Our trip to Mexico (week of July 15-21, 2007)

Saturday July 14th marked the departure for our 2007 Mission Trip to Mexico. 13 of us gathered at the Sweetings at 3:30 AM to pack up, pray and prepare to leave. We got on the road at 5:00 AM and spent the day heading South in the Sweeting’s huge Hurricane RV and truck. The truck was towing a trailer full of clothes but the trailer never made it to Mexico. We lost a tire sometime after dark on Saturday evening and, realizing that the spare would not make it to Mexico we unloaded as much as we could and loaded it into the RV. We left the trailer at a Les Swabb and picked it up on the way home at the end of the week.
	Sunday July 15th We met up with the Blacker family from the Santa Ynez Valley Vineyard in CA right before we made the crossing into Mexico. We got into Ensanada around 7:00 PM, just enough time to grab a bite to eat and attend an orientation meeting and then it was off to bed. Tomorrow we start building the house.
Monday July 16th We woke up to a low lying fog as turned out to be the case every morning while we were there. Several of us headed down to the beach for a quiet time and we were witness to a school of dolphins playing in the surf. Absolutely incredible to watch them jumping clear out of the water. We got to the job site around 10 AM and met Alfonso the father of the family we were building the house for. We got right to work. Dave “Saw Dawg” Sweeting, Anthony “Dust Bag” Almarez and Rob “Saw Pup” Vajko on the cutting crew, the rest split between the painting and the nailing. Within a couple hours all the walls were up. Before we left for the day the siding was also on and the roof trusses were in place.
	Tuesday July 17th We concentrated on getting the roof ready for the shingles which will go on tomorrow. We also got the drywall up and the electrical installed. Today also marked the start of the ministry to the children. The Blackers had brought a ton of soccer uniforms which they proceeded to hand out to all the kids that quickly started to show up every morning (This is part of a ministry that they have started. They collect soccer and softball uniforms which they then give away to children all over the world. You can check out what they do with this at http://u2umission.blogspot.com/). Everyway you looked kids had on new soccer uniforms. We had soccer games going on behind the house most of the day.
Wednesday July 18th Today we got the mudding done as well as getting all the shingles put on for the roof. We also installed the windows. More soccer games, more uniforms given out, more kids fed and lots of loving on all the children. Went shopping for additional materials as well as some furniture for the home. It may be a small house but it’s going to house four people.
	Thursday July 19th Sanding and painting were the order of the day today. We also spent a lot of time on all the details of the trim, framing the windows, installing the front door and all the last minute stuff that always seems to take so long. Spent a lot of time running around finishing up the shopping for the furniture (bunk bed, Queen bed, Chest of drawers, Cooking cabinet, Sofa and little items for the home.
Friday July 20th This morning, we dedicated the home and handed the keys to the new owners. We prayed together that this home would be a source of blessing to many; that many children would continue to come here to be fed and blessed and loved; that God would use this family to bring hope to this community. We spent the afternoon in La Bufadore shopping and then drove back to the valley where we built the house to have dinner with the family of the very first home that was built by our group seven years ago now.
	Saturday July 21st We leave Mexico today. We’re ready to go about 5:30 AM and head out. It takes several hours to cross the borders but we eventually all get across safe and sound and head North on I-5 again. We even passed a huge forest fire along the way. Spent the night in Stockton.
Sunday July 22nd Another early start and many more miles covered. We finally pull into the Sweeting’s place about 9:30 PM. It’s been a long week and we were able to get a lot accomplished. There isn’t one of us who isn’t ready to go back and do it again as soon as possible. It’s been an awesome week and God has provided great weather and answered many prayers. We feel blessed to have been a part of it and those of us who went are mindful of those who didn’t go but were instrumental in allowing us to be there and allowing God to work in and through us. Many of you gave financially and many of you shared in the ministry through daily intercession. Thank you.