tuesday

i have an appt. with the dermatologist this afternoon. when i was getting my teeth cleaned last week, my hygienist suggested i see one for a "spot" on my lip. i expect it to be nothing, but thought i would follow through on something for once. :-)

i spent some time yesterday cleaning the dead skin off austin's right foot. sounds gross, but because he hasn't used it in 2 months, nothing was shedding and he had a horrible build up. he can't reach his feet so, somebody had to do it. what are moms for? spent our obligatory 4 hours at the clinic yesterday for austin's followup appt. he was given the go ahead to put weight on his right leg. he thought it felt weird, but he's doing it!

unfortunately, we have to serve another 4 hours tomorrow waiting to see his arm/hand/other knee surgeon. knowing that he comes off the blood thinners on mar. 1, we are able to start scheduling his other surgeries. he will need the rods and pins in his arm/hand removed yet.

austin called this morning. his ACL surgery has been scheduled for march 9.

i'm working today getting my house in order so i can go to el rosario. w told me not to worry about it, but i can't do that. so i'm busy the rest of the day.

birthday

today is my birthday, and what a wonderful day it has been.

we got up early, as victoria spent the night last night. every morning is early with a 3 year old. but she woke up very cheery and happy, which is her nature. we lazed around until we felt like getting dressed, then headed up to town to meet up with megan. although i saw her last week, she hadn't seen w in several weeks and needed some family time.

we went out to breakfast at ihop. yummy! then shopping at target to pick up a few things we couldn't live without. i picked up some fun melamine dishes for the r.v. with some matching silverware. it will be fun stocking it and making it ours. that will have to wait until i return from mexico.

victoria carried around a package of disney princess panties until we bought them. never hurts to have a few spares, especially with our little princess. megan picked up a few necessities and then we dropped her off at her apt.

she's doing very well and i'm proud of her. she's just starting her last trimester of her pregnancy. cute as a button, and she's got gavin's room already partially decorated. she's going to make a great mom.

we got to see the boys when we finally dropped victoria at home. they were in rare form and i always leave their place with a smile on my face.

so it's been a great day! and i'm blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life, including my beloved husband!

friday

my days go from empty to chock full in a few short minutes. a phone call and i had a friend lined up to help me carry the t.v. up to megan's 2nd floor apt. with a few connections, not only did she have a picture, she had color too! at least she can see the news now.

next we took a tour of the homeward bound facilities. that is the program that takes in the homeless women and children and victims of DV. it is NICE and these kids are much better off than a lot of other kids that have a home. it is designed to give the mom's the training they need to get on their feet. the daycare is designed to get the kids self-sufficient as soon as possible, even having the 1 year olds eat family style. all is designed to break the generational cycle of dependence. the facility even has a police substation for additional police presence.

then we went to meet joe. we're considering hiring him to make a new base for our bed in the motorhome. i took some ideas about what we wanted, a sample that i pulled from the internet. we'll see what he comes up with.

w took the motorhome into the shop to have a safety check. it was a great idea since we have the impression that the rv sat for a few years unused. so far they've gotten almost everything to work. we're waiting on a part now for the hydraulic leveling jacks, one of the 6 awnings (the biggest) is hopefully going to be fixed and then we can start making it ours. i will need to get it outfitted with all the accoutrements of home. it will be fun. the kids are beyond excited.

after i dropped david off, i stopped by to pick up austin. i had promised w and austin BLT's for lunch. yum, it's been years. so we munched on those and enjoyed ourselves. when i took austin home, i picked up the grandkids for their weekly overnighter and we've been busy ever since.

fun stuff.

lazy day

well, not really.

i am in this coupon thingy. it involves a website and multiple sunday papers for lots of coupons. well, i haven't been following it much since austin's accident, then the holidays, then el rosario. i was determined to get back on track with it, so i planned my shopping list and went for it. i spent $188 at the store, but saved $281. can you believe that?!?

i went to walmart of all places, picked up some plastic tubs to help organize my homeless loot in the living room. i'm thinking the best way to handle it is to send the stuff down to the homeless, distribute it and be done. . .maybe i'll do that too.

w, david and i are making 60 lunches a week for a women's and children's program. the women are taken in off the streets with their children. the moms have to go to parenting classes 3 nights a week for the first 6 months. because most are coming right from work, many of the children haven't eaten. hence the lunches. the kids eat them while they are in daycare. even the moms are allowed to grab one if there are enough to go around. good stuff. and i got 27 loaves of bread for $27. that's a lot of sandwiches. all peanut butter and jelly. we've got a system.

so tomorrow is another lazy day. a friend of mine gave me an old television set to replace megan's snowy set. i hope it works better for her than her current set. it gives me epilepsy. i'll unload that from the back of my car, then prepare for the grandkids.

BLTs for lunch.

a new week

busy again today.

had my teeth cleaned. i hate the thought of going and LOVE how they feel when i'm done. kathleen, my hygienist, rocks. don't know what i'd do without her.

picked up a FABULOUS deal on the upholstery material for the church pews. we purchased the foam, but we didn't get a huge deal on that. maybe i can find something in mexico. if not, we'll make the best of it.

we continue to build momentum for this quirky project. i'm looking forward to it being done as i have so much other stuff in my life that really needs my attention. . .say like, our new motorhome or uh, maybe something like. . .finding a j.o.b.!!!

all in good time, i suppose.

right now i'm busy trying to get my last minute dr. appts. in before i lose my insurance benefits. so much to do, so little time.

i've been asked to talk about the el rosario mission in church on sabbath, i hate to talk in public, but this has taken over my soul, how could i not accept?

friday

another week in the record books. can't wait for the next few quite honestly.

next week is starting to fill, but the following week is jam packed with doctor appts. for austin. he sees his sports medicine surgeon on monday. he's hoping that he'll get the go ahead to start bearing weight on his right leg. he's also hoping to get of his blood thinners in hopes of accelerating the reattachment of his ACL. that's the last of the reconstructive surgery. he has at least one more to remove the hardware in his arm and hand that was put in there to keep it stable while it mends. another reason to get off the blood thinners. everyone wants to wait until he's off those. with good reason.

he sees his arm/hand/left leg surgeon on wednesday. not expecting a lot from that visit. he's gained a lot more mobility in the hand and in the strength of his grip.

we registered him for school today, bought his books. all his classes are online this semester. although i think it would do him good to get back on campus, his future surgeries may keep him immobile for a while longer. best to keep the load light this semester and kick it into gear next semester. he's very well liked by his teachers. many stopped by to see him, shake his hand and wish him a speedy recovery today.

we bought a "train" this week. at least that's what victoria calls it.

it's a 1996 fleetwood bounder. it's very nearly a train with it's 38' length. w wants to take the kids winter camping so scoured craigslist for several weeks to find just the right one. christopher hasn't seen it yet. i'm sure we'll create many a memory with it. victoria has already found it to be quite the playhouse. she played in it while i scraped stickers off the outside. it will be fun. it's at the shop right now getting a safety check, making sure everything works properly before we take our precious load out on their first rv camping trip.

el rosario - much progress has been made. we have almost all of our materials. we continue to try to figure out how to purchase the tile for the kitchen. if the donations don't come in for that, it may have to wait. all of the other improvements will help immensely and will be more than enough for these people who live their lives so simply.

i can't wait to return, to work, in the name of God.

and the wonderful part of it is the people who have been moved to offer financial support, labor if they can't spare the money, and prayers if they can offer neither of the above. it's encouraging to see people so willing to help.

there will be pictures. lots and lots of pictures. before/after and everything in between.

please listen

and feel.

Give me Your Eyes

Progress, El Rosario

i'm amazed at the outpouring of support for this mission. someone has stepped up to supply the foam & material for the pews. another person the microphone and speaker. yet another has offered to cover most of the remaining items. i still need funding for the tile, which we will purchase down in mexico since it's cheaper there.

are people amazing or what!?! so many have expressed the desire to go back with me if only. . .

i will take before and after pictures to be posted for sure. i know the members will be thrilled!!!

this is what i did last week

this is an email i sent out to a few friends after i arrived home last week.

Those of you that know me well, know that a little piece of my heart will always be in the Adventist church, tucked on a hillside in El Rosario, Baja California, Mexico. The people there continue to live their humble lives, worshiping God the best way they can. They live very simple lives but always greet us with huge smiles and warm hugs. They are truly my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Wallace and I recently attended a prayer meeting here in Casa Grande. At the end of the 7 nights, we were given a DVD. I noticed that it was also dubbed in Spanish and decided that it would be a welcome item for El Rosario. Knowing that they did not have a dvd player, I purchased that. One thing led to another and I had a 27" television to take with me. It would surely work better than their 13" tv/vcr combo. Although it was before Christmas when I decided to go, it was another 2 weeks before I was able to clear my schedule and slip off to El Rosario.

When the word got out that I was driving the van to Mexico, my wonderful friends filled it to the brim with clothing, shoes and blankets for the El Rosario community.

At the last minute, one of the guys who helps at The Bridge Homeless ministry, Joe, was able to ride along. He just happens to be a carpenter.

When we arrived, we stopped by the church. Emilio (the church caretaker), came down and opened the door. there were no electronics there. When I asked what had happened, he told me the church had been broken in to and the television and satellite receiver had been stolen. It happened two weeks ago. . .the same time I was out securing my loot. I was able to walk over to the van and show him what we had brought.

During our visit, we talked about what we could do to help them with their struggle. We made a list of the items that were obvious to us, then asked them what was important to them. We ended up with a smaller list, but would still like to work the larger list as time and resources become available.

So now I am asking for your help in our next trip. Joe has a wide variety of skills and the people welcomed him with open arms. He's hooked and would like to do the labor. We came up with the following list of jobs that are important to be done.

1. The church doors are still damaged and unable to be locked because of the theft. The Lord wants those doors replaced. Lorenzo, the Head Elder, has asked if it would be possible to have security doors installed. We know that all things are possible if it is God's will.
2. They have 3 leaks in the roof of the church and would appreciate any help that we could give them sealing those up. We determined that the fix is not onerous and really only requires a couple new rows of roofing paper, flashing and some tar sealer.
3. They have requested a microphone and speaker to help with their service.
4. They asked if we could help them fix their pews. Although the pews themselves are okay, the seat padding is very poor. We will try to keep the existing fabric and take them apart and replace the foam.

That was the extent of what they requested. They also desperately need, but did not request, proper water drainage. Their lot has been damaged quite heavily by the rains that have recently hit Baja. The installation of drains and tubing would be a great improvement to the overall stability of their property with regards to erosion. The fix is mostly labor, the materials are inexpensive and we will have their assistance when we can get the materials there.

Their kitchen is small and quite primitive. The propane stove that they once used, has since quit working. They have some cabinets in the kitchen that are not hung. The cabinets themselves are of very poor quality and it would be nice if we could replace those with something that is a little less "used" from here.

We would eventually like to help them tile their kitchen, countertops and build at least some shelving so that they can use that room to prepare their potlucks and shared meals.

Joe and I have taken a stab at the items that are needed to accomplish at least the requested items. I am sending you this list as I know you all want to do God's work as desperately as I do.

Our current schedule is to take what we can and head back down the first week in February. That means we have 3 weeks to gather supplies and/or finances to help with this cause.


* 2 solid core doors (church) - 36" wide - $50/ea.
* 2 security doors - 36" wide - $80/ea.
* 1 door (kitchen) - $40/ea
* 1 door (kitchen) - 32" - $40
* hinges for kitchen doors (6 hinges - kitchen) - $15
* door knobs & deadbolts (six sets) - $60
* foam for pews (how thick?, what $$ is needed)
* 2 large bulletin boards
* large dry erase board & markers
* roof sealant (5 gallon bucket)
* micro phone & speaker to service the church approximately 15' x 30'
* cabinets
* cabinet countertop material
* countertop tile
* tile for floor
* 4 x 8 sheet of plywood
* roll on roofing
* flashing
* tacks
* nails

Miscellaneous

* concrete drill bits - $12
* thin set
* grout
* nails
* screws
* glue
* foam sealant - $12
* acrylic caulk

Drainage

* perforated tube (150' of 4") $8/10 ft.
* y joint
* elbow joints
* drain box (2) $30/ea.


The items in red have already been purchased. If you would like to contribute to any of these items, please let me know. Time is of the essence. Even if you can not donate any of these items or money to their purchase, I ask for your prayers for this mission. We cannot do it alone, but God will make sure that it happens.

I am posting pictures that can be found here for this church:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lynn.guilkey/ElRosario#

God Bless you all!

a great day

i started out looking for garage/yard/whatever sales. i like to go to them and look for things for the homeless. we're working with a women & children's shelter now, so all things warm are needed.

but today was not very profitable for that kind of thing.

but i digress. w and i had a bet on whether i could get austin to ride along with me this morning. just how desperate was he to get out of the house. austin is not one for shopping unless the emphasis is on him, his favorite target being that of shoes.

so anyway, yes, he is quite bored and readily agreed to ride along, that is until the light of day hit. i knew when i called and he sounded groggy that he was probably going to be a no-show. but that didn't deter me from my task at hand, and i headed out anyway. about 5 minutes into my journey, my cell phone rings and he's now up, moving and ready to hit the yard sale circuit.

poor kid.

we ended up having a lot of fun together. no, we didn't find any hidden deals, but we did get to spend some time together talking, funning and getting to know each other a little more. it's nice because we can talk about some of the injuries of his accident and how they are likely to affect the rest of his life. he has some horrible misconceptions about not gaining full mobility and i suppose some is due to depression. he's really looking forward to walking again.

on the positive side, he got two pins taken out of the top of his hand, his arm splint has been removed and the leg brace on his left leg has been removed. he looks much less like a cyborg and more like his old self, albeit 20 lbs. lighter. wish i had the later issue. :-D

victoria came over and we danced together. i taught her some old lady moves that tickled her fancy and we took turns shouting out with joy. of course, we suck, but no one else has enjoyed the time more than we did. i love dancing with 3 year olds, they are so non-judgmental. and we sing like mermaids. . .in our own minds. the sounds that escape our hearts do not even closely resemble those that flow from our lips, but we have our own special sound filters on and we enjoy that as well. i believe we lost some wine glasses due to our little duet, but that's okay, we can afford it.

tomorrow is church and i'm looking forward to some joyous music and my sabbath nap.

the new year

i've decided to head back down to el rosario. the little adventist church has been on my mind increasingly as of late. i was able to get a hold of some spanish evangelistic material, a dvd that is dubbed in spanish and some spanish bibles. i bought a 27" tv from craigslist (gotta love it), purchased a dvd player for $25 new, and will head down there next week.

it will probably be just a brief run, straight down and back. i've not been able to find anyone to ride along. i need to take the van with the tv, but i believe it's something that needs to be done.

so wish me luck and keep me in your prayers!