Mexico Mission Trip: Day 5 & 6 & 7

Our time here in Mexico has been flying by so quickly we haven't been near a computer to give an update. Our apologies for the delay. Tuesday was Day 5 for our team and needless to say it was jam packed with activity. First we went to a local community called La Reforma (The Reformation) and distributed fliers that advertised a weekly Bible study that is run by some of the associate pastors of Hope Chapel Rosarito. It stretched the students to walk the neighborhood streets and pass out these fliers. After we completed our task we loaded up the carpools and went down to the local school in the Vista Marina neighborhood. We spent the afternoon preparing the school grounds for our upcoming painting project that would take place on Wednesday. The students were out there scraping old paint off of walls, clearing weeds and brush, and getting everything ready to paint. After our dinner time we participated in the Bible study that we had advertised earlier in the day. The entire Bible study was spoken in Spanish and translated into English for us, and while it was a different experience for all of us, we found ourselves forgetting it was even being translated because we were so engaged in the dialogue about the text. Our students really enjoyed the opportunity at the conclusion of the Bible study to pray for some of the attendees.

Day 6 was Wednesday and it was an early and long day of work. It began with a 6am wake up so that we could be at the school in Vista Marina by 7am. After our team was divided up into teams they spread out and tackled their objectives for getting our painting project done. Our team spent 9 hours repainting the 6 buildings of the school. They had prepared themselves mentally, emotionally, and physically for this strenuous day of labor, and they lived up to the challenge with flying colors. Throughout the day we didn't hear complaining, whining or arguing; they knew they were there to serve this community and they gave their best. A cool thing about this project is that by now having the school up to federal code it can be in line to get additional grants for other supplies and equipment. The transformation of the school was amazing and all of the leaders were so proud of the effort the students displayed. Following our time of painting we went to HCR for a 3 hour midweek service in which we spent time in prayer, eating dinner, and learning about communion and water baptism. Don and Sandy have been working really hard to keep this biblical foundations class going for their church because they understand the importance of their congregation having sound doctrine. Our Wednesday night concluded with our regular team debriefing session, but then we had a powerful time of worship and prayer together in the rental house. It is an honor and a privilege to serve with such amazing students, and its incredible to see what God is doing in their lives this week.

Our last full day in Mexico is Thursday. While most of the day will be a lot of fun with shopping, time at the beach and a BBQ, we are having a time to share Jesus at the public school in Vista Marina. As a way to show their appreciation the school is allowing us to have 30 minutes of the school day to share whatever we want. Pastor Don continues to remind us that this sort of thing is unheard of because federal schools don't allow for the blending of church and state. Please be praying for us to have an amazing time of fellowship and evangelism as we soak up our final full day with Hope Chapel Rosarito.