Playground Equipment in K30

Last year, a local Nor Cal family bought their children a play set for their yard. In order to set a good example for their children, they decided to donate money to JCEP to provide a playset for the children of the colonia outside Jaurez. Often things happen at a very deliberate pace in Mexico. The playground set was no different, but once it was complete, the results were spectacular.

This week the set was dedicated at the kindergarten we built in 2007. The set is three structures. A jungle gym-slide shaped like a bat, a teeter-totter and a swing set. A local craftsmen made them out of pipe. He welded them together and set them in concrete at the site. Jeff Piner, the local Missions Ministries head of operations, said the set will probably be working long after we are gone.

In January we will have a duplicate set for the library we built in Kilometer 30 in January 2008. God bless the donors and their family.

SRK

Book Drive - Fiesta Gardens School gives 5 Boxes

Warren Adams and his son Brennan went to Juarez with our team in February to build houses. When they got back, they decided to continue their mission work by raising books for our Library. Below is a letter which Warren composed to Missions Ministries regarding the books. Warren and I met in our men's small group at church. We have become great friends and he is an inspiration to me with his passion for helping others.

SRK


Date: October 20, 2008
To: Mission Ministries
Re: Books for Juarez
In February 2008, my son and I went to Juarez with Scott Kline and others from Menlo Park Presbyterian Church. During our visit, we had an opportunity to see the library that had been built, and over the period of our trip, we painted the interior of the library.
My 7 year old son goes to Fiesta Gardens Fiesta Gardens International School (FGIS), which is a Spanish immersion program in San Mateo, California. During our trip back from Juarez, we came up with an idea to conduct a “Books for Juarez” drive with the hope that the children attending FGIS would donate unused Spanish and English speaking books to the library in Juarez.
Working with Shelia Spieller, the principal at FGIS, we organized a “Books for Juarez” flyer that was distributed to all FGIS students, and Scott and I gave a presentation to the students on the effort in Juarez, Mexico, and in particular, the construction of the library. We were able to reach about 200 to 300 hundred kids and broaden their knowledge of the world, which is one of the reasons FGIS agreed to participate in this effort.
On behalf of FGIS, and Juarez Children's Education Program, we are pleased to donate approximately 5 boxes of Spanish and English books to Mission Ministries for the library in Juarez.
Sincerely,
Warren J. Adams and Brennan Adams
Sheila Spieller, FGIS Principal

Big Ride 4 - 2008

Big Ride 4 was a big success this year. For the first time three riders finished. This year Rick Pepper and Stuart Wilson joined me for the ride. We covered roughly the same route as last year. The weather cooperated with a beautiful day on the coast and we finished the ride in less than 11 hours, about 1 hour faster than last year. The ride raised nearly $8000 for the JCEP scholarship and library programs in Juarez, with more money still coming in. Thanks to everyone that pledged money this year.

We started the ride at 6:30 AM on Sunday, September 21st, the day after my 49th birthday. The formula is to ride 200 miles minus my age, so this year’s ride was a scheduled 151 miler. It was a little foggy on the coast as we headed over the Santa Cruz Mountains toward San Gregorio. By the time we made it to our first rest stop in Santa Cruz, the sun had come out. (Early morning start below)

We did not know that the Santa Cruz triathlon was the same day, so as we made it to the edge of Santa Cruz, nice police officers kept waiving us through intersections thinking we were part of the event. Rick had spot of bother with a puncture, so we got to watch bikes go by as he changed it.

My wife, Pat met us at the Santa Cruz Warf with the Element full of sandwiches, Gatorade and other snacks. We refueled and then threaded our way through Santa Cruz, Aptos and towns south to Pajaro.

We took a quick break at a convenience store near mile 92 in Pajaro, for more water and energy drinks. Rick had a Red Bull. Then we were off to the mountains of Aromas. It is a steep climb up, but the downhill through the eucalyptus tree groves is invigorating. (Rick hams it up on the Aromas downhill with Scott and Stuart in background below.)

Next, we headed across the fields to our 120-mile rendezvous with Pat outside of Hollister. More fuel consumed, we began the last and hardest leg of our journey to Morgan Hill. It seems flat, but Stuart’s Garmin told us later that the last 30 miles are slightly uphill. Combine that with a steady headwind and the fatigue of the ride and our average speed was dropping.

We finally made it to the end in a parking lot near the McDonalds on Cochrane in Morgan Hill. French fries and large Cokes never tasted so good. We loaded the bikes and headed back to Menlo Park for showers and dinner at Chevy’s. (With ride ride behind them Scott, Stuart and Rick pose for the victory photo below.)

I want to thanks Rick and Stuart for being part of our cause and for setting the pace all day. The ride goes so much faster with friends. Thanks too to all those who gave money to sponsor the ride and continue to support our efforts in Juarez. This year’s immersion trip for our to graduates from Juarez would have never happened without that kind of support on past rides. Those girls will live a better life because of it.

Anahi and Blanca Return Home

It was a glorious month for the girls in the U.S. On Friday the 25th, the girls graduated from their English class. After 18 three-hour classes, they made amazing progress. Each girl did a final presentation, telling us all in English about their trip. They made books with photos and presented them to all of us at their graduation. We can't say thanks enough to their teachers Stacy and Shaneka and teaching aid Kelsey. (Photo below of Kelsey, Blanca, Anahi and Stacy.)

After graduation, the girls wanted to grab a lunch at their favorite restaurant, In-N-Out burger. I chronicle that event on my burger blog.

After lunch, Judy Hobbs took the girls to Carmel for the weekend. They got to spend time at a horse show, where Brooke Hobbs was showing. They also got to go to the Monterrey Aquarium where the loved the penguins.

We had a somewhat bittersweet goodbye party at our house on Sunday. Both host families, Joni's family, my family and the teachers joined us. We laughed at all the photos from the trip and had a great time reliving the month.

Finally, on the 28th, I flew with the girls back to El Paso. Each one had an extra bag filled with t-shirts and other momentos from the trip. After landing we had one last lunch together in Juarez and I drove them back to Mexico. We went to Anahi's house first.

I was really excited to see what they had learned. Anahi's mom speaks no english. When she was talking to me in Spanish, I was understanding well enough, but was too tired to respond in Spanish. Instead, I told the girls in English what I wanted to say and they quickly translated for Anahi's mom. This is something that never could have happened before the trip.

I just want to say how much everyone contributed to this great experiment. Our financial contributors, host families, teachers and many friends that supported the girls were all part of the team. We couldn't do it without you all.

SRK

Anahi and Blanca at Yosemite

A lot of Northern Californians never make it to Yosemite - one of the most beautiful places in the world. We weren't going to let the girls miss out. So my daughter Sara and I decided to take them up.

It is a five hour drive from Menlo Park, so we left the night before and stayed near the park. We got up early the next morning and went straight to a Sequoia grove at the park. I think the girls weren't ready for a one-mile hike. They had to stop a few times on the way back which was uphill. But they did enjoy seeing the giant 2000 year-old trees. We saw one stump of a tree that had a hole cut in it from the old days. You could drive a truck through it.

Next we headed to the main valley. The waterfalls were still flowing nicely and the girls loved the "cascadas". We also stopped and waded in the Merced river and I taught them how to skip stones.

They ordered their own lunch in English at the historic Ahwahnee lodge. While we ate outside a wedding party paraded by for the coming nuptials out on the lawn.

After lunch we headed up to Glacier Point overlooking the entire park. It was beautiful and clear, despite all the fires in California. It was an awesome sight. On the ride back home, the girls had a 2 hour siesta, having been worn out from the day.

Blanca and Anahi at the beach and in San Francisco

The long awaited day arrived when the girls would finally get to see the ocean. After a vigorous second week of English classes, they were ready for a break. It was really fun to take off for Half Moon Bay and have a conversation in English. It was amazing how much they knew after a week plus of classes.

It was cool and cloudy at the coast as we walked to the ocean. The smiles were huge as the girls rolled up their jeans and stuck their feet in to the cold water. They were both shocked to feel how cold the Pacific is in Northern California. But they loved it. We walked up and down the beach. The girls wrote their names in the sand and picked up shells.
Next we headed up the coast to San Francisco. Traffic was heavy for a Saturday, so the got to experience their first traffic jam. We drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and then walked across the bridge as the fog blew across the top of the bridge.

We next headed off to the S.F. Museum of Modern Art for an exhibit by the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. I coldn't really get a read on what the girls thought of it. Maybe they were too worn out to have an opinion.

Anahi and Blanca - Independence Day

We had a great day initiating Blanca and Anahi into the American culture with an old-fashioned block party at the home of the Hobbs family, Blanca's hosts. There was a hamburger BBQ, picnic, bike parade, and bagpipes. Later, after lunch the girls participated in a balloon toss.

After the festivities we headed off for pizza before and then took in fireworks. Brooke Hobbs joins the girls on the bench by the bay in the photo below.