Workday

So today was the day of our big workday. So far the trip has really seemed more like a vacation than a service project. Sure, we have done some work for God but really we hadn't got our hands dirty all week. That was all about to change.

The day started off with another big breakfast thanks to Gabe and Laura. These guys have been unbelievable hosts. Their kindness and humility blows me away. I went on this trip with every intention to serve any and every way I could... but just the opposite has happened. It has been humbling to be served in so many ways. Time and time again these guys have bent over backwards for us.

So you know how everything is spicy in Mexico? I'm pretty sure the chicken who laid this was on a strict hot sauce diet. Who buys a carton of brown eggs? Seriously!

So the place we were going today pretty much has nothing in common with the rest of the city. Monterrey is known for its industry, wealth, and beauty... this place just 40 minutes away didn't have any of the three.

Not the greatest ride I've seen on the streets but I hear it has killer horsepower. (Bu dum ching!)

These people build their houses with whatever they can find. Slowly the expand and build new stories on these little shelters.

Isaac wanted to show everyone his back up plan in case Jennifer doesn't pan out...

Ha ha, sorry man. (Just kidding Jennifer!) This is one of the pinatas that was donated for the kids we were going to reach out to in this impoverished area.

Out of no where Jim grabs this one and names it "Gretchin." I replied, "Jim... I'm not so sure how Hootie is going to feel about you giving the same name to the doll , that we are about to beat up, as he gave to one of his daughters." Lauri quickly named the other one "Hannah." Sorry girls!

The kids travel to different spots three days a week for a short talk, Bible lesson, and some food to bring home to their parents. The Baptist church that the Grand Commission church is pairing up with organizes volunteers to come teach the children. They also learn basic social skills like lining up, sitting attentively, and respecting one another... even though much of these are completley foreign concepts to them.

Here they are in small groups, being taught by the volunteers. Not to be hurtful but I thought some of the methods were a little extreme... using guilt and asking the kids to tell on each other but I guess you have to use a hard lined approach to such calloused children. They may look cute, but these kids were tough. I saw a couple kids get in a fist fight over a couple cassette tapes... not because they wanted the tapes but because they wanted to smash them and play with the innards.

My heart went out to these kids. I guess the reality is that there is no easy answer. The life of these children is filled with sickness, broken families, poverty, and incredible odds stacked against them. Still, it felt good to see the smiles on their faces a simple drink of root beer could bring.

Not to mention smiles from the teachers!

This is the pastor of the baptist church. I totally missed on getting his name. Sorry. It was cool to see him comb the community and just talk to everyone. You could tell that this guy was here for the long hall and that he genuinely cared for these people. They were his flock. I got to witness him talking with one woman, who has yet to attend any of his meetings, who's husband and son have been drinking for 2 months solid. She was so overwhelmed with this that she was almost in tears just talking about it. The pastor made no hesitation, "You need to know that somehow Jesus Christ can help you overcome these terrible times. He is here with you and he loves you. There is always a place for you at our meetings where people will listen to you."

After the lessons it was time for some fun! Kids were coming out of the... uhhh... cement work I guess.

The kids had to line up straight so they could each take their turn trying to break open Gretchen. You could see the excitment building!

Apparently though, Allan is not pleased. Someone needs to go to "Chilli's! Chilli's!"

And on the 8th day God shown down a great light and said, "Let there be paper mache dolls which you will beat the crap out of with a stick. Then, they will produce candy." On this day God saw that He created Pinatas, and it was GOOD.

Okay, here is the plan. We teach the children how to live away from violence and drugs by giving them weapons, encouraging them to beat the heck out of something that looks like a person, and then letting them go crazy on sugar. Perfect.

This kid got smart, used the force, and grabbed a lightsaber. Saddly, Gretchen had no chance.

And... let's wait for the offical call... YES! The home team comes away with the ball!

"Okay, the hat is on... this will be like stealing candy from..."

It's strange to see how the value of things change here. At home I bought a set of 30 gumballs for a dollar at Dollar Tree. To make a dollar back home takes about 6 minutes of work for me... So the cost of one gumball is 12 seconds of work. This gumball made this kids day... and it cost me 12 seconds of work. How many more gumballs should I be investing in?

I'm not trying to get all "save the children!" on you... but it really makes you stop and think about how you spend your money.

Check out the church's new ad campaign: "Yo Quiro Grand Commission Iglesia."

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one is worth 20,000. I am half tempted to just leave this caption less... just so everyone can wonder if Jim has turned into the teary eyed crime/sin fighter but the REAL story is too great to pass up!

We had a little downtime so we decided to walk around, meet people, and share the gospel if the opportunity presented itself. We stumbled onto a house with these strange noises. There was a guy standing out front with no shirt on and a buzzed head. He looked to be about 30 and was just staring us down. Now... keep in mind, we are in prime gang territory. We had been warned not to wander off by ourselves because of the serious danger.

Anyway, Jim starts talking to this guy and finds out his name is Francisco. He asks about the noise and we get invited into this guys living room which looks a little something like this...

The guy owned 2 sheep, a bunch of chickens, some ducks, etc. Jim was looking at the one sheep when it busted out of it's room and charged for the door. Jim instantly grabbed on, wrestled this thing to the ground, and shoved it back in the room. He then proceeds to ask the guy about the last supper painting above his kitchen table. Francisco said he was religious and showed off his huge clay rosary... beaming with pride.

We went back outside and found out that Francisco was not a gang member (like his neighbor that Hooty and Lauri were talking to) but was a police officer. He gave Jim the police patch and wouldn't accept any money for it. Jim began talking to him about what a dangerous job a policeman is and asked if he was ever scared about dying. "Do you know that you will be with God forever after you die?" Jim asked.

The man wasn't sure and Jim began to talk about his own past. He found out that Francisco had had a similar troubled past, just like Jim. We talked for a long time about the gospel and the man never asked to receive Christ... but he was taking everything Jim said with great anticipation. Jim told him to think about everything they had talked about and that if he wanted to accept Jesus' gift... just like the free gift of the police patch which was given to him, he could do so with a simple prayer to God.

We prayed for the man's safety and family and said goodbye. You could see the relief in the man's face after we prayed and he looked like he was about to cry. Jim gave him a big hug and thanked him for his time. Just before we left the man stopped us and gave Jim the rosary... the same object he had showed off with such pride minutes before. We were all pretty shaken up by the man's incredible sacrifice. We scrambled to find a Spanish Bible and offered it to Francisco, who accepted.

Sergio told us not to flash the badge around because it is government property and that that man could get into a lot of trouble for giving it away.

It should be noted that Alexandria was the translator for the previous conversation. She is 14 years old, talking face to face with a rough and tough 30 year old man. When we said we were going out to talk to people and it might involve spiritual matters, she jumped up and volunteered. This was the first time she had ever translated for someone who was sharing their faith.

I have to say that these teens here are all stars. I wish Ben Snyder could hang with these guys for a week just to see how committed young people can be to the work of God. What is scary is that Alex is the norm among the missionary kids, not the exception. These guys are taking leaps of faith that most adult Christians have never dreamed of.

"It's cool. No one is watching... just stay calm and pretend like you don't have snow white on your back. This sort of thing happens all the time..."

Next we kicked it up a notch and began building some benches. The benches are for the mothers of the children who are in class. More benches = mothers have a place to sit while their kids attend classes.

Did you ask me to NOT hit your finger? Well that changes everything!

Tim really hit his stride today. The guy just took over a worked his tail off. He skipped lunch because he was so focused on the project that he didn't want to slow down. I've already seen Tim grow in some incredible ways here at Monterrey. Awesome guy.

I also heard that his wife is reading up on this blog everyday... she even checks it at 3:00 AM to see if I have it up yet. Now that's dedication! Hi Julie! Hang in there, just a couple more days!

Today's Timism (or Tim-bit as coined by Lauri): Look! That car says "Toledo" on it! A manufacturer named from the city I live in! Drive closer so I can see who makes it!

I doubted him. I questioned his methods. I even cursed the day he was born... but in the end Eric pulled through and micromanaged us into making a bang-up bench. Classic line:

Me, "Oh boy... this line isn't straight. The bench might wobble when we are finished. We need to re-do this board..."
Eric, "Luke, you are forgetting something. THIS IS MEXICO. If you can sit on it and it doesn't fall apart, it's a great bench."

"I should be working and Lauri should be sitting here. Getting away with small crimes is fun!'

Saddly, Isaac didn't find a way to get out of work today. Usually he just pawns off all the mind numbing tasks to Eric. I made the point to him, "What is the point of leadership if you can't boss someone around?" Even though it is retorical, Isaac still said, "yes."

"Go ahead and take a look behind the curtain... I think you'll be happy to see that you have yourself a chance to win...... A NEEEEW BENCH! Now it's time to play a fabulous pricing game!"

Magnifico.

After all our hard work we got a few hours to rest. I got a chance to see some of Gabe's graphic work that he's done for Motorola. The guy has talent coming out of his- elbow.

What? It's an expression okay? And it could be a lot worse so back off!

The sun was setting so it was time to...

Eat! Although this one really wasn't helping us work up an appetite. Jim... you are losing your touch man... Hootie is taking all the stupid picture opportunities... He might just be the next great up and comer!

Here is baby David (pronounced Da-veed), Isaac's boy. This kid is an answer to prayer! Last year we prayed that Isaac and Jenifer could get pregnant and low and behold God came through in a BIG way! He's a really good baby... another baby roulette winner... lucky peole!

And here is Jennifer! She is one of the most bubbly, genuine people you will ever meet. She keeps saying how much she wants to meet Sara. Ha ha, here was our dinner conversation tonight.

Jennifer: Luuke! I want to meeet ur wiife. I will like her I think!

They don't call this place "The Big Slice," for nothing! Yeee haw!

Okay, crucial point here. Romans 14:6b "Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating." The way I see it... if you are going to eat to honor the Lord, that means at least 5 pieces of pizza.

Reason Jim is my hero # 94. If he sees a dead tarantella, he picks it up.

This is when we were robbed and mugged by that gray shirted abominable snowman...

Ahhh... the city of Monterrey. Weird to think that 6 months ago I was dreaming of this place and now I am about to go back home... another trip in the books. Tomorrow is our fun day and I'm sure we will make the most of it! Night everybody!

Luke