Thursday, 3/27 - pictures at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=2020239&id=1296262065
It dawned another great day but as we ate breakfast we could see a bank of smog rolling across the city. However, as the smog approached us, a wind picked up and the smog dissipated. The team was all up and working by 8:00. We skipped team meeting and worship so that we could focus on completing our projects. Everyone was pretty excited about having the afternoon to spend at the beach shopping. By 11:30.JPG)
we wrapped up the final work and cleaned everything up. In addition to finishing painting the parsonage and painting the trim on the church, Jimmy successfully installed a light and Jason put a new door on the outside bathroom. Robin and a crew pulled weeds and picked up stuff all over the grounds, Wyatt and Tyler painted over a taggers handiwork and Mitchell and I spent the morning hanging upside down on the back of the church replacing facia boards. Last night one of the kitchen ladies brought her son (4 years old?) and he leapt into the sandbox in the new playground so the gray van men were able to see their time and effort payoff. .JPG)
We had sack lunches and were on the road to Rosarito by 12:30. It’s a beautiful 45 minute drive out of Tijuana and along the ocean. As soon as we parked we split into two groups – one to go shopping and one headed to the beach for football with the intention of meeting back at the cars at 5:00 to find a place for dinner. After a couple of hours of football, the sweaty, sandy and sore group headed to the shopping area. The shopping area is about a 2 square block collection of around 100 small sh
ops carrying about 25% of the same stuff for about the same price. It’s great fun to watch people hone their negotiation skills to varying degrees of success. Everyone is quick to compare purchases and prices and oohh and ahhh over the people who got the best prices. The hot item among the boys this year was what Brandon termed “goat coats”. I used to know them as Jergas. It’s like a hoodie made out of rough material. We went around and around the shops pitting the shop owners against each other for prices. The cost started at $25 each and I think most of the guys ended up paying $10. What fun!
The two groups met up a couple of times in the shopping area and folks changed from one group to the next. Finally at 5:00 we all came together at an outdoor taco stand and enjoyed a feast of carne asada, fish and pork tacos, tortas and burritos accompanied by ice cold soda out of glass bottles. The 29 of us ate our fill for a total of $96. Great value! After ice cream at another little shop, we loaded the vehicles at around 6:00 for the drive back to Tijuana. Our goal for the evening was to get packed, load the vehicles and get the church cleaned up. We accomplished it in record time and had a powerful worship service at 8:30 with a message of thanks from Pastor Martin and Martha and many tears and hugs. They had put together packages of treats in a nice coffee cup which they presented to each team member. Pastor Martin talked about the year after next being the 10th year that we’d worked together and is planning on a celebration. Karen and Jane already have come up with a list of ideas on how we can mark the anniversary.
.JPG)
While some of the team enjoyed their last shower for a couple of days and cleaned the sand out of their hair, Andrew, Luis, Brandon, Robert and Jimmy entertained us with feats of magic, juggling and comedy. Wyatt demonstrated his double-jointed elbows and Tyler flipped his eye lids inside out. Pastor Martin, Martha and the kids left for the parsonage at about 10:30 after much laughing and camaraderie..JPG)
Our goal is to be on the road by 6:00 tomorrow morning (Mexico time which is 7 US time) so there is a lot of bitter sweet to the last night together as we don’t really have much chance for lengthy goodbyes Friday morning.
It dawned another great day but as we ate breakfast we could see a bank of smog rolling across the city. However, as the smog approached us, a wind picked up and the smog dissipated. The team was all up and working by 8:00. We skipped team meeting and worship so that we could focus on completing our projects. Everyone was pretty excited about having the afternoon to spend at the beach shopping. By 11:30
.JPG)
we wrapped up the final work and cleaned everything up. In addition to finishing painting the parsonage and painting the trim on the church, Jimmy successfully installed a light and Jason put a new door on the outside bathroom. Robin and a crew pulled weeds and picked up stuff all over the grounds, Wyatt and Tyler painted over a taggers handiwork and Mitchell and I spent the morning hanging upside down on the back of the church replacing facia boards. Last night one of the kitchen ladies brought her son (4 years old?) and he leapt into the sandbox in the new playground so the gray van men were able to see their time and effort payoff. .JPG)
We had sack lunches and were on the road to Rosarito by 12:30. It’s a beautiful 45 minute drive out of Tijuana and along the ocean. As soon as we parked we split into two groups – one to go shopping and one headed to the beach for football with the intention of meeting back at the cars at 5:00 to find a place for dinner. After a couple of hours of football, the sweaty, sandy and sore group headed to the shopping area. The shopping area is about a 2 square block collection of around 100 small sh
ops carrying about 25% of the same stuff for about the same price. It’s great fun to watch people hone their negotiation skills to varying degrees of success. Everyone is quick to compare purchases and prices and oohh and ahhh over the people who got the best prices. The hot item among the boys this year was what Brandon termed “goat coats”. I used to know them as Jergas. It’s like a hoodie made out of rough material. We went around and around the shops pitting the shop owners against each other for prices. The cost started at $25 each and I think most of the guys ended up paying $10. What fun!
The two groups met up a couple of times in the shopping area and folks changed from one group to the next. Finally at 5:00 we all came together at an outdoor taco stand and enjoyed a feast of carne asada, fish and pork tacos, tortas and burritos accompanied by ice cold soda out of glass bottles. The 29 of us ate our fill for a total of $96. Great value! After ice cream at another little shop, we loaded the vehicles at around 6:00 for the drive back to Tijuana. Our goal for the evening was to get packed, load the vehicles and get the church cleaned up. We accomplished it in record time and had a powerful worship service at 8:30 with a message of thanks from Pastor Martin and Martha and many tears and hugs. They had put together packages of treats in a nice coffee cup which they presented to each team member. Pastor Martin talked about the year after next being the 10th year that we’d worked together and is planning on a celebration. Karen and Jane already have come up with a list of ideas on how we can mark the anniversary.
.JPG)
While some of the team enjoyed their last shower for a couple of days and cleaned the sand out of their hair, Andrew, Luis, Brandon, Robert and Jimmy entertained us with feats of magic, juggling and comedy. Wyatt demonstrated his double-jointed elbows and Tyler flipped his eye lids inside out. Pastor Martin, Martha and the kids left for the parsonage at about 10:30 after much laughing and camaraderie.
.JPG)
Our goal is to be on the road by 6:00 tomorrow morning (Mexico time which is 7 US time) so there is a lot of bitter sweet to the last night together as we don’t really have much chance for lengthy goodbyes Friday morning.
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