Another Day in Alianza

Two Saturdays ago I made a trip out to Alianza with my friends Tameka and Ronaldo. We had a great time playing with the kids, coloring, and sharing the story of David and Goliath. I just wanted to share a few pictures that keep making me smile.

This is Tameka, Ronald, my new buddy Jaime, and me (from right to left). Jaime hopes to join us in the future for Sunday soccer games.



This is me swinging three kids at once. Do not try this in the USA! You could be in for a lawsuit if someone slips. Here in Mexico most moms would tell the kids to hold on tighter next time.



This is me carrying Mimi on my shoulders and Cynthia on my back. These kids love to be picked up and carried around. It is always a fight to see who can get on my back. Cynthia's cousin Laura usually wins, but this time Cynthia didn't even wait for me to take my backpack off, she just ran and jumped on.



This is Ronaldo buried under a pile of tickling kids. They really took to both Ronald and Tameka and decided that Ronaldo needed to be tickled. I promise I had nothing to do with this scene.



Here I am about to swing Tameka in "el avion" or "airplane." The kids love this, and they wanted to see me swing Tameka. She is pretty tall, so it wasn't easy, but she had a pretty good flight and the kids got a big kick out of it. Special thanks to Tameka, who took about 98% percent of the pictures while Ronaldo and I were human jungle gyms.



Cynthia's shirt says it all. Well, almost all. The back says "100% perfect."



This is Pepe being swung by me and Ronald. Pepe is 13 and is a pretty cool guy. He has a good heart and tries to watch out for the other kids on the street. He is learning some English, and likes to practice whenever I am in Alianza.



I have nicknamed this little guy "Lionheart." He is a wild one, and I love him. He always tells me he wants to be the "más recio en todo el mundo" or "the fastest in the world." Here I am spinning him about as fast as humanly possible, and he is screaming for more.



Well, that's about enough Alianza for now. Keep praying for these kids, but especially for the adults there. Nothing is going to change until God changes the hearts of the men and women who live in "The Alliance" neighborhood.