Monterrey

I am soaked in fruit juice, tired, sweaty, but probably the most fulfilled I have been in a long time. I am so amazed by fate. If there hadn't been problems with the bus, Michael and I would not have gotten on in Nuevo Laredo. We would have not gone ahead to Hotel 402 in Monterrey and we could not have met the hotel staff who got us the contact for Caritas. Caritas is an organization that has food banks, orphanages, etc. throughout Mexico. Today we worked at the food bank for Caritas here in Monterrey. From 6 Am to 4 PM, the Caritas Food Bank fills trucks with leftover food from grocery stores which they then take to the poorest neighborhoods in Monterrey and distribute for 1 peso a family. We saw a small glimpse of this massive operation and loaded 5 trucks with tons of vegetables and fruit. It was tough work. However, we made instant friends sweating with the workers. After we finished, they heard that a few of us were going to try and live on 5 pesos a day ($.50 in US dollars) until we reached Veracruz (more on this later). They were amazed and proceeded to give us a crate of peaches, a crate of plums, and a crate of jicema (a mexican vegetable), four gallons and four cases of water for our fast. Michael, Alex, and I had made a pact to only eat excess of 5 pesos a day if food was worked for or given to us. This was done in an attempt to try and experience a lifestyle away from instant gratification and self indulgence that I know has characterized much of my life.

We now have contacts with Caritas throughout Mexico for the rest of our journey to serve with. We have permanent relationships in Monterrey to send volunteers and to begin multiple projects in the near future. I can honestly say that we were doing Full Hearts work, or whatever you want to call it. Amazing. A woman told me in Nuevo Laredo that you would need at least a month to plan ahead before working and volunteering in these cities. She was wrong. When you simply seek to help others, opportunities will present themselves in the most uncanny and magnificent ways.

There is no such thing as a small miracle... only miracles.

gregorio