Another intern

Those of you who followed our exploits last year may remember Matt the intern who worked with us. This year we have enjoyed the company of another intern, named Garrett. He has a degree in Latin American studies from OU and still lives in Oklahoma. Garrett's time here is supported by our denomination through the Division of Homeland Ministries. This was his first week here so he spent most of his time being oriented to the work of Southwest Good Samaritan ministries.
Even though he didn't work with us until today we tried to make him feel welcome by feeding him dinner each evening. I'm afraid that Sharon has set an awfully high bar for the groups that will follow us.
The Division of Homeland Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) sponsors several mission internships around the country, including Garrett's work here and the work of an OSU student named Kelsey who is spending the summer at the Yakima indian reservation. Your support of the larger church makes a difference in the lives of students like these, and in the lives of all those they work with and work for.

Sometimes it's all about giving up

When people first hear about my participation in these mission trips they usually ask if this is a medical mission. So far the answer has always been no. When I'm here I'm not a doctor, I'm usually an unskilled laborer. This year I've actually had some skills that have been of use. Between my work at Ace Hardware during college and my experience remodeling our bathroom in Midwest City I've learned a fair amount of bathroom plumbing.
When we came here the tub in the women's dorm at Iglesia Cristina Ebenezer was rusted out and badly in need of replacement, so I got the call. The faucet seemed in pretty good working order so I tried to leave it in place to save money. After several trips to Lowe's looking for flanges and extentions and handles to fit the old faucet it became clear that it was going to have to come out. Twenty minutes later and it was done. For us to move forward we had to stop holding on the the old.
That is what our faith is about. When we try to add our new life to cherished elements of our old life it just won't fit. We have give up and pull out all of the old bits to really be transformed.

Relationship building

I've said before that one of the things about our mission effort that makes me proudest is that we aren't just dropping in building something then moving on to the next place the next year. Since we have been returning to this area for 8 years we have had the opportunity to build relationships and to see things change over time.
Three years ago a group added a couple of rooms on to a ramshackle house in a rural area for a woman named Alma and her ten children. Last year when we were here she asked if her children could help us work on our projects. So, this year her oldest son George is working with one of our groups. George will be a senior in high school next year and says that he would like to be an architect. He has surprised us by needing less direction than we thought he might. The first day he jumped right in and dismantled the sink and countertop that needed replacing. He has shown proficiency with a circular saw and some creative problem solving to make pieces fit.
George is joining us late today because he has to register for school.
I've told George about the architecture school at OSU. Maybe next year he'll be registering for school in Stillwater.

Work began today

Our work began in earnest today. Erin and Judith did a lot of stucco. Cara and Jane painted. Ron and I pulled a rusty tub out of a bathroom and replaced it with a new fiberglass one. The things that we found delight in today didn't come out of our work. Some students in another group staying here found a fascinating beetle. LeAnn watched a storm come in over the ocean from the beach at South Padre Island. Later the remnants of that storm provided the most brilliant rainbow that I had ever seen, and clouds that had grown men standing around oohing and ahhing.
The best things in our life don't come from our hard work. They come as gifts. They come as grace. All we contribute to the matter is our response.
Our oohs and aahs were one response to grace. So was our work today. How are you responding to the beautiful grace in your life?

Pentecost Sunday

It has been neat each of the last two years to worship in a Spanish speaking congregation on Pentecost Sunday. Our group has better Spanish language skills than Beavis who "the only Spanish you know is what you learned at Taco Bell, and half the time [you] don't get that right," but sometimes it is just barely better. For us to get anything from worship thus requires the movement of the spirit opening our ears to hear. Today that came through the music. Most of the hymns that we sang were familiar and so as the congregation sang in Spanish we each heard them singing as if in our own tongue. I did not see any tongues of flame, but I did hear a sound like a rushing wind as the congregation each prayed their personal prayers aloud around us during the pastoral prayer.

Supplies were purchased today and our work will begin in earnest tomorrow. Casa Bugambilia has been transformed since our last visit. It is much larger than before. We will work to build rooms for the hospice care that happens there. On the Texas side of the border we will be making repairs and improvements to the dorms where groups like ours stay when they come to work.

I'll let Bill tell the story of his remarkable day in our first video.

Arrived Safely

On our way out to the Bayview site where we are staying this year we drove through acres of citrus groves. Only one of the trees had any fruit and we went by too fast to see what it was in the early twilight.
The work we do here, like the trees, was here before we arrived. The work we do will largely not bear fruit until after we leave. But, someday far away from here we may taste the sweetness.
Tomorrow we will obey the commandment to enjoy the Sabbath. We will worship and relax. I hope you will do the same.

Getting ready to go

Extra loads of laundry have been done, trips have been taken to Wal-Mart for sunscreen, bags have been hauled out of the attic for packing.
It doesn't seem like it has been a whole year since we last took this trip. Everything seems familiar and at the same time different. This year there is new concern about epidemic influenza and violence in border cities in western Mexico. Some of us have had family members call us worried, and some may have decided to stay home because of those concerns. We'll be staying at a different location than we have the past few years so that work can be done on the dorm at the church where we had been staying.
The weather report calls for rain. We ask for you to rain prayers down on us and those we go to serve.