Day 3

Day 3

Today was indeed a day that humbled me. We started off our day making our paper bag lunches and some other students and I made lunches for some of the Spectrum Staff. After breakfast was done and the lunches packed we started off on our adventure quest to the Bath House. On the way I ways semi nervous as this is the first time I have been on this trip and hopefully shall not be my last, even as a senior this year. At the Bath House I was on water detail, meaning I sat on a bucket and had my hand in the water barrel to make sure the temperature of the water was Just right for all of the little guys. As I waited for the water levels to lower I was able to sit and observe the other students work with the kids and interact with each other in cool ways. It was amazing to see Dylan and Payton working at the bathing station washing the kids with little hoses coming out of the water barrels. They squirted the kids with the water and were spraying them and the kids were just enjoying the water and having fun as little kids often do of any nationality. After the bathhouse the seniors and juniors got the opportunity to go to an area called Zona Norte, as Joel Marlette called it the Red Light District of Mexico. While there we went to a local shelter and fed the men who were staying there. It was a great blessing to serve to these men who knew very little or no English at all. Just to fed them and hear their thanks made it all worthwhile. Whilst in Zona Norte we took a walk around the block with the Spectrum Staff surrounding us. As we walked around we got a look at poverty in extremes I have never seen… or really dreamed of before. As we walked we saw people who…weren’t very modest in their attire because of their...Profession. It was an eye opener and just really humbled me and just had put the fact into my heard that these people are definitely people that need all of the love they can receive. I am glad and blessed to be here to help with what we can. We shall keep you all updated as we go. Keep everyone in your prayers not just us, but all of us.

Alec Neal.

               So today was a pretty packed day. We started out by going down to the market. There were so many different things to see, and not enough time. The vendors seem to read your profile and put a price according to what they see. After the market, we headed down to the bathhouses. It was very humbling. At one point I cleaned the boys feet. It wasn’t that it was disgusting, but the fact that cleaning feet is seen as a terrible job. It was fun though. Tickling the boys feet, talking with them, and just putting a smile on their face. When the bathing was all done, we had the opportunity to play soccer with some of the kids. Being terrible at soccer, I just ran around the field, and chased a little boy around. I didn’t know his name, but just being able to play with him was a blessing. At one point I caught him, and just picked him up and ran all over the field with him. It’s like I didn’t care what people thought, and that nothing else mattered except me and him. Later on the upperclassmen had the chance to go down to the “red-light district.” It was basically the “San Francisco” of Tijajuana. It was hard to see how people live their lives there. On the streets, in the clubs. It’s a terrible thing to see, but these are the people that need to hear the word the most. When we were in the mission, it brought back memories of my times in Portland and the early years of Mission Solano. Even down tot the smell. Still more to do, and such little time…

Joel Marlette