Mexico!

Where to start, where to start? Mexico was great!

We left Tuesday, April 10th and flew to San Diego early in the morning. They was 34 people in the group, about 22 students mostly from Alma Heights, and 12 college aged and adult leaders. At the airport we wore out bright Orange group shirts that helped the group stay together. At the airport in San Diego we were met by van and a bus that picked us up, and after a short stop at a Walmart drove us across the border to Rancho De Sus Ninos, east of Tijuana.

The Orphanage is just an amazing ministry that has grown into a daycare, school, bible college, evangelism trailer that goes out regularly, youth center, and has helped plant about 18 churches in the surrounding areas. The founder, Steve Horner, is an amazing man of faith and Rancho is a testament to what God can do with a man like that.

The first day after arriving in the early afternoon, we went out with the evangelism trailer. The trailer is driven out and plopped in the center of an open lot. 500 chairs are set out, a stage, sound system, and projector are assembled and the American teenagers are set out in groups to invite people to come. By the time the event starts the chairs are practically filled. Kids than give testimonies with the help of a translator, dramas are performed, and an evangelistic movie is played, and at the end one of the bible college students gives an altar call in Spanish that 60+ people respond to. For me, it was just plain amazing to have contributed to and witnessed it.

I was in a mime of the parable of the prodigal son that we performed with a narrator in Spanish. I played the prodigal son and was slapped by two girls each time in it. Ouch!

Our basic day consisted of a work projector for 3 hours before lunch, and a ministry event after. We also had individual and group bible studies, during the day and a worship and share time in the evening. Our work projected consisted of digging ditches and pouring concrete for the foundation for walls for the new daycare that they are building. Their current daycare ministers to 183 kids and is in an odd location at the top of a steep hill. The new one they are in the process of building should be able to minister up to 250 kids. It was hard and grueling work that included a lot of manual mixing of the concrete with a shovel and swinging of a pickax.

The second day after lunch we went up to the daycare and played with the daycare kids besides performing dramas, and leading teaching and crafts. On Friday we went out to a church and walked around the neighborhood inviting people to come before helping to lead the service, and conduct the children's church. On Saturday we went to La Roca, a youth center. We passed out fliers before and than took part in a chaotic play-time that included basketball, soccer, rollerskating, jump roping, and football. During the time we sat all the kids down and performed some dramas, one of the students shared her testimony, and a staff member preached. On Sunday we helped lead two church services, and on Monday we went to Tijuana to be tourist before flying home.

I was extremely blessed to play and spend time with one of the orphans named David, who is 5, and i have been sponsoring him for the past year. At meal times he would wave for me to come sit with him and i look forward to continuing the relationship that i have now started with him.

Hooray i'm home!

Hello all. I just got back and I am still alive. God is good. I hope to write about the trip soon, but i NEED sleep first.

!Gloria a Dios!

Today we leave for Mexico! The group of students mostly from Alma Heights Christian Academy will fly down to San Diego. There we will be picked up and driven across the border to the orphange outside of Tijuana. We will spend half our days working on various building projects like mixing concrete and laying the foundation of future buildings. We will also spend our time ministering to the orphans, at a local daycare, youth center, and at various churches in the area. We get back late April 16th. Stay tuned to hear what the Lord will do in out time there.

Its defintely good to be home. For the past week i have been loitering around Alma Heights. I guest lectured in 2 Senior Classes on Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." My friend Erik and I subbed a 7th and 8th Grade P.E. class. On Saturday Tom, Erik, and i led a 4 hour training session for the kids going to Mexico. I taught a section on prayer, and although i might be bias, i thought it went well. Today i gave my testimony in a chapel at Alma, and afterwards during lunch confronted Mexico bound kids asking them to give theirs in under 2 minutes, which they have been practicing. Only four days till we leave for Mexico. I can't wait to see what the Lord will do there through the kids and in their hearts.