10/30/08 - A Visit from Suncreek

It's been a busy two weeks since I last posted an update! My mission trip buddy, Janet Hunt, and a team from Suncreek United Methodist Church arrived last week to complete the construction of a room for the De La Torre family. This family of seven live in a small one room home that has just one bunk bed (a double bed on the bottom and a twin bed on top). Their sweet grandma (abuela) lives next door. The three youngest boys - Felipe (9), Samuel (7), and Martin (4) have an illness called Hunter's Syndrome. This illness results in developmental abnormalities, skeletal deformations, mental retardation, and, in many cases, early death. The De La Torre family has already lost two children to this disease. It was such a pleasure for our team to bless this family with a second room and they were so appreciative! I have had these boys and this family on my mind all week. Please keep them in your prayers!

Martin drove the Suncreek team and I to the market in downtown Juarez on Saturday afternoon. Although there weren't many people shopping, we felt very safe. A couple of the vendors we've known for years told us that there are undercover security guards working in the market, but there hasn't been any incidents. I realize that there is a lot of coverage on the news about the violence in Juarez, but honestly it doesn't seem any different than it has for the past five years. We walked to the store for ice cream one evening and we were not nervous or worried at all.


I spent all day Tuesday and Wednesday of this week working with two of our favorite maestros (Oscar and Ernesto). With cinder blocks paid for by Suncreek UMC, we built a wall around the back yard at the home of a family that attends our church here. Javier and his wife, Oralia, were so happy to receive this gift! Javier is blind and has been unable to find employment for quite some time. Oralia works at a factory here in Juarez. They have an adorable six year old daughter who loves to sing at church. Oralia insisted on cooking breakfast and lunch for us both days. I ate lentils for the first time in my life!!! While waiting for more blocks to arrive on Tuesday afternoon, I spent an hour or so talking with Javier - in spanish!! We laughed and sang and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. I am really glad that I was able to get to know this family!


Today I spent most of my day doing laundry. It sure takes a long time to dry clothes on a clothesline, but they smell great after drying in the sun and wind! When there are no teams here, it's very quiet, but there is always a couple of girls (Eva and Erika) looking for attention from me!



It's hard to believe that I've been here for almost five weeks! I'm looking forward to a visit to Allen in three weeks. It will be nice to celebrate Thanksgiving at home! Although I miss my kids, my dogs, and my friends very much, I am thoroughly enjoying the work we are doing here! I received a card last week and I loved what it said -

"Work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long, the pay is low, but the retirement benefits are out of this world!"

Until the next time, Dios te bendiga!

Rita

It's a Beautiful Day in Juarez - October 14, 2008

I would like to thank Bill Ball Jr. for his help in getting this blog started for me! Without Bill's assistance, keeping in touch with all of you in this way, would not have been possible!

It's a beautiful fall day here in Juarez! After a very cloudy and cool morning, it has warmed up to the mid 60's and the sun is shining.

I worked with a team from RockPointe Church in Flower Mound this past weekend to build two cinder block homes. The team consisted of seven adults, a college student, two high school students and three middle school youth. One home was built for a family of three (with another baby on the way). The second home went to a family of 13 (grandparents, their three children, and their grandchildren)! Can you imagine 13 people living in one cardboard house?!!!! They were so happy and thankful for the gift of a new home. This was the first family mission trip for RockPointe Church, but they hope to make it an annual event. It makes me so happy to see others fall in love with the people of Juarez, just as I did five years ago.

I attended the Sunday afternoon service at our new church called Sublime Gracia (Amazing Grace) in Loma Blanca. The church building is in the early stages of completion with the walls and concrete floor just partially finished. It was a great experience to sing songs and listen to the sermon in the open air, with the wind blowing and birds flying overhead. There were about 30 in attendance this week, but we plan to visit people living in this neighborhood to invite them to join us on future Sunday afternoons.

We are expecting another delivery of food items tomorrow for the Food Bank. I hope to receive training this week on the preferred method of packaging the donations for dispensing to families in need.

I went to El Paso one day last week with Jose Luis and I was able to open a bank account and get a P.O. Box. If you ever want to send me a note, the address is

Rita Thomas
P.O. Box 17533
El Paso, Texas 79917-7533

Email - thomasr1@tx.rr.com

Thank you for your prayers and support. They are appreciated more than you know.

Until the next time, Dios te bendiga!

Rita

Eva

I have included photos of my buddies, Eva and Erika. They keep me company and love to give lots of kisses! (Eva is the mother of Erika)

Erika

Week One - October 9, 2008

My first week in Juarez was a bit uneventful. I was very sick with bronchitis when we arrived here so I spent the first few days resting. I was concerned about not doing anything useful, but Jose Luis told me there will be plenty of time for me to work and that I just need to get well. I spent a great deal of time reading and thinking. I attended the Tuesday evening service at the Nuevo Pacto church and received such a warm welcome from the congregation. Although I miss my friends and family at home, I am very happy to be here!

Late on Friday afternoon, Oct. 3rd, we found out that a team was arriving that night from Chapel Hill UMC in Farmers Branch. On Saturday morning I worked with the team of four women and two men to begin building a home for a wonderful family (including grandparents, parents, and five children). We attended Sunday service at Nuevo Pacto church and after lunch headed back to the work site. With help from the maestros (and despite cool, rainy weather) we finished the walls and the floor this afternoon. We completed the roof on Monday morning and then had the dedication of the home where we shared communion with the family as the first meal in their new home.

On Tuesday morning, 10/7, Juana and Alfredo Flores and I attended the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Before and After school program in Loma Blanca. We are looking into the possibility of starting a similar program at the Nuevo Pacto church for children ages 4 to 12. Hours of operation will be 5:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The city will pay a nominal monthly fee for each child so that we are able to offer breakfast and lunch for them each day. This program will provide a safe place for children of working parents to come before and after school where they can study/do homework and most importantly keep them off of the streets. Our hope is to eventually have a building near the existing medical clinic in which we can expand this program.

The Mormon church here in Juarez has donated items for starting a Food Bank. We are using one of the dorms here at the Proyecto Abrigo compound to sort and store the food. Plans are to package the donations in bags to dispense to those in need.

A team from Flower Mound arrived tonight, Oct. 9th. The team includes adults and youth and I will work with them on the construction of two homes this weekend. I am really looking forward to working with the adult mission team from Suncreek UMC in a couple weeks too!

There are so many exciting projects underway and I am very grateful for the opportunity to help. It truly brings joy to my heart to be a part of the wonderful ministry of Proyecto Abrigo.

Dios te bendiga!

Rita