After much haggling and purchasing while we waited in line we are all back across the border.
This has been an awesome week!
Yesterday we had a great day at the beach relaxing and then we sat and had dinner while watching the beautiful sun set. After dinner we stopped and listened to Daniel and Heidi’s story of how they got to where they are at, as well as the story of the Day Care. It is an amazing story of how God provides for people.
Today we worked on finishing up our projects.
We finished the fence at the Day Care dorms.
We finished putting up the walls in the house.
We finished pouring the footers at Casa De Paz
Sadly, we were not able to finish the trailer. The students worked extremely fast and hard to finish, but we just ran out of time.
Today we all went to Casa De Paz in the Guadalupe Valley. We spent time playing with the children there as well as prepare dinner for the children. It is always fun to see our students interacting with the children, even if they cannot communicate in the same language.
I know most of the students are a little sore from the hard work and all are tired.
Tonight we will begin discussing re-entry into the US. Students have a range of emotions when they get home. Some will be overwhelmed with just being in the poverty in Mexico and transitioning into home life as well as the adjustments of gearing up for school on Monday. Some will talk your ear off until 3am just to share everything with you. Others are not going to know how to process this experience so give them a little time and space to talk. I will be strongly encouraging them all to process this week with you as it is important to verbalize as much as you can about a week like this. It is my hope that they have all had at least a small life change this week that you will notice in their lives.
Here are a few questions to ask them:
- What was it like crossing the border from the US into Mexico?
- What projects were you on and how did it go? What did you do? Why were you doing it?
- What do you remember about DJ’s story of the orphanage and how they got here?
- What was Daniel and Heidi’s story?
- What impacted you the most this week and why?
- How do you think you have changed, if you have?
- Did you connect with any of the children there?
- What surprised you about this trip?
- What was the hardest part of the trip?
- What did you enjoy doing the most?
Hopefully these questions will get the ball rolling.
I will update you when we leave La Mision. We are shooting for a 12pm departure. After that, it may take anywhere from 2 hours to 5 hours for us to get across the border. I will update once everyone is back in the USA. Please check online to be sure our plane is on time. If it is too late, we will have the students call you.
Thanks!
Phil
Tired, worn out, aching, but loving it!
I think many times we underestimate what students are capable of. I know I do form time to time. These students have worked their tales off this week and they have so much to show for it. A rock wall that is now 4ft high and about 30 feet long, footers ready to be poured for a new indoor soccer court, walls being built in an old house for a family, a trailer being refurnished for a new home for a poor family, a refortified fence and so much love shared with everyone.
This morning we had a half day of work and now will be heading off to the beach in a few minutes to enjoy some much needed R&R. Later we will go to La Fonda’s restaurant on the ocean and then hear Daniel and Heidi’s story (directors of Open Arms Day Care).
Last night DJ, director of the orphanage, spent time sharing his story and answering a lot of questions from the students ranging from:
What was the hardest day you ever had here? – Answer – The week we had to bury one of our children.
What was one of the best days you ever had? – Answer – When I was able to give away one of our girls in her wedding.
Questions about adoption, lives of the children and everything in between.
DJ left us with a thought that we will truly find joy when we are living a life of loving and serving others. That is what this week has been all about.
Tomorrow we will have a half day of work before everyone heads over to Casa de Paz in the Guadalupe Valley. We will play with the children there, deliver much needed items they have asked for (soap, shampoo, and other supplies). Later that night we will attempt to play soccer vs. the orphanage teenagers. This is always funny seeing how bad we get beat, even by 10 year olds.
Tomorrow night I will have a list of questions for you to ask your students when they get home on Friday. I hope this blog has been informative enough for you the parents to know what has happened this week so you can have an informed conversation with your student. You have amazing sons and daughters!!!
Phil
Tired, worn out, aching, but loving it!
I think many times we underestimate what students are capable of. I know I do form time to time. These students have worked their tales off this week and they have so much to show for it. A rock wall that is now 4ft high and about 30 feet long, footers ready to be poured for a new indoor soccer court, walls being built in an old house for a family, a trailer being refurnished for a new home for a poor family, a refortified fence and so much love shared with everyone.
This morning we had a half day of work and now will be heading off to the beach in a few minutes to enjoy some much needed R&R. Later we will go to La Fonda’s restaurant on the ocean and then hear Daniel and Heidi’s story (directors of Open Arms Day Care).
Last night DJ, director of the orphanage, spent time sharing his story and answering a lot of questions from the students ranging from:
What was the hardest day you ever had here? – Answer – The week we had to bury one of our children.
What was one of the best days you ever had? – Answer – When I was able to give away one of our girls in her wedding.
Questions about adoption, lives of the children and everything in between.
DJ left us with a thought that we will truly find joy when we are living a life of loving and serving others. That is what this week has been all about.
Tomorrow we will have a half day of work before everyone heads over to Casa de Paz in the Guadalupe Valley. We will play with the children there, deliver much needed items they have asked for (soap, shampoo, and other supplies). Later that night we will attempt to play soccer vs. the orphanage teenagers. This is always funny seeing how bad we get beat, even by 10 year olds.
Tomorrow night I will have a list of questions for you to ask your students when they get home on Friday. I hope this blog has been informative enough for you the parents to know what has happened this week so you can have an informed conversation with your student. You have amazing sons and daughters!!!
Phil
This morning we woke up to no running water. Today happens to be the girls shower day- a highly anticipated event. I didn’t even hear one complaint. The guys decided they would auction off their shower slots tomorrow (how generous, fellas…) but we are hoping water will be restored by this evening.
Yesterday was unseasonably cold and rainy. Everyone still made progress on their work sites, but the warmth of the sunshine today has made for a much more pleasant experience.
We love and feel so blessed to be leading these trips for a plethora of reasons, but one of our favorite is watching your students step into situations outside of their comfort zone and SHINE! The work is hard, its new and challenging for everyone. Each student responds differently, some take the lead, some provide the necessary follow through and support- they figure out how to work together, everyday improving their communication skills and team work to become more efficient and they are all leaning full hearted into working for a cause much greater than themselves. Its a beautiful transformation and one I wish each of you could catch a glimpse of in action.
The confidence gained from carrying heavy boulders from a dump truck pile and puzzle piecing them into a huge and sturdy retaining wall; mixing concrete by hand and pouring footers and posts, learning to use power tools to build beds for children who use to sleep piled together on one mattress on a dirt floor. Learning to use a hammer to drive a nail which turns into framing and today the preciseness of measuring and cutting sheetrock and screwing in drywall which makes a dilapidated empty cold dark shell of a house into a home with bedrooms for a single mom and her two young boys. Their work is powered by generator as there is no electricity or running water…always – the realization that makes todays issue of no water seem petty.
The team who has pulled up the nasty carpet, sealed the floor in preparation for tile; taken down, sanded and stained the cabinet doors, demoed the “back bedroom” of the trailer while keeping the structural integrity to retrofit with bunk beds in the small space for this family of 8… they are ecstatic with the thought that they are starring in their own version of Mexico’s Dream Home Make Over! It will take a miracle for this project to be completed in time for this group to present this home on wheels to this precious, hard working family – but we shall see how it all unfolds.
Tomorrow will be a half day of work then off to the beach and a nice dinner out. Everyone is healthy, happy and tired at the end of the day! What a good feeling when you can see the fruit of hard work. Thank you for sending your students on this trip, we are so proud of them! -mindy
