BUTLER'S BLABBER: MONDAY IN MEXICO

Michelle, 11, making dough and cooking tortillias for her family.

Fernanda was a sweetie, too. She brok my heart when she asked me to lay down with her so she could go to sleep. I looked over at Erika's bed and there were no sheets, just a mattress. They slept in the clothes they played in all day and then I saw them the next am wearing the same clothes. I just wanted to drive the 2 1/2 hour crazy drive to wal mart and buy these kids some more clothes and bottles of water to take baths with.

we babysat for the orphan kids so the house parents could have a break. It was a very long three hours. Erika was a pistol and great on the skateboard.

michelle and I bonded instantly. She spoke a little English.

Jeffrey playing tic tac toe with Michelle

We taught the kids how to play hop scotch

all Raul wanted to do was play in the mud

After the tour I had an afternoon to do massage. The first two clients spoke English. The last one did not. She was so gracious and thankful afterwards and kept saying God Bless you to me. I told her this was God giving her a blessing.

The mission has a fire rescue team and an ems team. Someone donated an ambulance to the mission, but the border patrol wouldnt let them into Mexico. So they got smart and took all the lights and sirens off and painted the ambulance like a hippy van, put surfboards on top and put the driver in a Hawaiian shirt. It rolled right over the border and is currently being repainted and put back together. one point for God minus one point for Satan!

no it's not a crazy farm...they produce macadamia nuts. (They are quite good by the way) It's a way they help to fund the mission. "Miss" Dorothy can make some really great snacks.

one of the sweet babies in "Miss Betty's" baby care house. Babies are brought to her usually because they have some kind of deformity requiring surgery or more medical care than the parents are willing or able to give. Does there look like she's anything, but precious?

a layout of the entire mission...it's quite big!

the prayer garden. they have figured out how to recycle the waste water to water the plants and grass.

we took a three hour tour of the mission...this is a daycare program for single moms who have to go out and work. The kids get their clothes washed while they play and they go home happy with clean clothes. I learned later this day how much of a gift that was.