Nobody Gets a Smooth Ride

Nobody gets a smooth ride.
Every child will learn how the asphalt burns
when he takes sharp turn too wide.
Nobody gets a smooth ride.
I'm really sorry the way things are going these days,
try to be careful, that's all I can say

“Nobody Gets a Smooth Ride” The Choir

As it is evident from some of my past post, I find much of my inspiration for these posts from music. I have been listening to the song above for a while now and when I hear it I can’t help but think of the situation that has enslaved Mexico over the past year. What can really be said but that this is a dangerous world and please try to be careful? It has had a major impact on the city of Juarez and the surrounding areas of Chihuahua. This is the place God has put me; it is the people of this area that I have fallen in love with. It pains me to know that because of fear we are unable to pour out Gods blessing on these people.

For some reason in 2007 we were unable to build a home for the Davalos Olague family. In 2008 we saw a large drop in the number of groups due to several factors one of which was the fear that has affected every ministry along the border. So, once again this family of six waited. Our pastors and field reps had to talk to them several times and ask them to be patient and wait on God. Needless to say, that this family as well as a few others became a high priority for us to build for in 2009. Unfortunately, the beginning of 2009 saw the violence in Juarez rise to an all time high. On top of that the swine flu made itself know to the world and Mexico became feared all the more. It was looking as though this family would have to wait even longer. The family told Alfredo Chavez, one of our operations coordinators, that they gave up hope. No one was coming to help. A few years ago our logo consisted of the phrase “Come build hope” and now so few are coming that this family lost all hope. They had made their home in an old eighteen-wheel trailer that must have felt like an oven in the summer and an ice box in the winter.

When we found out that First Baptist Church, Wichita was not going to cancel their trip I wasted no time in assigning them to the Davalos Olague family. This group came to offer hope and they were not going to let anything stop them. Just before their trip their numbers started to decline and they did not know if they could complete the size project that the Davalos Olague family needed. I kept telling them that their numbers were fine for a double even as I watched the numbers slip into what I would normally assign to a single. I just could not tell this family to wait again.

They came and they built that double with a little help from myself and Alfredo. The community leaders were so grateful that they offered to help by escorting the group to and from the worksite every day and by checking in on them through out the day to see that everyone was OK. They understand the fear and want to do all they can to ease that fear. It was one of the most trouble free weeks I have experienced in all my time working for Amor. And best of all after waiting two and half years, A hope lost became a hope restored.

At one of the nightly devotionals this group held we spoke about the situation in Mexico and how it was affecting the blessings that God wants to bestow on people. They were shocked at just how profound it has been. One of the members shared a story of one of his teachers that I will leave you with. He lived in Houston, TX and I believe it was hurricane Rita that was headed straight for them the streets were flooded and all his teachers canceled classes. When he asked his EMT teacher if classes were canceled, the teacher replied “We are EMT’s this is when we go to work”.

The world is a dangerous place. Please try to be careful, but if we follow Jesus;

This is when we go to work.

I know it has been a while since I wrote my last blog. And I remember telling you that I would continue with all that had been going on, but most of that has been so overwhelming for me that I am still struggling to find the right way to put it all down in words. So, I’m just going to skip ahead and tell you what is going on now. I’ll try to come back to the rest of the story later.

You may have heard that due to the uncertainty of the situation in Cd. Juarez and with all of the news that has surrounded Mexico we redirected our youth group trips out of Chihuahua. Many chose to go to Puerto Penasco. So, T.J. and I have been here in Puerto Penasco for two weeks now.

It has been wonderful to been able to work with so many groups that have a commitment to serve no matter the risk. Out of all the groups that I have spoken with here only one said that that would have had canceled if we had not move them here.

That being said I am looking forward to April 8th so that I can go home and see my lovely wife and children. It is good to know though that Jackie has become so much a part of me and I of her that it is very difficult to be away this long. I love my family very much.

I had hoped with being here in Penasco, I would at least get to avoid the normal windstorms that we deal with and work through in Chihuahua, unfortunately that has not been the case. The wind here is terrible as well. Although I have gotten to take advantage of it from time to time and fly a kite that was sent out in a care package from San Diego. (Thank you to everyone who had a hand in that).

We have had a relatively easy trip so far, aside from a few snags. A minor car accident, one of our trucks broke down and was fixed in Phoenix, a participant broke his thumb. But the hardest to deal with by far was that we found out that the Juarez-Gonsalez family lost their thirteen-year-old son in an automobile accident the night before or group was scheduled to build their new home. T.J. had the difficult task of being the communicator to the family and he did a wonderful job. It was different from our normal work week to say the least. At a time when we normally would see a very happy and excited family, we instead watched as mother and father, sister and brother, aunt and uncle, and many other family members mourned the passing of a very young loved one. It was bittersweet. While we may have felt out of place and in the way the family was still glad we were there to provide their remaining five children a solid home. No matter how unimportant that felt to us at the time it was still appreciated by the family. By the end of the week I actually started to see some smiles on the faces of the children that lived there. This may be one of the most important homes we have ever built. I know that God is especially fond of this family, But then again I would have to say that about all the families we have built for. So, maybe they are all the most important homes we build.