Rocky Mountain Ministries Mexico Mission: Travel Day

After a carb-rich breakfast in the motel (an offering of cereal, oatmeal, bagels, muffins, toast and fruit, which made me glad I brought along my Juice Plus Complete shake mixes!!), we wheeled our suitcases out to the waiting vans for the 6-hour drive to San Carlos. The past few years we have rented Mercedes vans and drivers for the journey, which is a tremendous luxury after previous years of driving ourselves down in an assortment of rental mini-vans, with our team members who drove arriving exhausted before the mission even began!

All the luggage rode in one van...

 

....most of the medical team piled into another so they could talk strategy and logistics on the long drive....

...and the "young people" were assigned to the third van. That's where Curt and I headed, thinking we'd enjoy lively, animated conversation. It must have been a late night, because most of the young people promptly fell asleep!!

Our projected departure time was 8:30 a.m. Miracle of miracles, we had all 25 people and their luggage on board, and we exited the parking lot at 8:34. 

About an hour down the road we hit the Mexican border at Nogales. No problems at the border crossing; we sailed right through.

The dark line across the middle of the photo below is part of the controversial wall between Mexico and the U.S. Sorry for the picture's fuzziness; we were driving through, and you sure don't want to stop at the border for a clear picture if you've been given the go-ahead to proceed!

This is a typical "Dr. Gabor" shot, doing push-ups with his backpack on at every opportunity! Gabor is on the Board of Directors for Rocky Mountain Ministries and is our mission's medical director. He's been with us since the early days when we started out in Honduras. He's also the unofficial fitness director for the team, and he takes that role very seriously! Here he sets a good example for the rest of us lazy wimps!

First travel break inside the border...and the banos, which are an ever-popular attraction! We'd forgotten that there are seldom any paper goods or running water at public restrooms in Mexico. So at this first stop there was lots of rummaging in purses and backpacks and pockets for scraps of Kleenex or paper napkins leftover from breakfast!

But no worries from here on out! A stop at the convenience store....

And we procured our own personal group stash. Nobody was happier than Maureen! Maureen is the wife of Mark, our fearless leader (known as "el jeffe" among the troops). Mark is on the RMM Board of directors and is one of our founding members.

The bureaucratic stop that always takes time (and money!) is the visa procurement station about 26 miles inside the border. Many people sail right by this stop, with apparently no repercussions. But because we're responsible for the well-being of 25 people, we always follow the letter of the law and stand in long, slow-moving lines three times to fill out visa applications, pay our $23 per person, and line up again to have the paperwork rechecked and reclaim our passports. We made it back to the vans just as it started raining. Great timing!!

The only shopping opportunity on the way down is our traditional 8-minute stop at a roadside copper shop (Gotta make fast decisions, friends...we have miles to go before we sleep!) Its also a great chance to stretch legs and visit with friends riding in the other van.

 

 Below: Curt and "Dr. Juan," who took care of our children many times when they were small and we lived in Bozeman, Montana. Dr. Juan (his Montana friends and patients know him as "John"), has also been with us from our earlist mission in Mexico, ten years ago, and he has always been an integral part of the "brain trust." Curt is on the Board of dIrectors of Rocky Mountain Ministries and is one of the founding members of the mission.

 In early afternoon as we approached Hermosillo, the rain and wind stopped and the sun broke through the clouds.THIS is the Mexico we remember!!!

Another couple of hours on the road, and we saw the distinctive gateway to San Carlos: the twin rocks known as Tetakawi. Almost there!

Driving the rocky and dust back roads of San Carlos brought us to our haven in the desert, where we'll lodge, eat delicious meals, make friends, fellowship, sing, worship, and rest and recuperate for the next nine days: Casa de Esperanza, House of Hope. I'll tell you a little of its history when I can show you a photo of our hosts, Art and Brenda. But Brenda asked me not to take their photo today, as they've been working hard for our arrival!

 But I can tell you that over the past  9 years Brenda and Art have built this safe, comfortable and welcoming oasis from a single mud-floored room, to accommodate short-term mission groups from all over The U.S., Canada and Mexico.

A peaceful place to prepare for the busy day to come, and to rest and refresh after a long day in a remote village. 

This is one of the dorm rooms for the single team members.

The meals are all homemade, nutritious and filling. Check out that that tray of enchiladas we had for dinner!

Meals are served outdoors around small tables, which encourage team members from different parts of the country to get to know one another throughout the week.

Before the group disperses for bed each evening, we have a team meeting which includes devotions, an opportunity to share the day's experiences, and specific instructions for the following day. 

Tomorrow after breakfast we will sort and pack our supplies in preparation for an afternoon clinic at Independence, a nearby community. We're all grateful for our safety and trouble-free,traveling today!

Mexico Bound!

Three a.m. In Tucson, Arizona and I'm wide awake. So the thought occurred to me that I should do something I haven't done in ages...write a blog post! I didn't realize that I'd be writing this, so I don't have many photos today. So I'll give you an overview of what we're about to do. But if I'm able to keep it up over the next 10 days or so, there should be LOTS of photos. So check back soon!

In a few hours we'll gather with the rest of the team from around the U.S. to head across the border for the 15th Rocky Mountain Ministries mission to Central  America. I think this is our 10th trip to San Carlos, Mexico. Our mission is generally 3-pronged: medical, construction and evangelical. Through the years we have been able to gather the supplies we need to set up a small medical "tent village." Each day of our mission we'll visit a different remote village within an hour to 1 1/2 hours' drive from San Carlos. We'll unload our van and trucks, set up our tents and begin seeing patients. We usually have 3-4 doctors, 4-5 nurses, and additional medical helpers (EMTs, sometimes dentists, sometimes physical therapists, etc.). By the time we have everything set up (takes about 30 minutes), we have a whole line of people from the village waiting for general medical attention (often as many as 200 or more). We set up a glasses station, where we give away about 500 pairs of reading glasses and sunglasses at each village, and we set up a fairly complete pharmacy in our big white van.  

In the meantime, our children's program is also gearing up. We offer lots of activities for the children in the village: crafts, stories, music, games, and activities similar to a day at Vacation Bible School familiar to so many North American children.

Sometimes in the same village, or sometimes in another location, our construction team is working on a project. They may be roofing a church, building a small medical office, a housing unit at an orphanage, or any number of other projects that are needed. 

That's a quick overview. If I'm able to keep the blog entries going throughout the mission, I'll add lots more details with photos, so you can see what we're up to. I say "if", because I know how busy the mission can get! However, this year we have a little larger team than usual (35 as compared to approximately 25 in most years), so we may be able to spread the tasks around a little more and offer everyone a bit more time during the day to step back and observe and enjoy all that's going on. And I'll try to spend some of my stepping back time writing a day-to-day account of what we do down here.

Here are a couple of photos of our first team dinner together in Tucson last night:

Some of the team had not arrived yet, and others (particularly our construction crew) will meet us in San Carlos this evening. They drive down separately with all our gear (tents, pharmacy van, construction tools, etc). We have quite a few young people with us this year. It's always so much fun to   watch the energy and excitement of the younger set as they interact with the Mexican people and with others on the mission team. 

Better tuck back under the covers and grab a few more hours of sleep. We have 6 hours of driving today, due south, and border crossings and visa checkpoints to navigate. Off to Mexico!

While The Cat's Away...

Curt took this almost-three-week trip to Yellowknife, capital of the Northwest Territories, way up in northern Canada, eh? In fact, he's blogging about his trip at this very moment. So while he's telling you of his exciting adventures, I'll describe my not-so-adventuresome, but nonetheless enjoyable, time holding down the fort. 

Bye, Curt! He's off to the San Antonio airport, to fly from there to Spokane, where his friend Tom will pick him up and they'll begin driving North. WAY North.

For the first 3 days Curt was gone, my friend Shirley from Boerne, Texas, came to stay with me. We had a wonderful time, catching up on news, laughing, eating, listening to music, and getting each other into trouble with our credit cards. 

We tried our hands fishing in the canal. No luck.

We visited the local quilt shop (a place we both dearly LOVE to spend time... and, I'm afraid, money). Came back home and set up the sewing machine to begin piecing a table runner with lovely seaside themed batiks:

(Check out my matching toenails!)

Each morning we either walked or bicycled along the side of the bay to watch the sunrise.

One day we hit every thrift store and resale shop we could find in Rockport. That's Shirley's specialty! We found loads of treasures... although I only have a photo of one of them. You may ask why I bought a wedding dress, since Curt and I will celebrate our 40th anniversary next month. Well, I was in my brainstorming / free thinking frame of mind, imagining all kinds of things I could create with different fabrics. And when I came across this lacy, beaded wonder for the rock-bottom price of a single bill that I just happened to have in my wallet, I couldn't resist. I felt guilty... it's in such beautiful shape, and I'm considering cutting it up. If it makes you feel better, I haven't taken the scissors to it yet. I want to be sure I'm going to finish the project before I start cutting. But I had to try it on, just for fun.

That's the only photo I have of me in a wedding dress. Curt and I got married in the courthouse in Las Vegas, both of us wearing blue jeans. To be honest, we eloped. They all said it wouldn't last, but now, after 40 years, 4 children and 12 grandchildren, they're beginning to think that it might. I sent Curt this photo in Yellowknife, just so he'd wonder what in the world I was up to.

I must say, the wedding dress felt wonderful, Silky, smooth, heavy with beads and lace, and, well... rich! Now I see why brides save their dresses with such fondness. Made me want to wear it for real. Maybe we should renew our vows??? Trouble is, that dress is a bit small for me, and I don't want to go on another weight loss program. So I'll go ahead and use it for some beautiful sewing projects. Sigh.

After Shirley left to go back home and resume caring for Stephen, her poor neglected and long-suffering husband, I was suddenly alone in the house. Two whole weeks. I don't think I've ever lived alone for two weeks before. It was kind of exciting! I could do anything I wanted.

Now you may or may not know that Curt is the neat one in our family. He likes everything in its place, pretty much all the time. Often even while it's still in use. I'll be preparing a meal and will set the spatula down on the counter for a moment while I stir something else with a spoon. When I reach for the spatula, it's GONE. Washed. Dried. Put away. So I smile at Curt, tell him how glad I am that he loves to wash dishes, because he's going to get to wash that one again, reach for the spatula and dirty it up again. When I've been away on a trip to visit children in Idaho, or go to a music event, or a convention, or whatever, I walk in the door and the house looks like a model home. Like nobody lives here. Like we just finished a photo shoot with Better Homes & Gardens.

I, on the other hand, like to have everything out where I can see it. Which is exactly how the house looked pretty much the whole time Curt was away, starting about 15 minutes after Shirley left.

Sewing in the dining room:

(Note the salad bowl and fork on the table. I often ate my meals right there among all the fabric and fun stuff!)

Weaving in the living room:

Stamping, cardmaking, and gift-making in the stamp room (be glad I don't have a photo of that! I didn't want any evidence of my ability to clutter a room up to the extreme!). Art, knitting, and Zentangle in the guest room.

Most days I either rode my bike around Key Allegro, the little island where we live, or I drove down to the Rockport beach at sunset and walked on the beach or along the harbor.

Most nights I stayed up late playing with one project or another, and most mornings I slept in till at least 8 a.m. Ah, the life of a hedonist!

But I sure missed Curt and really looked forward to the times we could connect via the Internet. Phone calls between Canada and the U.S. are prohibitively expensive, so there were very few of those.

And when he arrived back home, he couldn't tell how the house had looked just 24 hours before. Not QUITE like a Better Homes & Gardens photo shoot, but as close as we'll get with ME in the house! And the crowning touch was a welcome home dinner of Alaskan King crab legs. We made short work of those!!

Back together again, enjoying Rockport, and our continued adventures On the Loose!

Old Fashioned Family Sunday

Today felt like a day straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Just like a Sunday ought to be!

When I arrived at Boone Memorial Presbyterian Church in Caldwell, eleven of the twelve Waterman children (our grandchildren) were practicing their special music selection for the church service, with Dad Tim accompanying on piano. What a beautiful, tuneful bunch!

The highlight of the service was the baptism of Chelsea, the youngest of the twelve. The family and the pastor filled up the platform, but after I took this photo, several more joined them to make it even more cozy....both grandmas and some aunts and uncles. 

After church we all headed over to Tim's childhood home, where his mom, Peggy, hosted the whole extended family, plus some extra friends. A lovely day, picnicking out under the huge trees that shade the family farmhouse. 

It was such a relaxing, unhurried afternoon. Lots of visiting, and moving around from table to table to catch up with one another. Uncle Eric kept many of the young people spellbound with tales of the Merchant Marine Academy, demonstrations and explanations of gyroscopes and vintage toy steamboats.

Uncle Len and Aunt Tereasa brought their beautiful new baby, Lauren Danielle. It was hard for all the little girls to leave her...even when the meal was served!

We celebrated Micah's upcoming fourteenth birthday...with cupcakes presented by Aunt Laura, ice cream and gifts.

Even after the food was devoured, there was plenty of wholesome activity to keep the youngsters happy while the "oldsters" continued to visit:

Board games, puzzles, dolls, card games...

And even a little shooting practice behind the house for the older kids. (Annika Get Your Gun!):

The kids kept each other so well entertained that the grown ups had plenty of time to relax and enjoy one another.

Laura and Eric:

The Grandmas:

I know all these children will have such wonderful memories of family gatherings like this. What a blessing in this age of hustle and bustle to be able to enjoy relaxed Sunday afternoons with loved ones. I felt privileged to be included in such an event.