We ate a large breakfast this morning and then drove to a nearby orphanage where we worked together to move a pile of adobe bricks and carry bunk beds and mattresses from one cramped room up some stairs to a newly painted, bright set of rooms. The orphanage is not very large, but the new dorm-style rooms above the kitchen will give the children more room.

We also swept and helped make lunch for the children, then took out a bunch of toys and books the group had brought with them. We spent the afternoon performing dramas, painting faces and fingernails, braiding hair, putting together puzzles, and coloring with the children.

"They spoke Spanish, so it was hard to work with them and communicate with them," said James Berndt, on his first mission trip to Mexico. Nevertheless, the children's smiles showed their joy at getting their faces painted and at being able to paint a couple of our faces as well.

"At the orphanage they were so happy - why? They just love spending time with you," said Stephanie. By spending time with the children, the group from Missouri showed them that they cared for them, and that, as Stephanie said, "God wants them just as much."

"I want to tell them so much--I want to be fluent so I can ask and understand. They need so much more to know how much God loves them. It's hard to tell them through an interpreter. It's not as personal. The interpreter can't say it the way you want to, can't show the emotions. It's heartbreaking," said Tony Ludden, a high school student.

When we had to leave, we said "adios" and hugged the children at the orphanage and returned to our room above the store. The day with the children made us tired, so we had a siesta and ate dinner before preparing to drive to the outskirts, the barrio, of Juarez.

Here the streets are packed sand and dust, and people make their homes out of broken vehicles, scraps of tin, and cardboard boxes. The group plans to do their dramas the next night at the tiny, young church in the midst of the poverty. Tonight, we walked the streets in small groups with a translator, handing out flyers and inviting people to come.

After seeing the barrio and meeting the people who lived there, Tony said, "I have a better appreciation for what I have at home. They live happily where they do. They don't need all the worldly things I have, but I should be thankful for those things."

Kat Douglas, a high school student, said, "All a little girl wanted was a piggyback ride--she wanted time. They were content and made the best of what they had. I respect them."