Adventure 2020 5

February 15 Both teams went out to help with different ministries while Tim and I stayed behind to do a few things here. After lunch we did a bit of shopping for our project house. We found someone me line to use for hanging clothes and did some pricing for a fridge. A nice relaxing day for us.

February 16 Once again we enjoyed our time at the SCCC but we are really missing Oasis.  Thankfully we can listen to the messages while we are here. Tim and I went for lunch by the beach and the weather was perfect as was the company.  I spent a few hours working on a house plan for Juan & Maribel. This afternoon we went with Don & Diana, meeting up with Brian & Clarissa to visit a passion fruit farm. We were given a tour of the farm with explanations of how long it takes after a new planting to get fruit and everything that is involved with it. Our tour guide, Greg, was quite he character and I had a few laughs listening to him. After our tour we enjoyed a seven course seafood meal. I enjoyed most of it and even ate one shrimp (which I don't like but this one was ok). Tim really liked the shrimp but my favourite was the fried fish. We sat at a table with Brian & Clarissa and Chuck & Lynn (Chuck is the associate pastor at SCCC) and enjoyed our visiting time. A perfect day for relaxing and charging up for the week ahead.

February 17 This morning I showed my house plan idea to Maribel and she really likes it. Now we just have to get everyone else on board and to see if we can build this plan using the building method they have been using. Some of the ladies did some cleaning as well as picking grapefruit from the tree. I had opportunity to speak with several ladies and rather enjoyed this time. Tim and others were at the project house but not everyone was needed there this morning. Tim was able, with help of some team members, to finish putting up the tiles. The guys were able to weld up the roof beams and begin some electrical. Us ladies brought out lunch to the job site and ate with the teams.

Brenda then took us girls to see the site for Candy and Beto before making a stop at Sam's for items for the house as well as items that some of the ladies wished to have at home. Since I do not journal every night (which would be helpful) I would like to mention that on some evenings we have had time to play Canasta, which is always fun.

February 18 Fishing trip day! The ladies were able to convince me to go with promise of motion sickness patches, which did work. It was a cloudy but calm day on the water and together as a group we caught bass and shark. Tim can even boast of his shark catch, and for myself, well I caught one of those little poisonous fish from the bottom of the ocean. Something else had been on my line but I think the sea lions bit it off. The fish fry was delicious and the shark tasted pretty good. These particular shark are small and toothless. Tim and I stayed around the rest of the day while the two teams went to various ministries.

February 19 Back again to the job site where we grouted the tiles in the bathroom and it sure looks good. The insulation and the tin were installed with only a minor mishap where one of the boys fell part way through the roof, thankfully he was not injured. The backyard was cleaned up as most of the rocks were removed as well as a patch of old cement. Posts were installed for a clothesline, a line was dug for wires and much more mud was put onto the styrofoam. It sure is exciting to see the progress being made.

February 20 Tim went to the job site while I stayed back and did some laundry as well as chilling  and journaling. Beautiful warm day today. Brenda headed to Tucson where she will pick up and bring out a small team on Friday. Dan and a couple of boys have begun work on a bathroom and laundry room which is being built over the septic tank. This afternoon I went to see a chiropractor as I had banged my head and fell backwards last week and was bothered by headaches as a result. Tim decided to come as well as he as having some back pain. We were both thankful to have our bodies put back in alignment. The Rosemary Church group presented some gifts they had made for Blanca & Jorge.

February 21 This morning the Caryle team left after an early breakfast, heading out in their bus (an older greyhound style). We are thankful and grateful for all their help. Edgar, Gabriel, Rosy and Evan lead the Rosemary group up the Tetakawi. The Alberta girls were having some issues so they didn't climb very far but the Friesens and the boys made it to the top. After lunch and a shower the Rosemary church headed out with Art and Dan to the airport at Hermosillo for their return home. Both Tim and I really enjoyed working with this group. All of them were such hard workers and accomplished so much at Blanca and Jorge's house. We hope to send them updated pictures of what we can get done before we head home. This morning I began doing laundry (sheets and towels) for the rooms that will be needed this afternoon. By time the day was done I had walked over 15,000 steps. It was thoroughly enjoying to help out in a way that I enjoy. The new team to arrive is from Montana and are joined by Don & Diana who stayed around after e medical team for this group (which in total is only 7 people). It is much quieter here with such a small team. Not only did this group arrive but so did Donna (Brenda's sister) and Scott. This is nice to be able to catch up again as we met them here for the first time last year.

February 22 The team was going to give a out wheelchairs today so we decided to join them as we had never done that before. One of the exciting things for us was to be able to give a sport wheelchair to a young 21 year old man who, only 10 months earlier, was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident and suffered at T4-T5 injury. We strongly encouraged him to strengthen his upper body and learn to do things for himself so that he could be more independent. His father was very helpful with his son and the girlfriend has stayed by his side as well. We were able to drive them home instead of having to call a taxi, and met his mother and younger brother. We pray that this new wheelchair will help him with his independence and give him the push to become stronger. Played a game of Canasta with Art & Brenda and Scott & Donna.

February 23 Tim and I arrived earlier than usual for church this morning, which was nice. Glen had another good message on challenging us to be bold and courageous for Christ. If we are close to Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit we can do mighty works for the Lord. We pray that we can be bold here and at home. The whole team went to Los Abolitos for lunch, and I should have grabbed a sweater as the temperature today is the complete opposite of yesterday. The six of us ended up playing three games of Canasta, which was fun but I think we were all a little tired at the end.

Adventure 2020 4

February 9 The medical team left early in the morning for their return trip home. We will miss all the good times that we had together. The message this morning at the SCCC was continuing on in the book of Acts challenging us to be fearless like the followers of Jesus. To allow the Holy Spirit to be active in our lives to follow the prompting of God and to be obedient and serve where God wants us to. I think all of us were tired and peopled out so we stayed home and played card games, which was really good. 

February 10 Clean up after a team day. There are rooms to be cleaned, sheets and towels to be washed all in preparation for the next team to come. Today also provided some time for rest which is so very necessary. Tim continued to work on the welding.

February 11 Cookie baking day. Pastor Glen's wife, Jeannine came to help Brenda and I pitched in a wee bit where I was needed. Tim, of course, was busy welding. We had bought tickets for a fundraiser to tour some homes in San Carlos, so we headed to the gulf course and took part. It was fun seeing different homes and the different areas of the city. We are both really enjoying our time here and loving how we can use the talents that God has blessed us with.

February 12 The team from Rosemary Mennonite Church in Rosemary Alberta arrived this afternoon. This team consists of three adults youth leaders and students currently in grades 10&11. We felt a good connection with this group right away and look forward to working with them. Today we took a drive to Ancla de Amor with Don & Diana, a couple who helped translate with the medical team and who are staying on to help with a team coming to distribute wheelchairs at the end of this month. We also visited a large cacti area.

February 13 After breakfast we headed out to the job site at Blanca and George's house. First on the agenda was removing the existing roof structure, which ended up not being very difficult. Next was on to removing the pour layer of styrofoam and adding some horizontal rebar and extending the vertical rebar making sure that the rebar is in the centre of the foam and zip tying it together. Then you begin to add the three layers of foam, as that is the maximum height we pour in one day. Followed by the taping of the joints and holes so that the cement will not pour out on the ground.The process today took much longer as we now had to build the headers for the windows and doors. These young people caught on quickly and after a delicious lunch that was brought out to us we began the pouring process. I failed to mention that many of these students, while the roof structure was being removed, were shovelling sand and rocks from the back yard to the front yard. It sure is exciting to see things progressing..

February 14 Some of us stayed back in the morning to do some work here and once we were done we brought the lunch with us to the job site.Tim had the pleasure of driving to the project house today, and despite not paying real close attention to where it was, together with all of us we easily found it. Today we added the final layer and prepared for the metal beams which will support a new roof. Tim and Loupie began to tile in the shower, which is something that was not planned but we thought would be nice. The second team arrived today from Carlyle Sk, most of them are our age or older with only a couple of young people in their group.