Day 1 "Where there is darkness

Well day one is officially in the books.  All that lies ahead is some sleep, we'll see how that goes.  I'm not real sure how to organize and structure this blog stuff, so I'll take it in chronological order.

The travel time was long but not nearly as bad as expected.  Flying into both Salt Lake City, surrounded by snow capped mountains, and San Diego along the Pacific Ocean were breath taking.  However, they paled in comparison to numerous points along our drive from Tijuana to Ensenada.

While that was the beauty you also saw the harsh realities of an impoverished nation.  Place most of us wouldn't consider living in.  Place that many wouldn't call inhabitable, but that is not reality here.  It was baffling to see high-rise resort hotels being built next to "shacks".  Although due to the housing market claps (yes they had one too) many home and hotel constructions were stopped leaving large unfinished structures next to these tiny "shacks". 

The part of Ensenada that we are staying has one maybe two paved roads and is set in the dusty hills.  The roads to us would seem impassable, but none the less traffic moves, not that there is much of it.  It's hard to describe a town like this by American standards, we really don't have anything like it.  I remember a scene from Bad Boys where Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are racing a Hummer through homes down a hillside.  That's sort of what this town is like.

The home we are staying in is very nice by Ensenada standards but many I imagine would be uncomfortable.  It feels safe and everyone was extremely hospitable!!!  We had no running water tonight so no showers and toilet flushing is by buckets gathered outside.  Hopefully the water issue will be resolved sooner rather than later.  Tomorrow I were going on a mini walking tour of town.

Tonight we went to a worship service at a drug rehab facility/group.  Lauren preached a beautiful sermon, which was translated for the men, and Jimmy picked the guitar masterfully to lead a few songs.  Electricity is scarce so we were led down some poorly lit hall ways into a room that was moderately lit.  But Jesus brings light into the darkness, and tonight that dimly lit room was a glow with the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

When we arrive back at our house for the week we had a dinner consisting of fish tacos.  First time for me, but it likely won't be my last...yum!!!

All is well, hopefully I'll have a chance to post tomorrow.

God Bless