Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco.- In order to favor Vallarta’s local citizens and day to day visitors who travel through Francisco Medina Ascencio Avenue, Infrastructure and Services General Director, and Transportation vice-president; under the instructions of Puerto Vallarta Government authorities, have constructed a new north-south lane which will be used for vehicles that need to make a turn to get to the bus terminal; by doing so they are solving a big traffic problem.

The solution consisted on modifying the way the vehicles turn left, towards the Bus Terminal. For that reason, since last Saturday, March 21, the authorities put into effect the new lane, after careful and proper signaling.

Before, one had to take the right lane on Francisco Medina Ascencio, to turn to the Bus Terminal; now, as you drive on the center lanes you will have to get on the left lane and wait for the arrow to signal the turn towards the Bus terminal.

The cost of this new entrance to the Bus Terminal was 700,000 pesos (about US$46,000). With this new entrance it is expected that there will be less traffic and better flow of vehicles, since the wait to take the turn will be shorter.

“Fast dry cement was used for this project, this made possible the opening of the lane early morning” Saturday, March 21”, said Hector Chaires, from the Infrastructure office of the Municipal Government .

Jesus Jose Rodriquez Campoy informed that signals were posted starting at Las Juntas, to give drivers plenty of time to change lanes. We have traffic police and the time necessary to direct drivers trying to take a turn where they used to do it. We want to socialize the project and generate the habit to use the new lane”, he said.

[readon1 url="index.php?option=com_sobipro&pid=1&sid=703:mar&Itemid=212"]Source:www.VallartaToday.com-by MAR Translation Services[/readon1]

To take away the image we have in mind what a typical church.

Some are new and old, with and without bell, islands, mountains and even holes.

A typical Churches

[readon1 url="http://elbulletinblog.com/iglesias-atipicas/"]Source:elbulletinblog.com[/readon1]

During the month of February will be able to register through the Virtual University, University of Guadalajara

System for Integral Family Development (DIF) of Puerto Vallarta, chaired Magaly Ortiz Fregoso, about school services education, degree, diploma and postgraduate courses to employees of the City of Puerto Vallarta, as well as the general population .

Thanks to the collaboration between the University of Guadalajara and the DIF system, the services of the University House are offered on the premises of the Directorate for the Protection of Children (DPI) to enable people to perform their tasks.

Violeta del Carmen Soto Barajas, responsible for training of DIF invited reviewers of the institution, as well as other agencies of the City and the general population, who come for the body to learn more about the educational and general about the possibilities that exist to complete their high school education or degree.

Reported that during the month of February the inscriptions were made, and may request waivers and scholarships up to 50%. The deadline to settle payment orders are March 5, 2014, of $ 268 pesos and 19 pesos for 2000 high school, and $ 268 thousand pesos and 335 pesos for university.

The above are costs for enrollment for high school are four semesters, 2 hours of online classes or tasks. For degrees, depending on the number of credits for the career of their choice.

He mentioned that among the degrees offered by the Virtual University it is Managing Organizations, Library and Knowledge Management, Cultural Management, Solidarity Organizations, Digital Journalism, Public Safety, and Information Technology.

For more information on educational offerings visit the website www.udgvirtual.udg.mx and for forgiveness, through the Department of Training DIF Vallarta, telephone 2259936 Violeta Soto.

By Arlene Pervin.

It was a night of great sax, saxophone sounds, that is, along with a fusion of sound from the Banderas Bay Jazz Allstars, who recently performed at the Paradise Community Centre, in Puerto Vallarta.

An enthusiastic and appreciative audience recently listened to some outstanding jazz. The exquisite riffs of saxophone player Bryan Savage was worth the price of admission. With renditions of "Georgia", "What's Going On" and "Moonlight" the band featured Tom Lilienthal on bass guitar, Charles "Chas" Eller on keyboards, Bryan Savage on alto sax and flute and Lazalo Poey on drums.
Each of the band members displayed their individual musicianship in extensive solos throughout the evening.
Cuban drummer Lazalo Poey, rocked the drums and flutist and sax player Bryan Savage brought the audience to standing O's with his improvisational flute piece and his superb sax notes. Keyboardist, Charles Eller and bass guitarist Tom Lilienthal melded in melodic tones and "Europa", the final number showed their consummate musicianship. These musicians have played on the international scene and have cut their musical chops with greats like Santana and others.

Although, usually booked at other venues in Nuevo Vallarta, Sayulita and San Pancho, the band had wanted to play in Vallarta for some time. The Banderas Bay Jazz Allstars were well received by music and jazz lovers. Due to the enthusiasm of the crowd that evening, another engagement might be in the works for this band at the Paradise Community Centre.

Don't miss a night of great sax!

Wellington - For the past four years, Fr. Eloi Arsenault of St. Chrysostome has spent his winters in warm Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

But he’s not roaming the sandy beaches and staying at world-class resorts.

The retired priest is living among the poorest of the poor and, with help from back home, working to make a better life for the children of Mexico.

“Otherwise, I would just be there to walk on the beach or go to movies. I would not have been too happy about that.”

For the past two years, Arsenault has collected cash donations to help an impoverished school near Puerto Vallarta, the Volcanes School.

He’s collected almost $32,000, mostly from the Evangeline area, all of which goes to help the school and its almost 500 students.

It began in 2010 after Arsenault retired. He decided to head south for the winter.

Shortly after arriving he got involved in the Volcanes School Project.

He and a small group of volunteers have been working since then to provide children there with an education, teaching them English and computer skills.

“Before that they didn’t have a school that was fit to go to,” said Arsenault. “The children were called the children of the dump. After Grade 2 or 3 they wouldn’t go back to school; they were just working with their families to survive.”

He was asked, after that first year, to fundraise to help pay salaries of the eight teachers, each of whom earns a mere $2,500 American.

“It gives them hope for a job in Puerto Vallarta since it is a tourist city,” Arsenault said. “Otherwise, without English and computer skills they could not have a job in boutiques and stores and restaurants.

“With this, they know that they might have a better chance in life.”

Before returning the next year, Arsenault went to the community he grew up in and had served 18 years as a priest.

The response — $11,000 in donations — was overwhelming. Last year, that number grew to $20,600 and five new computers for the school’s library.

“There is a lady that gave me $3.52 before I left. That’s all she could give and was a poor widow with no money,” said Arsenault. “That really touched me as much as the $1,000 I received from the Legion.”

The group is not only helping the students, their parents are also benefitting.

That library, with its five computers, is used by mothers who are learning English and by older students in high school.

And the group, thanks to a large private donation, has established a sewing school, where women are taught to sew, a skill that will help them provide for their families.

Arsenault has enlisted the help of Erma Arsenault, Cecile Gallant and Bella Bernard, who help stuff envelopes with letters to be distributed, asking for support.

“If a new family comes, everybody pitches in,” said Erma. “When we see the chance to help that much, we will do it.”

Fr. Arsenault returns to Mexico December 5 and hopes that, again, with the community’s help, to have with him more donations for the school.

“The goal is to simply bring whatever people will donate,” he said.

Being a man of faith, does he believe the vacation turned vocation was in God’s plans?

“I think so,” Erma quickly says.

Arsenault is somewhat reluctant in his answer.

“I had no idea it would happen. It just happened that way,” he added. “It gives so much more meaning to my retirement.”

A few facts

• Volcanes School is in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

• About 500 children attend the school, grades 2 to 6

• The project began four years ago

• Last year, $20,600 collected from 120 donors

• In 2012, $11,000 was donated

• 80 per cent goes to paying eight teachers each $2,500 a year

• 100 per cent of monies donated go to the school and its students

• To donate, call Fr. Eloi at (902) 854-3531, Erma at (902) 854-2742, Bella at (902) 854-2723, Cecile at (902) 854-2473

• Donations also accepted at the Evangeline Credit Union

[readon1 url="http://www.journalpioneer.com/News/Local/2014-11-07/article-3932530/A-vacation-with-meaning%0D%0A/1"]Source:www.journalpioneer.com[/readon1]

Mismaloya comes from Nahuatl: [michmaloyan] "place where they grab fish with their hands" and is a small village, located on the coast of the Bahía de Banderas in the Mexican state of Jalisco [Xalixco] "on the surface of the sand". Mismaloya lies on Highway 200, south of Puerto Vallarta.

Film location
Mismaloya is most famous as the site where the 1963 film The Night of the Iguana was filmed. The set and crew quarters rise up the hill on the south side of the Mismaloya cove. Sadly, the set is only ruins now, and the once-famous John Huston Cafe is an empty shell on top of the hill. Huston once wrote that he was the only person who cared for the place. The movie made Puerto Vallarta famous, but the set has been forgotten. On the other side of Highway 200 from Playa Mismaloya is El Eden, a jungle setting where parts of the movie Predator were filmed.

Tourism
The beach at Playa Mismaloya is located in a lovely cove, with a full view of Los Arcos sea rocks - a great place to snorkel and scuba dive. There are boats which tourists can hire, and the beach is home to several restaurants and trinket peddlers, as well as the Hotel Barceló, a beautiful Zoo and La Jolla De Mismaloya Condominiums, also you can reach Vallarta Botanical Gardens by 15 minutes bus ride.

PUNTA DE MITA, Mexico — Interest in this small corner of Mexico by one of the world’s richest men has helped attract an influx of wealthy investors.

Headed by the biologist Astrid Frish Jordán, of the civil association Ecology and Whale Conservation (ECOBAC), the rescuers supported the cetacean since Saturday

2014-02-03 11:04:58

Puerto Vallarta Jalisco News.- Members of the assistance network to whales on nets (RABEN) carry out maneuvers to free a hunchback whale from the remains of a fishing net at the interior of Banderas Bay.

Headed by the biologist Astrid Frish Jordán, of the civil association Ecology and Whale Conservation (ECOBAC), the rescuers have been supporting the whale since Saturday, when the cetacean was located at the height of Conchas Chinas Beach, Puerto Vallarta.

Using ships of approximately 8 meters in length, "Mosco" and "Marina", the officers of RABEN made maneuvers and asked for the support of Vallartan lifesavers to keep the ships from getting near the whale to avoid scaring her.

The presence of the people and the boats rattled the whale in excess before it was left completely free from the fishing net, for which the specialists decided to interrupt the work and continue it yesterday on Sunday since nine in the morning.

The whale moved to the northern part of Banderas Bay and at the moment of making this report, the members of the assistance network to whales on nets continued making the rescue efforts, as the animal still had an edge stuck in her body.

Since a few years ago, the number of sightings of whales entwined in fishing nets in Banderas Bay has increased. It is for this that efforts have begun to be made in the zone to free these great mammals from what would very likely be a slow and painful death.

RABEN Banderas Bay is composed by the Eighth Navy Zone of Puerto Vallarta, the Technological Institute of Banderas Bay, Ecotours of Mexico, Vallarta Adventures, Wildlife Connection and ECOBAC.

To finalize, it should be mentioned that this network is the first organized group of the country to do rescues and in fact it is one of the first groups in all of the Northern Pacific. The people who make up the network, have taken courses and are trained to act in an efficient and safe way.

[readon1 url="http://www.nnc.mx/notas/1391447098.php"]Source: NNC Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

In spite of tropical storm “Sonia,” it took 13 days for Levy to paddle from Los Cabos to the Marina Riviera Nayarit, which he now considers his home.

 Self-propelled explorer Abraham Levy survived his “trial by fire” by crossing the 600 km between San José, Los Cabos, and the Marina Riviera Nayarit.

It took him 13 days and around 800 km to complete due to the strong winds and rain that came with tropical storm “Sonia.” It not only delayed arrival, but also put his life in danger.
“It was tough, I was scared and the days were pretty intense, but it’s all good,” said the athlete from Colima. “I’m back here safe and sound. I’m glad I got caught in that tropical storm, it was an important experience that taught me where I could take the vessel and how far I could go with it. They say a calm sea doesn’t make an expert sailor.”

Abraham paddled across the high seas from October 26th to November 8th, taking the next step in the plan he created several years ago when he finally decided to start making his dreams come true.

“When I was 26 I wanted to spend my life making my dream come true, which is the best thing that could happen to any human being. The human spirit is amazing and being out there you realize that it’s actually something tangible,” he stated. “I didn’t know until I looked for it with all my might: I found it during my first expedition and now it helps me reassert my possibilities.”

He also confirmed that navigating the Mexican Pacific is in the “major leagues.” Levy did meet his goal, never forgetting to repeatedly thank the Marina Riviera Nayarit and the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) for the support he received.

“I felt at home here from the minute I knocked on the door to talk to them about the project,” he enthused. “There wasn’t a second of doubt and their cooperation was instantaneous: ‘What can we do for you? You have our support.’ It was really grand.”

“It’s so great to find a development that’s open to supporting unique projects. It was incredible, because it’s not easy to find such unconditional support,” he added. “I come and go in the Marina, I bring in the boat and take it out whenever I want, everyone is looking out for me.”

“We have the largest and most modern marina in all of Latin America,” said Marc Murphy, Managing Director of the Riviera Nayarit CVB, “and people like Abraham Levy and Tania Elías Calles have placed us on the world stage. Their accomplishments help grow our destination.”

“La Cascarita” is ready to be sent to Spain to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It will be a 9,000 km journey that will take between four and six months, depending on the conditions. He will depart on January 9th on the Canary Islands route, then on to Barbados and Cancún to continue to make his dreams come true.

The subway was not as crowded as she thought that it might be for this time of the year, and she found a seat without any effort at all.  Helen was on her way downtown to buy some last minute Christmas gifts that Santa might bring to her two children.  She had just received an unexpected bonus of $300 from her new boss. Since she had only been employed for such a short time, she had no reason to believe that there would be a Christmas bonus this year.  God is indeed good.  Everyday she repeats this over and over, and lately He has Blessed her over and over.<br>
It has only been a little over a year since she lost her beloved husband Bill in that unforeseen automobile accident.  Actually, 15 months and 5 days.  She had stayed at home that day because little Timothy had a bad cold, and she thought it best to keep him out of the rain.  Sarah had fussed, but her daddy told her to mind her mother, and he would bring her something special when he returned.  It sent a cold shiver up her spine when she thought that if they had all been together in that car, she would have lost at least one of her babies.  She was so deep in thought that she almost missed her stop.  She looked up just in time to see the doors start to close, and barely got off before they slammed shut.<br>
When she reached the street level, it seemed that all of New York City had decided to shop here on 34th street at the same time. She didn’t mind being jostled around, as she crossed the street heading to the Macy department store.  She was happy because now she would be able to buy some new clothes for the children, as well as some toys for old Santa Clause to bring as well.  Last Christmas was not a very merry one, with Bill being gone for such a short time.  After the accident, she had a nervous breakdown, and the children went to visit their grandparents while she was in this state of depression.  Helen was able to console herself with the knowledge that Bill was with the Lord, and that now she would take over and raise her two precious ones without him.<br>
 Bill had always been the provider, and she was the nurturer, but now she would have to fill both rolls.  Bill had earned a fairly good salary while he was a salesman on the road, but after he had a heart attack, he had to accept an inside position, at a greatly reduced salary.  All of a sudden it was extremely difficult to make ends meet on the reduced income, and she couldn’t remember exactly when or how she ever forgot to pay the premium on his life insurance policy.  It was when the realization hit her that there would be no insurance money to pay for the funeral expenses, nor the house payments, that she completely went to pieces.  Fortunately Bill’s parents took care of the immediate expenses, but they were not in a position to continue to do so.  Helen had to give up her home and move in with Bill’s parents so that the small amount of equity that she received for the sale of the house would sustain her and the children till she could find employment.<br>
Helen had little training for any kind of job.  She was a homemaker, and a mother, and very good at both.  Thus the first employment that she was able to find was cleaning houses for mothers that worked.  In the New York area, this was not hard to find.  It seemed that most families needed two incomes to survive in the manner that they were accustomed to.  Of course, what she earned was barely enough, so they continued to live in her in-laws one bedroom garage apartment.  It was small, but very nice.  She had furnished it with some of the furniture that she hadn’t sold with the house, and it felt just like home.  She missed having her own bedroom, as the children shared the only bedroom, and she slept on a hide-a-bed in the small living room.  <br>
This arrangement went on through the long hot summer, with Helen having to take the subway from Mt. Vernon down to Manhattan’s west side, where most of the families that she worked for lived.  If you ever had the misfortune to ride a New York subway during rush hour in the summer, you will understand why Helen learned to repeat over and over that God is good.  It was while she was doing this, and packed in the subway car like a sardine in a can, that she noticed a fairly well dressed lady just inside the sliding door.  She knew immediately that she had seen that same lady before, but could not remember when or where.  While Helen was trying to remember who she could be, their eyes met, and the stranger smiled broadly at her. <br>
    “You’re Helen Matthews are you not?  I met you at Hilda’s condominium just before they left for Europe.  I’m Jane Harrison”
“Oh, thank you so much.  When I saw you I knew I had seen you before, but just couldn’t remember.  Merry Christmas to you.”
“Thank you, but not too likely.  I just lost my housekeeper of the past ten years.  She has to go to California to help her mother care for her father.  He is very ill.”<br>
“I am so sorry.  May God Bless them, and you too.” Helen said bowing her head “Is there anything that I may do for you?”
“Well yes.  You could move into my condominium and be my new housekeeper.  You would have your own two bedroom apartment with a separate entrance, and if you’re as good as Hilda says you are, you would be the answer to my prayers”<br>
“God is good.  I would love to, but I would need at least three weeks to give notice to my present employers, and …err, do you know that I have two little children, a boy three, and a girl almost six?  Would that be a problem for you?”  Helen asked. <br>
“No problem at all.  I knew that you have children and that you are a widow.  Here is my address and telephone number.  Please give me a call, and come over to see my place.  If you like what you see, then I am sure that we will be able to work out an arrangement that will be good for us both” Jane passed her a card.<br>
“God is so good, God Bless you.  Can I come over tomorrow after 3pm?  I will be in your neighborhood, and if that is convenient…”
“Perfect.  I will see you then.  This is my stop, goodbye.” She turned and was out the door, leaving Helen with her mouth open.<br>
“Yes God is good” Helen repeated another seven times.<br>
The day seemed to just fly by.  Helen was so extremely happy and excited that all the scrubbing and polishing that she had to do became as easy as a walk in the park.  Her God is good phrase gave way after another 20 or 30 times to “This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it”.  She finished her work almost an hour sooner than ever before.  She never noticed either the heat of the afternoon, nor the crowd on her subway train.<br>
When Helen relayed the news to her family once back in Mt. Vernon, it was obvious that even though they were happy for her new opportunity, they were sad that she and the children would be leaving them.  Helen promised grandpa and grandma, that they would visit every chance they could, and that the children could spend at least one night every week with them. Everyone was happy, and admitted that God was indeed good to them.<br>

 These were Helen’s thoughts as she waited for the light to change to red so she could cross 34th street to the Macys store.  As she passed one of the Santa Clauses collecting for the Salvation Army, she stopped and dug in her purse for a couple of quarters to put in the basket. Thinking back about all the good things that God had blessed her with in the past few months made her turn back and place the rest of her loose change in the basket.  Yes, God is good…to me. <br> 
She remembered now how when she had seen the apartment that Jane Harrison had for her housekeeper, she gasped.  Why, three of the garage apartments that she was now living in could fit in there with room to spare.  Mrs. Harrison offered to pay Helen almost three times what she was now managing to eek out, plus the apartment with all utilities, including telephone and television cable.  There were three TV’s, one in each bedroom, and one in the extra large living room.  There was even a piano there.  <br>
Jane explained to Helen that although she expected her housekeeper to keep the condo clean, she also had a maid provided by the homeowners association who came in everyday who would make the beds, clean the bathrooms, and take the laundry down to the laundry room and wash and iron everything, bringing them back the next day.  Also, the Harrisons have a twelve-year-old daughter, who Helen would be responsible for after school until her mother returned home.  That might include preparing an after-school snack, but making sure that she did not over indulge her sweet tooth.<br>
“Is that all I have to do?  It hardly seems fair for you to pay me all that money for so little work.” Helen exclaimed.<br>
“I think it is a fair salary for a good person.  We have always considered our housekeeper to be part of the family rather than just an employee.  She would not be leaving us if she didn’t feel her mother needed her more than we do.  I hope that you will stay with us for at least as long as she has.  She will leave us after next week, and we will sincerely miss her.”<br>
“I can come in on my two days that I don’t have clients and help out after she has left” Helen volunteered.<br>
“No, Helen dear, you need your time with your little ones.  But thank you so much for the thought.  I meant that we would miss her as a PERSON, a lost member of the family.  We will manage keeping the condo maintained until you move in.”<br>
“Then as far as I am concerned, it is settled.  We will move in two weeks from next Monday, that is if you want us”<br>
“Yes, my dear Helen, I do.  My husband George lets me make all the household decisions.  I am very anxious to meet your children, and to have you meet our Dorothy.  But why don’t you move in on Saturday or Sunday.  George and I could help you anytime except Sunday morning.   After church would be alright as well.”<br>
“Thank you so much.  If we can move in on Saturday, then perhaps we could attend church with you on Sunday.  I would like that”<br>
“That’s a deal!  I will tell George tonight, and you just let me know the address and the time you want us to pick you all up.  We have a suburban, so it will be no problem at all.”<br>
Saturday, September 8 had been moving day, and the 10th was the first day for Helen in her new position.  For the past three months, Helen felt that God was indeed providing for her.  Yes, God was good.  And then this morning when Jane handed her the envelope that contained not only a very beautiful Christmas card, but also a check for three hundred dollars, tears swelled in her eyes, and she put her arms around Jane and thanked her profusely.  Jane took her by the chin and looked right into her eyes and said,<br>
“Helen, you and the children are the best thing that has happened to us.  God is good, indeed. Pardon me for stealing your expression, but it seems to be exactly what I feel having you with us.  Merry Christmas to you my dear friend.  Now go buy something for that family of yours.”
The light had changed, and she crossed the street.  She was pushed along into the store, and took the escalator up to the 5th floor, where all the toys were along with Santa. <br>
 She felt the need to sit, so she sat down on a bench over by the elevators, placing her purse on the bench next to her.  The elevator doors opened, and she turned to look, but when she turned back her purse was gone!  She felt panic.  If she didn’t get it back, Christmas would be ruined.  Then she saw her.  A small child was practically running to the escalators with her purse in her arms.  She immediately gave chase, but the little girl, who could be no more than a year older than her daughter could slip through the crowds faster than a grown women could.  Helen finally cornered her when she tried to leave through a locked door.
When she grabbed the child, she started to cry.  She was crying so hard that even though her mouth was opening to say something, the words did not come out.  Finally she blurted out,<br>
“Please don’t take me to jail. Please, Please.  I want the money for my mommy.  She said that the man was going to put us out on the street tomorrow if we don’t pay him the money.  Oh Please, I am sorry.  Please don’t take me to jail.  My mommy needs me.”  She cried even harder.
Helen was deeply touched.  She felt the tears rolling down her cheek.  She took the little girls hand and said,<br>
“I am not taking you to jail.  Please stop crying” <br>
A small crowd of curious customers was looking intently at them now.  They obviously thought that Helen was a mean mother, making her little girl cry so hard.<br>
“I am not taking you to jail, so please try to stop crying.  Now where is you mommy?”<br>
“She is at home with my little brother Timmy.  He is very sick.  He is only three.  Mommy said that he might die if he doesn’t get some medicine”<br>
Helen gasped.  For a minute she couldn’t breathe.  Then she started to breathe again and asked,<br>
“What is you name, and how old are you?”<br>
“My name is Sarah, and I am six years old, well almost.”<br>
Now Helen felt like she was going to faint, but she quickly regained her composure as she realized what was happening here.  As a Christian she believed that there was no such thing as “Just a coincidence” but that this was a message from God.  Sometimes called a “God Thing.” She was with this little child with the same name and age as her own child.  She felt a chill run up her spine, as she remembered that there also was another child the same name and age as her son.  Now she knew what she must do.  God is good.<br>
“Sarah, take me to your mommy”<br>
Sarah started to cry again.  “Oh please, don’t tell my mommy what I did.  I just want to help her and my brother.”<br>
“Don’t worry, I want to help too” Helen replied.  She knew what she must do.<br>
They walked west on 34th Street to Eighth Avenue, and then north to 40th street.  As they walked Helen couldn’t help wondering how this little child could wander so far from her home all alone.  Midway between Eighth and Ninth, Sarah stopped in front of a dilapidated tenement building, so typical of this Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood. They climbed up to the third floor through dimly lit stairwells.  She stopped at a door marked 302.<br>
“This is where we live.  Please don’t tell…”<br>
Before Sarah could finish the door opened.  A tired looking emaciated woman stood there in the doorway.<br>
“Sarah, where have you been?  I have been worried to death.  Why did you run away?” Then turning her eyes up to me, she said, <br>
“Where did you find her?<br>
“She found me in Macys.  I have come to help you.  Tell me how I can?  How is your Timmy?”<br>
The woman looked into Helen’s eyes and smiled. “God is good. You must be the answer to my prayers.  Please come in and sit with me while I thank Him for sending you.” <br>
 
Helen went in and together they thanked the Lord for this day. When they had finished their prayer, Helen asked her about the boy.<br>

“What he really needs is an operation on his heart. He has a hole in it, and unless he has the surgery to correct it, he will not be here for…” She started to cry before she could finish.<br>
Helen had noticed a pay phone in the hallway.  She immediately dialed the Harrison’s number.  George answered.<br>

“Dr. Harrison, I have a young heart patient for you.  This patient is being sent to you from God, and he needs an ambulance at 814 west 40th street as soon as possible to pick him up.  Thank you.  His mother and I will meet you at the hospital.”<br>
When George hung up the phone he looked at his wife and said,<br>
“I didn’t know that you told Helen that I was a cardiac surgeon.”<br>
“I didn’t”<br>

The surgery had gone well, and young Timmy was out of the hospital in plenty of time for Christmas.  Helen had cashed her check and given all the money to Timmy’s mother.  She had needed two hundred fifty dollars for the two months rent that she was behind.  The rest went for food to feed her little hungry family.  Now on this Christmas day they were all gathered at Helen Matthew’s apartment, the two Sarahs and the two Timmys and the two mothers.  The tree was nicely decorated, but there were no presents under the tree.  Helen was just explaining that perhaps Santa would not be able to come this year, when there was a loud knock at the door.  One of the Sarahs opened it, and there stood old Santa himself.  He had a big bag stuffed with all kinds of things that little girls and boys would like, and two of everything.  Mrs. Santa was right behind him, carrying a large fully cooked Turkey, and young Dorothy following with all the other good things that make for a good Christmas dinner.  Yes, God is good.  Really good especially to those who know that it is much better to give and to serve than to merely receive.

About 90 palm trees will be placed on the median strip of the Los Poetas Avenue, where on Wednesday the first of them began to be planted as part of the "Reforestation of Palms", which includes the different avenues of the city and the waterfront, said Guillermo Salcedo director of the Municipal Utilities.

"The idea is to place around a 180 this year, it is about planting in the avenue of Los Poetas, whatever is missing on the Francisco Medina Ascencio avenue, as well as the Mexico Avenue and some on the boardwalk" noted the head of the Municipal Public Utilities, adding that it is a priority for the mayor of Puerto Vallarta, Ramón Guerrero Martinez, to perform reforestation on the main streets of the town.

This program is based on palm donation by the citizenry, and it corresponds to the area of Parks and Gardens to be in charge of transferring and planting palm trees, "the idea is that those who have palm trees that they don't need at home, we can move them and plant them, saving us about four thousand pesos per tree, which would mean only in the Los Poetas avenue, saving 360 thousand pesos "explained Guillermo Salcedo.

Antonio Arreola Perez made ​​a donation of about 140 palms, meanwhile Luis Grain gave 40 more palms, besides other citizens who have given one or two palms, whom the councilman Javier Pelayo, president of the Municipal Utility Commission, thanked for their support and confidence in this government.

"There are many people in Puerto Vallarta with a good heart and who want to see their harbor be pretty, so they help us with palm trees, and it is through teamwork and the confidence of the people that we are performing these jobs," emphasized the councilman.

[readon1 url="http://notivallarta.com/2013/08/15/plantaran-alrededor-de-90-palmeras-en-los-camellones-de-avenida-los-poetas/"]Source: NotiVallarta Translated by Rene Tripp[/readon1]

I’ve learned many lessons through my years of leading companies, but without question, the most surprising thing I learned was this: The thing you can do that will make you the strongest, is the thing that is most counter-intuitive to do: Be openly vulnerable.

I am sure many of you are scratching your head thinking I have lost my mind, especially because we have all been trained to think that being vulnerable means being weak, which is the exact opposite of strong. So why then, would I suggest that being openly vulnerable is the very thing that will actually make you strong?

Trust me, I get why you would think it sounds crazy because many years ago I would have thought the same thing. Being vulnerable was not my strong suit growing up. In my mind, being vulnerable meant being weak and available to be hurt. That likely stemmed from the fact that my family moved numerous times growing up, which meant that I was constantly the new kid at school. Anyone who has been the new kid before knows that a new kid is prime real estate for being picked on if they show even the slightest sign of weakness, or so I believed. So I learned to hide my fears and to always act with confidence, which in many ways served me well because it helped me to put myself out there and try new things that I might not otherwise have been willing to try. It was that “I can do anything” attitude that likely led me to become an entrepreneur back when it appeared that all the odds were stacked against me. Allowing myself to be openly vulnerable wasn’t even a consideration back then and I would even say that I took great lengths to avoid it.

But, as is often the case, life began teaching me some very valuable lessons as I was running my first business. Not allowing myself to appear vulnerable meant I had to be perfect at everything. I had to be in control of everything because that was the only way to have the outcome turn out according to my perfect plans. It was exhausting. Not only was it exhausting for me, but it created a miserable situation for the people I was leading. You see, if leaders can’t allow themselves to be vulnerable then they send a clear message that no one who works for them is allowed to be vulnerable either. Leaders who expect perfection from themselves are sending the message that they expect only perfection from those around them as well. It is an impossible expectation for anyone to live up to, both for the leader as well as the people they are responsible to lead, because the reality is that no one is perfect. No one. And try as we may in this life, none of us will ever get there because we are, after all, only human, and as such we are by nature imperfect beings all striving to improve ourselves to the best of our ability.

I finally began to recognize that my unwillingness to show vulnerability as a leader was causing everyone around me to feel inadequate and that was the last thing that I had ever wanted. My passion in life and my personal mission statement is “to help others to excel”, yet here I was creating an atmosphere that didn’t allow anyone to excel, including myself, because my lack of vulnerability meant that anything less than perfection was failure. I was instantly making all of us failures. I had finally figured out that something had to change and that something was me. It was time for me embrace being vulnerable.

I can’t say that “being vulnerable” takes courage because every single one of us are vulnerable whether we acknowledge it or not. We are all vulnerable to disappointment, sadness, sickness, death, loss, failure, losing our job, losing love, and so on. But embracing our vulnerability, and even more important, openly embracing it, well that does take courage, and lots of it! But it was through embracing my own vulnerability and admitting to my employees and clients that I was imperfect and making mistakes that I was learning and growing from, that I was able to become a truly strong leader. You see, the thing that made me strong was the support of those very people, who knowing I needed them, were willing to support me and stand by me and help me in my efforts to become a better leader and to lead our company to become a success.

People who won’t embrace vulnerability are simply not authentic. They project a message of: I am perfect and you are not, so how then can we ever relate? But if a person is admittedly imperfect and so are you, then you instantly have a bond that allows you to relate to one another and a connection is formed. It is those connections that will cause people to give you their very best efforts because they want to help you succeed. It is also those connections that will cause people to look to you as someone they can learn from because you have now given them permission to try and fail and grow from it, just as you have. You are setting an attainable example for others to follow and it is one that will truly allow them to excel.

It takes courage to admit that you are not perfect. It takes courage to acknowledge that you cannot control the outcomes, especially when your entire job is to produce outcomes. But all of those things are the truth whether you admit them or not, so why not embrace them? You will never achieve perfection, so the most you can do is live your life in honest pursuit of it. You will never control the outcomes, so the most you can do is live your life controlling your best efforts. You will never control how others feel about you or treat you, so the most you can do is control your ability to love others and treat them well. Embracing vulnerability takes all kinds of courage but the strength it gives you can become your most valuable asset.

“Believe that we’re enough. Because when we work from a place, I believe, that says, “I’m enough,” then we stop screaming and start listening, we’re kinder and gentler to the people around us, and we’re kinder and gentler to ourselves.” – Brene Brown

[readon1 url="http://www.forbes.com/sites/amyanderson/2014/12/16/accepting-that-youre-perfectly-imperfect/"]Source:www.forbes.com[/readon1]