Group 2 - Wed. 6/25

Group 2 started the day up at Casa Hogar Doughlas again with nearly all hands on deck working on making and pouring cement to build additional bathrooms alongside the current palapa. We had the drill down to a science that was up there with any modern assembly line. We got a lot done in a half a day. Others helped finish building and staining a wonderful looking picnic table while others worked in cleaning up the palapa and the dining hall. After lunch we came back to LDM (our main site) and had 30 or so of the kids over for a pool party here. We then cooked hot dogs and served them before having to say goodbye. As with the other group, it was hard for a number of us to let go and wave goodbye as their bus pulled out of our driveway and down the road. How is it that we create such strong attachments in just a few days? Just 3 days ago we were strangers from a different country, most of us unable to even speak their language and words we could mutually understand. Of course, the answer lies in Love - and the love that Jesus showed for us all. Some of our lessons this week have been about Love, Encouragement, Forgiveness & Submission. As we've seen and experienced these things here in Mexico, we talked tonight about how it will all work when we get back home. Will we go back to our old ways or will be renewed and truly be made new creations in Christ through this? There are a number of kids who have expressed an interest in being baptized here tomorrow night and it should be a fantastic finish to a fantastic week! Stay tuned....

Group 1 update - 6/25

Group 1 is alive is well! We have had two busy, but fun-filled, God filled days! Tuesday was awesome as we worked extremely hard on campus, painting a new Hope Home for teens, and many brave souls spent hours in a sand bucket brigade hauled tons of cement to the roof of the final Hope Home. I have never seen a group of people work so hard so long! Their muscles were on fire! After a great morning of hard work for everyone, we were rewared when the bus pulled up and 50 screaming children jumped off ready to party! The kids we have so deeply connected with the past several days were so excited to play in our larger pool! They had a wonderful afternoon surrounded by sheer love on the Back 2 Back campus-then the sad moment was upon us. Many rushed to grab their sunglasses so the children would not see us crying as they loaded up to head home. Worship last night was very emotional as kids and leaders were brought to their knees by the sadness of saying goodbye to our beautiful young friends. We will all go home with our hearts just a little bit broken-0k-, maybe more than just a little bit. But today-new hope, new home and new kids! We were so excited to go to El Retiro, the home in which Ryan worked the most when he was here. We worked extremely hard, moving dirt, shoveling gravel and mixing cement to pour a sidewalk around the new bodega. Extremely dirty, hard labor! Our kids had great attitudes and worked so hard! We also had a little time to make some cool connections with awesome new kids. This is great because tomorrow we get to take our new friends hiking in a gorgeous park!
Bottom line on day 4-Group 1 is sore, sunburned, exhausted, heartbroken, confused, joyous and GOD BLESSED!

Tina Rogal