The Adventures of Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley begins his adventure in the VolunteerNow offices. Workplace of Grace Tatum's cousin Lisa Tatum. She helps volunteers help after disasters occur. 

A sign outside the office. You may notice that Flat Stanley is wearing a cowboy hat, cowboy boots, a long sleeved shirt with a design that looks like the state flag for Texas, denim jeans and a shiny belt buckle. This is a very Texas outfit. 

This is the Plaza of the Americas in Downtown Dallas. 

Flat Stanley had barbecue from Dickey's for dinner. Texas loves barbecue, just like Oklahoma. 

A quick trip to the yoga studio in Dallas before heading to Washington, DC. 

Getting ready to leave Dallas, Texas for Washington, DC. Flying on Southwest Airlines, our favorite. We picked a nice middle seat for Flat Stanley. 

Our hotel room in Washington, the Melrose hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Beginning our tour of DC with a beautiful flower sculpture at the Federal Triangle Metro stop. 

Outside the National Archives building. Loving the columns and the statues on the top. 

At the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Flat Stanley really liked the $100,000 bill in this display case.

An awesome statue in the American History Museum of George Washington. This is Lisa's favorite statue in Washington. 

The flag that inspired the writing of the Star Spangled banner is at the American History Museum. We could not take pictures of the flag itself sing the rules said we could not. This is the entrance to that hall. 

A triceratops skull outside of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. 

A statue of a rabbit on a rock outside of the Natural History Museum. We thought it was a funny statue. 

Amor means love in French. We love this statue. 

We were too early for the Cherry Blossom festival, but the tress in DC just started blooming. The weather was perfect while we were there. 

We traveled to the National Portrait Gallery to see the paintings and statues. This is a statue of Tecumseh. 

A painting of Sequoyah who wrote the Cherokee alphabet. 

If you look closely at this picture from the National Portrait Gallery you will see license plates from all 50 states and the letter spell out the preamble of the Constitution of the United States. 

Flat Stanley thought this unfinished picture of George Washington needed to be shared. 

President Kennedy from the National Portrait Gallery.

The next day at the Vietnam Wall memorial. 

A statue of soldiers from the Vietnam war. 

The Washington monument and reflecting pool. 

Outside the Lincoln Memorial, this can be found on the back of most pennies.

Inside the Lincoln Memorial. This statue of Abraham Lincoln is huge. 

We thought this memorial of soldiers from the Korean War was very interesting. Grace and Lisa's grandfather Leonard Carl Tatum fought in this war. 

Riding on the Washington, DC metro, the public transportation system that people use there. 

We made the trip inside the National Archives and saw the real Declaration of Independence and Constitution. We were not allowed to take pictures of the real thing, but this was just outside the hall on the wall. 

If you saw the movie Night at the Museum, you will recognize this statue from Easter Island, in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. 

This Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton was also a character in the Night at the Museum movie. 

Stopped by the White House for a bit. Sorry for the blurry picture. It was the end of a very long day. 

The Smithsonian castle. It looks like a real castle. 

This is a lunar module at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Flat Stanley thinks he might want to be an astronaut. 

A live picture of the sun in the Air and Space museum. 

Rockets at the Air and Space Museum. 

The real wright Brothers plane at the Air and Space museum. 

A totem pole at the National Museum of the American Indian. 

A birch bark canoe at the National Museum of the American Indian. 

The flag of the Cherokee Indian tribe at the American Indian Museum. 

Wampum belts at the American Indian Museum. 

A display for the Lenape Treaty, the tribe of both Lisa and Grace. We thought it was cool to see our family history at a museum. 

Last stop in DC, the National Gallery of Art. This is a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. 

One last picture from the National Gallery of Art.

Como se dice: God Loves You? Part 3

Before I close out this adventure with the last post. I want to preface it with just what I was feeling at this point. Keep in mind that the previous 2 posts were about the quick change to a new location and the immediate jump into service projects. I was both quite energized and quite exhausted. Going through motions while trying to soak up every minute, every interaction. A study in contrasts. When I first started writing this, I encountered pretty severe writers block. It has taken several days for me to get back to this to continue. I resolved that while the words wouldn't come easily, I would write this preface to explain the shift. Enjoy the read and pictures.

Wednesday, September 9

We finalized some projects in the morning, painting on the basketball court, building benches and SORTING SHOES! This was exciting. Back in Dallas a few years prior to this trip, our church home group participated in a project packaging shoes to send to international locations to provide for those who needed them.

Sorting zapatos and calcetines (shoes and socks). Photo Credit- David Lobban

Buckner has an entire mission for this called Shoes for Orphan Souls (http://www.shoesfororphansouls.com/)
They provide shoes to orphans and vulnerable children both in the US and throughout the world.

I think these are Medium? 

Having sorted and packaged shoes, we were going to get the chance to give them out the next day. First we had to sort them by size and those shoes for boys and those for girls.


Next we went into the classrooms to sing to the children. Each class was basically broken into age groups. There were four:
1. Roughly pre-k through kindergarten ~ 4 and 5 yr olds
2. First and Second ~ 6 and 7 yr olds
3. Third and fourth ~ 8 and 9 yr olds
4. Sixth and seventh ~ 10 and 11 yr olds

Singing our hearts out. Photo credit David Lobban

For the first three classes the teacher through an interpreter would explain a little about the class make-up and then we would sing to the kids and hand out snacks. I had the distinct pleasure of holding the music sheet for Gabe our guitar player. It was a really good thing I did, because the second we started singing, I started crying again. It was just so beautiful, that moment. The children were so excited. We were not good, per se. But we again made a joyful noise and the kids loved it. I know when I was little and special guests came into the classroom and performed, I would enjoy it. It didn't happen often. I was told they don't have it happen very often at all. After having spent the past three days working with the parents and trying to make the playground nicer for them, it was great to finally spend some time with them. We left them with healthy snacks and juice as we moved on to the next room. Some of them needed our help opening things, while others were determined to do it themselves. In the fourth class, the students did a little performance for us before we went into the classroom.

The bigger kids show us their dance moves. Photo credit David Lobban

Perhaps the most exciting part of the morning came after we sang to the students. Recess! We got to play with the kids. At first I was blowing bubbles for a good long time. Then, somehow, I got my hands on some stickers. From then on, I became the sticker supplier. I would let them pick out which ones they wants. Monster trucks, ponies, and Minions were a big hit. One little girl would take a sticker and place it on a little boy's shirt over and over until the entire front was covered. She was non-verbal, but she made it known that she was in charge of those stickers. It was a
momentous occasion when she discovered that the back of his shirt was a blank canvass after a while. MORE STICKERS!

Playing with bubbles. Photo credit David Lobban

Being the sticker dealer in the yard. Photo credit David Lobban

Loved seeing my people love other people well. Photo credit David Lobban

Getting serious about stickers. Photo credit David Lobban

Bubbles, bubbles everywhere. Photo credit David Lobban

We wrapped up our time at the school by giving gifts to two of the more involved parents. We gave a basket of knitting supplies and patterns to one mother who was known for her contributions of time and effort to the school and community. The other mother, whose daughter is blind received a cane and a book with sound to help her. It was her first cane. She immediately was excited to give it a test drive and one of the Buckner staff worked with her in using it for a bit.

This mom really enjoyed her sewing supplies. Photo credit David Lobban

Unique and special opportunity for us all. Photo credit David Lobban

Our lunch stop was Sanborns, a restaurant in the mall of all places. I enjoyed my special tricolor tacos.

Patriotic lunch options.

After lunch we made our way back to Buckner Mexico Children's home. It was quite fun to see the kids once again. They were all dressed up for the festivities. You see, our arrival in Mexico city was a few days before Mexico's Independence day (September 16th). The household was holding their Fiesta/party/celebrations a few days early so that we may join them. However, the festivities were not to be held right away and we had time to participate in a special Mexican tradition- Football-what those in the US might call Soccer. The kids rushed off to change. On our previous visit, the kids and our team traded taunts of superiority leading up to this day. You could tell they were eager to show us their skills.

We walked to a nearby park that had a cement soccer field. The park was just beautiful. I have to admit our team held our own. I swear at one point it seemed as if there were twice as many of them as there were us. I played goalie for almost all of the game. I learned rather quickly that diving on the ball on concrete was not a wise decision. While we maintained decent health most of the trip, even on service projects, several of us sustained minor injuries during this game from simply falling down.  At the last minute they moved to a no holds barred game which resulted in us losing by one point. It was so much fun!!

Evenly matched football match. Photo credit David Lobban

After the game we returned so that the FIESTA could continue. Little did we know they had a surprise for us. An entertainer whose name I cannot recall directly. He sang many songs and brought the girls up to sing and dance. Juan Carlos even got in on the adventure. We enjoyed special treats and dancing (well some of us danced). Perhaps the most fun we had all evening was helping Susan find her little friend during Hide and Seek (alas no pictures). We were just exhausted at the end of the evening.

The festivities

Don't we make a beautiful crew? 

Special Fiesta Dinner- Chiles En Nogada

Thursday, September 10

This was the summary provided to our supporters back home at the mid-point of our trip:
Good morning Home Group Family,
This mid- week update was due yesterday, but we were out late at a fiesta so this morning will have to do.

It is difficult to summarize what has transpired thus far, but I will try to give you a sense of what we have been up to. A longer story with details will have to come later.

We all made it safely to Mexico City on Saturday evening, how we all got to the hotel... Well let's just say our adventures started early. Nearly all luggage made it on the first night.

On Sunday morning we went to church with our host Juan Carlos. It was his home church and of the Baptist Variety. While the sermon was all in Spanish we had a 13 yr old translator who helped us tremendously. The service was beautiful and one of the scripture readings was from Jude, which made all of the ladies going through the study come to mind.

That afternoon we traveled to the home Of Juan Carlos who introduced us to his family. His situation is unique in that he has 10 children, only one of which is biological. Perhaps the most  beautiful thing has been seeing that family live out their love. They are the ones who hosted us at the Fiesta last night (more on that later).

Monday we began our projects at a school about 45 min away from our hotel. Projects each day consisted of painting a playground, building benches, painting lines on a basketball court, shoveling volcanic grave for a hydroponic greenhouse, singing for the special needs kids and playing with them. Melinda and Crystal also offered a mini health and hygiene class for the parents of the children in the community. Some ventured out to projects in the community. Painting exterior walls for one and interior for another. The interactions with those families has been significant and touched those who went greatly.

The Lord has been with us the entire time. Thankfully we have all been well along the way with yesterday having minor stomach challenges for one or two and a few soccer injuries (nothing major). Please pray for continued health and strength.

Our evening have ended with time for devotional. Gabe brought his guitar, so we have been making joyful noise and sharing how we have seen the lord move this week in our lives. It is a beautiful thing.

I know I keep throwing that word beautiful out there, but truly there is no other way to describe it. Though our surroundings are unfamiliar and the language can be challenging. There is beauty everywhere. The children's faces. Seeing the group love one another. The greetings we get and give to strangers (a kiss on the cheek and a hug or a handshake).

Play for our last two days here and for safe travels home. We think of each of you and appreciate all of your support.

Muchas Gracias



Our day began with a visit to Leona Vicario Kindergarden. The journey to get there was interesting. The road that leads directly to the school was undergoing construction, so we had to walk a few hundred yards to get there. Once there, we had an outdoor assembly of sorts and then divided into three teams to serve. One team would read to the kids, another would play on the playground with them and the other would provide shoes. I picked the shoe project, because I wanted to be able to have that project come full circle and to see the end result. I was not disappointed. After washing feet of the children, gently placing on new socks and shoes, then asking them "Esta Bien?"/ "Do they fit ok?" and "Tu gusta?"/"Do you like them?" It was just wonderful. A special gift to me was that the name of the very last student, which I asked of him "Cual es tu nombre?" His name was the exact same name of my best friends little boy. It just brightened an already wonderful day for me.

Bringing the shoes to the school. Photo credit David Lobban

Bringing out chairs for the assembly. Photo credit David Lobban

Juan Carlos warming up the crowd. Photo credit David Lobban

Brandon and Gabe reading a Bible story to a class. Photo credit David Lobban

Playing on the playground. Photo credit David Lobban

Giving the little ones some new zapatos. Photo credit: David Lobban

Thank you friends for the time spent together. Photo credit David Lobban

After leaving the school. We had another meal at the mall at VIPS, a place that reminded me a lot of IHOP or Denny's. We enjoyed some games while we waited and refueled for the afternoon.

VIPS food and fun. 

Saving perhaps the best project for last, we were all able to visit the home of the young girl we gave the cane and book to the prior day. Having the opportunity to do some work on the home, cleaning the courtyard area and spending time with the mother and her daughter was a gift to our team. I volunteered for painting duty. The only problem was that it started raining...A LOT. I have never painted in the full-on rain. Our resident mortar expert worked diligent on home repair to the wall in front of the home, never minding the downpour. It was a messy glorious thing. We didn't want to stop as we only had a short amount of time before we would have to leave. So we worked in the rain. When the rain stopped, some folks worked on roof repairs and others read to and played with the little girl.

A particular joy about this project is that it almost didn't happen. It was added at the last minute (as if the entire trip wasn't last minute enough). We were scheduled to go to the market during this time. When it was proposed to us to alter our plans, the team decided unanimously to forgo the trip in order to do these projects.

Exterior improvements. Photo credit David Lobban

This is what painting in the rain looks like. 

Courtyard improvements (before and after) plus roof repair. Photo credit David Lobban

Reading and playing. Photo credit David Lobban

After bidding farewell to the family, we made our way back to the hotel for dinner and devotional time. Juan Carlos arranged for us to have our dinner in a separate meeting room. It felt like we were having a board meeting, but there were more tears than your typical board meeting (I am guessing).

A rather colorful NERTZ tournament happened that evening. Although, where we found the energy, I have no idea.

Friday, September 11
Our cultural adventure took us to Teotihuacan, an historic archeological site about 25 miles from Mexico city. When we got there, I was reminded of the movie Indiana Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Pyramids, great open spaces, and a mysterious culture. We climbed as far as we could on all of the pyramids and explored the platforms along the Avenue of the Dead. I counted the steps on the way down the Pyramid of the Sun (the largest one). There were 253 steps down. And these weren't you level, basic normal height steps. Some were as tall as my leg from my foot to my knee. It was quite a hike.

I wanted to take the opportunity to do some yoga poses on the pyramids (pyramid pose on the sun one and half moon on the moon one). Susan our trip leader was willing to join me in this fun. The guys on the trip saw what we were doing and became interested in learning how to do pyramid pose. The "broga group" pose was quite popular with several tourists then imitating us to do their own yoga poses.

I saw a chance to do a pose on a lower pyramid while the larger group was on the Pyramid of the Moon. I climbed down and then climber up the smaller one and started doing poses. I had asked Susan to take a picture of me, so I held the poses a little longer than usual. I was exhausted at the end and started to sit down. Some tourists standing over on the Pyramid of the moon,who had been watching me, groaned with disappointment. I was embarrassed to have been watched, but got up to do another couple of poses as they seemed to enjoy seeing it. It was a strange and wonderful event.

Ancient carvings. Photo credit David Lobban

Our crew on the Sun Pyramid. Photo credit David Lobban

Murals and carvings inside one of the buildings. Photo credit David Lobban

Fun with cacti and agave. 

Many yoga attempts. Photo credit David Lobban

Broga and tourist imitators. Photo credit Crystal Hlaing

Museum exhibits

Fun with sombreros at the base of the pyramids. Photo credit David Lobban

Lunch on the way back to Mexico city. Photo credit Crystal Hlaing

We were able to go back to the hotel to rest before our evening adventures. We were supposed to go to the city square, but it was closed to prepare for the independence day festival so we went instead to Chimalhuacan. This was the area that Juan Carlos' wife came from originally. We enjoyed dinner from a street vendor that came highly recommended by Juan Carlos. Then we walked around the square. There was a pancake artist, we had ice cream, and I got a henna tattoo with the Buckner logo on it to commemorate the trip. 

Marketplace escapades. 

Last Group Photo Credit: David Lobban

In the end we learned that God does love. In the US. In Mexico. He sent us there to partner in the work of Buckner Mexico. I am eager to see how we serve together in the future. Dios te ama.

Random Thoughts and Memories:
Clown in a pink cab

It doesn't matter what is in your hand if you don't share.

When did we decide that children need more than just good parents?

Ketchup on eggs

What's a trip to project sites without discussing bowel movements?

Taking care of our own hygiene- Toilet paper and soap

Control and comfort

Illusion of control is gone.

Trust

Removed from temptations

Going into the neighborhood

Hourly Hotels

Seed Story 7 21 feed people

Think through

Some don't think, just react

We never ask
Jesus asked questions even if answers were completely logical

"Hey Crystal, can you smell me? I don't care."

Buckner pop quiz

Special needs teach us to care

I am with me. I want to be clean and smell good.

Woman's story over 6 years and her 6 children.

We have no building because we are building people.

Ready to change 75 families at one family hope center.

Morning sharing sibling photos.

Mustache bus

Mustache Bus

Loofah Juggling

Tambourine

Jose Cuervo Rattles

VH1 Behind the Scenes: Deep and Wide

Parents who want to know how to love their children better

God intended us to grow within a family. 

Chickens and dogs and where the h*## am I? And I brought 2 doctors.  Gabe

Can we afford grasshoppers? Kelly

What else has Susan done wrong? Brandon
I didn't say she was wrong. Kelly

Everyone has something to contribute.

I want for people to want to love their home. 

What is the 7th love language? Stickers. Crystal

Saw life. Not poverty. 

Not about sharing the poverty, but the joy. 

Kids bringing over chairs for Chris. 

At least I didn't get hurt. Susan
That hurts me in two places. Chris

How much are we helping them? How much are they helping us?

We come in and do the projects and just leave the mess to clean up behind us. 

$4 Pesos to go to the bathroom.

Helping Melinda buy shoes.

I'm really feeling Mexico today. Chris

I do not need to produce or perform to be valuable. 

Keneshia and the Long John Silvers Connection

What do you see in your boogers?

We don't need any more lawyers. Juan Carlos

Enjoy going to the same location for 3 days straight.

Juan Carlos would like to know what we like and don't like to see if we can improve (if they ever need to put together a project with 2 days notice again.)

Brandon and Chris have a unique relationship. This does not amuse Susan as much as it does everyone else. Knee cuddling discussed.

Being at Buckner's Childrens home.

Juan Carlos to Gabe- I saw you looking at the singing guy and you were like "ohh sing to me"

Reading to the blind girl and seeing her joy when I noticed she had so little. Gabe

Whoa, whoa, whoa FIRE, silver man; juggling. Chris

 Whoa, whoa, whoa indeed Chris. Fire! Silver man! Juggling! Photo Credit: Gabe Knapp

I got to be a kid until I met Casey. Brandon

 I'd be married now if I could whistle like that. Brandon

David hit his head on the sign on the way out.

Friendship bracelet exchange in the van. 

Red light, green light, blue light. (Blue light means you go backwards)


In 10 years, you will grow a real mustache

Singer- Es Secreto di amor/ Mariachi loco bailar

Country music in the van- On the Road Again

How to minister to our families.

Brandon singing wrecking ball in the back of the bus. (video available upon request). 

Whispers of people feeling ill.

"I'll be your Yoko." David

For Gabe- Silver lining of not going to Guatemala- no frog song.

Chris- I'll get a Buckner tattoo on my lower back.

Police Cars with lights on all the time.

No fire hydrants.

No washcloths in room.

Kelly to Gabe "you gonna eat that eyeball?"

New rule for Buckner rule book- don't get electrocuted

Chris to Susan- can you tell I shave my feet?

Los Ojos des Los pescados- Kelly's villain name

Kelly Kelly Kelly- Kily Kily Kily Photo Credit: Susan Williams

Is hulk hogan sitting on the second row?

No hitting on the bus driver

Two truths and a hope and connection with Kelly and Crystal in the back of the bus.

I went to Mexico and got worms. Melinda

Stabbed by a cactus-Lisa

The beard needs to eat too. Crystal

David- place of coyotes? That's great, we're a bunch of coyotes. Oow oow owoooo

You should respect if someone doesn't want to change. Even God does that.

You're really the only group we have received. Juan Carlos

Lisa (amazed): You know the Lord's Prayer in Spanish?
Brandon: I was singing it in English

The banana is out of control. Crystal

An argument breaks out at the end of the trip that tears the home group asunder? Would Jack have survived if Rose had shared the door.

I can make it rain with loofahs. David

Brandon you sing like an angel brother. Juan Carlos

And you get on the plane and you get on the plane. Susan