Mexico

This may be a bit long...here it goes!

We got home on Monday from our 2 week lond trip to Mexico. It was a very memorable trip and can't wait for the next one!

We left from Vernon on the 16th (March) and started our non-stop 4 day journey south. The 40 teens ate, slept and lived on a school bus and the 20 leaders/sponsors rode in style on a bus fully loaded with bunk beds - which pretty much saved us. On the way down we stopped at Walmarts, Fred Myers and malls for food, shopping and "showers".


Pit Stop...

A game of football to pass the time...

One of the many truck stops...



We finally made it to Mexico (with only a 3 hour stop at the border) late Monday night and we crashed on the gym floor at the church we were staying at. The next morning we actually got the see where we were since it was dark when we arrived. The view was awesome! We were in a poor little town called Arispe which was in the mountains.


We took a short tour of the town that morning and I actually felt like a missionary - very neat experience. It was just like I had imagined it - run down houses, very dirty, dogs and garbage everywhere - but a very beautiful experince that is very hard to explain.

An orange tree...

The project we were working on for the next week was clearing land for a church in a nearby town called Banamichi. So every morning after breakfast and devos we piled onto the 2 buses and drove about and hour down windy, narrow, Mexican roads. So, with pick axes, shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows we cleared land, demolished buildings, dug tunnels and cistern tanks. The kids worked so hard and when Friday came most of the job was complete.




Before:

After:


The Crew...

We would work until about 3pm, then each afternoon/evening we would set up a carnival in the neighbouring villages/towns. The carnivals consisted of blow up equipment, throwing speed cage, cotton candy, popcorn, and soccer tournaments. Following the carnival we put on a service; the kids did dramas, shared testimonies and special music. We saw God work through many of the Mexican people. Even one of our teens came to know God - very exciting!






To be continued.....