Mexico Memories ~ week's end

Slowly, as the fourth day progressed....  the sickness subsided.  Everyone was able to get a good night's rest, because we were going to have to get back at it the next day. 

Day five started slowly.... stomachs were still queasy, and everyone was worn out from being so sick just hours before.  Eventually, we got out to an area called Los Olivos around lunch time to set up for our carnival in this community.  This neighborhood was much poorer than Las Alamedas where we were staying, and poorer still than the neighborhood that the church of Fransisco Villa was in.  As soon as we left the city of Atizipan ( where Las Alamedas was ) .... you could see the stark difference in the way people were struggling to survive.  It was a sea of gray concrete houses, no one could afford to paint.  There were more stray animals, and the smell of poverty was even stronger.  Streets were narrower, with less cars.  More kids on the streets, hanging around the houses, just looking for something to do.

We arrived  at a large concrete pad, in the middle of a neighborhood.  It was about the size of a soccer field, but it had basket ball posts on it too.  It was supposed to be a park..... but to think of children playing there, was a depressing thing....  there wasn't much joyful looking or fun inspiring about this place.  It was grey, rainy and cold.  Our job was to make some fun here..... to bring light and joy on this rainy day....and tell others about Jesus.

Because of the rain..................  they got us a tent..................

It started out as just this yellow part.  They determined, not long after our arrival, that this "small " tarp wasn't going to cut it..... so the tent guy got back in his Chevy S-10 and got an old billboard and  more poles and rope so we could have some shelter on the sides of us and keep our a bit more rain. ( I am sure from the air we were quite the sight to see )

All in all, it worked well to keep us mostly dry and we got on with the carnival, skits and games.

Even though it was pouring rain, we had a good turn out.  We performed both skits.... this was the first time we were able to perform the Lifehouse skit.... and it spoke to the people, you could see it in their eyes.... the message of how Jesus was calling to them was powerful.  We were able to tell the people that we would be back on Monday, with a doctor.... and we hoped they would come and bring their friends.

So the first week in Mexico has ended....  we flew in on Monday, worked hard Tuesday and Wednesday, we were sick on Thursday, and finished Friday strong with our last carnival.  Our weekend would be no less eventful as the first 5 days.................