When I was 14

This is a picture of the sunrise from Matamoros, Mexico. Sorry for the poor quality--it was taken with a disposable camera. I am standing beside our bunk--a small building with six beds and no air conditioning. Behind me are the showers which require a not-so-reliable generator to work. When the generator isn't cooperating, there are buckets. In the meeting hall (separating the guys side from the girls side), we got to eat authentic Mexican food. The owner of the camp, though he may not have had the "best" of resources available to him, was very hospitable and our whole group was very grateful for him.

Dancing at the worksite. It is such a joy to serve. The shack in the background--that is a home. That was the home of the family that we are building a new house for. A new house that is still less than your average American would settle for.

This is just one of the families that we met as we walked through Matamoros. Before we came they didn't have a Bible. Now they have one and have begun reading it.

There  are so many stories--sadly, I don’t remember them all. But I wrote little tidbits down before leaving Mexico, and I want to share some of that with you:

Never forget the train that never moves, the girl threatened by her neighbor, the lady who was scared by Satan from going to church, the girl with unspoken family problems, the man without job or food, the man eager to read the Word, the family who shared their photos, the lady with the miracle baby...the lady who gave us water, the fifteen-year old single mom with a week-old baby, and all the wonderful playful children. Never forget the man who followed the bus to ask for prayer, and never forget the joy despite poverty of the children…
 

This area is in the dumps. It's where this boy lives and plays.

A lot of our work was simply playing with the children.

It's been a long way since 14. But this is a year I will never forget.