http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/nrauch/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from nrauch en-us Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:33:01 +0000 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 08:33:01 +0000 Hey EveryoneSo now that I'm finally back in the states for the holidays I have some time to catch you all up on the past three months of life at NPH.Here are a few random pictures from the month of October. Here is a list of things that went down1. Going to Houston for a LIFE TEEN Youth Minister Training Conference AND staying with the KEANE's2. Baking cakes with some of the girls for our http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-348337.html My dear familyThough I was hoping to sit down at my computer and add more funfilled entries with crazy pictures of my energetic teens I instead am writing this as a request for your prayers.This past weekend I was informed that one of our boys who lived in the house but had left the orphanage about a month ago took his own life. Gydgray known among all the kids as Rubio he was the only on http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-335279.html So apparently all of us gringos out there think that Cinco de Mayo is a big holiday for Mexicans however it is actually not that big of deal. So apparently for us Americans who go out to eat on the 5th of May at the closest establishment with colorful lights multicolored tapestries on the wall and chimichangas on the menu which they don't even eat here and think we are toasting margaritas t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-332430.html Taxco is a beautiful city about 1 hr and 45 min from Cuernavaca. There are a lot of silver mines there and the city is known for its charm beauty cheap silver artisan markets and STEEP streets. We started at the base of the city and walked to the highest point in the city called the Cristo Monumental that looks over all of Taxco. We didn't do bad for walking at an elevation of 5600 ft. We eve http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Guerrero/Taxco/blog-318449.html Hola TodosBienvenidos a las viajes de Enchilada y Chimi aka. Steven's first week in MexicoOur story begins at Terminal 2 in Mexico City where our leading man a gringo on the outside but Mexican on the inside is surprisingly tapped on the shoulder by a girl who he thinks is a stranger...possibly another traveler. Yet little did he know that his love a recent Mexico resident had journeyed http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-318053.html HolaYesterday I went to a town about 30min away called Tepoztlan. It is really green mountainous and lush. There is a hike up to an ancient Aztec pyramid with a great view. I went with three other volunteers Josie Tommy and Leslee and Leslee's mom who was visiting. The trail is steep and rocky and there were a TON of people. There were a ton a families too with little kids. The Mexicans hiki http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Tepoztl-n/blog-310579.html Hola mis amigos y mi familiaHere are a few pictures from this past Wednesday when we went to another more chido and more nicer water park called El Rollo.Worst part of the day Getting eaten alive by lots of weird mosquitoes that make you bleed when they bite youBest part of the day Finally getting an NPH Official polo shirt Seriously you put it on and like magic you just feel so cool. Too http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Jiutepec/blog-310562.html Hola todosI'm just now catching up on some entries Last weekend was the Anniversary of NPH. The first orphanage of the organization was here in Mexico and it was started by Father Wassen who was from Arizona 54 years ago. It all started with one poor orphan boy who stole from the collection money at the church in Cuernavaca where Fr. Wassen served as priest. Father pulled him out of jail and http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Miacatlan/blog-310529.html Day at IxtapanHere are some pictures from our day at the water park in Ixtapan http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-306779.html Que tal todosYesterday I took a stroll around the city center after saying goodbye to the other volunteers who took the bus back to Miacatlan. I went to the Cathedral Jardin de Borda and two other churches near the center. Then I walked for an hour uphill thinking I could walk all the way home. On the bus it's a 30 min ride from the center to my house soooo walking made me realize just how far http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-305734.html Hola mi familia y mis amigosItrsquos quite depressing to write half of a blog entry and then have your computer shut down and poofhellipitrsquos gone.Sooohelliphere is my second attempt to give you all a RSVOARLLU Really Short Version of a Really Long Life Update however I'm giving a fair warning that there is a 99.9 chance that this is going to be a RLLU Really Long Life Update.O http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-305401.html Here are some pictures of the language school I go to and then our walk today through the maze that is the falluca black market...dundundunnn and food market. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-297728.html llueve SIEMPRE...Right now Cuernavaca is not all that different from good 'ol South Bend IN. We are in the rainy season right now that lasts until October and it rains every day most of the day...and I don't mean just rain I mean it POURS HARD. I woke up at 3am the other night because the noise of the rain running off the roof onto the ground was so loud and I couldn't go back to sleep. This http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-297142.html Buenas Tardes Todos mis amigosSo it's about 145pm here and I am in Casa Guadalupe temporary housing...and I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want first Well the good news is I took lots of new pictures from Miacatlan and I had a wonderful time seeing the orphanage which is huge and beautiful in an ancient MExican colonial way. It used to be a sugar plantation and coffee plant http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-295742.html Hola todosI arrived yesterday to the wonderful busy and colorful Mexico I had a long day of traveling. I left Phoenix at 905am pacific time and finally arrived to Cuernavaca around 730pm central time. On my first flight to Guardalajara I met a guy on the plane who worked for Anheuser Bush brewing company and now works with Justin Timberlake to come up with a new kind of Tequila to go on the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Morelos/Cuernavaca/blog-294598.html