Rancho 3M Mission Trip: Day 1

Checking in from Rancho 3M.  The team appointed me scribe after I broke about three things.  Don’t attempt that at home, but here is an update for the trip so far.  We got over in excellent time yesterday, with no headwinds to fight and good weather all the way.  We made our usual stop at Home Depot, loaded up some building materials, met Cerise Schezore and her son at the store, and then got an escort across at Fabens.

Our day of travel ended well as we got across the border without the slightest difficulty.  I don’t think Ken even got the truck and trailer completely stopped.  They just waved him through despite the full trailer.

Other times they have held us up for an hour getting things worked out when we had less of a load.  At the Rancho with plenty of daylight, we scoped out our tasks for the next day.  Ken predicted we might have four swamp coolers installed for the students’ classrooms by 2:00 this afternoon.  We have one up so far, with a lot of cooling ducts installed.  This should make an enormous difference to the students, who have been suffering the heat and humidity.  Even though it is notably less hot at Rancho 3M (the mornings are cool and refreshing), it would be a trial to sit in those unventilated, uncooled classrooms all day.  Hunter commented that the first-grade classroom smelled just like his first-grade classroom.

We got started early this morning with some great cinnamon rolls from Mary Lambros, after a great pasta casserole from Mary Lambros last night.

Since Mary was providing the nutrition for our bodies, Jonathan provided the spiritual nutrition by leading us in prayer and a short scripture lesson.

The kids are at about 37 in numbers and are thriving.  They earned a camping trip to Copper Canyon next week (sort of like the Grand Canyon, running east-west across the north of Mexico) by memorizing Bible verses.

The younger students all memorized 12 verses, next age group 24 verses, and finally 37 verses for the older kids.  Every single student got their verses perfect, except Alan (fetal alcohol syndrome) who recited, “Jesus died for my sins.”  The kids still know their verses.  When I asked several of them, they all had them down cold and were proud to recite them.  Praise God!!  I have to get to memorizing.

The master chicken coop (Matt Ross, Architect) is in use and they were gathering eggs and butchering chickens this morning.

Pray for us to get done with everything in good order and to be useful in our service.  Rancho 3M is vibrant, full of the Holy Spirit, and thankful for our contribution, which so blesses us.

Grace be with those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

Dale