Joint Heirs With Jesus

I don't even know where to begin on this entry.  I have been away for nearly 2 weeks to Aguascalientes with a Samaritan's Purse Youth Team.  Not only did we do eye clinics, but a lot of work projects were done around the construction site for the new home for Dulce Refugio.  In the evenings, fellowship and activities happened with each other and the children of Casa Hogar.  Please check out Jeremy's blog for updates on the progress there at www.xanga.com/childrenofhope 

I was also blessed to see some familiar faces from home.  Carolyn Thurber was volunteering at Dulce Refugio for a month while Amanda Hatfield and Courtney Nickerson are in Mexico teaching English through another organization.  Just the thought of how God provided us opportunity to gather together for a mini reunion in Mexico still amazes me.  I was blessed by it for sure.  I also had the opportunity to attend a Christian Concert by the Spanish singer Marcos Witt. It turned out fantastic because they had all the words on power point screens so I was able to worship along with the others.  I just love the Spanish language.  When you sing praises to God, even when you don't know the language, the feeling through the spirit remains the same.

While I was in Aguascalientes, Aron was busy with a team here at Pan de Vida. They finished work being done at the entrance and made amazing progress on the drains that have been dug.  The school roof has been poured and now the work will shift to the inside. Right  now the girls are cleaning the classrooms in preparation for next week.

While in Aguascalientes, we had the occasional rain in the evenings but it poured here in Queretaro.  The road is a mess and vehicles are continuously getting stuck.  The last week before school starts and the children have been attending Christian Camp.  The girls went the first part of the week and the boys the last.

I am headed to Aguascalientes tomorrow to lead an eye clinic for a Samaritan's Purse youth team.  They will be doing construction at the work site and we will have eye clinics in various communities.  Currently at Pan de Vida, we have 3 new volunteers from Texas.  They will be here until Sat and then head back to get ready for University.  Also, Richard will be arriving for the school year to teach. he is also from Texas and taught here last year.  We also have a new teacher arriving next week and her name is Ana.  I only met her briefly as she dropped off her belongings.  She will return while I am away.

The rain has stopped for a while, so Aron and the Texas team, along with Gustavo, one of the boys here, cleared away some of the mud and mixed some cement to pave along the hump at the entrance.  The previous hump was pretty steep and most vehicles bottomed out on it, so Aron is trying to make it more of a gradual slant.  Also more clean up of debris has taken place.  I don't know how many of you saw my facebook pictures but during the clean up, a rats nest was found.  It was Momma rat and her 18 babies.  The boys clobbered her and in the process killed some of the babies and then added the gang to the burn barrel that Aron has continuously burning here.  Of course I squealed like a girl and it a sick way it was a bonding moment for Aron and the guys.  The all cheered around the barrel over the achievement.  Us girls get enjoyment over a lunch and fellowship and guys over a burn barrel,  Thank you Lord for making me a girl!!

As Aron has worked on some of the vehicles, he has saved the used oil.  He was told they use it to paint the pigs so the flies won't bother them and they can sleep better.  Well, last night a couple of the boys came to Aron for the oil.  They took a few used pop bottles and punched 3-4 holes in the cap, then filled them with oil and entered the pig pen to squirt them down.  Of course Aron had to join in.  He even got me to take photos of the event.  See what I mean, sickos!

One of the girls, Diana, is leaving for Canada tomorrow.  She will be going to Waterloo, Ontario to take English.  She is currently a supervisor of one of the girls dorms and helps in leadership of laundry and kitchen.  I am going to miss her.  She was our original teacher of Spanish but had to stop in preparation to leave and now Ginger has been helping us in the language.

As a going away event, Diana and the girls made a mud pit on the outer edges of the property.  They had a blast with various games and just getting muddy.  Also the kids will be attending a Christian camp the last week of the month.  I can hardly believe it is almost time for school to start back.

The blocks on the school roof are now in place and the rebar is all being tied down.  The concrete is reserved to be poured on Friday.  God has answered our prayer and a donation has come in to finish the school and also we are getting a new water truck.  the one we currently have is 30 years old and breaks down often.

Wow, here we are a week later.  In one way it seems that time has sizzled by and in another, it seems like it has been forever since my last entry because so much has happened between now and then.  As I sit here and type, I can hear the worship group practice their songs.  In sounds so beautiful as it echoes across the grounds here.

It makes me think how much I love the Spanish language and am so excited to be learning it.  I am very aware that God did NOT gift me with singing or music and it really makes me appreciate those who have the gift.  I have also learned that in English, no matter what the song is, without the gift, it is just awful and I can butcher a song without question.  Even in congregational singing, I would get bizarre looks.  My theme song is the one with the lyrics that go "I Love you Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship you, Oh my soul rejoice.  Rise up my King to what you hear, may it be a sweet, sweet sound, in your ear."  On the mission trip last year it was even commented that my voice was only sweet to our Saviour...wow...I am so glad He thinks it is because I get no appreciation here for it!!  However, in learning Spanish, I realize that my singing is much better because the language itself is just so absolutely beautiful plus when they sing, they sing with emotion and enthusiasm that shake the auditorium.  Just thinking of it makes me want to twirl.  Oh and I am a horrible dancer too.  Well, enough rambling there.

We had 2 interns from Orphanos leave last week and now we have 3 volunteers from Texas here for 2 weeks.  It is great to have them here.  Not only do they speak English but they bring new energy to the house.

The construction here at Pan de Vida is currently on the school.  Last year a new wing was added on and now the second floor is in progress.  Melchor and his son, Juan, are 2 native Mexicans that work the construction on a regular basis.  This week, the blocks for the second story roof were delivered and they needed help to get the trucks unloaded.  A few of us pitched in to help with the task.  There were 1000 blocks and they all had to be put on the second level.  That is a lot of lifting as you can well imagine. Now they have to be placed overhead to fill in the roof area.  Also, when the blocks come out of the molds, there is excess on the edges that need to be chipped off so that the blocks will fit evenly together.  The men did the lifting overhead while Ginger and I helped with the chipping.  A lot of time goes into getting the forms in place to support the blocks in preparation to have the cement truck come in and make the final pour to hold it all together. We are hoping to have it finished and the roof poured by the end of this week.  And of course I have some photos to share with you!