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.

Mexico Mission Trip: Day 3 & 4

Sunday and Monday were great days of ministry for our team in Rosarito. Sunday included two church services at two different churches. The first was at Hope Chapel Rosarito, where our team got to participate in worship, performing their dramas, and the teaching. Pastor Sean preached about the parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15). Every time the team performs their drama and skits they seem to get better and better. After the service concluded we zipped over to Iglesia Cristiano: Nuevo Esperanza for a time of ministry. Our team performed their skits, shared testimonies, and prayed for the members of the church during the response time after the sermon. The students had a great time ministering to the two congregations and came back to the rental home full of stories and memories. You could really see the newly found passion for serving Christ at the conclusion of Sunday evening.

Monday could best be described as a day of labor as the team did a variety of work projects around HCR's campus. Our team pulled weeds, painted walls, sorted clothing donations, and scrubbed walls and floors. They did an amazing job taking initiative and working hard to serve the church. Pastors Don and Sandy were very grateful for all of our efforts in the day. We concluded our evening with a time of interactive discussion with the missionaries. This allowed for the students to ask the missionaries any questions they had about missions, Hope Chapel Rosarito, or ministry. It was inspiring to hear their many stories about how they trusted God and faithfully followed the call on their lives. It is amazing how quickly the trip is flying by; many of our teammates are shocked its already Monday night.

Please continue to pray as our team maximizes every moment to share the gospel in this community.

Mexico Mission Trip: Day 2

Our second day in Mexico has zoomed by at super speeds and been a very effective day of ministry. We awoke in our rental home and enjoyed a delicious breakfast of biscuits and gravy. With loaded tummies we hit the road to a local community called Vista Marina. This is a neighborhood that Hope Chapel Rosarito has been ministering in for over two years. Each year of our Jr. High trips our teams have been privileged to serve in this community too. In fact during last year's trip a family in the Vista Marina community got connected with Don and Sandy and it sparked a relationship that has flourished ever since. Before our visit to the community in 2010, this family had heard lies and gossip about HCR and its pastors, but after our time ministering and getting to meet Don and Sandy they realized how ridiculous this speculation was to begin with. Now that same family has been hosting there Spanish speaking service in their home since September and the service has grown to so many people they're busting at the seams. It is awesome to see what God can do to bring new life in a community. This afternoon we had the privilege of serving with some of these families in their churches and the pastors of HCR. We cooked and distributed a free lunch, passed out nearly 100 balloon animals, performed 2 children's skits and puppet shows, and had our drama team perform their pantomime. We ended the time with a short message about God's love. It was incredible to see our students dive right in and serve wherever needed. Whether it was picking up garbage, serving a hot dog, or making a balloon dog they had smiles on their faces and were showing the unconditional love of God to the people of the Vista Marina community. Following our time in Vista Marina we made our way to the new HCR campus and prepped the building for service tomorrow morning. God is really uniting this team together as they get their hands dirty, stretch their comfort zones, and make themselves available for God's work.

Prayer Request:

-be praying for us as we have two church services at two different churches on Sunday, we really want the Holy Spirit to use us to encourage these two congregations however most needed

-pray for energy and health, no big issues have come up, but we want to be rested and ready to give our best effort

Mexico Mission Trip: Day 1

Friday, April 1st was the first day of Uturn Jr. High's Mexico Mission trip for 2011. It all started at 9am as we met at the airport for check-in, team photos, prayer, and security checks. After enjoying some tasty airport cuisine we boarded the plane and made our way to San Diego. When we arrived at San Diego we met up with Hope Chapel Rosarito's pastors, Don and Sandy Godwin. Before we crossed the border into Mexico we stopped by In-n-Out for a quick and yummy dinner. After getting into Mexico we made our way to our rental home and settled in for the week of ministry. Later that evening we joined the Godwins in attending a game of futbol rapido (indoor soccer). It was awesome to find out that Hope Chapel Rosarito has been sponsoring one team and attending their weekly games. They not only show up and enjoy the game, but they bring bottled waters for halftime and offer conversation and prayer after the game with the players. Over the three years that they've been supporting and loving this team they've seen some of the players dedicate their lives to Christ. Their futbol ministry is a prime example to our team of spreading the gospel of Christ through building friendships and showing the unconditional love of God. It is hard to believe that our team is finally here in Mexico already. After months of preparation and hard work, God has safely brought us here to do His work and expand His Kingdom; and we are just thankful for the opportunities He's giving us.

Please Keep us in your Prayers:

-for boldness as we go into a community to do an outreach on Saturday

-for physical healing for some of our teammates feeling a bit sick