HungryForLifeInternational

Hey CCC

It's Day 6. It's a lot quieter around here since the Kitimat team left yesterday. They departed around noon time - after spending the morning packing the huge caravan of supplies and people. It was quite an event - almost like a parade - as we watched them leave, waving and sad. We sat down for lunch and looked at each other and remembered that nobody else would be joining us. So we prayed and ate. In a weird way - we began OUR team time.

Matt and his crew have been working diligently painting the "bodega" (the storage building). The crew has made significant progress. It is a large 4 sided building - the front half of it is the storage facility, the back half of it (sloping away from the front and tucked into the trees) is a chapel. The paint crew has completed 2 sides of the building and is hoping to complete the last (smaller) two sides today.

The team has felt a desire to help ease the work load of the hosting Missionary couple (Willie and Denise - with children Alyssa and baby Hanna). They are a busy family - constantly helping others. Willie is with the Kitimat team in Babicora while Denise is in Rio Chico with us - acting as single mom to a 3 year old and an 8 month old - serving us meals, cleaning the residence, organizing the Mexican workers who work at Rio Chico, doctor to the locals... So, Mona has jumped in on our behalf to help with child care, grocery shopping, and meal making. Later in the day - she is hoping to do some mending of clothes for Denise and family.

Alf and Chad are off to Medera (an hour away from Rio Chico) this morning to some junk yards ("yonke banco") to forage for truck parts that they need to do some work - this is sort of like sending two little boys off to explore a candy store! When I said to Alf, "If you don't need Chad to go with you - we sure could use him here." Alf replied, "Ah, no... I think I need him. It's always better to have two sets of eyes on these things and two heads thinking through how things might work." So, off the "wrench boys" went! They are hoping to do some extensive work on their last truck today.

I have been blogging this week to keep you informed as best as I can (my first ever blogs!). I hope you've enjoyed them. I will spend my morning interviewing team members (for our report video). Should be great! We are all doing well - we are healthy, safe, and strong.

We had a very cool storm last night - just as our prayer and bible study came to an end. We all felt like it was God's invitation to us to come outside and see his fireworks - so we did. There is a fantastic open-air, covered dining area over and between the buildings. We all headed out for the show. God did not disappoint - lightning splashes that lit up the entire river valley, thunder cracks that made even Chad jump ( a thunder crack for a wise cracker :). This is our last day of work. We will be heading back to Juarez tomorrow night for church (if we make it in time). I am scheduled to preach. Pray for me. Pray for all of us - that we would continue to say and do what God would want us to say and do - in communicating and demonstratng His kingdom wherever we are!

Rob

Hey CCC

It's Day 5. We are packing up and saying goodbye to the Kitimat team who are heading out to Babicora this morning. It has been a terrific experience connecting and working with our brothers and sisters from the North. Please pray for them - they will spend the day traveling from Rio Chico to Babicora. Pray for safety and success - they will camp out for a week and continue the build of the church. Specifically, they are hoping to complete the roofing. I should tell you that Pastor Tomas and Brenda arrived last night. They will be heading out with the Kitimat team. And, I should tell you that they will be doing that in a NEW vehicle - a 2005 Ford Excursion (diesel). This is the truck that you (CCC) helped purchase for Tarahumara Ministries (with Kitimat Alliance Church). VERY COOL! This was the truck's maiden voyage. We all agree that this was our God's good timing for us - His wink to us - to say, "Well done kids. Well done to work together. Well done to partner with me in Mexico. It's great isn't it?!" Speaking of vehicles - Alf and Chad have been hard at work on a number of vehicles here at Rio Chico. They are discovering the need for adaptability - they are doing amazing "McGyver-esque" stuff on the trucks here. They are working well as a team. Matt has organized the rest of us into a painting crew. I have been able to do some training with Sherri (our fearless HFL leader) to become an HFL associate. The team went for a hike across the road this morning at 7 a.m. We climbed an escarpment to a mountaintop where TM has fixed a cross. It was a refreshing way to start our day. Matt and Ramona continue to get better - thanks for your prayers. We've had very meaningful times of prayer and study at night - it's been good to get to know each other in this context. Again, thanks for your support. We are privileged to be here and work on your behalf. Thanks for being a part of this year's team. Sadly, we aren't able to send images at this point (dodgy internet).

Rob

Hey CCC

AS you know - we have arrived safely! We had good flights from Vancouver to Phoenix and then onto El Paso. We stayed in Juarez on Saturday and Sunday nights - ate some wonderful meals together with our sisters and brothers from Kitimat, shared stories, explored some Scriptures, and prayed. We went to the market on Sunday and experienced some of the hustle and bustle of commerce in downtown Juarez. I can't tell you what we got because that might spoil it for some! We picked up some additional supplies from a massive Wal-Mart that same afternoon, and then went to the Mexican border to get our passports stamped and our customs papers filled out (oh, the fun!). We went to church on Sunday night. What a fabulous time together! We enjoyed the warm reception and the life-giving energy of our Mexican brothers and sisters in Christ. We delighted in the dance team and their colorful and beautiful contribution to our worship experience. And, we particularly enjoyed the teaching of Pastor Joshua (Pastor Tomas' son). He shared his testimony and reminded us of how spectacular it is to be a part of the family of God and the generational impact that that has. He reminded us that we might be the start of such a legacy by being the person who might speak hope into someone's life (someone's life who effects a whole lot of other lives). He encouraged us to share the beautiful and wonderful Christ-centered life that we live with others - so that God could change their world as He has changed ours. We spent Monday on the road - all 15 of us - from Juarez to Rio Chico. The legendary Suburban (which I once thought was de-commissioned) was resurrected and performed admirably. It hauled all of our luggage while the teams traveled together in a 15 seat passenger van just behind it. We made several stops on the way to stretch our legs and for bathroom breaks. In all, it was an 8 hour journey - not too bad! We saw lots of beautiful landscape - from desert vegetation (cactus and sagebrush) to higher elevation vegetation (long grasses and pines). We arrived safely in Rio Chico at 6 p.m. - just in time for dinner! We had a wonderful time of worshipping together with Kitimat - then broke to our own groups for study and prayer. We all called it a night at around 10:30 p.m. It's day four: we're up with the sun, have had breakfast and are getting to work - we are hoping to finish an ambitious painting project to the exterior of the complex begun by a church in Edmonton just weeks ago. It's very cool to be a part of what God is up to and to know that what He is up to is so much bigger than just us! We miss you all and pray for you daily. Please continue to pray for us - particularly for Matthew and Ramona who are battling colds. We have seen God at work every day in and around us - we hope you're spotting Him too where you are doing what you're doing. Rob

I guess most people from Crossroads know that the faces of our team have changed a bit over the last few weeks. Pat Peters had a mountain biking accident and broke his collar bone making it impossible for him to come on this trip. Then we had Cathy Wiebe step up and offer to go in his place.