Sunday at Manos Juntas

Thank you Creator God for creating Laughter.

Thank you for Giggles and more Laughter filled with JOY!

Thank you for People with Connections.

Thank you for nice looking Ambulance Drivers

Thank you God for Laughter filled with Joy!

Thank you for a Wonderful Day.

The day started out with a long devotion with the ladies of the church of Manos Juntas. Breakfast eggs and chorizo (sausage), little hotdogs with salsa Verde (green salsa) and frijoles, tortillas and fruit.

The church service was done in Spanish. We asked not to have a translator but to experience the experience. Being Mother’s day the whole service was led by the ladies of the church. Songs were sung with great fervor from the bottom of their feet to the top of their heads. Prayers are said with deep feeling of wonder and sincerity. Reading of the Scriptures in a way which breathed life into every word. Children singing and moving from lap to lap. A nursing baby as the words were spoken. A heart felt sermon was shared. A Mother’s Day lunch with a video of the ladies of the church. It was fun to hear to laughter when their faces came up on the screen.

We were off to see Manos Juntas projects here in the area. Our driver, Julian Otero, manager of the projects, told us about an orphanage, a school and community center. So much is focused on tourism and there is a great need for a local place for the local community. Julian explained the focus on mission has changed over the past few years. Mission needs to have measureable results, high impact and be long lasting/ long term. Lives have to be changed. Mission is more than a week long “trip”, you need to work with your hosts on the root of the issues, what they see as the problem not what you as a North American see as a problem. Our hosts know their communities and better understand the issues. This is part of understanding the Global Ministries program 50/50. We went shopping to help the economics of the community. 

A stop at an chamoyadas stand.  Chamoyadas is crushed ice with a blended fresh fruit syrup of your choice-mango, coconut, strawberry, kiwi and other fruits with a squirt of sweetened condensed milk on the top. Then the last stop was to a school under construction for elementary school. The closest school is currently six miles away from this neighborhood. Little ones would need to take a bus to attend.

 We are ready to head back to Manos Juntas. But wait! The van won’t start. We wait about 15 minutes and it still won’tturn over. Our fearless leader, Julian calls a friend of a friend to help us out. Five minutes later an ambulance shows up with lights flashing to return us home. They asked who was injured as they there told there seven injuries!  We all pile into the back of the ambulance for a laughter filled ride back to Manos Juntas. Several of us agree that we could now check ambulance ride off our bucket list! Our very kind drivers flashed the lights and a beep-beep of the siren as they drove away.  We are still giggling over the great experience. What a fun way to end a wonderful laughter filled Mother’s Day.

And the ladies said, AMEN!