Day 6 – Friday – Off to the market

After the emotional roller coaster of saying Adios to our families yesterday, today was light day of fun as a team. We traveled to a street market in a smaller town called Progresso. There we picked up some souvenirs for friends and family back home. While we were offered all sorts of things, we all picked up a few treasures – the most popular were small guitars that the kids bought.

After a brief lunch, we traveled to an orphanage outside of Reynosa.

While it has the title of orphanage, it is closer to a halfway house for kids who are in high risk situations – parents in prison, violent areas, or where their own behavior puts them at risk.


The facility has around forty children, most of them boys.


We played some spirited games of soccer and said goodbye again.

After frisking our team to make sure no family was bringing any extra kids home with them, we headed back to Texas.


Tomorrow we will be up early to travel back to Vermont. This has been a great opportunity. We hope that you will join us next year!

God’s Blessings-
-MJ

Day 5 – Thursday – Our finale in the Colonea

This morning our entire team was able to be part of our Bible school for the children. We continued to have a few more children and moms attend. Today our theme was “Jesus is our Savior” and like Summer Kids Week back in July, we had the kids respond with “Viva!” each time they heard the theme. Diana was again her energetic, kid loving self!




And today we had a mascot that looked like a cross between a cactus and green monk! (Nice job PJ!)



Gabrielle helped me translate our “Today!” cheer to Spanish “Hoy!” We were able to describe the Gospel, and while the kids were a little restless, the moms were clearly listening and processing what they were hearing Our craft was a plastic wind chime cross the kids painted with translucent paint. For the children, it was the highlight of the morning.

The end of our time with the kids was both great and difficult. The kids and moms lingered about the church this time. Many hugs, high fives and smiles were exchanged. And many kids asked us “Mania?” (meaning are you back here tomorrow?) It was difficult for us to say “No Mania” and Adios to these kids. Amazing how after a few short mornings we had made such bonds with these families. We gave the children several gifts as they were leaving: fruit, Bibles, blow-up balls and bandannas. The kids loved us so much that many of them gave gifts back in return. Even when they have nothing, they were giving out of the generosity of their own hearts. Some kids wrote notes in Spanish or English and brought them back to us. A little girl gave Kelly a small jello like treat in a rip off container similar in size to a jelly package at a restaurant. Rob (one of the Mission Discovery gents) later explained to Kelly that this was a big of a gesture as a kid giving an X-Box back in Vermont. Amazing.

The church wanted to thank us for working with them and putting on the MOPS and Bible program for the kids, so they made us a great lunch of homemade tamales and salsa. Several of the older church ladies starting preparing the meal early in the morning for us, and they beamed whenever we asked for more tamales. The kids of our own group had never seen tamales before, and they were a little concerned about trying them until we told them they were not supposed to eat the corn husk wrapper! Once the kids knew this, they dived in. Eric said it was the best meal he has ever had.


During lunch, Horcini (the 20 something son of Pastor Valente) sang us several hip-hop style Spanish worship music (he called in his fun-funk-funky Jesus musica). Having worked beside this quiet man during the week, we all loved seeing this completely different side of his personality.



We then went back to our work sites to do the final tasks – putting down a linoleum floor, hanging the front door and putting up some window curtains At site 2, we found the family had already slept in the house as we had to move out their mattress in order to put down the floor.


It was amazing to see the difference in the home when the flooring was down. For people who often live with dirt floors, having a raised floor with linoleum is a luxury.

Our teams then joined together at each site to dedicate the homes. Site 1 was dedicated first.


The team and the family had developed a tremendous bond. During the day, the mother of the family (Maria) invited several of our ladies into the tiny existing house. To be invited into the home is a massive show of love and acceptance Maria then shared her life’s story. Not only has poverty been her experience, but physical abuse has also been a frequent companion. While she has lived a difficult life, she has found tremendous compassion. She has found a new loving husband, adopted a boy that was abandoned, and has her daughter-in-law and grandson living with them. Kelly translated the conversation, and the ladies now know exactly how to pray for Maria.

During our dedication of the home, we told the family that the house was a gift not form us but from God. We read from Ephesians about God making a home in their heart, and gave them a new Bible. We also gave the family 50 pounds of rice and 50 pound of beans – enough for several months of meals.

When it was time for us to board the bus, it was extremely difficult to do so. Tears were being shed by everyone. Our youngest members of the team had the hardest time, as they had to say goodbye to the kids on the street and family that they had been playing with for the last several days. Alex said it was hard knowing that they may or may not get to see these kids again. We all waved goodbye to Santiago as we drove away.



Did we make an impact for this family? Yes. The family had just started on their walk with Christ before we arrived, and our trip helped back this decision a little more real for them. However, the impact was most evident by the father, Gregorio’s, closing comment that he wants to help to build the house for the next family in his colonae.

At site 2, the family joined us for the dedication. We had brought in some medical supplies to have Andrea do some cleaning of Marcella’s burns on her feet. The good news was that the wounds were healing very well, at least on the outside. The family’s son, Miguel, was polite but did not interact still. It is hard to tell if it was from shyness, grief or something else. At this dedication, we shared from the family’s new Bible the passage from John talking about Heaven being a mansion of many rooms and Jesus being the truth, way and life to reach Heaven. For this family, we added to the gifts of bean and rice by giving the family new pots , pans, towels, and a few fleece blankets from Fiesta last summer.


Did we make an impact for this family? Yes. Helping a family who literally had an empty plot of land and no possessions by giving them a new home to live in was significant. Showing them that other people care, have compassion for their grief, and want to help was significant. Leaving them with the Word of God was significant. This family is at a crossroads. Pastor Valente will follow up with them and the local colonae Pastor. We can only trust in God that He will send others to help them on their path.

The bus ride home was quieter than the previous days as we all processed the events of the last several days. Today we stopped for ice cream sandwiches after we crossed the border. It provided a nice pick-me-up for all of us.

Every night this week we have gathered after dinner to plan the next day and spend some time in worship together. Each night we were also asked to share where we had seen God during the day. The stories tonight came easily and not many dry eyes were among us. Jim shared how he had talked to a man in the street about coming into the church to hear the gospel. The kids shared things that they had learned from the colonae kids, such as contentment with having very little. Tonya shared how loving and open the kids were.

To help us build the homes, our team had been joined by four men from Tennessee. Steve and Bob helped with site 1, and Roy with site 2, and Harold was our bus driver and site 2 help. We were able to give them a new experience – in all the years that they have helped with these trips, they had never seen a VBS before. And they certainly had never seen Diana in action!


Harold shared his heart during our evening. He has been a living example of compassion and humbleness during the week. Tonight he shared how he had prayed for us before the trip, that our hearts would be broken for the people of the colonae. His prayers were answered.

I am struck by the many contrasts that we witnessed this week. Those with wealth, and those in poverty. Those with love and family, and those with nothing. Those with God in their lives, and those without hope. No matter our outside appearances and resources, it was very clear that we all have similar struggles. What does life really mean? Do I choose the easy way and live for myself, or do I put others first? Do I reach out to others in love, or as a means to gain something for me? I suppose in the end, we really are all the same – people in desperate need of the hope, joy and grace that only comes from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Thank you for following along with us! We owe all of you a tremendous amount for your financial and prayer support for this week. Thank you for being on our team, so that we could make a difference.

God’s Blessings ---
-MJ

Thursday edition... delayed...

Sorry for the delay in getting this blog updated for you. Thursday was a great, but emotional day for us. We spent some time together talking and looking a pictures together as a team... so the blog did not get updated.

More coming soon!

-MJ

Day 4 - Wednesday

Today our team finished the last major steps on our homes. Site 1 needed to complete the roof. And both sites had to lay down the tar paper and rolled singles.



A portion of the team loved being on the roof. The special view of the colonae and the chance to play with tar lured several team members up.



Of course, the fun could only last so long, and then started the "fun" job of removing tar from hands, arms, and faces.




During the morning we had another children's bible school with around 40 kids again in attendance. While it was taking place, several of our ladies put on a "mini-MOPS" morning for the moms who came with their kids. (MOPS stands for Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers)


Around 12 ladies were part of this special program. In this society, the women are the glue that holds the family together, and much of the hard labor around the homes is done by them. While they have this special role, they are not really appreciated or acknowledged. So having a morning of being pampered, having their kids taken care of by someone else, and doing something just for them was extremely appreciated.


You did not have to ask Kelsey twice to jump in to help with the babies and little ones!



During the morning, the ladies made a craft, and they were given prayer cards from some women back in Vermont. We took pictures of the ladies to make prayer cards for the women in Vermont to now pray for them. The morning also included a little pampering -- a new coat of nail polish.


The matriarch of site 1 went to the MOPS in the morning. When she came back, the most important thing for her appeared to be the cross craft she made. While this physically will be a reminder for her, I believe that the time she spent talking with our team will be a vivid memory. And she and our "matriarch" had some time to talk with each other as well!


At the end of the day, Stephanie mentioned that while she has been involved with MOPS for 12 years, today was the best MOPS experience she has ever had. PJ commented that, for her life, today ranked just below the days that she adopted her own daughters. It seems like both sets of ladies were touched by each other.

Day 4 - Wednesday - Continued

Day Two of our Winter Bible School (as our kids renamed it) was focused on how Jesus is our life. Our team of boys were ready to go (and the puppets were ready too!).



Our girls were pumped up as well! A couple of days of housing building is better than any fitness center.













Gabrielle did a great job as the mascot today - Rosa the Rabbit. Gabrielle has been invaluable with her grasp of the language... helping us through customs in the morning when a Mexican Border Crossing agent came onto our bus to find out what we were doing. The colonae kids have loved her as well -- some giving her the nickname "Chili."









The adults were ready to love on the colonae kids as well. Bill did a great job, coming up with an unplanned lesson using a mirror to tell the kids that the "person in the mirror is special and loved by God".


The kids were fascinated and full of giggles... why?


Well - have you ever seen Diana teach? She cannot speak Spanish - but you would not have been able to tell by the way the kids were laughing and following her lesson. Seeing Diana mimic a thunderstorm is something that should not be missed!


The songs, the stories, the face to face time were huge for the kids.


Simple things mean so much to these kids. A little boy was standing off to the side, frowning, and not involved. Shayne had a bottle of bubbles, went over to the boy and showed him how to blow bubbles. A few minutes later this picture was taken...






The end of the time involved a scene I wish we had been able to capture as a picture. The camp we are staying at in Texas has a large orange grove around it, and the camp is partially funded by selling these oranges. We bought several bags of oranges to give away to the kids. These oranges were almost grapefruit sized and bright orange in color. When the kids left the church after the WBS, they all ran down the streets holding their craft for the day and these oranges. You would have thought that they were made of gold, or very delicate like an egg the way the kids held them.

Tonight our discussions included how we take many things for granted at home. Fresh fruit for us is a given, or something easily purchased. But a single orange to these kids -- an amazing gift.

Our team has changed since the start of the trip. Everyone is much more relaxed. Many of our cares, our burdens seem to have disappeared. We are tired in the morning, tired in the afternoon, yet strangely energized when we are at the colonae. The shock of poverty is still real, but we are able to step past it faster each morning to interact with the families we meet. Our own kids are making friends with the kids on the street -- everyone knows who two colonae boys (Santiago and Guelliermo) are, and can tell you about conversations they shared and games they played together. The impromptu games of soccer are providing humor and fun each day.

The families are far more receptive, as well. Our family at site 1 greets us all with hugs, handshakes, and their yard is open to us. While our time with the family at site 2 was limited today, they continue to venture out to us and the dad, Bulmaro, played his violin today for Jim, Heidi, Michael and Paul.

On the drive in this morning, someone commented on how strange it was that in the midst of the poverty and homes built out of cobbled supplies, that there would occasionally be a really nice home... perhaps even one that looked complete and finished. It made me think about how the towns might have looked in the time of the New Testament. I am sure that the majority of people were living in cobbled together homes, barely making enough money from hard work to feed their families. But every town would likely have had a few wealthy people in it... an government or Roman official, a tax collector, or some other person of status.

Jesus talked about how difficult it was for a rich man to make it to heaven because of how hardened their heart could be. He said that people who put their life's effort into attaining possessions would only find that they had lost their life and entrance to His Kingdom for eternity. This was a strange thought because it seemed by logic that those with money, success, and position in this life would have the same status in the next. Jesus' statement was radical... how could a poor man be closer to God? If this was true, why did God not favor the poor man in this life as well? Perhaps the poor man did something to offend God, or had to work hard to regain God's favor. And yet Jesus said the opposite was true.

We pray tomorrow to have the opportunity with the kids and families to share Jesus' love for them in a real way. I would believe that they see us and think we have it all together like the rich man in Jesus' story. While we may have material possessions they can only dream of, we are just as poor, dirty and opposed by our own sin. We have only been lifted out of spiritual poverty by Jesus' free gift of salvation. Tomorrow we hope to clearly explain this profound truth to our new friends. And we pray that they will accept not only the free gift of a new house, but more importantly, the free gift of salvation that comes in belief in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

God's Blessings to you -
-MJ

Day 3 - Tuesday - The kids

Our second day in Reynosa started by taking most of the team to Pastor Valenti’s church to put on a 90 minute Children’s Bible School (CBS). Education is very important here, so the children attend school, some in the morning and some in the afternoon. We were not sure how many kids not in school would come to our CBS, but hoped for the best and prepared to start at 9:30 for whomever came. At first only 23 kids arrived, but more continued to come in (we even bused in a few from the colonea of site 2), and in the end 40 kids had a great time with us.
The morning included singing….



Dancing….



Mascot characters…



Crafts…



puppets…



and games. (Nice of Diana in the bright blue shirt to give these kids a head start!)



How many will come tomorrow? Not sure… we expect many more than today as the word gets out.

Day 3 - Tuesday - The work

After the CBS, the teams came back to both sites and continued to build. Yesterday the teams did a great job getting the floors and walls together, so today the word of the day was “Blue”.



Using brushes and rollers the team covered the walls with the brightest blue paint that I think Mission Discovery can find.



The families became involved in the step, jumping in beside us.



Brielle admitted that perhaps more paint was on her than she had put on the walls. Since many of us brought down a single pair of shoes, it will be easy to tell that we are a group when we fly back home at the end of the week.



The paint dried quickly in the 80+ degree sun and we moved on to raising the walls up.



In 15 minutes, the four walls were up and suddenly a new home was taking shape.



Over in site 1, they found that the floor was not completely supported. The oldest son (who had just come home from school), quickly jumped underneath to prop up the unsupported floor joist. Obviously the team was having way too much fun, and decided to take the opportunity to re-enact their favorite seen from the Wizard of Oz.




Site 2 pushed forwarded and put up the roof and trim on the house.




The new blue homes are easily seen compared to the older homes around them.



A nice photo op with the family in front of site 2, and the work sites for Tuesday were packed up.



Through customs, then a quick stop for 23 slush puppies (and a couple cups of coffee) at a gas station, and we went back to camp. Another great day completed in Mexico.

Day 3 - Tuesday - The Real Work

Relationships. Mission trips are really about the relationships. Yes, we minister to people with physical needs. Yes, we have the blessing of experiencing new things. Yes, we have fun and a chance to play with kids. But the relationships are really the work we are about this week. It is building relationships with the families we are serving. Hopefully in these relationships, we can reflect the grace, love and joy that we have gained from our relationship with Christ. And then we can help these families and kids build a new relationship with Jesus.


Today was a great day. It was great to see the houses come quickly together, but even more amazing to see the relationships we started yesterday break out today. At site 1, the family was overjoyed to see us come back. The grandmother of the family was delighted to see the girls and ladies on the team, and tried talking with them throughout the day. Kids came from all over (partially because of the CBS earlier in the day), but they wanted to jump in and help.



At site 2, the family’s only son came home from the hospital. The father, who yesterday helped hammer but was very serious and quite, initiated conversation with us. While I no very little Spanish, and Bulmaro (the father) knows little English, we talked and laughed a little. Bulmaro jumped in with a paint brush and borrowed a hammer when needed. We wrote his name of the hammer and gave it to him… it did not leave his hands the rest of the time. The family’s pain is still very real, as the 14 year old son would not talk to us. For him, it was the first time seeing the site since the fire.



While the tasks on the homes changed, the kids went out in the streets to play. We have purchased 4 soccer balls at night at a Walmart close to the camp we are staying at. They have been invaluable in helping form quick relationships when language is a barrier.


The day ended with an impromptu game of catch behind the bus with Alex, Taylor and some boys from the area.


Not sure what tomorrow will bring. We are hoping to finish the houses tomorrow so that we can spend Thursday all in CBS in the morning and with the families in the afternoon. Pray for us to have another great day - and even more communication and relationship building with the families. God only knows what conversations we may have tomorrow.

God's Blessings --
-MJ