I'm so thankful we are both getting better. I actually slept all night and didn't cough!
We will get through this...
I think I am going to combine my 11 years of going to Mexicali, Mexico.
This happened the 2 weeks before Easter every year. It was the Service trip for 1200 high school and college kids plus adult leaders, construction crew and our Kitchen Team.
Everyone paid their own way. It is all volunteer ministry. My former church Bayside Christian Church has been doing this for 22 years.
The adult construction team and our kitchen team went down a full week before the kids arrived. There is so much prep work that has to be done so everything will run smoothly.
One starts with a "blank canvas" and creates home for 1200 !!
Our Base camp has been located in a farmers Alfalfa field which has to be mowed and bundled before the tents can be set up for the kids. There is a team of mostly college students called the Spartans that set up big "Mash" type tents for all to sleep in. Very Hard physical labor. Those canvas tents are thick, mucho heavy, and dusty. Very cozy accommodations.
We were so glad to have our team tents set up very near the Kitchen area and FAR away from the kids..I think we got a bit more sleep that way..haha..
I'm here someplace in the back behind a Redwood Tree TALL man.. over on the left. Do you see me?
Someone brought paints and we all created our own aprons.
It has gotten a lot of wear and still looks pretty good.
Shopping at the Costco in Mexicali.
Tons of product to be trucked back to Base Camp.
Everything at the camp had to be taken out of storage and pressure washed and cleaned. During the year critters thought it was their home. Kind of yucky but it had to be done.
Then all of the equipment such as propane grills and Smokers had to be set up, electrical turned on and water pumps activated and sinks set up. This was all we cooked on for breakfast and dinner for 1200 people.
We had warmers that could slow cook somethings and keep the mass amount of food warm.
Lots of hard prep work but when you have a great core team it can actually be fun too.
Our kitchen team's sleeping quarters before the Spartans arrived to put up everyone's tents.
Plenty of fresh air and being serenaded by various snoring tones.
Everyone brings their own bed roll, cot, and folding chair.
All the "Comforts of Home."
The smokers were wonderful. Brownies for 1200 were baked in them plus all kinds of food.
Our safe drinking and dish washing water.
The little washing machine ran almost constantly. Clean and sanitary rags were needed all the time.
In prepping for the meals there was a whole lot of slicing and dicing going on.
You know some of the best discussions, funny stories and best long lasting friendships are made while you do mundane repetitive work.
Every dinner had fresh green salad which had to be made daily. Lettuce, cabbage and other goodies will wear one's arms out.
Marci was the chief toss-er of salad for the evening meals.
I think I will close with these last few photos.
Many more to come on another day.
We were the Egg Cracking Fools.
210 dozen eggs had to be cracked and stored EVERYDAY.
Thats 2520 eggs Every Day !!
That's crack an egg, dump the egg in container, dump the shell in the garbage.
Sometimes there was an oops when doing it in mindless chatting and day dreaming. Egg goes in the garbage and shell goes in the scrambled egg mix..😋
Some of the things I will share...
Serving the masses , up at dawn and before it cracked...
Kids being fed to go out to construction sites to build homes or doing VBS type fun days, some doing sport teams, some doing distribution of food and comfort. Some bringing wheelchairs and walkers to many disabled people.
Those kids did amazing things. Many were out of their comfort zones for the first time in their lives. The girls especially...Porta Potties, No electricity for their hair dryers . Some came so full of make up and fancy clothes. Brushing your teeth by the big tank of safe water, One shower for the week!
By day 3 they were as grungy as everybody else and full of joy and ready to take on the world..
Changed lives.!!
Many had never been in the midst of poverty before.
Perfect lessons for all.
I do miss all of this, going over the 11 years of photos to cull out a few for your viewing pleasure has been a Trip for me.
Always be Kind
Always be Grateful.
12 comments:
My goodness! You really did do a LOT of wonderful missionary work and service for the Lord throughout the years! This looks like it was quite a challenge, but also it looks like you had LOTS of wonderful helpers and God was certainly with you! What an amazing adventure! I had no idea you had been involved in so many wonderful trips like this. What an exciting life!! Thank you for sharing these snippets with us. I can only imagine all the blessings that have come out of these sacrifices for the Lord. Thank you.
Glad you're better! Wonderful photos of Mexico. Y'all have done do much with sharing the Gospel. Well done. Praise God for y'alls courage and commitment. And keep getting better. 💙💙
What an amazing thing!! Both your team and the people there would have felt so good! Those are some huge tents! Did not know Mexico has a Costco!
I love the apron. Glad you slept all night without coughing.
Oh my golly gosh, Sue! I'm overwhelmed by the enormity of your ministry's initiative! Mostly I love how, in the midst of these daily challenges you and the rest of your team managed to have fun. (I may have laughed out loud at the egg yolk v. eggshells story. Been there, done that!)
I'm so glad you're feeling better!
I’m really enjoying these accounts of your many missionary trips. Wow so many eggs! I bet it was fun and when you are part of a huge group effort, knowing you are making a difference what a blessing for all of you that continues on. I know the Almighty doesn’t forget these wonderful missions - your crowns await!
staggering amount of eggs! also really staggering thinking of cleaning and setting up the huge tents. no wonder you had 1200 go with you... takes a village to build a village, even a temporary one. so glad you are feeling better and got a good nights sleep.
This was a wonderful gift to those young people! Well done, Sue.
You sure have done quite a few missionary trips. This one was huge. I have never heard of it. So after you leave - does another church come and do the same thing? Meaning are they fed every day? So many eggs. And they have a Costco there? That was awesome.
First, I am glad to hear that your coughing is getting better. Secondly, I am really enjoying your posts about the missionary work. Very inspiring! Thank you for linking up and I hope you will continue to get better.
The number of eggs to be cracked every day is mind staggering...how many did it, and how long did that alone take. That is sure a lot of work...but well worth it. I just cannot imagine all that getting done!
This was an amazing thing your church did -- I loved your description of the work. Building homes! What could be a better example of true Christianity! and loved your description showing how much the kids from "home" learned while they worked. Wonderful memories -- thank you for what you did and for sharing .
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