Travel Days 1-2

 

Front: Anna Pamer, Josiah Baker, Hanna Pavkov, Timothy Pavkov

Back: Ellie & Collin Crist, Will Bondlow, Brad Horner 

   

Cousins traveling together! 

Philippians 2:3–4

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Good morning and welcome, readers!

This year began with a unique travel schedule as we had to fly to Dallas the evening before our flight to Puerto Escondido to make sure we didn't miss our connection. Praise God for providing a nice hotel with an airport shuttle, which made travel to and from the airport so easy. Our luggage was checked all the way through, so we only had our carry-on bags to manage. We made it through all the security checkpoints quickly and had plenty of time before boarding. The flights were uneventful (which is always a good thing!), and we made it through customs smoothly. Between the eight of us, we had more than 22 pieces of luggage, including checked bags, carry-ons, and personal items. Amazingly, they only checked our backpacks and waved us through quickly. Praise God!

It was such a joy to step out of the airport and see Kayla, Jocsan, and Zeke! After greeting the whole team, we loaded up the truck with luggage, piled into two vehicles, and headed to Dan's Café for lunch. Dan's Café has become a favorite spot for those of us returning. It offers authentic Mexican food, along with American options for those who may still be adjusting to the cuisine. Just a short walk away is a beautiful overlook of the Pacific Ocean.

After lunch, we headed to Casa Jubilee, our amazing accommodations for the week. The owners, a Christian couple from Washington State, built the home with the hope of using it for mission teams. They generously provide us with a discount that makes this wonderful place our home base. Having been on many mission trips, I've learned how important good food and a good night's sleep are so team members can focus their energy on the mission each day.

Once everyone got settled into their rooms, most of the team cooled off with a dip in the pool. We gathered later to talk through the week and begin planning for Friday's kids event in a mountain village. This is a completely new opportunity for us, as we will travel about an hour and a half into the mountains to host an event for up to 80 children. Please pray for us as we seek to use our gifts to bless these kids and share the Gospel with them!

 

Later, we headed into town because Jocsan and I had a meeting with a volleyball coach. He is starting a volleyball program in Puerto and is introducing new players to the sport. God's timing is wonderful! The coach has family coming in on Monday and had planned to cancel practice. Instead, he is going to stop by, introduce us, and then turn the entire practice over to our team. I'll have the opportunity to coach volleyball through an interpreter for the first time! One of our team members will also share a testimony and present the Gospel.

We also drove out to the Casa Abba property so the team could see the progress there. This is where I was reminded how much I enjoy having new members on the team—five of our eight are here for the first time. Taking a few moments to describe what the property looked like during our first year, and then seeing all that God has done since then, was a powerful reminder of His faithfulness. I couldn't believe how much had changed since last year! When we left, the foundation for the main house had just been completed and some of the holes had been filled in. In January, Woodland Deck Company—including Zoltan Csepe, Dan Pfeiffer, and David Keiper from Lakeside—built the walls. It is so exciting to see the room layouts taking shape and to hear the plans for the orphanage.

Just entering the main gate and seeing the walls for the first time

Jocsan sharing the vision

Walking the Property 

 

Seeing the building from down below

 

Please continue to pray for the construction of Casa Abba and for Kayla and Jocsan as they oversee this project. Their dream is to be working with children, not bricks. But this season requires building so they can one day welcome the children God will bring to them. Please pray for funding for the roof and for the continued work in the community.

On the way back to Casa Jubilee, we picked up some delicious tacos for dinner. This year, we did something completely new on a mission trip: we watched the Mexican national soccer team win their World Cup match! During the second half, after Mexico had gone up 3–0, we had our evening debrief and then called it a night.

Tomorrow, we head back to Casa Abba for a full day of work on the property.