Editor’s Note: the team was able to email out some pictures on their way back to the jungle. Even though we don’t have their text for the blog yet, we thought you would like to at least see their pictures. The trip out to the Ch’ol Jungle included a stop at Palenque – the site of some awesome Mayan ruins.
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Editor’s note: We do not yet have the written reports for Thursday and Friday. Here is a sneak preview of the team’s activities.
View from above
Peter wiring
Cutting
Del-taco
Anchovies at the market
Tying in walls
Taking a little jog on the roof
The victorious window scraping team -- Katie and Hannah
The construction team
Steven takes vengeance
Buckets ready for water filters
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This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Today we visited an orphanage with 22 boys and girls run by a wonderful Christian couple. I wouldn’t call them orphans because they seem like one big happy family! The children were well behaved and cared for each other. The older children took care of the younger ones.
When we first arrived, each child greeted us with a handshake. They were so warm and welcoming! We spent the first few hours playing and getting to know them. There was a tire swing (that Nathan built last visit), trampoline, sand castle making, Frisbee, sea-saw, piano playing, coloring books, and I’m sure I missed other activities going on all at the same time.
Most of these kids were abandoned by their parents, so this couple took them in and have been raising them as one big family. They’re so cute and fun to play with. They sang to us and we sang back to them as we waited for our lunch – hamburgers from a local market. They were great!
After our delicious meal, we split up and did different projects. Some began constructing a jungle gym, while others were upstairs in the house spraying a sealant on the brick walls, or continuing to play with the children. We had some guys trying to help us with the jungle gym. They’re so helpful!
We had a FABULOUS time with all of them! I’m glad we had the opportunity to go and be blessing!!
“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red, and yellow, black, and white. They are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world!!”
Pete, for the Chiapas team
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We’re homebodies again today…no jungles, no exploration trips downtown. Today – a different kind of adventure. Right now we’re working on several projects around our wonderful hosts’ home. I’m actually very excited about getting to serve them in this way; they are so busy with the ministry and with their family that getting non-essential projects done around the house can get set on the back-burner for the more pressing issues. Us being at the house this week and getting some of these projects done is hopefully going to take some load off Nathan and Julie’s shoulders.
The projects we’re working on today include painting and varnishing in the living room, prepping walls on the upper-level addition, and removing/replacing the old caulk on the apartment hallway windows. These projects were actually all started yesterday, so today our mission is to make as much more headway as we can on them. Each of us is playing a very important part in accomplishing these jobs, whether we’re cutting and bending baling wire, varnishing window sills, or chipping away at mildewy caulk.
Everyone’s efforts are really starting to show as the projects take shape. Painting/varnishing in the living room is going awesomely! It’s going from white with unfinished wood trim to a fresh minty green color along with a crisp new coat of complimentary white and a set of varnished wood accents to finish it off. Downstairs in the hallway, chunks of old caulk are coming off slowly but surely; the window panes will soon be ready for new caulk! The roof is really starting to take the form of an additional full floor of rooms. Styrofoam and baling wire are the 2 components of the walls being put in upstairs – not exactly the American way of doing things, but these buildings are firm and solid, and the materials are affordable and easily accessible. Can’t say for sure yet just how much will get done up there because it’s such a huge project, but we’ll definitely make a sizable dent in the load… give Nathan a jump-start in getting it rolling and eventually accomplished sooner rather than later.
We’ve been able to keep the girls, Cloe (5) and Gabi (almost 3) occupied to try and free Julie up for a while as well. The girls are so precious… It’s really been more play than work during these “babysitting” sessions. I really hope Julie has gotten to rest as well as get some of her own projects done; I understand more since coming here that mothering three children ages 5 and under is a daunting task, so the opportunity to help her out and give her a break is something I’m more than glad to jump on.
Staying with the Terrells has really broadened my perspective on what it means to be a missionary family. It’s been pretty exciting to observe the desires God has given me to do something much like this. I’m reminded of these desires every time I spend any time with a young missionary family. “Exciting”…”mysterious”…”grand adventure”… These are the terms I have to describe the direction I believe God is taking me. Much prayer is being lifted regarding this; I don’t want to miss a single beat… a single word of confirmation or new direction… a single moment He wants to draw me closer to His heart, which is where I really want to be in this journey. I can’t help but praise God for bringing me on this trip and including me in the initiatives He has going here in the heart of Chiapas and here in my own heart. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
A super-sized THANK YOU to everyone praying for us! Your prayers mean more than you know – we wouldn’t be able to do anything we’re doing apart from God, and so our need is great. Thank you for praying for the team, for the Terrell family, for the local Mexican missionaries, and for the people of Chiapas who have yet to experience the saving grace of God. You’re playing a huge part of our ministry here!
Dios los bendigan! (God bless you all!)
For the GE Chiapas 2010 Team,
Eden
Installing the garage door
The lizard who SOMEHOW ended up in Amy C's bed!
Christopher & Cloe at the law school in San Cristobal
The day dawned bright and beautiful… And there was lots of work to be done… But after a weekend that included some time off and shopping, we were awake and ready to tackle it all.
The Terrells are building an upstairs addition to their house, so there was plenty of work that needed to be done. Pete began to work on some of the electrical stuff, while some of the others cut and twisted wire for the walls. Downstairs in the apartment where we are staying some of the girls were un-calking windows, which had become moldy and needed to be redone.
Meanwhile, on the main floor where the Terrells live, preparations were beginning for a living room makeover. Julie really wanted it painted… but I don’t think she was expecting it to happen so soon. But we loved the idea and ran with it, doing our best to make it a reality for them. So the room was emptied out, and a quick run to the store was made to buy some paint, a gift to Terrells from all of us on the team.
Somehow through all that, I got the really fun job (!!!) of spending the morning playing on the trampoline with the Terrell’s sweet girls, Cloe and Gabi. They have an incredible imagination, so the
morning flew by as we pretended to be princesses, trapped inside of a castle.
After lunch, we were ready to begin the painting in the living room! So both Amys, Rachel, and I grabbed some paintbrushes
and began. We painted the room a mixture of white and light green which looked great!
We took a short break for dinner, and then we all resumed what we had been working on. We were given the choice to work late and sleep a little later tomorrow, or stop early, but get up early… It’s probably not too hard to guess which one we chose – working late. 
But we ended up getting a lot accomplished and got two coats of paint on the living room.
One thing I found out though is that work is a LOT more fun when you’re really helping someone else, and doing it with a bunch of friends. It was a tiring, but great day!
~Katie, for the team
Amy, Rachael and Eden clearing windows
David drilling
Jacob cutting wall
Jacob cutting bars
painting
Amy painting
Hello!
Chloe with a paintbrush
Today was pretty laid back. We went to church with our translators Gabby and Grace Ozuna, had lunch at the most beautiful restaurant I’ve ever seen called “The Gardens”, and went shopping at Santa Domingo, an artisan market downtown.
We didn’t have to get up very early today because church wasn’t until 10:30. I think I was the last one to get up, but I was sick, so I had a good excuse. It was nice to sleep in! We all gathered in the guy’s room for breakfast and then practiced “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Santo, Santo, Santo); we had special music at church today. Around 10:10 we loaded up into the cars and headed to church. The people were SO welcoming and friendly! The special went well, and Stephanie, a girl who has been living here and helping the Terrell’s for a month played the guitar for us (editor: thanks Stephanie, and great job with last minute notice!). The sermon was on Revelations 2, and Gabby, Grace, Amy C, and Steven translated for us. We sat in the very back and they sat in between us all. It was so good to be able to understand what the pastor was teaching! Basically he reminded us to not forget our first love. We need to let our lives be a channel for Christ to shine through!
Lunch was SO amazing! Not only was the food delicious but also the restaurant was beautiful. We ate outside and there was a pear orchard, gardens, and play area for the kids. The building itself was made of brick and natural wood planks and…well I could go on and on – it was just beautiful, but I’ll spare you all
This afternoon, we walked into town and went shopping at a local market. It was fun to see everything! There were a lot of really good purchases made. We kind of split into groups for the afternoon and I was with Stephanie and Pete. They were really nice and let me stop and take breaks whenever I started feeling sick again. (I have a new appreciation for the 3-4 who were sick when we were out in the jungle!) We stopped at a local curbside restaurant for dinner and ate while we walked the andedor. We then stopped for ice cream and walked around looking at all the beautiful lights before heading back to the Terrell’s.
We split into three groups and took taxies home (my first time in a taxi)
It was a good day, and God is SO good. In closing I wanted to share a song that has been playing over and over in my head since leaving for this trip:
All in All
You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all.
Seeking you as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all.
Refrain:
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Worthy is your name
Taking my sin my cross my shame
Rising again I bless your name
You are my all in all.
When I am down you pick me up
When I get dry you fill my cup
You are my all in all.
“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10 (ESV)
Thankfully we haven’t experienced any insults or persecutions as of yet, but as we remember our weaknesses God’s strength can shine through.
-Hannah, for the crew
Today was our first full day back from the jungle. We mostly spent the morning unpacking and doing laundry. The two washers and dryers were about going nonstop. In the afternoon the guys worked on the electrical work and on the Terrell’s upstairs addition. After supper we practiced “Holy Holy Holy” in Spanish for special music tomorrow in church.
We really appreciate your prayers for the team. Thank you.
Jacob, for the Chiapas team
Wow. What a day! We started the day off bright and early — a few of the guys had gone off seeking adventure with a brisk run into unknown terrain, the rest of the guys and all of the girls got packed up and ate breakfast. We ended up getting everything ready to go and then sitting around for over an hour, waiting and worrying about the guys who weren’t showing up when they were supposed to! Thankfully, they all made it back safely, and we said a tearful goodbye to all of our wonderful hosts from the village we stayed in. It was so hard to leave, we’d had such a lovely time and made so many new friends!
On the way home, after driving for a while, we stopped to take a boat ride down the reservoir in the massive Cañon del Sumidero. It was breathtaking!! It was an hour and a half of gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, and rock formations. I had to crane my neck to see the tops of the sheer cliffs on either side! There was so much to see and all I could think of was, “Wow, God!! You made all this!!” What a beautiful example of the Work of His Hands. It took all words from me, it was so amazing… I love to be amazed by His incredible creation.
After regrouping, we grabbed some lunch at an awesome place in Tuxtla that Nathan knew of, and headed off to the zoo before going home. It was great to walk around and see the all the native Chiapas animals! My favorite was the black panther. It was nice enough to walk right up to the glass and pace for a while, then sharpen its rather scary, rather long claws on a log right in front of us. Among the other animals was the largest eagle in the world[editor's note: the Harpy Eagle, described as “the largest and most powerful raptor found in North America”], the biggest, ugliest worms I’ve ever seen, some pretty cool monkeys, and some really cute turtles. While walking along the path, I almost got attacked by a big, colorful bird that thought my bright blue watch was his lunch! He followed me for a while before he finally gave up. I liked the zoo a lot.
A little more time on the road and we were home! Wanna guess what the most popular activity was upon arriving?? GETTING A SHOWER!! Dinner tonight was amazing (thank you, Julie!) and the evening was enjoyable. Katie baked us some peanut butter cookies and we all played a few games. A good end to a good week. I’m excited to see what the next week holds in store!! Thank you, Lord, for taking good care of us while we were out in the jungle and for blessing our time so immensely! May we continue to serve with love and joy, knowing that our strength comes from You!
- Amy K, for the now-clean crew
Wow. Today was another full day of learning and loving. Every day here is a new adventure and every day I seem to love these people and this place more, and it becomes harder to think of leaving our new friends.
The people here have opened their homes and hearts to us in the most amazing way. Life here in the pueblos of Chiapas is different than at home. People are never too busy to stop and talk – even when half of what we say doesn’t make much sense in their language! They just laugh and correct us when we make mistakes, repeating their sentences over and over until we can understand what they are saying, or else call for Gabby or Grace – our wonderful translators. People clearly put a higher priority on relationships here than any place I’ve ever been before. And really, shouldn’t it be that way? Relationships are what life should be built on. One thing I like about this trip is that we’re building on relationships already established by Nathan. We aren’t just coming in like a whirlwind and then disappearing forever.
Each day here we’ve been teaching children’s programs both in Llano Grande and in surrounding villages. The children love the stories and games, but what they love most I think is just the attention and the tangible love they receive. We’ve had so much fun with the children making balloon animals, passing out candy and hugs, and communicating the love of Jesus through any form we can.
Even as I try to write this there are three girls hanging over my shoulder wanting to see pictures of this trip. As we look through them, the girls point and smile and make jokes – and even though I don’t understand everything they say, a shared laugh goes across any language barrier. They keep saying things like “when you come back again,” and honestly I can’t bear to say that I may never be back! I hope I will get to come back here and see my brothers and sisters from this part of the world again.
In the evenings we often gather with families from the village here to sing and play the guitar. It is one of my favorite things to do! I love to hear the praises sung to the Lord whether it be in English or Spanish. It reminds me of that day when God’s children from every tribe and tongue will gather around the throne to praise their redeemer. But until that day, I’m so glad to be able to have a part in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ anywhere I can!
- Rachel, for everyone
Greetings from Chiapas, Mexico!
I can’t believe our time here is going so fast! It seems like just yesterday I met my teammates and the staff here in Mexico. It’s only been 4 days since we came here but time is just whipping by. Yet at the same time, it seems to be taking forever. How is this possible? Anyway, let’s get on to the good stuff:
The team has had a chance to do five programs for kids in three different towns so far. Tomorrow we are going to another town but I don’t know the name. [editor's note - today we traveled to Ocotapec, tomorrow we'll be in San Francisco, both about an hour away] The kids here are a lot of fun to be with. I have had many opportunities to use my limited Spanish with them. Como te llamas? (What is your name?) Donde vives? (Where do you live?) Como estas? (How are you?) These are some of the simple phrases the team uses to talk with the children. It’s very fun and the kids are delighted that the “gringos” (white people) are using Spanish to talk with them.
God is blessing this trip in a lot of different ways. The thing that stands out most in my mind is the unity of our team. That has been a huge gift. Not all teams gel like ours has. We are growing closer to each other and most importantly, closer to the Lord every day. We are learning the lessons of being flexible, available, and teachable as we go out into the different towns and work with people who don’t necessarily have scheduled things to do. It’s been a huge growing experience for us all.
Ok, I know this might be short, but the Benadryl Nathan gave me for sleeping at night in the jungle is kicking in. Dios los bendiga mucho. (God bless you all a lot). Good night!
-Abby, for us all
Once again, there were just way too many good pictures to post individually, so enjoy another slideshow.
