| We had a great year
in Lake Chapala. |
February 2011 |
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Why
was it a great year? |
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First of all, it was a BIG year for Mexico. Mexico celebrated
its dual bicentennial-centennial. We celebrated 200 years
of independence and 100 years since the start of the Revolution.
The entire year was proclaimed by President Felipe Calderón
as "Año de la Patria," or "Year of the Nation." Calderón
called upon Mexico to use the upcoming anniversaries to
reflect on where the country has been and to think about
what kind of Mexico descendents will inherit in the future.
This special edition of inFocus, Focus on Mexico will reflect
on the past year in Lake Chapala as well as look forward
to the future and what’s in store for us. We’ve
excerpted some articles from the Guadalajara Reporter, our
local publication, as well as other publications from around
the world...for instance, the LA Times, The Washington Post,
the Financial Times of London...to name a few.
Putting this newsletter together has reinforced all of our
decisions to live in this little pocket of paradise. We
are so blessed. There is a ton of wonderful information
about Mexico in this newsletter. You've heard all the negative
press. So to put things in perspective we invite you to
read "the rest of the story".
Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know interested
in Mexico or worried about you being in Mexico or thinking
on coming to Mexico. (There is a 'forward to a friend' link
at the very bottom.) Thank you!
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Getting
Here First
Have you ever said to yourself, "If only I knew then what I know
now, I would have done things differently"? For example, what
if we’d had the chance to buy stock in Yahoo, Google or
Microsoft at the beginning? What dreams would we be fulfilling
now?
Well this may finally be your second chance!
We have some wonderful articles in this issue about the progress
of Mexico in general and Lake Chapala, in particular. If you haven’t
already, you’ll discover the Land of Tequila, Mariachi and
Friendly People! Read
more about why you should Get Here First! |
Focus
on Mexico has 11 team members.
The Focus organization is pleased to have team players who can
communicate, problem-solve and take on any of the jobs required
of them in a service organization. You'll find out when you come
on a program that our team members are flexible, adaptable and
able to work together to make the Focus on Mexico program a delightful
adventure for our participants. Time and again, we're reminded
by our participants that our team members are our biggest assets.We
thought you would like to get to know them a little better, take
a look... |
As you grow older, you'll
find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do. --Zachary
Scott
The
articles in this Special Edition of the in
focus newsletter will make you feel upbeat about the area
if you live here and anxious to move if you don’t! |
Good
News about Mexico from around the Internet
As Mexico continues to be berated with negative media coverage,
it’s important to realize the media mindset: If it bleeds,
it leads!
Of course, bad things are happening in Mexico…but bad things
are happening everywhere. It’s not the world we grew up
in, and it can be a little scary. When you live in California
and hear about crime in Philadelphia, it goes in one ear and out
the other. But when the media reports bad news about Mexico, it
paints the whole country with the same brush.
That’s one reason we put together this special edition.
If you live here, we want you to feel positive about the country
you’ve chosen for your retirement.
If you don’t, look at this summary
of articles from 2010 media that do a good job presenting
the reality of the current state of affairs in Mexico. Take it
from me, your mindset will be changed by the time you get to the
end! Read
a summary on what's included in this issue of the in
focus newsletter and the positive energy flowing in Mexico.
All this and more await you in this issue of in Focus…it’s
the “what are you waiting for” issue you’ve
been waiting for! Enjoy! |
Other
Topics of Interest...
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 The
Lake Chapala area is beautiful and peaceful. At the same time,
it is energizing with many opportunities for service. Roy
is a pastor, and I am an educator; therefore, we couldn't
imagine life without some avenue for service. That's one of
the reasons we are drawn to this area. We can't wait to get
back!
Jackie
& Roy Trueblood
Alumni July 2010
Lake Chapala Green
Group
 Some
wonderful things are happening at Lakeside with regard to sustainable
living. The Lake Chapala Green Group has been serving
the community for over three years now. Its mission is
to provide information to the community on sustainable and
green topics.
Learn
more about the Green Group...
 We
attended Focus Mexico in Nov 2009 and loved the informative,
interesting presentations and we loved the place. In fact, we
are coming back in March to visit friends
who moved there this year and will snow bird it from now on
because they love the lifestyle and are active in bridge, learning
Spanish, helping the orphans, walking in a club and attending
all the cultural events. We would also love to move there but
will have to wait another year at least.
Barb
Ryan and Rick Liss
Alumni,
November 2007
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Focus
Announcements in 2010:
Focus
Referral Program
Focus launches Referral
program to compensate/reward those people that send us business.
Focus pays a cash referral for every client that is referred that
comes on a Focus program. Within the first week of launching the
program, we received 3 referrals, which we were most grateful
for. So we invite you to refer your friends to the Focus program
and we’ll happily pay you a referral. Focus
Program EXPANDS to include Financial Seminars (at no additional
cost) In
these economic times, it is imperative to STRETCH your $$$$ to
hope for a better retirement. Therefore, we added these seminars
covering the tax implications of moving to Mexico from the U.S.
or Canada. What you will learn could change your whole concept
of retirement for the better. Read
more...and see what other announcements we made in 2010 |
The Pan
American Games are Coming to Guadalajara in 2011!
 The
Pan American Games are the America continents version of the
Olympics, with 42 countries competing in over 40 sports. They
are held every four years and take place the year prior to the
Summer Olympics.
To get ready for this amazing
event, there were many plans put in place for environmental
initiatives to clean lakes, monitor drinking water and revitalize
the downtown.Learn
more about how the games will help Lake Chapala...
 What
can I say about Lake Chapala except that it is truly paradise
on earth. I took the Focus course in March 2010 and that was
our first ever trip to Mexico, let alone Lake Chapala/Ajijic
and I honestly don't know how anyone can even think about making
such a move without first taking the Focus on Mexico course.
It is an absolute necessity.
Joan
Wright
Alumni
July 2010
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The Lake itself!Rains give Lake Chapala
a boost
During the first 11 days of February Chapala regained 19 of those
lost centimeters, equal to a volume of 190 million cubic meters
(Mm3) of water. Mexico's largest lake
in the Living Lakes limelight
Delegates attending the Living Lakes conference were introduced
to Lake Chapala March 18 at a spectacular ceremony evoking a strong
sense of the respect and strong connection Mexico’s ancient
cultures held with nature. Read
more about what happened with the lake during the year 2010...
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| Comments
from some of our speakers Cam
McIntosh CA, CFP  The
good news for myself in 2010 is that I have basically semi-retired,
just under the wire of 60, and am snowbirding in Mexico. I am
still maintaining my full tax practice...For 2011, as we only
spent 3 months this winter, we are expecting to be a full snowbird
with 5 months for 2011 in Mexico and enjoying the people, weather
and the culture, as well as continuing to work my tax practice.
Marian
Wellman EA, Investment Advisor  ...I'm
very, very glad to be back in Mexico - the sunshine, the welcoming
friends, the sense of community. I have one friend who did move
back to the US this year to be closer to grandchildren, but is
now regretting having done so - snow, cold, much higher expenses,
and more isolation and harder to meet new people than our little
cocoon that we enjoy down here. This is home! Walt
and Nancy Heine  We
have had the privilege and honor to help establish, with generous
donations from the Rotary Club, what we believe to be the most
professional woodwork shop in the whole state of Jalisco. The
shop is part of Hope House in Ixtlahuacan...We have begun to spend
a lot of time in the workshop but have definitely seen that the
reward far exceeds the investment of our time. We truly have been
blessed. Michael
Nuschke CFP, RFP, CIM  Most
stock markets put in an excellent year of recovery. While economic
signals are still mixed, the overall outlook is much improved
from one year ago.
Advances
in technology make it easier then ever to stay in touch with
people long distance. Internet services like Skype, iChat and
Google Voice make long distance calls and even video calling
a free proposition!
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Lake Chapala
is the Best Place to Live
Focus on Mexico is not
the only one saying Lake Chapala is the Best Place to Live
Mexico is a GREAT place to retire! What are the pluses and the
minuses for living your life on purpose and not just accepting
the status quo?
Well, we’re in the ‘plus’ business and we’re
positive that there’s no place we’d rather be than
in Lake Chapala, Mexico…for all the right reasons…lower
cost of living, temperate climate, caring health care, loving
people. And, we’re tired of all the bad press.
We've done the research for you...what other people, web sites,
companies, newspapers, etc., are saying about the positive aspects
of living and retiring in Mexico, and have gathered these articles
here for you... Good
news about Retiring in MexicoMore
good news about Investing and Tourism on the upswing in Mexico
Below are a few articles that appeared in the newsletter in
focus during 2010:
A Look
At the Future of Lake Chapala
As the Lake Chapala area continues to grow and improve, Focus
On Mexico wants to keep you informed of the growth and potential
for our little pocket of paradise. Here is an example of predictions
for the area. Lakeside
living in 2031 - an expert"s vision Thursday, December 30 2010 Dale Hoyt Palfrey
 With
eight years of experience under his belt as a volunteer advisor
to local government officials and non-government organizations,
U.S. engineer Todd Stong has gained valuable insights on the public
policy issues and environmental matters that impact the quality
of life in the Lake Chapala region. Dr. Carlos Garcia, Maskaras Clinic
announces a New Hospital/Clinic for the Lake Chapala Area We
are planning three phases for the new hospital in the Lake Chapala
area. The first phase will be a first-class Emergency Room, three
in-patient hospital rooms, a full 24-hour laboratory, a surgerical
room and an X-Ray department that will include a general x-ray
machine, ultrasound, a mammogram machines, orthopantomography
(Dental panoramic radiography) and a CAT scan machine. We’re
also hoping to get a blood bank going. Future projects will include
two ambulances (one for intensive care patients and the other,
a regular ambulance.)
We’re very excited to get started on this project. See
what else the future holds in store for the Lake Chapala area...
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..We had an
incredible  group
of people in our session which have turned out to be some of
our closest friends. There was such diversity among
our group yet it was amazing how much like-minded people
have in common. Of the 16 that attended the program 11
of us will be living in Ajijic by the end of this year!
We all talk about how wonderful the people are, what a
little piece of heaven is here and we've wondered how this Program
managed to unite so many lives.
Araceli Estorga
Alumni
April 2010
Mexico,
Guadalajara metro area and Lake Chapala Region holidays for 2011
 David
and I enjoyed both our Focus on Mexico tours. We met lots
of friends
and have run into many more
since our stay began in October 2010. It has
worked out wonderful for
us. We love the people, the community at large and
the wonderful opportunity
we have to be involved in a new culture. It's very
exciting. Thanks again to
your team 2007 and 2009. Love you all and look forward
to seeing you all in the future.
David
& Bunny Spratt
Alumni,
2007 & 2009
 Sue
and I are truly happy to be here in Mexico and living the dream.
Like everyone here,
we have had our good and bad experiences...but...there is no
question the good
outweighs the bad, and we are so blessed to be living here.
I didn't realize how
much good weather can influence your attitude. I was pretty
happy in Seattle but I'm thrilled to be here in this climate.
I think that is one
of the best parts of living at Lakeside.
Greg &
Sue Ochs
Alumni,
December 2006
 From
the moment we arrived in Lake Chapala, we knew that it was what
we were looking for.
The weather, the culture, the people…..everything!.
During the week of the
Focus program, we both made the decision that it was where we
wanted to be.
We could not imagine living anywhere else. It is a wonderful
dream come true.
We are blessed. Rob And
Judith LeoneAlumni,
December 2009
Chain
stores sprout up in Chapala
 March
12 2010 GR Staff
The national department store
chain Coppel is expanding its business in Chapala with the construction
of an outlet at the north end of the town’s main thoroughfare.
Other big companies also in the process of installing branches
in Chapala are Farmacias Guadalajara and Elektra-Banco Azteca.
 We
have been in our lovely home here for the last five months enjoying
what can only be described
as paradise with our adopted parents "Focus on Mexico" still
watching over us. For those people who might have wavering minds
,to
visit or not to visit,take
the Focus on Mexico tour,you will have nothing to lose
and everthing to gain.Rene Gagnon
and Joan MyersAlumni,
February 2010 |
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