We made it! We crossed the border in Presidio, TX on Monday, June 4th. Thanks for everyone's thoughts & prayers.
The border crossing went smoothly without many hiccups. We did have to pull most of the belongings out of our trailer to be inspected in a very warm parking lot. One of the few items we were taxed on were 6 cornie kegs (these are old soda pop kegs that I use for brewing). When questioned about them by the border patrol agent I suggested they would be used for storing water, which they most likely will be. We gladly paid our $17 in taxes, got our tourist visa (good for 6 months) and then registered our truck & trailer to receive a permit that allows us to tool around Mexcio in Hugger (our truck).
There were a couple of snags. First, I lost my license by dropping it on the ground. It was quickly returned to me by the agent who gave us our visas. Phew! Second, the truck & trailer were in different names (Kim & Karl respectively). We didn't have a title for the trailer because its value is less than $500 and no proof of our marriage - what to do, what to do?! We said a prayer & Ramon, the agent filling out the paperwork decided that if I signed the truck over to Karl that he could proceed with the permit paperwork. Fantastico! So, now Karl owns both the truck & the trailer. I hope he stays with me :)
All the above was accomplished with us not speaking any Spanish except, Lo siento, no hablo espanol (I'm sorry, I don't speak Spanish) and all of those helping us speaking very little English. To sum it up, it was a long day, but everyone was very helpful & kind. We were thankful for the peace and a patience throughout the whole process that God gave us. Thanks again for your prayers.
Rebecca met us in Aldama and we followed her into Chihuahua. We stopped at the Gallegos' home and then headed over to our new home. Our home will also be a home to Bonnie (who also works with LOCO), 5 teenage girls, and all visiting teams and individuals. There are several rooms & bathrooms, 2 kitchens, a common area, and 2 outdoor patios (one upstairs & one downstairs). It needs cleaning, painting & repair (plumbing, electrical, and carpentry). We're anxious to get to work! We will post pictures and progress updates as we go along.
4 comments:
Great update. We are so excited for the future holds for you and the children who will no doubt be blessed by your love, time, talents and commitment.
Grateful God held you in the palm of His hand for the crossing :)
I told you Uncle Mike and I want to make a trip at some point. And today Aunt Carol told me today she wants to make a trip to your new "home" her next vacation and is wondering where volunteers sleep when they come. Another question is transportation to you... any way to fly?
Let us know if there's an address where we can mail things to you and or the children. What is the likelihood it will actually arrive once mailed?
Sending love and awaiting regular updates with lots of pictures :)
thank you Aunt Laurie!!
we are excited for your visit. volunteers/visitors will be staying w/ us. Karl, myself, Bonnie, and the girls will be living downstairs. the upstairs (where teams & guests sleep) is set up w/ several rooms (i think 9) and each has there own bathroom. there's a small lil' common area and an outdoor patio upstairs as well. you can fly into Chihuahua airport.
mail...that's a toughy :) you can try to send us things by mail, UPS, or FED EX but it is expensive, slow, and w/ no guarantee that we'll receive it. if you would like to send us something, i can give you a schedule of teams & other individuals visiting from the US. you can mail it to them and they can (maybe) bring it w/ them depending on their mode of transportation, available room, etc.
thank you again for all of your love & support. -kim
Hey there you crazy kids! Glad you made it into Mehico without too much fuss, ok well maybe a little fuss but indeed that
sounds like a small miracle getting that accomplished with the language barrier and all. I think its a super cool thing
you guys are doing and I know if anyone can make a meaningful difference in the lives down there it's you two. Anyway just
wanted to drop in and say hey, I'll be checking your blog out in the future for other updates. Oh and Kim just cause you
gave me the Surly Squirrel card back doesn't let you off the hook on free beer! :)
Take good care.
Joe
ha ha Joe!! maybe we'll open a Surly Squirrel down here and you can claim your mug then. we might change the name from the Surly Squirrel to the Smoking Goat. either way, your mug #1 will be waiting for you :)
love & hugs to you my friend - kim
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