The day after Excursion Day was a Sunday, and we sang and did the Everything Skit in the church service. Enrique shared his testimony, The Bush and I shared about the week, most of us did the skit and The Joker played music. Afterward, the church thanked us for helping and serving them that week, and we gave them our "hospitality gifts" and said goodbye. The pastor's sons said goodbye especially reluctantly to the guys in my group, especially The Joker and Samwise, who had jammed with them so many times that week. We had played a lot of foosball, and had fun hanging out with them, regardless of Spanish/English dilemmas. But of course, the guys had bonded with them the most.
That day Sweet n' Spazzy achieved her goal for the week (holding a Mexican baby), we packed up, cleaned the church one more time, said goodbye and left for the hotel we were staying at. After debrief and a really excellent Table Talk, which we kept going even after it was over, hanging out and talking about relevant issues until past our bedtime.
Incidentally, Sweet n' Spazzy had been given clarity on her testimony, finally, and shared it with the group, including what Compass had done for her already.
The next day we said a very difficult goodbye to our wonderful new big sister, Pixel, and got her information and she got ours, so we could keep in touch. Then we got on the plane and flew back to the States. When we got back onto United States soil, "Calvin" stopped walking. "What are you doing?" we asked. He got down on his knees and kissed the ground. It was so funny, and I knew what he meant. I for one hadn't wanted to leave Mexico, not the church we'd come to love, or the vibrant area, or the palm trees, but I was so glad to be home. And judging by the fact I almost greeted the customs officer with "Hola." it was about time.
By the time we got back to the airport near the college, it was extremely late. Near midnight, in fact. We were searching for a place to have dinner, and we found a McDonald's with the lights on and people inside, but the doors were locked. The main leader, who we called "Papa James," got off the bus and ran around the building and knocked on the drive-through window, and explained to the people that there were a bunch of hungry teenagers who had been traveling all day. They let us in.
There was another thing that I knew, that not everyone on that bus knew, that kept me bouncing. The next day - only a few minutes away by the time we got back on the bus - was Sparky's birthday. I was sitting next to another girl, the one who had done the same role with me in the big everything skit, and kept poking her and asking, what time is it, what time is it, what time is it, because she had a watch. Finally she turned and nodded. "It's time."
I stood up and yelled really loudly, "CAN I HAVE THE WHOLE BUS'S ATTENTION?"
"ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ANOTHER JOKE?" one of the guys called from the back. The monk joke was infamous.
"No! [My seatmate's] watch just hit midnight! It is [Sparky's] sixteenth birthday!" Cheers erupted, and Sparky looked totally stunned. We sang happy birthday, and settled down again. It was about midnight-thirty (I love that phrase) when we got back to the dorm, where we were given instructions. We called our parents (who had been anxiously waiting by the phone to make sure we hadn't died in Mexico) and got ready for bed.
That day Sweet n' Spazzy achieved her goal for the week (holding a Mexican baby), we packed up, cleaned the church one more time, said goodbye and left for the hotel we were staying at. After debrief and a really excellent Table Talk, which we kept going even after it was over, hanging out and talking about relevant issues until past our bedtime.
Incidentally, Sweet n' Spazzy had been given clarity on her testimony, finally, and shared it with the group, including what Compass had done for her already.
The next day we said a very difficult goodbye to our wonderful new big sister, Pixel, and got her information and she got ours, so we could keep in touch. Then we got on the plane and flew back to the States. When we got back onto United States soil, "Calvin" stopped walking. "What are you doing?" we asked. He got down on his knees and kissed the ground. It was so funny, and I knew what he meant. I for one hadn't wanted to leave Mexico, not the church we'd come to love, or the vibrant area, or the palm trees, but I was so glad to be home. And judging by the fact I almost greeted the customs officer with "Hola." it was about time.
By the time we got back to the airport near the college, it was extremely late. Near midnight, in fact. We were searching for a place to have dinner, and we found a McDonald's with the lights on and people inside, but the doors were locked. The main leader, who we called "Papa James," got off the bus and ran around the building and knocked on the drive-through window, and explained to the people that there were a bunch of hungry teenagers who had been traveling all day. They let us in.
There was another thing that I knew, that not everyone on that bus knew, that kept me bouncing. The next day - only a few minutes away by the time we got back on the bus - was Sparky's birthday. I was sitting next to another girl, the one who had done the same role with me in the big everything skit, and kept poking her and asking, what time is it, what time is it, what time is it, because she had a watch. Finally she turned and nodded. "It's time."
I stood up and yelled really loudly, "CAN I HAVE THE WHOLE BUS'S ATTENTION?"
"ARE YOU GOING TO TELL ANOTHER JOKE?" one of the guys called from the back. The monk joke was infamous.
"No! [My seatmate's] watch just hit midnight! It is [Sparky's] sixteenth birthday!" Cheers erupted, and Sparky looked totally stunned. We sang happy birthday, and settled down again. It was about midnight-thirty (I love that phrase) when we got back to the dorm, where we were given instructions. We called our parents (who had been anxiously waiting by the phone to make sure we hadn't died in Mexico) and got ready for bed.
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