Field Trip

A quick field trip on the way back from El Rosario to a ocean side seafood growing place. Not really sure what to call it. But, it was cool.

Health Fairs en El Rosario

Two Health fairs were held during my time in El Rosario including one at the church and another at the local park. It was great seeing how the people from the San Vicente church had pulled together and the effectiveness in their communication of the health concepts introduced with the games. My responsibility was to talk with those whose blood sugar or blood pressure was elevated and direct to the next course of action. I also, assisted with checking vision for the possible need of reading glasses. About 100 came through during the 2 days. Found several blood sugars over 200.

Heart Tuggers

There are always a few kids that turn into real "Heart Tuggers". As I minister in new places, like El Rosario, ineventably new friends appear. Josue Noe and Ana pictured with me proved to be my companions for the week. They liked snuggling up or holding my hand as we walked. If I got busy with translating or helping someone else with a craft, they were sure to seek me out. It was satisfying to reveiw the bible memory verses with them after class was done. Both hung around the church long after VBS being their moms were preparing meals for the team. Such sweet spirits!

July 29th, 2010 Vacation Bible Success

I love working with kids! Both young ones and teenagers which this time has proven to be. The growth in the Angeles ability to minister has grown significantly during this year. The days of prep time have allowed them to be better prepared to minister to children. The timid voices of last year have given way to confidence. After VBS was complete, I queried Pastora Laura of the El Rosario church, about the event's attendance. She was pleased to announce that about 2/3 of the children who came were visitors to their church. Now that is a successful outreach into one's community.

July 28th, 2010 How Many Kids Can Fit Into A Pickup?

One of the ladies from the church in El Rosario drove around the community picking up kids until her truck would hold no more. Amazing 10 children in the cab and 20 kids in the back. She lined them all up upon arrival to the VBS to count off so that she was sure to not forget anyone after the day's end.

Final Practice with the Angels July 26th, 2010

Time to work out some of the kinks out of the puppetshows. Good thing as Grandma Puppet needed her glasses sewn in place, arm sticks needed to be added and a rehersal to be in sync with the music recording was needed. Nothing worse in a puppets show than all the puppet mouths moving when there is only one voice being heard.

July 27th, 2010 from El Rosario

Time to decorate for this week's Vacation Bible School. We utilized the garden arch as a focal point for the daily puppet shows. The Mexican ladies busied themselves with creating tissue paper skirting and blowing up balloons. It's awesome how creatively they use inexpensive items to decorate. Mother Nature is rearranging some of what we put up with her gusts of winds that keep blowing through. The VBS is being held outside because the men of the church are enlarging the sanctuary by putting in a new roof on the back half. With the church property on a main drag this may be an advantage.

July 27th, 2010. I'm a Child of God

Yes! I still like being a kid. I'm a child of God and sometimes I enjoy focusing on the "child" part. Thought you would enjoy this pic of Esther and myself on the tetter-totter.

July 26th, 2010 Traveling to El Rosario

Up at 6am to be ready for a 8am departure from the church. Boy, did I pick the right van to travel in. Everyone pulled out the breakfast once we were out of town. There were burritos, tamales, and fruit that circulated around the van until everyone had had enough. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!! The trick this week will be to NOT gain weight. The caravan of 6 vehicles carrying 51 team members,lugguage and building supplies didn't get far down the road before someone got a flat tire. Still it was a beautiful 4-hour ride travering the winding roads through the mountains with stretches that ran along the ocean.

July 25th from San Vicente, Sunday church

Left for Church at 9:45 this morning to join in on Sunday school at the church here in San Vicente that I attend when I'm in town. Mario gave an awesome teaching on the example we as adults need to be to our children. It was great to hear such a focus on the value of children especially when this upcoming week with be so directed to "these little ones" when I join forces with the church for the outreach farther south. The church service is directly after Sunday school. The church is packed today for worship and prayer time that last about 1- 1/2 hours. One of the kids is sitting on my lap until the children are released for the second half. It's getting pretty warm so the fans keep the air moving. Return from church about 2pm. Time to pack for the 4-day outreach to el Rosario, get a little down time and then return to church for the 2-hour evening service that starts about 6pm. Then there is a carne asada dinner after service. Return about 9pm.

Consult! Prepping those that GO...

26 July Chris in San Diego

Huddling around a laptop at a local cafe with a couple of people who are still queasy from their first doses of anti-malarials, all one week pre-trip for a least-developed country internationally to do health-care outreach... this week, it's Haiti... two weeks ago, they were going to Tanzania...
My lecturing at San Diego nursing schools and 'adjunct faculty' work has brought me into the circle of students and faculty who are going on health outreach during breaks. They have found out that I've worked internationally, and are coming to me with questions and needing training/prep for healthcare work abroad.
Just the last few months, my "Cafe Consults" have prepped people for Haiti, Tanzania, Thailand, Mexico and some urban health-care work in the 'rough part' of San Diego and San Francisco. In the last decade, I've done "Consult!" for people going to 28 moderate-to-low development countries.

They always come back and communicate how spot-on and useful the training was, and how it made for an effective health outreach or educational effort.

What ususally happens is that pre-trip, the people begin to prepare to 'go do' something, and as they research that prep, they find out that 'everything in their experience' cannot help them for where they are going to work. Then they contact me. I'll create profiles of health needs and healthcare realities for where they are specifically going, then (usually over a tall decaf Americano) spend a couple hours teaching/training. Laptops in cafe's work great. Many times, we'll also do some acutal planning on how the health education or intervention will happen during their outreach.

Just thought y'all should know about this 'Consult!' work, since it's a regular and substantial bit of what we do missionally.

Sorry, gotta go, somebody is running off to Thailand to work with village kids, and they want some healthcare info for that...

your bro, Chris

still Learning Aug. 24, 2010

Arrived in san Vicente Thur. evening to begin final prep for next week's outreach. The current team will include 37 people from the Nazarene Church here in SV, 9 people from Good News Community Church in Colorado, Dave and Lynne (missionary couple here in SV. and myself. Anyways, I've been busy pulling materials for the Health Fair and vacation Bible School. When I met with the Pastor's wife yesterday, I discovered that she had decided on different stories from what we had talked about before. Thus, much of the pre-trip prep I had made was in naught and needed to be restructured. If there is something that I STILL struggle with, it's feeling like I've wasted my time. Of course, nothing is EVER wasted in the "Kingdom". Relationships are ALWAYS more important than time! Hopefully, someday it will become more natural for me to shrug off these type of irritations. In the meantime, I'm being remolded into HIS image.
Lori

Hannah helps with VBS prep

Sure glad I had my daughter, Hannah, help with preparing the flannelgraph figures for the upcoming Vacation Bible School in El Rosario, Mexico. Next week will include three days of ministry to children.Leadership has been divided between Pastor Marta and myself as we continue to train up teenage girls of the Nazarene church in San Vicente in reaching out to kids in the surrounding area. Pray for open hearts of little ones who will attend as well as stamina as weather reports say temps could be over 100 degrees.
Can't wait to report about the good things that will happen.
Lori