Be Home soon

We have a few hours here in Atlanta and so we have a moment to quickly update you all.

Our construction ended yesterday in good fashion. We completed 90% of the dry wall, which will allow a small team from Arizona to complete the home next week. The picture below is of our team, and Claudia and her family. Right before this photo was taken we prayed with Claudia and the family and she prayed for us. She was very thankful and grateful to God for her new home.  In the next few days I’m sure we will have more posts and reflections to share with you all. For now, thank you so much for your prayers. We will see you all soon.

Our Team and Claudia's family

Finishing Strong

While a ton of amazing things happened today, we aren’t going to give too many details tonight. It’s late and the team has decided to get up early tomorrow in an attempt to finish our project. Our team worked very well again today. We installed the interior walls, most of the rafters and the wiring. Still, we have a long way to go to finish and tomorrow is our last day to complete the home. Tomorrow night we will cross the border and head to Yuma so we can make it to Phoenix on time for our flight Thursday. So tomorrow we will be working from sun up til sun down. Please pray that we would have strength and also complete all that God would like us to.

Pastor Enrique and Billy Gotschal

Just a few highlights from the day:

• We were moving lumber to Hector’s house when the van we were using stopped running. We had to push the van back to the church (about 250 yards) and in the process Devin had an asthma attack. Pastor Enrique prayed for Devin and it immediately stopped.
• Today some of our team went for a prayer walk through the neighborhood. We stopped several times to pray in a larger group. On one occasion we felt compelled to go to a home to ask the people to pray for them. This is a family that one of our teams built a home for 3 years ago. So we went to the door and knocked. It’s funny how language is a barrier at times. We tried to explain to the husband (Carlo) who we were, but it didn’t go too well. We did ask him if we  could pray with him and he agreed. Then his wife (Rosa) came home and she immediately knew why we were there and who we were.  We told her we were building a home for Claudia and she began to cry.  She pointed to a picture on the wall of the team that had come and built her home. And then we prayed together and Rosa prayed for us.
• Tonight there was a worship gathering that we went to at the church. The worship and message were good. At one point Pastor Enrique asked our whole team to come forward. He said that the most they could offer us was prayer. Then the whole church came forward and began to pray for us. We each had one or two people laying hands on us and praying for us. Although we could not understand what they were saying, it was a very powerful moment.

Matt Dinko and Hector

Tomorrow is a hectic day for us. So  you won’t see any updates to this blog until we get home. Tomorrow is a BIG day. Please pray.

Grease. Girlpower. Grace.

Words for the Day.

Girlpower

Grease. Girl Power. And Grace.

Grease because our team needed a bunch of sun tan lotion today. It was a hot day here and several of us have some sun burn. So lotion was used liberally and often.  Fortunately by the end of the day we were all still in good spirits and no one had their sun burn get worse. Grease is also a word for the day because our team worked like a well oiled machine. We worked hard, we worked efficiently and at times  during the day every single person on our team was active and working. It almost looked like a bunch of ants scurrying about.

Praying for strength

Today was a BIG work day. We put up the four walls of the house we are building.  This involved metal studs , drill guns and plenty of screws.  Which brings us to the second word for the day “Girlpower”. The girls on our team are truly amazing workers. They were working together  and built the back wall… all on their own. Liz is the queen of the screw gun. Laura was the team captain. Linda was the measure expert. Lenuta, Amanda, Esther,  and Kelly were the super-duper stud holders.  They did a fantastic job putting together the wall, which is no easy task.

The second wall going up

While much of our team built the walls, the rest of us spent the day pulling nails.  We took all the wood from the dinkonated house and pulled all the nails out so the family could use it to build other structures or give it away. Building materials here are hard to come by, so pulling nails is a simple way for our team to serve Claudia and her family. As a thank you to our team Claudia bought and prepared dinner for us tonight… barbecued chicken and rice!

Grace was an important word today.  Remember how we mentioned yesterday that a family we met had been deported from the United States last year? Let us tell you part of that story now.

Art and Heather were living in Washington, USA, with their daughter Sarah. Then unexpectedly Art was deported, and so Heather and Sarah moved with him to San Luis, Mexico. While this might seem like a bad turn of events, the truth is that they were in God’s hands and He intended to use their new circumstances to draw them closer to Him and bring both healing and freedom to their lives.  You see their lives were filled with pain, frustration and addiction. Heather suffered from depression and diabetes and Art was an alcoholic. After arriving in San Luis they started to attend church here at Inglesia Ismachias and meeting with Pastor Enrique. Over the last 12 months God has transformed their lives. Art has been sober for a year and Heather’s blood sugar has been normal.  Art told us that being deported was the best thing that could have happened to his family. Heather said that although the house they live in does not have water or electric, she is happier then she has ever been. For the first time, her life seems calm. Not having a TV allows her and Art to talk and for her to be quiet and pray. God’s grace has been miraculous in their lives.

Mike Suit and Art

Today we needed to install some windows and doors in the walls we were building, but we couldn’t get the right wood and so we had no frames. Bob Ray asked a family to let us use ones that were to be installed in their home next week. By giving us the frames they probably wouldn’t get windows for another month.  The family Bob asked were Art and Heather. They said of course you can have the frames. God has been so good to us how could we say no? And then Art volunteered to join our team and help out. So today we painted the frames that we will install tomorrow, and Art worked with us all day long.
We have been working through Philippians chapter 2. Today we talked about verses 5-7.  “Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had”… even though He was God  He laid down  divine privileges and served us, because He was humble. Today our team worked on having this same attitude – To lay down our rights in order to serve others.  And today we truly did live this out. It was an amazing day.

Day 3. Worship, Tacos and Sun Burn.

Today started early. We woke, ate breakfast and boarded the bus  for El Golfo at 7am.  The whole gang  from Iglesia Ismaschias  church came along. Much of the trip was spent  laughing and singing worship songs in Spanish. We recognized “Here I am to worship” and “Celebrate Jesus Celebrate” and a rather wild version of “Lord we lift your name on high”. The trip to El Golfo was joyful and a glimpse of things to come.

The baptisms are about to begin

One we arrive at the beach we had a worship gathering. Pastor Enrique spoke of worship. In particular he shared how worship is a sacrificial act. However, once we make the choice to worship in song God meets us there. Often the times we experience Jesus most vividly is during worship.  Following the message we all headed down to the water for baptisms. Six people were baptized, one being from our group – Natasha Ray.  Let me tell you that the people who were baptized really wanted to be – the water was freezing. After the baptisms they lined up and we all gave them hugs and congratulated them.

Amanda and Lenuta with the ice cream man

It looks beautiful but it was cold!

Getting ready to eat!

On the right is pork being cooked. The bowl is filled with cabbage and cilantro

We probably would have just hung out down at the freezing water if Pastor Enrique hadn’t yelled “Tacos!”. This motivated everyone to get lunch. A local taco vendor from San Luis had traveled with us to the beach to cook lunch for us. What a great feast! We had fresh tacos, quesadillas and all the fixins  on the beach under a cloudless day. It was truly spectacular.

Waiting in line to get our tacos several of us had some great conversations with a few of our Mexican brothers and sisters. John got to visit with a family he met 3 years ago when he helped build their home. The father, Miguel, is a fun loving man who smiles big and laughs often. He and his wife Blanca are so grateful for the home they live in. A few others got to hear a pretty amazing story about a family who was living in the states in Washington and got deported back to Mexico. Perhaps that is a story we can blog a little later in the week.

While the water was cold, the sun was hot. As a result aloe is now our new best friend. Now one  on our team got sun poisoning, but many of us have red necks, foreheads and feet.

Real hot sauce

All in all it was a very good day of rest and relaxation. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. Now our team is feeling rested and will be ready for more construction tomorrow. The work will consist of framing walls and putting most of the roof on.   It will be an important day and will determine how close to completing our project we will get. Please keep lifting us up to Jesus.  We love you all.

John with Miguel, Blanca and their son George

Day 2. Demolition and Concrete.

After  our flight landed in Phoenix we had an uneventful drive south to SanLuis, Mexico. We arrived late last night – or this morning depending on how you look at it – it was 6am Ohio time, 3am here in SanLuis.

This is a typical lot and home in the neighborhood

When we first got up this morning we took a walk around the neighborhood to get acclimated. It’s  always an eye opening moment for our team to see the level of poverty in this region of the world. Quite honestly, it looks like a bomb went off. There is quite a bit of debris and garbage strewn everywhere. Most  houses are only semi-completed  or vacant. The ones that are occupied are self constructed of whatever building materials residents can find – from pallets to tires.

During our walk we did see a jack rabbit, which was interesting. The rabbit was quite large, fast and had huge ears.

Our Team with Claudia before Demolition began

This was our first day on the worksite.   We are building  a home for Claudia. Living with Claudia is her daughter Carla, and  Carla’s son Jesus.  It was a very productive day for us. In spite of our fatigue from travel  we were able to remove the existing structure on the property and pour concrete for the new home. During the demolition Matt Dinko was in the middle of the work. Let’s just say he was a bit enthusiastic about tearing down the old building. So our team coined a new phrase – “dinkonated”. As in that house got dinkonated, or Matt really dinkonated the fish taco dinner tonight. Or in Mike Suit’s case  - Mike just dinkonated that toilet.  You get the picture.

The other side of the house.

Mixing Cement.... quite a workout

The concrete today was very challenging. It’s incredibly hard to mix concrete by hand. Our whole team worked very hard all day long.  We did not expect to be working with concrete on this trip, but that’s how things usually go on a mission trip. You never know what to expect and you must have a willing heart to serve in any way necessary. Trying to control things is futile. And that’s one of the joys of the trip too. It helps us to be better followers of Jesus when we learn to give up control and serve Him  in any way necessary. Still, our team is pretty tired tonight, but tomorrow is a day of rest.

Sunday we will be heading down to El Golfo for church on the beach. It’s  going to be a great day. The church we are partnering with here has rented a bus and is taking the entire church to the beach with us. The worship gathering will include baptisms, which is very cool. And a taco vendor is coming with us to make us lunch on the beach. It’s going to be a great day.

Thank you for praying for us. Please keep doing so.  We miss you all but we are encouraged by what God is doing here in us and through us.

PS. Chris… Liz says she misses you and remember to water the plants.

The team after we "Dinkonated" the house but before the concrete was poured.

GO Mexico 2011 is finally here.

It’s hard to believe we are leaving today and heading to San Luis Rio Colorado. The last few days before a trip are always exciting… and hectic.

Exciting because the trip now has our FULL attention, and with that comes reflection. I tend to spend time each day reflecting on what God will do on the trip and I ask questions and pray….

• Who will God transform on our team?  …   Jesus, work in our lives, cause us to become more like you...
• What Mexican families we will meet and love?   … would you fill me with love so I can love others….
• How open will my heart  be to Jesus and what He wants to do in and through my life? … Father help those on our team to have humble hearts that are willing to follow you…

Asking these questions and seeking Jesus is a very healthy thing for all of us.  Trips seem to create a greater sense of urgency for us and our connection with Jesus.  After all, we are going to another country to serve and love and this can’t really happen if I am not in tune with Him. When I am connected to Him I get excited thinking about what He can and will do through me.

And of course it’s been hectic. Packing, picking up last minute supplies, and finishing odds and ends that I won’t be able to get to next week. But, the trip is finally here, and so now some of the chaos will cease and our team will be able to relax and focus on the task at hand and the God we follow.

Our flight  to Phoenix is leaving this evening. We have a quick stop in Chicago and if we can we’ll give a quick update. Then it’s onto Phoenix and the drive south to Mexico.  I can’t wait to see what God will do!

-John-

las fotos!

As promised, here is a slideshow of some photos from the trip.  We are still in the process of sorting through everyone’s in order to get cds made for everyone, so these are just the highlights from one camera that I have had access to thus far.

Click here to get to the slideshow!

Keep an eye Mike Suit’s blog as well, i know that he has begun to post about the trip. Similarly, I am going to try and get a few things posted on my blog as well.

I hope this finds you well, I know I have been thoroughly appreciative of every warm (and over 5 minute) shower that I have had thus far…not to mention eating things other than granola again!

I hope you all have a happy Easter!

-Leanne

As our trip comes to a close…

The last day in Mexico was a long one, but incredibly memorable.  Half of the team worked at completing the structure at the church and the other half was finishing Simplicio’s addition onto his home.  I was with the group at Simplicio’s…

My muscles in my thighs were burning from the previous days work, but I knew that there was still much work to be done and this was my last chance at completing the task I had started the day before.  My task was to stucko the walls inside the structure we had built.  With a palette of heavy mortar in my left hand and a trowel of sorts in my right, I began my “squats” of going from the bottom to the top of the wall…remembering why my thighs were in pain.  On this day, I had the help of Laura and Heather.  This was no easy task, but the day went by quickly when working with others.  Gayle was our “Master Mortar Mixer” and stuck with us throughout the day to make sure our mixture was up to par and even helped shovel onto our palettes.

Lunch came quickly and it became a nice break for our muscles!  The other half of the team met up with us to eat and for the dedication of the home for the family.  Once our bellies were filled we all gathered with Simplicio’s family inside the home, put our hands on the wall and prayed for blessings for the family and the new dwelling space.  Tears were streaming down the wife’s face when I lifted my head.  For all of those that have supported me and this team…I wish you could have seen how thankful they were and know how much you all helped to make this all happen.  The tears of joy did not stop there…

Once we finished praying for the home Bob Ray spoke to the family with Enrique, the pastor, translating his words to Spanish.  Bob told the family that our team would be able to sponsor two of their daughters through high school!!!!!!  What some people don’t realize is that once the kids are done with middle school, they have to pay $300 a year per child to go to high school.  There are many families that cannot afford this so the children end up working in the fields or getting married early, remaining in the cycle of poverty.  The girls started to cry…I started to cry…many others started to cry.  We put our hands on the girls and began to pray.

Throughout the trip the family was able to receive many blessings, but know that this team received many blessings as well.  We were able to share in their joy, their faith, and the relationships we built…and hope to continue with the people of San Luis R

Back in the States!

Good news friends!  We have made it across the border and are back in the States!  We actually ended up walking across the border rather than cross in the vans because the car line was so long.  However, everything went smoothly and we were able to make it to the church in Yuma by around 9:30 or so (our time).  We’ve been taking advantage of the nice warm showers and actually feeling clean for the first time in several days.  Let’s just say I am very glad to be mortar free

As promised, here are the few photos I was trying to upload earlier.  These are just a few from our first day in the neighborhood and our day at El Golfo.  For now, it is off to bed…we have to be awake at 5:30 to start the drive back to pheonix and catch our flights home! Goodnight and enjoy the photos!

-Leanne

Last Day on the Job

Good morning friends!  I do have to say, I am looking forward to today very  much!  A few of us were down for the count with a little Montezuma’s revenge yesterday … we actually don’t know what caused it, but everyone is feeling much better today.  By the afternoon, I was able to make it out to the work site to give some moral support and do some documentation with the cameras. It was amazing, after having only missed a handful of hours at the site, how much had been completed.  The team was a well-oiled machine working together to mix cement and pour it into the forms to finish up the walls of the home so that we can do the roof today. Furthermore, the team was constantly praying with one another that God may use us even in our weakest moments.  As many became visibly tired, other took notice and stopped to pray with each other.

I am very excited for the dedication portion of this afternoon where we will be officially dedicating the home.  It is amazing that over their existing home is written “dios es amor” (even in the outhouse) and I am sure that they will continue to enscribe those words into their home and onto their hearts as they continually pour out love on each other and in the community.

I have a few more pictures to share, however, the connection is pretty slow here.  I will try and load a few if possible.  If not now, perhaps in the airport.  Either way, I will ensure that a slide show of some of the highlights of the week gets uploaded once we get home!

-Leanne