What's going on in Aguascalientes
There is a lot going on down here in Aguascalientes, Mexico. I want to keep you all informed with the highlights each month. Thank you to all who pray for and support these ministries. We are able to bless so many people and we couldn't do it without you. To God be all the glory. Gracias amigos!
May was a great month. A lot of work got done, there was a lot to celebrate and I got to take a couple of trips. There's never a dull day as a missionary down in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
At the orphanage...
I took the kids out a couple of Sundays. We went out for ice cream and to the "Green Line." The Green Line is a park that goes in each direction for miles. It is a really cool idea and adds a great touch to the city. The kids love to go and it was special for me to take them out again because before covid I used to take the kids out every Sunday. I haven't been able to do it for about 2 years but now have permission again and hope to start doing it regularly. The kids and I have missed our Sunday-fun day.
We celebrated "Día del niño" (kid's day) at the orphanage with a big event for the community. Día del niño is usually the last day of April but because Marce, the director, was out of town, we did it the first weekend in May. We used to do this event every year but haven't been able to for the last two years because of covid. Praise God things are going back to normal! About 300 kids showed up and we brought them in in groups of 25. Once they entered, they passed through the different stages: they started off with a gospel presentation, then our kids performed a dance/worship song, after that we had piñatas and finally they were given food and a toy. While the kids were inside having fun, a local church set up outside and ministered to the adults. It was a great event and God got all the glory!
The floor tiles in the dining hall started to come up. It was weird that they would just come undone but I've learned that in an orphanage anything and everything can go wrong haha! Anyway, I had some help from the kids pulling up the old tiles and scraping the old tile mix off the floor. Once everything was ready, I put in the new tiles. And a fellow missionary, Kyleigh, who was my most faithful volunteer when we were building the school, finished the job by putting in the grout. Now the floor is as good as new.
At the girl's home...
The girls had a day off from school so we went to a lil town outside of the city. The town is called San José de Gracia and it's on a lake. There is a huge "Cristo Roto" (broken Christ) statue in the middle of the lake and we took a short boat ride to see it. It was a fun day hanging out and getting out of the routine.
(The broken Christ represents how He was broken for all of the people suffering in this world. It also serves as a reminder that we should remember the broken, hurting people as well).
It wasn't all fun at the girl's home. Mary, the woman in charge of our two girls, had to get some wisdom teeth pulled. My friend/dentist, Miguel, did everything for free. (Miguel has been a huge blessing to me and my girls. I will be doing lots of work in his house next month so it's nice that we can trade services). He said one of Mary's teeth was the most stubborn he has ever had to extract. Most teeth have one root and some have two but Mary's had three! He was yanking and pulling for a while until it finally came out. Praise God for anesthesia!!! I have no idea how people went to the dentist a hundred years ago.
We celebrated Chevon's 69th birthday. It was a small get together. We went out for dinner and then just hung out around the house. She had a good time. I was also able to fix her water problem. Her water was off for a couple of weeks and when her reserve ran out it was a struggle. I climbed into the cistern and found the problem. Luckily, it was a quick fix which was a relief because we thought we were going to have to break concrete and change pipes. Now things are back to normal.
I installed the windows at pastor Tino's house. Tino is the pastor of the church we built and he is expanding his home. His house will also be used as the offices for his "Gotas de Amor" (Drops of Love) ministry where they do multiple children's feeding programs/outreaches. It will also be used to plan future missions trips.
I took a trip home to San Diego. I arrived on May 24th and will be here till early June. It's always nice to stay with my parents and spend time with them. I also got to see my brother and his family. My niece is 4 months old now and it's a blessing to get to hold her. Also it's fun to play with my nephews...they love their Uncle Bob-o.
And finally, the reason for my trip home was to go to one of my best friend's wedding. My friends Kris Einemo & Selena Rocha tied the knot on May 28th, 2022. They got married in Northern California, so I made the 700 mile road trip each way to be there...perfect timing with these gas prices! I was one of the groomsmen and had a great time celebrating their special day. I also stumbled across the Chandelier Tree and drove my car through it. I have seen pictures of the tree and it happened to be only a couple of miles away from the wedding. It was cool to get to see it. Anyway, I wish my friends a blessed marriage and may they live happily ever after!