Mexico Mission Trip: Day Eight

Thursday was a jam packed day full of exciting ministry opportunities. In the late morning and early afternoon we did projects around the church campus on the Santini Ranch. Part of our team picked up bags and bags of garbage from the beach and surrounding areas. They did a tremendous job clearing out the trash. I think they had fun too when they got to burn a huge pile of drift wood and shrubs on the beach. Another part of the team worked tirelessly on the bodega project. They were able to get the roof up in a single afternoon. It was awesome to see them out there hammering away in the blistering sun. A third part of our team painted over walls that were covered in graffiti. They did a superb job of turning the old into the new with their efforts to repaint the walls.

After the service projects were completed we got washed up and drove 45 minutes down to Ensenada for a church service. The church we ministered in was a newly planted Foursquare Church that has grown from 0 to over 100 in only two years. Our children's ministry team led a kid friendly lesson after worship while our drama team performed for the adults. After Sean's message on striving for more of God in our lives, the service concluded with an enthusiastic time of worship that included dancing. I think it was totally new and different for some of the students, but good to stretch their comfort zones. You could totally sense the power of God moving in that church and the joy that the congregation had was infectious.

Following the service our team went out for tacos at a taco stand in Ensenada. The business was actually owned by the sister of the church's senior pastor. These tacos were incredible. The tortillas alone were probably 12 inches big, then they were packed with all the steak, pork, and mystery meat you could imagine. For some the tacos were too big and couldn't finish, while others conquered the massive tacos and left victorious with stuffed stomaches. Our late night dinner was followed up by a late night drive back to Rosarito, which put us in bed around 1:00 am. It was a long, exhausting and very productive day.

Friday is our last full day here at Hope Chapel Rosarito, please continue to pray for us as we make the most of our final hours here.