Look what Erin did!
There is this magnet on the refrigerator at my house that's a rainbow I think, and it says "Look what Erin did!" It's meant for pictures scribbled in crayon and that sort of thing I think, but I felt like squealing the phrase to everyone that after working with University Lutheran Church from West Lafayette, IN, last week because I sewed something--2 things actually! Let me explain...
The 6 group members divided along gender lines: the men tiled a trailer in Sparks and the women taught sewing lessons/performed health checks in 3 locations: the Sparks Community Center, the Kennedy Bros. apartment complex, and San Pablo. I love how this group intrinsically values each member for what he or she brings to the table, and encourages them to use their skills in furthering God's kingdom. Anyhow, at least they tried to offer their services in the Kennedys, but it turned out to be a big flop. I feel responsible as the Coordinator, but no harm was done. Basically it's just hard to advertise properly there since my contact works at some central office instead of on-site, but I learned some hints for the future (I think I need to start recording details like this in some kind of manual for whoever assumes my job when I'm gone...) and after Tuesday the group spent the Kennedys' time slot helping Elvira wade through donated clothing in the thrift store. Ashley, the nursing student, did get to consult with 3 people there; one of them most likely had advanced diabetes, so if we saved him from any future trauma the little time we spent before deciding to put the afternoons to better use was worth it. Here are some pictures from my camera for now...note that a very hot and windy Sunday afternoon was spent touring White Sands Missile Range, White Sands National Monument, and Old Mesilla, NM.
Gee thanks!
Missile Park with the Organ Mountains (as in organ pipes) in the background. In the 3 times I had previously been to White Sands National Monument, I'd never stopped at the Missile Range.
Matilda the camel at White Sands. Her owners, married Christian family therapists who own a cherry orchard about 30 minutes away, bring her to the park every Sunday afternoon as an evangelistic tool. They have raised her since she was just a few days old, and the wife rode her to their wedding. Seriously, Google it!
It was WINDY so we didn't stay very long!
"Eating" the world's largest green chile cheeseburger at the Double Eagle restaurant in Mesilla!
Impromptu English/Spanish lessons in addition to sewing lessons on Monday! This picture is especially apt since part of ULu's plan for next year is to offer English classes, per a couple of requests from people in line for Saturday food basket distributions at San Pablo.
Becky (left) started with darning socks, hemming, and making glasses cases, then moved on to embellishing plain white T-shirts, which really took off and basically occupied the rest of the week. Everyone had such creative and unique ideas; this woman put elastic on either side to create rouching. She plans to sport her handiwork on the 4th of July!
Zayra's mom used her T-shirt to make her a dress!
The glasses case I made, with some help from Becky since I didn't quite go through both layers of fabric in a few spots. Honestly I would just go to Lenscrafters and get one for free if I needed a new one, but I did feel pretty accomplished that I had sewed something. I also made a sock puppet named Petunia ;)
Petunia and I getting to know each other ;)
Zayra and I with our sock puppets! I later nixed the lips and stitched her a mouth since everyone said she looked like a donkey! She also sports a dress and a necklace now.
Mariachi San Pablo held its first of 3 summer dinner concert fundraisers on Tuesday night while the group was there. They are mostly just for fun and to generate a little income for the mission, but also to celebrate the band's 10th anniversary! It happened to be Nancy's birthday the day of the concert, hence her canine dance partner...
Time out for tile--the boys did the entire trailer except for 1 room; it looks SO much cleaner, more cohesive, and even bigger now! Before there were mismatched, chipped tiles in some spots, and raw OSB in the rest. There are 5 people living in the space: Nadia, her daughter, and her daughter's 3 teenage children. Nadia's daughter is a kidney transplant recipient, and during the course of the week the group learned that her donor was, not coincidentally I'm sure, also from IN.
Friday afternoon featured a fiesta for the kids in Sparks instead of ULu's usual weeklong VBS. Freddy was not making it easy for me to design a poster for the entrance!
Sewing ladies in Sparks!
Nancy (the group leader) had the genius idea of inviting Mariachi San Pablo to play at the fiesta! There was also not very good pizza and 5 game booths, which the kids played using tickets that earned them either prizes, candy, or both. I handled registration and then transitioned to prize/candy distribution. With stuff like this, it always starts off under control and then becomes a free-for-all, but in the end it doesn't really matter as long as everyone's having a good time! We figure about 80 people showed up.
Dinner out at Cattleman's Steakhouse on Friday night. I like the silhouette effect of the peacocks...
...and the ocotillo cactus.
Almost the whole group sporting their YLM gear before leaving for the airport on Saturday morning!
Until next time, blessings!
The 6 group members divided along gender lines: the men tiled a trailer in Sparks and the women taught sewing lessons/performed health checks in 3 locations: the Sparks Community Center, the Kennedy Bros. apartment complex, and San Pablo. I love how this group intrinsically values each member for what he or she brings to the table, and encourages them to use their skills in furthering God's kingdom. Anyhow, at least they tried to offer their services in the Kennedys, but it turned out to be a big flop. I feel responsible as the Coordinator, but no harm was done. Basically it's just hard to advertise properly there since my contact works at some central office instead of on-site, but I learned some hints for the future (I think I need to start recording details like this in some kind of manual for whoever assumes my job when I'm gone...) and after Tuesday the group spent the Kennedys' time slot helping Elvira wade through donated clothing in the thrift store. Ashley, the nursing student, did get to consult with 3 people there; one of them most likely had advanced diabetes, so if we saved him from any future trauma the little time we spent before deciding to put the afternoons to better use was worth it. Here are some pictures from my camera for now...note that a very hot and windy Sunday afternoon was spent touring White Sands Missile Range, White Sands National Monument, and Old Mesilla, NM.
Gee thanks!
Missile Park with the Organ Mountains (as in organ pipes) in the background. In the 3 times I had previously been to White Sands National Monument, I'd never stopped at the Missile Range.
Matilda the camel at White Sands. Her owners, married Christian family therapists who own a cherry orchard about 30 minutes away, bring her to the park every Sunday afternoon as an evangelistic tool. They have raised her since she was just a few days old, and the wife rode her to their wedding. Seriously, Google it!
It was WINDY so we didn't stay very long!
"Eating" the world's largest green chile cheeseburger at the Double Eagle restaurant in Mesilla!
Impromptu English/Spanish lessons in addition to sewing lessons on Monday! This picture is especially apt since part of ULu's plan for next year is to offer English classes, per a couple of requests from people in line for Saturday food basket distributions at San Pablo.
Becky (left) started with darning socks, hemming, and making glasses cases, then moved on to embellishing plain white T-shirts, which really took off and basically occupied the rest of the week. Everyone had such creative and unique ideas; this woman put elastic on either side to create rouching. She plans to sport her handiwork on the 4th of July!
Zayra's mom used her T-shirt to make her a dress!
The glasses case I made, with some help from Becky since I didn't quite go through both layers of fabric in a few spots. Honestly I would just go to Lenscrafters and get one for free if I needed a new one, but I did feel pretty accomplished that I had sewed something. I also made a sock puppet named Petunia ;)
Petunia and I getting to know each other ;)
Zayra and I with our sock puppets! I later nixed the lips and stitched her a mouth since everyone said she looked like a donkey! She also sports a dress and a necklace now.
Mariachi San Pablo held its first of 3 summer dinner concert fundraisers on Tuesday night while the group was there. They are mostly just for fun and to generate a little income for the mission, but also to celebrate the band's 10th anniversary! It happened to be Nancy's birthday the day of the concert, hence her canine dance partner...
Time out for tile--the boys did the entire trailer except for 1 room; it looks SO much cleaner, more cohesive, and even bigger now! Before there were mismatched, chipped tiles in some spots, and raw OSB in the rest. There are 5 people living in the space: Nadia, her daughter, and her daughter's 3 teenage children. Nadia's daughter is a kidney transplant recipient, and during the course of the week the group learned that her donor was, not coincidentally I'm sure, also from IN.
Friday afternoon featured a fiesta for the kids in Sparks instead of ULu's usual weeklong VBS. Freddy was not making it easy for me to design a poster for the entrance!
Sewing ladies in Sparks!
Nancy (the group leader) had the genius idea of inviting Mariachi San Pablo to play at the fiesta! There was also not very good pizza and 5 game booths, which the kids played using tickets that earned them either prizes, candy, or both. I handled registration and then transitioned to prize/candy distribution. With stuff like this, it always starts off under control and then becomes a free-for-all, but in the end it doesn't really matter as long as everyone's having a good time! We figure about 80 people showed up.
Dinner out at Cattleman's Steakhouse on Friday night. I like the silhouette effect of the peacocks...
...and the ocotillo cactus.
Almost the whole group sporting their YLM gear before leaving for the airport on Saturday morning!A better title would most definitely be "Look what God did!" The week was full of God sightings: in the kidney donor story, in how Becky used her moderate Spanish to bond with the women and girls who came to her classes, in Ashley's health checks. I didn't think it would be appropriate to be taking pictures, but I wanted to share that she prayed with almost every one of her patients. How cool is that?!? She also received a note from one that said, "Thanks be to God that angels like you exist." I think I'll end on that note! Next up: Sicachique!
Until next time, blessings!
Comments