8 Years in the Making
I have known for the past 8 years (since my first trip here in 2003 at the age of 16) that July 9, 2011, would come. I knew that the calendar would eventually roll around to that date, but I also knew that there would come a day when I would be the Servant Event Coordinator for a group from my home church, St. Paul's Lutheran in Des Peres, MO. It finally arrived last Saturday, and I was unbelievably excited! The fact that the group included my entire family only added to my anticipation. Right before we left for the airport, Genaro told me he could see it in my eyes. Happiness was combined with 2 other overwhelming emotions/thoughts though:
1) Filling the role I have dreamed of was one of the reasons I signed on here for a 2nd 18 months, and it kind of feels like the climax of my service, like I can officially leave now that I've done my duty.
2)The week was a meaningful one because the Hefele family was along on the trip. I grew to know Amie and her late husband Jeff extremely well on YLM mission trips, but Jeff passed away suddenly in Oct. 2008. One of my first blogs ever was a memoir of him. This trip was Amie's first time back to the place Jeff loved so much since his passing, and she was accompanied by their 3 adorable girls, Abbie (11), Julianna (10), and Isabelle (Iszy) (9). They did him proud ;)
If I had to pick one word to describe the week, it would be "full!" We had some long, but fun and productive, days. It wasn't necessarily planned like this, but every night featured an extracurricular activity or 2 in addition to our work projects: building a house and running a VBS in Sparks.
Monday: Scenic Drive
Tuesday: Mariachi San Pablo dinner concert at Zion Lutheran Church
Wednesday: Mercado Juarez comes to El Paso/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Thursday: Diablos game/12:03 am premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Friday: dinner out at Andale
Despite all that, we did finish the house, including interior and exterior paint, and shared Jesus with 272 total kids at VBS (103 unique). For whatever reason--maybe because my family was there or maybe just because we did so much--I took close to 100 pictures. Don't worry, I didn't put them ALL on here!
Iszy made up this pose...
Purple plaid shorts are awesome!
As are plaid shorts in general.
Iszy and I during our hiking adventure at Hueco Tanks on Sunday afternoon.
A group of us that climbed way up high.
The opening on day 1 of VBS: A Jungle Adventure!
Song leaders.
We fed the kids lunch everyday: a sandwich, chips, fruit, and a drink.
A little girl named Ailene took this picture during the red (youngest) group's Bible story time. Letting her take a picture with my camera was one of my attempts to make her stop crying for her mom, which didn't work. I did eventually get her calmed down though, and although she wasn't there Tuesday, she came back Wednesday and Thursday!
One little guy had a birthday, so we sang to him!
Scenic Drive during a dust storm...we couldn't even see the mountains as we drove west on 375.
I believe my sister and I have a very similar picture from last time my family came during the summer...
Pyramid picture!
According to my brother, 10 minutes of this = 4 hours of sleep. I think he makes these things up.
Leine, Ben, and Maria hanging sheetrock on day 2!
Nicholas, John, and my brother (the crew chief) on the roof.
Is the roof square, Kyle?
Last minute VBS prep under the shade covering that the family built for us Monday night after we left. They also added the table and bench!
Proof of Dad working, since normally he is the one taking all the construction site pictures!
After Monday, we realized that the demographic of kids at VBS was much different than we had expected in that there were far more older kids. Coloring sheets were a little below them, so we made up some impromptu word searches for the rest of the week, which they got really into!
Iszy playing along during the sponge relay game.
Day 2's craft was God's eyes.
This little guy was doing his completely wrong but having a great time!
Acting out the 10 plagues (they're on the one where all the livestock died)!
LeOra always gave a mini-lesson before crafts, which reinforced the Bible story and explained its connection to the craft.
Kara demonstrating the God's eye technique.
Abbie, Kara, and all the girls at their table.
Day 2 closing: "My God is so great..."
Us VBSers always stopped by the construction site after we got cleaned up, to see the progress and help out some. Tuesday the Hefeles and I trimmed the corners...here's the cutting crew of Abbie, Amie, and Julianna.
After Abbie, Amie, and Julianna marked and cut the boards, I would get all the nails started so the girls could pound away!
Julianna hammering.
Abbie hammering.
I was given a Cubs shirt and Mardi Gras beads by the co-leader of a group from Centralia, IL, who fully knows I am a Cardinals fan but enjoys antagonizing me. I still CANNOT believe I did this, but I passed them on to Iszy, whom Pastor Seban has brainwashed into being a Cubs fan. Then I couldn't give one Hefele girl something and not the other 2, so Abbie and Julianna got woven bracelets I bought from a Tarahumara lady in Sicachique. (Note my purse and its very intentional positioning for this photo!)
How many St. Paulsians does it take to hang a piece of ceiling sheetrock?
Susan came everyday with her brothers Hector and Martin (watch for their names to come up again later on...). Here she is doing Wednesday's craft, sponge-painted washcloths!
Tea party at the construction site featuring the kids who will live in our house and some neighbors.
Kyle painting trim.
Team registration plus Iszy.
My mom and I at the registration table. See her blue cast? And the cool scooter she got instead of a wheelchair?
My dad and brother spent most of the week at the construction site, but they each came 1 day to experience VBS. Dad led games on Thursday (with Iszy's help) and Pastor mudded back at the house! P.S. That's Ailene sqeezing out her sponge!
Me, Kyle, Kara, and 3 crazy Hefele girls at the Diablos game on Thursday night.
Backpacks and shampoo for Elvira that St. Paul's bought with some of their extra funding.
Kyle's first and only day at VBS out of the 6 times he's been here was Friday. His assignment was to try and make the boys who thought they were too cool for school participate.
Thank-you note from Susan, Hector, and Martin Chavez. Kind of makes all our hard work worthwhile, doesn't it?
Friday's Bible lesson was John's Vision of Heaven. Amie did a great job teaching it--the littlest kids especially loved these light-up crystal things she brought (and they're laying on a street of gold).
Even in the oldest group, EVERYONE wanted to volunteer to hold the shimmery foil paper illustrating the jewels of heaven. It was a stark contrast to earlier in the week Amie had to twist people's arms to get them to act out frogs or boils.
I thought the littlest group was adorable when they all crowded under the parachute!
59 kids on the last day!
A Kodak moment--Pastor doing a closing prayer with a buddy on his shoulders.
We had giveaways (T-shirts, Arch books, stuffed animals, etc.) and treats (cookies, trail mix, lollipops, etc.) for the kids each day as they left.
Presents for the family: toys for the kids, pillows, curtains and curtain rods, and cross-shaped wall sconces.
All the kids under The Tree.
The July 2011 St. Paul's Ysleta mission team.
Mackenzie Christmas card picture taken at Andale on Friday night!
Until next time, blessings!
1) Filling the role I have dreamed of was one of the reasons I signed on here for a 2nd 18 months, and it kind of feels like the climax of my service, like I can officially leave now that I've done my duty.
2)The week was a meaningful one because the Hefele family was along on the trip. I grew to know Amie and her late husband Jeff extremely well on YLM mission trips, but Jeff passed away suddenly in Oct. 2008. One of my first blogs ever was a memoir of him. This trip was Amie's first time back to the place Jeff loved so much since his passing, and she was accompanied by their 3 adorable girls, Abbie (11), Julianna (10), and Isabelle (Iszy) (9). They did him proud ;)
If I had to pick one word to describe the week, it would be "full!" We had some long, but fun and productive, days. It wasn't necessarily planned like this, but every night featured an extracurricular activity or 2 in addition to our work projects: building a house and running a VBS in Sparks.
Monday: Scenic Drive
Tuesday: Mariachi San Pablo dinner concert at Zion Lutheran Church
Wednesday: Mercado Juarez comes to El Paso/Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
Thursday: Diablos game/12:03 am premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Friday: dinner out at Andale
Despite all that, we did finish the house, including interior and exterior paint, and shared Jesus with 272 total kids at VBS (103 unique). For whatever reason--maybe because my family was there or maybe just because we did so much--I took close to 100 pictures. Don't worry, I didn't put them ALL on here!
Iszy made up this pose...
Purple plaid shorts are awesome!
As are plaid shorts in general.
Iszy and I during our hiking adventure at Hueco Tanks on Sunday afternoon.
A group of us that climbed way up high.
The opening on day 1 of VBS: A Jungle Adventure!
Song leaders.
We fed the kids lunch everyday: a sandwich, chips, fruit, and a drink.
A little girl named Ailene took this picture during the red (youngest) group's Bible story time. Letting her take a picture with my camera was one of my attempts to make her stop crying for her mom, which didn't work. I did eventually get her calmed down though, and although she wasn't there Tuesday, she came back Wednesday and Thursday!
One little guy had a birthday, so we sang to him!
Scenic Drive during a dust storm...we couldn't even see the mountains as we drove west on 375.
I believe my sister and I have a very similar picture from last time my family came during the summer...
Pyramid picture!
According to my brother, 10 minutes of this = 4 hours of sleep. I think he makes these things up.
Leine, Ben, and Maria hanging sheetrock on day 2!
Nicholas, John, and my brother (the crew chief) on the roof.
Is the roof square, Kyle?
Last minute VBS prep under the shade covering that the family built for us Monday night after we left. They also added the table and bench!
Proof of Dad working, since normally he is the one taking all the construction site pictures!
After Monday, we realized that the demographic of kids at VBS was much different than we had expected in that there were far more older kids. Coloring sheets were a little below them, so we made up some impromptu word searches for the rest of the week, which they got really into!
Iszy playing along during the sponge relay game.
Day 2's craft was God's eyes.
This little guy was doing his completely wrong but having a great time!
Acting out the 10 plagues (they're on the one where all the livestock died)!
LeOra always gave a mini-lesson before crafts, which reinforced the Bible story and explained its connection to the craft.
Kara demonstrating the God's eye technique.
Abbie, Kara, and all the girls at their table.
Day 2 closing: "My God is so great..."
Us VBSers always stopped by the construction site after we got cleaned up, to see the progress and help out some. Tuesday the Hefeles and I trimmed the corners...here's the cutting crew of Abbie, Amie, and Julianna.
After Abbie, Amie, and Julianna marked and cut the boards, I would get all the nails started so the girls could pound away!
Julianna hammering.
Abbie hammering.
I was given a Cubs shirt and Mardi Gras beads by the co-leader of a group from Centralia, IL, who fully knows I am a Cardinals fan but enjoys antagonizing me. I still CANNOT believe I did this, but I passed them on to Iszy, whom Pastor Seban has brainwashed into being a Cubs fan. Then I couldn't give one Hefele girl something and not the other 2, so Abbie and Julianna got woven bracelets I bought from a Tarahumara lady in Sicachique. (Note my purse and its very intentional positioning for this photo!)
How many St. Paulsians does it take to hang a piece of ceiling sheetrock?
Susan came everyday with her brothers Hector and Martin (watch for their names to come up again later on...). Here she is doing Wednesday's craft, sponge-painted washcloths!
Tea party at the construction site featuring the kids who will live in our house and some neighbors.
Kyle painting trim.
Team registration plus Iszy.
My mom and I at the registration table. See her blue cast? And the cool scooter she got instead of a wheelchair?
My dad and brother spent most of the week at the construction site, but they each came 1 day to experience VBS. Dad led games on Thursday (with Iszy's help) and Pastor mudded back at the house! P.S. That's Ailene sqeezing out her sponge!
Me, Kyle, Kara, and 3 crazy Hefele girls at the Diablos game on Thursday night.
Backpacks and shampoo for Elvira that St. Paul's bought with some of their extra funding.
Kyle's first and only day at VBS out of the 6 times he's been here was Friday. His assignment was to try and make the boys who thought they were too cool for school participate.
Thank-you note from Susan, Hector, and Martin Chavez. Kind of makes all our hard work worthwhile, doesn't it?
Friday's Bible lesson was John's Vision of Heaven. Amie did a great job teaching it--the littlest kids especially loved these light-up crystal things she brought (and they're laying on a street of gold).
Even in the oldest group, EVERYONE wanted to volunteer to hold the shimmery foil paper illustrating the jewels of heaven. It was a stark contrast to earlier in the week Amie had to twist people's arms to get them to act out frogs or boils.
I thought the littlest group was adorable when they all crowded under the parachute!
59 kids on the last day!
A Kodak moment--Pastor doing a closing prayer with a buddy on his shoulders.
We had giveaways (T-shirts, Arch books, stuffed animals, etc.) and treats (cookies, trail mix, lollipops, etc.) for the kids each day as they left.
Presents for the family: toys for the kids, pillows, curtains and curtain rods, and cross-shaped wall sconces.
All the kids under The Tree.
The July 2011 St. Paul's Ysleta mission team.
Mackenzie Christmas card picture taken at Andale on Friday night!
Comments
-Kara
Love,
Carol
-Emily Meier