Hola Famigos,
Early upon arriving in Cacalote for Roca Blanca Spanish School (RBSS), we made a prayerful and concerted effort to find ways to serve the small town community. Our prayers were answered through the "adolescentes" group in the local church. Fahren was also able to find opportunities with the kitchen on base.
This month, we would like to share with you how we have seen the Lord's hand in the provision of yet another opportunity to love and serve the people of Cacalote through a weekly boxing class.
Taylor's paternal grandfather, Ken Hendrix, was a large influence on Taylor growing up. From a young age, Taylor remembers summers visiting "Papa Ken and Grandma Linda" where Papa Ken would take him and his brother, Connor, fishing and boating. Taylor recalls stories of Papa Ken's time as a helicopter mechanic, a boxer in the Marine Corps, and a Pipefitter. These stories were in large part why Taylor spent 10 years in the Air Force and later became a Pipefitter.
Another thing that Taylor and Papa Ken shared was their love of combat sports and boxing. Taylor took up the "Sweet Science" while in the Air Force and continued training for years at different gyms across the country. After watching Taylor train for years including two fights at Luke Air Force Base, Fahren was finally convinced to train as well. For a year, we trained together weekly, and while the gym offered a variety of martial arts, boxing was our favorite as a couple. There was no way that we could have known it at the time, but the Lord was preparing us for future service.
Boxing is a large part of Mexican culture. It is arguably their most popular sport, second only to association "fútbol". It is a source of national pride, and boxers such as Salvador Sanchez, Eric Morales, Julio Cesar Chavez and Canleo Alverez are considered national icons and some of the sport's international pound for pound greatest. It serves a bridge between American and Mexican culture.
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