June 2010 Work Trip
"Blog"
The fifth Amiguitos work team is in Veracruz June 5 - June 28, 2010 for
construction on the
Laguna center and 8 medical clinics. Below are
the brief
updates from the
team during the
work trip.
Please
scroll to the bottom to see the latest update
On Sunday May 23, 2010, at 9 PM, Curtis
Wait wrote:
The team of 38 people is gathering from the USA and Mexico
for construction and clinics.
Photos of
the team are posted. Over 30 volunteers started packing vitamins
today in Thornton, Colorado. Thank you
Pill
Packing Party!
Please keep the team in your prayers as we travel and prepare for
construction and the
clinics.
Click
here for more pictures from the June 2009 work trip
Click
here for more pictures from the Pill Packing Party!
Curtis
On Sunday June 6, 2010, at 9 PM,
Curtis
Wait wrote:
Yesterday the first wave from the USA arrived. Curtis,
Anne,
Alex, Dana, Vaughan, Riley, Lisa, Meg and Jerry. It is Goldi's
birthday and she was presented with a stuffed bear (a favorite
gift).
Unfortunately the medicine was once again detained by the customs
officials. Tomorrow (Monday), Bishop Benito wil work with
Customs to
liberate our medicine once again (repeat of December with some
variations).
Today, Sunday was a pill counting day and church in the local
school.
We handed out gifts and came back to enjoy pizza. Meg was a hit
has
the "balloon lady". Making shapes and dazzling children and
adults
alike.
Meg makes balloon
animals and attracts a long line of children
Oh, its hot (90 degree high and 80 degree low). However our
guest
house and rental house are well equipped with window air conditioners
(6 units total!!!!; ah yes).
Curtis
AND Meg wrote:
We made it safe and sound to Veracruz LATE last night. We've had
breakfast and now all are firing up
their computers to communicate. Thought I'd take a moment myself, to
let you all know I'm here. It's
already very color (HOT) and of course will be getting hotter. No
worries, I'm actually adapting pretty well. I opted for the one room in
the house that doesn't have an air conditioning unit in it, We have 2
fans for me and my roommate. I wanted this so that I could stay on a
more even keel and not be subject to too many extremes. I really think
this is going to be a good decision.
We are counting vitamins for future clinic times and just taking it
easy for now. We went to church this afternoon for service and
celebrations and dinner with our amigos aqui. Looking forward to it all!
We got in on time plane-wise at around 11pm Saturday night. We did not
leave the airport until about 1am due to problems with Aduana
(customs). Once again they were trying to give the group some trouble
with all the bags of medicine. They recently got a new director for
customs and he’s not familiar with the Amiguitos group. He stopped the
group in December for the first time. After a call to the bishop here,
who then called the governor, the medicine bags were finally cleared
after a couple of days. The Amiguitos organization were told that they
would not have any more problems with Aduana. Well, as we found out
last night, that isn’t true. So after calls to the bishop and all
again, we will have to wait a couple of days to get it all cleared.
Luckily, our clinics don’t begin until next week.
Because of our late arrival, we were able to sleep in a little and had
breakfast at 9 this morning. After cleaning up the dishes, there were
many little chores to keep our hands busy…stuffing treat bags for the
kids at church in the evening…counting some of the meds that are here
and putting them in smaller portions for the pharmacy….getting all
computers online.
Riley, Vaughan and
Dana get caught up on Facebook & email
Then it was time to eat again! Goldi is a wonderful hostess and a great
cook! She follows awesome hygeine for our eating, no one has ever
gotten sick on any of their previous missions, so you know she is doing
something right!
We we went to the local escuela (school) for church this evening. I'd
say there was about 15 adults and 30 kids there, not counting our group
which grew to 100 by the end of the service. Hearing an Episcopal
service in español wasn't too difficult manage. The community
was very
welcoming and when I brought out my balloons to do some twisting for
the kids, well let's just say I was the MOST welcomed! Balloon
animals
and flowers in any language will bring ALL kids and a few adults to at
least watch! I was in my element, had sweat running down my back and
face and....well, EVERWHERE! No problemo, I truly feel acclimated, even
if I went through about a gallon of water today.
Tomorrow will be a construction work day. We eat breakfast at 7am and
then a time of worship that I get to lead with one of the teenagers as
my assistant. (We all will have a chance to lead a worship on work days
(M-Th) I just get to start it off!) After worship, we head off to the
new community center that is in the process of being built to help
continue the building process.
Buenos noches!!
Click
here for more pictures
Love,
Meg
On Monday June 7, 2010, at 9:30 PM,
Alex
Wait wrote:
Today we started our construction. The first task was to
take down all that stood in our way.
Alex demolishes a
wall
Hammers and chisels took care of the building on our property. It
didn't take long for us to help it fall down all the way. In the
hight
of the Veracruz sun (which yes, is different than the sun that shines
in Colorado) swinging huge hammers made for a very stinky group.
Luckily it only took us a few hours to complete our task and we were
done before lunch. We had lunch in the center a few blocks away
then
came back to Goldi's house to join the rest of our group that stayed
behind to count the pills that we do have. A nice long cold
shower
later and that is my day till now. Tomorrow we start moving dirt
so we
can begin the construction of a second retaining wall (and by "we" I
mean the bulldozer, whoo hoo!).
The medicine was freed from the airport! Good job bishop!!
This message will self destruct in 5...4...3...2...1....[insert BOOM
here]
Click
here for more pictures
Alex
On Tuesday June 8, 2010, at 10:30 PM,
Riley Walker and Ali Lufkin are today's reporters:
Riley wrote:
No sooner had the sun's first rays peered over the horizon and
blanketed the lush Veracruz cityscape with it's burning embrace than
the Amiguitos Team (aka Team Edward) began its preperations for a day
of hard work, redemption, and honor. Team Edward had already proved
that concrete walls were no match for its crack team of demolition
experts, but even some obstacles (namely, a giant pile of dirt and
cement) are just too large for even the best to take down.
Dana "pumps up"
for some demolition work
Team Edward watched as a massive bulldozer tore into the hillside,
devouring houndreds of pounds of dirt in every bite. As they scraped
and shoveled gravel and other rubble from what was previously a wall,
the Team came across an interesting discovery. Among piles of old
decaying clothes and Spanish literature, the shovels collided with
porcelein. They had found a toilet. With one crash of the hammer, the
putrid potty was sent on to the next life, leaving only a smooth, white
stump and its foul stench behind. Before they knew it, the day was over
and Team Edward returned to their base - recharging and rejuvinating
for the next day's battle on the Amiguitos hill.
Riley
Ali wrote:
Yesterday was my first day on the worksite and my first day in the heat
here in Veracruz. I drove with Goldi in the truck (a gift from St
George's)to the worksite. All was going well through dirt roads, over
potholes, around corners, with Goldi guiding me "Derecho" for straight
ahead, "Esquierda" for left, and "derecha" for right (not to be
confused with "Derecho"). Then we came to a intersection. When I
finally got up the courage to cross the 4 lanes of traffic, I found
myself squeezing my eyes shut and going for the gas peddle. I managed
to open my eyes to see my way across the road. Goldi and I spoke the
few words, "Gracias a Dios!" and laughed. Goldi is generally serious
with all the work and dreams, so the laughter filled me with a sense of
connection. I realize I know little about this new friend,
Goldi. I
know she is a woman who is also a priest and who is, for some reason,
wanting to build a school and community center. We talk across
the
languages of our homes, and say little about the philosophies or
theologies of life. The language spoken here is mortar and brick
and
rebar... anti-parasite medications and hospitality to anyone who will
help her with her dream. That's more than enough.
I met a family today who showed us their home... kitchen the size of
our kitchen table, and one bedroom with only room for 2 beds, enough
for the whole family... over the beds hang clothes lines, but beautiful
fabric hanging as doors, bright paint visible where the weather has not
faded it, and tacos on the stove. The pride of the grandmothers
in
this home was clearly their 4 year old son, who is attending Goldi's
school. It occurred to me on the long, wordless walk home (100
degrees?) that this child's education is indeed a miracle in this
village. Even at 4 years, he is on his way to the gift of discovery.
Thank you Goldi. THanks Curtis. Thanks to everyone who moves dirt and
concrete and gravel to make this happen.
Click
here for more pictures
Ali
On Wednesday June 9, 2010, at 7:00 PM,
Jerry wrote:
We started out the day very hot. We finished the day even
hotter. But outside of that we went to the job site to do
the work
that is needed to build our new center. We weren't able to get
too
much done because the construction manager wasn't at the site
initially. After he got there it was decided that we need to move some
more dirt. This took until about 2 in the afternoon (with the
help of
our local earth mover).
More
earth is moved at the construction site
We were able to get some things completed. We cut the rebar and cut the
tie raps so we can start placing the rebar tomorrow.
We did get the dirt moved so we can start assembling the rebar.
Things are looking great for tomorrow.
Click
here for more pictures
Jerry
