Bellevue Church Team

(Written Thursday)

Tuesday

We had a very productive day on Tuesday. Our team preapared a field for planting grass. This was a multistep process, which came as a surprise to us. First, we raked the ground to remove the rocks and transported the rocks with a wheel barrow. Then one of the staff members sprayed the ground with a pesticide and scattered the seeds. After that, we raked more dirt over the seeds. Then we used shovels to sprinkle sand on top. It was a good day of work and we really worked up an appetite at lunch time. We joined the kids for lunch and had refried beans on crispy tortillas with shredded chicken. It was very yummy! After lunch we helped the kids to make bracelets with their names. They loved them!

Then we joined the staff for their weekly meeting and worship. The staff here worship fervently and we were all moved by their worship. They thanked us for coming and then laid hands on us and prayed for us. I was overwhelmed with the presence of God. People were praying over us and sharing what God has laid on their hearts to share with us. It was very emotional for us and we were so grateful for the opportunity to worship with them.

This trip has really helped us to focus on God. We have no distractions and really see how God is moving here. The orphanage is getting ready for their inauguration celebration for the dormitories , so this is a really special time for them.

After we left the orphanage, we went home and Courtney and Matt made us spaghetti and salad for dinner. Then we did some devotions and got ready for bed. One funny thing happened after Brad and I went upstairs. All of the sudden, Brian jumped and squealed. Then we heard a loud scream from Lauren and Courtney. They saw a spider that was about the size of a golf ball!

Wednesday

Yesterday, we learned about how to sponsor a child and then the staff took us to the market in downtown Puebla. We visited the capital building and a large catholic church nearby. Then we went through the market and stopped by a place that makes beautiful pottery. We had a tour of the facility and saw artisans making new pieces. Then we went shopping and bought a few things to take back to Pittsburgh.

We went to the orphanage for lunch with the kids and then worked on making a banner and a lip dub video with kids. They really responded well to being on video and we are really excited to put the final video together. We taught them the song, Mighty to Save in Spanish and they walk through the facilities as they sing it, so it looks a lot like a music video.

After that, we went home for a quick dinner made by Lauren and Brian. We had chicken salads with cesar dressing and it was delicious! Then we went to church with the staff for another worship service. We heard from a missionary who planted a church in another city in Mexico. A staff member interpreted for us. We got home around 9.30 and were completely exhausted, but it was a great day!

Bellevue Christian Church Team

(Written Tuesday)

Saturday

We arrived safely at the airport in Mexico City around 12.30 p.m. Nancy, a staff member of Esperanza Viva, met us there and we boarded a bus for a two hour ride to Puebla. The bus was very nice, kind of like a coach bus with TVs and radio. We were very quickly immersed into Mexican culture with the music, overhearing Spanish conversations, and seeing the beautiful sights on our bus ride. I was surprised to see so many mountains and hillsides. It was a very sunny day and the temperature lingered in the 70s because of the high altitude.
Alejandra, our missions coordinator, met us at the bus station in Puebla and gave us a ride in one of the orphanage vans to the house where we are staying. The house is a lot like a townhouse in a gated community, so it is very safe. We are the first group to stay in this house. We unpacked and ate some tostadas, a Mexican style sandwich. After dinner we played Spot It, Spoons, and 500. Then we did a devotion which Matt led. He read Matthew 6, verses 19 through 25. It was a great start for our trip.

Sunday

On Sunday, we got up around 7 a.m. to shower and make breakfast, French toast. Sandra picked us up at 9.45 to drive us to Nations Church, which was about a 45 minute drive. The church service was very moving even though we didn’t understand the Spanish worship songs, but we felt Gods presence. The church was filled with people from the orphanage and surrounding community. During the sermon, we were taken to a room in the back and one of the staff members interpreted for us. After church, we went for a tour of the orphanage facilities. Courtney and Matt were amazed at the difference from what they saw during their trip last year.
We at lunch with the children there. At first, they were shy, but we mixed in with them at the tables and shared lots of smiles. Then we went on a tour of Cholula, a town with a pyramid that is covered by grass and trees. It looks like a mountain, but you can take a tour through the underground pyramid. Unfortunately, the underground tours closed 15 minutes before we got there. But we did get to tour the outside ruins and the nearby market. Courtney was quite a trooper wither her sprained ankle. She sprained it two days before we left. For dinner, Lauren and Brian made rice and chicken fingers and it was delicious! We aren’t allowed to eat out for fear that we will get sick, but we do get to eat authentic food at the orphanage.

Monday

Our first day of work was great! We pulled weeds in the brick sidewalks all around the facility and then filled the cracks with a mixture of sand and cement. The orphanage is getting ready for a ribbon cutting ceremony so we will be doing lots of projects to prepare the grounds for the celebration. We breaked for lunch at 2 p.m. and ate with the kids. We had rice and beans and guayaba juice. Then we played with the kids for a few hours. Matt, Brian, and Brad played soccer with the older boys and Courtney, Lauren, and I led the girls and younger boys in some crafts. We made name signs, tambourines, and played with sidewalk chalk on the basket ball court. The children were so sweet and kept speaking to us in Spanish. We did our best to communicate with them using a few Spanish words here and there and lots of gestures. We left the orphanage around 5 p.m. to go home and make dinner. Brad and I made burgers and fries. Then we had devotions with Alejandra and Emily, who also works at the orphanage.