One old personal email... just sharing.

[acomplishedartis]

I was going trough some old emails on my personal email inbox and I found one from Ray that I consider a very nice one. So I have decided to post it, --just for sharing.

But first I will give a little context on it.

On the fall of 2010 I went to NY and on my way back (trough land) I was able to visit Ray for a couple days. Then I kept going south, crossed the border to mexico and kept going to my destination. On that trip my US visa was stolen from me, while I was sleeping on the bus, somebody took it from the little back that was next to me.

On January of 2011 I made an appointment to the US embassy situated on the big city of Mexico (D.F.) to apply for another visa and traveled there. The people on the embassy were not very nice, actually rude and said that I had bad luck for loosing my visa and deny me a new one. I loosed 2000 pesos for that try, since that's the risk you take for applying for a new visa. You can guess I was very frustrated at that time.



Dear Moises:  Maybe I am partly at fault, Moises; maybe I haven't prayed as earnestly about your

situation as I should have; maybe we grow lax thinking that God will automatically always do what

we desire. Had I realized how badly they would treat you, for sure I would have been more intense

in my requests to bless your efforts to serve God.  Well, for sure, God has something else in mind

for you at the present time, so don't be discourage  You still have your health, your faith, your friends.

and your talents (oh by the way, the drawing you did of Caesar my Shih Tzu is remarkable, right

down to that innocent,boyish glimmer in his eyes--Thank you!).   It is amazing how very easy it is for

real enemies to have easy access to international travel, yet someone whose only motives are only

to serve God, are harassed and treated as criminals.  These too will give account for all of their

actions, one day!  How far from Amelia will you be were you are planning to live?  I will post your

email on our Forum so that we can all be praying for God's will in your efforts to reach our brothers

and sisters south of the border.  Till next time..............God be with you,

Ray




At that time, that was very comforting for me. On february of 2011 I moved back to Cancun and after a moth I decided to settle down on one small pretty town 25 min. from Cancun and  a 5 min. bike ride from the beach.

On August of the same year, I applied again for a visa, but this time on one consulate situated on the city of Merida (5 hours from Cancun). This time I got my visa approved for 10 years, and the people there were very nice.

Well, I am almost done with this post (since I don't want to go for long). But just for in case anyone wonder what happened next.

On the winter of the last year I decided to go north, lived in San Diego for a couple moths and then came back to Mexico. Right now I find my self temporally in a city called morelia (south-center of mexico, it is actually the place where I grew up), just working on my own bussines and studying quietly. Recently I found a place not so far from here (like 3 hours away) where I would like to finally settle down again.

That's it, for now.
Hope everybody is doing well (spiritually).
Also I hope that all the people that have moved to fb, come back someday.

God bless

Moises

[chav]

Hi Moises
I'm still here.Good to see that you have found a place to settle for a while.We also have some of your artwork here as you know, and I agree with Ray that you have real ability there.an ability you could perhaps make better use of.
Dave

[Extol]

Moises,

Thanks for sharing your inspiring story.

I visited Merida and Cancun on church trips when I was a teenager.  You sound similar to me with all of your moving! I moved many times--I like to travel and wander--before I got married in 2010. Now, because I am married, I am "settled down"...but I still love to travel when I can.

As for me, it has been over a year since I cancelled facebook...and I have spent a lot more time on Bible-Truths since quitting fb. 

[bluzman]

Hello Moises,
Good to hear from you again my brother and that you are safe and sound.
Thank you for posting the email from Ray.
Would you consider posting a couple of your drawings or perhaps pm to me?
Take care buddy,    Bluzman

P.S. People here in Canada love to La Paloma sung in Spanish. Thank you for the words to the lyrics.

[Rhys 🕊]

Excellent Moises

You seem a very blessed and talented person. Thanks for sharing. 

Rhys

[mmijares]

Thank you Moises for sharing Ray's reply-email to you.

While reading it, I could hear Ray's voice as if I am listening to him right from my mp3 player, again.

I miss his regular replies to email.

-Mike

[acomplishedartis]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

Dave. I am glad you still checking out the forum, as you have noticed, sometimes we go for a while but it seems that  sooner or later we always come back. I have received a lot in here since already more than a couple years. I really miss Ray.


Hi Extol.
In my time in San Diego I had the honor to hang out with Alex and Don (avatar: SDDiver), it was awesome to be able to talk your mind openly about this truths. Traveling is fine, I think you are so lucky to have found a wife


About my artwork, I just enjoy paiting once in a while. I know I could take it farther but I preffer reading and writing. Still, I don't plan to stop, even so I only do 3 good works on a year, I guess I could get better at it on a couple years. No hurry. (by the way, my favorite style of painting is realism).
Doing it for money, I don't even think about it, that would change so many things from my making process.   

Once a while a find sublime works of art online, it makes me feel so small on my abilities... but that's a good thing, it shows me how far could I go in 5 or 6 or 20 years from now.

[cjwood]

hola moises.  i saw the picture you did for ray of his puppy cesar and it was awesome.  captured the little guy perfectly.  thank you for posting the email from ray.  i too could hear his voice speaking as i read the message.  i thought of you amigo while driving from tulum to cancun monday morning.  i saw the sign for puerto morelos and remembered that's where you lived.  that whole coastal area is magnificant.  God's creation is so magnified and beautiful there, despite the poor and suffering that is also part of the area.

again brother, thanks for posting and please continue to do so.

claudia

[dodrill]

Moises - you will always be welcome wherever you go - I  know people who can sell your art - thinking if you wanted - but you are God's Art - bless you brother - now teach us some Mexican Spanish and wonderful recipes for life xxx

[acomplishedartis]

Claudia.
Now I am thinking that I should post that drawing I made for Ray. Probably I will. Next time you should stop by in 'puerto morelos', there are some good places to eat on down town. I remember I made a lot of things for that little house I had in there, I am glad that whoever is living there or is going to live there will benefit from that.



Hi Hayley.
Muchas Gracias por ser tan amable conmigo. Talvez todavia soy muy joven para dar recetas de vida.




If I would do my painting for monetary reasons, I think that this would happen to me:
-what was a hobby and a time to relax (away from bussines issues) would be no more.
-the motives of my artwork would change since I have to think about the audience I am focus on.
-I would not be able to do other things I care more about and surely I would be painting against time.
-It would be hard for me to put a fair prise on what I consider very personal works.
-I don't like naive art critics.
-Since I usually make postcard size prints of my paintings and like to give them to friends, I think selling them would probably take some meaning from what was meant to be only a gift.

[Extol]

Moises,

You give some excellent reasons for not selling your art. I have not sold much of my art, but this year I'm going to start to try to sell some. However, I make these conditions for myself:

-I will keep my regular job.
-I will only go to fairs that I can afford to go to (for example, I will not gamble by going to an art show with a $1500 fee and hope that I will make more than that).
-I will not expect to make any money.

In other words, I will try to sell some art, but it will still be fun, and I will not try to make it my main source of income. If I get some money from it, that's great, but if not, that's okay.

It would be great if you could show us the picture you made for Ray!

[acomplishedartis]

Extol,
I have thought about something similar in the past. For me to do it would depend on the type/style of the paintings and a few other factors (you don't want me to get too technical... I can come to get boring). For the type of painting I am doing now, I am out of bussines still.

Seems like you have think about the issue as well. I believe the motive of the heart --of trying to do what we believe to be the right thing, is what matters the most, I wish you the best on these new experience.




p.s. I might will post that painting on another section of the forum soon.