Friday: 03/14/08 - 10pm
Greetings from San Diego.  We made it safely to Fletcher Hills Presbyterian with no major events.  We ended the night in a time of prayer and worship preparing us for our foray across the Mexican border.  We are anticipating on crossing the border tomorrow at 11am.  Thank you for your continued prayer. 

- Dave -  

Saturday: 3/15/08 – 4pm

I am currently sitting in the middle of Tent City watching the clouds roll in over the hills and watching the sun slip closer to the horizon.  I can here the sounds of the students playing guitar, playing games, and sharing laughs.  I feel the calm before all of the activity that is to come this week.  Everyone in Tent City is bundled up because it is freezing here.  According to the reports we are in for a cold wet night.  Thankfully Corey Lockett got all of our tents ready for rain.

Obviously if I am sitting in Tent City, we made it across the border.  Border crossing was the smoothest it has ever been.  Except for a few wrong turns everyone made it to the ranch without event.  I wish you could have seen how well the students worked together to put tent city up.  I am so proud of the students and adults that are on this trip.  This week is stacking up to be amazing. 

- Dave -  

Sunday: 3/16/08 – 10:33am

Shortly after I wrote yesterday’s blog the heavens ripped open and dumped all of heavens water supply on us including a little hail.  Can you believe it?  Hail in Mexico.  In fact, Rosa, one of their long term missionaries, told us that it was the first time they had ever seen snow on the surrounding mountains.  The rain stopped and the sun started peaking out while we were in the barn for chapel.  We only had some minor leaks for the most part and only one soaked sleeping bag.

I have mentioned that there is some “electricity” behind this trip that I have never felt before.  I think I figured out in part what it may be.  I think that it’s this group of adults and students.  I have never seen such team work, and I have never seen a group of teenagers, or maybe even adults, deal with miserable conditions like this.  Everyone was joyfully working with the conditions that they were given.  I don’t think that completely answers the “electricity” feeling, but I think that it is definitely part of it.

Monday: 3/17/08 – 10:30am

Every night in Mexico after chapel we have something we call “After Glow.”  It is an opportunity to continue in worship and to share the stories that we have experienced that day.  Let me share a few stories with you:

The first story comes from our translator Kurt.  He shared about a church we have been assisting since 2004.  Back then the church was nothing more than an EZ-Up, and we laid the cement foundation that year for the building that was to come.  Kurt has been in contact with the pastors of the church over the last couple of years, and has helped us on two separate occasions with sending funds for their construction needs.  Kurt shared how touched he was to be involved in the first worship service we have been able to share with them in their sanctuary with Casey’s cross hanging central (the cross was a hand made gift that was presented by one of our sr. highers last year.)

The second story, several team members from Las Palomas shared how unique it was that they were assigned to their church.  It had doves on their banners, pulpit and even their song books.  Why is that unique?  Las Palomas means “the doves.”  They shared that they felt that God had specifically picked their team for that sight.

The last story for this blog entry.  Several students got an opportunity to participate in the Sunday morning service at their sight.  Sarah gave her testimony, and Keaton helped lead worship with his guitar.  At another sight Cody and Dirk led their congregation in some American worship.

These adults and students are approaching everything with their eyes wide open to how God is working, and how they can be used. 

- Dave -  

Dennis & I have now made it to all of the five of the team sites.  Each of the teams have some construction projects, and each will have at least a day interacting with the neighborhood kids.  The following is a brief description on what each of our five teams are doing:

Las Polomas: Piper and Cameron’s team have already ripped out a wall and are currently painting their church.  They had several kids still around when we arrived and seemed to be having a ball playing with them in and around the church.  Cameron saved one of the puppies of the churches dog.  It fell down a hole and Cameron very bravely lifted it out of the hole.

En Sus Brazos: Sarah and Tyler’s team have laid concrete for the beginnings of a sidewalk in front of their church.  Today was their only day with kids, and they were making popsicle masks when we arrived.  The kids seemed excited to have so many Americans to play with, and our students seemed much occupied with their crafts and games.  The team will continue with their construction plans, as well as visit some senior citizens on Thursday.

Los Perdonados: Robert and Vanessa’s team are at Misión Las Lamitas where we  have been going for several years.  The lattice that provides shade for the children’s play area could really use some work, and there is a lot of washed out dirt that has piled up in areas where the children play.  These projects, as well as some weeding, are at the top of team 3’s list, but nothing is more important to them then the relationships they are building with the children.

Los Niños Della Luz: Robert and Jessica’s team are teamed up with our translator Kurt, whom I mentioned earlier.  They are gathering rocks from their surroundings to lay down some foundation for a concrete slab that they will lay in order to add an additional room.  They are also looking to help fix a seeping water problem at their church as well.  They were playing soccer with the kids out front when we left and getting ready for craft time.

Creemos: Mason and Michelle’s team are at one of our new churches.  They had a ton of kids around when we visited, and we got to see Mark and Cody do the chicken dance when they were in the “mush pot” of some game they were playing.  Matt & John were laying a cement foundation which could possibly become a building by the end of the week.  The pastor at this church is a joy for the team to work with because of his charisma.  He was teaching our team to mix concrete the “Mexican” way.

We are past the half way point in our week, and everyone is doing great.  I am looking forward to seeing how this week turns out, and getting a chance to relay the stories of how phenomenal our students’ week have been.  I am excited to see how lives have been changed and how our speaker, Matt Browning’s, words may find root in the lives of our students.

- Dave -  

I am telling you that God is good.  After each team’s time at their site, we met at the beach for a little bit of Revolution worship.  We enjoyed the sight of the waves crashing in and the feeling of sand (instead of dirt) between our toes.  We got the chance to take a team picture and spend a little down time in the middle of our busy week.  Paul led us in a time of worship when the sun was beginning to make its final decent. 

After our beach experience we had a very powerful chapel.  The speaker didn’t say much, but instead invited the group to come to the foot of a cross and leave their burdens in a trash can there.  He also gave each student the opportunity to be prayed for and a chance to be anointed with oil.  The internal struggle that almost all of these students face became visible as it seeped into their expressions and body language.  Then I caught the eye of a few that seemed as if a great weight had been lifted.  And it wasn’t just the students that were impacted.  Several of our adult leaders were moved by this experience as well.  I am telling you that God is good, and that He is good all the time.

Today was our final day at our sites.  Los Niños Della Luz finished up their construction project yesterday which allowed for them to concentrate on a party for 45 children and the team in turn was honored by their host church.  Creemos finished up the cry room they were building for their church, and were fed by chicken taquitos by their hosts.  En Sus Brazos spent their day at the harbor with the sr. citizen ministry of their host church.  Each team member adopted a few “grandparents” and talked with them, prayed with them, and committed to pray for them this next year.  They fed them, worshiped, and then gave them some beans and rice to take home.  Los Perdonados finished up some construction.  They painted some posts and replaced the lattice on the patio cover, and they extended the tire retaining wall that we started last year.  Las Polomas finished up their painting including a dove that they painted in the entrance of the church.  If you remember from an earlier entry, the dove has a special significance to this team. 

All this said it was the connections that the teams made that matter most.  This day is an emotional one.  As the students leave their sites they realize that the week is over and the relationships they made might never be shared in this way again.  Eyes have been opened, our students have been used for the work of God’s Kingdom, and lives have been changed. 

Mexico Outreach has come to close for this year.  We will be breaking camp tomorrow, and heading home.  Please pray for us as we cross the border and travel home.  We are looking forward to being home.

- Dave -