Our First Week

It was a week ago today that we left Canada. In some ways it was so long ago and in other ways, just a blink. Today, as I gaze around the beautiful compound, I am amazed how much it is like the children's home I spent 4 months at in India. It is quiet today, as the children don't come on the weekends, so we are all given the chance to catch up on rest after battling fatigue throughout our travels.

We have spent the day exploring a couple beaches. It's been a good way to take life a bit slower and recover from all the driving (38 hours and 3400km thus far). Most of the adults and some of the teens are all very tired still. We want to be able to give it our all come Monday, so this rest is welcome.

Everywhere you look, there is poverty--shelters held together by tarps, desolate, abandoned homes and a sense of hopelessness.

As my teens so aptly put it, "You can read about this and mentally prepare yourself, but you never really understand until you see and experience this for yourself."

Ethan is having a bit of a hard time, he's asking for the hotel (because of the strange washrooms), and because we are no longer traveling. Please pray that he adjusts quickly.

I am finding that after my initial culture shock upon entering Mexico, I am adjusting and understanding life quickly (thanks to spending 4 months in India, I am sure). Kim is taking a bit longer, as he processes things on a different level.

It's a lot to take in and challenging to find the balance between understanding and respecting the culture and coming in and trying to make a difference. We've heard stories of people who've come in and tried to clean up some of the debris and garbage, only to offend the locals. We've also heard of people who've come in and given so much that there are some locals who just expect to get every time a white face shows up. We are glad to be working with some incredible missions here who can direct us to where our efforts will be most profitable and to where we can make the greatest impact.

Thank you for your continued prayers. Please pray for traveling mercies on the rest of our team as they fly in to San Diego and drive down tomorrow. Pray also for quick adjustment for the little ones and strength for the team as we prepare for this upcoming week of work.