The Gringos...

Back in August I got an e-mail from some random guy who said he was with a mission organization called "The World Race" and he was wondering if he could place a team with us for a month.  I was a little wary.  A month can be a long time with a team.  Especially if they're lame.  Not to mention that I'd never heard of this guy or group.  I asked him for a bit more info and he sent me a list of the groups and missionaries they would be working with in Bolivia.  Yea, just about everyone I knew was on that list.  So I wrote him and said sure, why not.

I made a couple of arrangements and then I promptly forgot about it.  Which is, you know...what I do... 

Fast forward a couple of months. 

I'm headed for a little hotel in the city and feeling very excited about taking a couple of much needed days off.  It's been a rough few weeks.  I have visions of laying by a pool and thinking of nothing but what I'm going to eat for supper and how nice the air conditioning in my room is going to feel like. 

Then my cell rang.  Turns out the team would be arriving the next day. 

Well, isn't that just the best timing ever.  In my head I was sort of like, "God...if you wanted to send them somewhere else that'd be okay with me.  Maybe there's another missionary who really, really wants them." 

I waited a moment but my phone didn't ring, so I set my alarm to get up the next morning to head to the bus terminal to pick them up.  Everything was mostly in place for them...I just wasn't very excited for the work involved getting them orientated when I was supposed to be relaxing and reading a book by a pool.

TWR people...if you're reading this...hang in there.  It get's better...

I called my friend who they'd be also working with to let her know the team was arriving the next day.  She knew I had been planning some time off and being the great friend she is, quickly offered to take over with them the next morning.  The plan was for them to work with her that day anyhow, so that was all fine.  I was back to enjoying my day off.  I headed for the bus terminal feeling a little bit better.

And then their bus didn't arrive when it was supposed to.  So I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  Did I mention it was hot out?  Like 38 C hot?  All I could think of was my deck chair, surrounded by palm trees...the sun glistening off the water in the pool...

Finally I got a call that they had arrived.  As I wandered around the terminal looking for them, I wondered how their trip had been.  They had just bused it from somewhere in Peru.  Which is pretty impressive if you know anything about South American buses.  I figured they'd be tired and hungry and probably a little grumpy.  I would be.

I finally found them surrounded by backpacks, sitting on the sidewalk in another part of the terminal.  I walked up to them and they greeted me with...

Big smiles and hugs.  Seriously.  I had just waited a couple of hours in my happy and comfortable truck...and I was kind of grumpy.  These people had just ridden HOURS on a bus and were all smiles and hugs.

And it just got better from there.  They won me over pretty quick.  In the end, they were probably one of my favourite groups ever.  Seriously...they were awesome! 

See TWR people...I told you...

They were funny...they worked hard...they never complained...they smiled all the time...they never complained.  Yea, I know I said that last one twice, but I live with twelve guys who never seem to stop complaining.  So...it was nice.

Anyhow...a few pictures of that great group of gringos...

Working at El Jordan's new work site...

Ruth painting...

Josh sanding up high...

Ruth and Molly with the kids at El Jordan...

Kursti and Ruth and un-named baby having an after lunch nap...

The girls making us pizza for lunch...

The daily foosball turnament...

A little cliff diving...

A little more cliff jumping...

The team...

Josh and Kristen...

Praying with a young street kid who had come off the streets and

had gone with the team to YWAM's transition home...

Hanging out with that same young guy a week later at a TB hospital. 

He was in much better shape...

Ice cream in the plaza...

They were a photogenic group...

Kristen's hypnotic gaze...

Packed up and ready to go...

One last trip in the back of the truck...

Like I said, these guys were a lot of fun and a huge blessing to us.  I can't say enough good about them.  This was month three for them, of an eleven month, around the world missions trip.  As I write this, they are on their way to Albania and a month later from there, Romania.  They'll spend a couple of months in Africa and then onto Asia and then on their way home eight month from now.

Hey guys...thanks!  You were amazing!  Come back any time...
   
PS...We were hanging out in the plaza one night and the team decided to show us some good ol' American dance moves...




Always entertaining...