Sunny San Diego

On our way back to San Diego International Airport to meet our team! I can't begin to describe the relaxing, comfortable two days we've had with Matt's cousin and her family. They've been so gracious and fun to be with. Piper has already decided she wants to live here. The weather, of course, is perfect and I feel like my batteries have been recharged sitting in the sun every moment I get.
It's been such a blessing to have this time with family. Grateful for all the little God things...Analiese's huge Yukon to hold all our luggage to and from the airport, a gorgeous and refreshing hike right in their backyard, and then the biggest of all - Easter, and our risen Savior! Happy Easter!
Sawyer has had a fever, which is unusual for him, and sore throat. Pip's pink eye has evolved to a cold and cough. Overall we are one big germ-y family. I am especially thankful for our friends and family who are praying for us and our team. We are so blessed!
Here are a few pictures from our time here:

Why we are going

 

We woke up this morning to Piper with pink eye! I know things like that happen when people go on short-term missions, but please pray that our team stays healthy for our trip next week. We want to be as effective as we can while we are down there.  Nonetheless, we can't be more excited.

I thought I'd copy and paste part of an email we received a few months ago,  approriately titled "Why We Are Here" in the subject line. It's from an energetic retired couple, Bob and Sue, from our church who have been on staff at the mission for a few years now, (they live here but stay at the mission several months out of the year during the spring and summer.) I thought it gave such a sweet example of the things we will see and do while we are there. Of course we have no idea what the needs will be once we arrive!  Still, I love that Bob and Sue will be there waiting for our team to arrive Sunday night. (Sue is pictured, below, in the pink shirt.)

 

We'll try and keep you posted. I haven't even begun packing!

 

 

It's Saturday morning, and volunteers are rolling out 200 flour tortilla's.

And cooking a batch of potato, tuna, onions and chili peppers.

Then the team heads out to the Vicente Guerrero dump, where people eke out a living scouring

trash for anything that might be of value.

On the way to the Camalu dump, the team saw a family walking to the dump. They stopped to

give them a meal. The little girls had no shoes.

They asked for prayer for their daughter who was sick.

People live in the Camalu dump, and scavenge for materials to build the most pitiful shelters (see

center left) to make a shelter from the sun and wind. Fire smolders day and night.

Anything that can be recycled is collected, sorted and bagged. Sadly, the little bit of money this

provides often goes to buy drugs.

The dump is also populated by packs of diseased dogs, and local farmers set pigs loose to scavange

a meal from the rotting debris.

Juan (playing guitar) is a High School senior at the orphanage and has a real heart for reaching

this people for the Lord. At left is a grandmother and gr-daughter who were scavenging for

food at the dump. They were happy to have found an open package of dried tortillas and some

rotting strawberries.

The team also visited a nearby recycle center.

I want you to meet Paulino, second from the the right. He works on the mission construction crew,

and goes out each week to feed the people at the dump where he once lived.

Paulino (right) actually grew up in the Camalu garbage dump, collecting debris to sell to the recycle

business. Hopelessly hooked on drugs, and desperate to escape his predicament he walked many miles

to the missions' Rancho de Christo treatment facility. That's where he recovered his health, though he

still has serious respiratory problems from years of breathing toxic smoke. He became a Christian

and today he's a vibrant witness to people living at the dumps.

Bob and Sue

Preparing our hearts to serve

This pic has nothing to do with Mexico, or serving. Just experimenting with posting pictures.

Welcome to our new blog!  As is the case with most things around here, it has taken our trip to Mexico next week to finally establish a site where our family and friends can keep track of what we are doing throughout the year. 

We will begin to post on our everyday goings on with our homeschool journey when we return, but what a great way to start...
Our first short term mission trip as a family!  We feel blessed beyond belief to have this chance to step outside our comfort zones and work hard. For example, we are told all our meals there will be fast and simple, and that we should wear the same work clothes pretty much all week!  We will be moving constantly, and moved by the people we see and come in contact with.  It is a quick, safe trip, but one we hope will change us immensely.  We want you to know everything we are doing there so that it is as if you are with us, too. Who knows, maybe you'll want to join us next year!

The details  (With links included, because that is so much better than how we can explain it.)

What:  We are going with a fun, multi-generational group of 18 from our church, Laurelwood Baptist, as part of team to serve for one week under an non-denominational organization called Foundation For His Ministry.  There have been several teams sent throughout the years from our church, but we are one of thousands who go there each year from around the world to volunteer. http://www.ffhm.org/get-involved/visit-volunteer/ 

Where:  Vicente Guerrero, Mexico (Baja California Mission)   http://www.ffhm.org/locations/baja-california-mexico/

When: March 31st (Easter!) - April 7th, 2013

How: Actually the four of us, (Tami, Matt, Sawyer, and Piper,) will depart PDX on Friday, March 29th and stay with Matt's cousin near San Diego until the rest of our team arrives Sunday afternoon. From San Diego International Airport, on Easter Sunday, we will all board two large rented vans and drive them across the border into Mexico. Well, Matt will drive one, and Mark will drive another. Matt's also the designated money guy for the entire team and trip, so whenever we stop to eat or fuel up he's the one holding the cash that week. We are told it is a four hour drive to the Vicente Guerrero Mission, and we were specifically instructed not to stop once we pass Ensenada to pee relieve ourselves. But Matt and Mark, our drivers, are laid back and will stop if any of us have to!

Why: We want to serve and be a blessing - and we are praying that we can be forever changed in the process.  "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:35  Please join us by praying that we would serve joyfully and bring back stories to tell. More posts and pictures to come!