A Final Walk in Centro

Popcorn with Valentina

Corner in Town

Basketball in Centro

Going Fishing

We have been extremely blessed to be able to spend so much time here in Zihuatanejo.  It is not only an escape from the grey, rainy and cold of the North West, but also a time of reflection and a little escape from the world.  We are so insulated from the reality of others as we live in great comfort and are blessed beyond what we need.

Jesus said: "The poor will always be with you...", and that seems true in many places around the world.  Here in Zihuatanejo it is particularly true in a majority of the area. We are also told: "To whom much is given, much is expected".  We have been fortunate to meet up with a number of individuals who also come here and are doing their best to help those in need.  There is a temptation to simply give money to the poor, (sometimes we do) but that often times furthers their dependency and takes away their self-worth and dignity.  It makes you feel good, but sometimes ends up hurting the ones you are trying to help.  We have found that there are better ways to offer kindness, support and help.

Some of the conditions are so deplorable that its difficult to know what to do, like the families living at the dump.  This year a team came down to put an addition on to the small stick school.  They need education!  The team also helped build a small shack house for a recent widow with two kids.  Later, we were able to provide a stove for her so that she would be able to cook for her family.  A helping hand up.

I wish that we were so noble and righteous and that our motives were so pure that we could claim to only come here for the poor and needy, but of course that is not true. We enjoy our time here but try to limit too much self indulgence  There is always the struggle between serving ourselves and serving others.  However, we could not justify simply laying on the beach for three months and pampering ourselves as we look around and see a community of extreme need.  It is a balance, but admittedly to our favor.  Each year we do purpose to look for ways to be used.  It feels better and helps in that balance. Our focus this year was working with the Children's Home and creating new websites for some non-profits.

So we end our time hopefully a little wiser, a little more humble and perhaps, just perhaps a little closer to God's heart.