We Love Ensenada - In Their Own Words

Hi, this is Carolyn Benson. What a great beautiful first day – sunny blue sky. We made good progress on the house, and had a fun time interacting with the kids at the end of the work day. It was tough having to be teamed up with Workman Ken – the super work person! And then it was also a good laugh to watch Pastor Brian try to swing a hammer! I love working with newcomers Joel and Karin. We sure miss you Sandy!

Ken’s Taco Tally- Wednesday Evening
Tom – 2 Queso Tacos Ken – 2 Queso Tacos Brian – 0 Tacos
Everyone else pupped out. They don’t know what they are missing.

Hola! This is Lauren. I am loving Ensenada- the weather is beautiful and the families are so nice. When we got to the building site this morning, I was put on the painting team. We painted walls, ceiling trusses, and the trim for the windows and door. We got very good at asking the kids “Quieres pintar?” (do you want to paint). After painting we ate lunch, then Breanna, Cami, Mel and I went and talked with the kids in the family. We had an awesome time laughing over learning words in each other’s language. Then we did some songs and a puppet show and played with beach balls and one of those giant “parachutes”. Tonight, we are going on a taco run so Ken will stop teasing us . So far it has been an awesome trip- and I am using my espanol a lot!

Rachel here. Well, the girls did delay the taco run Wednesday night, but we were just saving up for taco heaven tonight. And to our credit, we did scout it out on our run to the Oxxo (corner gas station) last night for some giant bottles of water. Hydration first, especially given our tired, slightly jet-lagged state. After a good night’s rest and a great breakfast, we were all in tip top shape and ready to go today. On our way to the work site, we passed the house we built last year – and I think we’re going to visit later this week. I’m excited to see how that family is doing. The family we are building for this year has five great kids who wanted to help along with their parents – and once the painting got underway it seemed like all the neighborhood kids were there wanting to wield a paintbrush too. Some had more skill than others at neatly applying the paint, but they all painted with gusto. It was fun to work with them, even though our limited language skills sometimes made communication a challenge. But there were a lot of gestures, one or two word phrases, and smiles and it was great to have their help. I’d like to give a shout out to the cooks here at YWAM – the food is terrific, and we already have our kitchen clean up duty done for the trip, and it’s great to sit around and talk about our day (and challenge each other to taco-eating contests) over a fantastic meal. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us tomorrow and how far we’ll come. So far, there’s four walls up, lots of things painted, lots of things left to be painted, and some roof trusses that are ready to go. It’s going to be great!

*Boy, oh boy, no one prepared me for the “roughing it” that is Mexico. I just finished an amazing meal of cilantro chicken with a sundried tomato/asparagus risotto at the YWAM base and am currently sipping a warm hot cocoa while watching the sunset over the ocean. Another piece of crusty bread?? Twist my arm….
In all honesty, it’s an escape from and stark contrast to the poverty we experienced today. As I carefully treaded the rough terrain, slathered on hand sanitizer (yet again), and put a piece of wood under me while sitting down on the dirty ground, children around me ran and played and slid joyfully, happy to have a blow up beach ball to amuse them. One of the pictures that stands out most vividly in my mind from today was the eagerness of the children to help us paint. There were two kids in particular, Teresa and Alfredo, both probably around 7 or 8 who were so eager to do well, filling in every crevice and refusing to move on till the job was done. Never in my life have I wished that I had retained or continued with the Spanish I so flippantly participated in for two years of high school as much as I did today. The kids solidified my extreme limitations when they stared blankly as I pathetically attempted the American version of “Happy Birthday” in Spanish. I get the impression that’s not the way they do it here.
So thankful to be here….looking forward to another great day. Though I’m not so sure about this late night taco tradition. Cheese and grease don’t seem like such a good combo at 10 pm….
~Karin

Hello to everyone en los Estados Unidos from Breanna! Wow! I can hardly believe the amazing work that God is doing in Mexico. As I write this the sun is setting and the city is coming alive with lights and traffic. A cruise ship is pulling out and the extent of its grandeur is almost humorous when compared to the dogs and cats running around in the streets and the smell of people cooking and human waste. When driving through Mexico last night I was astonished by the fact that I was looking at real poverty. Houses here, if they can be called that, are really multiple pieces of scrap lumber and the roofs are held on by tires. The cruise ship lights are glittering now as it drifts farther out into the ocean and I can’t help but smile at the irony. But Ensenada glitters in its own way as well. It glows in the faces of its children, the humble and loving expressions of their parents. The many twinkling lights of the houses built into the hillsides make the city come alive.
Today it was amazing to see how well the team worked together and how fast the building really goes. There was this indescribable excitement on the faces of the family we were building for and on our own. I had the wonderful opportunity to paint more than I ever have in my life and am looking forward to doing it all over again tomorrow. I was also able to use the Spanish that I know to translate between team members and have conversations with the people we were serving. It was so fun to be able to converse and learn new words. Also, to laugh at my many mistakes! The girls I was talking with wanted to learn English so we spent a good fifteen minutes exchanging words. The day at the worksite was finished with playing with beach balls and a parachute, performing a puppet show, and giving out books to the family and their neighbors. The cruise ship is out of sight now, no I am not extremely slow at typing it moves fast, but Ensenada is just coming alive. The beautiful twinkling of lights still shines, reminding me that despite the poverty, the joy and life that is in the city shines brighter than luxury, inspiring the hearts of all who see them. I can’t wait for another day in Ensenada tomorrow, and to visit all of the kids again! Adios for now! Buenos noches!