Friday July 13th

Day 2

        Made it through our first full day in Mexico. Thank goodness for sleep. After a day with two hours of sleep it is amazing to get a good nights rest. I feel like we're really connecting here with the church locals and with the people we serve. In the beginning of the day, we mostly interacted with each other, but I feel I have made a lot of new friends within the church, at the missions, and even within our own missionary group.
        We started out with breakfast at 7:30. Interesting fact for everyone reading this, Mexican food is nothing like Taco Bell. We had egg, tomatoes, and re-fried beans within a tortilla. After we ate we took a trip over to two orphanages. Another interesting fact, people here talk to each other from car to car. This place is so different from what I'm use to back in Port Huron.
        We arrived at the first orphanage to find it with no children, at least that we saw. It is amazing how kids live in this environment. Dirt was everywhere. While there, the girls took care of the indoor needs, changing bed sheets and cleaning up. The guys worked outside weeding (more like jungle clearing with machetes). These aren't your normal garden bugs either. We had to deal with several mounds of fire ants and seriously a nine inch stick bug (which of course has poison). All the guys did that with the exception of Pastor Dan, who ended up joining the church interns in taking out a fence from concrete.
        We moved to our second orphanage which was a lot better kept up. For the first time, we got to perform our skit for the children, which totaled about forty. After the skit, Stephanie led a craft, where we had to build little giraffes out of paper, paint, clothes pins, and glue ( which doesn't stick really well in humid conditions). After the craft, we did what probably was my favorite part of the day, just hang out with the kids. We ran around, played soccer and frisbee, and just had fun. It's amazing how kids with so little can be so happy. We kinda take it for granted in the U.S., because we have so much, its just so cool. Note for the ladies reading this, I saw Jonah with the kids today and I have never seen a more gentle and kid loving guy; and he's single.
        After the orphanages we went back to Le Fuente Church, to the beat of "Friday" by Rebecca Black, to eat lunch. I have never heard of Mexican Chinese before but it was good. It consisted of vegetables, chicken, and rice. It wasn't really Chinese if you ask me.
        We took a siesta after lunch for a couple of hours before we returned to work. We got split up into two separate groups to go to to missions. We later found out these missions are only two of fifteen that this church works with.
        My group went up in the mountains to what seemed to be a deconstructed home. It's amazing how with everyones help we were able to turn it into a V.B.S. in thirty minutes. We listened to a message given in Spanish, which I did not understand at all. After the message, Vicky led our craft of coloring a picture of Daniel. So I'm coloring trying to talk to what little Spanish I know to the kids when i ask for a chocola which in Spanish is a high-five and fist bump. I don't know if I mispronounced something, but the kids start making fun of me. So I try to defend myself in Spanish. It didn't help. Not my finest moment.
        After spending a couple hours up in the mission, we returned back to the church this time listening to Michael Jackson (Pastor Bill would of been proud). We ate dinner back at the church in which we ate for the first time what i consider Mexican, burritos. Dinner here is late, so we went back to the hotel to get some sleep so we can start again strong tomorrow.
        I know we've only been here for one day, but it feels like I have lived here my whole life. This place is amazing and I'm not talking about the country, which is, but rather the people who live here. Their so loving, happy, and content. I think we as Americans could learn a thing or two from them.

Adios,
Brad