The trip took 30 hours of driving, ONE WAY!   All went well as far as safety, weather, and sickness.  There were three vehicles that went together and we all had CB radios so we never lost contact and never lost one another.  ( although sometimes we wanted to!!  Ha!)  We stayed at a Christian Retreat Centre where we received three meals a day. Two hot and one bagged to bring with us across the border into Reynosa, Mexico. We were up at 6 am., and at the border by 7:30 am.  We started packing up around 3:30pm.  By God’s grace, we were fortunate enough to get through the border with clothes, school supplies and various other items. 

We completed a ‘bohdaiga’  (shed) that Sara (pastor’s wife and head of the orphanage) had waited two years for. We also made the partitions for a room, made 21 new beds and 72 drawers.  We had to purchase various tools in order for us to complete the work needed. Ex. Screws, nails, brad nailer, air compressor, paint rollers, brushes, electrical supplies……. Etc.    Any money that was left over was pooled together and left for the orphanage to pay for their hydro which was overdue, to buy more propane so they could cook their meals (they had been cooking outside over a fire),  21 pillows, and 21 bed sets which comprised of sheets, pillow case, comforter and mattress skirt.  Sarah could not contain herself as she thanked us and said goodbye on our last day. She did not expect this to get done before two more years.

These children are orphans which have been taken off the streets of Mexico from prostitution.  Some are the ‘products’ of the trade.  Some have just run away from home due to unhappy and unhealthy situations, and some have just been abandoned by their own parents because of poverty. These children have the happiest disposition in spite of what hell they have been through. Most have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. (the ones that are old enough to understand) They all go to church service.  

• Sara and her husband prayed for a fresh vision for their orphanage.

• They prayed for more volunteers to help.

• And they prayed that they will glorify God in all they do.

We all had a closer encounter with the Lord (“what you do for others, you have also done for Me), as we worked at the orphanage and saw these cute orphans go about their day. Also, as we toured the streets of the ghettos we felt our hearts sink to think of our neighbour country living in such horrific conditions where there were garbage dumps within each block, sewage smell that permeated the air, wild and starving dogs roaming everywhere, little babies in their diapers and barefoot walking in areas we as adults wouldn’t dream of.  The wages for these people are barely enough to get them food for one day.  There is a team of missionaries that visit these areas and hand out bags of rice and beans.  The Mexican people know when these missionaries arrive as they hear the sound of the tooting horn and they all just stream out of their homes and head for the truck……once again with only the biggest smiles.  These people have so little to be thankful for, yet they have such a warm, friendly demeaner.  We have so much to learn from them.  

Not to put a damper on the season of joy, or guilt of any kind, but just a reminder that we, in Canada, being such a wonderful country, have much to be thankful and grateful for.  Gifts are not what Christmas is about.  Jesus is the Reason for the Season. The majority of the Mexican people are Christians, and to them, Christmas is everyday because they have the ‘real joy’ in their hearts. Not due to circumstance or material possessions, but because of the hope that is in them. The hope that one day, our Saviour, Mankind’s GREATEST GIFT, will return and we will live forever with Him. That is the real food that these Mexicans are living on.