Sunday, February 22, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Mexico 2009
(More pix coming soon!!!! Check out www.mcbicfamilymissions.blogspot.com for more pix and a video collage of our experiences)
We crossed the border without much incident. The kids thought the guards, drug sniffing dog and mini tank were so cool. I have to admit that I did also.
OK...I've been to Mexico and back. So much has happened in the last week. And I have yet to write about any of it. Well, I did write a blog post for the church missions site, but then had an error and it didn't post. Sorry to those of you who were looking for a post from me. But I feel that I have yet to process all that took place on the trip. So...I am going to attempt to sift through the thoughts and experiences and emotions of it all. It may take a few days to get it all down. For now...I will begin from day 1. I have no idea where this will take me, so hold on for the ride!
On Tuesday, February 10, our alarm clocks went off at 4 AM. After not really getting into a deep sleep throughout the night, I was up and ready to go rather quickly. (moreso than usual!) We met up with other team members (the Kneppers, Lebos and Hopkins) at the church. We then began our trek to BWI airport. We had a fairly uneventful day of flying and arrived at our hotel to check in. The wind was crazy. When our team had all arrived and assembled (we met up with the Armstrongs at the airport and the Selkirks at the hotel), we headed off to dinner and to buy some last minute supplies to drive across the border. We no longer had to worry too much about weight of luggage or available space so we were able to buy those extras that didn't make our packing list. Some of us bought pillows to use and then leave at the home. We also bought some sporting equipment to give to the home. And we bought snacks to sustain us in between mealtimes (7 AM, 2 PM, and 7 PM or so...8 PM?...9 PM?)
On Wednesday AM, we woke and met as a team. We prayed and read scripture together and shared thoughts with one another about the scripture. We all were anticipating what this new experience would hold for us. We prayed that God would use our team to bless the kids at the children's home. We also prayed that God would change us and help us to hear what He wanted to say to us and teach us. We wanted to make sure that we were emptying ourselves of ourselves and letting Him shine and work through us. Our ride to the home called and ended up being 2 hours later than we first had planned on. This was our first exposure to the Mexican timeline on this trip. 10 AM becomes 11 AM becomes 12 PM...and so on and so on.
We met the new Children's Home Director. Her name is Madelyn. She is a single woman from New Jersey. She was born in Cuba. Her family moved to New Jersey when she was 4. She knew from the time she was 17 that God was calling her to be the director of a Spanish speaking children's home. How cool is that?!?
On Tuesday, February 10, our alarm clocks went off at 4 AM. After not really getting into a deep sleep throughout the night, I was up and ready to go rather quickly. (moreso than usual!) We met up with other team members (the Kneppers, Lebos and Hopkins) at the church. We then began our trek to BWI airport. We had a fairly uneventful day of flying and arrived at our hotel to check in. The wind was crazy. When our team had all arrived and assembled (we met up with the Armstrongs at the airport and the Selkirks at the hotel), we headed off to dinner and to buy some last minute supplies to drive across the border. We no longer had to worry too much about weight of luggage or available space so we were able to buy those extras that didn't make our packing list. Some of us bought pillows to use and then leave at the home. We also bought some sporting equipment to give to the home. And we bought snacks to sustain us in between mealtimes (7 AM, 2 PM, and 7 PM or so...8 PM?...9 PM?)
On Wednesday AM, we woke and met as a team. We prayed and read scripture together and shared thoughts with one another about the scripture. We all were anticipating what this new experience would hold for us. We prayed that God would use our team to bless the kids at the children's home. We also prayed that God would change us and help us to hear what He wanted to say to us and teach us. We wanted to make sure that we were emptying ourselves of ourselves and letting Him shine and work through us. Our ride to the home called and ended up being 2 hours later than we first had planned on. This was our first exposure to the Mexican timeline on this trip. 10 AM becomes 11 AM becomes 12 PM...and so on and so on.
We met the new Children's Home Director. Her name is Madelyn. She is a single woman from New Jersey. She was born in Cuba. Her family moved to New Jersey when she was 4. She knew from the time she was 17 that God was calling her to be the director of a Spanish speaking children's home. How cool is that?!?
We crossed the border without much incident. The kids thought the guards, drug sniffing dog and mini tank were so cool. I have to admit that I did also. We also loved seeing all the palm trees (or pom pom trees as Josiah called them :)
When we arrived at the Children's Home, we got settled into our room and had a little tour. Then we heard about the priorities that Madelyn had for us. She wanted us to clean out a building that would house the elementary school that the home has on-site. She also wanted us to paint a classroom that was not currently in use. There is a little kiosk type building that they plan to convert into a vending site where the kids at the home can purchase drinks and snacks. They figure that way the kids wouldn't need to leave the home as much to get snacks and the home could profit from their spending on snacks also. The kids will routinely walk to 7-Eleven or somewhere similar to purchase snacks if they have extra money to do so. So another job was cleaning out and painting that building. Also, the trees around the courtyard at the home needed repainted. They paint the bottom half of their trees white to discourage ants from climbing them and destroying the leaves. Supposedly the ants get disoriented in the vast area of whiteness and turn around and head back down. A sliding board at the play area needed to be re-attached also.
Dave had already been in contact with the Reynosa Brethren in Christ Church. The team that went to Mexico 2 years ago had the wonderful opportunity of painting the exterior of that church shortly after it was built. This time our team was heading back to complete some more projects there. The bars/grates hanging on the windows needed painted. Also, the pews in the church needed to have the legs attached to them. These pews had been donated. The pews were sitting on cinder blocks and were a bit unsteady that way.
So...we knew that there was much to do and only a few days to get it done. On Wednesday afternoon, our team got to work on projects at the children's home. It is so cool to see how much a team of people can accomplish. It was also so cool to see how varied the gifts we bring to the table are. I really enjoyed watching everyone on our team and seeing how their uniqueness added to our projects.
Thursday, 13 of us went to the church. There was some initial cleaning that could take place, but the supplies that were needed to accomplish the projects still needed to be purchased. They needed the guy with the checkbook. So Dave left with the Mexican men who were working at the church, including Pastor Francisco. I absolutely love that guy. He is the most gracious man I know. He always has a smile on his face. And he is such an encourager. Thankfully for Dave, the men stopped at Francisco's nephew's house and picked up Edgar who went to school in the states and was able to play the role of interpreter while we were working at the church.
It seemed like a LONG, LONG, VERY LONG time that Dave and the men were gone. We had to laugh when we looked around the church and realized that we Americans were in charge. There were kids from the neighborhood coming in and asking us for things. We did our best to communicate with them. Sherry pulled out her cheat sheet of Spanish phrases that my friend Angelica had given to us to use. That was immensely helpful. It was funny though because Chris, Sherry and I were having a conversation with a couple of Mexican boys. We were trying to find out why they weren't in school and what their life was like. We were able to ascertain that they were not in school because their family could not afford it. They lived with their mother and their siblings. Their mother didn't work. We were asking them how they eat--in other words, where do you get the money to put food on your table? It appeared to us that the boys must've thought we were inviting ourselves over to their house for lunch! OOPS! The one boy got on his bike, excitedly I might add, and said, "Vaminos!" Now there's a lot of Spanish that I don't understand, but Dora the Explorer taught me that "Vaminos" means "let's go!" HA HA All we did was laugh and try to express to the young boy that we must've miscommunicated. I'm not sure he ever got it. He just looked at us like we were crazy!
One of the highlights of the trip for me happened shortly afterward. Sherry got her words to "Every Move I Make" out and began to sing it. Lindsey and I did the motions and the Mexican neighbor girls did the motions with us and sang what they knew. We were all able to sing, "Na na na na na na na" together. Very cool. Those motions to songs are part of the international language. I look forward to doing them in heaven!
A pizza lunch was brought in for us and the Mexican workers. This was a relief to those who had not been enjoying the few meals we had experienced at the Children's Home so far. I think I can safely say that most of us really enjoyed the meals at the home. But it can be stretching for those with a more particular palate. Actually, I absolutely loved the meals we had! I wish I had the recipe for a couple of them. One was a spicy lasagna type meal. The "pasta" was cooked corn tortillas. Ever accidentally get the corn tortillas at the grocery store and deeply regret it because they are horrible? This dish was awesome. It was a red sauce, with cottage or ricotta type cheese (which I picked out because of my lactose intolerance) mixed with the soft tortillas that really tasted similar to pasta. But this dish had a bite to it. The spices were just enough to give it lots of flavor without being over the top. Yum!
OK...back to the work! We worked hard and returned to the home. It was amazing to see how much work was accomplished by those who had stayed behind. It made our long day doubly rewarding.
The following day, 11 of us went to the church and completed the jobs we had begun the day before. This time, we baked in the sun. It was 93 degrees and sunny. I'm not complaining though! :) We had the essentials with us in our supplies that we brought along. They included bottles of water, sunscreen, a roll of toilet paper for the outhouse and antibacterial hand cleaner. John was near panic mode when he needed to use the outhouse. The door to the outhouse would latch by wrapping a wire attached to the inside of the door around a nail on the inside wall. The nail had fallen out so you would have to have someone outside the door holding it for you (or pound the nail back in each time and hope that it would stay.) On John's way out earlier, he had spotted a big spider in the outhouse. This time he really had to go (sorry if this is TMI!) and faced a major fear. After all, what better way to put things in perspective? An outhouse with a wood board to sit on doesn't seem too bad when compared to an outhouse with a wood board where a large spider would hide and remain just out of site, but you knew it was still there! Oh my! The trials of life... Sometimes you just have to face these things because there is no other option. We all survived.
This day, on the way home, we stopped to buy gas. We bought gas for Francisco's truck and also for the Home's van. We had been kind of concerned about the very bald tire we had been riding on over the large potholes on the dirt roads to the church. Again, things were put in perspective when we had our gas tank filled up. The gas began leaking out onto the ground beneath us. There were a few moments of panic once again and talk about getting us to a mechanic ASAP. The concern of our Mexican friends is that they would have majorly ripped us off because we are Americans. In the end, it was decided that this was just a leak from the overflow and was not a valid concern. On the drive home, we were no longer focusing on that bald tire! We were praying for protection with the gasoline situation. In the end, the tire held out and the gasoline situation proved to be nothing serious.
Situations like that reminded me that many people were praying for us. I truly felt their prayers throughtout the week. It was awesome to know that we were not taking this trip alone--that many other warriors were fighting spiritual battles with us and praying for our protection.
One thing I haven't mentioned is that any spare time we had at the home, our kids were playing hard and playing nonstop. They played soccer, knock out (basketball game), played on the play equipment and chased, chased, chased. It seems like the boys and girls never get too old to chase each other around. This is especially a highlight for John and it seemed like it was for Jordan also.
Saturday began with a later breakfast time. We got to sleep in a little bit. We met as a team before breakfast and poured beans and rice into baggies that we could give away at the colonia (or neighborhood) that we would visit later in the day. We also packed up clothing, toys, stuffed animals, Bibles and tracts to take along to give away. The colonia we went to on this trip was very different than the one we visited on our previous two trips. The homes in this colonia were more spread out, and they were mostly made of cinder blocks. We split into three groups, took supplies and went from house to house. Our group had Ricardo, an employee of the home, as our translator. At our first stop, Ricardo was able to tell the family the difference that Jesus has made in his life. He told them that now that he knows Jesus, he has hope for his future. He also has hope for his son's future. It was a powerful testimony in light of the lack of hope and future that was seen all around us. We ended by praying for this family. Josiah took his Mechanicsburg baseball hat off and gave it to the little boy who lived there. It touched our heart to see one small child giving to another. It especially blessed me that Josiah took his baseball hat and gave it when that was not one of the items we had brought for the purpose of giving. He taught me about generosity and love and selflessness that day. He made us very proud. How fun to see a little Mexican boy with a Mechanicsburg hat on his head.
Dave had already been in contact with the Reynosa Brethren in Christ Church. The team that went to Mexico 2 years ago had the wonderful opportunity of painting the exterior of that church shortly after it was built. This time our team was heading back to complete some more projects there. The bars/grates hanging on the windows needed painted. Also, the pews in the church needed to have the legs attached to them. These pews had been donated. The pews were sitting on cinder blocks and were a bit unsteady that way.
So...we knew that there was much to do and only a few days to get it done. On Wednesday afternoon, our team got to work on projects at the children's home. It is so cool to see how much a team of people can accomplish. It was also so cool to see how varied the gifts we bring to the table are. I really enjoyed watching everyone on our team and seeing how their uniqueness added to our projects.
Thursday, 13 of us went to the church. There was some initial cleaning that could take place, but the supplies that were needed to accomplish the projects still needed to be purchased. They needed the guy with the checkbook. So Dave left with the Mexican men who were working at the church, including Pastor Francisco. I absolutely love that guy. He is the most gracious man I know. He always has a smile on his face. And he is such an encourager. Thankfully for Dave, the men stopped at Francisco's nephew's house and picked up Edgar who went to school in the states and was able to play the role of interpreter while we were working at the church.
It seemed like a LONG, LONG, VERY LONG time that Dave and the men were gone. We had to laugh when we looked around the church and realized that we Americans were in charge. There were kids from the neighborhood coming in and asking us for things. We did our best to communicate with them. Sherry pulled out her cheat sheet of Spanish phrases that my friend Angelica had given to us to use. That was immensely helpful. It was funny though because Chris, Sherry and I were having a conversation with a couple of Mexican boys. We were trying to find out why they weren't in school and what their life was like. We were able to ascertain that they were not in school because their family could not afford it. They lived with their mother and their siblings. Their mother didn't work. We were asking them how they eat--in other words, where do you get the money to put food on your table? It appeared to us that the boys must've thought we were inviting ourselves over to their house for lunch! OOPS! The one boy got on his bike, excitedly I might add, and said, "Vaminos!" Now there's a lot of Spanish that I don't understand, but Dora the Explorer taught me that "Vaminos" means "let's go!" HA HA All we did was laugh and try to express to the young boy that we must've miscommunicated. I'm not sure he ever got it. He just looked at us like we were crazy!
One of the highlights of the trip for me happened shortly afterward. Sherry got her words to "Every Move I Make" out and began to sing it. Lindsey and I did the motions and the Mexican neighbor girls did the motions with us and sang what they knew. We were all able to sing, "Na na na na na na na" together. Very cool. Those motions to songs are part of the international language. I look forward to doing them in heaven!
A pizza lunch was brought in for us and the Mexican workers. This was a relief to those who had not been enjoying the few meals we had experienced at the Children's Home so far. I think I can safely say that most of us really enjoyed the meals at the home. But it can be stretching for those with a more particular palate. Actually, I absolutely loved the meals we had! I wish I had the recipe for a couple of them. One was a spicy lasagna type meal. The "pasta" was cooked corn tortillas. Ever accidentally get the corn tortillas at the grocery store and deeply regret it because they are horrible? This dish was awesome. It was a red sauce, with cottage or ricotta type cheese (which I picked out because of my lactose intolerance) mixed with the soft tortillas that really tasted similar to pasta. But this dish had a bite to it. The spices were just enough to give it lots of flavor without being over the top. Yum!
OK...back to the work! We worked hard and returned to the home. It was amazing to see how much work was accomplished by those who had stayed behind. It made our long day doubly rewarding.
The following day, 11 of us went to the church and completed the jobs we had begun the day before. This time, we baked in the sun. It was 93 degrees and sunny. I'm not complaining though! :) We had the essentials with us in our supplies that we brought along. They included bottles of water, sunscreen, a roll of toilet paper for the outhouse and antibacterial hand cleaner. John was near panic mode when he needed to use the outhouse. The door to the outhouse would latch by wrapping a wire attached to the inside of the door around a nail on the inside wall. The nail had fallen out so you would have to have someone outside the door holding it for you (or pound the nail back in each time and hope that it would stay.) On John's way out earlier, he had spotted a big spider in the outhouse. This time he really had to go (sorry if this is TMI!) and faced a major fear. After all, what better way to put things in perspective? An outhouse with a wood board to sit on doesn't seem too bad when compared to an outhouse with a wood board where a large spider would hide and remain just out of site, but you knew it was still there! Oh my! The trials of life... Sometimes you just have to face these things because there is no other option. We all survived.
This day, on the way home, we stopped to buy gas. We bought gas for Francisco's truck and also for the Home's van. We had been kind of concerned about the very bald tire we had been riding on over the large potholes on the dirt roads to the church. Again, things were put in perspective when we had our gas tank filled up. The gas began leaking out onto the ground beneath us. There were a few moments of panic once again and talk about getting us to a mechanic ASAP. The concern of our Mexican friends is that they would have majorly ripped us off because we are Americans. In the end, it was decided that this was just a leak from the overflow and was not a valid concern. On the drive home, we were no longer focusing on that bald tire! We were praying for protection with the gasoline situation. In the end, the tire held out and the gasoline situation proved to be nothing serious.
Situations like that reminded me that many people were praying for us. I truly felt their prayers throughtout the week. It was awesome to know that we were not taking this trip alone--that many other warriors were fighting spiritual battles with us and praying for our protection.
One thing I haven't mentioned is that any spare time we had at the home, our kids were playing hard and playing nonstop. They played soccer, knock out (basketball game), played on the play equipment and chased, chased, chased. It seems like the boys and girls never get too old to chase each other around. This is especially a highlight for John and it seemed like it was for Jordan also.
Saturday began with a later breakfast time. We got to sleep in a little bit. We met as a team before breakfast and poured beans and rice into baggies that we could give away at the colonia (or neighborhood) that we would visit later in the day. We also packed up clothing, toys, stuffed animals, Bibles and tracts to take along to give away. The colonia we went to on this trip was very different than the one we visited on our previous two trips. The homes in this colonia were more spread out, and they were mostly made of cinder blocks. We split into three groups, took supplies and went from house to house. Our group had Ricardo, an employee of the home, as our translator. At our first stop, Ricardo was able to tell the family the difference that Jesus has made in his life. He told them that now that he knows Jesus, he has hope for his future. He also has hope for his son's future. It was a powerful testimony in light of the lack of hope and future that was seen all around us. We ended by praying for this family. Josiah took his Mechanicsburg baseball hat off and gave it to the little boy who lived there. It touched our heart to see one small child giving to another. It especially blessed me that Josiah took his baseball hat and gave it when that was not one of the items we had brought for the purpose of giving. He taught me about generosity and love and selflessness that day. He made us very proud. How fun to see a little Mexican boy with a Mechanicsburg hat on his head.
We had some conflicting emotions about the colonia we visited--particularly those of us who had been on the trip two years ago. Ricardo and his wife own a plot of land in this colonia. While it looked like a desolate area in comparison to the neighborhoods we know in the US, Ricardo and his wife are looking forward to building a home on that very land someday. They want to have a home of their own. This was somewhat confusing for us to see our friend planning and hoping to move to this neighborhood when we were feeling sad for those who were living there and wishing we could do more to help them. I think I understood that Ricardo and his wife were hoping to have a ministry there, a church there, in the future. Either way, this colonia was more developed than the colonias that are built on top of old city dumps. At those colonias, the people come out of the woodwork and line up to receive supplies. They seem desperately in need and it is a gift to be able to help them and share with them. When processing the disappointment of not being taken to that colonia, we found out more information. The director of the home told us that the colonias at the old city dump had gotten more dangerous in the past couple of years. She told us that there are gangs there and that Americans have gotten fire crackers thrown at them in the past. She was concerned with our safety, particularly since we had our children with us. Once we heard this new information, I felt much more peaceful about what had taken place. Again, I felt that God had led us where He wanted us to go, and protected us along the way.
On Sunday, our group went to the church that is on site at the home. The church and home both fall under the Calvary Commission ministry, but many people from outside the home come to attend the church there. We joined with the people in singing praise songs. For some songs, I could pick out enough words I knew--like God, heart, sing, dance, to join my heart in praise even when I couldn't understand everything. Then for 3 songs--the best thing happened. They were songs that we know and sing in English. While the Mexican churchgoers were raising their hands and crying out to God in Spanish, we Americans were able to cry out to God in English. It was such a beautiful thing to hear both languages being sung at once and to see all of us worshiping the same God in our own tongue. It was very powerful. In my mind, I could picture worshipers from all nations bowing together before God's throne and singing out to Him in our native tongue.
After church, we surprised the kids with a Burger King lunch and "surprised" them with inflatables that we had rented. Kids of all ages and sizes bounced together. It got pretty wild! I have some video of Pastor Layne in the mix, bouncing, playing and getting climbed on. I think I have a suggestion for Greta, his wife, for his next birthday celebration :)
The kids bounced for hours. We pulled our kids away and went into town to do a little shopping. We went to a couple of markets. A few of the home's teens went along with us. We appreciated having them as our tourguides and interpreters and the teens enjoyed getting out and shopping with us. We made sure to get them some soda--one of their favorite treats.
After returning from our shopping expedition, Dale Reed--an American who lives behind the home and volunteers much of his free time there--was there giving away popsicles to us all. Then the rain began. So the inflatables were turned off. It was dark anyway and some of us parents were thankful that the kids didn't have major injuries by that hour.
Shortly thereafter, Dale drove the Armstrong's and Selkirks into Texas to stay overnight before early AM flights. It was tough to believe that our time at the home was almost over!
Monday brought cleaning and packing and laundry. We left our rooms in great condition for the next group to come in. The home is very short staffed right now, so we helped out with various tasks throughout the week. This also eased some of the kids and teens of their chores that they normally do. I think they enjoyed the extended playtimes that they had with our kids throughout the week. I know that our kids loved it!
Another highlight of the week for me was getting to know the home's director Madelyn. She has a beautiful heart and is very giving. She could use lots of prayers for her health and for stamina to tackle all that she faces from day to day. She could also use prayer in raising the financial support that she needs to remain there. I was so happy to spend time with her, to hear her stories and to encourage her.
Dave spent lots of time throughout the week being Saint Nicholas. Because of the funds that the kids in Upstreet and Kidstuf have given in their offering, and because of project funds we as a group had raised, we were able to give and bless in many ways. Dave made almost daily trips to purchase supplies for the home, the church or the colonia. In the end, we were able to complete the bulk of the projects that both Madelyn wanted done at the home and Francisco wanted done at the church. In addition to the work that was accomplished at the church, we purchased tile for them that the Mexican men laid while we did our projects. In both cases, we were also able to give a financial gift to bless Madelyn and Francisco.
For the 4 families that flew out of Texas together, we had an eventful time. Our first flight was on time and without major turbulance. I didn't feel like I was going to lose my lunch this time around! We landed in Dallas and had about 45 minutes until we were supposed to take the very same plane and fly out to Baltimore. Roger, Jordan, Brandan, Bronte, Josiah and myself remained on the plane during this time. For those of you who don't know, that is 2 adults and four children. We were the only ones who remained on the plane. We felt like we had our own private jet. The boys were checking out first class seats and we had free reign of all the seats. The captain was great. He invited the kids to check out the cockpit. They had a great time looking around at all the buttons and knobs that the pilot controls. After this tour was done, the kids returned to their seats. Shortly thereafter, we found out that the plane is broken. This is the very same plane that we had just flown in on. See, again, God protected us and brought us safely to Dallas. His timing is perfect. We had to laugh and wonder if our kids did anything to "break" the plane when they were in the cockpit. We were reassured that no, our children were not the cause of this problem. This plane had the same problem three weeks in a row... Hmm...makes you wonder. An hour and a half later, we flew out on a different plane and arrived at Baltimore around 1:something. Then we drove back to Mechanicsburg and arrived at the church at 3:45 AM. It was a long day!
What a wonderful trip! All in all, we pray that God will take our relatively small efforts from our short time away and multiply them to bring encouragement to those who are commiting their lives to serving Him. We are also praying that His name will be glorified, both here in Mechanicsburg, PA and in Reynosa, Mexico and throughout all the earth.
On Sunday, our group went to the church that is on site at the home. The church and home both fall under the Calvary Commission ministry, but many people from outside the home come to attend the church there. We joined with the people in singing praise songs. For some songs, I could pick out enough words I knew--like God, heart, sing, dance, to join my heart in praise even when I couldn't understand everything. Then for 3 songs--the best thing happened. They were songs that we know and sing in English. While the Mexican churchgoers were raising their hands and crying out to God in Spanish, we Americans were able to cry out to God in English. It was such a beautiful thing to hear both languages being sung at once and to see all of us worshiping the same God in our own tongue. It was very powerful. In my mind, I could picture worshipers from all nations bowing together before God's throne and singing out to Him in our native tongue.
After church, we surprised the kids with a Burger King lunch and "surprised" them with inflatables that we had rented. Kids of all ages and sizes bounced together. It got pretty wild! I have some video of Pastor Layne in the mix, bouncing, playing and getting climbed on. I think I have a suggestion for Greta, his wife, for his next birthday celebration :)
The kids bounced for hours. We pulled our kids away and went into town to do a little shopping. We went to a couple of markets. A few of the home's teens went along with us. We appreciated having them as our tourguides and interpreters and the teens enjoyed getting out and shopping with us. We made sure to get them some soda--one of their favorite treats.
After returning from our shopping expedition, Dale Reed--an American who lives behind the home and volunteers much of his free time there--was there giving away popsicles to us all. Then the rain began. So the inflatables were turned off. It was dark anyway and some of us parents were thankful that the kids didn't have major injuries by that hour.
Shortly thereafter, Dale drove the Armstrong's and Selkirks into Texas to stay overnight before early AM flights. It was tough to believe that our time at the home was almost over!
Monday brought cleaning and packing and laundry. We left our rooms in great condition for the next group to come in. The home is very short staffed right now, so we helped out with various tasks throughout the week. This also eased some of the kids and teens of their chores that they normally do. I think they enjoyed the extended playtimes that they had with our kids throughout the week. I know that our kids loved it!
Another highlight of the week for me was getting to know the home's director Madelyn. She has a beautiful heart and is very giving. She could use lots of prayers for her health and for stamina to tackle all that she faces from day to day. She could also use prayer in raising the financial support that she needs to remain there. I was so happy to spend time with her, to hear her stories and to encourage her.
Dave spent lots of time throughout the week being Saint Nicholas. Because of the funds that the kids in Upstreet and Kidstuf have given in their offering, and because of project funds we as a group had raised, we were able to give and bless in many ways. Dave made almost daily trips to purchase supplies for the home, the church or the colonia. In the end, we were able to complete the bulk of the projects that both Madelyn wanted done at the home and Francisco wanted done at the church. In addition to the work that was accomplished at the church, we purchased tile for them that the Mexican men laid while we did our projects. In both cases, we were also able to give a financial gift to bless Madelyn and Francisco.
For the 4 families that flew out of Texas together, we had an eventful time. Our first flight was on time and without major turbulance. I didn't feel like I was going to lose my lunch this time around! We landed in Dallas and had about 45 minutes until we were supposed to take the very same plane and fly out to Baltimore. Roger, Jordan, Brandan, Bronte, Josiah and myself remained on the plane during this time. For those of you who don't know, that is 2 adults and four children. We were the only ones who remained on the plane. We felt like we had our own private jet. The boys were checking out first class seats and we had free reign of all the seats. The captain was great. He invited the kids to check out the cockpit. They had a great time looking around at all the buttons and knobs that the pilot controls. After this tour was done, the kids returned to their seats. Shortly thereafter, we found out that the plane is broken. This is the very same plane that we had just flown in on. See, again, God protected us and brought us safely to Dallas. His timing is perfect. We had to laugh and wonder if our kids did anything to "break" the plane when they were in the cockpit. We were reassured that no, our children were not the cause of this problem. This plane had the same problem three weeks in a row... Hmm...makes you wonder. An hour and a half later, we flew out on a different plane and arrived at Baltimore around 1:something. Then we drove back to Mechanicsburg and arrived at the church at 3:45 AM. It was a long day!
What a wonderful trip! All in all, we pray that God will take our relatively small efforts from our short time away and multiply them to bring encouragement to those who are commiting their lives to serving Him. We are also praying that His name will be glorified, both here in Mechanicsburg, PA and in Reynosa, Mexico and throughout all the earth.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Opportunity knocks
Our boys both recently auditioned at a local playhouse for "The King and I". It was a stretch for them to audition. They have friends that act and they love to perform in different capacities, so we gave it a shot. Boy, were they nervous! They entered the tryout building and stood before a group of strangers and sang their songs. They were very quiet and timid about it all. When they came out, they both decided that they do not enjoy singing. Think the stress of the audition affected their perception at all?!
I am thankful for our friends who are godly examples in our lives. They had researched the script for "The King and I" and found that there were different times during the show when the cast must bow and say something along the lines of worshiping Buddha. (or buddha--lowercase, as I prefer). After a short discussion, Dave and I decided that we were not interested in our kids beginning their theater career by declaring to worship any other than the one true God. We especially didn't want this tied up with the excitement of being on stage, repeating the phrase multiple times throughout practices and performances, and then being rewarded for it night after night by the applause of the crowds. We felt that this would send very conflicting messages to them.
So yesterday we got a phonecall that led to an offer to be in the show. It was a tough choice...but we held to our convictions. I am praying that this real life situation will teach our children that there are things in life that we will not compromise on. There is nothing worth compromising our devotion to the only real and true King. He is the True Treasure. He is the King. He alone is worthy of our worship. And He is so sweet...so good...so faithful.
Interestingly, it is easier to say no to this blatant expression of "other-worship" than it is to realize the subtle ways that I worship other things. Do I place food at a higher place than it should hold? Does the amount of time I take trying to look good speak to where my heart is?How about my favorite t.v. show? Hmmm...humility.... God, I am a work in progress. Make me pleasing unto You, I pray.
I am thankful for our friends who are godly examples in our lives. They had researched the script for "The King and I" and found that there were different times during the show when the cast must bow and say something along the lines of worshiping Buddha. (or buddha--lowercase, as I prefer). After a short discussion, Dave and I decided that we were not interested in our kids beginning their theater career by declaring to worship any other than the one true God. We especially didn't want this tied up with the excitement of being on stage, repeating the phrase multiple times throughout practices and performances, and then being rewarded for it night after night by the applause of the crowds. We felt that this would send very conflicting messages to them.
So yesterday we got a phonecall that led to an offer to be in the show. It was a tough choice...but we held to our convictions. I am praying that this real life situation will teach our children that there are things in life that we will not compromise on. There is nothing worth compromising our devotion to the only real and true King. He is the True Treasure. He is the King. He alone is worthy of our worship. And He is so sweet...so good...so faithful.
Interestingly, it is easier to say no to this blatant expression of "other-worship" than it is to realize the subtle ways that I worship other things. Do I place food at a higher place than it should hold? Does the amount of time I take trying to look good speak to where my heart is?How about my favorite t.v. show? Hmmm...humility.... God, I am a work in progress. Make me pleasing unto You, I pray.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Humor and Fairness
By the time I figured out my password to get back into this account, it has gotten late and I am tired--too tired to do a story much justice. But I couldn't let the day go by without telling you something I learned today. I just assumed my kids knew what tumbling was. Dave asked Josiah to dress like a clown and do some tumbling in a Kidstuf sketch this morning. The new February virtue is Fairness. Jack Hazard begins by getting so excited that the virtue is "Fair". He thinks it's time to have a fair! Suddenly there is fair music playing and the atmosphere gets supercharged with fun and excitement. He calls in his helpers and in comes Tim carrying a pole with cotton candy hanging while he yells, "Get your cotton candy here!" His wife Diann is twisting balloons. Trenton is filling up sandy candy. Andrew F. is unicycling. Eric is juggling. Jesse was a strolling magician. And last but not least, Josiah was the clown. He looked so cute dressed up with a fancy vest and pants, a huge pink tie with orange polka dots and his brother's crazy red, blue and yellow suspenders. He comes out on the stage and begins to fall over--flat on his face. He thinks that tumbling means to tumble or fall over. I couldn't contain my laughter. The surprise of it all just had me cracking up. He continued to get up and then fall over again...get up and then fall over again.... Well, it really made me laugh and it is not something that I will soon forget. I love when things really catch me by surprise and make me laugh--the unexpected things that strike me and cause me to laugh out loud. It doesn't happen that often. I'm a tough humor critic. Today was a good one.
Later, we had a Mexico meeting. At the end, we had an open prayer time where anyone who felt led could pray. Dave and I were so proud when the second person to pray was Josiah. He began by praying that we would all have a great time on our trip to Mexico. We were smiling...our hearts were touched.... Then he went on to pray that our plane wouldn't crash! I heard chuckles around the circle. Of course, we all have that same prayer. But it is not something that we verbalize. A fleeting thought maybe...a private prayer maybe...but not a corporate prayer that we share with the group. Gotta love the honesty of children. And next time we go for a doctor's appointment and there is a plane on the t.v. screen that has gone down because birds got in the engine, I am going to take my kids and turn around and walk out!
Random thoughts: the Steelers won their 6th Superbowl, we found out that JD likes Amy's gluten free spinach pizza on rice crust, John got gooped on in Kidstuf today, the boys have a talent show this Friday, we leave for Mexico in 9 days...WOW!
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