something frosty.: Way-Back-Wednesday #22: Mexico Spring Break Trips, the College Years!

When I wrote the title of this blog post, it took me back to one of my favorite TV shows of all time: Saved by the Bell. Because that show was so popular (I may or may not have arranged my after-school TV schedule to be able to watch 4 episodes of Saved by the Bell every day), they went on to make a "college years" season or two. I always wanted to live in a dorm room like Kelly Kapowski. ANYWHO, getting way off track here.

So, remember last Wednesday's post {here}. Being in high school was great, but getting to be an 'adult' on the Mexico Mission Trip = even better. Back in the day when we stayed at a church in Weslaco, the college kids ended up staying at a church down the street for spacing issues. This meant that we were in charge of ourselves and could go to bed whenever we wanted :) That church had a pretty courtyard that we would stay up and talk for hours outside in. It also had 2 showers, which meant that we didn't have to go stand in line at the middle school for showers that smelled like sulfur.

I'll let the pictures do the talkin'. Happy looking :)

Mexico 2006

The College Team (can't remember our official team name...)

Allen, Swenson, Bev, Lydia, Jeannette, Rebecca, Allison

Jared, Joey, Amy, Bert, Joe, Archie

Our team worked well together and laughed a LOT. We had a 15 passenger van to drive, which Allen fearlessly steered with a van full of sleeping college students. However, one day, we were facing a doozy of a wait at the border. I believe we were stuck behind a lot of semi trucks which meant that we would be waiting a while {a couple hours}. Bev, sitting shotty, was a little on the impatient side :) and highly encouraged Allen to go around the semis that had literally parked their trucks and were standing around outside of them. When the hole opened up, Allen took it and our 15 passenger van went for a little off-roading adventure on the shoulder in Mexico. It was hysterical and a memory I've never forgotten. Our team was actually working together with another group at a church, adding a second story to the building.

That meant that we had to get a massive pile of cement blocks up to the second floor...which meant a massive assembly line was in order.

Bert always managed to look like he'd rolled around in the mud. He's actually just a hard {and slightly messy} worker :)

Joey and Amy at the border

Darrennnnnn!

Bert can clean up rather nicely!

Two of my little babies :) Gracie, Lydia, Kerry

Nora and I on the worksite :)

This picture makes me laugh every time. I think somebody's butt had just been grabbed, but I can't remember who did the grabbing.

Lydia, Stephanie, Darren, Amy, Kyle

Mexico 2007

My team

Brett, Beats, Erika, John, Brooke, Bailey, Elizabeth

Tyler, Joe, Lydia, Allen, Camille, Kym, Janie, Gracie

Sweet G-webb :)

Scott and some of our team

Bryan, Scott, Jorge

laying block

Scott, Lydia, Gracie, and Tyler in the back

This year marked the first year to add a loft to the home design!

Homemade Mexican tamales....ain't nothing like 'em!

This was just too good a pic not to post. Ja-hawley :)

Good group of people right there!

Lydia, Archie, Tino, Bert, Ruthie

Miss Kerry and Lydia

Bertie-poo. Our traditional picture.

Stevie-Zee and Lydia. He's getting married soon!!

This was not my site, but this was an important year, marking the first floor being constructed on the school we would later finish!

Lydia and John--this was the first year I got to stucco!

Scott and Allen at the first home McFarlin built in Mexico.

Group pic--2007. The first year we stayed in McAllen! And also the first time I had to go home early from a mission trip thanks to an interior design project for school.

Mexico 2008

My team!

Mark, Cassie, Jennifer, Tori, Allison, Rebecca

Pirtle, Ryan, Tyler, Kendall, Archie, Lydia

Scott and Tino--the fearless leaders

My worksite that year--the school! Adding the second floor, roofing, and tiling the first floor.

Grace, Taylor, Lydia, Kendall

One of my best friends, Tin :)

Gwebb, Steve-o, and Lydia, in front of the window we did!

Dinner night at La Fagota! This year marked the first time some of us didn't have time to shower before dinner that night because we were working at the school so late.

Gracie, Taylor, Kendall, Lydia

And because no trip to Mexico is complete without a tiny little puppy pic!

Mexico 2009

My team!!

Madeline, Emma, Sarah, Kelsey, Marissa, Peyton

Cameron, Lydia, Maddie, Jessica, Maddy, Christian

Victor, Bennett, Kevin, Rachel

the Nachos!

Bennett and I were finally on a team together after 8 years of going to Mexico...

Teenster and Lydster

A memory that brings me to laughter to this day :)

Our wheelbarrow had a hole in it, but since it was the only thing that we could mix stucco in, we had to make do. We shoved some paper in the hole, but at some point it got dislodged. Kelsey, quick-minded, stuck her finger in the hole to plug it up while Emma and I kept mixing. But, because Kelsey was a bit of a jokester, we disregarded her talk about how much her finger really hurt.

Turns out her finger was stuck. Sorry we didn't believe you Kels :)

Darren and I in different countries!

Lydia, Sydney, Maddie

Darren, with Sponge Bob's nose...that magically made its way into Scott's suitcase, which his wifey later found :)

Emma, Lydia, Cam, Kevin, Christian, Bennett, Maddy, Sarah, Maddie

Scott and Lydia

The school in Nuevo Progresso that McFarlin helped build from the ground up. Pretty amazing, no?

Amy, Bert, Steph, and Darren being goofballs.

Group pic--2009

Mexico 2010

Opening prayer the first morning on the worksite

My team--the beef fajitas!

Sydney, Lydia, Madeline, Rachel, Cary, Cassie, Mariel, Shannon, Maddy, Bryce, Darren

Eli, Keaton, Jennifer, Mark, Dani

pondering with Scott.

Cassie and the step that she made all by herself!

Pirtle...in an outhouse.

Darren, Sydney, and Lydia

with Bryce photo-bombing in the background

Our loving team :)

After we did the dedication of the home, I walked outside to find one of the small neighborhood boys christening the house, on our freshly completed {now yellow} stucco. Makes for a funny memory :)