Where there is a will, there is a way. News from Jan 23-25

Town's people gather at the site hoping that the bridge is stable enough for trucks to cross soon. Rains that created a flash flood in the early 1980's, took out the bridge and it was over 2 months before it was completed. News like that has us being careful of usage of our resources.

Wow! A disaster sure can bring all the local farms together. Semis filled with produce are stranded and they need to get their fruits and vegetables north. So, heavy equipement has been streaming in to back fill the eroded soil. For 3 days now, dump trucks have been moving soil from the adjoining hills into the river bed. It's pretty exciting seeing all the locals working together and not waiting till the goverment can send help.

We found out today that about 400 people are being housed at the local schools because of not being able to return to their homes because of flooded roads or their homes have been damaged. We were able to bless them with 72 pairs of socks, about 25 sweatshirts and T-shirts and lots of hats to help out. Glad we had some items that we immediately needed.

Going into Survival Mode from Lori

Thought you might like to know more about my time in San Vicente while the bridge was out. I arrived in SV with missionaries Dave and Lynne Johnson on Wed. Jan. 20th. When we passed over the bridge as we entered town, a small steam could be seen in the wash (seldom is there any water in it). The nightime hours brought a couple of inches of rain in town, however in the mountians east of town a more significant amount had fallen. The next morning, Pastor Jose knocked on the door to inform us that a large section of the road leading up to the bridge had been washed away in a flash flood and that we should fill the gas tank on the vehicle and get our drinking bottles filled. He also had heard that the road south of town has been washed away in sections, resulting in the SV community being cut off both north and south. The towns well had be damaged by the flood also.
So, we moved into survival mode:
Filling the 5 gal. drinking water bottles,
putting out the 5 gal. buckets under the eaves to catch rain water (used to wash dishes) and if need be, make into rainwater pure enough for drinking,
we began rationing the propane used for cooking (no one uses electric stoves as there are no 220 lines),
also rationing the water we had in the storage tank and using the caught rain water,
walking when needed to save the gas in the truck.

Within 24 hours of the roads being down, there was no drinking water, gas, or propane in SV and the grocery store shelves were bare. We were in good shape with food as we had gone shopping before returning to SV.

Years of living and working in Mexico helped me to automatically shift into survial mode, however, the most difficult thing was not being able to communicate with family and friends that we weren safe. You see, the phone lines were in the bridge and even cell phone were not working.

Lori is BACK from Baja... the Mex Groundhog 2 Feb

02 Feb

OK, just trying to figure out a tie-in with Lori's return and Groundhog day.

Lori arrived from Baja Mexico this afternoon, totally fine and all the mud already scraped off. She is fine, and says the two weeks were quite productive and filled with some really great ministry. It also sounds like the 200 people who were 'washed out' of their work-camp housing... which is essentially nothing but concrete block 10 x 12 boxes... those folks are already back in their housing and cleaning out.

OK, thanks be to the LORD for His hand on everything, and thanks to all for their love and prayers and encouragement.

OK... that's taken care of.... what's next?

your bro, Chris

Waiting, Waiting.... 30 Jan

30 Jan

From Chris.... well, haven't heard from Lori in San Vicente for 5 days... they DID have phone service (meaning DSL computer) but it may be out because they ARE trying to re-connect the roads... so says the news here in San Diego... I am NOT worried that she is in danger or starving... lots of beans and rice stored in the village... just wondering if she will have a "50 days in San Vicente" like I had a 50 Days in Zambia last year...

will update..
your bro
Chris

Lori, San Vicente and the floods Jan2010

25 Jan

Hey, all!

Well, we had torrential rains here in Southern Cal last week, and a number of things ended up floating away here... Lori went south to San Vicente middle of last week (when the storms were starting up) and after arriving, the torrential water-rush out of the mountains took out the San Vicente bridge.

It seems that the main and only road up-and down Baja from Ensenada all the way to Los Cabos (southern tip of Baja) got tore up real good, with numerous brideges and whole sections of the road missing.

SO, as of this writing, Lori is stuck in San Vicente. She has called a couple of times to say she is safe, dry, has electricity and drinking water (rationed). It sounds like about 200 people in the work camps around San Vicente lost their places to stay, and are being housed in the local schoolhouse and the church. Lori and the missionary couple down there (Dave and Lynn) are ministering to those people in whatever way they can. Lori says alot of hats went out... some gathered by Lori's hat ministry... to the people who had to evac their homes as the floods came in off the mountain.

As of this writing, the Mex Govt has declared a state of emergency, and there has been an effort to create a temporary road THRU the riverbed so people can pass... of course, rain is predicted for tomorrow here and down Baja...

Lori said that, since they did have power and not much else to do, she held sewing class today (Monday) and had like 12 students in the morning and 10 in the afternoon...

SO, pray for Lori and the missionary couple (Dave and Lynn) and the village of San Vicente, Baja Mexico in this time.

Of course, Lori's San Vicente trip may turn into HER "50 days in Baja" like my past "50 Days in Zambia" in 2009.

your bro, Chris

19 Jan 2010 Down the muddy path... from Chris

19 Jan

Well, howdy, all those who read BajmissionBlog!

Thought y'all should just know the following, so you can pray effectively...

<>Here is a picture of Lori
<>Lori really has to work hard to slough thru muddy streets...
<>It is raining quite aggressively here on the Pacific Coast
<>When there is alot of rain, the street of San Vicente become nothing but ankle-deep muddy trails
<>Lori really has to work hard to slough thru muddy streets...

any questions? Plz pray!

Chris

THE grind... THE grind... THE grind working in missions

11 Jan 2010

THE grind in missions IS... hours and hours and hours of set-up over days and days and days to prepare for a couple of days of work. Lori has been pounding out long days over the last week to get ready for a two-week trip of sewing classes and ministry with the young women of San Vicente...

So many times, when talking to people about what we do, many think we get to 'be out ministering with people' 5 days a week...

we wish. It's the grind of set-up and arrangements and logistics that remain a big part of missionary life... so say all of our missionary friends and colleagues as well...

pray for 'grace in the gravity' of the hard work of set up, packing, set-up and tear-down, clean up, acquisition of needed materials...