Mexico Wrap Up
For those of you anxious blog readers, I'm sorry that there was no phone connection (and therefore no way to update the blog) in Anapra.
So for those of you waiting with bated breath, here is the Mexico report.
I'll start with some general observations/comparisons to previous years.
We had more weather to deal with on this trip than ever before. We've had rain before, but not like we had this time. One night, after we had opened up the roof, we got a huge thunderstorm that dumped a ton of water. Much of that water ended up coming in through our ceilings and onto the floors. That "fun" night only seemed to strengthen the team.
And speaking of team, this group of 11 people were some of the best servant hearted people I've had the priviledge of calling friends. I don't think I heard a short word from anyone (although I'm reminded that I wasn't on the trip across the border to get shingles).
The work went extremely well. We got a step past what I had hoped for. The first two days we spent opening up the two existing roofs, making 4 additional trusses, and setting all of the trusses.
We then had to make two valleys, one on each side of our new roof, to tie into the existing roofs.
We had a problem getting all of our building materials at one time so we did lose some time waiting for materials. Figure it this way, though, a building project (house) in Anapra involves 6 sheets of OSB and our roof involved 120 sheets!
After sheeting the roof, we spent some time straightening our walls and closing in the gable ends. After the shingle run noted above we finally had all of our shingles on site. With the help of a Mexican compressor we were able to lay shingles pretty fast. When all was said and done, we got the roof on, and the gables closed in!
We used a Bible study that God gave me back in November and which I wrote while in Wisconsin titled Deep Inside. I'll let one of the college participants share her reaction to our spiritual growth: 'It was a real learning experience for me and I feel that it has helped me grow spiritually. I feel more accepting of different things now. I also really appreciate all I have and am trying not to take things for granted. It was just so different coming back home and having things that I didn’t have for the whole time I was gone. Th reverse culture shock that you mentioned is really there and 'coming down the mountain top' isn't as easy as it seems. I am more content with just sitting and just paying attention to my surroundings and just watching everything God has created. I have tried driving with out the radio so I can think and it is really peaceful and nice. Just having that alone time. It is something that I am going to try and keep doing. I still am trying to keep a journal as a way to reflect on the events of the past day to really notice everything God has done in my life. I have left with more then I thought I would from this trip. It has changed me more then I thought I was. I went there to change Mexico and it ended up changing me in the process. I have noticed by talking with some people that it is hard for them to comprehend and understand everything that we did. Some just don't get it. It is an experience and a trip that I will never forget. There will always be a part of my heart and a part of me in Mexico.' There was truly a lot of deep sharing, deep fellowship, and deep spiritual growth on this trip. God be praised!
I was very deeply moved, and will never forget, that first Sunday when the congregation processed for the first time into their new church following an oak and walnut cross that I built out of wood from Caro (the walnut came from our church property). It was a great day of celebration, and very moving for me to see the dream of a new sanctuary become reality!
The End
So for those of you waiting with bated breath, here is the Mexico report.
I'll start with some general observations/comparisons to previous years.
We had more weather to deal with on this trip than ever before. We've had rain before, but not like we had this time. One night, after we had opened up the roof, we got a huge thunderstorm that dumped a ton of water. Much of that water ended up coming in through our ceilings and onto the floors. That "fun" night only seemed to strengthen the team.
And speaking of team, this group of 11 people were some of the best servant hearted people I've had the priviledge of calling friends. I don't think I heard a short word from anyone (although I'm reminded that I wasn't on the trip across the border to get shingles).
The work went extremely well. We got a step past what I had hoped for. The first two days we spent opening up the two existing roofs, making 4 additional trusses, and setting all of the trusses.
We then had to make two valleys, one on each side of our new roof, to tie into the existing roofs.
We had a problem getting all of our building materials at one time so we did lose some time waiting for materials. Figure it this way, though, a building project (house) in Anapra involves 6 sheets of OSB and our roof involved 120 sheets!
After sheeting the roof, we spent some time straightening our walls and closing in the gable ends. After the shingle run noted above we finally had all of our shingles on site. With the help of a Mexican compressor we were able to lay shingles pretty fast. When all was said and done, we got the roof on, and the gables closed in!
We used a Bible study that God gave me back in November and which I wrote while in Wisconsin titled Deep Inside. I'll let one of the college participants share her reaction to our spiritual growth: 'It was a real learning experience for me and I feel that it has helped me grow spiritually. I feel more accepting of different things now. I also really appreciate all I have and am trying not to take things for granted. It was just so different coming back home and having things that I didn’t have for the whole time I was gone. Th reverse culture shock that you mentioned is really there and 'coming down the mountain top' isn't as easy as it seems. I am more content with just sitting and just paying attention to my surroundings and just watching everything God has created. I have tried driving with out the radio so I can think and it is really peaceful and nice. Just having that alone time. It is something that I am going to try and keep doing. I still am trying to keep a journal as a way to reflect on the events of the past day to really notice everything God has done in my life. I have left with more then I thought I would from this trip. It has changed me more then I thought I was. I went there to change Mexico and it ended up changing me in the process. I have noticed by talking with some people that it is hard for them to comprehend and understand everything that we did. Some just don't get it. It is an experience and a trip that I will never forget. There will always be a part of my heart and a part of me in Mexico.' There was truly a lot of deep sharing, deep fellowship, and deep spiritual growth on this trip. God be praised!
I was very deeply moved, and will never forget, that first Sunday when the congregation processed for the first time into their new church following an oak and walnut cross that I built out of wood from Caro (the walnut came from our church property). It was a great day of celebration, and very moving for me to see the dream of a new sanctuary become reality!
The End
posted by Greg Arnett at 11:44 AM
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