Thursday July 7th 2011

Wow. What a exciting first couple days at El Monte. I feel like there is so much to write about but I just can't write about it all in the time I have left before I start to fall asleep at the keyboard. We have been extremely busy these past few days from my travel day on Tuesday to work and activities around the camp the past couple days. We have a work team here from a town in northern Wisconsin right now. It is a group of about 20 kids ages 12-18. They are a blast to be around and I have spent the majority of my time working and goofing around with them. The big project we have been working on these past couple days has been sodding the 2nd soccer field. We have laid about 1600 square meters (yes they use meters down here, but I am too tired to try and convert that to feet at the moment) of sod in the blazing Mexican sun. And yes mom, I have been wearing sunscreen. They love their soccer down here which is why they already have 2 soccer fields.

One thing that came to my attention today, was a meeting taking place today and possibly in these next few days also on the government level regarding the zoning for the camp. Since their is so much corruption on so many levels of the Mexican government, these officials may make it extremely difficult for El Monte to be able to build and expand their camp. These officials could decide to either give El Monte the green light and give them the freedom to do whatever they please or they could decide to make things difficult on the camp and slap on huge amounts of fines or create so much red tape for the camp to go through that nothing else would be able to be built here. I have seen a little of the plans for the camp which is nowhere near complete, especially with the plans to add a missionary training school and pastoral renewal center onto the existing camp. Please pray that these meetings go well and for the outcome to be in favor of the camp. Also pray that my body will hold up under the heat and for my body in general, especially my back, because it has been very soar and I want to be able to give 100% to whatever task I have in front of me. I really appreciate the prayers and support you all have given me and will continue to give me.

Tomorrow we will be visiting an ancient pyramid city which I am really looking forward to. If you guys have any questions or concerns at all, you can post a comment under my postings. You do not have to "follow" my blog to be able to view it, but you do have to "follow" and sign in, with a user name and password that doesn't take too much time to set up, if you'd like to leave a comment. Thanks again guys, more updates to come, and may God receive all the glory through all of this.

Buenas noches de México.

Billy