Long Over Due.

Here is the post I promised. It was a week ago today that Wendell and I left Phoenix and headed down here.

Wendell and Donna Hart

Just a few minutes after we left Wendell's place we had just gotten on the freeway and we had a blow out, while going 70 mph and we were in the fast lane which meant we had to cross four lanes to get of the road.

Wendell is change the tire while I take pictures. We each know our role.

We were supposed to be picking up two guys that were flying into Tucson. We had left in plenty of time until the tire blew and then we had to go and get two new tires on the front of the van. We ended getting to the airport half an hour later but it worked out well Dave and Paul were only waiting for five minutes. God is Good. Paul is an electrician and Dave is an electrical engineer so they came down for a week to put in all the lights and get the electrical end of things all finished up. They just flew back to New Jersey today. They got pretty well all the electrical done except for a couple things that they didn't have supplies for, so I think I am supposed to finish them up.

When we arrived here a week ago it was hard to see how the church building could be done by Oct 5 but things have come along well and I think it is possible if we keep at it. I have been doing some electrical work like putting in a lot of receptacles and I have also been doing a lot of plumbing. These are probably the two areas that I have the least experience when it comes to building. Don't get me wrong I am not saying I don't know anything when it comes to these things but God is giving me a chance to learn more. In the last week I have plumbed five sinks three toilets and two urinals. The two urinals were a really challenge but I just finished them tonight. Ok I will quit talking about urinals.

Wendell is prepping the baptistery for paint. He designd and made it.

Wendell and another man from Phoenix made the pulpit as well. Quite the work of art.

This is what the building looked like when we arrived minus the lights.

All the ceiling in all the rooms are suspended ceilings. That made for a lot of tiles that we had to put up. Also the ceiling in one of the small rooms fell down because the guy that installed it didn't put up enough support wires. Wendell and I got to put it back up. We also hung some up in a couple small rooms in the basement. This is another thing that I haven't done before. There has just been so many odd jobs to be done we have been putting in long days trying to make sure that everything will be done in time.

Sunday night we went out for tacos at Jaas. Excellent food.

They thought this was a special moment when the last ceiling tile upstairs was going in.

Dave, Tim, Paul and Wendell
Tuesday morning we took a crew picture before Wendell left.

Wendell got the baptistery tank all painted on the inside and the drain all hooked up before he left, but we didn't bother filling it with water before Dave put up some drywall on the ceiling in the basement under the tank. That was a mistake. We filled it up yesterday afternoon and as it was filling kept going down and checking to see if the was any water and there wasn't any and then just as it was getting up to the right height it started leaking like crazy. Agau was pouring down and coming through the drywall. I had to take the drywall down to see where it was leaking. Dave was rather disappointed to see all his hard work destroyed but he made sure he got some pictures. It seems that the leak isn't as bad as it first looked. There are a couple of bolts that are close to the top of the tank that we just have to seal around better we think.

Here I am very carefully removing the drywall. Not

Two of the girls were having a great time removing the rest of the drywall by hacking at it with hammers.

Last night John Dennison took us out for supper so Dave and Paul could have there last Mexican spread before they left.

This was my meals three tacos with all the fixins. The stuff up in the top right corner was deep fried cow fat. Sound good, well it didn't taste good, why am I surprised. It wasn't mine it was for everyone. I am pretty sure it was free too.

Here is the whole gang. Jake, Mike, Eleo, Michelle, Bonnie, Gary, Paul, John, Dave, Nathan and Bradey

I will try to get some more pictures on here to show the progress of the work soon.

A Little Busy

I am sorry I haven't done well at keeping this updated. I have been a little busy and the wireless internet hasn't been working and I like to blog from my own computer so I can put pictures on. It is just easier. I was able to get the wireless internet working tonight, so I hope to blog on Friday and show you some pictures of what I have been up to. It is past a 11 now and I need to get to bed. ZZZZZZZZZZ

Why Am I Still Here?

Some have been wondering why I am still in Arizona when i said I was returning to Mexico on Tuesday or Wednesday. Ya sorry I guess I didn't tell you all my change of plans. I had planned to go back to Hermosillo on a bus but then Wendell was going to be driving back down there on Thursday and he offered for me to ride along with him. He has to pick up two guys in Tucson and then take them to Hermosillo as well. This gave me more time to experience the Grand Canyon and do a few other things as well. Wendell and Donna have been such a blessing to me and it has been a privilege to stay with them.

Out of Africa

On my way back to Phoenix today I took the scenic route. I took a windy road through Sedona where Tim drove me up to on our way down. I put a few pictures on here of some of the cool red rock formations. Well here are a few more.


On the way to Sedona there is a place called Slide Rock State Park. It is place where the water has carved basically water slides in the rock. Wendell told me about it and I wanted to stop and try it out. When I stopped this morning at 9am the temperature was only 53 F outside and I am sure the water wasn't nearly that warm. I figured since I was there I had better try it out. I gave my camera to a lady and she took a few pictures of me just in case I only could do it once. I slid down about four times and then I was cold enough so I stopped.

Going through the water slide.

Wendell also told me about Out of Africa. It is also on the way back to Phoenix and since I hadn't done anything exciting in the last few days I thought I would go and check it out.

Here we have a 2500lb Rhinoceros who sleeps wherever he feels like.

Oh I know you are all wishing you could just have this little Burmese Python as your pet. He would make a better pet than a lot of snakes. I got to pet him and he is pretty friendly as far as snake s go.

Ain't he just so cute?

Here we have an Anaconda.

Again another friendly snake as long as he is kept well feed.

I an not sure this would be the most comfortable sitting position for me but it doesn't look to bad for him.

He is eating a carrot.

You ever have one of these days?

He has his eye on something.

I think this is a Leopard, looks more like a sleopard to me.

Do you know how hard it was to get him to smile?

I think the above picture was just getting ready to do this.

Now that is a fine looking cat.

Hyena, wow I have never heard one laugh as much as this fellow when he was getting feed. It was making everyone laugh just listening.

She just looks like a big Teddy Bear.

Ok, if not a snake how about a Panther for a house pet?

Yes I think you're teeth look fine but just floss a little more between the molars.

This Tiger fell in the bleach I think.

Is he black with white stripes or white with black stripes?

This little guy is just a couple months old.

Sorry I didn't catch this guys name. I am told that these have been known to kill Lions so I guess that's what the spears on his head are for. This one was pretty friendly as you can see in the next picture he stepped in the bus door for some treats.

Ya his name slips my mind as well. He is from South Africa though.

We got to feed Mr. Dromedary some carrot sticks.

Here our bus driver put a treat in his mouth and the Giraffe couldn't see in so he was licking him all over his face with his 15 inch tongue trying to get the treat.

Whach you looken at?

We got to watch them go around and feed the animals. This tiger is pretty excited about catching a turkey and the best part was the feathers were already off. He didn't say it but I know that's what he was thinking.

This guy didn't tell me his name either.

If the Panther wouldn't cut it how could you ever say no to Little Lemur?

This post just might have the most pictures of any yet. Well that about sums up my time here in Arizona. Tomorrow morning Wendell and I will be driving back to Mexico. I guess the vacation is over now. I am looking forward to going back to Mexico now.