I first posted this about 7:30, but with all the pictures and then I got a letter from Mr. Haymond, I didn't get it finished until 8:40. If you checked in before 8:40, you may want to browse through it again as there may be new things.
You can click on the pictures to view them larger!
Wednesday was the last day the kids would be working. Thursday, they will be seeing the sites and Friday they begin the journey home. They worked hard again, pouring cement floors. It is so much work. My husband said they are working so hard and get so tired and hungry.
The first two days, they weren't being fed enough, and were hungry. But after that, the members realized how much more they needed and they have brought lots of food to the table. The members there have cooked and offered their best. He said some kids are still not eating enough as the food is different or too hot for their taste so they are choosing not to eat much. Watch out to those parents;have your fridges stocked!You are going to have hungry kids when they arrive home! My husband did say the other day they were eating a stew and they swore there were eyeballs in it. He ate it anyway. He said hunger will make you eat even an eyeball! Besides the eyeball incident his work group has loved the food. Last night the RS surprised his work group with a treat of empanadas.
The cement work is long and hard. Again, they mixed it in the street and then carried it in by bucketfuls. After a days work, they cleaned up and went to the temple where they did baptisms for the dead. The temple was small and so beautiful. The male leaders got to do the baptisms and confirmations for the youth. It was a great experience. They had dinner afterward (Some at a local restaurant and again with their families. See how hungry they are?)Work does create an appetite! Also it was my FIL (father in Law) and nephews b-days and so they had a little party.
As you can see the kids are tired. They all say they have never worked so hard. The people there are so grateful for their help. Many of the ward members they are serving, met them at church the week before and they always work side by side with them. One man told the group that they may not speak the language well enough to truly express their gratitude, but when the ward members see them coming down the street to work, every ward member feels a sense of brotherhood and gratitude. The kids are having the time of their lives. It is true that you find really happiness when you give yourself into service.
Dear Family and Friends,
Sorry for the delay...the Internet was not connected last night. We awakened to a cloudy, windy day, ate a breakfast of eggs and some kind of vegetable mixed with it and chocolate milk. I find that people generally don't just drink water for breakfast lunch or dinner and so we have juices, aguas, milk, soda, etc. available to us.
We grabbed a taxi and went to the Stake center and from there divided into our groups to walk to 3 different projects, all cement floors. The students have become quite profficient at mixing cement "a mano" combining 5 buckets of "arena" or sand, 7 buckets of "piedras" or rocks, and "una bolsa" a bag of cement. Mix it with water using shovels and then fill buckets with the mixture and begin to fill in the designated area.
It was obvious today that everyone is quite tired and all stand in need of naps. The projects were enjoyable as we walked between projects to help everyone finish up, buying cookies and drinks from a little family store rights across the street from the project. One of the hermanos that we helped was so grateful and spent much time trying to learn all names. He was so happy that he wanted all the kids that worked on the project to inscribe their names in the cement. It was very sweet.
We then walked back to the church and ate lunch before we returned to our homes to prepare to go to the temple. We do have a few youth that are not as inclined to eat the food here as they ought to and it has affected their physical stamina but most of us are willing to try pretty much anything.
We met at the church for the temple, boarded the bus and made a relatively quiet trip to the temple. After taking pictures, we entered and began the process of confirming and baptizing 21 youth. Jay Hill, Jason Davidson, and Cavin Hill did the confirming while Russell Hill and Kendon Eakett were witnesses, and Robert Bleyl and Ruel Haymond did the baptizing. The youth would be confirmed for 15 persons and then baptized for 20. Soon we were running out of time so we changed it to 10 names for baptisms. Brother Bleyl baptized 10 students in English, I 10 students in Spanish, and Jason Davidson baptized his cousin Casin for 10 persons.
Then we took a group picture in front of the temple, waited for the bus, and then found a little pizza place within walking distance of the temple to help our hungry boys Mr. Eakett took some of the youth for "a drive" which he does each night, taking them to a fun restaurant. At times, he will take a chosen few "for a walk" and that means finding a place to buy cookies and doughnuts.
We returned to the church and then went home with our families. I spent much time laughing with the brother of our house as he doctored me regarding my blisters on my feet. It is very easy to laugh hard here in Mexico and it feels good.
We love and appreciate you. Tomorrow we go sight seeing.
You can click on the pictures to view them larger!
Wednesday was the last day the kids would be working. Thursday, they will be seeing the sites and Friday they begin the journey home. They worked hard again, pouring cement floors. It is so much work. My husband said they are working so hard and get so tired and hungry.
The first two days, they weren't being fed enough, and were hungry. But after that, the members realized how much more they needed and they have brought lots of food to the table. The members there have cooked and offered their best. He said some kids are still not eating enough as the food is different or too hot for their taste so they are choosing not to eat much. Watch out to those parents;have your fridges stocked!You are going to have hungry kids when they arrive home! My husband did say the other day they were eating a stew and they swore there were eyeballs in it. He ate it anyway. He said hunger will make you eat even an eyeball! Besides the eyeball incident his work group has loved the food. Last night the RS surprised his work group with a treat of empanadas.
The cement work is long and hard. Again, they mixed it in the street and then carried it in by bucketfuls. After a days work, they cleaned up and went to the temple where they did baptisms for the dead. The temple was small and so beautiful. The male leaders got to do the baptisms and confirmations for the youth. It was a great experience. They had dinner afterward (Some at a local restaurant and again with their families. See how hungry they are?)Work does create an appetite! Also it was my FIL (father in Law) and nephews b-days and so they had a little party.
As you can see the kids are tired. They all say they have never worked so hard. The people there are so grateful for their help. Many of the ward members they are serving, met them at church the week before and they always work side by side with them. One man told the group that they may not speak the language well enough to truly express their gratitude, but when the ward members see them coming down the street to work, every ward member feels a sense of brotherhood and gratitude. The kids are having the time of their lives. It is true that you find really happiness when you give yourself into service.
Dear Family and Friends,Sorry for the delay...the Internet was not connected last night. We awakened to a cloudy, windy day, ate a breakfast of eggs and some kind of vegetable mixed with it and chocolate milk. I find that people generally don't just drink water for breakfast lunch or dinner and so we have juices, aguas, milk, soda, etc. available to us.
We grabbed a taxi and went to the Stake center and from there divided into our groups to walk to 3 different projects, all cement floors. The students have become quite profficient at mixing cement "a mano" combining 5 buckets of "arena" or sand, 7 buckets of "piedras" or rocks, and "una bolsa" a bag of cement. Mix it with water using shovels and then fill buckets with the mixture and begin to fill in the designated area.
It was obvious today that everyone is quite tired and all stand in need of naps. The projects were enjoyable as we walked between projects to help everyone finish up, buying cookies and drinks from a little family store rights across the street from the project. One of the hermanos that we helped was so grateful and spent much time trying to learn all names. He was so happy that he wanted all the kids that worked on the project to inscribe their names in the cement. It was very sweet.
We then walked back to the church and ate lunch before we returned to our homes to prepare to go to the temple. We do have a few youth that are not as inclined to eat the food here as they ought to and it has affected their physical stamina but most of us are willing to try pretty much anything.
We met at the church for the temple, boarded the bus and made a relatively quiet trip to the temple. After taking pictures, we entered and began the process of confirming and baptizing 21 youth. Jay Hill, Jason Davidson, and Cavin Hill did the confirming while Russell Hill and Kendon Eakett were witnesses, and Robert Bleyl and Ruel Haymond did the baptizing. The youth would be confirmed for 15 persons and then baptized for 20. Soon we were running out of time so we changed it to 10 names for baptisms. Brother Bleyl baptized 10 students in English, I 10 students in Spanish, and Jason Davidson baptized his cousin Casin for 10 persons.
Then we took a group picture in front of the temple, waited for the bus, and then found a little pizza place within walking distance of the temple to help our hungry boys Mr. Eakett took some of the youth for "a drive" which he does each night, taking them to a fun restaurant. At times, he will take a chosen few "for a walk" and that means finding a place to buy cookies and doughnuts.
We returned to the church and then went home with our families. I spent much time laughing with the brother of our house as he doctored me regarding my blisters on my feet. It is very easy to laugh hard here in Mexico and it feels good.
We love and appreciate you. Tomorrow we go sight seeing.
Comments