This update is excerpted from Reg and Linda’s latest prayer letter.
Last night the church missions group arrived at Hacienda de los Arboles for a 10-day orientation. This is the group of young people that will be visiting Buffalo Narrows in Canada, and India this summer. When their leader, Alejandro, saw the place he said, “This is perfect.” He wanted the team to adapt to living in less-than-ideal conditions.
So, Reg and I hosted this group one night, and we can tell you it has been a joy to see them, and hear them also — all night in fact! They sang and played all night by the campfire, we are not sure anyone slept, including us.
They had planned to sleep in the main building, but the girls were unsettled by the excrement on the floor. “Is it rat droppings?” Not rat, bat. “Will they bite us?” Only if you’ve been watching too many Dracula movies. Reg’s last-minute preparations, included hooking up the propane for the stove, and the electrical connections for the inside lights.
They began their orientation by studying the Pentateuch. Not long after Reg and I went to bed, the campfire was built, and we heard the fun starting. It went from singing choruses, to fireworks, to, much later, hammering on something!
2:00am — The fire is glowing and there are wannabe missionaries out there.
6:00am — Reggie, with his classic dry humor, “They are going to smell great after the whole night around that fire. How long will it be until they ask about having a shower?”
7:00am — I asked if staying awake all night was part of the orientation, maybe to reach the nocturnal people in India. They played along for a while before they admitted that, no, this was just for fun. Amazingly, Alejandro kept up with them the whole night, in good spirits. “Ahh, they’ll be tired out in a couple a days and they’ll all be in bed by ten.”
8:00am — Alejandro led the morning exercises, starting with warm-up stretches and then a long jog.
9:00am — Alejandro asked about showers, and Red told him they wouldn’t be available for two more days. Two young men found an old tub, and for the next couple there was a continual parade of youth, going to the cistern, drawing up a bucket of cold water, and heading for the bathtub. Brrrrrrh. Ahh sweet youth!
12:00pm — they started “paying” for their free boot camp; 12 young energetic bodies (after a night without sleep? You gotta be kidding!) mixed gravel and sand into cement right there on the ground.
3:00pm — after some hours in teaching sessions, they began a team-building exercise, and then a game of American football on the street.
Add another teaching session on the Pentateuch, the arrival of some of the church worship team, to join Abram in worship.
10:30pm — everything is quiet. Ahh, sweet youth!
A great day! A privilege to be here investing!
Above: this is the plan for what the Hacienda Los Arboles property will look like when completed.
