Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Final Thoughts.....
It has been an incredible week, we saw a lot, we laughed more than ever, we learned to appreciate each other, and we were able to do God’s Work. Which is always a privilege, and we get more out of it than we could possibly give. Some people say that there are things to do at home. Yes this is very true, and this kind of trip is not done to replace that or to send a message that people in Baltimore are more important than our neighbors. However, what this trip is able to do, is:
1. Give the group an opportunity to get to know each other in an environment that is different. They live in community and learn to accept each other for who they are
2. They are able to experience a culture that is different than their own to learn that there are many ways to be engaged in ministry.
3. Participate in service projects that offer a variety of ways to serve God and each other.
I will miss seeing each and every one of the people that went on the trip. They are all awesome and have so many gifts to share.
Let me introduce them to you….
Alec-is from Charles City and is an emerging leader. He is kind and helpful and looks out for everyone. He made everyone feel welcome and a part of the group. Alec loves to learn about history and wanted to see everything and do as much as he could. His favorite thing about the mission trip is learning about our country’s history and getting to know the people in our group, and getting to talk to the people at the Helping Hand’s project.
Dayna-is from Nashua and has a unique way of looking at the world. She kept us entertained and moving. She told us she was doing many of the things that we did for the first time. Her gifts are humor and curiosity. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is helping people and going out to spread God’s Word.
Kayla- is a treasure. She added a dimension to the group with her wisdom and experience. Her gift truly is healing and compassion Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the nursing home service project and the Orioles game.
Alisha-used many of the Gifts that God has given her, she led music for our devo time and for our time at Carroll Village. This is Alisha’s third trip, soon she will be leading her own mission trip. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the fellowship that they experienced while doing service projects and playing sardines.
Kyle-displayed many leadership skills on the trip. He was always willing to take the lead during devos and loved leading prayers. His favorite thing about the mission trip going to the seafood restaurant, the air and space museum, and almost getting married!
Tyler-is always available to lend a helping hand. He has a quiet peaceful presence that is respected and appreciated by the others on the trip. His favorite thing about the mission trip is
Pastor Dave-loves to go on mission trips! He has lost track of how many he has been on. He was in charge of finance and logistics….we call him the legislative branch of the administration. He uses his many gifts to encourage people to live out their faith and baptismal promises. His passion for the Gospel is infectious. His favorite thing about the mission trip is having the bus to use for the mission trip. He loves the way that relationships that have been forged while riding the bus. ….., He also loves to see the growth and since of awe that the youth and adults have while on the trip as they see parts of the country that they have never seen before and have experiences of serving God for some, in a new way.
Brad-is a true partner in leadership for mission trips. He adds technical support by looking up information on his phone and he is the group’s resident historian. He delights in finding Battlefields and will find any excuse to visit one. He manages to get everyone excited about visiting the various places. He adds balance and stability to the group and is always ready to take on whatever role he is given. This is Brad’s fifth Mission Trip. His favorite thing about the mission trip is the mix of serving and having fun.
Anika-is a mission trip veteran. She brings humor to the group. Over the years her faith has grown and is showing more leadership skills. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is playing sardines.
Maggie-has the most amazing smile, she added so much to the group through the way she helped others to feel good about themselves and what they were doing. She is quick to laugh and loves life. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the Holocaust Museum.
Rachel-is new to the St. John Nashua group, she attended some of the meetings last year, but this is the first opportunity we have had to get to know her better. She is a joy to be around and added a sens0e of wonder to all that we did. Rachel and her family are planning on joining St. John later this year. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is basically everything, but she liked helping people, seeing the monuments, and going to the Orioles game.
Jeanne-is learning strong leadership skills. She was willing to help out where ever she is needed. She is sensitive to the needs of others, working with people is where she shined. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is getting to wear Kyle’s hat that he would not let anyone else wear, the Orioles game, and playing sardines. Her least favorite thing was seeing her Dad dance at the Orioles Game
Charlie-this was Charlie’s first mission trip. He was quick to offer suggestions and give his opinion. He was always willing to help out with the chores around the church and bus. His favorite thing about the mission trip is youth were involved with helping the under privileged, view history, and see a nice cross section of the Midwest and Eastern seaboard.
Kyle wants everyone to know he had a great time and wants to go on another Mission Trip and hopes to have a real wedding someday.
1. Give the group an opportunity to get to know each other in an environment that is different. They live in community and learn to accept each other for who they are
2. They are able to experience a culture that is different than their own to learn that there are many ways to be engaged in ministry.
3. Participate in service projects that offer a variety of ways to serve God and each other.
I will miss seeing each and every one of the people that went on the trip. They are all awesome and have so many gifts to share.
Let me introduce them to you….
Alec-is from Charles City and is an emerging leader. He is kind and helpful and looks out for everyone. He made everyone feel welcome and a part of the group. Alec loves to learn about history and wanted to see everything and do as much as he could. His favorite thing about the mission trip is learning about our country’s history and getting to know the people in our group, and getting to talk to the people at the Helping Hand’s project.
Dayna-is from Nashua and has a unique way of looking at the world. She kept us entertained and moving. She told us she was doing many of the things that we did for the first time. Her gifts are humor and curiosity. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is helping people and going out to spread God’s Word.
Kayla- is a treasure. She added a dimension to the group with her wisdom and experience. Her gift truly is healing and compassion Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the nursing home service project and the Orioles game.
Alisha-used many of the Gifts that God has given her, she led music for our devo time and for our time at Carroll Village. This is Alisha’s third trip, soon she will be leading her own mission trip. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the fellowship that they experienced while doing service projects and playing sardines.
Kyle-displayed many leadership skills on the trip. He was always willing to take the lead during devos and loved leading prayers. His favorite thing about the mission trip going to the seafood restaurant, the air and space museum, and almost getting married!
Tyler-is always available to lend a helping hand. He has a quiet peaceful presence that is respected and appreciated by the others on the trip. His favorite thing about the mission trip is
Pastor Dave-loves to go on mission trips! He has lost track of how many he has been on. He was in charge of finance and logistics….we call him the legislative branch of the administration. He uses his many gifts to encourage people to live out their faith and baptismal promises. His passion for the Gospel is infectious. His favorite thing about the mission trip is having the bus to use for the mission trip. He loves the way that relationships that have been forged while riding the bus. ….., He also loves to see the growth and since of awe that the youth and adults have while on the trip as they see parts of the country that they have never seen before and have experiences of serving God for some, in a new way.
Brad-is a true partner in leadership for mission trips. He adds technical support by looking up information on his phone and he is the group’s resident historian. He delights in finding Battlefields and will find any excuse to visit one. He manages to get everyone excited about visiting the various places. He adds balance and stability to the group and is always ready to take on whatever role he is given. This is Brad’s fifth Mission Trip. His favorite thing about the mission trip is the mix of serving and having fun.
Anika-is a mission trip veteran. She brings humor to the group. Over the years her faith has grown and is showing more leadership skills. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is playing sardines.
Maggie-has the most amazing smile, she added so much to the group through the way she helped others to feel good about themselves and what they were doing. She is quick to laugh and loves life. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is the Holocaust Museum.
Rachel-is new to the St. John Nashua group, she attended some of the meetings last year, but this is the first opportunity we have had to get to know her better. She is a joy to be around and added a sens0e of wonder to all that we did. Rachel and her family are planning on joining St. John later this year. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is basically everything, but she liked helping people, seeing the monuments, and going to the Orioles game.
Jeanne-is learning strong leadership skills. She was willing to help out where ever she is needed. She is sensitive to the needs of others, working with people is where she shined. Her favorite thing about the mission trip is getting to wear Kyle’s hat that he would not let anyone else wear, the Orioles game, and playing sardines. Her least favorite thing was seeing her Dad dance at the Orioles Game
Charlie-this was Charlie’s first mission trip. He was quick to offer suggestions and give his opinion. He was always willing to help out with the chores around the church and bus. His favorite thing about the mission trip is youth were involved with helping the under privileged, view history, and see a nice cross section of the Midwest and Eastern seaboard.
Kyle wants everyone to know he had a great time and wants to go on another Mission Trip and hopes to have a real wedding someday.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Mission Trips mean early mornings, I guess. We are up and going very early again today. We are starting the last leg of our trip. It is raining as the bus is rolling down the road. We are all tired, happy to be going home, but alittle sad that our time together is coming to an end. They all talk about wanting more, and Dave and I remind them that this is only a taste of mission, service, and everything else.
We returned to Charles City at 6:00 on Tuesday night full of plans for future trips and memories from this one. Eager to tell the story of how they were Salt and Light to the World.
We returned to Charles City at 6:00 on Tuesday night full of plans for future trips and memories from this one. Eager to tell the story of how they were Salt and Light to the World.
Monday, August 3, 2009
We are on our way back…..At this minute we are somewhere in central Pennsylvania. This will all be posted as soon as we are hooked up to the internet. We started our day by finishing packing the bus for the return trip home and cleaning the space that we called home for a week. We left Mt. Airy, MD at about 7:00 AM to drive the hour ride to Gettysburg, PA. On the way we watched the movie “Gettysburg”, some slept.
We arrived there about 8:00 AM to visit the battlefield, the new visitor center, Cyclorama, and museum. We knew our time would be limited. The new displays are very well done. We easily could have spent more time. We drove through the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg and down Seminary Ridge and stopped at Little Round Top. We enjoyed a huge buffet at Pickett’s Revenge.
We were back on the road by 1:00 headed back to Hebron, KY. On the way back we watched the videos and pictures from the week. We are beginning the process of ending our time together. At our Devo time we talked about Matthew 5:13-16…Being Salt and Light in the world. When asked about the qualities of salt the group listed enhancing and preserving, cleanses, stings and irritates. When we talked about light, Alisha shared with the group how God’s light shines through us to others. We all agreed that what we saw and learned this week needs to be shared and acted upon.
We arrived there about 8:00 AM to visit the battlefield, the new visitor center, Cyclorama, and museum. We knew our time would be limited. The new displays are very well done. We easily could have spent more time. We drove through the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg and down Seminary Ridge and stopped at Little Round Top. We enjoyed a huge buffet at Pickett’s Revenge.
We were back on the road by 1:00 headed back to Hebron, KY. On the way back we watched the videos and pictures from the week. We are beginning the process of ending our time together. At our Devo time we talked about Matthew 5:13-16…Being Salt and Light in the world. When asked about the qualities of salt the group listed enhancing and preserving, cleanses, stings and irritates. When we talked about light, Alisha shared with the group how God’s light shines through us to others. We all agreed that what we saw and learned this week needs to be shared and acted upon.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
On Sunday, we attended worship at Calvary together. Many of the kids commented that they missed worshiping at home! Our week is beginning to wind down, but there is still so much to do. After worship we made stepping stones. The assignment was to collect things through the week that would remind them of their experience and the gifts that God has given them. The guys took on the job of mixing the cement….oh, by the way, we had to go to Home Depot (a mission trip is never complete without at least one trip to Home Depot, it is a rule!) to get cement mix, a trawl, cement forms, and a tub to mix it all in. We also got some glass stones and trinkets that they could put in the cement. It was fun to watch the process that everyone went through to make their stones. Dave wants to keep his on his desk, as a paper weight I guess.
We hurried and ate a quick lunch and met Shawn Franklin from Calvary. Shawn organizes the monthly trip to Baltimore to work with Helping Hands. She and her family led us to our worksite in inner city Baltimore. We arrived and set up our table. Shawn brought bananas. Bananas are a popular item on the table because many of the people have bad teeth and tender gums, and foods like apples are hard to eat. We made bags to distribute that had pudding cups, socks, snacks, tooth brushes, tooth paste, and other assorted toiletries.
Helping Hands was started ten years ago when a 9 year old girl saw people living on the street and decided to do something about it. She started with getting her family to make sandwiches to take to the street. When they couldn’t keep up they asked neighbors and churches to help out. Today she is in college and continues her passion to feed the homeless in Los Angeles.
Last week they had served over two hundred people. This week was down some, but we still gave away just shy of two hundred bags. The kids said they were touched by the people and enjoyed being able to talk with them.
We had planned to go to Washington to see the monuments, but as usually happens; there are more choices than time. The group voted to go to a seafood restaurant called the Cracked Crab in Frederick, MD. As it turned out it was the better choice. We were all disappointed that we didn’t walk the mall, but there was a downpour when we would have been there.
The restaurant was wonderful. We had a chance to taste some Pennsylvania Dutch style food, specifically apple butter and cottage cheese, yumm! Everything was really good! We recommend the Cracked Crab for your dining pleasure.We returned to the church for the ‘wedding’. There was romance on the trip. Kyle and Maggie developed a connection when they both jumped off the swing set and ripped their pants. Kyle decided then and there that Maggie was his soul mate. There was a bachelor party and even a bachelorette party. There were bridesmaids, flower girls, a photographer, and even a stand in Father of the Bride. In the end the bride ran off and the groom was in hot pursuit of the flower girl at the wedding dance….why waste a good band, right? It was all in good fun and we all laughed and laughed.
We hurried and ate a quick lunch and met Shawn Franklin from Calvary. Shawn organizes the monthly trip to Baltimore to work with Helping Hands. She and her family led us to our worksite in inner city Baltimore. We arrived and set up our table. Shawn brought bananas. Bananas are a popular item on the table because many of the people have bad teeth and tender gums, and foods like apples are hard to eat. We made bags to distribute that had pudding cups, socks, snacks, tooth brushes, tooth paste, and other assorted toiletries.
Helping Hands was started ten years ago when a 9 year old girl saw people living on the street and decided to do something about it. She started with getting her family to make sandwiches to take to the street. When they couldn’t keep up they asked neighbors and churches to help out. Today she is in college and continues her passion to feed the homeless in Los Angeles.
Last week they had served over two hundred people. This week was down some, but we still gave away just shy of two hundred bags. The kids said they were touched by the people and enjoyed being able to talk with them.
We had planned to go to Washington to see the monuments, but as usually happens; there are more choices than time. The group voted to go to a seafood restaurant called the Cracked Crab in Frederick, MD. As it turned out it was the better choice. We were all disappointed that we didn’t walk the mall, but there was a downpour when we would have been there.
The restaurant was wonderful. We had a chance to taste some Pennsylvania Dutch style food, specifically apple butter and cottage cheese, yumm! Everything was really good! We recommend the Cracked Crab for your dining pleasure.We returned to the church for the ‘wedding’. There was romance on the trip. Kyle and Maggie developed a connection when they both jumped off the swing set and ripped their pants. Kyle decided then and there that Maggie was his soul mate. There was a bachelor party and even a bachelorette party. There were bridesmaids, flower girls, a photographer, and even a stand in Father of the Bride. In the end the bride ran off and the groom was in hot pursuit of the flower girl at the wedding dance….why waste a good band, right? It was all in good fun and we all laughed and laughed.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Another very early morning. This time we didn’t have to fight the traffic, we had an early appointment to go to Mt. Vernon. They even opened abit early to accommodate the early crowds. We were the second tour of the day to go through the mansion. Again, much of the building was original. It was humbling to think that we were standing where George Washington Stood over two hundred years ago. WOW!
Our tour included a cruise on the Potomac River. The day was perfect….not too hot, not too cold, and not so humid. We went from Mt. Vernon up the river to Ft. Washington, now on the list of things to do next time. Along the way there were explanations about the history of the area. We went to the Grist Mill and distillery. We learned how the Washington Farm diversified and began production of flour and corn meal. And started a fine distillery that made whisky. There was so much to see, but we moved on to the next thing.
The Holocaust Museum was the next thing on the list of things to do. We met Alisha’s cousin there, so they got to spend alittle bit of time together. The Holocaust Museum is always one of the things that people say they want to do and ask to do it every year. This year was no different; many people have said that it was their favorite thing.
We went back to the church and had supper and showers. We also started the process of packing and getting ready to go home.
Our tour included a cruise on the Potomac River. The day was perfect….not too hot, not too cold, and not so humid. We went from Mt. Vernon up the river to Ft. Washington, now on the list of things to do next time. Along the way there were explanations about the history of the area. We went to the Grist Mill and distillery. We learned how the Washington Farm diversified and began production of flour and corn meal. And started a fine distillery that made whisky. There was so much to see, but we moved on to the next thing.
The Holocaust Museum was the next thing on the list of things to do. We met Alisha’s cousin there, so they got to spend alittle bit of time together. The Holocaust Museum is always one of the things that people say they want to do and ask to do it every year. This year was no different; many people have said that it was their favorite thing.
We went back to the church and had supper and showers. We also started the process of packing and getting ready to go home.
Friday, July 31, 2009
We got up early again, so we could travel to Washington for our tour of the White House. It was a good thing that we got there well before our tour time, because when we arrived they told us that they were going to be stopping tours scheduled for later in the day. Security was tight, prior to leaving home, we had to submit our Social Security Numbers, birthdates, passport numbers, and names. That day we had to show our photo id’s and go through screening. We were not allowed to bring cameras, sharp pointy things, or any other item that was ‘suspicious’. They lined us up according to tour times. We followed the line that led us into the East side of the White House. It was awe inspiring and abit intimidating to think about where we were.
We were able to see several rooms, such as the blue room, green room, State Dining Room, East Room, China room, and the Red Room. The rooms were beautiful with works of art and presidential portraits. Hung on the walls. It has gotten harder to get tours of the White House, so we felt privileged to be able to go. We also were humbled by the history that went on there! We were disappointed that we did not get to go to the second floor and see the Lincoln bedroom. I guess that some day we will have a special invitation to go to the White House to see the private areas!
We were done with the tour at the time our appointment was to start. This made it possible to go and see some other things. We went to the American History Museum where we saw Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the puffy shirt, Julia Child’s kitchen, the star spangled banner, and the first ladies dresses. The museum had just reopened after a renovation. We also went to the Natural History Museum and saw dinosaurs, whales, butterflies, and the Hope Diamond. Led by Brad (go figure!) a small group went to Ford’s Theatre but couldn’t go in because they did not have a ticket.
We were then off to Baltimore to fight traffic and get to Camden Yard for the Orioles vs Red Sox game. Kyle says we had loads of fun. We had great seats off of third base. A home run hit came to our section and was caught by a Red Sox fan. We sat by alot of Sox fans. We did our devos on the bus on the way home. It was a very late night by the time we got back. So we all went strait to bed....because tomorrow is going to be another day that starts early.
We were able to see several rooms, such as the blue room, green room, State Dining Room, East Room, China room, and the Red Room. The rooms were beautiful with works of art and presidential portraits. Hung on the walls. It has gotten harder to get tours of the White House, so we felt privileged to be able to go. We also were humbled by the history that went on there! We were disappointed that we did not get to go to the second floor and see the Lincoln bedroom. I guess that some day we will have a special invitation to go to the White House to see the private areas!
We were done with the tour at the time our appointment was to start. This made it possible to go and see some other things. We went to the American History Museum where we saw Dorothy’s ruby slippers, the puffy shirt, Julia Child’s kitchen, the star spangled banner, and the first ladies dresses. The museum had just reopened after a renovation. We also went to the Natural History Museum and saw dinosaurs, whales, butterflies, and the Hope Diamond. Led by Brad (go figure!) a small group went to Ford’s Theatre but couldn’t go in because they did not have a ticket.
We were then off to Baltimore to fight traffic and get to Camden Yard for the Orioles vs Red Sox game. Kyle says we had loads of fun. We had great seats off of third base. A home run hit came to our section and was caught by a Red Sox fan. We sat by alot of Sox fans. We did our devos on the bus on the way home. It was a very late night by the time we got back. So we all went strait to bed....because tomorrow is going to be another day that starts early.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
We got up incredibly early, ate breakfast, and headed into Washington DC for our appointment with Senator Harkin. We were to meet him at 10:30 but we wanted to make sure that we could get through traffic and find a parking place for the bus. Traffic is an issue to the DC and Baltimore area.
Dispute heavy traffic, We made it into the city in good time. We found a place to park afew blocks from the Capitol building. We cut through Union Station and walked up the hill to the Capitol. We had some time so we stopped at the Supreme Court building on the way. After determining which side of the building that we were to be on, we began the wait. We had not waited very long and one of six Senate photographers arrived and shortly after that one of the Senator’s aides came. We were introduced to Alex, an intern that had just graduated from Grinnell College and was going to be going to law school this fall.
The Senator was running slightly late. He had been at the morning press conference. When he finally showed up he gave us a warm greeting and we had our picture taken with him. He told us alittle bit about himself, answered afew questions, and gave advice for the not to miss things in Washington. Today, there was going to be a meeting about the health reform bill. He is the chair of that committee. Unfortunately, it was because of us that he was late.
Alex took us on the tour of the Capitol. We were able to stay in our group of fourteen, and got done sooner than those that had gotten tickets on their own and had to wait in line and go on the tours of fifty. Senate and House tours are highly recommended for your next trip to the Capitol! The new Capitol Visitor Center is spectacular! They added more office and meeting space. And a theatre that showed a very well done film on the history of the Capitol. We went to the old Senate Chamber, the Rotunda, the whispering place in the Old House, the center of the city, and the lobbying . It was an amazing place to visit, all the things that we had heard about in history class that happened there.
We returned to the bus to find a dead battery. We prayed that AAA would come quickly, but a good Samaritan who was walking by saw the drama and asked to help. He went and got his car and gave the bus a jumpstart and went merrily on our way.
Brad is our resident historian; we gave him the task of planning our afternoon. He did some research and suggested a trip to Manassas National Battlefield followed by a trip to the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. We headed out I-77 and got a good taste of DC traffic. We were seriously slowed down. We got to Manassas and Brad and the kids hit the battlefield for a whirlwind tour. They stopped at the Stonewall Jackson statue and went to the Stone House.
The Air and Space Museum is close to Manassas and were able to get there for the last two hours of the day. We saw the space shuttle Enterprise, the Enola Gay, a concord jet, space capsules and many other really cool things. When they closed, we had to leave, but there was some talk of hiding out and seeing what happens like in Night in the Museum Parts I and II.
We went back home, made homemade Pizza and had shower time. After nightly Devos, we all went to bed. There was talk of staying up, but everyone was more tired that they wanted to admit.
Tomorrow is another busy day…..
Dispute heavy traffic, We made it into the city in good time. We found a place to park afew blocks from the Capitol building. We cut through Union Station and walked up the hill to the Capitol. We had some time so we stopped at the Supreme Court building on the way. After determining which side of the building that we were to be on, we began the wait. We had not waited very long and one of six Senate photographers arrived and shortly after that one of the Senator’s aides came. We were introduced to Alex, an intern that had just graduated from Grinnell College and was going to be going to law school this fall.
The Senator was running slightly late. He had been at the morning press conference. When he finally showed up he gave us a warm greeting and we had our picture taken with him. He told us alittle bit about himself, answered afew questions, and gave advice for the not to miss things in Washington. Today, there was going to be a meeting about the health reform bill. He is the chair of that committee. Unfortunately, it was because of us that he was late.
Alex took us on the tour of the Capitol. We were able to stay in our group of fourteen, and got done sooner than those that had gotten tickets on their own and had to wait in line and go on the tours of fifty. Senate and House tours are highly recommended for your next trip to the Capitol! The new Capitol Visitor Center is spectacular! They added more office and meeting space. And a theatre that showed a very well done film on the history of the Capitol. We went to the old Senate Chamber, the Rotunda, the whispering place in the Old House, the center of the city, and the lobbying . It was an amazing place to visit, all the things that we had heard about in history class that happened there.
We returned to the bus to find a dead battery. We prayed that AAA would come quickly, but a good Samaritan who was walking by saw the drama and asked to help. He went and got his car and gave the bus a jumpstart and went merrily on our way.
Brad is our resident historian; we gave him the task of planning our afternoon. He did some research and suggested a trip to Manassas National Battlefield followed by a trip to the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. We headed out I-77 and got a good taste of DC traffic. We were seriously slowed down. We got to Manassas and Brad and the kids hit the battlefield for a whirlwind tour. They stopped at the Stonewall Jackson statue and went to the Stone House.
The Air and Space Museum is close to Manassas and were able to get there for the last two hours of the day. We saw the space shuttle Enterprise, the Enola Gay, a concord jet, space capsules and many other really cool things. When they closed, we had to leave, but there was some talk of hiding out and seeing what happens like in Night in the Museum Parts I and II.
We went back home, made homemade Pizza and had shower time. After nightly Devos, we all went to bed. There was talk of staying up, but everyone was more tired that they wanted to admit.
Tomorrow is another busy day…..
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Today we got up, had breakfast, got dressed and cleaned up and then went to work. Our tasks were to pack bags (tooth paste, tooth brushes, socks, snacks, and pudding packs) for our project on Sunday and to make lunch for the residents of Sarah’s Hope in Baltimore and pack bags for our project for Sunday. We made Beef Stroganoff, pistachio salad, bread, green bean casserole, and brownies. We fixed it at the church and then went to the shelter to serve it. We packed the bus with everything that we needed and set off for the shelter. With the help of the GPS, we drove right to the place. Elayne went in and found someone to help us find where we were to be. We sent our youth in all carrying what we had made. We set up and made final preparations.
We made enough for thirty to thirty-five and served about twenty people-women and children. They must have been hungry because all the stroganoff was gone, all the beans were gone, the brownies were gone, and the bread was gone. The salad was left because we forgot to take it out of the cooler….So we took it back in and they had it for a different meal.
Sarah’s Hope is a transitional housing program that has been in existence for about seven months. It was started by the City of Baltimore to combat the issue of homelessness. This program especially targets women, children, and grandparents who have taken custody of their grandchildren. There are dorms where the families stay, meals that are provided, and skill building for the parents. Including things like parenting classes, budgeting, and employment skills. There were also programs for the children. All of this is done on a shoestring budget in an old school that is badly in need of renovation and repairs. Afterwards, our contact and host, Connor, took us on a tour and talked about the desperate needs in Baltimore and what the city has been doing to try and be responsive to great needs. He told us that what we had done today was appreciated and invited us to come back. Usually when volunteers bring in meals, they bring cold sandwiches and fruit. Consequently having a home cooked, in our case church cooked meal was a treat. The agency is trying to develop a funding and volunteer base so all meals are provided in house.
Since space was limited, only half of the group was able to actually serve the meal. The rest of us waited in the bus and will distribute bags on Sunday. While we were waiting, some of the people that were served knocked on the door of the bus to say thank you. They were so appreciative of the meal. They commented on how surprised they were that youth, especially high school youth, would come all the way from Iowa to do something like make them a hot lunch just for them.
After we were done, we went back to the church. Afew, including two who shall remain nameless, went on a Wal-Mart Run. We decided we needed more tubs to put the bags that we had packed earlier. Their task was to get the tubs and afew things that we needed for supper and come back. They brought the tubs back and discovered there were afew extra things in the bag. It was easy to determine that we needed to take them back. We wondered if our shoplifters would be caught and prosecuted.
We spent the evening playing soccer and making shower runs to our new friends, the Folsems. Showers have been an issue. Since there are no shower facilities at the church we have had to ‘make it work’. We were able to go to the pool next door and to Mary and Mark Folsem’s home just down the street. We are so thankful for the Folsems who opened their home for us to use and fed us Maryland Fried Chicken and all the fixins’ on Tuesday Night.
We all celebrated Elayne's birthday with black baloons and birthday cake.
Tomorrow will be an early day.
We made enough for thirty to thirty-five and served about twenty people-women and children. They must have been hungry because all the stroganoff was gone, all the beans were gone, the brownies were gone, and the bread was gone. The salad was left because we forgot to take it out of the cooler….So we took it back in and they had it for a different meal.
Sarah’s Hope is a transitional housing program that has been in existence for about seven months. It was started by the City of Baltimore to combat the issue of homelessness. This program especially targets women, children, and grandparents who have taken custody of their grandchildren. There are dorms where the families stay, meals that are provided, and skill building for the parents. Including things like parenting classes, budgeting, and employment skills. There were also programs for the children. All of this is done on a shoestring budget in an old school that is badly in need of renovation and repairs. Afterwards, our contact and host, Connor, took us on a tour and talked about the desperate needs in Baltimore and what the city has been doing to try and be responsive to great needs. He told us that what we had done today was appreciated and invited us to come back. Usually when volunteers bring in meals, they bring cold sandwiches and fruit. Consequently having a home cooked, in our case church cooked meal was a treat. The agency is trying to develop a funding and volunteer base so all meals are provided in house.
Since space was limited, only half of the group was able to actually serve the meal. The rest of us waited in the bus and will distribute bags on Sunday. While we were waiting, some of the people that were served knocked on the door of the bus to say thank you. They were so appreciative of the meal. They commented on how surprised they were that youth, especially high school youth, would come all the way from Iowa to do something like make them a hot lunch just for them.
After we were done, we went back to the church. Afew, including two who shall remain nameless, went on a Wal-Mart Run. We decided we needed more tubs to put the bags that we had packed earlier. Their task was to get the tubs and afew things that we needed for supper and come back. They brought the tubs back and discovered there were afew extra things in the bag. It was easy to determine that we needed to take them back. We wondered if our shoplifters would be caught and prosecuted.
We spent the evening playing soccer and making shower runs to our new friends, the Folsems. Showers have been an issue. Since there are no shower facilities at the church we have had to ‘make it work’. We were able to go to the pool next door and to Mary and Mark Folsem’s home just down the street. We are so thankful for the Folsems who opened their home for us to use and fed us Maryland Fried Chicken and all the fixins’ on Tuesday Night.
We all celebrated Elayne's birthday with black baloons and birthday cake.
Tomorrow will be an early day.
Tuesday July 28, 2009
We started the day with breakfast and preparing a short program for the Retirement Village that we would be visiting after lunch. The kids were in charge of the planning, there was a little guidance from us, but actually not much. They decided to introduce themselves, pray a prayer, sing a song, do a skit about gifts, Alisha-sing a song, do a skit about Iowa, and sing a song and pray a prayer. The kids did a Wal-Mart run and Elayne and Charlie fixed lunch….we had a taco bar.
We cleaned up lunch and headed to Westminster, MD to Carroll Village. The place is huge. It is a retirement village where people can have their own homes, live in assisted living, or have complete nursing facilities. There are even little restaurants where people can go for meals. The chapel is amazing. It is fully wired for cameras, sound, and tech needs.
Back to the program….We were reminded again to be Slinkies, because even best laid plans don’t always work the way that you intend. The program that we were to do, was bumped for birthday bingo….nothing interferes with birthday bingo. So…we visited Shepherd’s Way, the Alzheimer’s unit. The people were very friendly and seemed happy to listen to our singing. We adapted our program, and Alisha played her guitar for them while the rest of us helped pass out snacks and juice. Gifts were appearing all over the place and those with the gifts of caring and compassion sat down and began conversations with people. We all smiled as we watched Kayla call everyone sweetie and we all enjoyed her gentle spirit. Kyle tried the “sweetie” approach with very different results, but we all applauded his efforts.
We ended our time at Carroll Village with singing Happy Birthday to all of the July birthday people. The kids were especially struck with a women who was going to be 100 years old in October. She is still very active and walks the halls and visits her friends every day. She also attends worship services on Sunday morning and the Inspiration time each Tuesday….except when it is Birthday Bingo Day!
We headed back to the church through the beautiful Maryland hills and arrived back in time to take showers and eat a supper that Calvary gave us. We all enjoyed Maryland fried chicken with all the fixin’s….yumm! Thank you Calvary!
We joined Calvary for their Tuesday night Worship service. It was a lot of fun because their youth band played with their adult band and one of the members preached. Pastor Dave was invited to preside over communion. After worship we were all treated to ice cream and a time to connect with old friends and make new ones.
The kids started a game of corn, corn, soybeans…..I had never heard of it either, but since we are from Iowa….it was like duck, duck, goose, only corn, corn, soybeans….go figure. When they had enough of that, they had a game of hide and go seek. It was starting to get out of control, so I suggested that they play sardines….they did and played until it was time for devos and announcements. Tonight we had roses and thorns and talked about where we saw the face of God.
Then to bed we all went…..
We cleaned up lunch and headed to Westminster, MD to Carroll Village. The place is huge. It is a retirement village where people can have their own homes, live in assisted living, or have complete nursing facilities. There are even little restaurants where people can go for meals. The chapel is amazing. It is fully wired for cameras, sound, and tech needs.
Back to the program….We were reminded again to be Slinkies, because even best laid plans don’t always work the way that you intend. The program that we were to do, was bumped for birthday bingo….nothing interferes with birthday bingo. So…we visited Shepherd’s Way, the Alzheimer’s unit. The people were very friendly and seemed happy to listen to our singing. We adapted our program, and Alisha played her guitar for them while the rest of us helped pass out snacks and juice. Gifts were appearing all over the place and those with the gifts of caring and compassion sat down and began conversations with people. We all smiled as we watched Kayla call everyone sweetie and we all enjoyed her gentle spirit. Kyle tried the “sweetie” approach with very different results, but we all applauded his efforts.
We ended our time at Carroll Village with singing Happy Birthday to all of the July birthday people. The kids were especially struck with a women who was going to be 100 years old in October. She is still very active and walks the halls and visits her friends every day. She also attends worship services on Sunday morning and the Inspiration time each Tuesday….except when it is Birthday Bingo Day!
We headed back to the church through the beautiful Maryland hills and arrived back in time to take showers and eat a supper that Calvary gave us. We all enjoyed Maryland fried chicken with all the fixin’s….yumm! Thank you Calvary!
We joined Calvary for their Tuesday night Worship service. It was a lot of fun because their youth band played with their adult band and one of the members preached. Pastor Dave was invited to preside over communion. After worship we were all treated to ice cream and a time to connect with old friends and make new ones.
The kids started a game of corn, corn, soybeans…..I had never heard of it either, but since we are from Iowa….it was like duck, duck, goose, only corn, corn, soybeans….go figure. When they had enough of that, they had a game of hide and go seek. It was starting to get out of control, so I suggested that they play sardines….they did and played until it was time for devos and announcements. Tonight we had roses and thorns and talked about where we saw the face of God.
Then to bed we all went…..
Monday July 27, 2009
We left Hebron, KY on Monday morning after a full breakfast of Egg Bake, juice, fresh fruit, and COFFEE! We found ourselves back on the road and Dave and I quietly strolled down memory lane from our time there when Dave was on Internship in Dillsboro, Indiana. The kids were pretty quiet, many slept….and then we ate…sandwiches, grape packs, granola bars, licorice whips, chips, I do have to say we were well supplied thanks to the WELCA ladies.
Monday pretty much was drive, drive, drive….we covered 600 some miles, to arrive safely in Maryland just in time to go to the pool and make a quick supper. We met our wonderful hosts and friends at Calvary Lutheran and began to make the youth wing our home. The very last thing that we did that night was have group time and devos. We talked about II Corinthians 12 and the gifts that God has given us, and made blessing and gifts bags*, our blessings and boo boos for the day, and where we saw the face of God. God has blessed us greatly today and we look forward to a busy day on Tuesday….
*Blessing and Gift bags are paper bags that are decorated with each person’s name on them. Through the week everyone writes notes and or thanks, and or ways that they saw each person use the gifts that God has given them.
Monday pretty much was drive, drive, drive….we covered 600 some miles, to arrive safely in Maryland just in time to go to the pool and make a quick supper. We met our wonderful hosts and friends at Calvary Lutheran and began to make the youth wing our home. The very last thing that we did that night was have group time and devos. We talked about II Corinthians 12 and the gifts that God has given us, and made blessing and gifts bags*, our blessings and boo boos for the day, and where we saw the face of God. God has blessed us greatly today and we look forward to a busy day on Tuesday….
*Blessing and Gift bags are paper bags that are decorated with each person’s name on them. Through the week everyone writes notes and or thanks, and or ways that they saw each person use the gifts that God has given them.
Monday, July 27, 2009
So Far, so good.....
Sunday….
We left Charles City at about 11:00 am. But not without some drama, that most of us did not know about. The bus was sent out to do the usual Sunday Morning pickups, but they noticed that the engine was not sounding quite right. Dave went into ‘plan B’ mode and tried to figure out how we were going to transport fourteen people half way across the country. They had it checked out and determined that it was the usual sounds for this time of the year and that everything was fine. The group from Nashua arrived in Charles City just in time to catch the last minutes of Pastor Dave’s sermon and the sending part of the service. We had the ‘veverdar’ (we were there) picture in front of the bus and we were off.
It was not long…..actually we made it to Plainfield…..and we determined that we were hungry. We dug into delicious sandwiches, grapes, chips, and snacks that the WELCA ladies had prepared….yumm! Movies were put in and we motored along until we reached Kentucky where we stopped for the night. Thanks to our good friends, Dave and Kaye Smith we have a very comfortable place to stay.
Our day was not so exciting (and that is a good thing at this point J), and it was good to get to know each other in the relaxed atmosphere of the bus. We ended the day+-- with devos, where we saw the face of God, and “blessings and boo boos”. As I write this the kids are quiet and hopefully sleeping with dreams of mission and service dancing in their heads…..
We left Charles City at about 11:00 am. But not without some drama, that most of us did not know about. The bus was sent out to do the usual Sunday Morning pickups, but they noticed that the engine was not sounding quite right. Dave went into ‘plan B’ mode and tried to figure out how we were going to transport fourteen people half way across the country. They had it checked out and determined that it was the usual sounds for this time of the year and that everything was fine. The group from Nashua arrived in Charles City just in time to catch the last minutes of Pastor Dave’s sermon and the sending part of the service. We had the ‘veverdar’ (we were there) picture in front of the bus and we were off.
It was not long…..actually we made it to Plainfield…..and we determined that we were hungry. We dug into delicious sandwiches, grapes, chips, and snacks that the WELCA ladies had prepared….yumm! Movies were put in and we motored along until we reached Kentucky where we stopped for the night. Thanks to our good friends, Dave and Kaye Smith we have a very comfortable place to stay.
Our day was not so exciting (and that is a good thing at this point J), and it was good to get to know each other in the relaxed atmosphere of the bus. We ended the day+-- with devos, where we saw the face of God, and “blessings and boo boos”. As I write this the kids are quiet and hopefully sleeping with dreams of mission and service dancing in their heads…..
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Ready to Go!
If it is not done now, it is not going to be....It is now after midnight, morning is going to come fast! But all the last minute things are now done and emailed to the people who needed it...I hope! Anyway, the newsletter stuff is done, a proposal for a ministry team, final project contacts have been made, and the suitcases, food, donations, and even my pillows are loaded on the bus....
The kids will come in the morning with their stuff. The bus will be very full. Not just of stuff, but of excitement and hopes....with mission on their mind. Both groups will worship in their respective churches and participate in a sending service. Dave will be preaching in Charles City. There is a congregational meeting in Nashua to go to before heading to Charles City to get on the bus.
Our first stop will be Sunday Night near Cincinnati, Ohio. We will be staying at Hebron Lutheran Church in Hebron, KY. Our host, Pastor Dave Smith and his wife Kaye are friends of ours from Seminary. They have been so kind and helpful. We thank God for them and their ministry. Hebron is also familiar to us, Dave served near there while on Internship in Dillsboro, IN almost 11 years ago.
Our Bible Studies are going to be looking at "Called to be Salt and Light to the World". We will start them tomorrow as we are traveling down the road in the big bus.
Can't wait!
The kids will come in the morning with their stuff. The bus will be very full. Not just of stuff, but of excitement and hopes....with mission on their mind. Both groups will worship in their respective churches and participate in a sending service. Dave will be preaching in Charles City. There is a congregational meeting in Nashua to go to before heading to Charles City to get on the bus.
Our first stop will be Sunday Night near Cincinnati, Ohio. We will be staying at Hebron Lutheran Church in Hebron, KY. Our host, Pastor Dave Smith and his wife Kaye are friends of ours from Seminary. They have been so kind and helpful. We thank God for them and their ministry. Hebron is also familiar to us, Dave served near there while on Internship in Dillsboro, IN almost 11 years ago.
Our Bible Studies are going to be looking at "Called to be Salt and Light to the World". We will start them tomorrow as we are traveling down the road in the big bus.
Can't wait!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Here We Go Again! This time we are headed to Baltimore MD
Yup! We are going again....This time we are taking 13 youth and adults from St. Johns in Charles City and Nashua (Iowa) to Baltimore and Washington DC. We will leave on Sunday July 26th after worship services. Our first stop will be near Cincinatti, Ohio. And then we plan to reach Mt. Airy, MD on Monday evening, July 27.
This week we are packing and getting the final prep work done. The bus is sitting in our driveway so we can get things set up. Sunday will be hectic enough without having to finish packing.
Our Bible Studies will be looking at Called to be Salt and Light and Matthew 5.
Please keep the group in your prayers as head out for another adventure. And watch here for updates, news, and pictures!
Dave and Elayne
This week we are packing and getting the final prep work done. The bus is sitting in our driveway so we can get things set up. Sunday will be hectic enough without having to finish packing.
Our Bible Studies will be looking at Called to be Salt and Light and Matthew 5.
Please keep the group in your prayers as head out for another adventure. And watch here for updates, news, and pictures!
Dave and Elayne
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Putting it all into perspective....
We have been home for a week, I find myself thinking about how richly we have been blessed in this country and how much we take for granted. I will be stuggling with that for awhile and how I will be changing my own behavior. Life is so fragile and so many do not have access to basic services like health care and clean drinking water.
Thank you to everyone for the support and the prayers. It touches our hearts to have such a wonderful family, supportive friends, and the opportunity to go to Guatemala. May God bless you all!
Love, Dave and Elayne
Friday...and now for something different
We got up and had breakfast in the hotel. Our tour van came and picked us up and we headed for Lake Attilan. It was a two hour ride that lasted three. But the ride was well worth it when we caught the first glimpse of the lake, it was the most beautiful blue you can imagine. We had lunch at a local restaurant and then took a ride across the lake. Our plan was to go to some of the villiages but we were only able to go to one. The area is known for it's artists....so.....again....we went shopping! The difficult thing was being choosy, we didn't have the suitcase space for alot, but we were able to get some cool stuff....
The views were spectacular....the lake is in a volcano crater, there are active volcanos around the lake. We were happy that today was not the day for them to erupt. The lake was choppy but well worth the trip.
We caught our ride and headed back to Antigua for our last night and to pack to be ready to go....
The rest of the trip
On our final Wednesday, we packed up our things, and said goodbye to Reu and our new friends. We headed for Antigua, a city near Guatemala City. Antigua has language schools so there is great diversity in the city. There are people from all over the world there that are students.
Antigua is also known for it's incredible Artisen markets....We had a shoping list of what we wanted to pick up....but after walking through the market, our list grew. We wanted to look for rainsticks, something for Kolton and Kamryn, table runners, a tortilla squisher, a lemonaide press....to name afew. It did not take long to figure out that the tortilla squisher and press were not going to be practical given we were flying home and not taking the bus back.
However, during a conversation about how they made black beans, we decided that we needed a bean pot. Esturado came to the rescue and through his amazing ability to network, found a woman who knew a guy in her village who made the pots. So we put in our order. The pots were delivered on Saturday morning just before we had to leave for the airport. I wrapped it in the table runners and pillow covers that we bought and put the pot in my backpack.
It is actually a small miracle that the bean pot and the 5 foot rainstick all made it home safely. Both ended up being carry ons for the flight home. But they did. The rainstick found a home in Elayne's office. And we are waiting for a day when we can tend a fire all day to try out the bean pot.
Thursday we said good-bye to Diane, Theresa, and Katheryn as they left for the airport. Due to an emergency at home, Gabriel went home as well.
After the good byes we went back to the markets to see what we see. The markets were an experience. You could get just about anything. It was strange to my eyes to see beef and other meats hanging and ready for your purchase. I passed.... There were all kinds of fruits and vegtables that were being hauled in huge baskets on top of their heads.
But the artisen market was a feast for the eyes with the colors and things that were available. Like everthing else, there were no listed prices, you had to tell what you wanted to pay and go from there. Bargining was not only the way it was done, but it was expected. I had fun with it, but I don't do math, so there were challenges with converting dollars into Q's. It was to much fun!
We decided to do something different on Friday....
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Addmitting that the computer is smarter than I am....
Ok, the pictures below are from the day that we went to the Myan ruins. It was a great day! The weather was great, the kids were amazing....The groups split into two groups, Dave and I went with the girls. I could not figure out how to get the pictures with the day that it happened. Ergo...the computer is smarter than I am....So I guess as I post the pictures they might be out of order, sorry!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday....
I am not sure were exactly we went, but it was a beach along the Pacific Ocean. It was hot....and part of the adventure was riding in the back of a pick up truck for the hour drive. If we were home I would have had a complete meltdown because it is just dangerous to ride in the back of an open pickup. But there we were bouncing down the road. The scenery was spactacular. There were plantations of bananas, Mangos, sugar cane, citrinella, and trees that looked like parasols. Never did figure out what they were.
We stopped at a small resturant and had Chop suey. Yumm! Then on to the beach. We found a cabanna, ordered cold beverages. Some when swimming. Some took naps in the hassocks, I waded in the water for awhile and then enjoyed good conversation.
It was a 'volcanic' beach which meant that the sand was black. The waves were high, great for anyone who wanted to surf. The water had a strong undertow, so everyone had to be very careful. I noticed that as I stood in the water, the sand would be pulled away from under my feet, so it was difficult to just stand in the water. The water was warm and soothing though.
We stayed at the beach most of the afternoon and then headed back. On the way back....not a big suprise....it started raining and storming. We were drenched by the time we got back to Reu. We went to the hotel, changed clothes and then headed to the Dardon's for supper. After supper we had our nightly devos and then headed back to the hotel for bed.
This day we also worked on sorting the boxes of school and medical supplies that we had brought from Iowa and Illinois. Most of the supplies will be stored, but some of it will be taken to the jungle school, coffee plantation, and the farm family that we will see on Wednesday when we head to Antigua.
Supplies are much needed, but it is difficult and expensive to get them to Guatemala. I was shocked to find out that many children are not able to go to school because they have no shoes and uniforms. We were taking to a guy from Flordia that we met in Mexico on the way down, that was 15 when he got his first pair of shoes, we later learned that this is not unusual.
There is a public education system in Guatemala, and it is open to all children. But many families need their children help with the family business, what ever that happens to be, and many families are too poor to afford shoes and the required uniform.
More later....
We stopped at a small resturant and had Chop suey. Yumm! Then on to the beach. We found a cabanna, ordered cold beverages. Some when swimming. Some took naps in the hassocks, I waded in the water for awhile and then enjoyed good conversation.
It was a 'volcanic' beach which meant that the sand was black. The waves were high, great for anyone who wanted to surf. The water had a strong undertow, so everyone had to be very careful. I noticed that as I stood in the water, the sand would be pulled away from under my feet, so it was difficult to just stand in the water. The water was warm and soothing though.
We stayed at the beach most of the afternoon and then headed back. On the way back....not a big suprise....it started raining and storming. We were drenched by the time we got back to Reu. We went to the hotel, changed clothes and then headed to the Dardon's for supper. After supper we had our nightly devos and then headed back to the hotel for bed.
This day we also worked on sorting the boxes of school and medical supplies that we had brought from Iowa and Illinois. Most of the supplies will be stored, but some of it will be taken to the jungle school, coffee plantation, and the farm family that we will see on Wednesday when we head to Antigua.
Supplies are much needed, but it is difficult and expensive to get them to Guatemala. I was shocked to find out that many children are not able to go to school because they have no shoes and uniforms. We were taking to a guy from Flordia that we met in Mexico on the way down, that was 15 when he got his first pair of shoes, we later learned that this is not unusual.
There is a public education system in Guatemala, and it is open to all children. But many families need their children help with the family business, what ever that happens to be, and many families are too poor to afford shoes and the required uniform.
More later....
We are home safe and sound!
We left Antigua for the airport in Guatemala City on Saturday afternoon to be there in time for our 8:20 flight to Chicago OHare. there were six of us flying out that day, so we went through check in as a group. Our passports were checked, and the appropriate forms were filled out. Then we waited.....We got a bite to eat and played Phase 10. Later we made our way through security and waited at our gate. The plane started boarding at 8:00pm and took off 20 minutes later. We had a good flight, abit of turblence, but no big deal. The flight was full, but most of the people slept or watched 'Twillight". We arrived in Chicago at about 1:30. We had to go through customs and have our passports checked. Only one of the bags was searched, and that one had wet hacky sacks in it. After all the appropriate stamps and checks were done....we were free! Diane Dardon met us and we started making our way across Illinois to Iowa. We arrived in Iowa City at 7:30 Sunday morning where we met Andrea Schmitt, Gary's wife who drove us to Manchester, Iowa. That was where we left the big red truck that took us the rest of the way home. We stayed in Highlandville Sunday night. Kris, Becky, and the kids brought Mabes Pizza and we celebrated Father's Day and their 6th wedding anniversary.
We are happy to be home, and anxious to tell the stories of our adventures. Over the next few days we will be posting the rest of the days and some pictures.
We are happy to be home, and anxious to tell the stories of our adventures. Over the next few days we will be posting the rest of the days and some pictures.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday June 12 2009
At the border….Thursday night we were driving through one of the check areas and three men flagged us down. Estarado talked to them and discovered that they were looking for jobs to help people get across the border. We were hoping to make it across that night, but it was soon evident the border would be closed by the time we got there. Our new friends took us to a hotel that had a place to park the bus. We were able to park the bus there, but the hotel was not going to work for us. There was no air or even fans. It really would have been a miserable night. They took us to another hotel that had air and much better accommodations than the night before. We went to get something to eat, but we were told there was no more food service for the night, even though others were being served. ….humm, you figure it out.
We woke early on Friday morning and retrieved the bus and got into the line. We had to wait until the border opened. The men we hired came and got our passports and worked on the paperwork. There was some concern about the engine number and VIN number not matching, but we all prayed that everything would work out. Again we prayed for a green light at the border. Our passports were returned with Guatemala stamps in them!
When the line started moving we were relieved when we went through the Mexican border with no problems. Speaking for all of us, I think we had enough of Mexico and were glad to get into Guatemala. Until we were flagged and were detained. The Guatemalan authorities demanded that extra taxes be paid on the contents of the bus. The bus itself was cleared and ready to go. But the things on the bus…school supplies, books, hospital supplies, x-ray machines, and pipes was going to be accessed additional taxes.
It was hard to tell if it was a Guatemalan tax or the official was trying to make a buck. But they gave Estarado an incredibly difficult time and threatened to detain him for as long as it took. The whole day was spent in negotiations. The biggest controversy was over the x-ray machine. The government officials thought it had to be worth over $10,000 dollars and told Estarado that he would have to unload the machine so they could see it, and they possibly would sell it. (more than likely they would pocket the money). This was unacceptable to Estarado who would rather see the machine destroyed than to have them get ahold of it.
At this point we borrowed a phone and started making phone calls to anyone who we thought might be able to get their attention. We called congressmen’s offices and the NEIA Synod office. We knew that no one probably could do anything, but having someone with more authority than they had would make them think about what they were doing.
At some point a threat was made to destroy the machine or at the minimum take the thing apart. Which our guys did. By this time we had gained the attention off everyone in the parking lot. Most of them knew that we were there bringing relief aid to the Guatemalan people and were very supportive of us.
When the officials finally saw the machine….we put it back together by then….they didn’t want it and eventually some young men were given the machine to take away. There were even other officials that were offering to take it out for us and meet us outside where we could get it back.
At around 6:00 we were released from the detention lot and started the journey up the mountain to Reu. We arrived in Reu at about 10:00 and had the supper that Flo had prepared for us. We checked into our hotel and had a well deserved nights sleep.
At the border….Thursday night we were driving through one of the check areas and three men flagged us down. Estarado talked to them and discovered that they were looking for jobs to help people get across the border. We were hoping to make it across that night, but it was soon evident the border would be closed by the time we got there. Our new friends took us to a hotel that had a place to park the bus. We were able to park the bus there, but the hotel was not going to work for us. There was no air or even fans. It really would have been a miserable night. They took us to another hotel that had air and much better accommodations than the night before. We went to get something to eat, but we were told there was no more food service for the night, even though others were being served. ….humm, you figure it out.
We woke early on Friday morning and retrieved the bus and got into the line. We had to wait until the border opened. The men we hired came and got our passports and worked on the paperwork. There was some concern about the engine number and VIN number not matching, but we all prayed that everything would work out. Again we prayed for a green light at the border. Our passports were returned with Guatemala stamps in them!
When the line started moving we were relieved when we went through the Mexican border with no problems. Speaking for all of us, I think we had enough of Mexico and were glad to get into Guatemala. Until we were flagged and were detained. The Guatemalan authorities demanded that extra taxes be paid on the contents of the bus. The bus itself was cleared and ready to go. But the things on the bus…school supplies, books, hospital supplies, x-ray machines, and pipes was going to be accessed additional taxes.
It was hard to tell if it was a Guatemalan tax or the official was trying to make a buck. But they gave Estarado an incredibly difficult time and threatened to detain him for as long as it took. The whole day was spent in negotiations. The biggest controversy was over the x-ray machine. The government officials thought it had to be worth over $10,000 dollars and told Estarado that he would have to unload the machine so they could see it, and they possibly would sell it. (more than likely they would pocket the money). This was unacceptable to Estarado who would rather see the machine destroyed than to have them get ahold of it.
At this point we borrowed a phone and started making phone calls to anyone who we thought might be able to get their attention. We called congressmen’s offices and the NEIA Synod office. We knew that no one probably could do anything, but having someone with more authority than they had would make them think about what they were doing.
At some point a threat was made to destroy the machine or at the minimum take the thing apart. Which our guys did. By this time we had gained the attention off everyone in the parking lot. Most of them knew that we were there bringing relief aid to the Guatemalan people and were very supportive of us.
When the officials finally saw the machine….we put it back together by then….they didn’t want it and eventually some young men were given the machine to take away. There were even other officials that were offering to take it out for us and meet us outside where we could get it back.
At around 6:00 we were released from the detention lot and started the journey up the mountain to Reu. We arrived in Reu at about 10:00 and had the supper that Flo had prepared for us. We checked into our hotel and had a well deserved nights sleep.
June 15, 2009
We are in Guatemala and it is Monday, actually it is Tuesday, ok now it is Wednesday, but we didn’t get this posted for a variety of reasons, but mostly the uncertainty and undependability of the internet connection. It is available but power outages are frequent. So back to Monday…wow what a day! We began with a breakfast of freshly made pastries and instructions to hurry up. We all climbed into the trucks and headed for the Jungle School. We left the hotel and headed for the country. We dropped off the guys to get the bus and the rest of us went to the school. We found the 5th and 6th graders ready to go on a field trip and for a ride on the bus. Many of them were going on a bus for the first time. The 47 kids were so excited to be going on their first field trip!
We drove about 45 miles to visit Mayan ruins. The tour was conducted in Spanish, but Ruben, one of the teachers tried to explain in broken English what we were seeing. There were two teachers and the Superintendent that went along. All three teachers were very kind and compassionate and you could tell that they cared deeply for the children. There was a small zoo with wild boars, a white tailed deer, raccoons, and monkeys. The monkeys were my favorite.
First Lutheran from Manchester provided the lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches and freshly squeezed lemonade. We were told that this was not a typical lunch for the children. They came back for seconds and some for thirds!
On the way home the kids had become comfortable with us and started talking. Most of the words we did not know, but when we found words that we knew in common such as numbers, colors, and letters we all laughed and clapped.
When we returned to their neighborhood, the kids were not ready to go home yet. But as they left, family by family we waved out of the windows and said Adios Amigos! What a day!
We went back to the hotel for rest and prepared for the evening meal and the evening devotions. All of our evening meals were served at the Dardon family home. Everything was handmade and authentic Guatemalan. As you may have heard the food is delicious.
My new favorite thing is Panchos…it is like a taco sandwich made out of chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. Yumm!
We are in Guatemala and it is Monday, actually it is Tuesday, ok now it is Wednesday, but we didn’t get this posted for a variety of reasons, but mostly the uncertainty and undependability of the internet connection. It is available but power outages are frequent. So back to Monday…wow what a day! We began with a breakfast of freshly made pastries and instructions to hurry up. We all climbed into the trucks and headed for the Jungle School. We left the hotel and headed for the country. We dropped off the guys to get the bus and the rest of us went to the school. We found the 5th and 6th graders ready to go on a field trip and for a ride on the bus. Many of them were going on a bus for the first time. The 47 kids were so excited to be going on their first field trip!
We drove about 45 miles to visit Mayan ruins. The tour was conducted in Spanish, but Ruben, one of the teachers tried to explain in broken English what we were seeing. There were two teachers and the Superintendent that went along. All three teachers were very kind and compassionate and you could tell that they cared deeply for the children. There was a small zoo with wild boars, a white tailed deer, raccoons, and monkeys. The monkeys were my favorite.
First Lutheran from Manchester provided the lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches and freshly squeezed lemonade. We were told that this was not a typical lunch for the children. They came back for seconds and some for thirds!
On the way home the kids had become comfortable with us and started talking. Most of the words we did not know, but when we found words that we knew in common such as numbers, colors, and letters we all laughed and clapped.
When we returned to their neighborhood, the kids were not ready to go home yet. But as they left, family by family we waved out of the windows and said Adios Amigos! What a day!
We went back to the hotel for rest and prepared for the evening meal and the evening devotions. All of our evening meals were served at the Dardon family home. Everything was handmade and authentic Guatemalan. As you may have heard the food is delicious.
My new favorite thing is Panchos…it is like a taco sandwich made out of chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. Yumm!
The Mexican adventure continued…..Tuesday- June 9th: We awoke before the sunrise to get an early start. We opted to wait to have breakfast, so those that wanted coffee….got coffee. Estarado checked in with his new friends to gather information about the best routes and a possibility of a place to stop later in the evening. We all piled in the bus, Dave was going to drive, a plan in hand and headed south. Today was going to be a difficult day, we had many miles to go…
We drove into Tampico thinking that it would be a piece of cake. Tampico is a tourist town. However, apparently they have a ‘rule’ that if you are passing through you should be taking a bypass road. We missed the turn and continued into the city. About two blocks into town people started waving and banging on the bus when we went by. We were stopped by the local police who said that we were driving in the wrong lane. He demanded to see our papers and Dave’s driver’s license…..since Dave was driving. The guy came on the bus and asked us each where we were from….of course we said Iowa. Since none of us spoke Spanish Estarado spoke for us.
The police officer wanted money, but he wanted too much money. Another police officer came, demanded money, and began mentioning that he could put all of us in jail for 5 days. We told him we did not have the amounts of money he was talking about (over $2100).
There were long negations followed by Estarado trying to fill us in on what was happening. After about an hour of this the police said to follow them. We followed them through the very narrow streets of the town. My imagination went wild, but mostly I was trying to figure out how to let someone know where we were. We had been out of phone contact since we crossed the border on Monday afternoon.
We wound around the city and turned to go down a road that had a cemetery on both sides of the road. As we came over a hill we saw the cemetery, a parking lot of confiscated cars, trucks, and buses, and at the bottom of the hill….a prison. The police officer came back in the bus and pointed out the choices. I was scared out of my mind…All I could think about is that no one knew where we were, and we had no way to contact anyone. The guys all had different reactions.
The bottom line was that the officers wanted a bribe and if we didn’t pay it, we were going to jail. Estarado got him down as low as he thought he could go. We ended up paying $450.00 American money to stay out of jail. The police then escorted us out of town.
We later learned that this is a common occurrence in this town. After that our nerves were on edge if we saw any kind of police or Mexican Army I echoed Sue Mercer’s prayer to be invisible to anyone who would cause us harm.
The trip that day continued fairly uneventful except for Gary eating Ken’s breakfast later that morning (ya, that was funny. LOL). At least until Friday when we reached the border, but more on that later.
These are a few thoughts about the trip through Mexico. There were very few women traveling on the road. But there were a lot of Guatemalans. Some were American citizens. They had bought or were transporting cars that had been in wreaks. They could buy them at a reasonable price and get them fixed in Guatemala, and then sell them for a profit. They filled the cars with anything they could sell. Shoes were a very popular item. We could have sold the shoes right off of our feet. Some of our shoes seemed to have disappeared.
We drove by small towns on the Gulf of Mexico. The scenery was very beautiful, but it was evident that the area had been affected by hurricanes in the past few years. It was too bad there was a lot of litter along the roads. Finding restrooms was also an adventure….If you want to know ask me, I will fill you in.
All along the sides of the roads were fruit stands. This time of year there were bananas, mangos, pineapples, and melons. They smelled wonderful.
We drove into the Serria Madre Mountians and cut across Southern Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. Very beautiful. As we came down out of the mountains we came into a place where miles and miles were being developed into wind farms. They were building more wind generators as we drove through.
Wednesday night we stayed at an interesting hotel. One positive was that our showers were warm, but other than that it set a new bar for an adventure! It was an “auto hotel” There was a garage on the first floor for you to park in. You went up steps to find the anti luxury of your dreams. The electrical wiring was coming out of the walls and every wall was painted a different color with the bed spread yet another color. The bed frames were cement….Yes you read this right, they were cement. The mattress was one of those foam ones that you find in campers. I guess it goes to prove that if you are tired, you will sleep anywhere…..and it was better than sleeping in a Mexican jail.
We drove into Tampico thinking that it would be a piece of cake. Tampico is a tourist town. However, apparently they have a ‘rule’ that if you are passing through you should be taking a bypass road. We missed the turn and continued into the city. About two blocks into town people started waving and banging on the bus when we went by. We were stopped by the local police who said that we were driving in the wrong lane. He demanded to see our papers and Dave’s driver’s license…..since Dave was driving. The guy came on the bus and asked us each where we were from….of course we said Iowa. Since none of us spoke Spanish Estarado spoke for us.
The police officer wanted money, but he wanted too much money. Another police officer came, demanded money, and began mentioning that he could put all of us in jail for 5 days. We told him we did not have the amounts of money he was talking about (over $2100).
There were long negations followed by Estarado trying to fill us in on what was happening. After about an hour of this the police said to follow them. We followed them through the very narrow streets of the town. My imagination went wild, but mostly I was trying to figure out how to let someone know where we were. We had been out of phone contact since we crossed the border on Monday afternoon.
We wound around the city and turned to go down a road that had a cemetery on both sides of the road. As we came over a hill we saw the cemetery, a parking lot of confiscated cars, trucks, and buses, and at the bottom of the hill….a prison. The police officer came back in the bus and pointed out the choices. I was scared out of my mind…All I could think about is that no one knew where we were, and we had no way to contact anyone. The guys all had different reactions.
The bottom line was that the officers wanted a bribe and if we didn’t pay it, we were going to jail. Estarado got him down as low as he thought he could go. We ended up paying $450.00 American money to stay out of jail. The police then escorted us out of town.
We later learned that this is a common occurrence in this town. After that our nerves were on edge if we saw any kind of police or Mexican Army I echoed Sue Mercer’s prayer to be invisible to anyone who would cause us harm.
The trip that day continued fairly uneventful except for Gary eating Ken’s breakfast later that morning (ya, that was funny. LOL). At least until Friday when we reached the border, but more on that later.
These are a few thoughts about the trip through Mexico. There were very few women traveling on the road. But there were a lot of Guatemalans. Some were American citizens. They had bought or were transporting cars that had been in wreaks. They could buy them at a reasonable price and get them fixed in Guatemala, and then sell them for a profit. They filled the cars with anything they could sell. Shoes were a very popular item. We could have sold the shoes right off of our feet. Some of our shoes seemed to have disappeared.
We drove by small towns on the Gulf of Mexico. The scenery was very beautiful, but it was evident that the area had been affected by hurricanes in the past few years. It was too bad there was a lot of litter along the roads. Finding restrooms was also an adventure….If you want to know ask me, I will fill you in.
All along the sides of the roads were fruit stands. This time of year there were bananas, mangos, pineapples, and melons. They smelled wonderful.
We drove into the Serria Madre Mountians and cut across Southern Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. Very beautiful. As we came down out of the mountains we came into a place where miles and miles were being developed into wind farms. They were building more wind generators as we drove through.
Wednesday night we stayed at an interesting hotel. One positive was that our showers were warm, but other than that it set a new bar for an adventure! It was an “auto hotel” There was a garage on the first floor for you to park in. You went up steps to find the anti luxury of your dreams. The electrical wiring was coming out of the walls and every wall was painted a different color with the bed spread yet another color. The bed frames were cement….Yes you read this right, they were cement. The mattress was one of those foam ones that you find in campers. I guess it goes to prove that if you are tired, you will sleep anywhere…..and it was better than sleeping in a Mexican jail.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Crossing the Rio Grande
US Border CrossingOk, back to Monday and crossing the border. We crossed the border with no problems. Fortunately we had the GPS along and it was up and working. Estarado told us which way to go, but it was not how the GPS told us to go. We had our first turn around at that point. (we were headed for Baja). We headed for Mexico Highway #101. We had just found it when we had our first encounter with the Mexican Police. They pulled the bus over because they said that we had ran a red light. However, there were many cars that went around the corner at the same time. The police officer wanted money. Right or wrong the bribe was paid and we went merrily on our way.
We were advised that it was not a good idea to drive through the night. Partly because of the condition of the roads. But mostly because of increased chance of being stopped by the police and army. We drove to Mira Mar, a small town just north of Tampico, Mexico. Found a hotel, had something to eat, and went to bed. The food was really good, but we had no idea what we ordered, since the entire menu was in Spanish. We were all very tired and all slept well. I was relieved that we were sleeping in a bed.
We were advised that it was not a good idea to drive through the night. Partly because of the condition of the roads. But mostly because of increased chance of being stopped by the police and army. We drove to Mira Mar, a small town just north of Tampico, Mexico. Found a hotel, had something to eat, and went to bed. The food was really good, but we had no idea what we ordered, since the entire menu was in Spanish. We were all very tired and all slept well. I was relieved that we were sleeping in a bed.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Trip up the mountian to visit a coffee plantation
Above: Coffee Beans....when they are ripe they will be red. There are two beans in each pod.
Above: The Coffee Plantation
To the upper right: the ride up the mountian....
To the upper right: the ride up the mountian.... Below and to the right: Macademia Nuts, ready for eatting!
This morning while we were eating pastries for breakfast, Diane came in and said we have to go to see the Carpets, they were making carpets in the square just down the street from the hotel. We went to find the young children making “carpets” out of flowers, leaves, fruits, and colored sawdust.
They were beautiful and the children making them were smiling and happy. One of the groups was not finished and invited us to help them finish. In afew minutes the processional would be coming by to celebrate the festival of Corpus Christie or the Body of Christ. (we have pictures that will be added soon). We had to leave before the procession.
We drove out of town and up a steep mountain. Through many small villages to go to a coffee plantation. The roads were unbelievable. Though recently they were paved so we were able to drive most of the way up the mountain. The road had been washed out in two places. This is one of the plantations that
We saw coffee plants and many varieties of bananas. Big ones, small ones, red, green, and yellow bananas and plantains. Plantains are my new favorite thing. They look like a banana on steroids, they are sliced and fried and seasoned with something I have not figured out yet. Then crème fresh is poured on the top. Yummy!
The coffee is not ready for harvest yet. The berries are on the tree. Each berry contains two coffee beans. This is the time for Macadamia Nuts….another favorite thing! The nuts are harvested from trees, shucked, broken and sorted and then roasted. We were able to sample the roasted nuts, and they were a treat!
I came back to the hotel for the afternoon while Dave went into the jungle to go swimming.
More later…
They were beautiful and the children making them were smiling and happy. One of the groups was not finished and invited us to help them finish. In afew minutes the processional would be coming by to celebrate the festival of Corpus Christie or the Body of Christ. (we have pictures that will be added soon). We had to leave before the procession.
We drove out of town and up a steep mountain. Through many small villages to go to a coffee plantation. The roads were unbelievable. Though recently they were paved so we were able to drive most of the way up the mountain. The road had been washed out in two places. This is one of the plantations that
We saw coffee plants and many varieties of bananas. Big ones, small ones, red, green, and yellow bananas and plantains. Plantains are my new favorite thing. They look like a banana on steroids, they are sliced and fried and seasoned with something I have not figured out yet. Then crème fresh is poured on the top. Yummy!
The coffee is not ready for harvest yet. The berries are on the tree. Each berry contains two coffee beans. This is the time for Macadamia Nuts….another favorite thing! The nuts are harvested from trees, shucked, broken and sorted and then roasted. We were able to sample the roasted nuts, and they were a treat!
I came back to the hotel for the afternoon while Dave went into the jungle to go swimming.
More later…
Getting Ready to Cross the Border....
Since the paperwork was not going to be done until around 10:00am we had the morning to “sleep in”. Yeah Right….we slept in until 7:30….Ugg! Elayne could have slept longer…but Dave was ready to go…he always is! We went to the paperwork place where Estarado had finished everything. He was told that everything was in order, except that the diesel fuel that they had brought would need to be used before crossing the border. At exactly 10:00 the FedEx truck came with a package for Ken….it contained his passport.
We just have to tell you about one thing from the night before. It did not take long to discover that the Styrofoam cooler that we brought…..wait for it…..had a hole in it. So late Monday afternoon we discovered that the floor was wet. We checked to make sure that what was wet was sealed and was not destroying anything. So when we got to Pharr and found our hotel, the guys decided to try to straiten up the bus. They thought it would be a good idea to drain the cooler. But rather than taking the time to take the cooler out and dump it out. They propped it at the top of the stairs of the bus so the water would drain out. In theory, not a bad idea. In reality the cans started falling out one by one the minute they left the bus. The result was that the cans landed on the bottom step so the door could not open. Elayne could not stop laughing at the wisdom. We wiggled the door around and started pulling out the cans and soon the door opened enough to get the rest out.
We went and had breakfast with two guys that Estarado had met while doing paperwork. They gave us some tips about how to cross Mexico. We were all praying for a green light at the border. If we got a red light, it meant there was something wrong and there was a strong possibility that we would have to unload the entire bus.
We drove for about 45 minutes to the border crossing. There was a line that everyone had to wait in. There were many people around, so Estarado made friends. Most of the people spoke Spanish, afew spoke English.
I had heard about the wall that was being considered, but I had no idea that they were actually building it. The day we were there, they were working on it.
The American authorities came, checked papers and sent the whole group on their way. We drove through the maze and finally crossed the river into Mexico. At that point we had to go through Mexican security, including having the bus scanned and fill out our Visa papers. We got a green light by the way!
We just have to tell you about one thing from the night before. It did not take long to discover that the Styrofoam cooler that we brought…..wait for it…..had a hole in it. So late Monday afternoon we discovered that the floor was wet. We checked to make sure that what was wet was sealed and was not destroying anything. So when we got to Pharr and found our hotel, the guys decided to try to straiten up the bus. They thought it would be a good idea to drain the cooler. But rather than taking the time to take the cooler out and dump it out. They propped it at the top of the stairs of the bus so the water would drain out. In theory, not a bad idea. In reality the cans started falling out one by one the minute they left the bus. The result was that the cans landed on the bottom step so the door could not open. Elayne could not stop laughing at the wisdom. We wiggled the door around and started pulling out the cans and soon the door opened enough to get the rest out.
We went and had breakfast with two guys that Estarado had met while doing paperwork. They gave us some tips about how to cross Mexico. We were all praying for a green light at the border. If we got a red light, it meant there was something wrong and there was a strong possibility that we would have to unload the entire bus.
We drove for about 45 minutes to the border crossing. There was a line that everyone had to wait in. There were many people around, so Estarado made friends. Most of the people spoke Spanish, afew spoke English.
I had heard about the wall that was being considered, but I had no idea that they were actually building it. The day we were there, they were working on it.
The American authorities came, checked papers and sent the whole group on their way. We drove through the maze and finally crossed the river into Mexico. At that point we had to go through Mexican security, including having the bus scanned and fill out our Visa papers. We got a green light by the way!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Leaving Manchester Sunday Afternoon....
We left Decorah and drove to Manchester to meet our group and get on the bus...There are six of us going. Estrardo Dardo'n organized the trip. He lives in Illinois and with two kids and his lovely wife Diane. Estrardo grew up in Reu and his family continues to live there, (here :)
Gary Schmitt and Ken Hart are both from Manchester. Gary is married to Andrea and they have two children. He works for LSI and is taking classes. Prior to working at LSI he was a mechanic. His skills as a mechanic came in very handy on this trip!
Ken Hart is a K-6 Guidance Counselor in the school in Manchester. Ken entertained us all with his amazing sense of humor and compassion.
And finally, Gabriel. Gabriel is a high school student from Lake Mills.
And us, but you already know us!
Anyway that is our little group. We finished packing the bus, prayed, and loaded up. I was so touched by Sue's request to keep the bus safe from "door to door". Gary was the first driver. We were all very excited to get on the road and Gary must have forgotten to close the door, because the first corner we went around things flew out the door. After retrieving the waterbottle, we were on our way, with strict instructions to make sure the door is closed from now on.
We stopped for breakfast in Dallas. Biscuits and Gravy, yumm! Our waitress was a women named Brenda, which under most circumstances would have been routine....but when Brenda found out what we were doing....after telling us we were crazy....she told us she would keep us in her prayers, and would we pray for her too. She was going to be the director for her churches VBS program that night and was really nervous. She had never been the director before.
We drove all that night and arrived in Pharr, Texas at 4:30 Monday afternoon. At that point there was paperwork that needed to be done....and.....we still can't believe it....Ken forgot his passport....After three checks along the way to make sure everyone had their passports!
Unbeknown to us, Ken did call back to Manchester and had someone find the passport and overnight it to Texas. It was to arrive by 10:00am.
We had our first taste of Mexican food, the menu was in Spanish, but we ordered and it was good!
Elayne was so happy, we could sleep in a bed Dave was happy to be able to take a warm shower!
...and so it was the first day.,
Gary Schmitt and Ken Hart are both from Manchester. Gary is married to Andrea and they have two children. He works for LSI and is taking classes. Prior to working at LSI he was a mechanic. His skills as a mechanic came in very handy on this trip!
Ken Hart is a K-6 Guidance Counselor in the school in Manchester. Ken entertained us all with his amazing sense of humor and compassion.
And finally, Gabriel. Gabriel is a high school student from Lake Mills.
And us, but you already know us!
Anyway that is our little group. We finished packing the bus, prayed, and loaded up. I was so touched by Sue's request to keep the bus safe from "door to door". Gary was the first driver. We were all very excited to get on the road and Gary must have forgotten to close the door, because the first corner we went around things flew out the door. After retrieving the waterbottle, we were on our way, with strict instructions to make sure the door is closed from now on.
We stopped for breakfast in Dallas. Biscuits and Gravy, yumm! Our waitress was a women named Brenda, which under most circumstances would have been routine....but when Brenda found out what we were doing....after telling us we were crazy....she told us she would keep us in her prayers, and would we pray for her too. She was going to be the director for her churches VBS program that night and was really nervous. She had never been the director before.
We drove all that night and arrived in Pharr, Texas at 4:30 Monday afternoon. At that point there was paperwork that needed to be done....and.....we still can't believe it....Ken forgot his passport....After three checks along the way to make sure everyone had their passports!
Unbeknown to us, Ken did call back to Manchester and had someone find the passport and overnight it to Texas. It was to arrive by 10:00am.
We had our first taste of Mexican food, the menu was in Spanish, but we ordered and it was good!
Elayne was so happy, we could sleep in a bed Dave was happy to be able to take a warm shower!
...and so it was the first day.,
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