Yesterday, Jimmy, Juan and I set off in the afternoon to see if the road to some nearby waterfalls was open or not. It also seemed a good opportunity to break in the new truck. I want to take the guys camping to these waterfalls soon, but the last time I travelled this road…it didn’t turn out so great. We came around a corner to find the road was washed out. But of course my friends and I figured that shouldn’t stop us. It…did.

So as we left the highway yesterday, and turned onto the sand road that would quickly deteriorate into ruts and rocks (as it turned out), I asked the guys if they were ready for an adventure. Jimmy turned to me and said, “I’m always ready.”

Which is why I appreciate that kid. =) He really is always ready. His life hasn’t been easy, but he always seems to manages to face most things in life with a smile on his face. And so, with the windows down and the music blasting, we manoeuvred our way across the first river we had to cross and then punched it into four-wheel drive (no more wading through knee deep mud to lock the wheel hubs) and off we went.

There were a few…dicey…moments, shall we say. The solution to the aforementioned washout was to push most of the trees out of the way and then just drive over the mudslide. A couple of times I was trying to avoid tree branches scraping the side of my truck, when I realized that sliding into the ruts (or off a cliff) was going to break…well, more things than a scratch in the paint would.

As I said, I had a couple of “Oh oh…” moments as we drove over/around/through various obstacles/ravines/mudholes. But in the end I pulled into up to the entrance to the waterfalls with a sense of pride in my new truck. It had, in my opinion, proven itself more than worthy. I drove through the gate, basking in the warm glow of my pride and satisfaction…and parked next to a little Toyota Corolla station wagon taxi that had obviously just made the same trip. A happy little family played soccer in the field, as the taxi driver sat peacefully under a nearby tree. I’m pretty sure I got a sense of smugness (and possibly contempt) from him as I parked my big, muddy, four-wheel drive monster beside his little (clean), toy of a car. I guess it’s true that if you pay enough, taxi drivers here can (and will) get you there.

Jimmy and Juan had never been to these waterfalls, so before we headed back to the city, we did a little hiking and swimming (and cliff jumping). It was a good way to end the day. I’m looking forward to taking the rest of the guys camping there. It’s a beautiful spot. None of the guys have ever been camping before, so it should be fun. A couple of years ago, I took groups of guys from the home where I was volunteering on overnight camping trips there. I’ve always been bothered that the guys are growing up with very few happy memories from their childhoods. I set out to try and build some good memories, and since camping is something I enjoy (and something I loved doing with my family when I was a kid), it seemed a good idea.

It’s funny…the younger guys at the home were pretty excited (you can read about that experience here), but I had to do a bit of convincing with some of my older guys. They really are city kids to the core. One guy (I won’t embarrass him by saying his name) was pretty concerned about the possibility of being eaten by an anaconda. And while anacondas do exist here (I drove over one with my truck once), it’s fairly unlikely that you’d be eaten by one while camping. In the end I lured them in by promises of good food. We need to do something like this soon. The guys have all been stressed to various degrees with classes…personal stuff…family issues. We all need a break.

A couple of prayer requests before I go. Isabel has taken over the organizing of the educational side of the home. To my great relief. I can ask your basic “How was school today?” questions, but I generally don’t have the answers to the challenges the guys are facing. Most of our guys are struggling to various degrees, adjusting to full-time studies, and need some encouragement/kicks to the butt. I’m good with the personal “How’s life?” conversations, but I know nothing about the educational system here. It’s a good thing God brought Isabel along or I’d be dead.

Anyhow, she sat down with most of the guys last night and talked with them about how things are going. Some are doing well…others not so much. Some of the guys still struggle with a sense of not being worthy or wanting to quit as soon as things get difficult. I knew that was an issue going in…it’s one of the reasons I want to do this. That’s a mind-set that needs to change. It’s about having a sense of purpose and knowing that God does have a future for them. Both Isabel and I need wisdom to know how to best encourage and challenge the guys to move forward.

As well, there are still some other issues that are plaguing us. Things that I need to deal with. I know that God will bring us through it all, but it can get a bit overwhelming at times. And when you’re dealing with the same issue in a person’s life for the millionth time…it gets a bit frustrating. But again, I need to remember who I’m working with and have patience. It’s a balance some days….not to make excuses for someone’s behaviour, but at the same time having patience and compassion.

And that brings this day’s epistle to a close. It’s hot and sunny out, and I’ve been enjoying the air conditioning of this restaurant for far too long. It’s time to get out there and sweat a little…

Thanks for reading and for praying. Once again…we appreciate it.

PS I let Andres drive the new truck the other day. It was fun. Especially when we found a strip of empty road and I let him punch it a bit. The wide eyes and big grin were pretty entertaining. But then I was like, “Okay brother…slow down a bit. Okay…slow down now. Time to go a bit slower. ANDRES, SLOW DOWN!”

It seems he enjoys the speed…