What the heck is "Yucatec"?

I'm so excited!!! No - it's not Mel Gibsons new "look" that I'm excited about (in fact, that kind of scares me) - it's his new movie that I just learned about from Corey's blog (thanks Corey!). It's called "Apocolypto" and it is being filmed in the original Mayan language (Yucatec). Click HERE for the link.

You're probably asking yourself "Why would Lanette be so excited about a movie that is in some obscure tribal language - Yuc-ah-whatever" . . . Well, it's because my dream/goal is to live in the Yucatan Peninsula at some point in my life and be totally immersed in the Mayan culture for a length of time. Here's what I want to do:

• Be involved in missions work (not sure what, God hasn't revealed that part yet)
• Study the Spanish language at an immersion school that is 3 blocks from the beach and pairs you up with host families. You live in their home, go to school and go to the beach! Click HERE if you want to see it. (I'm taking Spanish now at IUSB)
• After learning Spanish, I want to learn some of the native tongue - Yucatec. That is the true language of the Mayans and I will need that to go into the villages and communicate. The restaurant people in Playa del Carmen tell me that they usually have to learn Yucatec because most of their cooks still speak only that language, not Spanish.
• I'd like to visit all of the mayan ruins around the Yucatan. I've seen 2 small ones and saw the ruins of Tulum from a distance. Their religion fascinates me - they believe in all of the gods of nature, but then when the Spanish came, they brought Catholicism with them. So when you go into a gift shop, you'll see lots of little statues of gods, and then right next to it you'll see Jesus on the cross - HMMMMM?!
• I'd love to study Mayan history in the Yucatan to help me understand the people and because it's very fascinating. It's very hard around here to find books that are really helpful, so that's why it's amazing that Mel's making this movie.
• I want to snorkel or scuba dive every chance I get. The water, the reefs, and the cenotes are the most beautiful of anywhere in the world (in my opinion). If you've never heard of a cenote, they are AMAZING! Click HERE for more info.
• I just want to hang out with the Mayan people - they are so COOL! I'd love to get to know them and find out why they are so happy all the time. Even though they live very simply, they are always happy, smiling and so incredibly kind. Even though they live in Mexico, they are not Mexican, they are Mayan. (It's kind of like our American Indians living here in the United States). They are much smaller than a typical Mexican - we took Cody to the Yucatan when he was 10 and he was the size of most of the Grandmas there.
• And, of course, I want to spend as much time on the beautiful, amazing beaches of the Yucatan coast as possible! Click HERE for some pictures.

Last week when Hurricane Wilma was over the Yucatan just swirling and swirling, I was a mess from worrying. I was on line every hour researching what was going on. I have no idea if I will ever get to fulfill this dream, but I know that God has put a love and passion in my heart for this area of Mexico and the Mayan people for some reason, and I'm ready to JUMP through that door and go if it ever opens!