Mexico Missions Trip 2006

What a trip! There aren't many words that I can use to describe how amazing this experience was. God showed up in amazing ways throughout this trip, and wow was I encouraged to see this group do incredible Kingdom work. There were so many highlights from this trip, its difficult to summarize everything before this blog entry becomes more like a mini-novel.

After travelling for over 24 straight hours in 15 passenger vans we arrived at Six Flags L.A. WOW, this was totally an amazing amusement park. Sorry Playland...but YOU SUCK! Most of our team went on at least 8-1o roller coasters during our day there. After that experience (and no one puked!) we headed to a church near compton to sleep. The next day we headed out for Mexico...more importantly...Tijuana!Nothing says Tijuana like Nacho-Libre wrestling masks! Those things were everywhere! This picture is of a girl from the other church that was travelling with us! After we purchased all of our tacky Mexican Souveniers...and after many of the students probably paid WAY MORE than they should have, we headed down to Vincente Guerrero, Mexico--our home for the next week.On our way down to the IDT base we were greated by a GIANT Jesus on the hillside. This statue was somewhere near Ensenada. After arriving at the IDT base we were warned about all the "creatures" that we would be seeing around the base. Scorpions, Black Widow Spiders, and Brown Recluse Spiders that when they bite you give you the flesh eatings disease. Neadless to say this freaked that crap out of almost all of the students! Many could barely sleep that first night.
Over the couse of the next 4 days we spent our mornings and afternoons building a house for the family that we connected with, and as well playing soccer & running a VBS. The house turned out amazing, and the family loved it. The look on the mom's face when I handed her the keys to her brand new house was truly something I will never forget. This family was so excited to see their new bunk-beds, table, chairs, clothing, shoes, house-hold products etc... The most amazing part of the house dedication was when the mom prayed for us in Spanish! None of us really knows what she said...but it was the most heartfelt prayer I have ever heard. These kids were so cute...and every one of them touched our lives in in-expressible ways. Many of us were crying the day we had to say goodbye. I deffinitely had tears rolling down my face.After our last day at the job site, we headed off to a Oaxacan (pronounced: Wah-hah-can) Market to purchase some more things like poncho's necklaces, braceletes etc...Then after that we went off ot the beach for a time of relaxing, swimming in the ocean, boogie-boarding & skimboarding. I tried skimboarding for the first time...and needless to say I sucked! Oh well, it was a fun experience.After that day the next morning we packed up the vans & trailers at 4:30am, and began the 36 hour drive back home to Langley. The best part of the drive home was stopping at In-N-Out Burger. I have longed to eat at this fast-food place. I bought the T-shirt and I will wear it proudly!
After In-N-Out it was straight home from there. I hope I never have to sleep in 15 passenger vans for a very long time. If you want to hear more about this trip and you live in the Langley area, come to my church on Sunday Sept. 17th @ 10am to hear all about it. We're going to have a "Mexican Fiesta Service" to share all the stories of how God worked in the lives of these students. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us while we were down there. Your prayers were greatly appreciated. Not one part of this trip could have happened without the grace, love, and blessings overflowing from Jesus Christ.

Until we do this again...

Ty