A Typical Day

After a month of living here in our village, our days are starting to take on a routine. Joshua has begun construction projects: some as ministries, and some as an actual business. His skills as a carpenter are in high demand, and already, he has over eight customers, and one ministry project. Joshua usually wakes in the mornings, packs the truck with his tools, and works most of the day. Lacy takes care of the dishes and food, and washing and cleaning. Since we receive water 2-4 hours daily, the wash and dishes can sometimes be hindered if there’s not enough water.

The fellowship meetings are held on Wednesday nights and Sunday afternoons. These times with our Christian friends are enjoyable and uplifting. A church meeting usually consists of worship, then a time of sharing testimonies or scriptures or special music, and then the reading of the scriptures. Contrary to the meager participation in the church services last year, the believers are participating very well this year, and it’s a joy to see them taking parts in the service, ministering to one another.

Weekly trips to the large city of Navajoa are not uncommon, as this is where we are able to purchase most of our larger supplies, such as: medicines, cooking ware, and tools. Sometimes we change and go to the city that is even further away, called Los Mochis, where we can shop at larger, commercial stores such as Home Depot, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Office Depot; and where we can find home-town restaurants, such as McDonalds and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

One thing is for sure: everything in Mexico includes work. Water must be collected in barrels if it is to be used for cooking, drinking, washing, or bathing. We use purified water jugs for cold water, but water for hot drinks and cooking is heated to a rolling boil to kill bacteria. Baths are also a trial, as the water must be heated on the stove, and poured into a bucket, which we dip out of with a large cup to “bucket-bathe.” Clothes are washed out of one bucket of water, and rinsed in two others, so usually, Lacy is able to only do clothes every other day, since it requires so much water. As far as cooking, the winter days are between 50-60 degrees, and are cool enough to be able to cook inside the house with propane, but in the hotter months when the temperatures easily reach 120 degrees, the cooking is done outside on a wood stove. Wood must be purchased, or chopped down from one of the canals or creeks. It must also be dried and stacked if used in abundance.

We love our lives in Mexico, but as you can see, it is much work, and very toilsome. This is why we look so forward to Sundays. Sunday is our main day of rest. We try to sleep in as late as possible, and we rarely leave the house until we have to prepare for the meeting at 3:00pm. These wonderful Sabbaths are a joy to look forward to after a tiring week of work and toil.