Welcome Home Ladies!

      On the road to Matamoros!

                                                                         Mission Trip Day 1                                                                               

We made it to Fort Worth with no trouble, just a very long 13+ hours.  Thanks for all your prayers.  We will continue on to Bayview tomorrow, another 9 hour day of driving.  Please keep us in your prayers.

Marcia

                                                                                   Mission Trip Day 3                                                              

Hi Everyone, 

We had a full day today and tomorrow sound as if it will be even busier. 

We attend church at the church at Iglesia Ebenezer Christiana in Los Fresnos.  It is a Spanish speaking church and the whole service was conducted in Spanish.  The hymns were familiar but the words were not. 

After Church we went to lunch and then hit Wal-Mart for our week's worth of food.  Homer, the price of gas here is $2.87 per gallon of regular unleaded. 

When we returned to our Dorm, David Walsh took us on a tour of the compound in which we are staying.  We unloaded our van.  We brought with us 4 boxes of tooth brushes and 2 boxes of tooth paste from the Rushes, 15 sheet sets, 42 health kits, and 29 school kits plus three miscellaneous boxes of items.  Tomorrow we may get to distribute some of these items. 

Yesterday, before we arrived there were 2 semi's of donations delivered to the compound.  All their warehouse space was full and disorganized.  We spent two and a half hours sorting through the donations.  It didn't make a big dent, but it got things started. 

We all are trying to get good nights sleep tonight, because we have to be up, have lunches made and packed, and ready to leave here by 8:30 am tomorrow. 

So I will sign off for now. 

Marcia

                                                                         Mission Trip Day 4                                                                             

Hi All, 

We finally got to go to work today.  We painted, sawed and nailed.  It is a very small work space for all the lumber we had to have.  As part of the painting crew, I have some interesting designs on me yet.  Today we just primed the wood; tomorrow we get to paint the main pieces of the Casta Spanish Rose (bright pink). 

Going to Mexico we had no trouble and were waved through, but coming back into the US was another story.  David told us that there were random searches.  The van was searched in Mexico before we were allowed to cross the river.  At the U.S. check point we had to leave the van and be individually processed into the U.S. and the van was checked again, but we were so tired that it really didn’t faze any of us. 

To help us with the building, David had a helper, Eric, who is a strong young man going to College and volunteering with this mission part time.  He will be there to help us on Wednesday again.   

Before we left for Mexico this morning we stopped by the church and Felaberto was there and he said that he would come to talk with us this evening.  As we were finishing dinner this evening Felaberto came by and told us a lot about his history.  He had gone to Cuba in the spring to see his 91 year old Mother.  He also saw his brother and many other family members.  It was a wonderful evening. 

The Southwest Good Samaritan Ministries is shooting video for a DVD about the Ministry.  Both David and Felaberto said that the film crew will be here tomorrow and that they want to take pictures of us working.  We will see what tomorrow brings.

Good Night, Marcia

Mission Trip Day 5

Hi All,

Well another day is done.  We had a very busy day. 

The day started with David Welsh telling us he was sick.  After a short delay we got started with David driving a separate van and Chris, another staff person, driving us. 

We preceded to the job site, and while part of the crew cut boards and setup to paint, David and I went to purchase the paint.  The place where we went was and open air market with 5 gallon buckets of paint setting around.  We pick out the color of paint by looking at the paint samples on the wall and pointing to the one that matched the color we were going to paint the Casta (Mexican Rose). 

When we returned to the job site, the weather had changed and it looked like it was going to rain at any minute.  So we changed our plans for the day and took a tour of other sites that SWGSM had done.  We also stopped by the clinic for which we brought the sheet  sets.  It was eye opening and, as Donna said, out of our comfort zone.  Some of the homes we saw were right next to the garbage dump and a canal where benzene waste is dumped.  The smell was unpleasant. 

After the tour we returned to Roberto's house our job site) and decided to go ahead and paint the wall boards.  At this point David had to leave us, he was that ill.  We got all the boards painted and set to dry, then we had lunch with the family.  We bring enough food everyday for us and them, if there is any food left over we give it to the family. 

We had no more than left the work site, and it started to rain.  Before we had traveled three blocks, the roads were curb deep with water.  We had a downpour until we got to the US side of the Rio Grande.  We were waved on through both check points today.  I don't think they wanted to be out in the rain any more than we did. 

Since we got back to Bayview so early, we decided to do a little site seeing.  We drove down to South Padre Island.  It was interesting and we got wet.  When we decided to walk on the beach another down pour came along and we all ran for the picnic shelter.  There was a small problem, the shelter did not have a solid roof, just a sun shade screen.  Well, we needed showers anyway. 

After a small shopping trip we needed more food), we returned to Bayview to a great pot of hot soup and crisp salad.  David came by and he said that he was feeling better.  He took a bowl of soup for his dinner. 

Well, I had better get to bed, there is only a 20% chance of rain tomorrow and we have a lot of work left to do. 

Marcia

Mission Trip Day 6

Hi All,
 
Well today was an extremely busy day.  We awoke to a beautiful and clear sky.  Eric, David's helper was with us again today.  When we arrived at the work site, some of our efforts from yesterday had washed off.  David said that he liked the pink and white effect, but he didn't like the pink color to begin with.  If we don't have time to repaint the house when we are finished he will bring a crew to repaint it in the next two or three weeks.,
 
Today we started by cutting the siding to fit the frame that was constructed on Monday.  Then with everything ready we started erecting the building.  We stood the two side walls and then the end and front walls.  This went fairly well, with just a few minor hitches.
 
After the studs were erected and bolted to the cement pad, the rafters were spaced and attached to the walls by David and Eric.  Then Eric attached the cross pieces to the rafters.  These are the boards to which the tin roof will be attached.  Eric is a born monkey and walked on the rafters as if he was on the ground.  This took all morning.
 
In the afternoon, we started attaching the siding.  It went well until we got to the last wall.  It was then that we found out that we were one panel short.  So we finished 3 and 3/4 sides today.  By the time all this was done it was time for us to leave.  David said that we will stay until the project is completed tomorrow.
 
Some of the members of our group still had some energy after all that work, so after returning to the dorm and showering they went to a bird sanctuary close to Bayview.  (When they returned they told those who did not go that they saw a 10, 20 or 25 foot alligator.)  What they did see were beautiful butterflies, flowers, birds and lots of flying bitty things.
 
Let me take just a moment to tell you about the family we are working for.  It consists of the father, Roberto, his two children Christyna, 13, and Christian, 15, and the mother.  There are more children but they no longer live at home and we have never met the mother.  To be involved in this Mission project, the family has to be recommended by their Pastor.  So, all the recipients are Christians.
 
The film crew is here and was taking pictures in Bayview when we returned this afternoon.  We got our picture taken relaxing and talking with Felaberto.  It is an exciting time and I wish all of you could experience this the way we are.
 
Have a good evening.  Marcia

Mission Trip Day 8

Hi All, 

Well we are about half way home.  It was a longer drive, time wise, than we had planned.  There was a bad car accident on I35 in Austin and there is a major football game between the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma tomorrow.  I think everyone in Southern Texas is going to the game.  The Interstate was very crowded. 

We left Bayview at 7 am, had breakfast in Kingsville and kept traveling north.  Donna's daughter and her family live just south of Fort Worth and they invited us to stay with them.  So, tonight we are bedding down with them. 

Tomorrow will be another 13 to 14 hour traveling day.  The van will leave here about 7 am local time, and God willing and the creek don't rise, we should be home about 7 or 8 pm, Colorado Springs time. 

I am going to bed now, talk with you tomorrow night and see you at Church on Sunday. 

Marcia

Mission Trip Day 9

We are home, safe and sound.  We arrived in Colorado Springs about 8:20 pm.  We spent last night with Donna's daughter and her family.  We were grateful for the hospitality and enjoyed the children's energy.  It was a long driving day and we were all tired to begin the day.  At breakfast this morning, the table was quiet and that is unusual for a group of women. 

I am sure that I have left out a number of happenings that were important.  Many of the members of the team kept journals, so we have different versions of what happened. 

Nancy Woods said that she didn't just step out of her comfort zone, she jumped out. Many of us felt that we at least stretched our boundaries, and if we are lucky, they will not return to their former rigidness. 

If you want to hear more about the trip and see some pictures be in worship on October 26th.  We are going to present a report to the congregation at the worship service. 

Have a great night and if you get the chance to step out and be part of a mission trip please try it. 

Marcia

Casita # 36 - Roberto  

Roberto, a father of six, lived in a dilapidating shack - the sole parent to his two youngest children. He has given his daughter (her husband and 2 grand-children) a piece of property in one of the poorest colonias of Matamoros so that they could have a home of their own. 

Today, Roberto continues to work at a foot-pedal operated Singer sewing machine to provide a meager income for his family (Christian 15 and Christiana 12) stitching upholstery for older cars and trucks from his neighborhood - when work is available. 

One small home was constructed by a group from FCC Azle (TX) which serves as the family’s dwelling – bedroom, kitchen, living area, etc.  (This Casita was built as large as the land would allow at the time.) Now a second Casita will greatly help to move the stove, refrigerator, couch, and some work-space for Roberto to an adjacent structure. 

Pictures attached: 

 # 1 – original shack (had to be removed for Casita to be built)

# 9 – Roberto in front yard

# 127 – Azle group in front of first Casita

# 19 – Christiana

# 105 – Christian and grandson, Miquel

Thank you and I thought you might like to know how Christ's work is continuing to be done down here in Matamoros!

 PS we also got some new shoes for his sister, Christiana, even though it wasn't her birthday!'