1st Spring Break Group of 2009

Recently it has been a bit of a frustrating time as we communicate with those trying to plan their trips to Mexico due to the reports of out of control situations at the boarder. It has been hard to explain and share what is going on here in Ensenada as we feel we are competeing with different media outlets in the U.S. Not to say “no” there are no problems, because there is a war going on between the Mexican Government and the Drug cartel, but you can go else where in my blog to get my views on it. Right now I want to tell you of the great week we had with our first home building team that came from Chandler Arizona, Cornerstone Christian Church! It was a team of 9 lead by their youth Pastor and our friend Nathan Maples. I’ve know Nathan from way back when we were with Rancho Agua Viva and over the years Nathan has brought groups down here to work with us and RLM. This was a very focused group and they were ready to GO!

Monday Morning

The group hooked up with a local Church that is lead by Pastor Juan Lopez and Nathan’s desire was to not only build a home, but to also minister to the church body, and this kept us all very busy. Pastor Juan lead us to a family in his church that had been praying that God would allow them to start building their home, and note, they were not praying for someone to come do it for them, so God just answered their prayer in a special way that they did not expect. They had to prepare the land which took 14 loads of dirt, which is about 84 cubic meters. Our team made sure everything was ready and before you knew it Monday morning was upon us and concrete was being poured and walls were being built.

Tuesday we were greeted with a flat tire on our trailer, and

Sports Ministry on the Soccer Field

due to the threat of rain we held off loading it until Tuesday, so needless to say we got off to a slow start in the building process and by the sports ministry time rolled around we could see that we were a bit behind. Tuesday evening the crew headed out to Soccer Ministry where they would play soccer and then share some sodas and give their testimonies to the local kids in the area. The same night the group participated in

Taco Stand Tuesday!!!

a evening children Ministry that Pastor Juan’s church started 5 years ago. They played, did crafts, sang, and talked about God’s word. On Wednesday I knew we were a bit behind and it was a  concern of mine, but I knew we’d just have to dig deep and catch up and man, did we catch up. Everyone worked very hard and everything just seemed to fit together just right, and the stucco went on the walls Oh so smooth. Ramon and his wife Esperanza would usually show up everyday after Ramon got off work and they were very excited over the progress that was being made and to them it was all happening way to fast.

Someone is having a good time at the Childrens Evening meeting

Monday Dirt,,,,Thursday House!

Thursday was going to be a very long day. We had to finish the house, have the presentation, clean up, head out for Soccer Ministry, return and unload the truck, then prepare for the evening service in which the group was showing the movie “The Passion of Christ”, and then having a BBQ—shew,,,,pant, pant Pant. It all went very well and the family was very blessed with this gift that was to not only to mark a new beginning, but to also show them and the community that the Lord was caring for them. The work was completed and songs and gifts were presented to the family, and most importantly…the Keys and God’s holy word.

That night the local church and the group prepared for

Patiently waiting in line for a hamburger

the big night as the hopes were very high as to the impact the evening would have on the community. At first the crowd was a bit on the light side, but eventually the church filled to over 150 people. There was one man that came up to me and simply just asked for a hamburger, but I let him know that we will not be serving food unitl after the movie, I mean all I had at that moment was a few boxes of frozen patties. Soon a member from the church came over to talk with this man and the I saw him invite him in to see something that he most likely had no plans to see on this particular evening. I was outside preparing to cook mega burgers but inside I could hear Nathan and Pastor Juan challenge the church members and to give an invitation of Christ Salvation, and out all the people that raised their hands among them was the gentleman that simply was looking for a hamberger. He came with hunger, but the Lord took care of a hunger that he had in his soul. He did get his hamberger, but not after he ran home to get his wife and to bring her back.

Debbie talked to a lady who had a sister that had been praying for her and she had said that “church” is not for her, but if you want I’ll let my daughter attend with you. Her daughter had wanted to eat hamburgers for dinner one night and she had been saving up money to make her daughter hamburgers. Well, her daughter came home all excited to tell her that the church was going to have BBQ and show a movie. Out of the excitment for her daughter she decided to go and, well, have a hamberger. The movie began to speak to her and it had a great impact on her life and at the end she too raised her hand to accept the salvation of Christ.

Ramon, Esperanza, their Children and Pastor Juan and his wife

So many things were put into motion by prayer. A home, sports ministry, childrens evening service, a hamburger BBQ, a Movie and for what? For What!?!? New lives in Christ! For what!?!? NEW LIVES IN CHRIST!!!!    Not to beat a dead horse, but if these kids from Arizona would have stayed home none of this might have not happened. I really think that in some ways this boarder issue an violence is going to work out in a good way and this is how I kind of see it unflolding. Those that are serious about taking the gospel unto all Nations will do so no matter what. I don’t think Jesus looked for the safe and easy way to bring us Salvation, but yet he also did not walk into it blindly. I think in some ways a line has been drawn in the sand when it comes to Missions in the U.S. and people are thinking twise if they want to

Group Shot!!

really cross that line. For some the “fun” has kind of been taken out of what they saw as a big part of Missions, or it was just seen as and international Summer Camp trip. If we as Christains STOP crossing the line, if Churches pull the plug on Mission’s Trips due to “un-safe conditions” and don’t cross the line,,,,How in the World are we supposed to Go Unto all Nations and make disiples? How are we to take the gosple out unto all Nations? Who ever said it was supposed to be easy, safe, fun, secure…?

We ended the week with a evening at the home of Steve Dom who is a friend of Nathan Maples and there was a time to play some games (Dennis and Nathan 3-0 in horse shoes!), Steve cooked us up a great dinner, and the kids sang some great worship songs and shared their “God Moments” with everyone. I usually ask the question “Why are you Here?” but for this group of Nine I really do think they knew “Why they were here”, they knew why they had to come to Mexico.