It makes me nervous watching the children carry the toddlers up the concrete steps, but the all manage just fine. I think about all the ways we protect our children in my community and how these resilient little people here in Tj manage to survive some pretty scary things!
They are each so beautiful--vessels of God's spirit carried into the streets and schools and modest homes of the city. Many have been cautious around me, the foreigner in their neighborhood. However, today the walls seem to be coming down. I wish I could stay longer so they would KNOW that I treasure each of them, that I wish I could learn each of their hearts--their hurts and joys. I HAVE to learn Spanish. It will be a focus when I finish grad school, because this is a ministry in which I will continue to invest in every way I can. God is using Megan and Armando in humble, yet powerful ways to transform lives in their neighborhood in Tijuana.
The children who have to go to school in the morning get served breakfast first so that they can make it to class on time. In Tijuana, children go to school either in the morning or the afternoon. Most who attend breakfast club must go in the afternoon.
Megan takes attendance each day to keep track of who comes and how many attend.
This is a family who faithfully attends.
I love this boy's Spiderman sombrero, especially how it is worn with his pajamas. Too many of us must have complimented him on it, though, because pretty soon he got a pouty face and took it off.
Christian again led us in How Great is Our God. Megan helped them with the English words, and we sang it in Spanish too. By the end most were singing along. How wonderful it was to praise God with our brothers and sisters in Christ!
Then Eliana helped me teach the lesson on Psalm 19:14. A kind helper emptied a tube of Armando's toothpaste onto a plate for me--because it was fun! However, nobody would help me put it back in the tube, because that was impossible. So it is with our words. We should be careful to speak words that glorify God and give life and encouragement others and not speak words that hurt others or cause spiritual death, because we cannot take back our words once they are out there.
Thankfully, we worship a loving God who forgives us when we mess up--even when we say words that do not glorify him. We can come to him anytime and ask for forgiveness. I, too, had to ask for forgiveness from Armando for taking his toothpaste and wasting it all...
He was not happy at first, but thankfully he forgave me for my foolishness. I was so grateful to have his forgiveness, just as I am grateful our loving Father forgives us when we fall short of speaking life-giving words.
Christian and I enjoyed one last doughnut made by Armando. How sad we were!
Then the families, as they finished their breakfasts and conversations, headed back to their homes.
It was time for us also to pack up the car and head to the airport. Megan and Eliana were coming knowing that Grandma Riggott was in her final days on earth. I felt empty as I watched everybody leave, realizing that many days will pass before I spend time again with Megan, Armando and Eliana in their home, standing with them in their ministry.
Once we were on our way, we were able to charge our dead phones. It was then that we got the message that Grandma Riggott had passed away on Wednesday night. We wept. She was relieved of her suffering and had received the perfect healing she had longed for and is now in the presence of our King, whom we worshiped with our Tijuana family in Christ just an hour before. But we were sad that we didn't get one more moment to tell her we loved her, that she didn't get the chance to meet Eliana. I was struck by how resilient life is, that she lived 93 years, yet how fragile, that she didn't make it two more days--just two more days. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
We did great crossing the border only waiting one hour and 45 minutes in the line. I drove so Eliana could sit with Megan and nurse while we waited. This kept our sweet baby happy!
Since we had extra time, we went to the Polzin/Martindale home to get our bearings and print our tickets. We were so happy to see them again!
Christian liked the view and the eucalyptus trees.
That's Jenna's dad, Tom, holding Eliana.
Camille showed me her cool door frame-climbing trick. I told her that my son, Timothy, likes to do that too. Levi was disappointed that he hasn't quite grown tall enough to try it. "I'll bet by Christmas you will have grown big enough to try it, Levi," I assured him. I absolutely LOVE my California kids!
Tom took us all to the airport. Christian and I were flying to LA out of the commuter terminal and Megan and Eliana were flying out of the main terminal with a layover in Phoenix. We were to both arrive in Minneapolis around midnight. Eliana rested peacefully as we made the half hour trek.
Good bye, San Diego!
Due to a snow/ice storm, the main runway at MSP was closed for a half hour, forcing us to circle and wait our turn to land once it opened. Once we got on the ground, I discovered that Megan's plane had the same experience, so we were still arriving at about the same time, at opposite ends of the terminal. Still, we all met up at the stairs to baggage claim, so we were able to help Megan and Eliana get situated and sent off in a cab before we finally got our cab (driven by a suicidal terrorist, who obviously did not get the memo that the driving conditions were ominous, as we rode in much fear and trembling) to the hotel where we waited out the storm before coming home on Friday.
Bringing Megan and Eliana home with us definitely made departure from Tijuana and the news of Grandma much more bearable. We will get to see them this week as we prepare for Grandma's memorial service. I have to say, this is definitely the best souvenir I have ever brought back from my travels! God is so good.
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