Thursday Student Thought

This week I am proud to say has been a memory maker...and I don't just mean for me. The beauty that is enclosed in this heart wrenching place has enraptured all of us. From building a home for a needy family, to doing arts and crafts with little kids, to throwing a pick-axe into solid rock, our lives have been changed. This morning I had the amazing opportunity to serve breakfast to children who literally live in a dump. If the smell wasn't enough, the children covered in grime surely put me over. To top it off tonight, your beautiful children/family brought chills to many of your young missionaries backs. We sang "God of Wonders" and as the chorus was starting, a group of the girls sang the most beautiful harmony part I have ever heard. The voices started to rise and I sat their taking in the glorious noise. Once again I have been overwhelmed by God's love because of his gift of music. Good night and we will see you on Saturday! --Gwen

I was going to have some others write, but after that, why bother...

This team has worked their tails off... here is a look at what today consisted of:

1. A team went up to the upper campground here at the orphanage and went through all the dorms and bathrooms, cleaning them for the coming spring break groups. They also pulled a lot of weeds and shoveled away the horse poop! (bidwell park has feral cats, here they have feral horses...)

2. A team repainted all of the play structures in the playground.

3. A team finished painting the kitchen building.

4. A team painted another of the children's dorm buildings. Plus just started painting anything they could find...

5. A team continued hand excavating a hillside behind one of the children's dorms. I would estimate they filled a pickup truck 50 times with dirt... perhaps the hardest working team i have ever seen.

6. A team prepped another area for a future garden, pulling all the weeds and hand rototilling the soil.

7. The house team, continued work on the house and was able to hand it over to the family for completion. The tears of joy from the homeowners was the greatest payment ever.

8. We sent one of our nurses to the local clinic to treat patients with her expertise.

9. A team prepared craft projects and did them with the kids.

10. A team of 23 people again got up at 5am to travel one hour to a Tijuana dump where the poorest of the poor live in conditions that should be illegal. They fed them breakfast and kicked soccer balls.

11. Of course, we played with the orphanage kids every spare moment....

These are your teenagers. They love and serve well... I know, you are thinking, "not at my house..." Tonight we started talking about how we continue what we have been learning and doing when we return home... We hope and pray it sticks!

Tomorrow morning we pull out around 10am. We will spend the afternoon and night in Huntington Beach and be back in Chico on Saturday afternoon. We are still estimating arriving around 4:30.

And another photo album (album #3) from Tom if you click here...
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