Mission Trip Thoughts Part 2

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

We were blessed with a little slower morning as we prepared for a busy afternoon. Some of the team went to Home Depot for supplies while the rest of us stayed back at the Ministry House to organize gifts donated for the kids and the ministry and just have time to chill and have conversation with the other team members. We drove to Capilla Cavalario Chihuahua to work. Donna, Heidi, Amanda and I spent some time in the church nursery cleaning the toys and baby items. The rest began painting a room added by a team of men from our church on a trip in March. We broke for lunch at Enrizo's, a really cute little Mexican restaurant for a wonderful meal. They normally eat their big meal mid day and then lightly in the evening. We definitely followed that custom today! Afterwards we returned to the church to finish painting the room. We were happy to not only complete the walls, but were able to paint the concrete floor as well. That paint was very strong so Dan instructed us to just paint for 10-15 minutes and then get fresh air while someone gave us a break. It did make us all a little woozy but we enjoyed the time fellowshipping (and praying when we had a break and nothing to occupy us...that was really special to see people just spontaneously forming groups and lifting the ministry in prayer).

We returned to the Ministry House to eat paninis prepared in the Cafe 1040 (the little cafe which is attached to the church and is a ministry of it.) We had a bit of time to clean off some of the paint before the men left for a Bible Study at the church. The women were joined at the Ministry House by some of the ladies in the ministry. They treated us to some delicious desserts and we had time to fellowship with them and here some of their struggles and victories. This was a really special night for me. I loved getting to know these ladies and learnin more about them so that I can pray more effectively for them. I feel joined to them as sisters of the heart. Praise God for these ladies who are sold our to God and His will.

Yesterday I went to bed emotionally drained and today I was physically tired but both days were spiritually refreshing.


Wednesday:

Today we were out early and went to the LightShine community (about 20 minutes from the Ministry House). I was part of the team that stayed at the LightShine building to paint. The ministry had been able to obtain the building which had been a carpentry shop and were converting it into the first church in the Tarahumara community. We spent the morning scraping off the old paint and painting the outside a bright yellow (so that it would be a light to the community). It was wonderful to see some of the Tarahumara children in LightShine joining us and helping with the painting. They loved being a part. Several of the people in the community stopped to watch us work and ask questions. Happily, Heather was with us and could explain that this would a church soon. It made me really happy to be part of this. Sunday worship in m own church is such an important part of my life; I am happy to be a part of bringing that to these people.

Inside, two of our men were working to build a partition at the entrance and a storage closet. The rest of the men went to the home of the man who will be leading services at the Tarahumara church. He has elected to give us a nice home to move nearer the community and live in a small one room house very similar to the Tarahumara. It has a separate small kitchen and the men were laying concrete blocks and making another room so they would have a separate bedroom next to the kitchen. Again, I felt humbled by what these people have given up for the cause of Christ. As we worked we watched a Tarahumara women in the house next to us outside scrubbing her clothes by hand and hanging them on branches of trees to dry. I was saddened by how many times I have grumbled about having to take my laundry down steps to our basement laundry room to dump them in the washing machine and press a button!

We all gathered back at the LightShine building for a lunch of burritos and waited for our sponsored children to arrive. Daniela was getting less shy of me and came to me quickly. We all got on a bus to be taken to a water park. It was a ride of about 20 minutes and we had a chance to give our kids our gifts. I had a pink shirt for Daniela and an Etch a Sketch. She played with it for a little while and then put it away. I was struggling to think of something we could do together when I thought of tic tac toe and thought I would have to teach he how to play. But as soon as I made my first mark she smiled and took the pencil and made her mark. We spent the rest of the trip happily playing the game, laughing whoever won the game!

We were all expecting a simple pool and playground and were surprised to be taken to a very nice area with several waist deep pools with water slides and a kiddie area with smaller slides and spraying water. Daniela at first wanted to stay in the kiddie area even nervous about trusting a swim ring to hold her up. But Chad convinced her to go down the slide with me while he waited at the bottom to catch her. Soon she was going down over and over with others and then even by herself! She finally decided to try the swim ring and clutched my hand and wouldn't let go at first. By the end of the day she was more confident and even decided to go down the enclosed tube, first with Chad and then bravely went by herself. However, she must have slowed down inside the tube and was pushed out by two other boys coming down quickly. This scared her and she cried and clung to Chad for a while. Soon after that it was time to go and I was sad that she was left with that experience. However, she did have a really good time and I loved having this time with her.

We returned to the LightShine building where Daniela and her cousin Gisela were picked up and walked back to her house by a man and woman (I think Gisela's parents) and they were gone before I was able to talk to them.

Spending time with Daniela was awesome and wonderful to feel I was developing a relationship with her. She became so trusting of me, clutching tightly to my hand as she floated in the water, a picture of how we should hold tightly to God when our life becomes scary.