Well, I have been gone from my beloved Mexico for quite a while now. I am still trying to process a lot of what happened this summer but I think that I am ready to share with you what I learned this summer.
At the beginning of the summer, I was sent out with the very first team we had. I loved it. I went with them to the church and then the first build day. I thought I was doing a good job and taking good care of the team. On the morning of the second build day, I was getting the coolers ready when I was called into the MA office. I went in there and was told that I was being taken off the team because I was being too bossy. That kind of shocked me. I mean, I knew that I had had problems with being bossy before but I didn’t realize that I had been bossy with the people on the team. I was crushed but I accepted it and remained at base. The next couple of days were pretty tough because I would see the team going out and know that I was supposed to be with them but wasn’t allowed to. The next cycle was a little easier to bear because I hadn’t been assigned to a team.
I still did everything else with the teams: taking them to Oxxo and Thrifty, teaching dramas and songs, hanging out in the evenings, going to sessions, eating meals with them, large group outreach…..all that stuff….but I wasn’t assigned to go with a team.
For the next two months, I spent the team’s outreach and build days working in the kitchen and playing with the kids that live on base. I love cooking and playing with kids a lot so being stuck at base wasn’t really a hardship for me… I just didn’t understand why, after almost two months, I hadn’t been given a second chance to go with the teams.
I still don’t understand why I wasn’t put with a team for those two months but I was finally given a second chance to go with a team for the very last cycle of the summer. I had an awesome time with that group of Koreans from Boston. Yeah, there were struggles but I gave it my all and I think that I did a pretty good job.
At the time I didn’t understand why God thought I should stay at base and not be with the teams but now, looking back on the summer, I understand:
Because I was back at base all the time, I was able to develop close friendships with all of the kids that live on and frequently visit base. Emily, Joey, Corey, Jeanette, Sophia, Asher, Noah, Micah, Tiana, Alexa, Eliana, Salito, Anabel, Elisabeth, Sarai, Deborah, Esthela, Carlos, and Alexa. Every day, I was called from my room by the kids asking me to come and play with them. I played with them and was able to form strong relationships with the kids and with their parents; I was also able to help the parents out a lot.
Those kids were a huge blessing to me this summer. On the days when I was disappointed to be staying at base, they were always there with huge smiles, ready to play. When I played with those kids, I was reminded that one of the reasons I had wanted to return to Mexico was that I had loved playing with all of the little Mexican kids and that I wanted to do it some more. So they weren’t exactly the kids I had in mind when I returned to Mexico to play with the kids…but I wouldn’t trade my experiences this summer for anything.
This is my final blog for this summer but I will be back next summer hopefully. And I can’t wait!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
estoy cansada
hey all. sorry it has been a while. i have not really felt like typing lately...
Anyways, the most recent happening around here was my birthday. I turned 18 on the 28th. my mom and my aunt came down here for a few days to help me celebrate. I had a rather good time.
The first full day they were here, I took them downtown. We took a bus from the old oxxo to somewhere downtown and then we walked like 10 blocks to Castillo street which we walked up. We walked by the church that MA staff attends and went to the fish and shrimp taco stand. Shrimp tacos are a must when one comes to Ensenada.
We walked around downtown for a few hours and did a bit of shopping. It was pretty fun. It gets kind of boring after like four hours though... Then we walked down to the harbor and looked at the seals/sea lions. After that we took a break and ate churros. Then we walked back to base with only a few minor detours. All in all, a pretty good time.
The next day, we got up and went to an day care with the rest of the MA staff. This day care was run by a couple from Canada. Their day care is free for all of the kids that they have. They pick the kids up every morning and bring them to the daycare. They feed and bathe them. The daycare facility was very clean and well kept and the kids were well taken care of.
It was such an eye opening experience for my mom. Her heart was touched by the work Wayne and Claire are doing with those kids. She is already talking about how we could come back over Christmas break...
On Friday, we went to La Boufadora. (For those of you who are new to my blog, La Boufadora is this long strip of shops that leads up to a blowhole (one of three in the entire world...)). My friend Egla drove us. Between my mom and my aunt, the Mexican economy has been aided greatly..... It was a long tiring but very fun day of shopping and hanging out.
When we got back to base, I took my mom and aunt to the Puebla taco stand and got them tacos. They were a big hit. Then we hit Thrifty on the way back (Thrifty is a ice cream shop...). Thrifty still doesn't have my Mango Chabacano....grr.
That night, there was another girls futbol game. I was on a team with Libby, Beth, Megan, Emma Jo & Katie (Mission Builders), and Ali (visited for the week...). Oh and Lindsay Spang tambien. (wife of the base director).
On the opposing team was Sarah(New MA staff, will do bio at bottom), Sarvia(full time staff, getting married in 10 days), Indira(Sarvia & Giezi's sister, lives in Alexandria but is visiting), Egla(my friend, full time staff), Kathy(in charge of MA), Amanda(is from the TJ base but is dating Giezi), Mary(Ali's friend, also visiting for the week) and Fernanda(MA staff).
It was quite ironic because when we made the teams, people were saying that they were unfairly stacked to favor the "mexican team"(not mine). But, what ended up happening was that my team creamed them 9-5!!!!! I am an awesome goalie!
After the girls were done playing, the guys played for a bit, but their game wasn't really a formal game so I didn't really pay too much attention...
That was Saturday Night.
On Sunday morning, I rode with to San Diego to take my mom and aunt to the airport. It only took about 2 hours of actual driving time, but the entire trip took 4 hours due to the 2 hour wait at the border..... Oh well, we made it.
We dropped them off at the airport, then we took the group that was also here, to In-and-Out burger. It was goooood! Then we dropped them off at their respective hotels. Then we stopped at the train station and picked a guy up. After that, we stopped at Wal-Mart. Then Starbucks. Then we hit the road. We only made it as far as the YWAM Tijuana base (which is actually located in Rosarito...) where we stopped so Danny and Danae (the driver and co-pilot) could see Danny's sister. Then we drove home.
Monday: The first of our three days off. I never really woke up. I just spent a lazy day lounging around. It was kind of nice. Then I babysat Emily and Joey in the evening so their parents could go on a belated anniversary date.
Tuesday: Second Day off. Slept til lunch time then went downtown for a bit with Haley, Fernanda and Katie (Mission Builder). Then I played with some of the kids around here and then was supper(Chicken Stir Fry). Then I wasted some time and watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(the new version with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka) and talked with my friend Miguel.
Now, I am sitting here typing and wondering what movie I want to search for and watch on Youtube... Any suggestions??? Abi
Anyways, the most recent happening around here was my birthday. I turned 18 on the 28th. my mom and my aunt came down here for a few days to help me celebrate. I had a rather good time.
The first full day they were here, I took them downtown. We took a bus from the old oxxo to somewhere downtown and then we walked like 10 blocks to Castillo street which we walked up. We walked by the church that MA staff attends and went to the fish and shrimp taco stand. Shrimp tacos are a must when one comes to Ensenada.
We walked around downtown for a few hours and did a bit of shopping. It was pretty fun. It gets kind of boring after like four hours though... Then we walked down to the harbor and looked at the seals/sea lions. After that we took a break and ate churros. Then we walked back to base with only a few minor detours. All in all, a pretty good time.
The next day, we got up and went to an day care with the rest of the MA staff. This day care was run by a couple from Canada. Their day care is free for all of the kids that they have. They pick the kids up every morning and bring them to the daycare. They feed and bathe them. The daycare facility was very clean and well kept and the kids were well taken care of.
It was such an eye opening experience for my mom. Her heart was touched by the work Wayne and Claire are doing with those kids. She is already talking about how we could come back over Christmas break...
On Friday, we went to La Boufadora. (For those of you who are new to my blog, La Boufadora is this long strip of shops that leads up to a blowhole (one of three in the entire world...)). My friend Egla drove us. Between my mom and my aunt, the Mexican economy has been aided greatly..... It was a long tiring but very fun day of shopping and hanging out.
When we got back to base, I took my mom and aunt to the Puebla taco stand and got them tacos. They were a big hit. Then we hit Thrifty on the way back (Thrifty is a ice cream shop...). Thrifty still doesn't have my Mango Chabacano....grr.
That night, there was another girls futbol game. I was on a team with Libby, Beth, Megan, Emma Jo & Katie (Mission Builders), and Ali (visited for the week...). Oh and Lindsay Spang tambien. (wife of the base director).
On the opposing team was Sarah(New MA staff, will do bio at bottom), Sarvia(full time staff, getting married in 10 days), Indira(Sarvia & Giezi's sister, lives in Alexandria but is visiting), Egla(my friend, full time staff), Kathy(in charge of MA), Amanda(is from the TJ base but is dating Giezi), Mary(Ali's friend, also visiting for the week) and Fernanda(MA staff).
It was quite ironic because when we made the teams, people were saying that they were unfairly stacked to favor the "mexican team"(not mine). But, what ended up happening was that my team creamed them 9-5!!!!! I am an awesome goalie!
After the girls were done playing, the guys played for a bit, but their game wasn't really a formal game so I didn't really pay too much attention...
That was Saturday Night.
On Sunday morning, I rode with to San Diego to take my mom and aunt to the airport. It only took about 2 hours of actual driving time, but the entire trip took 4 hours due to the 2 hour wait at the border..... Oh well, we made it.
We dropped them off at the airport, then we took the group that was also here, to In-and-Out burger. It was goooood! Then we dropped them off at their respective hotels. Then we stopped at the train station and picked a guy up. After that, we stopped at Wal-Mart. Then Starbucks. Then we hit the road. We only made it as far as the YWAM Tijuana base (which is actually located in Rosarito...) where we stopped so Danny and Danae (the driver and co-pilot) could see Danny's sister. Then we drove home.
Monday: The first of our three days off. I never really woke up. I just spent a lazy day lounging around. It was kind of nice. Then I babysat Emily and Joey in the evening so their parents could go on a belated anniversary date.
Tuesday: Second Day off. Slept til lunch time then went downtown for a bit with Haley, Fernanda and Katie (Mission Builder). Then I played with some of the kids around here and then was supper(Chicken Stir Fry). Then I wasted some time and watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(the new version with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka) and talked with my friend Miguel.
Now, I am sitting here typing and wondering what movie I want to search for and watch on Youtube... Any suggestions??? Abi
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Asian Invasion!!!
On Thursday, a new cycle started and a new team came (only one this time, oh well, that means more personalized attention for them.)
This team is from northern California and they are all asian (they are ok with it and we all joke around with all of the asians about being asian). There is 6 girls and 6 guys with 2 girl leaders and 1 guy leader. All the kids seem to be very nice and well behaved. I think that by the end of this week, we might be able to bring them out of their shells a bit.
So far, there hasn't really been anything out of the ordinary with this team.
Hey, if you wouldn't mind, we could use your prayers. Alot of people have been feeling poorly. We don't know if it is just a bug or if it is something we ate but many of us have felt poorly at some point in the past few days. If you could just pray that we all get to feeling better and have more energy, I would appreciate it.
Quiero ir a dormir así que voy a hablar con usted más tarde. Abi
This team is from northern California and they are all asian (they are ok with it and we all joke around with all of the asians about being asian). There is 6 girls and 6 guys with 2 girl leaders and 1 guy leader. All the kids seem to be very nice and well behaved. I think that by the end of this week, we might be able to bring them out of their shells a bit.
So far, there hasn't really been anything out of the ordinary with this team.
Hey, if you wouldn't mind, we could use your prayers. Alot of people have been feeling poorly. We don't know if it is just a bug or if it is something we ate but many of us have felt poorly at some point in the past few days. If you could just pray that we all get to feeling better and have more energy, I would appreciate it.
Quiero ir a dormir así que voy a hablar con usted más tarde. Abi
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
I love Ensenada!!!
So, yesterday, our teams left. After they left, all of the MA staff went and slept for a few hours. It was blissful. In the afternoon, a large group of us went down to the beach and hung out for a bit. It was quite fun until...
Around here, people do whatever they can to make money and alot of people become street vendors. Now, on the beach, there are men (and sometimes boys, women and girls, but mostly men) that walk around with wheelbarrows. These wheelbarrows have a board on top making it a flat cart. Then they load it up with their goods. Many sell different types of candies and these random wierd orangeish wheel shaped crunchy things. They prey on unsuspecting gringos(the term used to refer to anyone from the States, not to be taken offensively) and sell them their stuff.
Now, some of the guys (and a couple of girls) were playing American football down by the water(better ground down there) and Matt was running to catch the ball and he fell over a vendor's wheelbarrow. Some of the candies spilled on the ground. The guy got pretty upset and there was quite a crowd gathered by then. There was a lengthy discussion about who was at fault (it was the vendor because he had left his cart unattended in the middle of what was obviously a game of tackle football) and how much Matt needed to pay to make up for it(the vendor wanted $3500 pesos which was ridiculous, they settled on $25 which was more than fair). Matt paid $25 and the vendor gave him the bag with the candy that had spilled. We didn't really want to keep the candy so Matt gave it to a random group of Mexicans. The kids were pretty excited. Moral of this story: Nothing is ever boring with YWAM.
After supper(meat on skewers, asparagus :-P, and some other things that I am too tired to remember.), Giese (staff here, also lives here) took all of us to Thrifty for ice cream to thank us for doing such a great job so far. They were out of my usual: Mango Chabacano (mango apricot), sounds strange but it is ah-mazing, so I had a scoop of naranja (orange). It was pretty good but not as good.
After Thrifty, we all went back to base and discussed our various options for entertainment for that night and the next day(today). A bunch of us decided to go to the hot springs.
Around here, nothing is ever boring.
Three days later... after an extended time of internet failure and la pereza mucho...
We went to the hot springs. They are basically a grouping of various sized swimming pools fed by some source of water that has various temperatures. There was one that was pretty good sized and was super hot, one that was much smaller and the perfect temperature for a semi-relaxing evening and then there was a really big one that was "cold". There was also a few other smaller ones but I didn't go in them. There was a group of 11 of us. Eight of us were MA staff and the other three were Mission Builder staff. We had a grand old time swimming and relaxing and talking and joking.
We got there at around 10 at night(left the base at 9, stopped at Wal-Mart for some snacks and then drove there), so we swam and frolicked until I think 1 or 2 and then we all camped out in and on our van. The next morning, we all woke up and went for a walk. We walked up the stream that feeds the hot springs. It was quite an adventure. Everybody fell down at least once, some fell more. It was really fun.
After we got back to the van, some people changed and went swimming again. I didn't because my foot and butt were hurting (jumped on a rock too hard and fell on a different rock), so I stayed and cleaned up a bit (because the others seem to be incapable of putting things in the garbage can (; jk).
At about 12 or so, we all decided that it was time to go back to base so we packed up and went back. When we got back, most of us went and slept for a few hours.
That was pretty much the highlight of my break. So, I am going to end this post and make a new one about our new team. Abi
Around here, people do whatever they can to make money and alot of people become street vendors. Now, on the beach, there are men (and sometimes boys, women and girls, but mostly men) that walk around with wheelbarrows. These wheelbarrows have a board on top making it a flat cart. Then they load it up with their goods. Many sell different types of candies and these random wierd orangeish wheel shaped crunchy things. They prey on unsuspecting gringos(the term used to refer to anyone from the States, not to be taken offensively) and sell them their stuff.
Now, some of the guys (and a couple of girls) were playing American football down by the water(better ground down there) and Matt was running to catch the ball and he fell over a vendor's wheelbarrow. Some of the candies spilled on the ground. The guy got pretty upset and there was quite a crowd gathered by then. There was a lengthy discussion about who was at fault (it was the vendor because he had left his cart unattended in the middle of what was obviously a game of tackle football) and how much Matt needed to pay to make up for it(the vendor wanted $3500 pesos which was ridiculous, they settled on $25 which was more than fair). Matt paid $25 and the vendor gave him the bag with the candy that had spilled. We didn't really want to keep the candy so Matt gave it to a random group of Mexicans. The kids were pretty excited. Moral of this story: Nothing is ever boring with YWAM.
After supper(meat on skewers, asparagus :-P, and some other things that I am too tired to remember.), Giese (staff here, also lives here) took all of us to Thrifty for ice cream to thank us for doing such a great job so far. They were out of my usual: Mango Chabacano (mango apricot), sounds strange but it is ah-mazing, so I had a scoop of naranja (orange). It was pretty good but not as good.
After Thrifty, we all went back to base and discussed our various options for entertainment for that night and the next day(today). A bunch of us decided to go to the hot springs.
Around here, nothing is ever boring.
Three days later... after an extended time of internet failure and la pereza mucho...
We went to the hot springs. They are basically a grouping of various sized swimming pools fed by some source of water that has various temperatures. There was one that was pretty good sized and was super hot, one that was much smaller and the perfect temperature for a semi-relaxing evening and then there was a really big one that was "cold". There was also a few other smaller ones but I didn't go in them. There was a group of 11 of us. Eight of us were MA staff and the other three were Mission Builder staff. We had a grand old time swimming and relaxing and talking and joking.
We got there at around 10 at night(left the base at 9, stopped at Wal-Mart for some snacks and then drove there), so we swam and frolicked until I think 1 or 2 and then we all camped out in and on our van. The next morning, we all woke up and went for a walk. We walked up the stream that feeds the hot springs. It was quite an adventure. Everybody fell down at least once, some fell more. It was really fun.
After we got back to the van, some people changed and went swimming again. I didn't because my foot and butt were hurting (jumped on a rock too hard and fell on a different rock), so I stayed and cleaned up a bit (because the others seem to be incapable of putting things in the garbage can (; jk).
At about 12 or so, we all decided that it was time to go back to base so we packed up and went back. When we got back, most of us went and slept for a few hours.
That was pretty much the highlight of my break. So, I am going to end this post and make a new one about our new team. Abi
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Hey.
Hey all, sorry its been a while since I last posted. I have been busy/tired/lazy/sickly/etc.
Lets see. Since the last time I wrote, we got three new teams. One is from somewhere in British Colombia, Canada and the other is from St. Cloud MN!!!!! Its so strange because their youth pastor is related to my little brother's buddies Bryce and Croix. It's a small world.
And then the third team that is here isn't technically Mission Adventures but they participate anyways. It is a family from Arkansas and a bunch of their friends. They have already come once this summer. The dad is the speaker this cycle and was two cycles ago. They come down every summer and build houses in the memory of their daughter Olivia, who, I believe, died in a car accident.
Anyways, these teams are pretty cool. Yesterday (Wednesday) all of the teams went to Ochenta Nueve which is one of the colonias(the name for the different neighborhoods in Ensenada). There we played lots of futbol, made balloon animals, gave out juice and just played. It was a rather enjoyable time until I got a headache. :-P No me gusta. We all came back to base and had supper. Then I went and slept off my headache during the session. Then everyone had a bonfire down on the beach.
Today, I worked on writing little letters of encouragement to the students. Then I had dinner prep (salmon scampi, rice, salad and bread). Now, I am sitting on my bed typing and wishing my head would clear up so I can feel better.
I would really appreciate it if you would pray that my headache-turned-sore throat-turned head cold would go away quickly.
Also, if you could pray for Kathelyze, the person who is kindof in charge of MA, and her family: her mom has been in the hospital for a few days now with liver and kidney trouble, I am sure the would appreciate it and I know I will.
That is all I have energy to write today so...ttyl. Abi
Lets see. Since the last time I wrote, we got three new teams. One is from somewhere in British Colombia, Canada and the other is from St. Cloud MN!!!!! Its so strange because their youth pastor is related to my little brother's buddies Bryce and Croix. It's a small world.
And then the third team that is here isn't technically Mission Adventures but they participate anyways. It is a family from Arkansas and a bunch of their friends. They have already come once this summer. The dad is the speaker this cycle and was two cycles ago. They come down every summer and build houses in the memory of their daughter Olivia, who, I believe, died in a car accident.
Anyways, these teams are pretty cool. Yesterday (Wednesday) all of the teams went to Ochenta Nueve which is one of the colonias(the name for the different neighborhoods in Ensenada). There we played lots of futbol, made balloon animals, gave out juice and just played. It was a rather enjoyable time until I got a headache. :-P No me gusta. We all came back to base and had supper. Then I went and slept off my headache during the session. Then everyone had a bonfire down on the beach.
Today, I worked on writing little letters of encouragement to the students. Then I had dinner prep (salmon scampi, rice, salad and bread). Now, I am sitting on my bed typing and wishing my head would clear up so I can feel better.
I would really appreciate it if you would pray that my headache-turned-sore throat-turned head cold would go away quickly.
Also, if you could pray for Kathelyze, the person who is kindof in charge of MA, and her family: her mom has been in the hospital for a few days now with liver and kidney trouble, I am sure the would appreciate it and I know I will.
That is all I have energy to write today so...ttyl. Abi
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Sabado
This morning, I was woken up at 10 by Walter knocking at our door. (Walter is full time staff and is working with MA and with Mission Builders). He wanted to know if any of the girls wanted to go with him and the guys to go watch his little brother play futbol. Javier is on a futbol team that made it to the finals. I was the only girl from my room that went because none of the others wanted to wake up; so I went with to the futbol game.
Before the game started, Javier twisted his ankle. He was ok but sat out the first half. Then, during the second half, he played really well until one of the other players nailed him on the leg. He didn't finish playing the rest of the game. Javier sure is a trooper though. In the end, the final score was 1-1 and they went to penalty kicks where they did really well and his team won. They got a big trophy.
Then, this afternoon, I stayed at the base and messed around on my computer. I also called my mom, grandma and one of my friends.
After dinner, there was the kids sleep over. It is the same thing as we did last month, except with some different kids. It is fun but tiring.
Now, I am listening to the movie, "The Incredibles" and updating my blog. I would watch the movie but it is in spanish and doesn't have a subtitles option. I really need to learn more spanish.
I am going to go do other things now so good night. Abi
Before the game started, Javier twisted his ankle. He was ok but sat out the first half. Then, during the second half, he played really well until one of the other players nailed him on the leg. He didn't finish playing the rest of the game. Javier sure is a trooper though. In the end, the final score was 1-1 and they went to penalty kicks where they did really well and his team won. They got a big trophy.
Then, this afternoon, I stayed at the base and messed around on my computer. I also called my mom, grandma and one of my friends.
After dinner, there was the kids sleep over. It is the same thing as we did last month, except with some different kids. It is fun but tiring.
Now, I am listening to the movie, "The Incredibles" and updating my blog. I would watch the movie but it is in spanish and doesn't have a subtitles option. I really need to learn more spanish.
I am going to go do other things now so good night. Abi
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Mandatory fun day.
Yesterday was the YWAM San Diego/ Baja fun day. Basically, all the people at the Ensenada and Tijuana bases and at the San Diego office got together for a "family reunion" type of thing. We all drove to a resort near to Ensenada and then spent the day playing at the beach. We had a volley ball tournament in which, my team kind of sucked; but we did have a good time playing so...
Someone brought a jet ski and gave people rides on it and on the tube. I went on the jet ski with Montse. She is staff here and has super long hair. She is really sweet. I had never ridden on a jet ski before so I enjoyed the ride immensely.
We just lounged around, splashed in the water, built sand castles and socialized with other YWAMers.
The thing that really topped the day off for me was the jelly fish. It was dead when it floated up to the shore but I have never seen a medusa before so it was pretty cool. The medusa was a really dark red and was apparently quite large for a jellyfish. It really amazes me that something that basically looks like a molded jello salad could actually be alive. I am kind of sorry that this one was dead but I suppose it had to happen sometime and this way, I got to see it.
The mandatory fun day was really fun; the only low point was that I failed to apply sunscreen as frequently as I should have. Consequentially, I am now very red on my back, shoulders and arms. Those, I can handle. What is causing me the most pain is my legs. My legs rarely see the light of day so being exposed to the sun for an extended amount of time caused them to become an extremely bright red. The only time it really hurts is if I move them so I am doing a lot of lounging today. I suppose it could have been worse...
That is all I have to tell you about yesterday. Tonight I will tell you about today.
Adiós por ahora. Abi
Someone brought a jet ski and gave people rides on it and on the tube. I went on the jet ski with Montse. She is staff here and has super long hair. She is really sweet. I had never ridden on a jet ski before so I enjoyed the ride immensely.
We just lounged around, splashed in the water, built sand castles and socialized with other YWAMers.
The thing that really topped the day off for me was the jelly fish. It was dead when it floated up to the shore but I have never seen a medusa before so it was pretty cool. The medusa was a really dark red and was apparently quite large for a jellyfish. It really amazes me that something that basically looks like a molded jello salad could actually be alive. I am kind of sorry that this one was dead but I suppose it had to happen sometime and this way, I got to see it.
The mandatory fun day was really fun; the only low point was that I failed to apply sunscreen as frequently as I should have. Consequentially, I am now very red on my back, shoulders and arms. Those, I can handle. What is causing me the most pain is my legs. My legs rarely see the light of day so being exposed to the sun for an extended amount of time caused them to become an extremely bright red. The only time it really hurts is if I move them so I am doing a lot of lounging today. I suppose it could have been worse...
That is all I have to tell you about yesterday. Tonight I will tell you about today.
Adiós por ahora. Abi
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
yeah...
Hey all! Sorry my posts have been inconsistent. I have been rather busy/tired/unable to get internet/tired/lazy... Nothing too remarkable has been happening though so you are not really missing anything.
We have two teams here and they are both building houses and they are both pretty cool. Because I was assigned to a team last time, I got to stay back this time so someone else could have a chance.
Two days later...
Hi! I am going to finish this post now. I don't remember why I didn't finish this, I probably fell asleep. I am going to finish it now though.
Lately, I haven't been doing much of anything. Because I wasn't assigned to a team and because there haven't been any projects for me to do, I have been doing alot of lounging about and facebooking.
The teams finished their houses yesterday. Today, the Florida team is doing some ministry with Pastor Felipe's church and then after lunch they are going to the red light district (basically the part of town where upstanding people avoid like the plague: lots of prostitution, drugs and bars and stuff like that) to do prayer walking and ministering to the people there. The Oregon team is going to the church they visited on Sunday and then after lunch, they are going to be going out to La Boufadora. (The FL team went on Sunday afternoon)
Then tonight is the closing rally. Tomorrow morning, we say good bye and then relax for a few days. I don't know what else to write except to tell you about the birds that are building a nest in the overhang above my window. There is like 5 birds and they have been flying in and out of the overhang all morning. I should probably tell someone about it so that they can get the nest out before it is too far built.
Who knows...
I'm gonna go now. Bye Abi.
Here is a random picture of a flower for your enjoyment.
OH!!!!! I just remembered that I forgot to tell you about Meadow. Meadow joined us as more MA staff. She has been here before so she knows how things go.
Meadow: aged 16, from somewhere in Canada, she seems kind of shyish around some people(namely me) but seems very sweet.
We have two teams here and they are both building houses and they are both pretty cool. Because I was assigned to a team last time, I got to stay back this time so someone else could have a chance.
Two days later...
Hi! I am going to finish this post now. I don't remember why I didn't finish this, I probably fell asleep. I am going to finish it now though.
Lately, I haven't been doing much of anything. Because I wasn't assigned to a team and because there haven't been any projects for me to do, I have been doing alot of lounging about and facebooking.
The teams finished their houses yesterday. Today, the Florida team is doing some ministry with Pastor Felipe's church and then after lunch they are going to the red light district (basically the part of town where upstanding people avoid like the plague: lots of prostitution, drugs and bars and stuff like that) to do prayer walking and ministering to the people there. The Oregon team is going to the church they visited on Sunday and then after lunch, they are going to be going out to La Boufadora. (The FL team went on Sunday afternoon)
Then tonight is the closing rally. Tomorrow morning, we say good bye and then relax for a few days. I don't know what else to write except to tell you about the birds that are building a nest in the overhang above my window. There is like 5 birds and they have been flying in and out of the overhang all morning. I should probably tell someone about it so that they can get the nest out before it is too far built.
Who knows...
I'm gonna go now. Bye Abi.
Here is a random picture of a flower for your enjoyment.
OH!!!!! I just remembered that I forgot to tell you about Meadow. Meadow joined us as more MA staff. She has been here before so she knows how things go.
Meadow: aged 16, from somewhere in Canada, she seems kind of shyish around some people(namely me) but seems very sweet.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
uhhhhhhh..............
hi all. it has been a while. i havent written lately because the internet around here is goofy and because i have been too tired, mostly because i have been tired. but i am writing now. i am still tired though and that is why i am not bothering to capitalize or use proper punctuation. oh well.
anyways, since i last wrote, two new teams have showed up. one from winter park florida and the other from portland oregon. the portland team has ten people, six students and four leaders. the florida team has like 25 people, 7 leaders and the rest students. both of the teams are pretty great.
i am a co-dorm mommy (with Beth) for one of the rooms of florida girls. in my room is Donna, the leader, Molly, my friend from last summer, Annie, Courtney, Claire and Amy. they are a great bunch of girls, very giggly and goofy, but i enjoy being their dorm mommy. basically the role of dorm mommy is to go in each night and make sure they have everything they need, talk with them for a bit and then tuck them in for the night. it is a blast.
yesterday, we all went to pastor felipe's church. (not the same felipe we met last summer-for those of you who know about our trip last summer) when we got there we organized ourselves into teams and went about the neighborhood and invited kids to come and then had a little shindig for them. there was a bouncey house, futbol, lemonade and just playing. we played for a bit then the teams did the dances we taught them for the kids and the dramas. then we played some more and then we packed up and left. it was really fun though. i was able to give out some of the yard dolls i had. i forgot my camera so i dont have any pictures but i will try to get some pictures from someone else.
there is other stuff that i did in these past two days but that was mainly washing the passion play costumes and working in the cafe so i will spare you the boring details. I am going to go get caught up on facebook now(temperamental internet connection). bye. abi
anyways, since i last wrote, two new teams have showed up. one from winter park florida and the other from portland oregon. the portland team has ten people, six students and four leaders. the florida team has like 25 people, 7 leaders and the rest students. both of the teams are pretty great.
i am a co-dorm mommy (with Beth) for one of the rooms of florida girls. in my room is Donna, the leader, Molly, my friend from last summer, Annie, Courtney, Claire and Amy. they are a great bunch of girls, very giggly and goofy, but i enjoy being their dorm mommy. basically the role of dorm mommy is to go in each night and make sure they have everything they need, talk with them for a bit and then tuck them in for the night. it is a blast.
yesterday, we all went to pastor felipe's church. (not the same felipe we met last summer-for those of you who know about our trip last summer) when we got there we organized ourselves into teams and went about the neighborhood and invited kids to come and then had a little shindig for them. there was a bouncey house, futbol, lemonade and just playing. we played for a bit then the teams did the dances we taught them for the kids and the dramas. then we played some more and then we packed up and left. it was really fun though. i was able to give out some of the yard dolls i had. i forgot my camera so i dont have any pictures but i will try to get some pictures from someone else.
there is other stuff that i did in these past two days but that was mainly washing the passion play costumes and working in the cafe so i will spare you the boring details. I am going to go get caught up on facebook now(temperamental internet connection). bye. abi
Thursday, June 24, 2010
SOOOOO BORING!!!!!!!
Well, today slept in until about 10 and then I wasted time on Facebook until about 12. Then I get showered and dressed and went down and played with Eliana. Eliana is an adorable Spanish speaking 3 year old who runs around the base while her mom does her work in the office. She is the cutest little thing and she speaks fluently, the only problem is that it is Spanish. We manage to communicate just fine though.
Eliana and I colored in my coloring book for a bit and then we had lunch(tuna salad sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, salad). Eliana really loves chicken noodle soup; she had two bowls full! After lunch, she had to go with her mom somewhere so I went into the worship hall, which also houses a game/rec room, and spent a few hours watching various shows on Disney channel (yes I still watch Disney Channel. I missed out on it as a child so I have a lot of making up to do.). Then male type humaniods who are part of a team staying here(but not part of Mission Adventures) came in and started subtly dissing what I was watching so after the show finished I left.
Then I came up to my room and wasted some more time on the computer until supper(rice, beef/broccoli/carrot stirfry, salad). After supper, I wasted more time on the computer.
Then, I went with some people to Starbucks and hung out for a bit. Then, a couple of us went to a store whose name I can't remember because it was strange. I bought a bag of peachy o's and let me just tell you that I have eaten a LOT of peachy os in my days but these had by far the best flavor I had ever tasted. They have the perfect blend of tangy and sweet with the perfect intensity of peach flavor. They were very soft and chewy too, except, I prefer my peachy os to be a hard sort of chewy. I think these will harden up if I leave them sitting out for a few days. (; ME AMOR AZUCAR!!!!!!!
Now, I am sitting on my bed trying to remember if anything happened yesterday that is worth telling. As I am unable to remember anything significant, I am going to go waste more time on Facebook.
OH OH OH!!!!!!! More teams are coming tomorrow!!!! It is especially exciting because one of the teams, from Winter Park, FL, I know because they were here at the same time as we were last summer. And, I made friends with some of the people, so I am excited to be able to see them again.
Anyways, that is all. Also, I really wish people would like email me (ab_m_kes728@yahoo.com) or something because I have a lot of extra time and I would like to be able to keep up with what is going on at home.
That really is everything. Bye. Abi
Eliana and I colored in my coloring book for a bit and then we had lunch(tuna salad sandwiches, chicken noodle soup, salad). Eliana really loves chicken noodle soup; she had two bowls full! After lunch, she had to go with her mom somewhere so I went into the worship hall, which also houses a game/rec room, and spent a few hours watching various shows on Disney channel (yes I still watch Disney Channel. I missed out on it as a child so I have a lot of making up to do.). Then male type humaniods who are part of a team staying here(but not part of Mission Adventures) came in and started subtly dissing what I was watching so after the show finished I left.
Then I came up to my room and wasted some more time on the computer until supper(rice, beef/broccoli/carrot stirfry, salad). After supper, I wasted more time on the computer.
Then, I went with some people to Starbucks and hung out for a bit. Then, a couple of us went to a store whose name I can't remember because it was strange. I bought a bag of peachy o's and let me just tell you that I have eaten a LOT of peachy os in my days but these had by far the best flavor I had ever tasted. They have the perfect blend of tangy and sweet with the perfect intensity of peach flavor. They were very soft and chewy too, except, I prefer my peachy os to be a hard sort of chewy. I think these will harden up if I leave them sitting out for a few days. (; ME AMOR AZUCAR!!!!!!!
Now, I am sitting on my bed trying to remember if anything happened yesterday that is worth telling. As I am unable to remember anything significant, I am going to go waste more time on Facebook.
OH OH OH!!!!!!! More teams are coming tomorrow!!!! It is especially exciting because one of the teams, from Winter Park, FL, I know because they were here at the same time as we were last summer. And, I made friends with some of the people, so I am excited to be able to see them again.
Anyways, that is all. Also, I really wish people would like email me (ab_m_kes728@yahoo.com) or something because I have a lot of extra time and I would like to be able to keep up with what is going on at home.
That really is everything. Bye. Abi
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
WOAH!!!!
Hey all, sorry for not writing for the past few days but things have been super crazy around here. Between the teams and just getting used to how the cycles are going to go, we all have been really busy.
Since I can't really remember anything that is too important for you to know about the last couple of days, I will just start with today.
This morning, after going to bed after midnight, I had to get up at 6:00 am to help with breakfast prep. S-: ugh. It was fine, I just really detest waking up before 8:30 in the morning. I need to get used to it though.
After breakfast prep, I grabbed some pancakes and went and opened the cafe so the girls who won the clean room contest could get their free milkshakes. I was in the cafe but noone was coming. Then I had to go supervise breakfast clean up, so Alex took over the cafe for me.
At 9, the team from Weiser, Idaho, left. It was an almost tearful goodbye. Its amazing how close you can get to people in only 8 days. Thank God for Facebook!!!
After the team left, I cleaned up and closed the cafe. Then I went up to my room and went back to sleep. I didn't wake up until somewhere around 1:30 pm. It felt sooooo good to sleep. After I woke up, I wasted time on my computer until 4ish. Then I showered and got dressed. Then, I went to walmart with a bunch of people. I bought some laundry soap and hydrogen peroxide(my ears are getting kinda infected but no worries, it happens alot.). Then, we came back, and ate dinner (pork i think, baked potatoes, mixed cooked veggies, buns, salad, oh did I mention that I slept through lunch? I was quite hungry; not good for being at walmart (; ). Then I blew bubbles with Emily and Joey Moss and Corey Ochoa. Anyone know a good recipe for bubble mix?
Tonight, a bunch of us watched some movies. Now, I am sitting on my bed wrapped in my new blanket typing and wishing I was closer to my lotion because my hands are feeling kinda dry. ugh. So tired and lazy right now. I am gonna check my Facebook then go to bed. G'Night. Abi
Since I can't really remember anything that is too important for you to know about the last couple of days, I will just start with today.
This morning, after going to bed after midnight, I had to get up at 6:00 am to help with breakfast prep. S-: ugh. It was fine, I just really detest waking up before 8:30 in the morning. I need to get used to it though.
After breakfast prep, I grabbed some pancakes and went and opened the cafe so the girls who won the clean room contest could get their free milkshakes. I was in the cafe but noone was coming. Then I had to go supervise breakfast clean up, so Alex took over the cafe for me.
At 9, the team from Weiser, Idaho, left. It was an almost tearful goodbye. Its amazing how close you can get to people in only 8 days. Thank God for Facebook!!!
After the team left, I cleaned up and closed the cafe. Then I went up to my room and went back to sleep. I didn't wake up until somewhere around 1:30 pm. It felt sooooo good to sleep. After I woke up, I wasted time on my computer until 4ish. Then I showered and got dressed. Then, I went to walmart with a bunch of people. I bought some laundry soap and hydrogen peroxide(my ears are getting kinda infected but no worries, it happens alot.). Then, we came back, and ate dinner (pork i think, baked potatoes, mixed cooked veggies, buns, salad, oh did I mention that I slept through lunch? I was quite hungry; not good for being at walmart (; ). Then I blew bubbles with Emily and Joey Moss and Corey Ochoa. Anyone know a good recipe for bubble mix?
Tonight, a bunch of us watched some movies. Now, I am sitting on my bed wrapped in my new blanket typing and wishing I was closer to my lotion because my hands are feeling kinda dry. ugh. So tired and lazy right now. I am gonna check my Facebook then go to bed. G'Night. Abi
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday~Building
This morning, after breakfast, we loaded up in vans and went to the build site. See, the teams have the option to raise extra money and build a house, which is through YWAM's Homes of Hope ministry. We are building a house for a woman named Ramona. She is married but her husband was at work, and she has two daughters, ages 11 & 9. My job mainly consisted of painting and making sure people were getting plenty of water. We had a lot to paint.
When we arrived at the site at 9:45 this morning, all that was there was a concrete slab. When we left this afternoon at 6:00, there was a building with four walls and a wooden roof and a painted outside and inside. Tomorrow, we just have to put shingles on the roof, put boards over the cracks between the sheetrock, put together the furniture and clean up.
This evening was prayer night. My group (Me, Libby, Ivan, Brynn and John from Idaho and Cole from Arkansas) went to the school prayer site, the family site and the media site. Then we came back.
I know these last couple of posts haven't been up to the same level as my previous posts but I have been cutting them short so I can get sleep so I am not exhausted. That is why I am going to bed now. G'night. Abi
When we arrived at the site at 9:45 this morning, all that was there was a concrete slab. When we left this afternoon at 6:00, there was a building with four walls and a wooden roof and a painted outside and inside. Tomorrow, we just have to put shingles on the roof, put boards over the cracks between the sheetrock, put together the furniture and clean up.
This evening was prayer night. My group (Me, Libby, Ivan, Brynn and John from Idaho and Cole from Arkansas) went to the school prayer site, the family site and the media site. Then we came back.
I know these last couple of posts haven't been up to the same level as my previous posts but I have been cutting them short so I can get sleep so I am not exhausted. That is why I am going to bed now. G'night. Abi
Friday, June 18, 2010
First day of outreach!!!!!!!!!
Well, this morning, I got up in time for breakfast(pancakes, fresh fruit, cereal, coffee cake type stuff). Then MA staff went to the worship hall for a meeting, where we got our assignments. I am the co-host for the Weiser team from Idaho. Alex is the host and Ivan is the translator.
After some hassle getting music for the dramas and songs, I helped load the vans and we were off. This morning we went to a church. (It was kinda cool because one of the team's leaders had helped to build the house next to the church two years ago.) Basically, we invited the kids over and colored and hung out for a bit and then the team did their songs and dramas for them.
It was so cute! After we were done, they wanted to do some songs/dances for us, so they did that.
By then, it was lunch time so we got our sandwiches and shared them with the kids. Thankfully, they sent two extra loaves of bread and some peanut butter and jelly with us, so we supplemented our meat sandwiches with that. And let me just say that kids really love oreos; of course, I do too but that is irrelevant. We ate and then left and came back to base.
After that, we went to La Boufadora. La Boufadora is basically a long strip of shops with a natural blowhole at the end. The people that work at the shops are pretty crazy. I bought a pair of really cute sandals. They are real leather. (; I also bought my sister her birthday present finally. I think she is gonna love it.
After La Boufadora, we had taco night out so we took the team to the corner of goodness. That isn't it's real name but that is what the people from the base call it and believe me it really is ah-mazing!!! I had a shrimp taco and a fish taco and a strawberry fanta. Then I bought a mango ice cream cone. It was really delicious.
That was basically it. Now I am going to write todays post. Abi
After some hassle getting music for the dramas and songs, I helped load the vans and we were off. This morning we went to a church. (It was kinda cool because one of the team's leaders had helped to build the house next to the church two years ago.) Basically, we invited the kids over and colored and hung out for a bit and then the team did their songs and dramas for them.
It was so cute! After we were done, they wanted to do some songs/dances for us, so they did that.
By then, it was lunch time so we got our sandwiches and shared them with the kids. Thankfully, they sent two extra loaves of bread and some peanut butter and jelly with us, so we supplemented our meat sandwiches with that. And let me just say that kids really love oreos; of course, I do too but that is irrelevant. We ate and then left and came back to base.
After that, we went to La Boufadora. La Boufadora is basically a long strip of shops with a natural blowhole at the end. The people that work at the shops are pretty crazy. I bought a pair of really cute sandals. They are real leather. (; I also bought my sister her birthday present finally. I think she is gonna love it.
After La Boufadora, we had taco night out so we took the team to the corner of goodness. That isn't it's real name but that is what the people from the base call it and believe me it really is ah-mazing!!! I had a shrimp taco and a fish taco and a strawberry fanta. Then I bought a mango ice cream cone. It was really delicious.
That was basically it. Now I am going to write todays post. Abi
Thursday, June 17, 2010
FIRST DAY OF OUTREACH!!!
This morning, we had quiet time and then a session. After that, the group had cultural awareness, but I didn't go to that because I was helping with lunch prep(hot dogs, beans, chips, salad). I really do love working in the kitchen. Except today wasn't as much fun because I was helping make sandwiches for a team and I had to wear gloves and they were super huge on me. I survived it though and then I blew up my gloves and popped them! Yeah...
After lunch, we had a little break and then we all got ready and got in vans and drove to Colonia. Basically Colonia is a part of Ensenada that used to be the poorest. Thankfully, the government has been working on them and improving them. We went a random public basketball court and set up a bouncey house and some speakers and some canopies and stuff. While a few of us were setting up the rest of the people went out to the area with garbage bags and picked up trash and invited kids to come to the park area.
UGH!!!! PAUSE WHILE I SCRATCH MY SUNBURNED ARMS. X-:
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* I have always wanted to put one of those in my typing.
And now back to my day. The kids started coming, and we had drinks for them and activities: puzzles, bouncy house, clown with balloon animals, futbol etc. We basically just hung out with them. Oh we also gave spanish new testaments to the parents. The clown did a little show and then the team(oh they are from a ridiculously small town in Idaho.) performed the songs we taught them and the skits too. Then we packed up and left. It was more than that but I need to keep it brief so I am not typing all night.
We came back to base and ate supper(pork, potatoes, peas :-P, cinnamon applesauce, bread and salad). Then we had our evening session.
After the session, we all went down to the beach, made a bonfire and just chillaxed for a bit, sang some songs, sand wrestled, you know, campfire stuff. It was good to get to know the team better in a casual environment.
Now, I am laying in my bed with wet hair and itchy arms listening to music. I think I am going to attempt to go to sleep now so Adios mi amigos y amigas. Abi
After lunch, we had a little break and then we all got ready and got in vans and drove to Colonia. Basically Colonia is a part of Ensenada that used to be the poorest. Thankfully, the government has been working on them and improving them. We went a random public basketball court and set up a bouncey house and some speakers and some canopies and stuff. While a few of us were setting up the rest of the people went out to the area with garbage bags and picked up trash and invited kids to come to the park area.
UGH!!!! PAUSE WHILE I SCRATCH MY SUNBURNED ARMS. X-:
*
**
***
****
***
**
*
**
***
****
***
**
*
* I have always wanted to put one of those in my typing.
And now back to my day. The kids started coming, and we had drinks for them and activities: puzzles, bouncy house, clown with balloon animals, futbol etc. We basically just hung out with them. Oh we also gave spanish new testaments to the parents. The clown did a little show and then the team(oh they are from a ridiculously small town in Idaho.) performed the songs we taught them and the skits too. Then we packed up and left. It was more than that but I need to keep it brief so I am not typing all night.
We came back to base and ate supper(pork, potatoes, peas :-P, cinnamon applesauce, bread and salad). Then we had our evening session.
After the session, we all went down to the beach, made a bonfire and just chillaxed for a bit, sang some songs, sand wrestled, you know, campfire stuff. It was good to get to know the team better in a casual environment.
Now, I am laying in my bed with wet hair and itchy arms listening to music. I think I am going to attempt to go to sleep now so Adios mi amigos y amigas. Abi
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
First full team day
Well, today was interesting. I got up this morning in time for breakfast and ate a mango muffin. It was good. Then we had quite time. After that we had a session. I didn't go though because I had to help get things ready for our activities. After the session, we had a game time where we had four different games that the team played.
The first game, I don't remember the name but it involved a balance beam. Basically, the team members (numbering 7: Alton, Quinn and Ben; Alex, Sydney, Chloe, and Brynn) all stood on the beam and then they had to completely reverse the order they were standing in. The catch was that Libby, Beth and Hailey (in charge) could give different orders that hindered their progress; aka they had to sing everything, say banana after each word, only use certain limbs, not talk etc. It was pretty hilarious especially because they kept having to start over because someone would fall off. Yeah...
Then was the game I was in charge of. We all went down to the beach and we did a relay race that basically consisted of them running backwards down the beach a ways to the broom stick and spinning around it 17 & 1/2 times and then running back and tagging the next person. It was a hoot to watch.
The next game is hard to explain but basically, there was four tires that were tied together in an x shape. An object was placed at each of the four corners a ways away from the tire. A person gets in each of the tires and tries to get to their object first. It was really crazy because the beach is made of really shifty sand. I tried it and scraped myself up pretty good. It was funnish...
The last game was this strange wheelbarrow race. The wheelbarrow part of the equation had to carry a cup of water in their mouth and dump it into a bucket. Yeah... I didn't really watch that one too much. I was busy washing off my feet in the ocean.
The real fun came when we all walked back to base. A bunch of people filled water balloons (I helped) and then pelted the team as they returned. It turned into a water war. It was fun and wet. Everyone and everything was soaked.
Then this afternoon, we taught them the three songs and two skits that they are going to use on outreach. I think they enjoyed learning them and I know I enjoyed watching them learn them.
This evening, at the session, we performed the Passion Play. It is a tradition of YWAM. I am tired right now so I will tell about the play on a different day.
G'night! Abi
The first game, I don't remember the name but it involved a balance beam. Basically, the team members (numbering 7: Alton, Quinn and Ben; Alex, Sydney, Chloe, and Brynn) all stood on the beam and then they had to completely reverse the order they were standing in. The catch was that Libby, Beth and Hailey (in charge) could give different orders that hindered their progress; aka they had to sing everything, say banana after each word, only use certain limbs, not talk etc. It was pretty hilarious especially because they kept having to start over because someone would fall off. Yeah...
Then was the game I was in charge of. We all went down to the beach and we did a relay race that basically consisted of them running backwards down the beach a ways to the broom stick and spinning around it 17 & 1/2 times and then running back and tagging the next person. It was a hoot to watch.
The next game is hard to explain but basically, there was four tires that were tied together in an x shape. An object was placed at each of the four corners a ways away from the tire. A person gets in each of the tires and tries to get to their object first. It was really crazy because the beach is made of really shifty sand. I tried it and scraped myself up pretty good. It was funnish...
The last game was this strange wheelbarrow race. The wheelbarrow part of the equation had to carry a cup of water in their mouth and dump it into a bucket. Yeah... I didn't really watch that one too much. I was busy washing off my feet in the ocean.
The real fun came when we all walked back to base. A bunch of people filled water balloons (I helped) and then pelted the team as they returned. It turned into a water war. It was fun and wet. Everyone and everything was soaked.
Then this afternoon, we taught them the three songs and two skits that they are going to use on outreach. I think they enjoyed learning them and I know I enjoyed watching them learn them.
This evening, at the session, we performed the Passion Play. It is a tradition of YWAM. I am tired right now so I will tell about the play on a different day.
G'night! Abi
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
First day of teams
Well, this morning, I got up thinking I had breakfast prep but apparently Libby and I were switched with Fernanda and Matt because Matt was leaving to go to his grandpa's funeral. The problem was that noone told Libby or me that we were taken off of breakfast prep and clean up this morning... :I UGH!!! Anyways, I woke up early but then I went back to bed until 8:56.
At 9, we cleaned up the base. We did just clean on Friday but it is going to be a while before we do it again so... I swept the hallways. Then I did basically nothing until lunch.
After lunch, I did some random stuff for Kathy. Then Fernanda, Megan and I baked some chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately they were already made up. We just had to slice them up and put them on baking sheets. Some people really aren't gifted at cooking.
Baking things down here is really ruining my rep for being a good cook. I pretty much ruined cupcakes and then today, I burnt the first batch of cookies. In my defense, I was just following orders. How was I to know that 15 mins at 350 degrees was too much? I did get the last batches right though. (:
Then I helped with dinner prep. I did alot: I cut tomatoes, onions, meat, made guacamole~cut, de-pitted and peeled 25 avacados, got the tables set up, washed some dishes, put away fruit and veggies, and enjoyed every minute of it. I love working in the kitchen. I don't really like it when other people use my aprons though. Especially not large male type humanoids.
Anyways, supper was delicious as usual (carne asada- tortillas, meat, homemade refried beans, mexican corn, and all the fixings: pico de gallo, guacamole, limes, sour cream and salsa.). It was really good.
Oh, all the teams arrived slightly after 4. I am still unclear about what these teams are doing and who they are. I know that there is a group from Idaho but I don't know what they are doing, then there is a family and a group that are together but not. Basically, I am just going along with what the lead people say. Yeah.
Oh and our last MA staff person arrived today, that is, for now. More people are coming but not until like mid July. I digress. Tyler is 18 and from Freemont CA, he also just graduated from high school. He seems very nice.
Anyways, I don't really feel like writing more because I want to check my facebook and go to sleep. Morning comes all too quickly. Buenos Noches. Abi
At 9, we cleaned up the base. We did just clean on Friday but it is going to be a while before we do it again so... I swept the hallways. Then I did basically nothing until lunch.
After lunch, I did some random stuff for Kathy. Then Fernanda, Megan and I baked some chocolate chip cookies. Unfortunately they were already made up. We just had to slice them up and put them on baking sheets. Some people really aren't gifted at cooking.
Baking things down here is really ruining my rep for being a good cook. I pretty much ruined cupcakes and then today, I burnt the first batch of cookies. In my defense, I was just following orders. How was I to know that 15 mins at 350 degrees was too much? I did get the last batches right though. (:
Then I helped with dinner prep. I did alot: I cut tomatoes, onions, meat, made guacamole~cut, de-pitted and peeled 25 avacados, got the tables set up, washed some dishes, put away fruit and veggies, and enjoyed every minute of it. I love working in the kitchen. I don't really like it when other people use my aprons though. Especially not large male type humanoids.
Anyways, supper was delicious as usual (carne asada- tortillas, meat, homemade refried beans, mexican corn, and all the fixings: pico de gallo, guacamole, limes, sour cream and salsa.). It was really good.
Oh, all the teams arrived slightly after 4. I am still unclear about what these teams are doing and who they are. I know that there is a group from Idaho but I don't know what they are doing, then there is a family and a group that are together but not. Basically, I am just going along with what the lead people say. Yeah.
Oh and our last MA staff person arrived today, that is, for now. More people are coming but not until like mid July. I digress. Tyler is 18 and from Freemont CA, he also just graduated from high school. He seems very nice.
Anyways, I don't really feel like writing more because I want to check my facebook and go to sleep. Morning comes all too quickly. Buenos Noches. Abi
Monday, June 14, 2010
Last day of freedom (jk!!!! I am so excited for the teams)
Well, this morning, we got up and went to church. Then after church, as we were walking to the van, we saw a little bakery. We all went in and bought doughnuts and stuff. Oh My Goodness!!! That was one of the best (and cheapest (;) doughnuts I had ever eaten! My doughnut was a chocolate frosted long john that was sliced open and filled with some sort of vanilla pudding like substance. And it was only 8 pesos (63 cents). I definitely love that bakery.
After we came back to base, we had a meeting type thing and practiced our songs and skits. We learned our other skit today (apparently we are only learning/teaching two skits). Thankfully, it was simple. It is called Molding Jesus, and it goes like this: "Jesus" walks in and stands with arms outstretched (cross shaped) then various people come through, each caught up in their own agenda. Each person takes Jesus and tries to make him into what they want him to be. (Jesus returns to the cross shape after each person). Finally, the last person to come recognizes Jesus' "scars" and then worships at his feet, hugs him and molds themself to what Jesus is.
The idea behind this skit is that throughout our lives, we all try to make Jesus what we want him to be; we don't try to become like Him. The right person is the one who realizes and becomes like Jesus. It is a pretty cool skit.
After we learned the skit and practiced our other one and our three songs, we had free time until supper, which was a shepherds pie (meat, veggies and some sort of sauce topped by mashed potatoes, like a chicken pot pie sort of...), salad and really good carrot cake (especially coming from me~vegetables and dessert should never mix). After supper, the girls had clean up duties which we mixed with a kitchen dance party. That was actually really fun(if you have never had a kitchen dance party, I would advise you try it sometime).
Tonight, we had another meeting type thing with the MA staff. We all gathered and prayed for one another for strength and preparedness for what is to come.
After that, a bunch of us went to OXXO (an ah-mazing little convenience store) and got some snacks. Usually we go to the close one(less than a block away and recently built: not here last summer) but it is beautiful out tonight and we felt like walking so we went to the far one(the original OXXO).
Now, I am just waiting for my laundry to be done and I wish it would hurry up so I can go to bed. Oh well, its not like I have to get up early tomorrow morning, oh wait, I have breakfast prep...Poop! Oh well. I will survive, I think...
Buenos Noches!!!!! Abi
After we came back to base, we had a meeting type thing and practiced our songs and skits. We learned our other skit today (apparently we are only learning/teaching two skits). Thankfully, it was simple. It is called Molding Jesus, and it goes like this: "Jesus" walks in and stands with arms outstretched (cross shaped) then various people come through, each caught up in their own agenda. Each person takes Jesus and tries to make him into what they want him to be. (Jesus returns to the cross shape after each person). Finally, the last person to come recognizes Jesus' "scars" and then worships at his feet, hugs him and molds themself to what Jesus is.
The idea behind this skit is that throughout our lives, we all try to make Jesus what we want him to be; we don't try to become like Him. The right person is the one who realizes and becomes like Jesus. It is a pretty cool skit.
After we learned the skit and practiced our other one and our three songs, we had free time until supper, which was a shepherds pie (meat, veggies and some sort of sauce topped by mashed potatoes, like a chicken pot pie sort of...), salad and really good carrot cake (especially coming from me~vegetables and dessert should never mix). After supper, the girls had clean up duties which we mixed with a kitchen dance party. That was actually really fun(if you have never had a kitchen dance party, I would advise you try it sometime).
Tonight, we had another meeting type thing with the MA staff. We all gathered and prayed for one another for strength and preparedness for what is to come.
After that, a bunch of us went to OXXO (an ah-mazing little convenience store) and got some snacks. Usually we go to the close one(less than a block away and recently built: not here last summer) but it is beautiful out tonight and we felt like walking so we went to the far one(the original OXXO).
Now, I am just waiting for my laundry to be done and I wish it would hurry up so I can go to bed. Oh well, its not like I have to get up early tomorrow morning, oh wait, I have breakfast prep...Poop! Oh well. I will survive, I think...
Buenos Noches!!!!! Abi
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Last lazy day for a while
Today, Saturday, was our last free day for a while now. Once the teams come, we will only have a few free days between cycles and even those won't really be free because we will be prepping for the next cycle.
This morning, I slept in until about 10:30 then I did stuff on my computer until about 12. I would have slept past 10:30 except for the yelling. Today was a monumental day on the base. Pretty much everybody on base has been following the events of the World Cup soccer. Today was the United Kingdom vs. the United States, which is basically a big deal because everyone on base is either American, English or married to one of the two. I didn't start watching until almost the end but basically everybody else was crammed into Kody and Lindsay's apartment watching the futbol game on their flat screen tv. I was really glad when the game ended as a 1-1 tie because then we didn't have to deal with the bragging and pouting and poor winners and losers. People really get into their futbol around here...
After that, I went to Home Depot with Kathelyze and Josh because I had nothing better to do. We got some tools and some paint, nothing too exciting.
This evening, after supper (pollo(chicken), spanish rice, tortillas, potatoes and salad) a bunch of us went on the bus to an Italian restauraunt (some didn't eat supper at base). We had pizza. It was actually really good. After pizza, a majority of us went to the nearby McDonalds and got an ice cream cone then met up with the rest at Starbucks.
Then we walked to the shore and sat and chatted for a bit. Then we walked back to base. It was a really nice walk. We laughed a lot, about some really dumb things.
Now, I am sitting on my bed writing in my blog thinking about how tired I am and about how I really should go to bed so I can get up for breakfast, which I haven't done since my fourth day here... So anyways, Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't let the bed bugs bite. Seriously! It is not fun (so I've heard (; ). Abi
This morning, I slept in until about 10:30 then I did stuff on my computer until about 12. I would have slept past 10:30 except for the yelling. Today was a monumental day on the base. Pretty much everybody on base has been following the events of the World Cup soccer. Today was the United Kingdom vs. the United States, which is basically a big deal because everyone on base is either American, English or married to one of the two. I didn't start watching until almost the end but basically everybody else was crammed into Kody and Lindsay's apartment watching the futbol game on their flat screen tv. I was really glad when the game ended as a 1-1 tie because then we didn't have to deal with the bragging and pouting and poor winners and losers. People really get into their futbol around here...
After that, I went to Home Depot with Kathelyze and Josh because I had nothing better to do. We got some tools and some paint, nothing too exciting.
This evening, after supper (pollo(chicken), spanish rice, tortillas, potatoes and salad) a bunch of us went on the bus to an Italian restauraunt (some didn't eat supper at base). We had pizza. It was actually really good. After pizza, a majority of us went to the nearby McDonalds and got an ice cream cone then met up with the rest at Starbucks.
Then we walked to the shore and sat and chatted for a bit. Then we walked back to base. It was a really nice walk. We laughed a lot, about some really dumb things.
Now, I am sitting on my bed writing in my blog thinking about how tired I am and about how I really should go to bed so I can get up for breakfast, which I haven't done since my fourth day here... So anyways, Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't let the bed bugs bite. Seriously! It is not fun (so I've heard (; ). Abi
Friday, June 11, 2010
Friday
Yeah, sorry about not posting yesterday but nothing happened that was really that epic and I was tired.
Today, we did base clean up. I helped with the refilling and cleaning up of the water dispensers that are located around the base. It wasn't too hard. Then, I helped with lunch prep (hot dogs, potato wedges, salad). That consisted of cutting up kiwis for the mid-morning snack, peeling, washing and cubing a ton of potatoes, and getting things set up. Nothing too out of the ordinary.
After lunch, all the MA staff met and we discussed various ideas for the mission night (Intense!!!) we would put on for the groups. We came up with some really good ideas and then we split up and the girls went and did some research about the various topics and the male type humanoids went and built a shack. It is going to be used in the poverty station. I will tell more about it when I find out more.
After that, I went and helped with dinner prep(carne asada(tacos), spanish rice, frijoles, mexican style corn, salad, and all the taco fixings: fresh pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, salsa, limon, sour cream). Nothing too major.
As soon as dinner prep was finished though, I had to rush to change into a black t-shirt, black jogging shorts, and my trainers (the Brits are rubbing off on me...). I grabbed some food and hopped in the van. Tonight was an all-girls futbol game. I was on the black team along with Lindsey(staff, wife of the guy in charge), Rheanne(staff, in kitchen alot), Lizzie(staff, helping with MA), Montse(staff of some sort), Libby(MA staff) and Fernanda(MA staff). On the blue team was: Megan(new MA staff), Beth(MA staff), Sam Kemp(mother of the Kemp kids, duh...), Kathelyze(staff, helps with MA), Kirsty(staff, did water station the other night), Egla(arranged the game, and is awesome) and then two girls I didn't know because they weren't part of the base.
For the first half of the game, I was right defense and let me just say, I rocked. We ended the first half 2-1 blue. After that, I swapped with Rheanne for goalie. And I did ah-mazing especially since I had never played futbol before. I blocked several shots on the goal without experiencing too much physical pain... I think I am hooked. I actually liked playing futbol. I think it was mostly because there wasn't really the pressure to be the best, it was just for fun. In the end, the game was a tie 2-2. I think that is the best way to end a game because then you know that everyone did their best and then there isn't designated winners and losers.
After the game, we booked it back to base and rehearsed the Passion play. It isn't too hard. Most of us just have to walk in crying, fall to the ground still crying, keep crying then go prostrate all the while crying. I have a pretty legit fake cry. (:
Anyways, I am going to go watch a movie so TTYL. Abi
P.S. I would love to hear from you. My email is ab_m_kes728@yahoo.com. Thanks in advance.
Today, we did base clean up. I helped with the refilling and cleaning up of the water dispensers that are located around the base. It wasn't too hard. Then, I helped with lunch prep (hot dogs, potato wedges, salad). That consisted of cutting up kiwis for the mid-morning snack, peeling, washing and cubing a ton of potatoes, and getting things set up. Nothing too out of the ordinary.
After lunch, all the MA staff met and we discussed various ideas for the mission night (Intense!!!) we would put on for the groups. We came up with some really good ideas and then we split up and the girls went and did some research about the various topics and the male type humanoids went and built a shack. It is going to be used in the poverty station. I will tell more about it when I find out more.
After that, I went and helped with dinner prep(carne asada(tacos), spanish rice, frijoles, mexican style corn, salad, and all the taco fixings: fresh pico de gallo, fresh guacamole, salsa, limon, sour cream). Nothing too major.
As soon as dinner prep was finished though, I had to rush to change into a black t-shirt, black jogging shorts, and my trainers (the Brits are rubbing off on me...). I grabbed some food and hopped in the van. Tonight was an all-girls futbol game. I was on the black team along with Lindsey(staff, wife of the guy in charge), Rheanne(staff, in kitchen alot), Lizzie(staff, helping with MA), Montse(staff of some sort), Libby(MA staff) and Fernanda(MA staff). On the blue team was: Megan(new MA staff), Beth(MA staff), Sam Kemp(mother of the Kemp kids, duh...), Kathelyze(staff, helps with MA), Kirsty(staff, did water station the other night), Egla(arranged the game, and is awesome) and then two girls I didn't know because they weren't part of the base.
For the first half of the game, I was right defense and let me just say, I rocked. We ended the first half 2-1 blue. After that, I swapped with Rheanne for goalie. And I did ah-mazing especially since I had never played futbol before. I blocked several shots on the goal without experiencing too much physical pain... I think I am hooked. I actually liked playing futbol. I think it was mostly because there wasn't really the pressure to be the best, it was just for fun. In the end, the game was a tie 2-2. I think that is the best way to end a game because then you know that everyone did their best and then there isn't designated winners and losers.
After the game, we booked it back to base and rehearsed the Passion play. It isn't too hard. Most of us just have to walk in crying, fall to the ground still crying, keep crying then go prostrate all the while crying. I have a pretty legit fake cry. (:
Anyways, I am going to go watch a movie so TTYL. Abi
P.S. I would love to hear from you. My email is ab_m_kes728@yahoo.com. Thanks in advance.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Intense.
Well, today was pretty intense. It didn't start out that way but it became increasingly so.
This morning, Giacomo spoke to us again. We talked about Luke 2:52: And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. We discussed what Jesus did to grow physically, mentally, spiritually and socially, and thought about what we are doing to grow in the same ways and how we need to be sure that we have a balance between the four things because we are the window non-christians view christianity through.
After lunch (hot wings, potato salad, salad), the MA staff split up and some went out back and pulled weeds. Others helped with some cleaning, packed up extra bedding, and inventoried the mattresses in the rooms. Alex, Adam and I were the lucky people that got to put together two bunkbeds for one of the apartments. And believe me, it wasn't as easy as it would appear to be. The first bed went up without too much difficulty, but the second one, a metal frame, was a booger. One of the essential parts didn't fit- it belonged to a different bed. We had to improvise. It turned out ok. I think I probably made at least 10 trips between the apartment and the base- I was the gopher... Let me just say that I got really sweaty this afternoon.
After supper (chicken in some sort of sauce, rice, salad), we had a "community meeting". Basically all of the base staff met in the worship hall and had a time of worship. Then a guy from San Diego? spoke about injustice. That is when it started to get intense.
We were told to split up into groups of five (in my group was Alex, Adam, Libby, and Beth), then we took turns going to three stations. ***These stations were rather graphic, so faint of heart should just skip to the bottom, don't worry though, I am giving the G version. ^^^Also, this was all rehearsed, none of it was real, so don't take it the wrong way.
For the first station, we went to the stairs. That was the water station. Basically, it went like this: There are so so so many people that die from lack of clean drinking water. Some women in Africa walk 6 miles a day for water that really doesn't pass as drinkable. Then Beth and I had to carry four large containers of "nasty water" up two flights of stairs while everyone else followed behind counting to three(every three seconds someone dies from a water related illness). Once we got to the top, we each had to drink a cup of the bad water. It was really bad, indescribably so. Then we helped carry the containers back down, and it was off to the next station.
The second station was really disturbing in the fact that it depicted an injustice that happens everywhere in disgustingly large quantities, but is not really talked about much: Forced Prostitution. In this station, we were left standing in an area, near one of the YWAM 14-pass vans. Then a guy approached us(it was Josh, full time staff, but he was in character so...). He asked what we were up to-just making normal conversation- then he pulled us over to the van and opened the back doors. Inside was a scantily clad (only wrapped in a bedsheet) female. The guy told us that we could "have" her for $10. He "slapped" her around a bit and yelled to wake her up. (At this point, I was absolutely disgusted. We all were. I mean, I know that there is prostitution and stuff but I have never seen it up close and personal like it was tonight.) When we firmly said NO he yelled at us to get out of there. That was the end of the second station.
The third station was by far the most intense. After it was done, my heart didn't slow down for a really long time. In this station, we were brought into the staff computer room. It was dark and nothing was happening, then there was a gunshot, and another. Then two masked men (JP and Mitch- both full time staff) burst in with guns (either fake or not loaded) and yelled at everyone to get down. Then they put sacks over everyone's heads and led us to another room. There, we could hear a female (Lindsey-full time staff and quite the actress) wailing and screaming and crying. There was more gunshots and someone yelled at the girl to shutup. Then one of the men grabbed Beth and dragged her over to the girl and forced a gun into her hand and told her to shoot the girl(remember: FAKE GUN). Beth, having the guts that she does, yelled NO and refused to do it. The guy then grabbed the gun from her and pulled the trigger. Silence. They made us remove the bags and look at what had been done, then they yelled at us to get out of there. That was the end of the third station.
Afterwards, many of us were visibly shaken, others were shaken just not as visibly. I can't even begin to imagine what any of those situations would be like if they actually were real. Even as I am sitting here writing this, I still am not quite sure what my reaction is. I know that I am mad(that the world is this corrupt) and disgusted(that there is actually a market for prostitution) and sad(that all of us are so oblivious to all this tragedy) and horrified(that people actually go through this and worse) and confused(on how I can make a difference). I think there is more but that is all I am able to distinguish right now.
I don't know what we can do to change this but I do know that we can pray, and that is really all that we can do for some of the injustices in the world. As disturbed as I was, I really think that these stations were very good at scaring us out of our apathy and passiveness.
On a lighter note, the police force in Mexico is quite decent. In the midst of the night and stations, they showed up because they heard all the screaming and gunshots(actually firecrackers (; ). Once we explained what we were doing, they were ok and left. All in all, tonight was pretty epic.
Megan, the last person to arrive, should be arriving soon so I am going to go. Besides, I think I have written enough. Buenos Noches! Abi
This morning, Giacomo spoke to us again. We talked about Luke 2:52: And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. We discussed what Jesus did to grow physically, mentally, spiritually and socially, and thought about what we are doing to grow in the same ways and how we need to be sure that we have a balance between the four things because we are the window non-christians view christianity through.
After lunch (hot wings, potato salad, salad), the MA staff split up and some went out back and pulled weeds. Others helped with some cleaning, packed up extra bedding, and inventoried the mattresses in the rooms. Alex, Adam and I were the lucky people that got to put together two bunkbeds for one of the apartments. And believe me, it wasn't as easy as it would appear to be. The first bed went up without too much difficulty, but the second one, a metal frame, was a booger. One of the essential parts didn't fit- it belonged to a different bed. We had to improvise. It turned out ok. I think I probably made at least 10 trips between the apartment and the base- I was the gopher... Let me just say that I got really sweaty this afternoon.
After supper (chicken in some sort of sauce, rice, salad), we had a "community meeting". Basically all of the base staff met in the worship hall and had a time of worship. Then a guy from San Diego? spoke about injustice. That is when it started to get intense.
We were told to split up into groups of five (in my group was Alex, Adam, Libby, and Beth), then we took turns going to three stations. ***These stations were rather graphic, so faint of heart should just skip to the bottom, don't worry though, I am giving the G version. ^^^Also, this was all rehearsed, none of it was real, so don't take it the wrong way.
For the first station, we went to the stairs. That was the water station. Basically, it went like this: There are so so so many people that die from lack of clean drinking water. Some women in Africa walk 6 miles a day for water that really doesn't pass as drinkable. Then Beth and I had to carry four large containers of "nasty water" up two flights of stairs while everyone else followed behind counting to three(every three seconds someone dies from a water related illness). Once we got to the top, we each had to drink a cup of the bad water. It was really bad, indescribably so. Then we helped carry the containers back down, and it was off to the next station.
The second station was really disturbing in the fact that it depicted an injustice that happens everywhere in disgustingly large quantities, but is not really talked about much: Forced Prostitution. In this station, we were left standing in an area, near one of the YWAM 14-pass vans. Then a guy approached us(it was Josh, full time staff, but he was in character so...). He asked what we were up to-just making normal conversation- then he pulled us over to the van and opened the back doors. Inside was a scantily clad (only wrapped in a bedsheet) female. The guy told us that we could "have" her for $10. He "slapped" her around a bit and yelled to wake her up. (At this point, I was absolutely disgusted. We all were. I mean, I know that there is prostitution and stuff but I have never seen it up close and personal like it was tonight.) When we firmly said NO he yelled at us to get out of there. That was the end of the second station.
The third station was by far the most intense. After it was done, my heart didn't slow down for a really long time. In this station, we were brought into the staff computer room. It was dark and nothing was happening, then there was a gunshot, and another. Then two masked men (JP and Mitch- both full time staff) burst in with guns (either fake or not loaded) and yelled at everyone to get down. Then they put sacks over everyone's heads and led us to another room. There, we could hear a female (Lindsey-full time staff and quite the actress) wailing and screaming and crying. There was more gunshots and someone yelled at the girl to shutup. Then one of the men grabbed Beth and dragged her over to the girl and forced a gun into her hand and told her to shoot the girl(remember: FAKE GUN). Beth, having the guts that she does, yelled NO and refused to do it. The guy then grabbed the gun from her and pulled the trigger. Silence. They made us remove the bags and look at what had been done, then they yelled at us to get out of there. That was the end of the third station.
Afterwards, many of us were visibly shaken, others were shaken just not as visibly. I can't even begin to imagine what any of those situations would be like if they actually were real. Even as I am sitting here writing this, I still am not quite sure what my reaction is. I know that I am mad(that the world is this corrupt) and disgusted(that there is actually a market for prostitution) and sad(that all of us are so oblivious to all this tragedy) and horrified(that people actually go through this and worse) and confused(on how I can make a difference). I think there is more but that is all I am able to distinguish right now.
I don't know what we can do to change this but I do know that we can pray, and that is really all that we can do for some of the injustices in the world. As disturbed as I was, I really think that these stations were very good at scaring us out of our apathy and passiveness.
On a lighter note, the police force in Mexico is quite decent. In the midst of the night and stations, they showed up because they heard all the screaming and gunshots(actually firecrackers (; ). Once we explained what we were doing, they were ok and left. All in all, tonight was pretty epic.
Megan, the last person to arrive, should be arriving soon so I am going to go. Besides, I think I have written enough. Buenos Noches! Abi
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Prayer Night Prep Etc.
This morning, all of the base staff watched a movie by Rob Bell called Everything Is Spiritual. It was a very interesting movie. Then we talked about it.
After lunch, we all got in a van and drove around Ensenada to different locations for prayer night, each focused on a different one of the 7 spheres of prayer: Government, Art & Entertainment, Business, Religion, Education, Media, Family.
Here are pictures of the City Hall (Government) and a park (Family).
After the Government, Art & Entertainment, Business, and Religion locations, but before the Education, Media and Family locations (we ran short on time), a bunch of the base people went on a harbor tour boat. It was pretty awesome. I saw my first wild seal/sea lion today. There was a bunch of them laying on one of the unused docks.
That was pretty neat. We drove all around the harbor area. We even drove by the base.
The base is the big reddish building.
But yah, the harbor cruise was quite fun. Alot of the kids from base went with too.
This is Fernanda, Hailey, Matt and Walter(Base staff who is helping with MA stuff.)
This is Corey Ochoa and Noah Kemp.
And this is Tym Kemp and two of his kids: Tiana and Micah(sorry it is sideways; I thought I fixed it, but I guess I didn't and I am too tired to do it now).
Anyways, harbor tours are fun. After the tour, we finished the prayer locations and then all the MA staff went for tacos. Me amor tacos y tortas. I had a torta which is basically a taco sandwich. They take a big squarish bun, toast it and put the taco stuff on it; i.e. the stuff I got: cheese, meat(I think it was pork?), cilantro, pineapple, avacado, and the stuff I won't touch with a 10m pole: onion, hot sauce, radishes, habenero sauce, and a bunch of other vegetable type substances. They are amazing and super filling.
That is basically the entirety of what I did today.
When we were driving around Ensenada today, I was thinking about two things. The first thing is that there is an amazingly wide variety of motorized vehicles that are used around here. There are some cars that are super new and shiny and well taken care of and then there are some cars that really shouldn't be running given the condition they are in. I mean seriously, I have seen plenty of cars that are popular in the States and then I also saw a really old el Camino. There is also an abundance of VW Bugs. Mexicans are lucky they don't play the slugbug game...(; It just amazes me that there is such a huge range of cars that are being driven in Mexico.
The second thing I was thinking about while we were driving around looking at the different parts of Ensenada was: It seems so unfair that some people in Ensenada are living in multi-million dollar houses and other people can't even afford to eat three meals a day much less have a house. Some of the houses in the richer parts of the city are equal to, if not better than many of the houses in the rich part of any major city in America. A majority of the people in Ensenada are fortunate to have a single room that offers some sort of protection from the outside. It just blows my mind to think that some of the houses that the people are proud to own cost less to build than my first car will probably cost. I feel so fortunate to be born in the States and to have the "meager" amount of wealth that I posess.
Anyways, I am tired of typing so yeah...Have a good night and a brighter tomorrow. Abi
After lunch, we all got in a van and drove around Ensenada to different locations for prayer night, each focused on a different one of the 7 spheres of prayer: Government, Art & Entertainment, Business, Religion, Education, Media, Family.
Here are pictures of the City Hall (Government) and a park (Family).
After the Government, Art & Entertainment, Business, and Religion locations, but before the Education, Media and Family locations (we ran short on time), a bunch of the base people went on a harbor tour boat. It was pretty awesome. I saw my first wild seal/sea lion today. There was a bunch of them laying on one of the unused docks.
That was pretty neat. We drove all around the harbor area. We even drove by the base.
The base is the big reddish building.
But yah, the harbor cruise was quite fun. Alot of the kids from base went with too.
This is Fernanda, Hailey, Matt and Walter(Base staff who is helping with MA stuff.)
This is Corey Ochoa and Noah Kemp.
And this is Tym Kemp and two of his kids: Tiana and Micah(sorry it is sideways; I thought I fixed it, but I guess I didn't and I am too tired to do it now).
Anyways, harbor tours are fun. After the tour, we finished the prayer locations and then all the MA staff went for tacos. Me amor tacos y tortas. I had a torta which is basically a taco sandwich. They take a big squarish bun, toast it and put the taco stuff on it; i.e. the stuff I got: cheese, meat(I think it was pork?), cilantro, pineapple, avacado, and the stuff I won't touch with a 10m pole: onion, hot sauce, radishes, habenero sauce, and a bunch of other vegetable type substances. They are amazing and super filling.
That is basically the entirety of what I did today.
When we were driving around Ensenada today, I was thinking about two things. The first thing is that there is an amazingly wide variety of motorized vehicles that are used around here. There are some cars that are super new and shiny and well taken care of and then there are some cars that really shouldn't be running given the condition they are in. I mean seriously, I have seen plenty of cars that are popular in the States and then I also saw a really old el Camino. There is also an abundance of VW Bugs. Mexicans are lucky they don't play the slugbug game...(; It just amazes me that there is such a huge range of cars that are being driven in Mexico.
The second thing I was thinking about while we were driving around looking at the different parts of Ensenada was: It seems so unfair that some people in Ensenada are living in multi-million dollar houses and other people can't even afford to eat three meals a day much less have a house. Some of the houses in the richer parts of the city are equal to, if not better than many of the houses in the rich part of any major city in America. A majority of the people in Ensenada are fortunate to have a single room that offers some sort of protection from the outside. It just blows my mind to think that some of the houses that the people are proud to own cost less to build than my first car will probably cost. I feel so fortunate to be born in the States and to have the "meager" amount of wealth that I posess.
Anyways, I am tired of typing so yeah...Have a good night and a brighter tomorrow. Abi
Today...
Today was sorta funnish but mostly long. This morning we had a guy come to speak to us. His name is Giacomo (pronounced jack-uh-mow). I found him hard to listen to, mostly because he was communicating with us through a translator so it lacked continuity, which is difficult for me to follow.
After lunch, another baked potato bar, we learned one of the skits we will be performing/teaching. I believe it is called "Everything". If you want to see it, youtube: lifehouse everything - drama. Of course, we are switching it up a bit but the concept is the same. When we perform it, I am a person with money.
After dinner, hamburgers off the grill, we went up to the dts classroom and learned a few songs (and by songs, I mean a song that also has dance moves which are supposed to be performed in synchronization to singing the song in Spanish) that we will use at VBSes. One was about a little bird and was similar to a song we learned last year, Hay Una Melodia, in the actions. Another song we learned was the Spanish version of Every Move I Make. The final song, I am guessing, is about Super Heroes and how Jesus should be our superhero. They will take a bit of practice (and by bit I mean every free moment I have between now and Christmas[remember, dancing is not one of my spiritual gifts]). Thankfully Libby is an amazing dancer and is willing to help me. (:
That is about it. So, goodnight. Abi
After lunch, another baked potato bar, we learned one of the skits we will be performing/teaching. I believe it is called "Everything". If you want to see it, youtube: lifehouse everything - drama. Of course, we are switching it up a bit but the concept is the same. When we perform it, I am a person with money.
After dinner, hamburgers off the grill, we went up to the dts classroom and learned a few songs (and by songs, I mean a song that also has dance moves which are supposed to be performed in synchronization to singing the song in Spanish) that we will use at VBSes. One was about a little bird and was similar to a song we learned last year, Hay Una Melodia, in the actions. Another song we learned was the Spanish version of Every Move I Make. The final song, I am guessing, is about Super Heroes and how Jesus should be our superhero. They will take a bit of practice (and by bit I mean every free moment I have between now and Christmas[remember, dancing is not one of my spiritual gifts]). Thankfully Libby is an amazing dancer and is willing to help me. (:
That is about it. So, goodnight. Abi
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The first Sunday
Well, this morning, I was woken up at about 7:30 by noisy children (from the sleepover-see yesterday's post). That wouldn't normally be a problem except for the fact that the kids didn't actually fall asleep until somewhere around 1:30. And, we weren't leaving for church until 9:30. Yeah... Anyways, the sleepover was fun. Some of those kids really like Justin Bieber (for those of you who are out of the loop- Youtube him, and for those of you who don't know how to use Youtube, you are out of luck), luckily for me I have his cds on my computer so we had a dance party.
Anyways, this morning we went to church. It was a spanish church (obviously...) but they offered in-ear translations. This means that they gave us non-spanish speaking attendees a pair of headphones and a little black device through which an undisclosed person translated the service to us. Thus, we were able to understand the sermon, which was about perseverance.
This church had pretty decent music too. Thankfully, they sang songs that also have english versions so we weren't all completely lost. The church was actually pretty technologically advanced comparitively. They had several display screens and they actually offered podcasts of the service.
Anyways, I am tired (see the first paragraph) so I think I will rest for a bit.
Oh, here is my address if anyone would like to send me a letter or anything. Be aware that it will take a while to reach me because it is routing through San Diego.
YWAM San Diego/Baja
Abi Kesler (Ensenada)
100 W 35th St Suite C
National City, CA 91950
Anyways, TTYL Abi
Anyways, this morning we went to church. It was a spanish church (obviously...) but they offered in-ear translations. This means that they gave us non-spanish speaking attendees a pair of headphones and a little black device through which an undisclosed person translated the service to us. Thus, we were able to understand the sermon, which was about perseverance.
This church had pretty decent music too. Thankfully, they sang songs that also have english versions so we weren't all completely lost. The church was actually pretty technologically advanced comparitively. They had several display screens and they actually offered podcasts of the service.
Anyways, I am tired (see the first paragraph) so I think I will rest for a bit.
Oh, here is my address if anyone would like to send me a letter or anything. Be aware that it will take a while to reach me because it is routing through San Diego.
YWAM San Diego/Baja
Abi Kesler (Ensenada)
100 W 35th St Suite C
National City, CA 91950
Anyways, TTYL Abi
Saturday, June 5, 2010
My first Saturday
Today, being Saturday, was a lazy day. I slept in until 9:30, which does mean I missed breakfast but that is ok because there is always bread and fruit available for a snack.
And actually, some of the people went to watch the Baja 500 which is today. I didn't really want to go though because I find cars and racing practically pointless.
Those of us who didn't go to see the race went out to a taco stand for lunch. I had a fish taco, a shrimp taco and a coke. I have had fish tacos before and I love them, but today was the first time I had tasted a shrimp taco and it was delicious. The shrimp were deep fried and topped with some sort of sauce (I think it was sour cream but I wasn't sure) and cabbage.
Tonight, there is a sleepover party for all of the kids that live on the base. There is actually quite a few of them. Levi, Asher, Noah, Tiana and Micah Kemp, Jeanette, Corey and Sophia Ochoa, and Joey and Emily Moss are the kids that live on the base. There are other kids whose parents work on base, but they live elsewhere. I am planning on helping with that for most of the evening, when I am not doing other things with the other MA staff.
Well I am going to go to walmart now so ttyl. Abi
And actually, some of the people went to watch the Baja 500 which is today. I didn't really want to go though because I find cars and racing practically pointless.
Those of us who didn't go to see the race went out to a taco stand for lunch. I had a fish taco, a shrimp taco and a coke. I have had fish tacos before and I love them, but today was the first time I had tasted a shrimp taco and it was delicious. The shrimp were deep fried and topped with some sort of sauce (I think it was sour cream but I wasn't sure) and cabbage.
Tonight, there is a sleepover party for all of the kids that live on the base. There is actually quite a few of them. Levi, Asher, Noah, Tiana and Micah Kemp, Jeanette, Corey and Sophia Ochoa, and Joey and Emily Moss are the kids that live on the base. There are other kids whose parents work on base, but they live elsewhere. I am planning on helping with that for most of the evening, when I am not doing other things with the other MA staff.
Well I am going to go to walmart now so ttyl. Abi
Friday, June 4, 2010
One Voice
This morning after breakfast, the Ensenada base participated in One Voice. One Voice is where multiple YWAM bases in a multitude of countries come together through video streaming for worship. Today, the groups that participated were located in: Ensenada (duh), Chile, Argentina, Brazil, England, Switzerland, Nashville, and one more whose name escapes me. I think there was a total of about 335 people that participated.
It was really cool to be able to see a bunch of people who don't speak the same language come together to worship the God who unites us all. There were some technical difficulties that caused some annoyance but overall it was great. Each of the different locations took a turn leading a few songs.
We were lucky because it was 8 am here when it started. Some of the groups got up in the middle of their night to meet with us all. It was an amazingly epic experience.
After One Voice was done, the MA staff met and a guy named Mitch spoke with us about team unity. I was really glad he did that because I think that in order for the 11 (soon to be 12) of us to make an effective team, we need to be able to be united with each other. At the end, we all made a commitment to each other to give the best of ourselves to the others in our group.
I think we are going to have a great summer.
Hasta Manana! Abi
P.S. I forgot to talk about Jacob in my post yesterday. I wasn't sure that he was going to be a part of our MA staff.
Jacob: aged 16, looks about 20 (its the beard and dread locks), originally from England, currently lives on base with his family, plays bass in the band sometimes, nice guy.
Adios for real now! Abi
It was really cool to be able to see a bunch of people who don't speak the same language come together to worship the God who unites us all. There were some technical difficulties that caused some annoyance but overall it was great. Each of the different locations took a turn leading a few songs.
We were lucky because it was 8 am here when it started. Some of the groups got up in the middle of their night to meet with us all. It was an amazingly epic experience.
After One Voice was done, the MA staff met and a guy named Mitch spoke with us about team unity. I was really glad he did that because I think that in order for the 11 (soon to be 12) of us to make an effective team, we need to be able to be united with each other. At the end, we all made a commitment to each other to give the best of ourselves to the others in our group.
I think we are going to have a great summer.
Hasta Manana! Abi
P.S. I forgot to talk about Jacob in my post yesterday. I wasn't sure that he was going to be a part of our MA staff.
Jacob: aged 16, looks about 20 (its the beard and dread locks), originally from England, currently lives on base with his family, plays bass in the band sometimes, nice guy.
Adios for real now! Abi
Thursday, June 3, 2010
People here
Today, I will start by telling about the other Mission Adventure Summer Staffers (like myself).
Currently, there are 5 girls:
Me: aged 17 3/4 from Bemidji MN
Hailey: aged 23 (i think) from Red Bluff California, finished her DTS a while ago, pretty nice
Fernanda: aged 22 from here in Ensenada or nearby here, also pretty nice
Libby: aged 20 (i think) from somewhere in England, cool accent, just finished her DTS
Beth: aged 20ish (i think) Also from somewhere in England, also has a sweet accent, just finished her DTS with Libby= they are really close
And our 6th girl arriving on june 9th (happy birthday Laura) is Megan: aged early 17, also from somewhere in England, good friends with Libby and Beth
And the male type humanoids, currently numbering 5:
Caleb: aged 16, originally from Canada, living in Tijuana (makes for some interesting futbol rivalries~he is from TJ but staffing in Ensenada) fairly cool
Alex: aged 19, from sacramento, was also summer staff last summer so i knew him, kind of a goof ball
Ivan: aged 19, from Ensenada, on the DTS with Beth and Libby=good friends with them, not too bad
Matt: aged 20, from Red Bluff, worked @ TJ base last summer, friends with Hailey, was with when I was picked up at the airport, quite the gentleman
Adam: aged 23, from England (lots of Brits around here), was also with at the airport, only staying for 7 weeks, nice guy
There are other people that I have met but I am getting tired of typing.
I would tell what we did today but it wasn't too exciting: just cleaning up the base, decorating and cleaning the worship hall, eating food, and chillaxing.
Anyways, I am going to go be social so ttyl. Abi
Currently, there are 5 girls:
Me: aged 17 3/4 from Bemidji MN
Hailey: aged 23 (i think) from Red Bluff California, finished her DTS a while ago, pretty nice
Fernanda: aged 22 from here in Ensenada or nearby here, also pretty nice
Libby: aged 20 (i think) from somewhere in England, cool accent, just finished her DTS
Beth: aged 20ish (i think) Also from somewhere in England, also has a sweet accent, just finished her DTS with Libby= they are really close
And our 6th girl arriving on june 9th (happy birthday Laura) is Megan: aged early 17, also from somewhere in England, good friends with Libby and Beth
And the male type humanoids, currently numbering 5:
Caleb: aged 16, originally from Canada, living in Tijuana (makes for some interesting futbol rivalries~he is from TJ but staffing in Ensenada) fairly cool
Alex: aged 19, from sacramento, was also summer staff last summer so i knew him, kind of a goof ball
Ivan: aged 19, from Ensenada, on the DTS with Beth and Libby=good friends with them, not too bad
Matt: aged 20, from Red Bluff, worked @ TJ base last summer, friends with Hailey, was with when I was picked up at the airport, quite the gentleman
Adam: aged 23, from England (lots of Brits around here), was also with at the airport, only staying for 7 weeks, nice guy
There are other people that I have met but I am getting tired of typing.
I would tell what we did today but it wasn't too exciting: just cleaning up the base, decorating and cleaning the worship hall, eating food, and chillaxing.
Anyways, I am going to go be social so ttyl. Abi
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Orientation day
Today, we were intorduced to some of the special areas on the base. First we saw the hospitality room which is where all the cleaning supplies and extra bedding are kept. Then we went to one of the rooms and Amy, the person in charge of hospitality, showed us how she expected the rooms to be cleaned. Thankfully, our main role in cleaning the rooms is to tell the students staying there how to clean it. I am good at supervising and delegating.(; Of course, if they don't do a satisfactory job, then we have to clean the room ourselves.
After that, we were introduced to the kitchen. I didn't really need an intro though because I helped cut up fruit the first night when I was bored. That didn't take too long.
Then we had free time and lunch, which was a baked potato bar and salad.
After lunch, we had some more free time so I called my mom, grandma and sisters and chatted for a bit.
Then, we split up into a group making a photo board and a group planning some skits. I went with the skit group. We didn't really get much accomplished though because noone really had any stellar ideas. I think we will be meeting tomorrow to brainstorm some more.
Now, I am just waiting for supper.
And I don't remember what we are doing for the rest of the day so I will find out and report it at a later time.
Tomorrow, I will take some time and tell about the other MA staff. Right now, I am gonna go do other things.
TTYL Abi
After that, we were introduced to the kitchen. I didn't really need an intro though because I helped cut up fruit the first night when I was bored. That didn't take too long.
Then we had free time and lunch, which was a baked potato bar and salad.
After lunch, we had some more free time so I called my mom, grandma and sisters and chatted for a bit.
Then, we split up into a group making a photo board and a group planning some skits. I went with the skit group. We didn't really get much accomplished though because noone really had any stellar ideas. I think we will be meeting tomorrow to brainstorm some more.
Now, I am just waiting for supper.
And I don't remember what we are doing for the rest of the day so I will find out and report it at a later time.
Tomorrow, I will take some time and tell about the other MA staff. Right now, I am gonna go do other things.
TTYL Abi
First official day
Well, today was my first official day on base. It wasn't half bad. I slept through breakfast which was from 7:30 to 8. I needed the sleep more. Thankfully they always have bread and peanut butter and jelly available. Then, we had a time of worship and then took care of some paperwork. After lunch we talked about the fundamental beliefs of ywam and played some "getting to know you" games. They were quite entertaining. This evening, we all drove to Tijuana for a futbol game between the Ensenada base team and the Tijuana base team. Ensenada beat Tj in the last minute. I can't say that I enjoyed watching a sport that I am clueless about but I did enjoy holding Samuel, a 3 month old whose mother was with the Tj group. He was adorable. Then on our way back to Ensenada, we stopped at a strip mall food court and got a late supper.
Basically, that is what I did today. There was other stuff but that is the major part. Anyways, Adios Amigos y Amigas. Abi
Basically, that is what I did today. There was other stuff but that is the major part. Anyways, Adios Amigos y Amigas. Abi
Monday, May 31, 2010
Ensenada
Well, I made it. The flight was uneventful. After I got picked up, we went to In&Out Burger. (We being me, Kathy-the person who picked us up, Matt-a guy from somewhere in northern California, and Adam-a guy from somewhere in England) It was good.
The drive here seemed to take forever especially because we stopped several times. We made it though.
For the most part, nothing has changed on the base except that they got rid of the game room )= Oh well. I will get over it.
Right now, everything is really confusing here because there are still people here from the DTS. Some of them are leaving but I'm not sure which ones. Also, alot of the people are from other places i.e. Canada, New Zealand, England, Switzerland and I'm not sure where else, so there is a lot of different accents that makes understanding what people are saying a lot complicated. Tomorrow though, we start our training so hopefully things will get straightened out a bit.
Well, I am going to go socialize so TTFN, Abi
The drive here seemed to take forever especially because we stopped several times. We made it though.
For the most part, nothing has changed on the base except that they got rid of the game room )= Oh well. I will get over it.
Right now, everything is really confusing here because there are still people here from the DTS. Some of them are leaving but I'm not sure which ones. Also, alot of the people are from other places i.e. Canada, New Zealand, England, Switzerland and I'm not sure where else, so there is a lot of different accents that makes understanding what people are saying a lot complicated. Tomorrow though, we start our training so hopefully things will get straightened out a bit.
Well, I am going to go socialize so TTFN, Abi
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Oh boy!!!! Get ready for a wild ride.
Well, so far, I have made it to Minneapolis without any major problems, so praise God for that. And I don't think I forgot anything!!! Tonight I am staying at my aunt's house in the cities. Tomorrow morning, my plane leaves at 6:13 am. That means that I will have to be to the airport by 4:00am to allow plenty of time to make it through security and find my gate. To get there at 4, I will need to leave my aunt's house by about 3:30. In order to be able to leave at 3:30, I will probably need to get up by about 2:45 am. I am seriously wondering whether it would be better to just not bother going to sleep at all. JUST KIDDING! I definitely need sleep tonight especially since I only got about 4 hours last night due to the senior party. I am actually contemplating going to sleep right now but I can't because I need to spend some time with my family, which I should be doing right now so TTFN.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Packing
Well, it is the day before I leave to drive to Minneapolis and i should be frantically packing but, i really don't feel like it. I guess i had better do it anyways. (=
Monday, May 24, 2010
Pre-Ensenada Jitters
Well, its Monday May 24 and in about 7 days, I will be on my way to Ensenada!!! I have yet to begin packing but I do have an extensive list compiled so I'm not too worried yet.
I am so thankful that my support has come in rather quickly. Thank you to everyone who supported me on my trip.
I will continue to update this blog throughout the summer so feel free to visit again. (;
Adios Amigos y Amigas!!!
Abi <3
I am so thankful that my support has come in rather quickly. Thank you to everyone who supported me on my trip.
I will continue to update this blog throughout the summer so feel free to visit again. (;
Adios Amigos y Amigas!!!
Abi <3
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