Mexico City: This week - Painting at a School for the Deaf

So we were met by Linda, who didnt speak Spanish... or really any verbal language as her 'first' language. She was a sweet and beautiful woman whos deafness was only noticable only by her often slurred speech. It was really cool to talk to her...for most of us was mostly hand signals, lip reading, and some greatly enuncated English. This was a huge contrast, concidering everyone outside our team mostly speaks Spanish. I still caught myself saying 'si'(yes) or 'gracias' (thanks)... even though I didnt have to.

She -you could tell from her expression- was incredibly passionate and excited for us to help out with what looked like a HUGE project.

We were led past the plain entrance way and through two large doors. Linda showed us around, quickly pointing to the bright and colorful walls all around us, as her voice echoed through what used to be an old warehouse... It was amazing to see so much color on the inside of this plain cement building. Every doorway was painted to look more homey and grandure that it was. There was already much time and investment put into this place.... and to bring 5-7 of us at a time made it that much more of  blessing.

We, with paintbrushes in our hands, and intructions on our hearts from Linda... went at it.

The First project was finishing the boys bathroom... or bano here in Mexico, but called 'toilet' by the Aussies with us.

These were the results, with all of there projected beauty, faux animation, and badly lighted photography:

Obviously from the movie "Cars".

I worked on this one with Renata (Brazil), a girl from the MediaReach DTS team.

Mator -my favorate character- Started by Michelle (Australia), and Chun (S. Korea). Finished by Me and Shelly (USA).

Started by Matt Julia (a newbie to our team from the USA, non-YWAM), finished by Renata.

Meanwhile THIS is the project just starting in another room:

Ji Eun (S. Korea),  on her first hour of the day doing the 'sand' in the 'Aquarium Room'. 
Looks like its going to be a class room.

Luke (UK) also from the Media Reach DTS and Shelly (USA)...can she ever stop smiling??

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Also this past week er so...

Matt and I had a great day together...
Its nice when one lives with 10 other people to just
get some time alone for a few hours.
THIS was a good day... and I wanted to capture it
with a picture of our 2 happy sodas sitting
beside each other...

Matt with his new New Jersey buddy who he met in the park when
we did ministry there with a youth group we met just the week before..
He spent some time in Joy-sy lurn'n english.

Matt doing the "box skit".... in the middle of traffic
 in a little market er ally-way area. This is my favorate
 randition of it to date. It drew a crowd of like, 30!
In a period of 5 minutes.

Matt speaking at an outreach Seminar  and doing a fantastic job too!!.
Aaron, on the right, was our translator of the day. After a while
we have all learned to enunciate and articulate our communication.
Aaron is very good at working past our mumbles.
Amazing guy.

A little girl whos portrait I drew. Its nice when we dont have a
translator 'right there' its  easy to just give a very personal gift
that says "you are valuable and beautiful."

Most of us 'relax' on our day off.... Matt takes cheap transit 2
hours out of the city to go hiking in the mountains with some
of our best Mexican friends. These guys hang out with us every
day during ministry AND still want to be with us on our day off !!
Good friends: Pako, Elisama, and Jaziel (pronounced Ah-zeal)

This stray's collar was choking her.... I am so glad that we found her when we did.

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Featured Christian Artist: Sarah Dresser - Lovely girl from Massachusetts USA, who joined our art reach team in Mexico City for three weeks. Her art is lead by what ever is sweeping gently through her mind at the moment.