Good Day

Thursday we served in the neighborhood of Laguna.  We have worked in Laguna for many years.  There are many long and deep relationships here.  We were blessed to have a group from Georgia serving with us this year.  We arrived early and got set up for the day.  Being early allowed me to enjoy visiting with many people.  This is my favorite part of the day.  One of my early activities is to be the Tooth Fairy.  In Mexico we say the Tooth Mouse.  The kids bring me a tooth and trade it for a dollar.  On any given day I might receive up to 35 teeth.  We washed the kids hair and feet and played games with them.  The boys were able to have a hair cut. I must have been looking a little rough around the edges because our barber Lili kidnapped me and gave me a haircut.  We passed out vegetables to the community and there was a Bible study for the kids.  After the activity Grandpa and I gave people rides home in Laguna to Los Cruces and Pana.  After our taxi duties were completed, we visited several families in the arroyo.  Theresa has ten children and needs some help working on her house.  Felipe and Lupe also need some work on the roof of their house.  These families are both Christian and attend local churches.  Teresa gave permission for her son Gustavo to join our camping discipleship group next year.  Next we had lunch at the house of Vanessa.  She has six kids and recently returned to walking with the Lord.  She is attending church and two Bible studies a week.  Vanessa and some of her children are attending Monday night Bible club.  Vanessa helps keep order in the van by running a Bible quiz game on the way home from Bible club. We average around twenty kids in the van every Monday.  Gustavo also attends Club.  Vanessa made tuna burritos for our lunch.  They were delicious.  Next we visited the house of Santiago and Erica.  They have three boys and one girl.  They also are a Christian family.  Santiago Jr. will also be a Timoteo next year.  Their son Eric goes to Club.  Santiago went last year but he is in junior high this year and gets out of school after Club starts.  A few weeks ago the Clairemont Emmanuel Men's Bible study group put new windows in Erica's house and a new roof on her neighbor Gladys's house. We talked with Erica and Gladys about our project on Jan. 4th to add a bathroom to each of their houses.  Currently both families have to use the bathroom and shower of a neighbor.  Next we visited the home of Ramon and Yesenia.  They have six kids- most are Christians.  They also attend Club and Jennifer and Josefina help me in the van on Monday nights.  They were my first friends in the arroyo.  Our families are very close and we attend all family events of the their family.  I usually have lunch or dinner there several times a week.  Several of the kids have visited us in the U.S. and Jennifer will be attending high school in the States next year.  We have been through many great and tough times together.  I thank the Lord for our link with this family.  After having coffee and swapping a few stories, all the kids piled into the van and we were off.  We dropped Josefina off at the house of the Pastora to go to Youth Group.  We picked up another friend Carmen and two of her kids and went to the grocery store.  What a blast- eleven people going grocery shopping together!  Kids and carts everywhere.  We shopped in two stores and returned to the arroyo.  Carmen's husband owns the local used tire and tire repair shop in the arroyo.  Carmen is a Christian and her husband Bri is a Jehovah's Witness.  Please pray for opportunities to share the gospel with Bri and for his salvation.  The kids sporadically attend Club. After we dropped off the Chico family and groceries, Grandpa and I returned home.. On the way I picked up 25 sheets of plywood for a house build.  Aaron and I will deliver it tomorrow morning.  9:30 p.m. back home.  Thank you Lord for a great day.