Some misc. videos from Mexico

In the Garden

2 videos from Roof Day!

Seriously, watching this is inspiring, however, in person it was even more so...

Some rock jumping in Las Cascados

Hehe... First Eric, then Jeremy... and then Karlie and her slap...



Go go Betito!



Jeremy went again, and then Chris, too...

A couple random videos from our time to/in La Palmilla

This is the road from Teziutlan to Tlapacoyan.



This plant is found up the street from Jennifer, who later found it in her yard as well. It's rather interesting.



Some of Team Dirt digging...

Officially HOME

We are officially home! After taking off in Washington, DC at 7:10, we landed in Philadelphia at 7:42 and were in cars and on our way home by 8:15. Well, all except Chris. Chris' host Cesar gave him a beautiful eclipse sundial that Chris carried faithfully from La Palmilla to Puebla and Mexico City. However the airline would not let him bring it on the plane as carry-on. They also denied Amy from carrying a hammock on board (the hammock is a hammock seat with a rounded stick holding the netting). The security argued that these items could be used as weapons. So they had to take them back to check them in but they also shrink-wrapped them together so they only had to pay for them as one item.

Well, when we landed in Washington and went through Customs, we had to then take our baggage and put them on belts to go on to Philadelphia. Chris picked up the sundial and knew something was wrong. It was smashed in about a dozen pieces. So when we left the airport he was still in Philadelphia filing a claim for the damaged luggage.

All in all, every issue we ever had, all the sickness, all the heat, all the problems with the airlines... We have all agreed it was well worth it. It was an amazing trip and an incredible experience. But we really are glad to be home.

Well, some of us are.

Survey says...

Still delayed in Washington (it just changed, we're now supposed to depart at 6:42) so I have a little time to do this. Sue asked us each to make a list of our top ten favorite trip memories, whether spiritual, physical, etc. Then she compiled all the top-ten lists into one big list of favorite moments. So here they are. If you want to know what they mean, ask one of us!

Honorable Mentions:

Bret sharing the telescope with the kids

Speaking Spanish - both good and bad

Puebla

Ken, the rap expert

Laura working hard - little but strong

Answered prayers

Sharpening a pencil with a machette

Church attendance - how they take turns to get everyone in

Bret's drum-off the first night

Accomplishing the goal of pouring the roof

Guiding across the rocks to the waterfall

The Chi-Chi-Wa song

Top Ten (actually Eleven):

11. Singing "The Lord Bless You And Keep You"

10. How awesome Jen and Jeremy were

9. Our team coming together and working together

8. The beach

7. Riding standing up in the back of pickup trucks

6. Funny times with the teams - especially "Karlie-isms," Dave's Spanish skills, and singing TV theme songs

5. The Enchanted Waterfalls

4. Church services, particularly the music Wednesday and Friday

3. The people of La Palmilla/host families/kids

2. Acts of kindness by the La Palmillan people, especially the night at "The Compound."

And the number 1 favorite moment, mentioned more than any other:

1. Working with the people of the church, especially Wednesday when we poured the roof

So there you have it, straight from the mouths of everyone besides yours truly (-: I don't mind being the voice of the team but I want to make sure everyone gets represented equally!