Family Photos

Every time the family gets together we take advantage of the opportunity to take family photos (the guys especially enjoy this tradition...ha!ha!) Here are Jorge and I with my niece, Melissa, my sister-in-law, Lucha, my brother, Kurt, my grandma and my mom.

Grand Junction, Colorado

We arrived to my brother and sister-in-law's house in Grand Junction, Colorado on April 6th. Since Lucha was on staff with us for 3 years and Kurt has taken many short-term mission teams to Bocachica, it has been like a little Proyecto Libertad Reunion. My mom and grandmother also flew up for a week so it has been a family reunion as well.

They arranged 7 sharing opportunities for us...in churches, home groups, and even an elementary school where Jorge told stories to the kindergardeners in Lucha's class where she works as a teacher's assistant.

We also had some time for fun and fellowship and God even gave us an unexpected and wonderful surprise...on April 12th IT SNOWED!!! This was especially exciting because Erika had never seen snow before so it was like a dream for her...it was so much fun watching her enjoy it for the first time!!

My brother, Kurtis, and Colombian sister-in-law, Luz Helena (Lucha).

Jorge and I with Melissa, our 12 yr. old niece.

Hanging out with the Redd Family...Jerry and Lynn have been to Bocachica on a couple of occassions and have been a support to the ministry over the years. They are a beautiful family as you can see!

SURPRISE FOR ERIKA: IT SNOWED!!!!!!!!!

Erika's very first time to see snow!!!

Erika and my niece, Melissa (12 yrs. old)


Snow ball fight!

Kurt also took us up the mountain to see more snow. We had fun sledding, building a snowman, snowball fighting and making snow angels...


Jorge coming down the hill.

Lucha gives Martin a push...

Me and Jorge

Jorge and Erika at a frozen lake in the mountains.

Wow, check out all the snow!

Dinner with the Chacon family...the Chacon's visited Bocachica a couple of years ago and they generously blessed us with a yummy mexican meal.
Lunch at the Herrera's. Both Louie and Sue have also visited Bocachica and they are dear friends.


Jorge sharing at a group meeting at Kurt and Lucha's house.

Conny at the display table after the morning service at Grand Junction First Assembly.

Jorge sharing with the teens sunday school class at Grand Junction First Assembly.

All of us sharing at Zion Assembly in the bilingual evening service.
Pizza after the service... as you notice we sure do eat a lot...don't be surprised if you see us getting fatter as the trip progresses!

We had a wonderful get-together at the Lovato's house... friends from Zion Assembly.

A special treat for Jorge was visiting Marie Perez and her family in Montrose. Jorge and Marie know each other from the good old days on the M/V Anastasis with Mercy Ships.

Northern Arizona & Utah

Prescott, Sedona & the Grand Canyon

Northern Arizona really is beautiful...we stopped in Prescott and had a picnic in front of the county courthouse and walked around town a bit...then we went through Sedona, which is gorgeous at sunset, the red rock mountains look like they are on fire as the sun shines on them. We stopped for the night in Flagstaff and then left early the next morning for the Grand Canyon. We spent the morning there...it is just awesome...something you just have to see at least once in your life!

Picnic in Prescott.

Under a bridge in Sedona...admiring the valley below.

Sedona

At The Grand Canyon

Monument Valley - Utah

After spending the morning at the Grand Canyon we continued on to Kayenta, AZ where we toured an Indian Musuem about the "Wind Talkers" from the Navajo Nation and then through Utah, making our way to Grand Junction, Colorado where my brother and sister-in-law (Kurt and Lucha) live. Utah is so beautiful too...God's creation is truely amazing!!!

Part of the Navajo museum in Kayenta.

Monument Valley is awesome...it looks like a painting propped up behind us.

Yuma, Arizona

While in Yuma we were blessed to stay at my mom's house. We used the time to prepare for our trip. Jorge and Martin did some renovation work at my uncle's restaurant. Erika, Conny and I worked on making a photo display board and a photo album of Bocachica to take on our trip. On April 1st we were invited to speak at Centro Familiar Cristiano Buenas Nuevas, the church that Jorge and I have been attending since we arrived to Yuma.

The five of us at Buenas Nuevas Church. April 1st, Yuma, AZ.
Jorge and I with the pastors of Buenas Nuevas, Jorge & Maribel Orozco.
Tacos de Cabeza (cow head tacos) after the service! Yum, yum!

Erika and Conny were a huge help with the photo album and display board...I never would have gotten it done on time without them.

Jorge and Martin (below) working at the new restaurant.

Dinner at Bubba's (My Uncle John's restaurant)

The Yuma Desert!

Erika, Martin and I climbed up to the top of the sand dunes just outside of Yuma.

At the Yuma Museum...

My Uncle John and Aunt Margie invited us to their house for a great steak dinner the night before we left on our trip.A last minute visit by our friend Juan Hector from San Luis, Mexico, just across the border. Juan Hector and his wife are youth pastors at thier church and have a beautiful family!
Mom and Maw Maw, just outside the front door of their house.

The gang in front of Mom's house just before we left town.

Fitting all of our luggage into the trunk was a big challenge but the guys finally got everything in!! Since we didn't fit into mine and Jorge's car, my mom has very generously loaned us her car for our road trip. I dont' know what we would have done without it!

Southern California

On March 28th we drove to San Diego to pick up Martin, Erika and Conny! It's so hard to believe that they are actually here!! We have been hoping and praying that they would be able to come for so long and now it is happening and we are so excited!


After we picked them up from the airport we showed them around downtown San Diego, walked along the bay and down to Seaport Village. It was a beautiful sunny day! Afterwards we stopped by the YWAM San Diego/Baja office to show them around and to say "hi" to the folks there.

In the evening we shared at Amistad Rancho Hills Church in San Diego and had a wonderful time! There was a great turn-out which kind of surprised us for a Wednesday night and the people were so open and friendly! The pastors who invited us, Waldo and Leoni Garza, were our friends in Ensenada and now are on pastoral staff in San Diego. They are beautiful, wonderful, awesome people!!! We love them!!

SAN DIEGO

Picking up the gang at the San Diego airport! Together at last!

Naval Ships

Downtown San Diego

Hanging out at Seaport Village, in front of the Coronado Bridge.

At the YWAM San Diego/Baja office with the beautiful (inside and out!!!) Jessica Cheng!!

Martin with Colombian friend, Elsi and South African's Fritz and Grizelda.

We had a nice surprise to meet up with our friend, Miguel Vivar from El Salvador. We met Miguel and his family when they lived in Colombia 10 years ago and worked on staff with YWAM there. He was in San Diego working on his residency papers and we happen to see each other at the YWAM office.

Jorge and our Puerto Rican friend, Jarot.

Catching up with Edgardo from Colombia.

Left to Right: Waldo, Leoni, Martin, Conny, Erika, Karen, Elsi, Jorge and Miguel.

We were especially excited to get to see good 'ole Ben and get one of his world famous hugs!!

Waldo and Leoni!

OCEANSIDE

The next day we drove about an hour north to Oceanside for lunch with our friends, Kevin and Edith Choi, Alberto Salazar and "Captain Wade".

The Choi's...beautiful new friends that God blessed us with while on staff in Ensenada.
They invited us to a Sushi and Seafood Buffet and it was awesome... Yum! Yum!

MALIBU, CAMARILLO, VENTURA

 

We made our way up the Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu... Martin on the Malibu Pier.

 

Goofing off in a hat store...the Dred Girls.

HOLLYWOOD
On our way back to Yuma we stopped in Hollywood to show the team around... we went down Sunset Blvd., Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Blvd., saw the Chinese Theater and the Hollywood sign, etc... it was a fun day.

Rodeo Drive...pretty fancy place.

Check out the price of gas in Beverly Hills.

The Beverly Hills Hotel.

Lunch at Burger King in Hollywood. Not exactly the hot spot but in our budget...

In front of the Chinese Theater.

Conny and Erika with Billy Graham's star on Hollywood Blvd.