San Carlos #4

 Well...my dear hubby could not escape his kidney stones. He had some pain on his left side and we got some injectable pain meds and it must have passed during the night because it never bothered him again. But not so with the right side. We were playing canasta with some friends when the pain hit severely and I had to drive us home where I administered my first ever needle, yikes. The pain subsided and he slept well but while traveling with Juan, the next day, to get some things the pain hit again. To make a long story shorter, let’s just say that in one day he got an ultrasound, a CT scan and saw a urologist. At first we thought he might need surgery but the doctor tried a different method of injecting medication directly into the kidney to relieve pain and dilate the ureter and in 24 hours he passed the first stone with no pain. Woo hoo!! The second one is still moving so yes that means pain coming and going. We are so grateful to be here and getting the excellent treatment at such a low cost. There is more to this story so if you wish to hear, “the rest of the story” feel free to contact us. 

Thanks to God and his speaking to the right person at the right time we were able to get and later install the last of the border tiles in the bathroom we are working on. Once Tim is well enough we will return to do the grouting. 

Spending time and an excellent meal with the lead pastor and his wife of the SCCC was a lot of fun. What a joy to spend time with fellow believers in Christ. We really feel blessed to be able to spend time here. 

We just returned from spending a couple of nights in San Bernardo. Our main purpose was to head up to La Mesa to drop off David, who is from a mountain village and had been down here at the mission working to raise money for a small (micro) video projector to show teaching films to the people of his village. We met him a couple of years ago when he came down to go to Bible school here in San Carlos. My has he changed from a very quiet and timid young man into someone willing to attempt conversation in a language that is not his first. Many things, such as blankets and clothing and so on were given to him to bring home. From this village where we left him he was going to walk up the mountain (no roads) another 4-5 hours and come back with some burrows (mules) to carry up the supplies. In the village where we left him we were able to present a children’s program with some songs and teaching. These people in this pueblo (town) mostly consisted of the native Indians from here. Mexico, like many other parts of the world has native inhabitants and here like other parts of the world not all the native inhabitants get along. And here, like other places the people who came after do not always treat the natives with the respect they deserve. 

After crossing the river we paused for lunch and all of a sudden a man came riding along the river bank on his burrow. Much to my surprise he had somehow communicated with Juan (indirectly) and knew we were coming and hoped to meet up with us as he needed a ride to San Bernardo where he would take the bus further to eventually reach his destination and get the government money that was promised to him. The chance of him meeting us just at that time was only a God thing. They did not get any rain in the mountains this last season so the crops did not produce. Then, at the place where he left his burrow, we were able to do another children’s program and share the gospel. We may never know the impact of the seeds that were planted. 

On Saturday we were able to share our program again at the home of Pastor Rafael and his wife Mirsha. This is the location where a few years back we helped complete a building for a children’s feeding center. In attendance was at least 60 children and several moms. The first night we arrived here we took down a old mouldy tent and replaced it with some fabric screening. It sure made the place more suitable for their needs. Hopefully some day more funds will come so they can have a proper permanent shade structure. This couple was so pleased to have our team there and the children enjoyed our songs and stories. 

 

 

 

After a long ride home I was looking forward to a good nights sleep back in our own bed but alas it is Saturday night here in the Ranchitos. What does that mean, you say? Well, it’s party night. And it seems that despite the pandemia the parties seem to be more and more as each week passes. The beach was full as we passed as well. It’s so wonderful to see people getting together again. We all need each other. 

So, as much as I would love to just drift off to a peaceful sleep the music is much too loud so instead I type. 

San Carlos house video

 Here is a walk through video of the house we are working on, or not. I’ll keep trying until I figure out how to post it  

https://youtu.be/7fvczyucEqU

San Carlos 2021 #3

 #3

A time to worship, a time to learn, a time to eat, a time to relax, a time to walk, a time to visit, a time to play, and a time to sleep. All in a days work. Well, actually that and more. We are blessed to be given the gifts we have from God and to be able to use those gifts to bless others. 

Our drive to B & J’s house is very beautiful so we made sure to take a few snapshots along the way on Monday morning. Did some painting, put up some tiles, and got some sore muscles along the way. To reward ourselves for a job well done we each got a treat on the way home. DQ knows how to make ice cream down here, and it’s tastes way better than at home. 

Oh, the guys are still a win ahead when it comes to our nightly canasta games. 

More styrofoam has arrived! Let the building begin. Thankfully J has some friends and they were able to come out and add many hands to make the task easier. Today, Thursday, the second floor walls have reached their final height. Now it begins to prep for the roof and to slope the sides to allow for proper drainage. It is so exciting to watch the house take shape. 

Meanwhile inside the cocina/kitchen or rather in the pantry, work has begun to do some rearranging and moving things from here to there, which in itself is a bit daunting of a task. But this too will be completed and not without adding additional tasks along the way. Like repairing the floor, and painting the walls in the office closet. In a “normal” year with large teams of volunteers these jobs would be put on the back burner so it is a blessing that we have the time to do these now. 

The last three weeks have gone by way too quickly and at this point in time I am not near ready to leave. It feels good to be useful and working together with others. 

San Carlos 2021 #2

 #2

Sunday morning, a time for corporate worship. Worshiping together with other believers is not something that we should be giving up so easily. Our last time in a church building was in March of 2020 and this morning, January 10, 2021 was the first time back in a church building worshipping with other believers and wouldn’t you know but it was the same church here in San Carlos. We could never have imagined that we would not be able to attend church together for such a long time. At home in Canada we almost felt like we were in a communist country in that corporate church worship was forbidden “for the sake of saving lives.” But isn’t that what churches have done throughout the years - save lives? Not only spiritually but also physically. 

With the start of a new week projects begin again. With the unknown delivery of the styrofoam building blocks it was decided that we could go and work on installing tiles on the bathroom floor at B’s house. One of our Mexican friends was asked to join us not only to help with translation but also to help with the work. The drive to the house passes along the ocean and the view is absolutely beautiful. In fact on the Friday we had the privilege of watching a pod of dolphins swim by. 

We were able to complete the floor tile installation and grouting this week and primed the top of the cinder blocks in preparation for paint. Next week we plan to paint the top portion and tile the lower portion. Our Mexican friend had a brand new toilet that he was not using so we were able to swap out the toilet that didn’t work and replace it with one that did. 

More styrofoam blocks did arrive as well and more layers were added until we ran out and once again we wait. But there are always other projects to work on  

The weather here is a bit cool in the morning, warming up to quite nice or a bit warm in the afternoon before cooling down again for the evening. We have gone for a few walks and even did a short bike ride on Saturday down the bumpy gravel roads. 

We have become part of the family here and it feels good. We wish more of our friends would be able to come down and join us. 

San Carlos 2021 #1

 San Carlos 2021

Last year was not like the others in that 2020 was the year that some wealthy individuals attempted to control the world’s population. At the time of this writing they are still trying their best to make people obey. Of course they don’t follow the same rules as they attempt to force on everyone else. 

Despite the “orders” we felt called to return to San Carlos and so we did. Due to the land borders being closed our only option was to fly. The flights were only 2/3 full and the Canadian airports were quite deserted. Not so with the Phoenix airport. It felt good to be in a warmer climate. 

Our friends met us at the hotel and we went out to eat in a restaurant (something we could not currently do at home) and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The next two days consisted of shopping and picking up supplies for the mission. Our drive down into Mexico was uneventful as we travelled along the good roads and enjoyed the sunshine and the company. 

It feels good to be “home.” One of the main goals for returning this year was to help build a home for our Mexican friends. He is the director of the mission here and really needs a bigger home for his growing family. Since I designed the home last year I really wanted to help bring it to life. 

The first floor was completed before our arrival and the second floor poured and the staircase done by the first day. 

Today, January the 6th we begin pouring the second floor walls. In fact I  think I need to get back to make sure the guys are doing it “right” (insert laughs here as I have no intention of carrying pails of wet cement up a flight of stairs).

Turns out they didn’t use the stairs but rather lifted up the pails via some scaffolding. It is quite interesting how they can build a home using these styrofoam blocks that fit together like Lego pieces. The foam blocks are stacked together, some rebar is added for strength and then rocks, sand, water and cement powder is mixed together and poured into the blocks. They only pour three high at a time in order to allow the cement time to set up and harden. Beginning again the next day the process begins and is repeated until the build is done. 

The styrofoam plant had some issues and so we couldn’t build as much as we wanted, but it did give us time to do other things while we waited. 

On Saturdays in the city of Guaymas there is a couple who have been ministering to the homeless people for many years. Each weekend they come and sing some songs of worship to God and someone shares the gospel of Jesus Christ. They make sure to take time to pray for the needs of those who come. Often praying for healing.

Over the years we have come and helped to serve some food to these people and this year was no different. We came to offer encouragement to these missionaries who do this each and every week. We thank them for their willingness to serve God in this way.

Sunday we went into a church for the first time since 2019 due to the situation in the world and the funny thing is that the last church we attended in person was the same church we now attended in person. It was good to be back and worshiping alongside other believers (even if we were “required” to mask up). I will not be discussing that issue on this platform. 

Our buffet lunch was quite delicious and the company was pretty good too which included our friends and the lead pastor and his wife. After the “required” Sunday afternoon nap we headed out of the trails with a quad. It was relaxing and beautiful to see God’s creation and how unique it is in every part of the world. 

We are thankful that we can be here and we are trusting that God will use us however he sees fit. To Him be the glory, forever Amen.

Trip out West

I had an idea. I used to have a lot of ideas when I was a little girl, and those days my younger brother Barry would be the beneficiary of my ideas. This time my husband Tim benefited. Well, you say, what was your idea. My idea was to make a shirt trip to visit friends, new friends, ones whom we met on various mission trips. We discussed, made some plans, checked to see if our friends would be home and then....I got sick. 

At first I assumed that I had overdone it with the lilac bush pruning as my back was sore and I had some shooting pains but nothing that my chiropractor couldn’t fix. But the next morning the pain was different and thankfully I decided to get hubby to drive me to the hospital (which was not an easy decision with all the Covid stuff we didn’t know how it would be). Blood and urine tests both showed infection so a CT scan was done. Diverticulitis was the diagnosis.  What? What is that we both questioned. Thanks to today’s technology we soon found out. A prescription for two different antibiotics and I was on my way home. 

Now what? Would we still be able to go away? I had also committed to looking after the grandkids for a couple of nights. Would I be able to do that or not? Lots of questions and no answers. You know what, God is good, all the time, God is good. 

 Not only was I able to have our precious grandkids over (thanks hubby for all the help) but we were also able to take our trip. My idea would be become reality. 

June 30th we left in the middle of the afternoon and made it as far as Caronport, SK where we parked the RV in the lot at the bible college and enjoyed a quiet night and a bicycle ride through town in the morning before heading to our first destination. 

July 1st we arrived in the big metropolis of Rosemary AB. Well, it’s not actually big, it’s actually quite small. Once we got the correct directions we found our way to the home of Laura & Allen just outside of town and had a nice treed yard where we could park the RV. 

Laura was one of the leaders of a group of youth who came down to San Carlos and helped build the home for Blanca and Jorge. Thanks Laura for your hospitality and the delicious food. 

Luke, my 7 year old grandson had just asked me on Monday if leaf cutter bees had a queen and of course I asked google but now we show up in Rosemary where many of the farmers including our new friends have millions (I’m guessing they have that many as they had lots) of leaf cutter bees. Boy am I excited! I get the tour and am shown how leaf cutter bees do their job and no they do not have a queen. But I did not realize how small they are, they are about the size of a house fly. We are bringing some home in a jar so that the grandkids can see them. Leaf cutter bees do not sting but they do bite. 

On the 2nd we had a lovely supper with Laura & Allen, Sharon (another Rosemary leader) and her husband Dwight, and John (another leader) and his wife Anna. What a blessing to be able to share our lives with these new friends. These new friends that don’t really feel like new friends but rather friends that we have had for a long time. 

We also checked out a local dam (the one that provides all the water to irrigate their fields) and a park where we enjoyed a lovely hike.

The next morning we were enjoyed breakfast at the home of Sharon & Dwight and got to hear more about what they do before heading back on the road.  Next stop Canmore, AB. 

These next two couples are ones that were part of our group when we visited Ethiopia. Sam was born in Ethiopia and married a girl that grew up in MacGregor. That girl, Joyce, went to bible college with Joanne, and she married a fella from the UK. We had a great time enjoying food and visiting with both Sam & Joyce and Trevor & Joanne. Joanne even took time to bike ride with us from Banff to Canmore (thanks to Trevor for giving us a ride to Banff). Did I feel healthy this whole time? Not really but I sucked it up because friends are more important. The heartburn burns but this too will pass.

I thought it would be a great idea to have a visit with my cousin Allison and her daughter Melanie as they live in Calgary. We made the connections and ended up going for a little hike just outside of Calgary. It was a beautiful, albeit busy spot, for a hike. We had a good hike, a picnic lunch next to a stream, and a good visit. So glad it worked out.

Here’s a cute story, we were on our way back home and Matt & Kari were on the way to Banff, so we checked where both of us were and ended up meeting in the middle and had a short five minute visit before we each headed our own way. What fun.

We made a quick detour back to Rosemary to pick up a trap for gophers/squirrels and got that jar of a few bees and spent the night at a Walmart in Medicine Hat. Before retiring for the night we had gone for a nice bike ride on a paved trail. And guess what appeared right in front of me on the path. Take a look.

Next stop - Regina. Here we met up with Brian & Vicki and enjoyed food and fellowship. Brian, who also enjoys biking, told us about some of the paved paths in Regina. We drove, parked and got out the bikes and rode. It was starting to get dark so we couldn’t go as far as we had planned. But would that stop us? Well, for a bit while we slept, once again in a Walmart parking lot.  After breakie we drove closer to Wecana (a man made lake) and hopped on our bikes for a ride around the lake. It was beautiful! Sure wish we had more paved bike paths near us.  

On our way to Maryfield SK we stopped in Carlyle to pop in for a short visit with people we had met several years ago down in San Carlos. Blair & Debbie are building a new house and a new career. We pray that God will bless them in their new venture. In Maryfield we enjoyed a lovely meal with Terry (Tim went to bible school with him) & Caroline. These two have recently purchased a small RV and have dreams of travelling and maybe even coming down to San Carlos. So we were able to share with them some of the things we do while we are down there and maybe, Lord willing, we can work with them down there. 

On the road typing as we head home in the dark. Many animals out at this time of night. 

God is good. I was not sure if this trip would happen and now it has and I am so grateful that we had this opportunity to get away from everything and to relax and enjoy each other’s company and the company of good friends. Till next time.