Mexico 2008

Okay so I just recently returned from a trip that truely caused me to check my life again. This year we went to Mexico to build houses and teach valuable skills to the members in Tijuana. This trip always causes you to reflect and think and be humbled and think about all sorts of things that are in your life that make you "happy" and you can go to Mexico and see how happy these people are without the things that we have. I cannot even explain to you in words how I felt. This is probably due to many things the first of these being that everybody has a different experince and that there are not wors out there to desribe the feelings that we felt. The evaluation of what happen is easy to do however and that is what I am going to do. I am going to give a day by day summary of what happened while we down there(including inside jokes and stuff like that so bear with me if it doesn't make too much sense)

Day 1: Friday November 21st 2008
We meet at my parents house to head to Primm Nevada for the evening. But prior to this I was sent on some errands and I forgot a bunch of stuff of course in me style. So I was teased about for a good chunck of the way down there. My sister tried to do a rubiks cube with a little bit of help from our twin neighbors. We had some great fun cracking jokes about each other over the two way radios. We drove into Cedar City and picked up our last passenger and stopped for a bite to eat at the group favorite Panda Express. Then after dinner we drove into Primm Nevada the rest of the way about three hours. When we got to Primm we dealt with the most frustrating hotel desk staff that you could ever imagine working with. I do not think they had a clue what was happening. We waited no lie for a good 45 minutes to have a room key with a very short line only the six cars that drove down with us. It is obvious that they do not make their money from the amazing customer service but from the casinos. Whatever I finally got to my room and I was thrilled to fall asleep then I remembered that I had to wait up for my bed buddy so I watched October Sky on USA and remembered how much I like that movie so I finished and then went to bed a while after Ashley had arrived.

Day 2: Saturday November 22nd 2008
Okay so we set the goal to be up and ready to leave at 8 AM the good news is that we left at 8:30 so we did very well. Then we go a caravaning away and into the great state of California. We do california only stopping in San Diego and a Chevron with a Subway for lunch prior to crossing the border into Mexico and not being sure about the quality or cleanliness of the food we are eating. So we (the cars without trailers) alll get together in Sunny D and head off to Florido Mexico and Cucapah. Well we had no trailers so no problem crossing. Those with trailers on the other hand had to stop to avoid what happened to us two years ago being almost being deported or arrested. So they did it the right way and paid all of the taxes and all of that. We on the other hand were to drive straight to the stake center. Well we got lost and ended up needing an extra half hour or so to get there. We got there with the help of the missionaries which we fortunate to have found and they gave us directions to the nearby church and there we got the neccesary help to get us back to the right place. So we ended up pulling into the church the same time as those with trailers did. Which was my parents car and boy were we glad to see that stake center which is like a refuge from the world in an area of filth. We spent saturday night setting up and getting ready for the week which was very eventful.

Day 3: Sunday November 23rd 2008
This is a long day for not working. Okay so before I left I volunteered to sing in a quartet and I was really excited about it and then they changed it to a group and I was like cool and then they are like you are going to sing in Spanish instead and I was like, "umm, I do not speak spanish so I obviously do not sing in spanish." They were like we do not care so I sang a small group part in How Firm a Foundation. For some reason I had a difficult time holding back the tears while singing this song even though I did not speak in the language I was singing in. I felt the spirit communicate to me soo strongly that I just knew the church was true everywhere and that is what I am reminded of every year when we go and sing in Sacrament Meeting. The gospel is true in every language and in every country. We did the singing thing twice and then a bunch of us headed to the cultural hall to eat lunch and just relax. Well we ate lunch and then the job bosses headed off to survey what was ahead of them for the week. Then we played games and slept and stuff like that cause hello we had to be up fairly early so that we could move all of our beds and stuff like that. Then we did a fireside later in the evening where I got to play with the primary kids and help them make a craft and color pictures and sing primary songs in English and Spanish. Then we finally had our nightly meeting and got to go to bed and it was wonderful until one of our roomies started to snore pretty badly. But I was tired enough it did not matter.

Day 4: Monday November 24th 2008
Okay so this day I got a little bit sickish and it was suggested that I do not go on the job so it is me and a bunch of older ladies staying home and sorting A TON of fabric. But we did a lot of stuff and sorted out the fabric, toys, sewing machines, and clothing. I still did a lot of good but I would have rather been out on a job. But that evening when those went on the job got back and I realized how much they had done that day they even got to the insulation. I was amazed and realized that they can still do it all without me there. I was super happy for them but kinda sad cause that is my favorite thing to do. If it wasn't I would not have gone obviously. But that night we quited some stuff and had our first evening of real Mexican Food in the words of Britney Jones, "Soo GUUUD" Then we went to bed and the snoring finally kept me and Katie from sleeping so we hauled a comforter and our blankets into the hallway in the church and crashed out there.

Day 5: Tuesday November 25th 2008
This day I finally got to work on the job. This was the day that we go to do all of the exciting things that I missed out on the day before while sorting through the ton of fabric scraps. Well this day I got to do all sorts of things that I had never been allowed to do before. This day I got build and install a wall. Yeah I did. I used the anchoring gun and nail gun and got it all in place like it should have been. I also got to assemble some bunkbeds and install them. I built shelves and wired a home. I even attached the outlet to the wiring and switches. I helped do a little bit of plumbing and insulation also that day. I later came home and helped a large number of sisters learn to quilt and sew. The ones that I had enjoyed teaching the most were these three young women two laurels and a beehive. Two of these girls were the daughters of the relieif society president and they learned and worked so quickly. What was even better was that they helped us to accomplish what we were hoping to accomplish and that was teach a few who could then turn around and teach some others. This is what these Young Women did. They were able to teach some of the older sisters and other young women how to quilt and sew and all of that stuff. Although I hated the amount of noise and the choas I really did love how well recieved and worthwhile this activity was.

Day 6: Wedensday November 26th 2008
Okay so it rained and rained and rained this day. So instead of going to a project were I wass not neccesarilly needed too much I stayed back and helped to quilt. Or if you are Bradley we chose to "quilt". Well this day we probably tied and finished fifty quilts. Becuase this night was chosen as a continuation of the previous nights activity we had to get it ready to go and closer to be being done and that is what we did. We tied enough quilts that the sisters could get them done that evening or at least so that there would be a bigger percentage fo them done. We then worked on getting the other humanitarian projects together for that evening. Once we got everything ready I started to do other stuff. As the quilting was drawing to a close I decided I should probably head outside and take a shower. Well I had forgotten my flip-flops at home and to avoid being seen in my towel and swimming suit by the members there that evening I chose to change outside. Well I left my clothes on a chair right outside the shower tarp opening. Well I hopped in the shower in only slightly cloudy weather and hopped out in a full on rainstorm. Well I got out of the shower and discovered that my clothes had become completely soaked and I had already taken off my swimming suit and there was no way that I was going to try to pull on a soaking wet suit so I wrap up in my towel and run back inside to get dry clothes. Well as I am running I discover that the tile outside of the building is a bit slippery fortunately I did not slip or else I would have run into some serious problems exposing my naked glory to all those members inside the church. That was Wedensday.

Day 7: Thursday Novemeber 27th 2008 Thanksgiving Day
Okay so it rained again and I yet again made the decision to stay home and work on finishing quilts. The men however went and framed up our other project which is a salon addition on a home. They got up two walls and started to paper and insulate them. This is fantastic. This day however we did not have sisters coming to help us that evening with the quilting. I hand basted a lot of batting in. I tied and pinned quilts on frames. I even stiched one shut. This day was a long one also full of quilting and other stuff. Along with the quilting I got to play a few games with the other ones that stayed back. We played a fun game called the name game. I will have to teach some people how it goes sometime. But we played it and my brother cheated and then I worked on more quilting and cleaning up cause I knew we had to leave the next day. So I spent the day cleaning up and packing up and all of that good stuff. So I quilted, cleaned, and packed. Well that evening the ward members surprised with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner including four different types of turkey and Mexican Mashed Potatoes. It was SOO GOOUD!! Then I played run away from the light with little Karlita, the relief society presidents daughter. She is adorable. Then we had our final meeting and to tell you the truth it was quite disappointing as always to leave but it still felt so good to know what we did.

Day 8: Friday November 28th 2008 Black Friday
Okay so this morning we sent our powerhouse men out really early to finish the salon with roof and walls. Then we all got together and headed to see the projects done and dedicate the homes that we built. This is always a super spiritual experience and I am soo glad for it even though I did not understand what was said in the prayers I do understand that Heavenly Father is pleased with our work and I am so thankful for that. Then we said our final goodbyes to the Roja's and Christian and packed up and headed for the border. This is where the story become very interesting. My car was the second car through. My parents who had been right there with us the whole time were about 45 minutes behind us in the end of it all. Drug Smuggling is a big issue in Tijuana and I think that the US Border Patrol thinks that my dad is a drug smuggler. Whatever. Well we eventually all get rendevoused together again and we are playing another game called Hiyah or chopp you. I am not sure actually. So we play this until my parents get there. Then we head on our merry way into Barstow California where we enjoy our first annual tradition of Tommy's Burger. Then from their we head into Primm Nevada where we enjoy our second tradition of riding the Desperado at Buffalo Bills. Then we head off to bed. My beddine had food poisoning poor thing. Not from Tommy's but most likely leftover food in Mexico, she did not caravan with us so she did not eat there I am fairly sure. Then nighty night.

Day 9 Saturday November 29th 2008
Okay so we woke up ate at the buffet. Not too good either. Then we loaded up and drove home. The whole while I was texting and working on putting together a temple trip that I was in charge of. I am glad that I have good friends that were willing to help me. I got it all put together and showed up to the temple about 15 minutes behind my ward. We made it home from Primm in great time. We left there at about 11:30 Utah time and I was heading to the temple by 5:35 Utah time. That is proof that my prayers are answered. I had an enjoyable evening followed by a long, deep, good, nights sleep in my bed.

That was the trip I will post pictures eventually.