With two weeks remaining until we depart for Aguascalientes, the days are starting to seem a little overwhelming. The girls are counting the days until the end of school and studying hard for finals; the parents are scrambling to get landscaping and gardening projects wrapped up, trying to get work under control, and generally preparing to be gone for nine days. We haven’t even looked at the packing list yet!
The priority over the past few weeks, though, has been preparing to serve in Aguascalientes. Two teams are actually travelling together…a team of about twelve teens from our high school youth group, GenOne, as well as a team of seven adults and two more teens (the “Family Team”). Both teams have been meeting regularly to get to know each other and to learn about the culture and needs of the children we are going to serve. Masha has been doing double-duty and participating in BOTH team preparations!
The GenOne team has been focusing on interactive things for the kids, including sports workshops, community food distribution, and VBS. The family team is expecting to help with the current phase of construction on the boys’ dorm, probably setting re-bar, pouring concrete, and laying pavers.
Aguascalientes is located on the High Plains, about 350 miles north of Mexico City. Its population is around 800,000 and is nowhere near any of the tourist areas…this is the REAL Mexico. Many have asked us about safety, but much of what we hear in the US is overblown by the media. Dulce Refugio has been host to many many teams from the US and Canada, and while petty crime (pickpocketing, etc) is not uncommon as in many urban areas, the city is otherwise very safe.
The city’s altitude is about 6,000 feet, which is a bit higher than Denver. We’ve been told that it’s very hot and very dry, and that dehydration and sunburn will be our biggest concerns. Fortunately, the folks who run Dulce Refugio have hosted many teams, and they are already coaching us how to stay healthy!
The culture in Mexico is very different from the US. It’s much more laid-back and is highly centered around relationships. People take priority, and schedules will always take a backseat just to spend time connecting with others. We’ve also learned that chivalry is a very big part of the culture, and that food and showing hospitality is the cornerstone of the people there.
We are really looking forward to learning more about the culture in Aguascalientes and to meeting the children of Dulce Refugio. We hope to learn and grow during our time there, and we expect to be changed as much as the lives we hope to impact.
Finally, and most importantly, we want to thank those of you who have so generously donated to meet the needs of the children of Dulce Refugio. Your gifts will impact the lives of the children we will meet as well as countless children in the future! For anyone who still wants to join in our journey, details for making tax-deductible donations can be found here.
