Trip Report – February 26, 27, & 28, 2010

John Kramer & Mary Ann Rosas

Atil Area - Upper & Lower Villages

Preparation:

It takes several days to prepare for a routine trip to Mexico (seats in or seats out) depending on the number of passengers or supplies we plan to take. Vans must be maintained and readied including making sure registrations and insurances are up to date and loading the vans with supplies. In the case of our last trip, I had gotten the 2007 Van ready, squeaky clean, as the interior was full of white chalk - stuff that came from a broken vase from last trip to Mexico.  In the meantime, since the acquisition of another van we were also going to take to drop off in Mexico, I loaded it with supplies that were overflowing in my office.  When it came time to take it, it didn't start; therefore, had to have it towed (with supplies still in it) to a garage. being there was no time to unload it. This was Friday morning and I had to go to airport to pick up John Kramer. Besides, our 07 Van was already full with bags of blankets and boxes of socks.  Other job is to update lists of our families in six villages.  Had problem using flash-drive (it wouldn’t print copies)! Finally, found way to by-pass this. Names of families are dropped from lists and replaced with new ones that are on waiting lists when kids age-out or families move. The rule is:  “there is an age limit of 15 and under in order for the children to remain in the program.” Due to the Mission’s financial straits, we keep a certain quota in each village and are not able to increase it, as much as we would like. Also, must remember to take food coupons, Pastor's mail and ink cartridges for printing.
 
Friday, February 26, 2010

I picked up John Kramer at airport at 11:40 a.m.  Everything was ready, I had the lists and coupons; van was packed with supplies, gassed up and ready to go, so we took off to the Border. I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HAVE SOMEONE ELSE TAKE OVER AT THE WHEEL AFTER SUCH A HECTIC WEEK!  We were so blessed, once again, with a beautiful day to travel.  We stopped in Nogales, before crossing the border, for hamburgers and ice-cream.  You know John has a very healthy appetite and had just come in from pulling in several days of hard work, you know, flying those airplanes.  We passed easily through the two stops, getting two green lights, but did notice there was a lot of work going on at those stops.  They seem to be upgrading lights, etc...   
 
Tubutama

Our first stop was here at 3:30pm.  We were only a few minutes late. Service was in progress. Pastor’s sermon, here and in all the other villages, was about the two states of man, either saved or unsaved, there can be no in between. The volunteer, Alma, came up to greet us and told me there were several changes to the list. We also discussed a problem with a family.  The mom has been collecting the coupons, but the kids live with the dad. They were both there.  The volunteer told me the dad should have the coupons.  In the meantime the mom came to argue the point with me.  I told her I would get back to her but at the moment I was busy discussing business with the volunteer.  When I looked for her later, she was gone.  A lady came up to me to thank us for all the help she has received in the past from the Mission.  She willingly gave up her coupons being her kids have aged out.  I told her we would love to have her still participate in the program, even without the humanitarian aid, and told her we needed her help.  As a matter of fact, I put her to work helping to call out names.  She was very helpful and pleasant.  We passed out socks to everyone and John passed out all the blankets in Tubutama.  As a matter of fact we were short 21blankets.

La Reforma 

Pastor's service was in progress.  When the service was over I asked to speak to Silvia, the volunteer.  Here, too, we updated the list.  Again, another lady came to thank us for all the help the Mission has given her throughout several years, but as her children have aged out she was willingly stepping out of the program.  Thankfully, the children are still in school.  I told her we would love to have her continue to come to the services and hear the Word. She agreed, and once again, I put another person to work who was dropping out.  We asked the ladies to line up for socks after they received their coupons.  Actually, it went quite smoothly, unlike other times when they all bunched up on us very unorganized.  I guess practice make perfect!  As I remembered about the diapers that had stayed in the van back in Tucson, I asked how many mothers had young babies that could use them.  They gave us a long list.  Not every town has young mothers with babies, but they do in this town. Pastor and Karen waited for us until we were finished.  They offered dinner at their home being we had plans for Oaxaca Mole on Saturday with Pastor Carlos and Vicky.  That’s all I could think about being that I had done the shopping for all 20-1 ingredients from the list I had gotten from Vicky, plus a whole chicken that wasn’t on list.  Only thing that stomped me, as well as many others, was “miltomate”?  Found out it is tomatillo verde (Mexican green tomatoes). Needless to say, I didn’t get this ingredient.

We joined Pastor and Karen at the parsonage for a scrumptious dinner.  Hot soup, sandwiches, and veggies, perfect for cold weather.  We were tired from the trip so decided to get some rest early and get ready for the next day.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

ATIL

After breakfast, our service started at 9:00 am. I met with Graciela and upgraded the list, prior to the service. We, then, joined the service.  We repeated the issuing of socks after coupons were issued.  All the socks were actually laid out on the table so the moms could readily get the socks they needed for their children.  This all went very well.  On way to the upper villages, we stopped to talk to the storeowner.  He was outside talking to some people from the village and was actually very nervous.  He told me he had received a phone call from an unknown person.  Thinking it was someone related to his group of town historians, he took the call only to find out it was someone trying to get him to join a group for a fee. He told him he wasn’t interested and he didn’t have any money anyway, but he was given a deadline to join. 

SAN JOSE.

Our wires got crossed here.  We arrived about 1:00 pm and they weren’t expecting us until about 2:30pm.  It doesn’t take long for most everybody to find out when we arrive. Pretty soon, they all started trickling in.  We still waited to start a little bit later to give everyone a chance to get there (all 16 families).  Pastor gave the service and Karen took care of the children’s lesson. . We had new people sign up on the waiting list.  We passed out coupons and socks.  The volunteer, Antonia Monge, had coffee, little pumpkin empanadas and home-made bread for us.  There was one person who didn’t show up, so we gave her coupons to someone on the waiting list.  Come to find out, she showed up late, as we were leaving.  As we had two coupons left over from Atil, we decided to allow person in San Jose to have them. San Jose is a very small town and everyone really needs their coupons.

LA SANGRE

Pastor and Karen arrived here first and started the service.  We joined soon after.  I corroborated with Yessica, the volunteer, and revised the list.  After the service, we proceeded with humanitarian aid.  Again, everything went smoothly.  I can truthfully say that all the volunteers in our villages do a great job!. They take their jobs seriously and are happy to serve.  We have had “no problems” with any of them.  They are a joy to work with.

San Manuel

Pastor and Karen got here first, as usual, as John and I had to make a stop at the store in the previous town.   Susie, volunteer, wasn’t home.  She had gone with her husband to a wedding out of town.  We left a back-brace for Susie’s husband with the storeowner in San Manuel.  This was donated by Maria Cervantez.  We will find out on next trip if it fit him.  Humanitarian aid was issued after the service. 

ALTAR... 

This was “Saturday night” and we were finally going to try the “Mole.”  John and I had a dilemma…what to take to the hostess?  Wine, flowers?  We skipped the wine, since it’s not plentiful in Altar, and found a nice flower shop by the Church.  John ordered a very nice bouquet to use for the centerpiece.  It was beautiful and contained almost every type of flower.  When we arrived, Pastor, Karen, Dina, her husband Luis and a lady were there.  Vicky was busy in the kitchen.  She had everything ready.  She had gotten up early about 3:00am to start the mole.  Pastor Carlos was out on a call to see someone who was interested in a baptism.  He had called Vicky and told her to tell us not to wait for him for dinner as he would be late, being he was staying to help paint a room. As we were eating, he came in carrying his guitar as he likes to augment his preaching with music.  The mole was worth waiting for, but it is too much trouble to make and I wouldn’t want to put anyone else through that again.  We all got to carry baby Ezra (Pastor Carlos’s, son) as he goes with everyone.  We even have a picture of John carrying him. 

After dinner I talked to Pastor Carlos about the mini-van we had almost brought to him. I explained there was a problem with the fuel- pump and had left it in Tucson for repairs.  As Office Manager and Board Member, and being fully aware that the Mission is almost broke, I took it upon myself to ask him to pay for the repairs only, in exchange for a nice well-kept vehicle I thought would be perfect for his family. I thought this made good business sense for the Mission.  Also, I thought this would result in him feeling proud to actually be paying for his own car (pride in ownership).  I told him the repairs would be about $400 dollars.  Also, we need to keep in mind the added cost of delivering and transferring the vehicle over to him. At this point, we don’t have any insurance on it and I was anxious to get it out of our hands.  In our last meeting, it was reiterated we don’t want it in the Mission’s name. Pastor Carlos agreed to buy it and wanted to pay for it in two monthly installments. I told him he didn’t have to pay for it so fast: for example, he could make small payments to the Mission over about a year.  I also encouraged them to get their driver’s licenses.  Neither one of them has one, although I understand his wife can drive, He also asked if the Mission could help him pay about a third of the cost of their visas (passports) totaling about $1,000.  I told him I didn’t think we could do it at this time but maybe we could in the near future.  He said, he could probably save and do it himself over three months.  Pastor Carlos said they were going to Caborca the following week to buy a high-chair, stroller and walker for the baby. I think we should start looking for a car-seat for baby Ezra. We went back to Atil.

Sunday, February 28, 2010

ATIL...