to Sabinas...

We woke this morning for breakfast with the Texas group. We were in awe of the mountain view so we decided to eat outside. We got to chat a little with a couple of the older women from the Hill Country Austin, TX group. We then had quiet time and small group time over by the big palapa (shelter). Church would be in this large Palapa at 10 am. The palapa was organized into 4 different areas/groups. It was interesting because first we played an icebreaker game like "rock, paper, scissors," but instead it was "gorilla, gunman, ninja." Second, we were lacking a worship leader so we a played a "name that song" game in the groups that we were sitting in. We had to first name and sing ten words of a song that had a color in it, and then the word light, and then the word joy. It was fun to get to know the people in my group and to worship in that way... lol. Beth G. one of the founders of B2B (along with her husband Todd) spoke for us. She talked about the offer theme for the year (Romans 12:1) and about the sheet of paper representing the orphan's heart. Last she talked about a dog, a rooster, and a cow:

-"Don't drag your bumbi."

-"Use your wings, and don't cling to the line."

-"Stay inside the safety of your Father's fence."

We concluded with prayer and then we were told by Greg Huffer, Cathy's husband, to change and get our bags for our trip to Sabinas. He was going to be our leader along with Rodo and Katey. We ate lunch (PB&J) and took a group photo and then we were on our way. The road trip started loud and filled with stories, but by the time we got out of the city, we were all exhausted and rested the last part of the trip. At this point, we were out of the city and surrounded by mountains, and the beauty of God's creation. It really reminded me of Texas with the canyons, flatland, and rolling hills. Finally, we pulled into the children's home after about a 2 hour trip and about 20 kids came out to meet us.

We were the first group to ever come to this home so it was an exciting thing to see their curiosity. We moved our bags, floor mats and things inside the girl's room, but then were told later that we would have to stay in a separate room from the girls, just a couple doors down. Instead of mats, we were going to get beds. They were so generous in trying to make us feel comfortable. After we finished doing that Greg began heating the charcoal and we were told to play until dinner. So that is exactly what we did. First, along with the girls, Rodo, and some of the children, we went over to play soccer in the field behind the children's home. I didn't have any tennis shoes so I stuck it out in my flip-flops. It was pretty dusty, but a lot of fun, and the boys seemed to really enjoy our attempts. Jonathan, one of the boys started out as our goalie, and then decided to give his job to me, and take on the offense. After an hour or so of soccer we walked back to the facility, and there we played basketball (around the world), played on the swings, seesaws, and slide, and just ran around.

I was exhausted, sweaty, smelly, and dehydrated, but I never felt better. We played up until they called us in to serve dinner, which was hamburgers with ham and cheese... aka DELICIOUS. We served the children first, me with the catsup, Betsy with the mayonesa, and Rodo with the mostaza. The kitchen where dinner was served was very clean, large, and organized. We were also not aware of the rules of the kitchen: be quiet. At one point one of the older girls rejected Rodo's offer of mustard, and we laughed about it. I asked, "Como se dice 'rejected' en Espanol?" He replied, "Rodolfo." In all our commotion, the director let us know about the rule and we immediately shut-up. We also were able to get food and sit down with the kids. There were about 23 kids at the home, ad I planned on learning all their names! All of the girls seemed to enjoy our presence and the fact that we wanted to hang out with them and sit by them at dinner. After dinner we played more basketball and whatnot until we were told to meet for debriefing down in the pavilion at 7:30 pm. We had to convince the children to let us go to our meeting. One girl, Angelica, literally attached to my arm, and I had to explain, "Tengo que hablar con mi grupo!"

We had out debriefing, and talked more about offering ourselves and what that looks like. We were also asked what expectations had been verified or completely disproved. Luckily none of us came in with expectations, so God had already started His work in our lives. Greg then gave us the schedule for the next day: roof and wall sealing and painting. After debriefing we went back up the hill, said good night to the children and then went to our room with Katey. We made our beds and prepared for showers. I was covered in dust from soccer so I asked if I could go first. While taking the shower I realized that it was not draining like it should be. In fact, it wasn't draining at all, and as others took showers after me, it began filling up more. Ellie bit the bullet and took a shower in our filth, but Katey decided since she would be going last, that she would put off taking a shower until tomorrow (great decision). We dubbed the shower the "Tropical Oasis," equipped with beautiful jungle scenery and man in loin-cloth, to feel better about our situation. We were exhausted after a long day of driving and play, so we went to bed soon after everyone had showered/waded.

"A man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." -Proverbs 16:9

-k10