It always amazes me how God loves to orchestrate things in always just the right and perfect way to show us that it could only be him! This was our third trip to Colima and our first time leading the second weeks group. I (Cindy) was a little more than nervous about having to bridge the language barrier on our own this year without Jamie, especially when having to grab a taxi from the airport in Guadalajara to the bus station about 30 minutes away and then purchase bus tickets to Colima. I had my questions loaded into Google translate and we managed to secure a cab and headed to the bus station.
When we pulled up the bus was just getting ready to leave and we had to bypass the main ticket lobby and rush over to the bus, where I ran into my first barrier as I didn't have time to find my Google translate and the Spanish I had been practicing for months completely flew out the window. I was trying to find my phone when I heard a man say 'are you going to Colima?' and realized he had been sitting ahead of me on the plane from Salt Lake. He was from Colima, but now lived in Salt Lake City and spoke English. He was so kind to help us and when we arrived at our destination station, he gave me his phone number and said to call him if we needed anything at all while there. God was so gracious to place him in our path.
We also were blessed to have Francisco on our trip this year. It was his first time on the Mexico Mission trip, however, he is originally from Mexico and speaks fluent Spanish. He was able to speak with all of the Caregivers and the children and was another sign of God's kindness to help this trip go smoothly.
We had a group about one-third the size of the previous two trips we have been on, and it really gave it such a different feeling to us. I felt like with the smaller group we were able to have more time interacting with the Caregivers from the different houses and building more relationship. We are so thankful for the hearts of love these Caregivers have for all of the kids of Hogar de Amor. It is so apparent when you see how happy the kids are and honestly, relationship is the whole reason we do this. So that the caregivers and kids know that they are loved and supported from people far away, but close in being one body in Christ!
One of my favorite things to this day from our first visit, is after the morning activities when the kids go in and take their showers to get ready for school and you see the girls sitting in their room in their school uniforms helping each other to do their hair for school. The older ones help the younger ones and each other and it is just such an example of serving each other in love, it is beautiful.
The highlight of our trip this year was taking a group of 11 teenage girls (Senorita's) and 11 teenage boys (Adolescentes) up into the countryside near the volcano, to a Carne Asada restaurant called Monte Real. We had a great time and the food was amazing! As in the U.S., teenagers can eat their weight and we ordered plenty to go around.
We were able to complete all of the projects that we were hoping to finish, new laundry lines were installed, roofs were sealed, a dental clinic was painted inside and their outside office building was painted. Laptops were worked on and staircases painted, donations were delivered and we were exhausted as we dropped into bed each night, but we wouldn't want it any other way! Colima and the people of Hogar de Amor, hold a special place in our hearts and they truly have become our family.
Cindy and Lee
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don't have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ~ Romans 12:4
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