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The first day of 2018 started cold. A drizzly, misty, every-once-in-a-while-actually-rain, sort of wet that feels like it might seep into your bones and go straight to your soul- that kind of cold.

But, though my entire being seemed to be cold, my heart stayed warm.

We started the first day of the year with the first work day of the year, the first team day of the year, out on the field, near the entrance to the city dump. As has been the tradition for a more than a few years now, we have the privilege of hosting a team of college students, and their hearty sponsor, from Illinois. They have come to serve the trash cart workers that travel through our neighborhood on the way to the city dump.

I have the easy job. I get to deliver coffee and greet people and talk to our friends and neighbors. Sometimes I translate a tiny little bit between our volunteers and the folks they are serving. I get to hug kids and learn names and hear stories.

Today I renewed acquaintance with a dear family we served last year as well. They are a couple who has made trash collection their family enterprise. Both the husband and wife have a cart, as well as two sons. The couple, their son and daughter, as well as their horse and donkey, are named the same. If you have a good name, why not share it, right? But as funny as that may seem, the dear woman also told me about her three children who have died, and the struggle they have coming up with the money to rent the donkey each month, and their very difficult living situation. We together remembered the faithfulness of our God, even in the hardest of hard.

And isn't a new year about remembering old friends? What a delight it was to welcome our most dear friends from down the road in Matamoros. Despite the cold and wet, they traveled over to visit us and to bring gifts and greetings. The truth is, not many come over to visit, and for these two to come was a big deal and such a blessing to us! We huddled in my really cold house and caught up on family and friends and ministry for much too short a time. They encouraged and cheered me. I was a terrible hostess, and they left giving me hugs and kisses nonetheless.
Gracias mis hermanos Isaac y Marilyn! Les queremos mucho. Regresan cuando hace más calor!

Hello 2018. We're off to a good start. Just bring a little more sunshine with you soon, ok?