Dec 28 Breakfast program and Migrant Camp

Each Saturday, Sandy and some of the girls go to a breakfast feeding program at one of the rural churches. This Saturday Schiller’s and ourselves joined in.  We walked around the village to invite kids to come.  Then we played games, gave them some oatmeal and fruit and Sandy shared a Bible story with the kids.  

Sheridan helping with food

 We then headed back to Casa de Ester (Randy & Sandy’s) for lunch.  Following lunch we went to a migrant camp that they are also involved with regularly.  This was definitely an eye opener for many of us.  The conditions in which these families live, continues to disturb me, no matter how many times I visit a migrant camp.  There is garbage everywhere and toilet paper and sewage all over.  Many kids running around with skin diseases and sickness, due to the unsanitary conditions.

An interesting story that Randy shared is that a team came to this migrant camp and put in a septic system and toilets for the people to use to help make things sanitary for them.  But, the people need more than just having this resource, they need education in why it is beneficial for them to use flush toilets, and wash their hands to help keep them healthy.  As well they needed training in the operation of the toilets.  Because the people at the migrant camp did not receive this instruction the flush toilets are now plugged and the people have just gone back to their old ways of going outside behind their homes and the flush toilets are of no good use to them.  This was an eye opener for me, that what we think is beneficial does not always work, as we need to understand the culture and the way of life of the people to know better how to meet the needs of the people. 

The Schiller’s blessed Randy and Sandy’s girls and all of us with a night out for pizza!  It was awesome to go to Peter Piper’s Pizza for supper!  A big part of the experience was travelling to the restaurant in the bus.  The girls were playing loud music and singing along, laughing and having a blast on the journey to and from the restaurant. 

Noisy Boisterous Bus

Today, was also the day that an earth quake hit north of Ensenada on the Baja and the toll highway dropped down the side of the mountain.  We had travelled it only days prior. This would force us to take the inland "free" road when we leave Mexico. Winding roads thru the mountains without guard rails and lots of traffic.