Second trip, different emotion (Alex)

I got back from my second Niños trip a week and a half ago. I went expecting that I would kinda know what to expect from the trip, but it was nothing like I had expected. But so think the thing that surprised me the most was my emotions (or lack of) when I came home. I wasn’t sad like I was the first time, and I think that was because I knew I was coming home to my family. Over the last week, which was my first week home, I was really distant from life. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, mainonevause I know most of those conversations would be surface level, and I was tired of those conversations before they even started. I didn’t want to be around anyone, but I didn’t want to go anywhere either. I pretty much just wanted to sit down and zone out on my phone. I didn’t really know how to cope with being back (I still don’t). I know this won’t be the last time I go down there for a mission trip, but I do know that I need to be better prepared to enter back into life when I get back home.

I want to thank everyone who supported me and my family while I was approaching this trip and while I was on this trip. Even though it wasn’t what I expected, I am glad I got to go and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

"Do Small Things With Great Love" (Stacy)

"We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa

It's been over a week since we got back from Mexico and I'm still trying to process my thoughts from the trip. I learned so much while I was there, but the "what now?" has been weighing heavily on my heart. I know I am changed but I haven't been able to process what that change really is or what that will look like moving forward. I hope and pray that I and the rest of the team won't lose the excitement and passion that we discovered here at Ninos. I hope that we can share our experiences with some of you and that you might begin to fall in love with Ninos like we have.

However, I also realize that Ninos is just one of MANY needs in this world. My eyes were opened to the ability and obligation each of us has to love, serve and help those who are less fortunate. It doesn't require lots of money, time, knowledge, skill, etc, it simply requires love and the willingness to sacrifice some of our resources and comforts to reach out to those in need. As Darrell mentioned to us on our last night in Mexico, there are people in desperate need all over the world. Maybe you feel led to come on a mission trip to Ninos or sponsor a child here. Maybe you will go to Ethiopia and love on some of the girls in the Keziah house who are just discovering what real, Christ-like love is. Maybe you will bring a welcome basket to World Relief, or volunteer at a soup kitchen in downtown Spokane. Maybe you will make a conscious effort to acknowledge, smile at, and make eye contact with every homeless person you drive past (even if you aren't able to help them financially) because you might be the only person who acknowledges their humanity and existence that day. Maybe you will mow your elderly neighbor's lawn, or help a new mom take care of her house so she can rest. Maybe you will get down on the floor and play legos with your kids, or find little ways to affirm and encourage your spouse. Whatever we do, big or "small," (is there really such thing as a "small" act of kindness?) do it with love. Yes, people need our money, our resources, our time, but money alone doesn't change hearts, only love can do that.

I guess my biggest take-away from Mexico is that we all have the power to make a difference. Do SOMETHING, and do it with great love <3.

Final Thoughts (Darrell)

Trip number four is in the books and, in many ways, it feels much like trip number one, and number two, and number three… 

That is part of the problem in writing this last entry. I feel like I have said everything I want to say before. I love this place. I love seeing firsthand the work that God is doing through Niños de Mexico. I love watching each member of my team fall in love with Niños in their own way. I love watching my team serve, working hard without complaining, playing with the children with exuberance, and taking in every moment with thoughtfulness and joy. I love seeing the children that Sandy and I sponsor and be able to give them a hug to let them know we care about them. I love seeing the patience and love of those who work at Niños. I love hearing the stories of past children and seeing some of them return to continue the good work that is being done. I love falling in love with Niños de Mexico all over again, each time I return. 

To anyone who asks (or sometimes, even if they don’t), I feel like I have said all those things, and more, many times before. And yet I feel like I can’t say it enough. There are still those who doubt the value of this trip - those who feel the money could be better spent in other ways. But how can you put a price on a hug? What is the value of giggles from wrestling with a child, who has known so little happiness? How can you put a price tag on building relationships? How do you weigh the value of opening hearts and minds to a world in desperate need when people see with their own eyes the difference that a place like Niños de Mexico can make? Can we say with complete confidence that money is more important than relationships? If no church sent a team to Niños de Mexico, do we really believe that they would be better off, simply with only the money we sent instead? 

It has been easy to see the value of this trip for my family, and maybe that is the greatest takeaway this year. Before we ever finished the first trip, Sandy and I had our hearts changed and our minds opened. Three years later I was able to share the experience with Colby. That trip led him to do an Internship with Niños two years later and we sent Calli on the trip to see her brother and experience the trip for herself. Two years later Sandy, Calli and I had the chance to visit together. Now Calli is doing an Internship of her own and it was Colby’s and my turn for a visit to see “up close and personal” the joy that she was experiencing while there. 

If you read the two posts from Colby on this blog, and follow Calli on her Facebook page you can see it for yourself. This trip has shaped their hopes and dreams for the future. It has shaped their world view and made them realize the immense need in the world as well as their own wealth that they have a responsibility to use well for the honor and glory of God. Spending time at Niños de Mexico has softened their hearts and brought them a joy that they have known nowhere else. When you talk to them about it, beyond the stories to how it has impacted them, it brings tears to their eyes and an aching to their heart. As a parent who wants for them, more than anything else, to love and serve God in whatever they do, I feel a great debt to Niños de Mexico. 

This year was my first chance to experience that transformation in my kids while actually being at Niños de Mexico. I had the chance to hear them use their Spanish skills. I saw the dozens and dozens of hugs from children and from staff who have embraced them as well. I was warmed and chilled at the same time by the constant smiles on their faces and the light in their eyes as they gave little pieces of themselves away everyday. And on the last night of our team’s time together in Mexico - the night when I expect everyone to shed some tears because of our imminent departure - it was i who couldn’t get the words out because of the lump in my throat and water in my eyes, that was brought on by talking about how proud I am of Colby and Calli. 

This is Home (Colby)

I’m having a difficult time putting into words my experiences over the last week.

There is a lot of weight packed into the statement that every week I spend at Niños de Mexico is better than the one that came before it. That statement carries with it six years of history and six years of memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life – memories with family and friends, memories with the staff and children, and memories with so many people that I met only briefly, but who still have made a profound impact on my life. All of these memories truly make this place feel like a second home, and leaving home is never easy.

It feels like home because I am comfortable when I visit.

As our van pulled into the main compound last Saturday evening, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I was right back where I needed to be. There was no anxiety over what the week might hold, no awkwardness in being outside of my culture, no regret that I might be missing out on something back in Spokane. I felt only peace, and my prayer was simply that during this week, no opportunity would be wasted. That prayer was answered over and over, through every interaction with the children and staff, and every hour we spent on our work project, every member of the team thrived.

Comfort is the last word that comes to mind when imagining spending hours a day working on a roof with no protection from the sun, but that is exactly what I felt every morning when I woke up to do just that. The whole team worked hard all week, scraping old sealer off a leaking roof and resealing it with several coats of the new, just to ensure that it would last as long as possible. There were times when many of us thought the work might not be done by the time we left, but we ended up accomplishing more than our original goal. The work was exhausting, and the tools we had available to use were often not ideal, but God gave me this sense of comfort through it all, simply because of where I was and what the work meant to the children that live there.

It feels like home because I know I am loved.

All summer long, short term mission groups like the one I was a part of cycle in and out, working on projects during the day and spending their evenings playing with and getting to know the children. For the kids, it would be easy to get bored of this cycle of people they would likely only see once. It would be easy – even understandable – for them to be uncomfortable around Americans coming into their country. Love is the reason that this is not the case.

Never in my life have I felt love like I have felt at this place. It radiates out of everything that happens there. I see it on the faces of staff when they talk about the work they do. I see it on the faces of the children when they talk about the opportunities they have been given because of this place. I see it on the faces of my teammates as they interact with everyone there, many for the first time. And I see it on the faces of the children that I sponsor, as their faces light up when they see me for the first time in a year. That alone is worth the repeated visits, and there are very few things that can compare.

No one from our group traveled to Mexico with a superiority complex, or with the mindset that they were trying to change the way anything was done. We made the trip to serve and to love in the best way we knew how. This week, I saw every member of my team love and be loved as they worked and played and experienced the culture. There was no judgement and no awkwardness, despite the linguistic and cultural barriers that at one point seemed daunting to surpass. The children just wanted love, and we were there to provide it.

It feels like home because I want to keep going back.

Visiting Niños de Mexico has become, for me, about maintaining relationships. The first time I decided to go, it was intended as a one-off thing for me to check a box and move on with my life. The second, third, fourth, and future visits are about how wrong that original notion was. I no longer arrive and see strangers – I arrive and see familiar faces, because at this point, many of the children recognize me and get excited when I visit, and I look forward to continuing to build relationships with the staff that I have gotten to know over the years. I was even told by one of them last week that, if I was interested and the right job was open, he would love to have me come work with him.

­­­­­­______________

Even this long-winded explanation doesn’t feel sufficient to sum up how I am feeling coming out of last week, but whatever I have left out is probably not as important. In light of my upcoming year on the World Race, leaving Mexico this time felt a little different. It was not different in the sense that I was unsure if I would return. I know I will be back – hopefully many more times. It was different because I was painfully aware that this leaving process is something that I will experience at the end of each month on the Race.

I fell in love with this mission in Mexico City so easily, and I know the same will be true of most, if not all, of the places I will have the privilege of serving in next year. It’s likely that I will never have the chance for repeat visits at any of these places the way I do in Mexico, and whether that knowledge makes leaving easier or more difficult is yet to be determined. What I do know, though, is that God used last week to continue to prepare me for next year, and I know He will keep preparing me in the months to come.  

Project almost done! (Rose)

We had another fun day today! We started with the roof project. It is looking so nice. One more day it project will be complete.  This team is becoming very close. We work so well together. I love how we can make work fun by laughing at each other or harassing each other. The best part of the day is watching whoever opens the gate a Genesis has to dance before they get back into the van. This includes the Juan, who helps us get to  and from our project but also helps us on the project. 

We visited our last house today, Bethel. The girls are all about soccer (football). They love to play against the Americans. Needless to say, we had a collision with to girls and the game was over for a while. They are both fine. It's strange how medical emergencies are handled in this country. I was so happy that Stacey and I were there to help the intern who was one of the girls who go hurt. 

It was so hard to leave her behind at Bethel, knowing what condition she was it. I felt like I was leaving Lilijanna behind for someone else to take care of her.  I contacted with her tonight and know she is doing better. She will be sore for a while. (The Mom in me came out full force tonight.)

Keep praying for the team to keep up our strength as we do our last project tomorrow and get ready to fly home.

I know, I will leave part of me here and treasure my time I spent helping, caring and grown a relationship with the team and the families here.

Good night and God bless!

What can I do? (Scott Day 5)

Yesterday we got to see some history/culture. Chapultepec Castle was fascinating.  The hard fought history of this nation is amazing.  Repeatedly outside/rich classes of people suppress/use/kill the lower classes for gain/power.  It was very hard to look at painting depicting the United State as aggressors or the church oppressing/using its influence for its own gain.  These are reminders that broken people make selfish decisions sometimes.

So many of the kids here suffer from similar selfish decisions that their parents made. I have not lived their lives, walked in their shoes, nor even heard their stories and have no judgement.  These kids are gifts from God and have not done anything to would earn this up hill struggle.

What can I do?  For all of them, almost nothing.  For a few of them them I got to scrape and reseal a roof that has been leaking.  For a few others I got to eat with them and try to introduce myself in Spanish (first time I said I was 100 years old instead of 50, lots of laughter followed.) And for a fewer still I played tag or operation or tether ball.

Ultimately the kids found a little joy, not because all their problems went away, not because all their plain went away, because someone (anyone of the group) choose to say you are valuable, lovable, a gift from God to be protected encouraged, and time spent with.  They are worthy of being loved here on earth just like they are loved by their Heavenly Father that created them, loves them, and wants them to become the gifts He made them to become.

Thanks for you support and prayers.

Scott

Nich Post 3

Crazy to think that tomorrow is Friday. How fast our week here has gone. As I like to put it, the days go slow and the week goes fast.

We have done lots of work, played with lots of kids, experienced a lot of Mexican culture, and met a lot of great people. And I love this place, and while I am sad to think that my time here is coming to an end so fast, I am excited to go home, I am excited to be back in my own bed, I am excited to communicate with people again. I miss my wife more than I will miss this place and seeing her is what I look forward to the most.

But I won't forget my time here, I won't forget the lessons learned and the experience I have had with this amazing group of people. I won't take for granted the fact that I was able to take this trip.

I see why people talk so fondly about this trip, while even though it is only every two years, it is always a conversation topic that can come up.

I know I will talk very fondly of this trip and this place, the people, the food, the culture.

Our group worked very hard today, we have one last coat of paint to apply on the Agape roof and we are done with the project. I am staying behind at Genesis with Scott and Colby to assist with VBS set up as our morning project. The market was an amazing experience. Walking through the crowded walkway, the smell of smoke, and sewage, and delicious food, and saw dust all reaching you at different points. The most expensive stuff is always on the main path, but if you are willing to be a little adventurous a deal can be found. I know bartering is a big deal, but at times the items being purchased are so cheap I didn't care to barter. Especially when I knew how expensive it would be back home to buy the same thing. I keep saying that may be hardest to get used to. How expensive everything will be again. The  restaurant we ate at in the market was also a great experience. Eating right in the middle of the chaos and the noise, waiting guitar players walk around strumming songs on out of tune guitars to try and make a couple of Pesos. store owners haggling with shoppers trying to make a deal. It made for excellent people watching. The castle was also amazing, learning the history of Mexico and the castle was very eye opening. One story in particular involving six young boys plunging to their deaths to keep the Mexican flag out of the the hands of attacking Americans. Feels weird to be the villains for once. I am looking forward to the pyramids tomorrow, I have two pages left in my Moleskin so what ever happens tomorrow I need to find a way to make it all fit in those two pages. I could easily use twenty pages to cover what happens in a day and the local knowledge and history I pick up from our group leaders Juan.

Im still not sleeping very well but Stacy has some sleeping pills, I took one last night and it helped about half the night, Im gonna take another tonight and hope for the best.

SAM- Can't wait to show you all of the stuff I bought for us in the market, I also can't wait to tell you all about the castle and show you the load of pictures I have from it. I can't wait to see you, I was looking back over old pictures in my phone tonight to kill some time. I miss you so much and love you so much and can't wait to see you on Saturday. I can't wait to come back here again with you some day. I hope you are doing well, you are always on my mind. Love you so much.

That is it for today, unsure if I will post more before we leave, if I do not. Thank you for following the blog, and for caring and supporting us on this crazy journey. We all appreciate it.

Nich

Crazy past few days (Alex)

On Tuesday we all got up early to walk several blocks and get fresh tamales. We got 4 different kinds, a green salsa with either pork or chicken (we didn't know which), a chocolate mole sauce one, a hot salsa one (I didn't try this one. Probably no surprise to those who know about my low spice tolerance haha), and a strawberry one. I personally liked the strawberry one the most, I liked the other two that I tried, but I liked the strawberry one the most for breakfast. For the work part of the day, I stayed at the main house to work on some of the cars while everyone else went to work on the roof at Agape. The van that had broken down the night before ended up being a bad alternator, so I replaced it and it now runs without dying. I also replaced some parts on two of the other vans and inspected another van. After I got done, I realized that Steve and Janet had left, which made me the only American here for a couple hours. This is probably the most awkward I have felt on either of my trips here, but it helped take me out of my comfort bubble. Later that evening we went to the Emanuel house to have dinner and play with the kids. This house is an all boys house, so we mainly just kicked balls around.
On Wednesday day we had french toast for breakfast and had all sorts of toppings to put on them. I put a caramel sauce and another sauce called la lechera, which is like a thick sweetened condensed milk sauce. After the castle we went to Chapultepec castle for our sight seeing. It was really eye opening and awesome to see it and hear the history of it. After that we went into Mexico City to the market. We had lunch at a restaurant in the market, and then we got to walk around the market to buy souvenirs. Even though I can't speak the language very well, I love getting to walk around and experience the culture here.
For Thursday we went and worked back at Agape. We were able to get one portion of the roof completely finished, and another section of the roof completely scraped and we were able to get the first layer of sealer on it. After that, we went to the house of Bethel for lunch (this is an all girls home). Lunch was amazing (just like every other meal we have had), and then we went out to their soccer field to play a game. Its was the Americans (and one older boy that was helping us with the roof work) versus the girls from the house. If it wasn't for the older boy we would have been dominated, but we were loosing by just one. Then the intern who was living at the Bethel house (who was on our team) collided with one of the little girls and got a very bad concussion. This was probably the scariest thing that has happened on either of my trips here. We ended up taking her to the hospital, which was right across the street. The doctor said that she would be fine and just needed some rest and ice on the impact location.
Tomorrow we are going to have just a half day of working. We are splitting into three groups the that, half of the group are going back to Agape to finish the other part of the roof, three of the guys are going to the location where VBS is happening to help set up, and I am staying here to replace the rear shocks on one of the vans. After that we are going to the pyramids for our last sight seeing activity, and then we will go to another restaurant for dinner. This trip has been a whirlwind of emotions. I cant believe the week is almost over, but I am so excited to get to see my family again.

Day 4 (Stacy)

    You guys… I’m not a big “feelings” person, but this week is seriously giving me all the feels. I don’t even have the words to express the love I have for this place, this ministry. There are over 100 kids here at Ninos right now, and they are loved, clothed, fed, sent to school. They came from unimaginable situations, but now they have everything they need. Sometimes, as Americans, we think “if only other countries had what we had, then they would be happy.” This week has shown me how ignorant I really am. The Mexican culture is beautiful. They are loving, hospitable, very devoted to family, care for their sick friends and neighbors and love on these previously unwanted children. They don't need any rescuing from us. They don't need (or want!) us to come down here and teach them how to live like we do. If anything, I’m going home having learned so much from them. This world is amazing, and each country, culture and people group are beautiful, and the differences are so wonderful to witness, take in, and learn from (FYI, I’m embarrassed and ashamed that I had to learn all of that…). We did not come down here to teach anyone our ways, just to help with repairs and maintenance, love on the kids, and fall in love with this wonderful, beautiful ministry. 

    I used to be slightly opposed to (maybe “confused about” is a better way to put it) short-term mission trips. We raise quite a bit of money to go on these trips and I have always wondered why we don't just send them the money instead of using it for us to go down for a week. Aren't people just doing it to feel good about themselves and to check “going on a mission trip” off their Christian to-do list? I’ve learned over the past years of friends going to Ninos and Eyes That See that these ministries WANT us to come. I’ve heard both Matt Ness and Mick O'Hanahan say they would prefer a group over a check. The reason is that when people come to these places they inevitably fall in love and end up sharing about it with their family, friends, and churches which in turn brings in sponsors/ donors who support their ministry. Tonight Janet, one of the leaders here at Niños, talked with us about child sponsorship. It once again opened my eyes to the beauty of Niños de Mexico. It costs $25 per month to sponsor a child. This money goes toward their food, clothing, school uniforms/ supplies, etc. And while the money is obviously good and MUCH-needed, they most impactful part of sponsorship comes from the relationship between the child and their sponsors. You can write back and forth with the kids, send them small gifts, send bigger gifts (like games) for their house to share, and even come down to Niños to visit them! They said that some sponsors even fly down here to see their child graduate from high school. How awesome is that?! 

    When I was in one of the girls’ homes earlier in the week, a little girl showed me a picture of her sponsors. She was SO proud. It was a picture of an older couple standing in front of a tree, and you could tell it was one of her most prized possessions. She wanted me to look at, turn it over and read their names off the back, and then she proudly took it around to show everyone on our team. Calli told us that a lot of the kids have a special box where they keep all of their letters and pictures from their sponsors. Janet also told us a story of one of the older boys here whose sponsor is a lady in her 80s. The boy is funny and loves to goof off, but never really opens up about anything serious here at Ninos, but he tells this 80 year old lady things that are on his heart, and tells her that he wishes more than anything that he could repay her for all she has done for him. He tells her that if he could, he would move to the states, come live with her and be her caretaker. I was seriously tearing up just hearing about it. Some of the people on our team sponsor kids here and it was so cool to see the kids light up when they saw them. They run over and give them hugs and love to play with them while we are visiting their houses. When the boy that Colby sponsors saw Colby, he ran up to him, gave him the biggest hug, and said, “Colby! Mi Amigo!” It was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen. Our money can definitely makes a difference, but the relationships built through sponsorship are what have the ability to have a lasting effect on these kids. 

    

I fell in LOVE with Niños De Mexico (Rosie)

I am so amazed with Niño De Mexico, I fell in LOVE with this community! I have seen God's work in every house we visit.

The Children are so happy and full of joy to see us! It's hard to believe children here are tossed away from their family's or abused so bad from people who are suppose to love and care for  them. This gift from God is now in the hand of Christians and sponsors to care for them.  I am blessed to have this opportunity to be here and experience this trip! I will be coming down again, to see the young lady I will sponsor! I know in my heart, she is in God's hands with an amazing future.

  This team is so fun to be with! We are always laughing even when we are tired from scrapping, scrubbing or painting the roof.  God continues to give us all strength to keep going through the day. I also believe we give each other strength knowing we are going to a different house to play with more children.

There is so much to say and write. It's late and I'm tired plus we have another big day on the roof tomorrow. I hope we can finish it!

God Bless everyone! Thank you for your prayers and contributions to make this trip happen

Day 3 (Stacy)

    We started today by going on a tamale run with one of our leaders, Juan. It's a tradition at Ninos to take the groups to get tamales every Tuesday. We walked about 20 minutes from Ninos to a place that you would never know was a tamale place. The streets are lined with large, solid gates leading into the individual houses. Juan went up to one, knocked on the door and a man answered and let us inside. The gates led to a very tiny courtyard which had a two-burner cookstove where the tamales were made. Their house was just beyond that and the wife and mom were inside prepping tamales. They had TONS of birds in cages all over the courtyard and four Chihuahuas. One of the dogs were on the roof, apparently it's common to keep dogs on the roof here to ward off/ alert of intruders. The tamales were amazing, as all of the food here has been. We eat four meals a day and I think we should probably adopt this tradition in the States. Seriously, why do we only have three?! And why don't we put EVERYTHING on tortillas?!

    After breakfast, we went back to the Agape house to work on the roof. We switched things around today, so I was scraping instead of painting. It was really hard! The roof has layers of old sealant on it that have dried, cracked, and peeled and we are on our hand and knees scraping it up with putty knives so we can apply a new coat. Again, I will never take a pressure washer and proper tools for granted!! 

    Later in the day, we visited one of the boys' houses, Emanuel. The house parents were SO friendly, and the boys were very helpful and polite. The houses are all mixed ages, they do that on purpose so the older ones can help the house parents and be role models for the younger ones. It's been so cool to see how the kids get along so well and work together, even though there are 10-18 of them in a house together. Even the very littlest make their own beds and are responsible for keeping their clothes and shoes organized. I think I'm going to have to try some of it out on my kids when I get home;). I played Uno with a few of the boys from the house. It's a fun challenge to try to learn rules of a game when you don't speak the same language (their Uno had some different cards). One boy kept trying to cheat when I wasn't looking, but I kept catching him (because I'm competitive like that LOL). We had some good laughs over that. Smiles, love and laughter are sometimes the only form of communication you need. 

    Juan, our group leader, has one of us get out to open/ close the gate for the van whenever we leave Ninos. He always closes and locks the van door and doesn't allow us back in until we do a dance. We love to close the door on him when he gets out, too. He's a good sport and always does a dance. I think he's more talented than any of us! Tonight Calli and I learned the Floss (a dance) via YouTube and we volunteered to open the gate tomorrow so we can show off our new moves. I'm sure you'll see a video of it at some point! lol. Our group has had so much fun together this week, I'm really enjoying getting to know one another better. We work hard, we play hard with the kids, and we laugh together a LOT. This week has filled my heart with joy in so many ways. 

    Tim, give the kids hugs for me. Good luck camping with the kids tonight, you are such a good Daddy<3 I'm grateful to know the kids are in good hands, I haven't had to worry about them once this week. 

    

Nich Post 2

Now that we have the blog up might as well write, am I right, We spent today with some more working on Agape and then spending time with the emmanuel house.

THOSE KIDS ARE SO ENERGETIC.

All caps might seem a little more than necessary, but when you get done introducing yourself and the first thing one of the kids says to you is "wanna play tag?" and you say yes, you will be running for the next forty five minutes. But be warned, the game might switch from tag to soccer, to some game where three kids run top to you and start hitting you with large balls that they sit and bounce on. Then its back to tag. So much fun, though I had to repeatedly stop to catch my breath and tell them "Uno Momento". This boy Gabriel was fantastic with his english and he happened to sit across from me during dinner, so we talked about soccer and the team he plays on, how he enjoys living in the house, and his other interests. We spent a lot of time talking over dinner and then playing soccer in the yard, really a game of keep away. He came over before I left and we played tether ball and I thanked him for spending so much time with me and talking with me. He likes American football, a surprising amount of boys at the house liked American football. I got a couple laugh when we were throwing one back and forth and I yelled "Tom Brady" and threw it across the yard. But probably because I looked ridiculous. One of the new boys, Jose, did not have a good life prior to Ninos, and he came a month ago, yet it is amazing how he is open to playing, and laughing, and wanting you to play and laugh with him. At one point he asked Colby a question and Colby told him 'Uno momento' which I then said in a low voice, he thought that was the funniest thing. So we proceeded to do that for the next 10 minutes. We also played a fantastic card game where you get some cards and you all have to place one down, then randomly grab them back up until you have all of them. I won once and gloated quite a bit. Today also marked the return of tether ball, which I think is the reason for all of the swollen bruises on my forearms but Im not 100% certain.

Spending time with all of the boys really made me think of my brothers and my family and miss them. But I felt like realizing that they were like my brothers helped me reach a point that I could love them at a different level than some kids we were hangin out with for the afternoon.

Tomorrow is a tourist day which I am very excited for, but tomorrow also marks the mid point of the week. The past two days have gone so fast, part of this just feels like I am at camp if I am honest, I have roommates who we laugh about everything, we are staying in a house, far away from my home. You even look forward to the smell of sewage when you walk out of your room in the morning, think of it as leaving your old cabin and getting a wife of the fresh pine air. Only this pine air makes you a little queasy to your stomach at times. Im not certain how I am feeling, most of this doesn't feel real, and I know it will be over before I know it.

I look forward to down time to journal about my day. There is so much I want to put in here that I can't find the words for, yet I routinely fill five or six pages a day putting down thoughts and just recording the day.

At this point I am just rambling so I will cut it short as I need to go to bed, I haven't been sleeping well, mark it up to a couple different reasons but I am hoping tonight I can sleep through the night.

SAM- Thank you for your note, it was much appreciated. Tomorrow is wednesday and then it is just a quick blink before I am back home. and yes I wore that hat all day while working. I can't wait to see you and tell you about the trip. I love you so much, I have so much I want to say and I can't find the words. Mark it up to the tiredness, or the jumbled emotions I am feeling as I write this. But I know I can't wait to see you. You are a freaking rockstar, and I bet you are killing it this week. I hope the letters are  helping a bit. I love you so much. Can't wait to talk with you again.

Until next time,
Nich

Relationships (Darrell)

Whenever we bring a team down here to Niños de Mexico, there are always those who wonder if the expense of it all is worthwhile. The common question is something like, “wouldn’t the money be better used if we just sent it straight to Niños?” I have a few different responses, which starts with the fact that Niños wants to us to come, then includes an attempt at explaining the importance of relationships. It is that concept of building relationships that is often lost on us in the U.S., but for those of us that have gone on this trip, we fully understand its value. 

Personally, I was reminded today that sponsoring a child at Niños is about far more than sending money so their needs are met. I was reminded when the two girls that Sandy and I sponsor, saw me and, with huge smiles on their faces, came to give me a hug. They gave me a hug when I was able to give them gifts and they gave me a hug when we left. There was not much communication beyond that, because we are working on the roof of their house, but those hugs were more enough! Those hugs also tell me that Vanessa and Valeria treasure the relationship and seeing one of their sponsors is a gift in itself.

Each person that comes on this trip learns quickly that the gifts we bring and the work we do is good, but the relationships that are formed, even if only for our short time here, are more valuable than anything else. For those who sponsor a child and come back, they are reminded that their sponsorship is about far more than money. For many who come on this trip, they learn that the value of the relationship is not just for the children of Niños de Mexico, it is for us as well. And anyone who has ever gone on this trip would never question its value. 

The last two days have been a great reminder of all of that.

Cami's thoughts of the day...

Just finished day three at Ninos and I wanted to share with you what I have learned :)

Colby- all the kids love Colby and he laughs ALL the time. His laughter is infectious and its impossible to be in a bad mood around him.

Darrel- He is our trusted leader, the one we look to for direction and answers. He is also willing to take one heck of a soccer ball to the nose. Never one to shy away from 'taking one for the team':)

Scott- He loves God and his family and he will share about both to anyone without reservation. Its pretty cool to see someone with his devotion.

Alex- He is the instigator of the team. If there is the something to be tried, he is the one pushing someone else to try it, possibly for his own amusement??? He also loves the kids and it shows.

Callie- She is our unofficial team mate interning at the Jirah house. We got to borrow her for the week. She has such a big heart and a love for what she is doing. So refreshing in someone so young, and inspiring. What an impressive young lady.

Rose- She's our caretaker. She works so hard with little thought of herself and witnessing her connect with others is touching.

Stacy- Those of you that know Stacy may laugh at this, but I really thought she was quiet and shy. I was wrong!  She is so energetic, has the best Olivia and Amelia stories and has the greatest laugh, which she shares with us often.

Nich- He is our team comedian. He plays a mean tether ball game and spares no one. He is super fun, has everyone laughing, and yet takes the time to connect with whoever may be sitting of by themselves.

I have so much to share about the houses, the kids, and the importance of what we are doing here.
But today, I am just feeling so blessed to get to know these eight brothers and sisters in Christ.
I want to say a special thank you to all of you for making this possible and for this team and their willingness to leave their families and comforts to share in this experience.
I sometimes (often) struggle with connecting with others, but I have been given such an incredible opportunity to connect with and get to know these people one a deeper level and I am better because of if.

Thank you again ~
Cami

We're Here! (Stacy)

We made it! (Well, two days ago, but the wifi has been down so this was our first chance to login to the blog:P) The flight here was by far the worst flying experience I've ever had, but we are here, so all is good:). 

I know this sounds cliche, but I honestly mean it, I fell in love with this place on the very first night. If you ever get the chance to come to Ninos, do it! It’s amazing. We have learned so much about the culture of Mexico, the history of Ninos, and the way they function from day to day, 

Yesterday (Sunday) we went to church with some of the Niños leaders and boys from one of the houses. After that we had lunch with them and then went to a hacienda. I still don't understand what a hacienda is, but I liked it! Lol. We said our goodbyes to the boys (which was hard!) and then went to Walmart to buy some gifts for the kids here at Niños. 

Today was our first day of work. We got up early, ate breakfast, and drove to one of the girls’ houses, called Agape. We had to scrape, wash, sweep, and reseal their roof. The roofs in Mexico are mostly flat, so it wasn't scary or dangerous or anything (in case my dad happens to read this:P). They don't have very good water pressure here, so its not as simple as bringing a pressure washer up on the roof and spraying it off. We had to fill buckets of water down on the ground, carry them up a ladder onto the roof, and have one person pour water while the other three scrubbed toward the drain with push brooms, then repeat many, many times. We finished washing and sealing about half the roof today, it was neat to see our finished product. Hopefully that will be a blessing to the girls and house parents and will stop the leaks. 

After working, we went to one of the girl’s houses, Jireh. We ate lunch (which is served at 3;30 here) and played with the girls. They were so happy to have us there and loved playing with us. Most of us aren't able to communicate with them, but that definitely wasn't a barrier in our play. It’s amazing how you can communicate fairly well using only hand motions. One of the little girls that I was playing with covered her eyes, started counting is Spanish, and then motioned for me to go hide. All of the girls wanted to sit on our shoulders and they would yell “otra vez” (again) and “rapido!” (Faster). We ran all over the courtyard with them on our shoulders. I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk tomorrow, but seeing their smiles was definitely worth it:). Tomorrow is another day of work, hopefully we’ll be able to finish the majority of the rest of the roof. 

I wish I could accurately express how wonderful this place is. The kids are so well-loved and cared for and they are so happy here. You can tell they are grateful to have a home, a warm bed, food on the table, and people who love them dearly. 

Tim, Olivia, Amelia, Jeremiah, and Max, I love and miss you all! I can’t wait to tell you all about the trip and show you pictures. Give Escher hugs and kisses for me<3.

(Scott) What is a flower?

Simple plant that consumes nutrients, water, and air.  Pretty simple. So why don't flowers grow everywhere?  They need a place to grow that is safe.

I found a place like that. In the middle of 27 million people here, there is a little place where 100+ kids get more than food, water and a bed.  The kids here range from 4 to 18, from shy beyond belief to more piggy back rides, to quiet and in a shell.

It is amazing to see God working here in His one of his biggest commands: to love your neighbor as yourself.  Here twelve to fifteen kids live in one of seven houses with house parents, that love each and child right where they are.  Each child has their own story, some painful and full of self doubt others that have turned a corner and have started to bloom.

Today I got to make a few of them smile.  Just spending time playing connect 4, giving piggy back rides, playing tether ball or teaching the starting steps to juggling.  Their eyes light up.  Every time I think I can't take another step with this little one on my back, they yell "Otra vez" - again, again and then I find the energy to go around the grass again and again.

Thank You God for loving these little ones, for these places that they can grow safely, for this day where You could use me to love Your flowers.

Scott

Three day catch up (Alex)

So I am going to try to explain everything that has happened the past three days.
On Saturday, I had to wake up at 2:30 in the morning, so we could meet at the church by 3. Leaving and saying goodbye to my family was hard. I still remember how hard it was when Kimberly came here two years ago, and those memories came back knowing that Kimberly was going to have those same feelings. We had to take three planes to get here and we almost missed our third plane because our second plane was delayed on take off. But luckily our third plane was also delayed, so we were able to make it. When we got here, we met for a light dinner and orientation.
On Sunday, we woke up and ate breakfast before going to church. We had the privilege to spend the entire day with the boys from Casa de Ninos, people don't usually get to see these boys because their house is 5 hours north of Mexico City. When the sermon started, I was pleased and surprised to see that they had brought someone up on stage to translate the sermon for us. We got to see someone get baptized, which was really cool. But other than the language, the service was pretty much the same at church service back home. They were even promoting VBS. After church we went to the hacienda, which is an old plantation that was abandoned in the early 1900's when the revolution happened. I have been here before when i came 4 years ago, but this time there were vendors out selling toys and ponchos and other cool things. Other than the vendors, everything else was the same, but it was still just as cool seeing the old buildings. Several of the buildings are still standing and its amazing seeing the architecture from back then.
Monday was our first work day. We went to the Agape house to clean and re-seal a large section of the roof. We were able to get half cleaned and re-sealed today. On the other half we had to scrape the old sealer that was flaking off before re-sealing, we were able to get most of it scraped and in the morning we will go back and should get the rest scraped and seal it as well. after working, we went to the Jirah house to have lunch (lunch is the big meal if the day) and play with the kids. This house is an all girls house. I was a little hesitant to opening up and bonding with the kids just because I know how hard it is to leave them. But shortly after watching everyone else, one of the little girls came up to me and said "caballo" which means horse. So I let her get on my back and I would run around and jump up and down, and after that all of the other girls wanted a ride which tired me out like crazy. So I just went and laid down in the grass, this apparently prompted Colby to have all the girls jump and pile on me. I would pretend to sleep and the girls would poke my face until I would wake up and rawr to scare them. The last time I was here, I didn't know how hard it would be to leave until the last day as we were leaving. This time, I knew how hard it would be, so those feeling came rushing in as we left Jirah which made it even harder leaving. When we got back to the main compound, we went over to the the house of Esperanza to see a birthday party for one of the boys. It was crazy because it is a tradition here where everyone smashes your face in the cake if it's your birthday. I wasn't able to stay for the whole time because one of the vans broke down a few blocks down the road, so Steve asked me to come help and see if I knew what was going on. We were luckily able to get the van back just before the rain started. In the morning I will stay back and help try to fix the van, as well as put some parts on another vehicle. I am nervous to be working away from the rest of the group, but I am glad to help where I am needed.

Nich Post 1

We finally got the blog to work. What a couple of days it had been. Busy busy busy, nonstop go from the time you wake up, but there is so much to do and so much to see that you don't mind just going. This first night was a little strange as we were still acclimating after our flights. The Denver to Houston flight was awful but that was the only one. Mexico is exactly how you imagine it and yet nothing like you imagine it. It is beautiful and while it is a country that looks poor and run down you can feel the energy and the resilience of these people. The people are beautiful and the food is delicious. The hacienda was amazing on Sunday, lots of cool history and sights. I took some pictures and videos. Church on Sunday was great, we ate tortas for lunch. Who knew putting refried beans on sandwiches made them so good! Today we spent a lot of hard hours in the sun scarping and sealing a roof on the Agape house and after we visited the Jireh house for lunch and playing with the children. It is amazing how after a hard day of working you suddenly get a burst of energy and can just go go go with these kids. I miss my wife and my bed but the days are great and I would not give up these past few days for anything. Part of me feels like we have a lot of time left and yet no time left. I am journaling everyday and very quickly filling up my Moleskin which may present a problem but I find it the best way to record thoughts. There are some things that take some getting used to, but you adapt quickly. The car rides are always an adventure and the children are so loving even when you need to look at them and tell them you speak no Spanish or very little Spanish. I have had to do that quiet a bit! I look forward to coming home and I look forward to the time spent here. It will be a hard place to leave and I understand why people fall in love with this place. tomorrow is waking up early to get tamales for breakfast, more work and yet another house to visit and I can't wait for it.

Sam - I have so many stories to tell you and can't wait to see you when I get home. I can imagine that the week had been hard but you are a rockstar and I know you got this the rest of the week. I can't wait to talk to you again. this week will go so fast. I love you so much and you mean the world to me.

Some thoughts from the trip
-It rains every night and the rain is always accompanied by thunder and lightning.
-There is a lot more green than I originally pictured.
-Despite what people like to think and say I feel perfectly safe at all times, whether it be at a house or walking to a little store outside the compound or anywhere in public.
-Stray dogs are EVERYWHERE, sometimes three to one spot. But you quickly become used to and blind to them. The dogs are also all different kinds, large labrador mix looking dogs. Medium size curly haired dogs. Small dogs. It isn't one kind it is all kinds.
-I would never want to drive here.


I will try and post as soon as possible again. Thanks for checking in!
Nich