Sonshine Hacienda

This month has been filled with activities and lots of hard work. We have been working with DIF, our local version of Family Services from Mexicali. We are making great progress on our certification process. We also have received clearance on our building and facilities by the Mexicali Fire Department and the local authorities in San Felipe.

We have hosted two mission teams this past month at Sonshine Hacienda. In this article I will share about one of those groups. Watch for future updates on the certification process in my next post. 

What an amazing time we had with this group of dedicated workers from Crossroads Community Church, located in Parker, Colorado.  This team of 3 men and 7 women arrived November 5^th, ready to work and they never slowed down until the jobs that they came to complete were done. Paul and Donna Korneliussen, our Administrators at Sonshine Hacienda had worked with this team for weeks prior to their arrival so that all work was planned, budgeted and materials on site for each project.  The team worked like a well-oiled machine!! 

The first project that was undertaken was the building of a state of the art Clothes Line…big enough for hanging the wash of 48 children (whew)!  It is sturdy and well built and should stand for years without any problem.  Soon after that project got started, Paul began the work on the ultimate challenge for this group…the installation of a rather elaborate playground system for our kids at Sonshine.  Paul, Gary and Darrell Grant had a few weeks prior made a trip to Citrus Heights, California to disassemble and transport this playground equipment, located at a daycare center, which is now closed. We owe a big THANK YOU to Oakside Community Church for donating this playground equipment to Sonshine Hacienda.  According to Paul, taking the playground system apart was a lot easier than putting it back together again.  It took a lot of cement, bolts, patience and manpower, but the team got it done!!  It is such an awesome structure.  We can’t wait to see children climbing all over it and sliding down all the slides…Praise the Lord!!

While those projects were going on outside, there was work going on the inside in the dorm rooms.  Our “Cubbies” or Wardrobe Closets were getting a coat of stain and varnish by some of the team members.  They required two coats of stain and varnish and it was quite a “smelly” job!!  We also had a few team members who helped us with painting projects.  There was touch up painting done throughout the entire building and our Laundry Room looks amazing with our new “Waverly Green” walls and gray shelves.

One evening the women of the team hosted a “Coffee and Desert Get Together” for the Mexican Pastor’s wives in San Felipe.  They handed out invitations to 18 Pastor’s wives, prepared desserts and decorated the great room at Sonshine Hacienda with flowers.  A tour was given of Sonshine Hacienda, followed by a time of sharing and getting to know one another. At the end of the evening, each lady left with a beautiful scarf as a gift.  It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know the women of the community. All the ladies agreed that it was a wonderful evening.

The entire week was a blessing to each of us.  Not only was work accomplished, but friendships were built as well.  We look forward to having Crossroads Community back with us again in the Spring of 2012.

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