MAYLIN2007

Today two of the groups poured cement for a huge floor and for a sidewalk leading up to a front door. The 3rd work group did square foot gardening. They only sent pictures of the cement groups. Sorry, if you child is not pictured this time. The two houses where they poured cement were 3 homes apart, so the two groups were able to help each other. It was a lot of work. My FIL is very talented with building and electronics etc. so everyone has been calling him the professional cement man. He has done a lot of the final trowel work, while the kids mix the cement in the road and pass it in bucketfuls along a human chain. They are tired, but so happy. Tonight when the kids were all together, they went around the room and asked each participant to give one word about how they felt that day. Words like grateful, joyful, happy, love were mentioned. The members have been feeding them well. The food has been very spicy so the members have tried to tone down the heat. They have all tried lots of ...

I have not received an update yet from Mr. Haymond. I will post it as soon as I do. Here are some pictures I received. I do know that they worked in the morning and then played basketball and soccer with the ward/stake youth. Afterward they went to the beach. I heard the beach was cold, but that the kids still got in. I will pass on info as soon as I get it, but I hope you like the new pictures. I did hear a story last night from my husband. He said after their meeting on Sunday night where they discussed purity and chastity from the Strength of Youth handbook that they had a testimony meeting. He said my son, Austin, bore his testimony about how he noticed as they were walking to the meeting that the locals (not the members they are with) were cat calling to our young women. They were yelling "we love you," among other things. Austin noticed how the boys, quietly, without a word walked on either side of the girls as a protection. He said this was also a form of virtue, prote...

Yesterday, I talked in church about family history. I love that this blog has become that for me. I do not have good penmanship and I hate to write that way, so I never was good at journaling. This blog thing has become my saving grace. It is so easy, so fun and such a good way to record events. Here is the latest funny thing from the baby's mouth. Alex and Nini were fighting. I said to Alex, "Leave her alone. She is only 3." Nini says to me, "Come on mom. I am 4 now, remember?" Okay, put in my place by a 3 year old, no sorry, sorry.....a 4 year old! Yeah, its been a week since she turned 4. Give me a break. I can barely remember why I am walking into a room.

Here are a few new pictures to go along with the post below. They are not pictures of Sunday, but Saturday. Even though the post below is a Sunday update, I thought you would want to see the pictures they were able to send me. I just talked to my husband, my son Austin is very ill. They think he may have strep. He is also running a fever. The RS president took my BIL and nephew to a pharmacy and got him some amoxicillan. He also had a blessing. We are hoping it works. With his heart condition, he can't get strep. He will stay home today from the activities. They have moved him to where some of the girls are staying so he has hot water. The RS president and my husband will stay with him. Here is a picture I just received of him. Poor baby.

There are two updates below. One is from the kids that Mr. Haymond was with and the other is from my husband who is with a different set of students. First from my husband: Today, the youth attended church with the families they stayed with, so not many of them were together, but they did see each other coming and going. Austin and the rest of their clan, attended church in a ward that was the biggest in the stake. They reported there were as many people at that meeting as there are in our meetings. The kids are making friends with the locals. Eric Heras has made good friends with some local kids he worked with on Saturday, and my son and his group worked with two boys named Angel and Moroni (they pronounce it Moronee). Many of the youth speak enough English and ours, enough Spanish that they are able to communicate and have fun. My nephew and BIL speak Spanish and are having a great time interpreting and helping everyone get to know each other. The kids are amazed at what they are see...

Here are some pictures. They are small as it took 15 minutes to send the full size picture of the group that is in the post below. Be sure to check it out and the letter below from Mr. Haymond.

Here is a picture of the group at the Mexico City airport. All are pictured, but my nephew Jason. He had to hit the Carl's Jr. It took 15 minutes for them to send this photo, so not sure what we are going to get. Anyway, enjoy it! Received this email from Mr. Haymond. I loved it! My favorite part besides what the kids are learning, is to hear about Rachel B. I hope her mother is reading this and having a good laugh! Dear Family and Friends, We have just completed our first full day in Vera Cruz, Mexico and I honestly don't know if the experience could have been more powerful for our youth. Let me begin with our trip yesterday. From seeing a real volcano to the heavy fog we drove through to singing hymns in four part harmony on the bus to feeling very seasick at times with the winding roads to eating incredible ice creams bar at a little gas station stop to driving within centimeters of other buses and cars on the road to much laughter and happiness, we experienced a wonderful...