Volunteers in Mission
To Pitorreal, Mexico, located in the Copper Canyon five hours south of Chihuahua.
Several people are going there to operate a pre-school and teach children songs, arts and crafts. Others will be involved in doing construction on a new community center.
The group is lead by Ken Newkirk and consists of:
- Russell Brown
- Lillian Ball
- Margo Cardos
- Dustin Cooper
- Larry and Dahlia Friedberg
- Steve Hall
- Pam Ozenberger
- Alan Vanzant
- Steve and Anna Walker
- Steve Young
- Marcia Todd Field Report 1
Sunday - September 3
The crew from Red Bridge arrived safely at noon on Sunday after 1 1/2 days of travel. The scenery here is breath taking! It reminds us of Colorado and the Rocky Mountains.After meeting Jack and Marie and having a quick lunch, we piled into the back of the stake truck and rode 28 miles for a look at the Copper Canyon. It is AWESOME! Imagine the Grand Canyon, only green.We ended the day with devotions led by Dustin. He read from our statements written three months ago our answers to the question, "What are your goals for this trip?" Most talked about what they hoped to give. Dustin reminded us that the people who would likely get the most out of this trip were we ourselves. We closed with David's prayer to create in us a clean heart and a right spirit within.Monday - Labor Day - the labor begins. Russell Brown
Field Report 2
Monday - September 4
Russell Brown writes...
Labor Day in the U.S. - labor day in Pitorreal. One of the goals of the days work was putting a corrugated iron roof onto the dinner hall of the camp. This camp will be beautiful when it is finished. It is set in the middle of the pine woods with two large dormitory buildings, a dining hall, an administrator's home and an activity center.Your pastor, Dustin, Steve Walker and Russell Brown were delegated to scramble around on the roof and nail the iron. Others worked with adobe while still others worked on windows.Margo and Lillian began Bible school with three kids in the afternoon and grew quickly to thirty. They taught them Bible songs, did crafts and played a ball game. Even two mothers participated.Steve Hall lead the evening devotions and reminded us that God is always with us - no matter where we are. He brought usa couple of songs from the Slovakia VIM team.Field Report 3
Tuesday - September 5
Today we experienced the first injuries on the job - not including the sore muscles of the concrete crew. In the morning, one of the local men working with us - Alejandro - stepped onto a piece of what he thought was solid wood flooring on the second floor and fell straight through. He just scraped his leg a little, but was otherwise o.k. Then a few minutes later Marcos, another local, sliced his thumb on the roofing material and bled all over the roof. They were both o.k., but it was a little scary.There are Indian women who weave baskets on the doorstep everyday and offer them for sale. We commissioned four offering plates to bring back and use the first Sunday after we return. They are beautiful!Bible School attendance was down a little bit from Day One, but everyone who participated enjoyed it immensely.In the evening, Jack and Marie took us to their favorite spot -- a high cliff overlooking a beautiful canyon. As Lillian said -- "words cannot express the beauty and majesty we beheld there at sunset."
Field Report 4
Wednesday - September 6
Today was only a half day of work (Praise God!) We mixed and poured cement non-stop until noon and then broke for lunch. Church is at 4:00 p.m. every Wednesday, so we ate and then had several options for relaxation before church. Several backs are aching and arm muscles are sore after this cement work.Russell, Larry, Dahlia and Pam took a hike to a 100 year old English walnut tree. Others went to an Indian village, while others (the smart ones) took naps.Attending church was the highlight of the day. We all wore our VIM t-shirts and sat together in the beautiful wood chapel. Colorfully clad native women sat on the other side with the men at the back. Singing was the main theme
with Rev. Obed needing to shoo the dogs out of the center aisle regularly.We heard a great message - with Dahlia translating - about God's magnificent love for us and our need to feel that love in our hearts and know it in our minds. We finished the evening by singing silly songs.
Red Bridge United Methodist
Church
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Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who make a positive difference in the world.
Our vision is to be disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ who:
Love and honor God through worship;
Love and nurture one another in faith;
Love and serve the world through witness and mission.
636 East 117th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131
Phone (816) 941-0112 Fax (816) 941-4082
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Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who make a positive difference in the world.
Our vision is to be disciples who make disciples of Jesus Christ who:
Love and honor God through worship;
Love and nurture one another in faith;
Love and serve the world through witness and mission.
636 East 117th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131
Phone (816) 941-0112 Fax (816) 941-4082
