hey guys and gals,
you may or may not know but i went on a Mission Trip to Mexico last week, which was really fun! I thought that since this is my first journal that i would tell you about my trip.
I left my hometown around 4am along with my youth leader Todd Short (he's 35), our interperater Isaac Munoz (he's probably 37), the worship leader Micha Jones (he's 21), our youth sponsers Jeff Jones (aka Dr. J...he's in his 50s), his wife Sue Jones (also in 50s), Rebecca Munoz (aka Becky...she's 19). And of course my wonderful youth group... me (16) , Melinda Jaarah (part arabic, my best freind...16), Richard (eighteen) and Ashton Miller(17) ( they are brothers) and Mario Rubio (13 and a hurricane katrina evacuee).
none of us got any sleep the night before because we were so excited...plus Melinda brought Expresso Beans. When we got on the road everyone was sleepy but no one wanted to sleep so at the first gas station we stopped at everyone got either a Starbucks Doubleshot, Starbucks Frappichino, or and energy drink (that was a very bad idea). the caffinee didn't kick in until we were half way there but i slept all the way to the mission house in Rio Grande City. When we got there it was 1pm so we just hung out at the mission house, the boys cabin didn't have air conditioning but the girls cabin was 60 degrees. The next day we met the other youth group that was staying with us...the girls names were Amanda Courville, Laura Fontenot, and Carrie Deltart; then we went into Mexico, our first stop was the dump...where people actually lived in cardboard, plastic, andPVC pipe...while we live in brick, wood, and concrete houses. Something that really touched me was that everyone there was happy! we handed out beans, rice and candy to them and then piled up back into our van (which Todd codenamed White Buffalo Warrior) and Dr. J into his blue truck (which Todd codenamed Blue Komodo Dragon) and went to a coloinal...which was a little better than the dump but not by much.
the next day was the same except we didn't go to the dump and that night we went to a mexican church...i didn't really understand what they were saying but it's all good. after church Doc the missionary took us to the borderline where our vehicles got stopped. the officer opened our door and told us to take out all our cameras. the only thing i was thinking was oh great someone took a picture (which was illegal at the bordercrossing)then he told us to get out of the van and to stand against the wall on the far right. Doc trying to be funny told us to put our hands against the wall and spread our legs that they were going to strip search us. I felt so sorry for Carrie...she actually fell for it and every one laughed at her. All the officers did was x-ray our vehicles for drugs and/or illegal immagrants. we all got back in the van and went down the road awhile to take pictures of the actual border line...i stood in two countries at once...then i stood in no man's land.
after the Mexico trip, which included eating at a nice Mexican resturant and shopping in the mexican marketplace we went to chill out in San Antonio...where we visited the Alamo, shopped in the 3 story mall, saw the sites...i felt like such a tourist! sweatdrop . The next day we went to Fiesta Texas...which was a bummer for me because i don't really ride rollar coasters (on the way there i got car sick) so i hung out with Todd's wife Mendi (30) and his daughter (1) who met up with us at San antonio and Mrs. Sue. I Rode the carousel with Nina Grace (Todd and Mendi's daughter) along with a toy train thing. Then Mrs. Sue, Dr. J, Mendi and Nina left so i hung out with the youth that loved rollar coasters, i followed them around all day, wating outside until the y were done riding a coasters. An hour before we had to leave i was like look i followed y'all around all day so ALL of you owe me one ride...so i dragged them to the Scooby-Doo haunted mansion thingy... we waited in line for an hour then we fillay got on (i then found out that this ride was like the Toy Story ride at Disneyin Florida, basically the object was to shoot the ghosts). i got the second highest score in our group (i had 1250 and Micha had 1500) that made me so mad! But anyways then we headed home that day (which was saturday) we got back to the church at 4am or so and slept. Then that Sunday we told the whole church of our experiences and went home...i'm still not caught up o my sleep.
Well toodles,
Hammi
you may or may not know but i went on a Mission Trip to Mexico last week, which was really fun! I thought that since this is my first journal that i would tell you about my trip.
I left my hometown around 4am along with my youth leader Todd Short (he's 35), our interperater Isaac Munoz (he's probably 37), the worship leader Micha Jones (he's 21), our youth sponsers Jeff Jones (aka Dr. J...he's in his 50s), his wife Sue Jones (also in 50s), Rebecca Munoz (aka Becky...she's 19). And of course my wonderful youth group... me (16) , Melinda Jaarah (part arabic, my best freind...16), Richard (eighteen) and Ashton Miller(17) ( they are brothers) and Mario Rubio (13 and a hurricane katrina evacuee).
none of us got any sleep the night before because we were so excited...plus Melinda brought Expresso Beans. When we got on the road everyone was sleepy but no one wanted to sleep so at the first gas station we stopped at everyone got either a Starbucks Doubleshot, Starbucks Frappichino, or and energy drink (that was a very bad idea). the caffinee didn't kick in until we were half way there but i slept all the way to the mission house in Rio Grande City. When we got there it was 1pm so we just hung out at the mission house, the boys cabin didn't have air conditioning but the girls cabin was 60 degrees. The next day we met the other youth group that was staying with us...the girls names were Amanda Courville, Laura Fontenot, and Carrie Deltart; then we went into Mexico, our first stop was the dump...where people actually lived in cardboard, plastic, andPVC pipe...while we live in brick, wood, and concrete houses. Something that really touched me was that everyone there was happy! we handed out beans, rice and candy to them and then piled up back into our van (which Todd codenamed White Buffalo Warrior) and Dr. J into his blue truck (which Todd codenamed Blue Komodo Dragon) and went to a coloinal...which was a little better than the dump but not by much.
the next day was the same except we didn't go to the dump and that night we went to a mexican church...i didn't really understand what they were saying but it's all good. after church Doc the missionary took us to the borderline where our vehicles got stopped. the officer opened our door and told us to take out all our cameras. the only thing i was thinking was oh great someone took a picture (which was illegal at the bordercrossing)then he told us to get out of the van and to stand against the wall on the far right. Doc trying to be funny told us to put our hands against the wall and spread our legs that they were going to strip search us. I felt so sorry for Carrie...she actually fell for it and every one laughed at her. All the officers did was x-ray our vehicles for drugs and/or illegal immagrants. we all got back in the van and went down the road awhile to take pictures of the actual border line...i stood in two countries at once...then i stood in no man's land.
after the Mexico trip, which included eating at a nice Mexican resturant and shopping in the mexican marketplace we went to chill out in San Antonio...where we visited the Alamo, shopped in the 3 story mall, saw the sites...i felt like such a tourist! sweatdrop . The next day we went to Fiesta Texas...which was a bummer for me because i don't really ride rollar coasters (on the way there i got car sick) so i hung out with Todd's wife Mendi (30) and his daughter (1) who met up with us at San antonio and Mrs. Sue. I Rode the carousel with Nina Grace (Todd and Mendi's daughter) along with a toy train thing. Then Mrs. Sue, Dr. J, Mendi and Nina left so i hung out with the youth that loved rollar coasters, i followed them around all day, wating outside until the y were done riding a coasters. An hour before we had to leave i was like look i followed y'all around all day so ALL of you owe me one ride...so i dragged them to the Scooby-Doo haunted mansion thingy... we waited in line for an hour then we fillay got on (i then found out that this ride was like the Toy Story ride at Disneyin Florida, basically the object was to shoot the ghosts). i got the second highest score in our group (i had 1250 and Micha had 1500) that made me so mad! But anyways then we headed home that day (which was saturday) we got back to the church at 4am or so and slept. Then that Sunday we told the whole church of our experiences and went home...i'm still not caught up o my sleep.
Well toodles,
Hammi
