Mexican Metamorpohis

 I am usually feeling dread at the start of a long weekend. I feel that this will be more time to be alone- disconnected and without positive contact and stimulation by being in contact with stimulating people who routinely act to make a positive, truly trans formative and pervasively empowering difference. I shrink at the prospect of taking public transportation to church.

 I also be moan not having the gift of being in a fun and nurturing relationship. Most of the above certainly was true of the Memorial Day Weekend!

 Yet, I am more hopeful of how I will get to and through the 4th of July Holiday Weekend. I will spend a good bit of time alone and there will be times when the only conversation that I will not have with myself will be those when I am praying or meditating- I want to thank The Astounding " Downtown" Julie Brown- who is beginning Her Term as THE  Lieutenant Governor of Marketing for The BRAND NEW Toastmaster District 29- for re-enforcing the idea of meditating in my thinking just yesterday!

 I do have a kind person who has invited me to a desert party on Monday- yet public transportation on the 4th might make that a " no go".

 This year, The Fourth of July is being combined in MY mind with the fact that I will be spending a very LONG weekend in Mexico on the VERY next weekend- From July 7th through the Early Morning of July 12th. I will be a part of a missions team being sent out by The Grace Community Church of Arlington, Virginia. We will be going to serve the residents of the El Florido Colonias , which is located near the top of a small mountain that looms above Tecate, Mexico.

  The people of El Florido do not have pure drinking water in their "town" Their water is trucked in by The Government. They do not have reliable Electricity and are prone to being devastated by flash floods. Most of their homes are tiny and are built using scraps- left over wood, plastic,- what ever they are able to scavenge, In the context of Mexican society, living near the top of the mountain means that you are likely to be viewed as "basura"- trash by the people living down below- you are an outcast!

 Our Church first started to get involved with El Florido in 2006. Then, We were a part of a Ministry called Club Rust. They built homes for the people there. They are similar, in many ways to Habitat For Humanity. This is an amazing organization. Our Church decided that we wanted to make a greater commitment to the people of The Colonias- Not everyone was getting a home built for themselves and we decided that we needed to work to bless everyone with in the community.

  As of about a year ago, We decided that we would no longer tell them what we were willing to do For them. We started asking them, " What would you like us to do?" This trip We will be improving a small school on the top of the mountain. We will also be teaching classes on health and sanitation. We will also be operating a Vacation Bible School type class - with recreation and crafts as a part of that.

 I know that no matter how the 4th of July weekend proceeds that 3 days later, I will be with a great group of 20 people as a part of an action that will well-serve the idea of " Doing The Most Good!"  I will act to build, invest and improve. I will be less focused on what I lack, it will be difficult for me to call myself woe between the 7th and 12th of July. I will also learn to apply the skills that Toastmasters has invested in me since early 1991 to show people of another culture that they can make life better for themselves!

 I don't know how this 3 Day Weekend will turn out. I know that I've been preparing myself for Mexico for a while. I know that I will be stretched to make a difference for myself this week end! I know that I will be blessed to make a difference that will last in the lives of others from July 7th through July 12th!