back door tricks for greasy old men

and to think: i never thought my spanish classes in highschool would ever find their way into practical application in my life.  Boy did i never see moving to california back then.  considering like, the only people in Los Angeles who are from los angeles seem to be mexican, i speak spanish a good bit.  and now im going to mexico to visit some underpriveledged orphanages and to do some street outreach, and im basically the only translator for a pack of 6 ppl who speak close to absolutely no spanish between them.  it ought to be interesting.

we're gonna hit the 99 cent store before we hit the border and just buy tons of crappy toys and stuff for these kids.  i went to mexico like 2 and a half years ago and it was one of the more interesting experiences of my life.  First thing i noticed were stray dogs in the streets all over the place.   Then came the dusty and dirty air.  Then came the fact that people in poorer neighborhoods were living in pallet houses with no floors or roofs over the heads.  we spoke at a church that had no ceiling and a dirt floor, and played games with little spanish kids we could barely speak to or understand.    this is 5 minutes across the border into mexico.  not tijuana, which is 80 percent american anyway, but to a place where the kids were still impressed by light hair and blue eyes. 

these little kids play with tin cans like i played with He-Man figures back in the day.  last time, i met a transsexual street prostitute in the downtown area and was translating for this guy on my team who used to be a prostitute as well.  needless to say, it was interesting.  the guy/girl was like telling us, in spanish, that the only time he thought about God was when he got sick or had something bad happen to him and then he'd be all "God this and God that, help me this help me that" and then afterwards forget all about it.  Mexico is not like America.  Jesus Christ is as ingrained in their culture as television is in ours.  They all know the Lord, it's more a matter of if they have Him in their heart. 

regardless, it was an interesting and trying experience - and im sure it will be again this time.  i wonder how many ppl there are in this world who at the end of the day attribute their exodus from previous lifestyles like street prostitution, drug addiction/running, gang thuggery, alcoholism, etc ... to Christ. 

its unfortunate that the only soundbytes that ever make it to the world's ears are from politicians lobbying for christian votes, pat robertson, jerry falwell, or some other loudmouthed crackpot....  but oh well.  im done.