OSC--Guanajuato 2010

Wow, things have been busy around here.  It is 1030 and we are all beat.  We just returned from a night out in Guanajuato.  It was a great time!  I will fill you in on that in a bit…

The last time I posted we were in the middle of Tuesday.  A lot has happened since then.  We had VBS yesterday afternoon with all our new friends.  We had a lot of fun playing games and loving on the kids from the village.  All of the same kids were there and people found the kids they played with the day before very quickly.  One thing that stood out involved our craft time.  We gave the kids booklets with their craft which explained the colors and meanings of Charlie the Gospel Worm.  After the craft time one of the girls was sitting with Sarah and reading through the entire book.  Then she and Sarah went off and the girl read the book to Sarah and another girl.  It was neat to see how Sarah was able to encourage the girls even though she wasn’t able to speak to them.  God was definitely working.

Last night was a fun time too.  We decided that everyone was tired and overloaded and we needed some down time, so we simply had a fun evening.  Part of the group played a game called signs with some of the leaders of the camp, while the rest of the group played volleyball outside.  Then the game of signs broke up and people headed outside.  By the end of the evening people had played ultimate Frisbee, 4-square, Horse, sat around and talked and just enjoyed themselves.  It was a much needed fun night. 

People are still tired but in great spirits and enjoying themselves.  Still no one sick or hurt and no interpersonal problems either!  Please pray that all of these will continue!

Wednesday July 14^th

Today was a LONG day.  We got up and continued our work projects.  The dirt/rock crew continued hauling dirt and removing rocks.  Part of that group mixed concrete for the floors of the bathroom.  Still others worked to grade the ground outside the bathrooms to provide for better drainage.  They also dug trenches around the bathroom which will eventually connect the drains and provide water.  The paint crew finished the walls in the classrooms/bedrooms.  They also continued on the outer walls of those rooms with green and purple.  At the end of the day the floors to the classrooms also received a much needed coat of paint.  That project will be finished tomorrow.  All in all there was a lot of work accomplished and a lot of progress made.  Everyone is working hard and seems to have a good attitude about serving.  We are all sore and lots of shoulder rubs have been exchanged J

This afternoon we had another time of VBS.  There is an epic game of soccer that has lasted two days and should continue through a third.  The Mexicans and the “Gringos” are battling for world soccer domination.  At last count team USA had surged into the lead 6-5 (should be 7 or 8 but we have inexplicably had several goals called back.  I’m pretty sure they are using the same refs that refereed the world cup!)  It has been a great time of playing and lots of fun.  As the kids were leaving today I saw a lot more hugs and goodbyes than I did yesterday.  We are really bonding with the kids and enjoying them.  Our team is great about breaking up and just loving on the kids from the village.  It is so great to see Brendan with kids on his back or Linda leading some girls in her favorite new chant: Jose Pantalones!  Jose Pantalones (literal Spanish translation—Joe Pants…aka my Spanish nickname).

After VBS we all got dressed up for a night on the town, Guanajuato style!  We piled into the vans and headed up to see a statue of Pipila.  Pipila is a local hero, responsible for aiding the Mexicans in a key victory to start the Mexican Revolution.  There are giant statues of him all around the region, but the largest and best-know is in Guanajuato.  The statue sits along the ridge on one side of the valley, overlooking Guanajuato.  The area provides 180 degree views of the city of Guanajuato and the valley.  It is gorgeous.  We enjoyed the opportunity to take pictures and marveled at the city and the mountains.  After the photo op with a stunning backdrop, we drove down into the city to explore and eat dinner.  We had about 45 minutes to explore the area and then met back together for dinner.  It was fun to see out team break off into groups and just mingle with the crowds.  Near the end of our free time, several members of the group came across a street artist.  He works with spray paint and sells his artwork on the street.  If you are lucky, you can catch him actually completing these paintings.  We were so lucky.  We got to see him masterfully and very quickly turn a blank piece of posterboard into a work of art.  Hodge was particularly impressed but Jake and Josh Schaffer were the big winners as they both walked away with one-of-a-kind pieces of art (for a mere $5!).  We ate dinner on the square and filled up on beef, steak chorizo, onions, tomatoes, guacamole, chips, tortillas, and even cactus!  We also had a chance to experience an authentic mariachi band as they came and serenaded us with a couple of songs.  Many of us liked the fact that the MLB All-Star game was on TV so we had a chance to watch a little baseball.  There was also free internet access that several of the kids took advantage of with their i-pods.  That little taste of home was much needed after this long away.  Our evening finished up with a trip to the other side of the valley to visit a mine and overlook there.  It provided a breath-taking view of Guanajuato just as the sun was setting.  From that vantage point we could see the Pipila overlook from earlier in the day, Cristo Rey from Sunday, and nearly all of Guanajuato.  We then spent some group time where we had a special ceremony to smash the masks that we had made earlier in the week.  All in all it was a great team night and wonderful night out on the town.

Prayer Requests:

·         Traveling mercies—Brian Hodge will be leaving in the morning to travel home.  Pray that he will have a safe and easy trip home.

·         Safety—tomorrow is our last day of construction (Friday will be a fun day in San Miguel de Allende).  Pray that we would end the week with a perfect safety record.

·         Diligence—we have been very hard-working and productive up to this point, but everyone is exhausted and sore.  Pray that we would work through tomorrow and finish the work week strong.

·         Team dynamics—everyone is tired.  Now is the time when problems could arise as people are tired and patience can wear thin.  Pray that we would continue to be close as a team and that there would be no interpersonal issues.

·         VBS—tomorrow is also our last time with the kids from the village.  Pray that we would love them well on our last chance to see them.