DH trip to Mexico

Week-before-last DH went to Mexico for week on a mission trip with our church. For several years now, I think it's 14 years or so, our church has sent groups of young people to Mexico to build homes for the poor. This year our associate pastor asked DH to go. The group needed another male adult and also needed another musician. DH said he would think about -- and ultimately decided to go.

I did not mention the trip here on the blog for security purposes. Not knowing who on earth reads this bologna, and having posted pics of our house from the outside, I did not want to publish that I was home alone. Now that he's back, I can talk about it.

DH was chosen to speak about the mission trip at yesterday's worship at our church. Following is the text of his speech.

Note: We have been married eleven years. I have never seen him speak in public, except for the day he tried to strike a match on his fly -- but that's a story for another day -- and I never would have guessed at what an effective public speaker he is. Confident, steady, and well-spoken, he brought many folks, men and women alike, to tears. He was not nervous and did not stutter, lose his place, or get lost. He stood up there, looked people in the eye, and told his story in the slow, deep voice we all love so.

Now. Here it is:
Good morning.
It was about 5 months ago that Randy came to me and asked what I had planned for the summer. Without a real answer, he said, “Well, we sure could use you in Mexico.” Without a thought, I told him I would think about it.
Now I have never been on anything like this before. So I went home and told Margaret about the conversation I had had with Randy, and she said, “Well, of course, you need to go. “
So…I went to work and looked at the vacation schedule and realized that the days I needed off were not available. Marty, one of my co-workers offered to change his vacation to free up the days so that I could go. It’s amazing how God works.
So now I want to fast-forward to crossing the Mexican border. It’s startling how much it changes -- the difference between US and Mexico. .
On that first day, when we got to the Colonnias, when we started to drive thru the streets we began to see the houses, the dirt streets with potholes so large that on a rainy day, any car would get stuck. Homes built out of whatever people can find. Cardboard pallets, bed rails sheets over the openings for doors. There is no way I can truly describe the poverty, the situation. You’d have to really be there to understand how little the people have. It made me realize why they try to come here to the United States. There was no running water in the houses.
Before I left the States, Margaret tried to teach me a little Spanish. She told me about “el baňo” and “agua.” When we spoke on the phone, she asked about “el baňo,” and I told her, “Honey, there ain’t no baňo in the house. And if you can find a baňo, you don’t want to go in it.”
After we were there a couple of days, I began to realize they have something many of us don’t have. Yes, their conditions are hard, and they don’t have much in the way of material items. But they are a strong people. Their everyday life is a lot slower than ours. They love their families and they maintain a happy spirit despite their poverty. They are extremely kind. And giving.
After a while, we began to notice the people and not the devastation.
That’s how it was with most of the people we met. The women, the men, the children.
Our goal while in Mexico was to try to complete a house. This was a hard mission with only eighteen people in 4 to 5 days because this is just hard laborious work. Most of us were not used to that kind of work and we knew it. But this group of people was very special. Very dedicated and I am very proud, honored and humbled to work beside each and every one of you. It was great.
Well, we did it. We laid the blocks, poured the columns, poured the ring, laid the two extra rows of block on top of the ring to complete the walls for the roof for our church family and you could see how excited they were. The temperature on a given day ran about 103° in the sun.
I’ve worked with teams a lot over the years. Teamwork is a critical component in completing a task as big as building a house in a week. This team never stopped. The teamwork, the working as one unit, was perfect. Everyone on the TWAM team was caring for each other’s needs.
The Mexican people were so gracious. Abdulla, the lady for whom we built the house, had so little, yet every morning when we arrived, she had something to offer us.
On that next-to-last day, as we were nearing completion, our task was to pour a roof of concrete, on another house, which is the hardest thing to do on these houses. We began around 8:00am. I have to tell you mixing concrete, sand, rock and lots of aqua on the bare ground with shovels, a pick, a wheelbarrow, and old buckets, to pass the concrete up to the roof… oh yea and our scaffold with 2 not-so-great boards to stand on, was hard. When it got to be 12:00 and we were only ⅔ done with the roof, I was beginning to wonder if we would actually finish it. You have heard of the term hitting the wall when you don’t think you can go anymore.
I saw every one on this team hit the wall and climb over it and we completed that roof. You will see the smiles on our dirty faces when we finished, when we realized we had been successful and God was with us. I also wanted to mention that three of our teammates found the time to have vacation bible school with the kids at third Presbyterian church .
I am so very grateful for this opportunity to go on this trip. It made me realize these trips are not something you do because you want to do it. The trips are something we must do. And, as is always the case, we received ‘way more than we gave.
As I said in the beginning, I have never gone on a trip like this before, and it was nothing like I expected. I want to share with you that this was a life lesson that we will never forget. The TWAM trips are not by any means frivolous. They are a meaningful service opportunity, life-changing experience, and I truly hope you will continue to support the TWAM program in every way. Thank you.

We have always given Little One a birthday party every other year because (chuckling) we don't want to spoil her. This was the year. Now that she's eleven, we have agreed that they will slow down even more from here, possibly having one at 13, then at 16, then when the mood strikes.

We have had good success in years past in having a big crowd to attend. Last time, when she was nine, we had a Retro Sleepover. The girls all got John Lennon sunglasses, happy face tattoos, hemp bracelets and little Volkswagens with Flower Power stickers on them. At midnight we went to the basement to make tie-dye T shirts. About 9 girls attended and it was a pretty good time.

This year we invited thirteen girls and only four were available to attend. (Insert your own random "unlucky thirteen" joke here.) Most were on vacation.

With DH working night shift this week, we elected to hold the affair at the neighborhood pool to simplify my role. !!! It was still quite a bit of work as I took a tent with screened sides to cut down on heat and flies on the food. We ordered pizza and took cake and ice cream. The girls swam and we all had a nice time. Interesting note. Of the five girls, four are now or have been on swim team, yet they swam only one lap in the pool. The rest of the evening they practiced various dives.

When it came time to leave, the parents who had come to pick up girls all helped to break down the tent and table, and carry chairs, tent, table, cake, gifts, flowers, to the car. Because of the complexity of the tent, I opted to ball the tent up in the trunk. This morning I laid it out in the living room (read 73 degrees instead of 105) and fold it in an orderly fashion.

Many thanks to those who helped. Without your help, I'd still be there packing the car.

It has been such a busy but good week. Little Dog got a summertime buzz and looks like white velveteen. She is not sure what to think of losing all her hair -- has she lost her strength? but it sure looks cute and must be cooler. Not to mention NO mats! Fleas *love* white -- are they nearsighted? is white easier to spot? -- and although we administer the flea-killing drops on her, they still jump on and take that one lethal bite -- lethal to them, not her -- before succombing to the poison in her bloodstream. She always jumps a mile when they bite. Then she looks around at her butt as if to say, What was that? Gross. Anyhoo, she looks great.

Sanded the hallway floors this week, too.. puttied up any and all cracks last night and sanded that down early this morning. Soon as we cook breakfast, I am vacuuming and damp mopping ... then.... staining and first coat of poly!! We have been to Lowe's this week EVERY DAY and last night, well this morning at 1am, I was dismayed to realize I have only enough poly for ONE coat. So it's back to Lowe's today. sigh. Little One says, "I hate Lowe's. It's the boringest place ever." I believe she could draw the floorplan herself.

Rearranged the LR and DR this week. Our mother used to rearrange furniture when our father went out of town. Legend has it that he came home from one trip, got up in the night, walked to the closet and peed on his shoes. The bed used to face the other way and he thought he was in the bathroom. Me, I believe it, but I think there are those who don't.

Little One lost her cross at the Y at the other end of the county and they just called to say they found it. So today in addition to going to Lowe's, doing the floor, packing for a swim meet, and getting on the road, we have to drive out to get the cross. And we have to finish her bday party invitations and get them in the mail. Oh, and I have to get the slides done for church. OK, I have to go now and get started.

Ahh Summer Days

Ahh the bliss of summer days. The whole fam slept in to 9am and we are taking it easy. Nicccce.

DH is compiling his stuff to take to Me-hi-co this weekend. He swears he isn't excited, but he is.

Little One has a bday next week while he is gone. We are renting out the neighborhood pool, ordering pizza, and taking a cake. With DH gone, I had a need to Keep It Simple. It's the first time I have copped out and hired out a bday party. Little One looks forward to having it at the pool and it is a nice one. I believe the kids will enjoy it. I'm over my guilt -- almost. We are at least hand-making the invites.

Having lunch with a GF today and my coffee group has met only once since summer began. Can't seem to ditch the children long enough for a good chat. So we got creative. Today when I take Little One to the Y for carpool to swim practice, the Coffee Group are meeting at the Y. GF with 2 daughters is bringing them to play at the Splash Pad and we will chat under the umbrellas there.

Wish we had a Splash Pad when I was little!! It is a huge ring of brightly-colored vinyl-type painted squares on the cement floor, outside. Say, 30 to 35 feet in diameter. Each square has a sprinkler of sorts in it. The sprinkler heads are embedded down in the concrete so it is all a level surface. Some sprinklers are fine mists, some shoot up really high, some throw the water in an arc. The sprinklers turn on and off in a symphony of water and the kids run from one to the other. You can make up all sorts of games for it if you're at all creative.

One more thing going on around here -- we (finally) got in touch with someone to rent their apt to us for our trip to DC. More on that later....

4th of July

Most folks go to fireworks and/or barbecues on the 4th of July. We hung around the house, playing computer games and doing projects until 5:30 then went to the neighborhood pool. We heard it had been crowded an hour or two prior, but there was only 1 family remaining by the time we arrived. The board had rented a giant inflatable slide and Little One had it all to herself, but, alas, she feels too grown-up for it. Had zero interest in even taking one little zip down it.

The other family left shortly afterwards and we had to entire place to ourselves. I am sure the lifeguards were wishing we would leave so they could take off a few minutes early -- not sure if they can -- or even if they would, they are all so sweet and responsible. Anyhoo, Little One patiently worked on my butterfly stroke (I speak of it as if it were actually in existence, which it really is not. I have the kick begun but no arms.)

I had gotten some Hebrew Nationals (kosher dogs) on sale and of course some Not Dogs but it was too hot for DH to fire up the grill so I cooked them on the griddle. The family loves them cooked that way. We ate dogs and hash browns on disposable flag plates and trooped to the LR to find a pay per view movie for the family to watch. We watched, "Dreamer," which I highly recommend to any family, and finally went outside at 10:15 for LO to do her sparklers.

She spontaneously started doing this FireDancer thing with her sparklers, she is such a hoot, and DH took pics.

Love that new camera.

Grout

This weekend we (finally) grouted the subway tile in the kitchen. There are several items remaining on the punch list, my personal preferences being the "kick"boards below the cabinets and the refacing of the cheap drawers we bought from Lowe's. There is one remaining original cabinet that must be rebuilt, one remaining unpainted wall behind the refrigerator, lots of trim work, and an 18"x30" square behind the TV above the dining room door that needs primed and painted. The shelf the TV sits upon remains unpainted. I also want to replace the louvered dining room door with a door from the basement that has 6 horizontal panels, replacing the one at eye level with beveled glass. Sigh. It all seems so far away, but when we look at how far we've come in only 2 years, I guess it is achievable. Just ready to have a lovely kitchen with all the items completed.

I asked DH last week if he ever dreamed he could accomplish so much in improving a home of his own, back when he lived in SmallerTownEvenThanThis. He cut me a look and said clearly, "Never."

We have art to hang today, fresh from the framer. Vintage botanicals I have collected over the years and historical neighborhood stuff.

Here are pics from yesterday:

VBS

It's been forever since I have blogged -- it has not been for lack of the wanting! We have been sososo busy the last few weeks, that the little downtime I have had has truly been down time.

DH took off last week to be musician / storyteller at Vacation Bible School -- his first experience working at a VBS, ever. I believe I can truly say it was a great week for him. He shared stories in the evening of walking through the nursery and playing lullabyes that hushed the crying babies; of toddlers sitting rapt as he shared the story of Daniel and the Lions' Den; of little ones knowing the answers the next day.

I was upstairs doing art with 5-and-unders, down to 2's. We had 30+ 5's, TWO classes of 4's 20+ in each class, 28 3's, and 11 2's. VBS was not technically open to 2's but the teachers who had 2-yr-olds were allowed to bring them. Counting all the school-age kids, we had the largest VBS ever this year, with an average of 220 and a high day of 260 on Wednesday. Over 120 adults & teens helped this year. It was the first time we utilized the new building for VBS and boy was it nice.

It was Little One's last year to attend VBS as a participant. Next year as a middle-schooler she will help rather than attend as a student. She looks forward to being a helper in the 2 or 3-yr-old class. She wants to do that instead of helping me in Art as she wants to be with the littles all morning long.

The following pics are of the closing program on Friday night. DH was in the beginning stages of a wicked stomach virus and ran for the men's room as soon as it was over. Note the size of the crowd. The theme of the week was "The Race for Faith." The musicians wore shirts borrowed from Team Chevrolet, and the race drivers' jumpsuits were on loan from one of those big NASCAR drivers, although I hesitate to say which one as they all run together for me. The set had two cardboard racecars named "Dupray," (say it out loud) and "Yalltel" (Y'all tell others about Jesus.) In the photos, the group were singing and celebrating the closure of a great week.


Dr. D is always the calm spot no matter what the environment.