Thursday

This is what I wrote in my journal Thursday morning......

"7 am feels way to early to be getting up. Really! I am so tired, my face is puffy and I just want more sleep!"

By the time Thursday rolled around, we were really beginning to feel the effects of our breakneck pace. Our muscles were starting to hurt, and more than one of us were burnt or had some interesting injuries.

We loaded the things on the bus, but many of us did not realize how much stuff we would be taking. It took so long to get the bus ready we almost got a ticket. The next street down had some major construction, and the police liked to keep things moving.

We got to the colony, and we split up again. We had the same groups as yesterday, except AT and Steven switched groups, so now Steven was with us. The first group unloaded at a house we had been driving by all week, on a ravine. Susan said it was so neat to finally get to work on that house, because she has been coming down here for many years, and recognized it from previous visits.

Our group drove less than a half a mile away to a house right on the edge of the dump. Mauricio, our bus driver, told us that the woman (Romania) who lived here is a very angry person. He also said that she was a brand new Christian whom Gloria and Felix were working with. Thank goodness that there are wonderful people like Gloria and Felix who are able to work with these people and give them answers and pray for them. They really are a godsend to this community.

We didn't get to meet Romania, because she was not there when we got there. Her daughters and family were there though, and we met them. Our project was to replace three sheets of roofing (laminate). Kimmee and Steven climbed up onto the tin roof with no fear. There was no way I was getting up there! It was just tin and flimsy boards, and I could just imagine me crashing through the roof. No way.

There was really only room for two people on the roof, so Kimmee and Steven did most of the project. Kelli and I pounded nails for a new support below, and also prepared the bottle caps. Jeff and Abram directed shenanigans up on the roof.

Kimmee and Steven finished up the roof before 1pm, and we collected up our tools to head back to the sight. This was the first time we had finished a project, and it felt good.

We presented the food box, bible and apron to Romania's giggling daughter, and Gloria took a photograph.

We had lunch at the church in the community run by Gloria and Felix's son, and then packed up our stuff to head to the bible club we would be holding for the little kids in another community. The drive there was only about 10 miles as the crow flies, but because of the roads in Oaxaca, it was a very bumpy, long ride. At one point we even became separated from Abram in the truck leading the way, and we got a little lost. Our wonderful bus driver got us found quickly however, and we finally arrived at the little community church. There were kids running around everywhere, and dogs running in and out of the church. Pepe (the person from Manos de Vida who runs the bible clubs all around Oaxaca) was keeping the kids entertained by playing Simon Says.


When we got ourselves inside the church with all our stuff, things got rolling. Pepe taught us the hand movements and words to a silly Spanish song, and then had us come up to the front to do it with the kids. We ran through Son of Abraham (once in Spanish, then once in English....it was pure craziness), and the Lord's Army. Pepe also taught us another song in Spanish about a little frog.



After the songs we did our skit, and the kids just about fell out of their seats laughing. I'm pretty sure I had tears running down my face from laughing so hard.

Suzan ran through the memory verse (Romans 15:7) and then called kids up to recite it. Each kid who came up got a little cross necklace.



When Suzan was finished, the men took the boys outside to play soccer. The girls stayed inside to color, and Kimmee, Kelli, Taylor and I painted their nails. Joy and Suzan played duck, duck, goose with some of the other kids. It was a really fun time, and I loved painting the little girls nails.

We ended the bible club by handing out little bags of goodies to each child. There were toothbrushes, toothpaste, necklaces, stickers, Slinky's, toy cars, bracelets, foam airplanes, and other fun stuff in the bags.



We got home late again, but it had been a good day. Friday was going to be just like it, and we needed to get to bed so we could survive!

Mauricio driving us home as the sun sets....