Elderly couple in San Jose de Refugio

A week and a half ago, a man came to our door telling us about his parents whose house had caught on fire and they had lost everything.  The presidencia (local government) offered to help build a new roof, but were asking if we could provide some help as well.  I went out to visit and fell in love with them right away.  They are in their 80's and had a little store to sell snacks and cokes.  Of course I saw their refrigerators all melted and destroyed with most of the rest of their belongings as well.  When we arrived to help, their children had already replaced the roof and had started putting stucco on the walls.  So, we went to work and finished the stucco, painted, and installed new electrical throughout the house.  Also, due to the kindness of one of our benefactors we were able to purchase a new refrigerator for them to begin selling cokes again!

 They really are very happy and appreciative, the Mexican culture does not smile for photos!

The inside was too dark and already repaired some when I had taken these photos, but you can see some of the smoke damage over their windows.

 

I pray that all our benefactors can know through these photos and stories all the help they are providing to the people of this place.  May God bless you all for your generosity!

Keep us all in your prayers!  God Bless!

Here Come The Brides!!!(Take 2)

Tuesday was by far the most fun day I have had in missions. All 5 of us(us 4 ladies and 1 of our Mexican missionaries) loaded up 23 wedding dresses, 2 dress racks, and a suitcase of veils and headed out to Cuchillo de Indio. On the way there, it started to pour down rain. Which normally would be no big deal, but scared us a bit as the chapel(where we "set up shop")is surrounded by dirt. We pulled in, and of course got the huge van stuck.We all jumped out, into the mud, and eventually got the van "unstuck". We carried everything through the mud and got all set up, miraculously without getting anything dirty!

We washed our feet in this small bucket before we entered the chapel. Haha!

As you can see, it was a little muddy 

At first the brides were nervous and quiet and really didn't want to try on dresses. But after we made them, they started to lighten up a bit and have fun. The first few dresses they tried were not fitting. We were so scared as we had brought only small sizes as these ladies are all pretty small. I prayed "Lord, PLEASE let these dresses start fitting". And just like that, they did. One by one, their faces began to light up as each found their "perfect" dress. That look, when you find "the one", is universal. I felt so blessed to be a part in giving these women a real wedding day.

I couldn't help but think of my wedding dress shopping. We were in a gigantic store with just about any dress I could dream of. I basically had a "personal attendant" attending to my every need. I tried my dress on in a huge private room(probably about the size of some of these women's homes) with air conditioning. I sipped on bottled water and walked out to view myself in 5 different mirrors showing every angle of my dress. And here we were in a 15'x40' chapel with dirty floors. We had 23 dresses to try between 3 brides. Their "fitting room" was behind the rack of dresses. We were all dripping sweat. The brides walked out to view themselves in 2 side by side full length mirrors. How different could it be?!?!  But none of that mattered. They were so blessed as they probably never even imagined they would have an opportunity like this. How selfish are we sometimes? How often to we take for granted all the "niceities" we have. I pray that the Lord will make my heart like those of the women here. Grateful, joyful, and beautiful. Wanting nothing more than to love and to serve. Please pray for them as they prepare for this blessed sacrament of marriage and thank you for all your generosity that has made this possible!!!!

Go Colorado!

This past week was great with an awesome group from Colorado!  The "Light of the World" parish from Littleton, CO. has a youth group who decided to do some fundraising and come on a mission trip here to General Cepeda, Mexico!  It seemed to be a very rewarding experience for everyone.  There were a handful of high school students, some college students, and a few adults as well....25 people in all.

They flew in last Saturday and we hit the road running on Sunday visiting ejidos for prayer services and testimonies.  There were three separate ejido evangelization teams; Andrea and I led one of them.

Night 1: Tanque San Vicente

Gallo and I playing music

Translating my first testimony!

Night 2: Narigua

Night 3: Guelatao

This Ejido has it's own youth group.  There were so many kids there!

The group handed out toys to the kids here.

Night 4: Mogote

 Martina, a local mexican who loves to come to the Ejidos with us, is always entertaining!

She also found a donkey in Mogote she decided to ride! 

The group was able to witness the brush making as well.

(The people in the Ejidos often make these types of brushes for a source of income. 

They are made from a certain plant in the desert.)

With the number of people that came we were able to start two work projects.

The first is for a woman named Erika.  Her husband was killed a few months ago in a bus accident.  She is now a single mother of three.  She asked us to help her with an addition on the back of her house so she could move her kitchen there.  With the room where her kitchen is now she wants to open a "papeleria" (small office supply store) so she can better support herself and her children.

This room is what we are finishing.

The team from work project 1

The maistros finishing the top of the walls making them ready for Morillos. 

Installing Morillos

 Cleaning nails from the tablitas making them ready to nail onto the roof.  (the tablitas we use which are the least expensive are just busted apart pallets...very resourceful!)

 Adding gravel and leveling out the dirt making it ready for a concrete floor. 

 Mixing concrete...by hand of course!

  

The second project is a house here in General Cepeda that is in really poor condition.  The roof barely had enough morillos to hold it up and wasn't even finished when it was originally put on.  The ceiling heights were pretty low and they don't have any power.  

Mixing concrete to raise the wall height.

One wall was adobe and so we mixed mud to raise that wall as well.

Installing Morillos.

Gonzalo directing as always....

Michael directing...or something... :-)

De-nailing some more.

And More

Installing tablitas

Eliza: "Daddy can I come on the roof please!?"

 Daddy: "I suppose."

We had to remove some block to widen the front door opening.  The door to be installed was wider than the existing.

Bonus project!  Eric found this couple who didn't have any furniture in their room.  They had a mattress, but didn't use it because they didn't want to ruin it by setting it on the floor.  So they slept on the floor.  So, a couple people from the group bought some lumber and made them a bed frame.   

Other Photos.....

The group has a regular Tuesday night praise and worship meeting which they continued here in Mexico.

Icecream on a hot summer afternoon.

Pretty decent shot of the Saltillo Cathedral

Hilltop view of General Cepeda

After the prayer service in Narigua we visited a mountain which contains "petroglyphs" (rock carvings made by the indians.)  Eliza while climbing found a cactus!  Poor thing....

Chore time!

I started teaching one of the local youth some of the songs we sing at the Ejidos.

Lucy doing her thing!

The last morning some members of the group decided to climb the mountain and witness some of God's beutiful creation.  What a view!  General Cepeda is under the fog at this moment.