Friday, April 30, 2010

So tired...

So, I seem to be posting less than once a month.  I guess that's okay for now.  I have had a lot on my mind and even more on my plate. 


Seeing as though it's April 30th I guess you can conclude that I just got back from Mexico, and that conclusion would be right.  We drove down to Mexico on the 22nd in the pouring rain.  I was curious as to whether we would build if it was raining but assumed we probably would.  I didn't think it would be very comfortable or fun but I also know that the families were waiting for homes.  So when we woke up on Friday morning and the weather was clear I was relieved.  Later that day I asked the staff person if we would have built in the rain and he said, "Yes!"


On the drive down I rode in a rental van with the Van Winkle family, a friend of theirs, two other young women and LeAnn Bell.  LeAnn and I talked most of the way with the driver, Mr Van Winkle.  I'm so terrible with names, I forgot his first name.  The trip was uneventful, this was LeAnn's first trip so we spent most of the time telling her about what to expect and stories from previous trips.  I was disappointed to learn that we would not be going to my favorite taco stand because there had been a previous incident between a local and a grupo but the new stands we did go to were quite excellant as well.  And of course, we went to ice cream every night beginning with Thursday evening.


Friday's build was in a neighborhood where the government had built several cinderblock homes.  They had running water and semi-flush toilets.  My group was building an extension out front of the house and another group was actually building a second story.  Pastor Jeff Kreiser, his boys and a few other Lakeside friends were in my group.  The house went up fairly smoothly and easily.  A few of us walked the neighborhood talking with people and praying with them.  One woman spoke of being deported from the US and having to leave her husband and children in Texas.  She missed them a lot but was working on getting things fixed so she could rejoin her family.  In the meantime, her trust in God and his ability to straighten out her situation was evident.


I got badly sunburned on Friday.  Its a good thing I had packed my bottle of aloe vera.  I'm not the only one who burned that day.  I shared my bottle.


Saturday's build was actually back in the same neighborhood.  Eddie Passmore was our team leader and his daughter Bethany was with us.  We had a great deal of fun.  We also had something new for lunch that day, it was a stewed chicken and quite tasty.  Friday we had chicken mole, also good but I've had many times before. 


I need to finish this post later...