Bridge Mexico Update #3: Service projects and Soccer Camp!

Bridge Mexico Families, and Friends,

Greetings from Windsor Mountain!
The service component of Bridge Mexico 2008 is in full swing. After a busy orientation in Zacatecas, the group spent a day recharging their batteries at the Media Luna Regional Nature Park, swimming, playing soccer, and eating a delicious barbecue lunch. Now they are working hard and having fun in the village of Agua Puerca, located between Rio Verde and Ciudad Valles in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. Agua Puerca is one of several villages in an area known as Las Palmas, populated by the indigenous Pame people. The Pame are a sub-group of the Chichimec people, and have the reputation of being the most peaceful of all the indigenous groups of Northeastern Mexico. During the Spanish Colonial period, the Pame treated with the King of Spain and became a proud and prosperous independent nation. When Mexico declared independence from Spain in 1810, however, the new Mexican government did not recognize the treaty the Pame had made with Spain, and the Pame were forced out of their native lands and resettled in the high desert plateau of the Sierra Madres. Less than one hundred miles away from their lush and green ancestral home, which is filled with waterfalls, swimming holes, and sugar cane fields, the resettlement village of Agua Puerca is dry and arid. The climate makes it extremely difficult to grow anything nutritious. Prior to this season, it had not rained in Agua Puerca since December of 2007. But enough of this history lesson already! Suffice it to say that the Bridge Mexico Group is serving a community in real need, and their efforts have an immediate and positive effect on the lives of the people in that community.

We hear they have been teaching English and planting potatoes. They have also started a foundation for Tirsa’s home, one of the women in the town, and have been painting the school. They are currently preparing for the Medical Brigade that is coming through next week.

Friendship camp has also been going very well. They have been playing lots of soccer and volleyball as well as conducting art sessions with drawing and watercolor. Evidently the soccer portion is a big hit with the kids of Agua Puerca and they call it “Soccer Camp!” (with lots of enthusiasm).

Aside from what they have been physically up to, our leaders report that team dynamics are good. They have been hosting two Mexican students, Maximo & Miriam, and our leaders have been very proud of the way our students have welcomed them and integrated them into the group. All the kids seem to be opening up and sharing more at evening meetings. They are getting along great with one another and have begun functioning independently so that the leaders have started giving them more and more responsibility. Overall, Darren and Becky describe the group as compassionate and conscientious.

And now, here are some brief notes on each student (a bit shorter than last week--this was a satellite phone check-in):

Rachel J. – did a fantastic job teaching English for three days. She really took on a leadership role in the classes and is working very hard on her Spanish skills. In the service projects she got involved with painting the school, and we have noticed she is a very hard worker.

Gideon – really enjoys the afternoon soccer. And, he has been getting into building the house foundation. He really loves all the building and even built a beautiful and creative woven structure with Julian to keep the animals out of the potato crop.

Emma - took lead in brainstorming ideas for teaching English, she had loads of games and songs and took our classes to the next level. She also keeps us all laughing with her great sense of humor

Nicole “Niki” – has been the leader in integrating our Mexican students into the group and simultaneously practicing her Spanish. She has also been teaching karate to some of the girls in our group. HI YAH!

Kaytie C. – has been a rockstar at painting the school. She plays soccer with all heart every afternoon, and knows how to make us all laugh.

Julian – has been working very hard on all projects, and is very proud of the creative fence he made with Julian to keep the animals out of the potato crops. He is having a great time, and doing a great job with the potato planting and composting.

Zoe – is really hard worker and a stellar member of the group. Recently she gave everyone hemp string and bead and taught them all how to make bracelets. She has also been sharing some of her belly dancing moves with us.

Elkema – once again we are blown away by how wonderful and compassionate she is. She is working very hard on her Spanish and is continuing to impress us with her progress (she started from zero).

Paige – is another blessed and compassionate group member. She chipped in with teaching English for the three days. She also gained significant popularity for teaching the Mexican kids a dance to a Soulja Boy song, they loved it!

Youngson – is obsessed with eating as much hot sauce as he can get his hands on. Needless to say he made himself a little sick and so is now banned from the hot sauce. So now we’ve got him focused on service projects, he is a hard worker and we’re very proud.

Rebecca – was originally a little quiet, but has now been opening up a lot and is become very well integrated into the group. She is working hard and practicing her Spanish, and did a great job on the school painting crew.


That's all for now, folks! If everything goes according to plan, all Bridge students will phone home Thursday, July 24th, in the afternoon and our next email update will be on July 25th.