¡Bienvenido a Mexico!

Well, I arrived in Agua Prieta Mexico (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Douglas,+AZ,+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title) about a week and a half ago and I have been SO BUSY already. While I am here I have numerous jobs, but the main one will be guiding delegation groups when they come down. This will mainly be schools and church groups. They tour around to all of the ministries that Frontera (www.fronteradecristo.org) is affiliated with.

This week I visited a Maquila (the Mexican version of a sweatshop) here in Agua Prieta. Many of the people in AP work in the Maquilas making about 80 dollars, give or take, every WEEK... thats a 48 hour working week. And do not be misled- the cost of living in Mexico is about the same. The stores have the same prices and cars still take gas and so forth. The specific Maquila I was in was working with two products. The first was packaging fish hooks, for sale in stores like K-mart. The other was washing, dying, cutting and packaging turkey feathers for fletching on archery arrows. It was an interesting process for sure, but still kindof sad to see that so many people live in such meager conditions so that we can have hobbies.

I went to many other places including:

DouglaPrietaWorks (http://www.douglaprietaworks.org/) which both teaches people skills that they can use to get better jobs, and also builts items like furnature for sale in the states. The employees are paid what minimum wage is in the States, as opposed to the Mexican minimum, which is MUCH lower (as you can see from the maquila salaries!).

CRREDA- which is a drug rehab center in AP. It is self sustaining and run by former adicts, many of whom were also coyotes (I will explain this later)... I am out of time so I must continue later, but please comment with your thoughts and questions. I will update whenever possible and hopefully add pictures when I get a camera! (words don't do it justice).

Be well, and as Paul says "do good things!"