Day 2 - Sunday - A Full Day

The reason we're here

The entire crew

We enjoyed our first full day here at the City of Children.  And full it was.  Full both in activity and in blessing.

It's great that your first full day here is the Lord's Day and it truly is.  Sunday's are always wonderful.  They begin with our two cultures coming together as one in worship, which is followed by the staff here serving us a marvelous homemade Mexican meal of tacos, refried beans and quesadilla.  Then it's off for a tour of the campus here and then the first afternoon of play with the children.  Finally, we gather at the gym for the evening's activities that begin with the much anticipated beach ball races between Captain America and Captain Mexico.  I wish all international conflicts were handled with such national enthusiasm without loss of life.

Then, finally, it's the opening chapter of the skit, complete with mood music provided by Elderidge Alexander, elaborate costuming (this year featuring a peg leg) and a cast so numerous it would make Cecil B. DeMil blush. But the biggest roar applause from the audience came with the grand entrance of Captain Joe Sparrow, played by City of Children celebrity Papa Joe aka Joe Mayes.  His customing was the handiwork of daughter Carol.

For the moment, our skit seems overwhelmed with evil characters.  There's the previously mentioned and much-beloved Captain Joe Sparrow, Captain Tiburon Blanco (The White Shark, played by Sam Bagwell) and his parrot Lelo (Silly, played by Sawyer Eddy), Captain Pablo Palopie (Captain Stickleg, played by Jacob Arthur),  and then Captain Mediabarba (Captain Halfbeard, played by Nelson Eddy...you only have to imagine how costume effect was achieved) and Captain Amerigo La Quinta Ricardo Gonzales Oficina Eric Estrada De Soto Montoya (played by the wordy David Skidmore).  Their henchmen are expertly acted by Rachel Bowen, Ben Higgins, Roger Boone, David Alexander and Danny Alexander, Bill Kimbell, David Garman and Bill Pearcy.  Hiding from this evil crew are our castaway kids played by Daniel Neely, Gunnar Magnuson, Callie Kimbell, Biven Alexander, Addison Durham, Kelly Rozell, Katie Starret and David Horton.  Watching over everything as events unfold is the mysterious Sirviente (played by Jeff McClain...get it "watching over everything"...he's an eye doc.)  Many, many others make cameo appearances.  As you can see, the bad guys clearly outnumber the good guys.  But such is life.  Both good and evil are in search for the treasure.  And both pirates and castaways are awash with questions. What is the treasure?  Where is it to be found?  When will Papa Joe make his next appearance?  All of this and more will be revealed in good time...and as soon as Skid and Jeff get the next skit written.

Our first day was capped by an evening devotional.  Several teens spoke about things they discovered in their first full day here: the love of the children they defies language barriers; the unease and then the sense of freedom that comes with being unplug from our electronics, the internet, Facebook and text messages (sort of interesting Al Gore began the trip with us as we began the process of leaving his invention behind); the desperate need of so many of the people living in tragic conditions outside the walls of this City of love and hope; the presence of God in this place and why do we feel it here when He's always there for us -- is it because we've stripped away all of our other God's when we come to a place where we see a need for Him?

For those of us who have been here many times before, we get to experience it all again through the eyes of our first-timers.  And there are so many first-timers this year.  Thank you parents for letting go so that the Lord can take ahold.  It's a hard thing.  But it is a good thing.

Look for more photos from Sunday posted throughout the day as we get a chance.