Hey all. Nice to see not much has changed around here. I finally got back from Tijuana, and it's great to be back in the States.
Every year, my school's Campus Ministries department sponsors a trip called Potter's Clay, in which we do fundraising to go to Mexico, and build houses for families. The houses are small, about 24x12 feet, and would make for a pretty nice American tool shed, but are better than what a lot of the families have. This year, about 67 students went. We were divided up into 6 teams, and each team built a house. We had to do everything from leveling the foundation, to finalizing the roofing and trim, and even wire for electricity. It was a really great experience.
I've even gained a new appreciation for things we take for granted. Sewer systems, for one. It's great not to have to see raw sewage running down the middle of the street. Water (both drinkable and warm) comes out of a fawcet. We don't have to walk down the street to buy water. Flushing toilets are a God-send. Paved roads make travel smoother. Spending a week in Tijuana without a shower is pretty tough. I had to shower five times before I was actually acceptably clean. It was so gross.
On the upside, the people down there are so friendly. Even though I could hardly understand them with the little Spanish I knew. They were so happy to have us there and were so nice. It's amazing how different our two cultures really are.
H-D 