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Our time in Mexico is almost over! It's hard to believe that this is our 7th day here. It feels like just yesterday that we all met at the church and then drove up to Sea-Tac. Although we only had a couple of small "special projects" to work on, it turned out to be an adventure for half of our team.
We split into 2 groups today for our special projects. Josh, Darla, Lawrence, Hailey, Dave, and Danielle returned to our building project from the two previous days to add a couple of walls to their existing structures. One of the structures only had 2 walls, and the other had 3, leaving the 7 people that lived there very exposed to the elements. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to continue to serve them. I haven't met up with those students and leaders yet today so I can't report on their work, but I'm sure it was fantastic and I will post pictures when I can.
Our 2nd team was made up of everyone else. Our assignment: to pour a slab of concrete for a future house that CARAVAN will build. No problem, right? Side note: I told our students many times during the training that we should expect things during the trip not to go as planned. That was advice I needed to remember today.
We offloaded all the concrete supplies, and learned that our mixing site, with concrete mixer would have to be situated on a steep hill. After getting everything set we spent 2 hours trying to start our mixer and were unable to do so. No problem, right? We called the CARAVAN director, and 1 hour later Eddie had a rented mixer in place for us to use. The 1st batch of mix came out great and our students were ready to make up the lost time and get the slab laid. There were big challenges with the second 2 batches and unfortunately we ended up returning the rented mixer with the job unfinished.
It's been a fantastic time in Mexico. Tonight we will say goodbye to Carlos, Christian, and Edwin, the 3 boys we built for the first 2 days. They are good friends and we will miss them very much. All the students (and leaders) are incredibly dirty after our failed day of concrete so we're on our way to shower. Tomorrow we will break camp early and head for the border and back to Masters. My next update should read something like "crossing the border back into the USA, glad to be home!" Thanks for your prayers and support. We love and miss you all. Click here for some new pictures, and click here for a video of Nick and Zack from day 2.
Work Day #5 in Mexico is complete! We started out another VERY hot day by putting up the walls and the roof. It was a blessing to see how the students and leaders selflessly poured themselves into the work.
As half the team worked on building, the other half our team continued to do community outreach. Day 4 was by FAR the most fulfilling and successful of all the outreach days. It has been such a blessing to be in the same neighborhood for 4 consecutive days. We have built real relationships with children and families in the neighborhoods. Todays outreach team was Jessica, Courtney, Halle, Emma, Ryan, Wescott, and HaiDang, and Hailey Bredeson. They did a tremendous job. We have been able to continue and build our relationships with Carlos, Edwin, and Christian, the 3 brothers we built the 1st home for. That has been one of the greatest blessings of the trip.
We completed house #2 today! Painted, roofed, doors, windows and everything. It was obvious to me today that our team is really putting James 1:27 into practice because we were building for an old christian widow who was so blessed by our presence and service. She made us a great lunch of shrimp, carne, rice and beans. We had more then we could possible eat.
On a personal note, one of the greatest blessings of this trip has been that the 1st family we built for was such an example to our team. On many of my trips to Mexico building homes it has felt like the family needed so much more then we could possibly do for them. This family was different. They are such an example to us and it felt like building this home for the was the final step they needed to solidify their lives. I felt like we got to complete the job.
We won't be able to post any new pictures today because I forgot my camera at camp. Sorry about that. Tomorrow we'll divide into two special project teams, 1 will pour concrete and the other will put up 2 more walls at the house we built at the last 2 days. Jessica Cooper and Josh are both with me as I write this blog. They both say hello to their friends and families. We will shower tomorrow, and Saturday tear down camp and return to Masters. It has been fantastic, we can't wait to share more with you all. Thanks for all your prayers!
We'd like to share a few new pictures here and I am working on uploading some video on facebook as well so check back there soon.
Day 4 has been great, but wow was it hot down here. We were working in very close quarters without a breeze so the students and leaders built houses in shifts. That is, everyone except Zack, Darla, and Hailey took a break. Those 3 carried an unbelievable amount of work. They are so obviously working in the Lord's strength.
It is Lawrence's birthday today, so hopefully later we'll post picture of his big pinata. We also did laundry for the 1st time in a week today so we're excited for some new clean clothes.
Amy Shier: Zack says to tell you, "I am alive and well"
Haglund family: Josh says, "I miss you and God is really working during the worship."
Our worksite today was just minutes from the area where we worked yesterday so we were excited to enjoy the relationships in the community we established during the last 2 days. Our group continues to work in 2 teams: construction and community outreach. Jessica Cooper took charge passing out soccer equipment during community outreach, and Lawrence, Courtney, HaiDang, and Emma chased and played with kids with incredible energy. Lawrence, Nick, and Halle continue to do incredible work translating. Phung has taken on the much needed roll of "team mom" and takes care of us in SO many ways (no sunburns, can you believe it!?)! Danielle's energy was a little low today, but after the way she worked yesterday we can certainly understand that.
Tomorrow we will finish house #2. Friday we have 2 special projects that we are looking forward to. I wish I had time to write something specific about each student, but I want parents to know that I am blown away by your kids' service and responsiveness to God's call on their lives. You should be so proud of them. Leading a group like this is such a privilege. Have a blessed evening and I hope to write more tomorrow!
This will be a shorter post, the pictures here will tell most of the story. Here are the bullet points:
1) All the students are happy, healthy, and full! We had fantastic lunch made by the family we were building for today and a great authentic taco dinner! Dave Block has just a touch of a cold but the salsa in the tacos probably took care of it.
2) We completed our 1st of 2 houses today for a beautiful family of 5. We learned so much from them about joy, contentment, family, respect for parents, and their love for the Lord. I think we were more blessed then they were. Our students worked SO hard! The cooper girls were on the roof, everyone else doing their share. Zack Shier basically was the foreman for the house building. Way to go Zack!
3) Lawrence, Nick, and Halle are doing great with their Spanish!! They are such a blessing from the Lord and are using the gifts God has given them.
4) Darla can drive a mean 15 passenger van in the Mexico traffic. Enough said.
5) Josh and Zack continue to lead us in spirit led worship. The amount of effort those guys put in in prep and energy during this trip is only fully known by the Lord. Thank you guys.
6) I wish I could write something about every student, but space and time do not allow. Parents and families of these teens should all be very proud and thankful to God. Check out the pictures, leave comments, and pray for us here.
See you tomorrow!
Day 2 in Mexico began early. We had a 6am wakeup call, 6:30 devo's, 7am breakfast and worship and teaching at 8am. Whew! We were tired before our work day even began...but God is faithful in providing the strength and ability to do everything he has called us to.
The worksite location was only 1/4 mile from camp, so most of us made the short walk. We are building for a beautiful Christian family with a married couple and their 3 sons. Click here to see pictures from our work day.
We broke our team of 18 into 2 groups. Nick, Alli, Ryan, Kay, and Wescott were our community outreach team while the other 13 worked on construction. We were led by 2 staff members from caravan ministries. Everyone worked hard and we accomplished everything we had hoped to on our first day of work. Tomorrow we will raise the walls, put on the roof, tar and shingle it.
This morning during our teaching Eddie challenged students to understand God's heart for unreached people groups across the world. According to Eddie there are 2 billion people in the world who have never heard the name of Jesus. Each of us was challenged to play a role in changing that, whether it be by going to a group, or passionately supporting and praying for others who are going. Amen!
It's very hot and windy, and the Westwood team doesn't get to shower until tomorrow afternoon. It will have been a long 4 days for us between really getting clean! Our team is doing great though.
Special Messages:
Cathy Knox: Courtney wanted me to let you know she is alive!
Darrin: Josh says that worship is rocking, thanks for praying, and he misses you, mom, and shae.
Lawrence continues to amaze as our interpreter, I don't know what we would do if it weren't for him.
Thanks for all your love, support, and prayers! We love you guys. I hope to write more tomorrow.
We are in Mexico! All 18 students and leaders from Westwood are safely set up in camp and beginning to experience what God will teach them and do through them during our time in Mexico.
Saturday morning we departed The Master's College at 10am. After a smooth drive to San Diego we had a 20 minute wait at the border. After we crossed into Mexico we were greeted by the Tijuana Chief of Police (an evangelical Christian!) and a number of police cars and motorcycles. We felt like VIP's as they blocked off intersections and cleared the freeways for our 22 vans. I'm sure we were anything but subtle in our arrival but it was a huge success in helping our group move through the busy streets of Tijuana on the way to our camp site.
Camp is about 20 minutes outside of Tijuana, on a beautiful mountainside. We have a large tent for meetings, a large cook tent, a large nurse's tent, and many tents for the students and leaders. It's a pretty impressive place! Our girls are sleeping in 2 tents, and our guys are spread out in 3. For some reason the guys feel like they need more space, I'm not sure how that works.
We had our 1st worship/teaching session last night. Josh and Zack are doing a fantastic job and working through a variety of challenging situations with leading outdoors on unfamiliar equipment. Eddie Passmore is the director of CARAVAN ministries and he spoke this morning from Philippians.
After our worship and teaching this morning we headed off to see the areas we would be working in. We met some wonderful Believers as they finished their Sunday worship service, had some great soccer games with local elementary students, and began to see and understand the wonderful Mexican culture we will be working in this week. Eddie and the CARAVAN staff have given us all we need to stay safe and have a great witness here.
Tomorrow we will begin building the homes we have been working on. Our team will be divided into 2 groups during the day, 1 focusing on building and the other team, led by Josh Haglund, building relationships and doing community outreach. I will update again when I get the chance. Thanks for your prayers! Feel free to leave a message for your student in the "comment" section and I will pass it on to them. Click here to see some pictures from camp.
The team had a great trip down to Mexico this morning. 200 teens and leaders received a large police escort all the way from the border to their campground. They even blocked off roads for them! They have set up camp and are looking forward to beginning ministry. Praise the Lord for safe travels!
Here is a facebook picture of our team on the way to Sea Tac this morning. Everyone showed up bright eyed and excited to go. Thanks to Mike Bautista, Enrica Shaffer, Larry Cooper, and Angela Tauscher for driving us up to the airport.
After our flight into LAX we will grab lunch (In N Out!) and then go to The Master's College where we will spend 2 days in final training before we head into Mexico. Pray for safe travel, team unity, and that we would be prepared for all that God has for us in Mexico!
Welcome to Westwood's Blog for our 2010 SERVE Mission Trip. Check back here on a daily basis for updates, pictures, and testimonies about what God is doing during our trip.
Tonight we have our final fundraiser, it will take place at The Brick Pizza in Tumwater. click here for the google map and click here for the facebook event. We would love to see you there, hope you can make it tonight!
Prayer Requests: Please be in prayer for students and leaders in the final stages of fundraising. Zack Shier has been working hard painting and caulking this week, and several other students still have support letters and other activities they are doing to raise those last few dollars. Also be praying for our worship team, Play it Loud. They have a worship night this Saturday evening and our prepped and ready to do a fantastic job leading throughout our mission trip. We covet your prayers, thank you!