2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 9 and 10

Day 9 in Mexico was Friday and it was definitely a great day to finish the trip. Our team woke up early to have breakfast and Bible study. Then we made our way to a local orphanage in Rosarito. This location is nearly finished getting prepped and certified to be opened for little kids. This particular orphanage will be used to house kids with illness, disease, and disabilities. Our team went throughout the facility cleaning and praying for God's blessing. After a quick break for lunch we got prepped and went to Vista Marina, a local neighborhood that HCR has been ministering in for over four years. We got to be a part of their Friday night church service with worship, preaching, sharing testimonies, and playing with the neighborhood children. We finished the night with street tacos and a game of futbol rapido.

Saturday morning was day 10 and it was our travel day. We woke up early to pack up and get across the border. Our border crossing went so quickly and smoothly that we were able to share a final breakfast at a local San Diego diner with the team and the Godwins. Once breakfast was over we made our way to the airport and got through security so we could fly back to Seattle.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support for this trip. The team did amazing work and saw great results for their efforts.

2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 8

Thursday was Day 8 and it was a big day for us. Thursday was the final day of painting. We finally finished the upstairs classrooms and room dividers. The students did an awesome job revamping these rooms.

Thursday was also our final day of Vacation Bible School. We saw the group grow this day in the number of kids in attendance and their energy was infectious. Our students did an awesome job leading the group of kids in a teaching about HOPE and how our hope in Christ cannot be robbed by anyone or anything. The kids learned that HOPE in Christ changes our lives forever and propels us to do amazing things for the Kingdom of God.

The night concluded with Pastors Don and Sandy Godwin sharing their gratitude and appreciation with the team for all of their hard work with the projects and the VBS.

2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 7

Day 7 was Wednesday and we spent it continuing our painting projects around the church and ministering to the kids during day 2 of our Vacation Bible School. It is so cool to see these painting projects come together after days and days of hard work on behalf of the team. They've put a lot of energy into these projects and we know it has a been a huge blessing to the church.

The VBS was a lot of fun for the students as we taught the kids about having FAITH in Jesus. They learned about Noah's Ark, colored beautiful drawings and made amazing Rainbow Rattles. The students have really come together as a team during the VBS and we've seen then rise to the occasion and give their best efforts in putting on the best VBS possible.

We finished our Wednesday with a trip to the futbol rapido game to support the Hope Chapel Rosarito Team as they began game one of the playoffs.

2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 6

Day 6 was the first day of our Vacation Bible School at Hope Chapel Rosarito. The students started the day by continuing our projects around the church, but then in the evening we were ready for all the kids to come and learn about Jesus. The first day of the VBS had 6 kids in attendance and all of them loved it.

VBS began with eating dinner together, we then had a group game where the kids popped balloons and received candy that had been hidden inside the balloons. Our students led the kids in a couple worship songs full of energy and hand motions. Then we began our rotations.

Different students led different rotations. We had a puppet show about the prodigal son, there was a coloring station, we had a small game, and we concluded with a craft. The theme word of the day was LOVE and so all of our rotations and teachings had to do with God's love for us. Our memory verse was 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us."

It was a great day of ministry for the students and the kids. Our team really did an amazing job keeping things organized as they put on the VBS. It was really encouraging to see them not get discouraged when the turn out was lower than expected. They recognize that God is up to good work in this community and sometimes great things start small. We are a part of HCR's first ever VBS and we're a part of starting something for this church that could have lasting results.

2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 5

Monday was day 5 of our trip and it was our team Sabbath for rest and relaxation. After breakfast and Bible study we went out and hit the local shopping market so that the team members could buy Mexico souvenirs and trinkets. Who knew that boys liked to shop? Our team is almost all boys and yet we spent hours navigating the shops, haggling for deals, and browsing for great buys. The team was really excited when Sean told them that they all were going to receive a hoodie poncho of their choice.

Once we finished our shop time we grabbed some street tacos (including tacos de lingua), and then made our way to the beach. At the beach some of our team braved the chilly waters to play in the waves while others played in the sand or soaked up some rays.

Our team has been working really hard together so it was a lot of fun to see them play together and share some laughs. The day of fun was perfectly placed in our schedule because Tuesday marks the beginning of Hope Chapel Rosarito's First Ever Vacation Bible School. The students will be working hard to put it all together so your prayers are greatly appreciated.

2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 4

Day 4 was church day for our team. We had service at Hope Chapel Rosarito in the morning. Some of our team joined their worship team in leading the congregation in worship. Other members were greeters and ushers welcoming congregants. From HCR we made our way to Iglesia de Nuevo Esperanza to minister at another Foursquare Church. This has been our 3rd annual trip to Pastor Raul's church to preach, pray, and worship together. Pastor Sean preached about God as our Healer and the students got to pray for all the congregants suffering from physical, emotional, or spiritual wounds. It was a powerful moment for the entire team as the Holy Spirit worked through them to minister to the church members. We spent Sunday evening enjoying the company of Pastors Don and Sandy for dinner and games, which was a fun end to an amazing day.

Don't forget you can see more pictures from our trip by LIKING our Facebook Page

2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 3

Day 3 was a day of continuing projects around Hope Chapel Rosarito. Some of the team continued the painting project in the new children's classrooms. Other students were outside leveling, while the rest of the team prepped and cleaned the church for service on Sunday.

The majority of our meals are prepared by Pastor Sandy and her daughter Emily in their home. We eat together and share times of fellowship and food. These times are great also for mingling with some of the locals who volunteer around HCR. A handful of congregants have been serving alongside us and helping us learn our Spanish.

Saturday concluded with a team discussion time and a Q&A time with Pastors Don and Sandy Godwin. The team was able to ask as many questions as possible concerning missions, church planting, living in Mexico, moving to a different country, and following God's calling for your life.

2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 2

Friday was day 2 of our trip to Rosarito, Mexico, but the weather looked a lot like Seattle. In the morning it was overcast and cloudy and by the afternoon it was down pouring. Instead of weeding and leveling out the vacant lot next to the church we spent our time inside painting the new children's classrooms, new sound booth, and room partitions. There was a question of which ended up with more paint on it: the walls or the students? Overall they did a great job working together as a team and accomplishing the task at hand.

The team is really beginning to connect and build unity together. We see them laughing a lot and sharing life together. We created a buddy system that challenges them to spend the day getting to know one of their teammates and then sharing about them at the end of the night. It was really powerful to hear the students share about each other such kind and encouraging words. As you can see pictured above, some buddies are even helping each other with traveling from one location to the next.

Due to the rains we were unable to do an outreach in the Vista Marina neighborhood or attend the futbol rapido (arena soccer) game, but we're looking forward to good weather next Friday allowing us to enjoy these two facets to Hope Chapel Rosarito's ministry. In the evening we enjoyed some delicious tacos at a local hotspot. Students really enjoyed the tasty tacos and drinking Cokes from glass bottles. Friday may have left us standing in the mud, but it didn't stop us from being a part of God's ministry down in Rosarito.

2012 Mexico Mission Trip: Day 1

Day One of the 2012 Uturn Jr. High Mexico Mission Trip is underway. Today began at the early time of 5:30am as the team met at Sea-Tac Airport for our flight to San Diego. We were praising God as we got all of our bags checked under the 50 pound weight limits and smoothly navigated the security checkpoints. After grabbing some tasty breakfast at Wendy's and Starbucks in the airport food court we made our way to sunny San Diego. Thankfully all of our bags met us at the baggage claim and we met up with Pastors Don and Sandy Godwin on the curbside. What a joy to see them and their smiling faces. Before crossing the border into Mexico we made a quick pitstop at In-N-Out Burger for some lunch.

Later in the afternoon we were praising God for guiding us through a smooth border crossing. We had no travel hiccups or issues and we safely made it to our rental home that we'll be staying in for the duration of our trip. After unloading our luggage we had a brief orientation about the trip and then made our way to Hope Chapel Rosarito to begin prep work for upcoming projects.

Once at HCR the team went to work cleaning out offices, taping walls in preparation for paint, and weeding the adjacent lot for parking. Our team easily will put in a 17 hour day and they still remain positive, upbeat, and they're working hard. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as the trip has just begun.

Don't forget you can see more pics from the trip on our Facebook page

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

Uturn JH 2011 Mexico Team

Each year Uturn Jr. High sends a team of JH students and adults down to Rosarito, Mexico to partner with Hope Chapel Rosarito. During our time down there we will be performing a pantomime drama, putting on a puppet show and interactive story, we'll be participating in maintenance projects around the church, and ultimately sharing our faith in Jesus with the community. Mother Teresa once said, "its not how much you do, but how much love you put in the doing." This quote truly captures our heart for this trip. Our goal is so much more than completely tasks, our purpose for this trip is to make the unconditional love of God visible. This team has been diligently preparing, praying, and saving money since January and they are ready to hit the ground running when we arrive Friday afternoon. Thank you to everyone who has helped support this trip financially and prayfully. Throughout the trip you can check back on this site and read updates and see pictures of everything we're doing.

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.

Mexico Mission Trip: Day Seven

Today we hit the ground running. After breakfast and group Bible study we went out to a local community in Rosarito, La Reforma. We went around throughout the neighborhood distributing promotional flyers about the church and a local Bible study. We probably passed out hundreds of these flyers to different homes in the area. It was awesome to see the students step out in boldness to spread the word about the church.

After our visit to La Reforma we had lunch and went out to another community for outreach. At Vista Marina we cooked hot dogs, performed our dramas and preached an encouraging message about God's love and compassion. It was a great time to connect with people in the community and point them towards Hope Chapel Rosarito. As a testimony to God using our team, HCR's senior pastors, Don and Sandy, had conversations with many of the people at the outreach. Some were even people that had been strongly opposed to the church, but felt a change in heart and wanted to connect with the church more. God is using our team as a bridge of encouragement, hope, and service for this church and community.

Following the two outreach opportunities we went back to the church for an hour of prayer. The team split up into groups and walked around the gated community praying for God's blessing for Hope Chapel Rosarito, the community, the pastors, and much much more. Many of the students came back feeling so excited about the prayer time that they even requested we do it more often.

God is on the move down here and doing awesome things through these Jr. Highers. Thanks to all for your continual support, and please keep praying because we've only got two more full days down here.

Mexico Mission Trip: Day Six

Tuesday was our Sabbath for the trip because everyone needs a day of rest. We took some time to hit the local market in search of priceless knick-knacks and souvenirs. The students were able to purchase little tokens and keepsakes to remember the trip and the good times. After shopping we headed across the street for street tacos. They were so delicious, the students could choose between steak, pork or fish tacos. Muy bien!

The rest of the afternoon was spent at a local beach where the students could play in the water, build things out of sand and just relax. We BBQ hamburgers right there on the beach and enjoyed ourselves until sunset.

Overall it was a great day of relaxation and recharging of the batteries. We've got 3.5 days left and tons still to do. Keep us in your prayers and more ministry opportunities appear.

Mexico Mission Trip: Day Five

Today was a day when we exercised our flexibility. The plan for today was to get a lot done on various projects around the campus, but the weather had something else in store. Right after getting started the rain began to fall and it impeded some of our progress. We were still able to detail the inside of the bus and organize storage rooms and sheds, but the bodega project stalled. We were able to get some of the remaining walls up, but we were unable to get the roof supports made and up like be had hoped.

Despite the changes in plans and the raining weather our team continued to work hard and was willing to do anything necessary to help out. Today was a day of accomplishments, but really was a great teachable moment on being flexible and learning to go with the flow.

Tomorrow is another day down here in paradise, please continue to pray for us.

Mexico Mission Trip: Day Four

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Earthquake Update: This afternoon an earthquake hit the Baja area and we felt it here. Everything is fine, no one was hurt, nothing was damaged, no items were even jostled during the shaking. We are totally safe and there is no reason for fear or concern. Praise God for our safety and his protection.

As far as Easter we had a tremendous day of celebrating Jesus' resurrection. We had breakfast and Bible study together, which led to some amazing discussions about following the call of God for our lives. Then came the services. First we ministered at Hope Chapel Rosarito's English service and then followed the Spanish service. In both services we had a time of worship through songs, part of our group led the children's ministry, and others delivered powerful testimonies of God's love and having faith amidst various circumstances.

Following the services we enjoyed a delicious meal of pulled pork, rice, beans and tortillas. Hmmm... yummy to our tummies. After some wonderful Easter services and a tasty Easter dinner our team was able to relax for a bit and have fun together, which was much needed because this team has been working hard.

Thanks to everyone for their p

rayers and support. Please continue to think of us this week as we continue to minister to these communities and meet real and practical needs.

Mexico Mission Trip: Day Three

Saturday was a full day of ministry as these students were given plenty of opportunities to share the love of God. After breakfast and a group Bible study we went out to a local neighborhood to serve lunch. We grilled up some hot dogs and handed out drinks and gospel pamphlets. Part of our team did a skit that was both hilarious and a great illustration of God's message of freedom from sin. Following a brief message we were able to make balloon animals for all of the little kids in the neighborhoods. Of course many preferred for us to make swords and hats rather than the traditional dog. After all the kids had balloons a massive balloon sword fight ensued. It was awesome to see our team bring so much joy to a neighborhood.


Following our local outreach we were able to attend a local Foursquare church in northern Rosarito. We ministered with them for a tremendous Saturday night service. Both of our drama teams performed and did a phenomenal job. Their skits were so well done that they clearly illustrated the points being made during the service. At the conclusion of the service we were given a chance to pray for the church and then the church prayed for our team. It was a powerful night full of God's anointing. Its always amazing how God can minister through someone and bring truth that a congregation needs to hear. The church's senior pastors were very thankful for our time there and really felt blessed. They even extended an invitation for us to attend their sunrise service at 6am. (We politely declined, but were grateful for the invite)

After our time at the church we went out for a late supper for some street tacos. They were absolutely amazing and so filling. I'm sure the whole team is going to be begging to go back before the end of our time here.

Thanks again to everyone who has been supporting us and covering this trip in prayer. Please keep it up, God is doing great things, but still has more in store.