Taking care of the Guest House for one month was really good for me. I got to see how another ministry is vital to our missionaries here, both tribal and support. At first it didn’t seem that different from what I do here at the Ranch.
- I mean there is picking people up from the airport, and driving them to pick up their car from the mechanic.
- There is buying supplies for the guest house or picking up some sunblock for some missionaries coming out of the tribe so their teenage daughter can go on a retreat with other missionary kids but they won’t make it to El Paso before the retreat (sunblock in Mexico costs over $20 for the cheap stuff).
- Also returning items to a store for missionaries because the store mailed their order to the wrong address.
- Meeting the pilot at the airport to send some mail in and packages for the missionaries in the tribe.
- Receiving packages & organizing/sorting through mail.
- Depositing money for a missionary that won’t be leaving Mexico for a few months.
- Going to the post office to mail packages & important papers for tribal missionaries.
- Also just being someone that listens to their problems and frustrations without judging them.
- Washing sheets & cleaning rooms.
That was pretty normal and similar to what I do at the Ranch. But the organizing of rooms with large families, and only certain rooms available for certain dates, that part was crazy. You have to organize who stays in what rooms, but be prepared because the missionaries may not leave when they had planned because of various reasons or extra missionaries show up without a reservation or arrive too early. To read a blog post that the Meissners wrote about my communication back and forth with them, please click here.
I really enjoyed my time at the Guest House and I’m super thankful for the Meissners that take care of it. I loved being able to go to a church, fellowship with different believers, and hear some sermons in English, but after a few weeks I was ready to be back in my Mexican church. I was able to see some of my mama’s cousins that live in New Mexico while I was there. I enjoyed numerous days of rain too! All in all it was a good month, and I’m thankful to be home at the Ranch.