Today is our final day in Ensenada, and tomorrow promises to be a VERY long one. We will leave here around 10:00 AM and work our way toward the border. I would estimate it took us maybe 15-20 minutes to cross into Mexico. Coming back into the States takes a minimum of an hour. Our flight doesn't leave San Diego until almost 11:00 PM Pacific, and we are due into our final destination (BWI) around 9:30 Eastern with a stop in Atlanta. Add in a drive to Towson then finally Gettysburg AND you get the point.
I'm having very mixed emotions tonight. On the one hand I miss my family terribly and cannot wait to see them, but on the other hand this has been a tremendous experience and there is still SOOO much work to be done here. Much of our day today involved wrapping up projects for the guys and a girlie day for the girls. Jimmy finished off is computer desk with a couple of coats of paint and I finished wiring the lights in what will be the new all purpose room. The girls helped make jewelery, which will be sold to raise money for Lantern Hill, then taught Marta how to make peanut butter cookies. Marta has prepared our meals this week (did I mention how awesome they were? and I ate veggies too!!!). She mentioned on Wednesday that she really didn't know how to bake, most homes in this community don't have working ovens. This place does so they thought it would be a nice way to end the week. Giving back to someone who gives so much. Not to mention Javier loves peanut butter.
Then we had a scheduled trip to a vineyard, I don't remember the name. We eventually wound our way along a dirt road until we came upon a beautiful stone structure. Mind you it was dark, but with the benefit of headlights it looked awesome. Yes it was pitch dark...they were closed. Since there is no telephone number or posted hours, and it was a Monday evening they decided to be closed. Apparently the owner is in his 80's so he's earned the right to work his own hours. So we returned home and had dinner and good conversation.
We talked a lot about the mission of Lantern Hill and the current finances or lack there of. Bottom line, it's a non-profit organization that relies on donations and people coming on mission trips for its funding. More funds = more programs, that's not rocket science. I would say the core of their mission is feeding and education. Let's face it, nutrition is critical to children. Without food education is difficult. With food and education children can flourish. By the way the kids didn't have school today. Not because of MLK, or snow...because of rain. That's right they had a rain day!!! and it didn't rain that much. Basically if the teacher doesn't show up, that grade is cancelled. And can you believe they don't get a text message, or email notification, and it's not even on TV or the radio. The kids find out when they get to school and the sign reads blank grade is closed.
Most of the kids go to school with a dollar to buy lunch, but the schools don't have cafeterias. The kids are only in school for 4 hours, so either before their school day starts, or after it's over the kids by there lunch many times from vendors. The problem is the vendors on the street corners aren't selling lunches, or anything nutritious. They are selling what every kids wants...candy, chips and soda. Essentially the school lunch program consists of vendors with carts, often wheel-barrows with wooden trays on them. When the funds are available Lantern Hill provides a nutritious lunch for that same dollar. Sadly right now funds don't exist. I know the US economy sucks, and I just spent all this money at Christmas, blah, blah, blah. I'm in the same boat, but damn lunch for a dollar doesn't seem that bad. $100 will feed a child for 3 months. Obviously the numbers are estimates because of other variables. Having spent time with the kids in this community, and spent the night in homes of some it is hard to not think about those kids and that dollar amount. Especially when I think about the food and money we waste.
I'm sure I will make this trip again, although not nearly soon enough, and next time with my family. I really should have posted a link to the website earlier this week but here it is now www.lanternonthehill.org. I'm guessing you'll get one more blog from me on the plane ride home, what else am I going to do?
In the morning I will say "adios" to Lantern Hill, but the light from the lantern will continue to burn.
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