotel room in Cuernavaca. Very beautiful, lush grounds that they worked hard to keep very nice. 
Our hotel stay included breakfast every morning. This is the breakfast room where we ate. Refried beans for breakfast! (as well as yogurt, eggs, cereal, and fresh squeezed fruit juices)
Birds of paradise on the grounds of the hotel
A lecture at the school about the politics of Mexico. Notice the "open air" classroom which looks out on the school's garden/pool. It was nice to enjoy the beautiful, 80 degree weather. We didn't have air conditioning anywhere we went, but I rarely got hot. 
Me in front of Cortes' palace in downtown Cuernavaca. Cortes was a Spanish explorer who "conquered" Mexico in the 1525 or 1535, and built his castle in Cuernavaca about 10 years later. Until last year it was used as government offices, now it is a museum with some beautiful mural paintings. 
Street vendors in downtown Cuernavaca. 
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