Peru Trip - Day 6

This morning began at 7:00 when we had breakfast. After breakfast we went back to the rooms to prep for the day. At 8:30 we gathered again for devotional time. As we reflected on our calling as salt and light, we had a wonderfully encouraging time studying the word of God. I am impressed with the thoughts of the team members as they share their desires to grow and serve God. I hope this trip continues to develop those passions in their hearts.

After devotions we prepared for the crafts for the kids we were going to see today. We made some samples of the flowers, the bag puppets, the bracelets, etc. Rebecca did a great job making sure we were ready. The kids seemed to respond well to the task that was ahead of them.

By 10 we still had not seen Erick. I was starting to wonder about him, but at 10:45 we had to leave for the child care center. We walked the 6 block walk and arrived just before 11. We were greated by a teacher who took us to Mily (Andres' daughter). She has been working on her English, and she did a great job helping us throughout the day.

About 11:15 Erick showed up – it was good to see him again. Between him and Rachel, we were able to communicate with the children, the teachers, and with Pastor Andres. The day was exhilarating. The kids began showing up around 11:20, and we got right to work. Flowers for everyone. They seemed to enjoy making them, but not nearly as much as the name bracelets we offered. They swarmed Zac, Erick and I as we tried to separate the letters for them to put on their bracelets. There were kids all around – 40 in all – but it seemed like a thousand. It was fun watching their eyes light up as they put together the bracelets.

!2:30 we had lunch, and by 1:00 the second crew (the younger children) began to swarm. Almost 100 children came into the room. We served them lunch, and then began working on the crafts with them. They were hilarious to watch as they worked on the flowers, the bracelets, the bag puppets. They worked hard at making the crafts look like they wanted.

As some of them finished, I took about 12 of them outside to play “American football”. This is the first trip I carried a football with me, but it will not be the last. The kids loved it, as did I. First we worked on throwing, and then I started to “tackle” the kids that held the ball too long. We started playing keep away, and the kids had a great time with that.

After a while, we headed back upstairs to get involved in other crafts, and I asked the team about pulling out the balloons. We did, and Lawson made a dog. Immediately the kids started yelling, “Espera”, which I thought must have meant that they wanted a dog too. But I was quickly taught by the kids that they wanted swords. So we did our best to make swords. I am no balloon animal or sword maker, but we did our best. We were being swarmed by kids. It was fun to watch Zac and Lawson try to stay ahead of the kids while Tony, Madison, and Price did their best to feed them blown up balloons. At the same time, Emily and Kelsey were on the other side of the room teaching the kids some “dance” moves. Thomas was getting beat up by a lot of the kids with their swords, and David, Michael and Rebecca were finishing up the crafts. They were all having a great time. Gina was catching much of it on the camera.

When it was time for the kids to go, Kelsey, Madison and some of the others grabbed candy and handed it out as the kids left. We left all of the extra supplies there for Soladod (the “manager” of the child care center) to use in the future. It is always a joy to provide supplies for them to continue the ministry that they are involved in.
On the way home, I talked with some of the team members and they really enjoyed working with the kids today. Gina in particular said how much she loved the chaos of doing the crafts with the kids. It really was a great experience for them.

After dinner, Ade brought a musical group to the hotel to play for us. The team loved listening to them and even participated in the songs (by yelling “ho” on the prompt from the guys). I was impressed with the little “guitar” player (not really sure what it was, but he played it very fast). They played a number of Christian songs, and then, after about an hour, they offered us the opportunity to purchase their CD. Some of the kids did. I purchased one so that I can use the songs for the team video. We will see how that works out.

As the evening wraps up, we are getting packed for tomorrow's trip back to Lima. The good news is that we don't leave until 9:30, so we will get up for breakfast at 7, but not be rushed to leave. This trip has kind of been a whirlwind, but it has been very helpful for me. My personal studies in Luke are drawing me to God, so I am really loving what I am learning.

The highlight of the day... A 30 minute conversation with my wife! I love being here in Peru, but how wonderful it will be when she can serve with me as I go on trips. God is challenging me to do whatever is necessary to make that happen. I need to get our finances in order, pursue the support I need to have, and make sure that we simplify our life to allow God to move us as he will. I am looking forward to this happening soon. In Gods time...

Peru Trip - Day 5

I got a decent amount of sleep last night, and most of the team reported that they did as well. We had threats of rain, but we did not get any. As I woke up, the sun was already making it's way up behind the mountains, and we experienced an unusual morning activity. About 50 yards from our tent on the opposite side of the field, the team began to converge as the sunshine made it's way down the mountain and then across the field. There we stood in silence drinking up the beautiful surroundings and the warmth of the morning sun. Surrounded by mountains on every side, we just stood in awe of the greatness of our God. It was surreal.

After breakfast, we began the trek down the mountain to the bus. We dropped our things off at the truck, and carried only our backpacks with us. Ade assured us that it was only a “short walk” to the bus, but after about an hour, we started to wonder. The team was thrilled with the fact that all of the walking was downhill. At one point, we crested a hill and it dropped off with an incredible view of the snow capped mountains across the valley. The team sat to rest, and Pushpi, Leopoldo, and Andres caught up to us. Ade asked them to give their testimonies, and we sat for about an hour and listened to the story of how God had called Pushpi and Leopoldo into the ministry. It was thrilling to hear of the steps that God used to get them into the ministry of reaching the Quechuan people. Knowing that we were a part of their story made the time there that much more exciting.

Eventually we caught up with the truck that had our luggage in it, and then another truck with cut down trees in it met up with us. Ade had us all load up on the back of this big truck, and we all loved the opportunity to experience the trail a little faster. It was fun as I was in the back of the truck (outside the gates) standing on the bouncing trees hanging out the back. It was kind of like being on a mobile diving board. Anyway, we finally got to the bus that took us to the hot springs.

Speaking of which, the hot springs here in Peru was a large swimming pool naturally fed by the hot water from underground. It was nice getting clean even though the water was a little green. We watched as Orlando tried to learn how to swim. By the time I realized that was what he was doing, I had already gotten out of the pool. Maybe next time I can help him a little.

From there we headed back to Huaraz. This is an interesting story. We called for 3 taxis, 2 showed up. We put the girls into 1 taxi and most of the guys with David in the other. Tony, Price, Madison and myself were left with Ade and 5 other guys. When the next taxi showed up about 15 minutes later, all 10 of us got into a station wagon. 4 of us in the back seat, and the other 5 guys in the back. Needless to say, it was a little crowded. When we reached the highway, Ade put the 4 of us in a taxi and gave the driver directions. He took us to Huaraz, but could not find the hotel. We were all of 2-3 blocks away, but since we came in from another direction, I did not recognize anything. Eventually we made it back after another person helped us.

While the rest of the team rested, I took a walk to meet with Andres and then go get Aloe for the kids that were sun burned. I had a nice visit with Andres (as best as I could with my limited Spanish)), and then headed off to find aloe. I got to the pharmacia and could not find aloe anywhere. Astria (a missionary lady from Family International) assisted me in finding actual aloe plants. She was a rather interesting lady. A mother of 10 children, with most of them serving in ministries all around the world. We found the aloe and I purchase some. It was rather cool as I cut the plant open to give to the kids. Madison was the first to ask for some, and as I cut it apart and it slimed all over the place, she tried shutting the door on me until I convinced her to at least try it. Rebecca was the worst burnt, and she said it helped her a lot.
After dinner we all went downtown. We exchanged some money, and then headed to the market. On the way, I heard, “Ken Ivins”. I turned around and looked at this young man. I didn't recognize him originally, but when he said my name again, I realized it was Erick Jamanca – the guide from last year. While the others shopped, Erick and I spent some time talking and planning for the future. He says he plans to join us tomorrow – we will see :-).

As we headed back to the hotel, we stopped for ice cream. The kids really enjoyed it. It is rather flavorful.

We returned to the hotel and got ready for bed. It was a great day.

Peru Trip - Day 4

The day began very early with Tony asking me to help him get out of the tent. I asked why, and he told me he was about to get sick again. Tony had been throwing up last evening, but made it through the night pretty well. I was already awake, so it wasn't a big deal to get up, so I got out of the tent (with ice all over it) and took pictures of the silhouettes of the mountains across the valley. We were on the black mountains, but across the valley were the white mountains covered with snow. By 6:30, one of the men got on the PA system and told everyone it was time to wake up. Most of them missed the beauty of the sunrise, but some didn't sleep so well, so I guess it makes sense that the did not get up early.

After breakfast we packed up and headed for the hills. We were told that the morning held a down hill hike, but that we would end up going to 12,000 feet by the end of the day. I took many pictures along the way, and the group was amazed with their early morning progress. It was neat looking back across the valley at the place where we started the journey getting further and further away, but we still had no idea where we were going. It was all up to Ade. After a couple hours of walking, we made our way to a small school. We were able to give Bibles, candy and sing for the students. Six of the students we met were Gladys, Nissa, Maribel, Janet, Fredde and Alex. We were able to spend some time playing frisbee and ball with them. Both the team and the students had a great time.

Shortly after the school, we started walking again – heading straight up again. About 11:30, some of the team were beginning to struggle and needed to eat and drink something for lunch. Especially Tony, who hadn't really eaten anything since yesterday evening. As we looked at this mountain, Ade said we could stop at the top – believe me, it was a difficult trek up the hill, but the team made it. We settled in for lunch, and after a long break, we resumed the walk. Finally we crested this large mountain top, and we could see the burro's below and the men unloading them. It is amazing how quickly this boosts the spirit – at least there was an end to the walk in sight.

As we arrived at the camp site, we began to set up. The sun was scorching. Many of the team members did not realize how much they had been burned – not severely, but enough to be annoying. After the tents were set up, many wanted to settle in for a brief siesta, but the tents seemed well over 100 degrees. We sat in the shade.

Eventually some of the children from the area began to come by. I met 2 kids and let them take pictures with the camera and listen to my ipod (I know Kendra, it's your ipod). Anyway, they really enjoyed hanging out and seeing themselves on the camera and the computer. The team played soccer, football, frisbee, tennis balls, etc with the other kids that came. They really had a great time.

At dinner we did a “hi-lo” time sharing the highs and the lows. Most of the team appreciated playing with the children at the school and here in the village. Thomas' highlight was leaving the trail to visit a man at his home to share a Bible with him – it really was moving watching this man sit and read God's Word after he received it. The beauty of God's creation was another common thought regarding the high point of the day. The lows of the day basically had to do with head aches, not feeling well in the morning, not sleeping well, etc. Nothing of real huge significance.

Following dinner, the teens and I played Mao while the video was showing, and then we had the opportunity to share God's word again with the people. This team really is doing a great job, and I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow – we are heading back to Huaraz after stopping at the “hot springs”.

Peru Trip - Day 4

The day began very early with Tony asking me to help him get out of the tent. I asked why, and he told me he was about to get sick again. Tony had been throwing up last evening, but made it through the night pretty well. I was already awake, so it wasn't a big deal to get up, so I got out of the tent (with ice all over it) and took pictures of the silhouettes of the mountains across the valley. We were on the black mountains, but across the valley were the white mountains covered with snow. By 6:30, one of the men got on the PA system and told everyone it was time to wake up. Most of them missed the beauty of the sunrise, but some didn't sleep so well, so I guess it makes sense that the did not get up early.

After breakfast we packed up and headed for the hills. We were told that the morning held a down hill hike, but that we would end up going to 12,000 feet by the end of the day. I took many pictures along the way, and the group was amazed with their early morning progress. It was neat looking back across the valley at the place where we started the journey getting further and further away, but we still had no idea where we were going. It was all up to Ade. After a couple hours of walking, we made our way to a small school. We were able to give Bibles, candy and sing for the students. Six of the students we met were Gladys, Nissa, Maribel, Janet, Fredde and Alex. We were able to spend some time playing frisbee and ball with them. Both the team and the students had a great time.

Shortly after the school, we started walking again – heading straight up again. About 11:30, some of the team were beginning to struggle and needed to eat and drink something for lunch. Especially Tony, who hadn't really eaten anything since yesterday evening. As we looked at this mountain, Ade said we could stop at the top – believe me, it was a difficult trek up the hill, but the team made it. We settled in for lunch, and after a long break, we resumed the walk. Finally we crested this large mountain top, and we could see the burro's below and the men unloading them. It is amazing how quickly this boosts the spirit – at least there was an end to the walk in sight.

As we arrived at the camp site, we began to set up. The sun was scorching. Many of the team members did not realize how much they had been burned – not severely, but enough to be annoying. After the tents were set up, many wanted to settle in for a brief siesta, but the tents seemed well over 100 degrees. We sat in the shade.

Eventually some of the children from the area began to come by. I met 2 kids and let them take pictures with the camera and listen to my ipod (I know Kendra, it's your ipod). Anyway, they really enjoyed hanging out and seeing themselves on the camera and the computer. The team played soccer, football, frisbee, tennis balls, etc with the other kids that came. They really had a great time.

At dinner we did a “hi-lo” time sharing the highs and the lows. Most of the team appreciated playing with the children at the school and here in the village. Thomas' highlight was leaving the trail to visit a man at his home to share a Bible with him – it really was moving watching this man sit and read God's Word after he received it. The beauty of God's creation was another common thought regarding the high point of the day. The lows of the day basically had to do with head aches, not feeling well in the morning, not sleeping well, etc. Nothing of real huge significance.

Following dinner, the teens and I played Mao while the video was showing, and then we had the opportunity to share God's word again with the people. This team really is doing a great job, and I am looking forward to a great day tomorrow – we are heading back to Huaraz after stopping at the “hot springs”.

Peru Trip - Day 3

Today began pretty early – I woke up around 3:00 and had problems getting back to sleep. I started thinking about how we were going to get all of our “stuff” consolidated down to fit on the donkeys for the trek, and even with Ade's 2 bags, I was wondering if we were going to make it. 6:00 came and the rest of the crew awoke to the sound of monkeys screeching – I had set the wrong alarm on my phone, so the National Geographic ring tone was set to that sound. Let me tell you it was not the sound they wanted to hear to wake them up. Anyway, they all got up, got ready to go, and by 7:00 we were all eating breakfast. By 7:30, we were on our way to the Andes Mountains.

We had about an hour and a half ride through Yungar to Anta, where we waited to pick up our final trip person. As we waited, we took a group picture and gave candy to local children and adults. Eventually he arrived, and we headed off to the mountains. At one point, the back of the bus hit the ground, and shortly after that, the driver asked a number of us to disembark. I thought we were all getting out, so we took all of our things and headed out. Then, after 8 of us got out, the bus started moving again – he was just lightening his load. It would've been nice if we knew that and we would have left our luggage on the bus. Gina, Rebecca, Dave, Thomas and myself were the lucky team members that ended up walking about 30 minutes up the hill to catch the bus after it cleared the more difficult areas. Gina did well, but the atmosphere changes were really getting to her. Anyway, when we caught up to the bus, it drove right by us, and we ended up riding in the luggage truck. That's right, flopping all around (trying to take pictures) we were like cattle in the back of this truck eating the dust of the bus that we were once riding in. We had a blast looking at the scenery go by, taking pictures of the bus, watching Gina move from one side of the truck to the other (depending on which side was closest to the drop offs next to the road).

I forgot to introduce our hosts...
Ade – missionary, guide, etc.
Pushpi – preacher/musician
Leopoldo – Preacher
Andres – Musician
Orlando – Musician / tech guy for the movies in the evenings
Manuel – Cook
Benjamin - Cook

Finally we arrived in a little village, and took out the balls, the candy, some New Testaments, and started interacting with the people. Some of the boys played soccer. Some played football. Some played frisbee. I met a little boy named Rusbel – he was an obviously quiet and shy boy, but he enjoyed throwing the football. Tony gave him a frisbee as we left.

We began our trek into the mountains, and I don't think it was what the team had expected.. We are in country only a few days, and we have been moving the whole time. The trek was just about straight up – we went from 10,000 to 11,000 feet in less than 3 hours. A number of the team were dealing with headaches, Tony was wrestling with stomach issues, but we arrived at camp early in the afternoon. Some laid down to rest while others played around. There really wasn't a lot of room on this mountain ( we were on a ledge of sorts), so they hung out and played cards. It began to rain, so we all made our way to the tents. The teens were playing cards in one tent, and the old geezers were sleeping in the rain. At around 6:00, we were called for dinner. During dinner they began showing a film, followed by the “Jesus Film”. After that finished, Pushpi said some words, then we sang and shared a little bit as well. Finally, we handed out Bibles to the people. This was a highlight for many of the team. As we headed for bed, Pushpi, Andres, and Leopoldo were playing and singing Quechan songs for the people.

Peru Trip - Day 2

I refuse to let this team rest... just kidding, but that is how it seems. We arrived at the hotel around 12:30, and were able to get our stuff separated as to what could stay in Lima, and what we needed to take with us to Huaraz by 1:00 in the morning. We settled down and went to bed, only to be roused from sleep at 5:30 in the morning. We got up, had breakfast at 6:00 and were heading off to the shuttle by 6:45. We arrived at the bus station and were ready for an 8 hour or so ride to Huaraz.

The bus ride shows movies, and we were subject to “the Happening” and the “The Masked Man (Zorro)”. Apparently it was a Spanish class for us, as the first movie was in Spanish with Spanish subtitles – as if that helped us understand the movie. The second movie was just in Spanish without any subtitle at all. Needless to say, I spent more time looking at the glory of Peru and taking pictures (over 300). The coolest part of the trip was when there was a break in the grey clouds driving from Lima to Huaraz. Lima is under a grey cloud all year long. It is a dry place without much rain, but as we head north, the clouds separate and blue skies surrounded us. With the splendor of the mountains, and the majesty of the valleys, God's hand was readily seen all around us.

We arrived in Huaraz around 5:30 and no Andres! I looked all around and we waited for a little while, but he did not show. He was our ride to the hotel, so we ended up taking taxis. The kids really enjoyed that experience, as we separated into 3 groups and piled our luggage into the station wagon taxis and headed to Hotel Colomba. It was a very brief ride, but a good one.

When we arrived at the Hotel, we separated into groups, and headed for our rooms. We had about 30 minutes to get ready for dinner, so everybody took some time to clean up and get ready. The kids also went outside and played on the see-saw, the climbing wall, and challenged each other to pull up competitions. They are having a great time.

Ade came by to see us and let us know he would be here tomorrow. He is our trail guide/Wycliff missionary/ and all around great guy. I am really looking forward to spending some time with him.

After dinner we talked about how we had seen God today. They talked about the poverty, the needs of the people (spiritual and physical), the majesty and power of our God, etc. It was a great time to hear them share what God was teaching them. This is the part of the trip I love best. If it were up to me, we would spend hours talking and listening to each other about the things that God is teaching us. I was reminded that I need to take more time at home as well to hear from my children and my wife about what God is teaching them.

After dinner, we started the prep work of getting craft supplies ready for the child care center on Wednesday. The team was rather spent, so we headed for bed around 9:30. I finally got in touch with Ade about our need for some more duffle bags to put sleeping bags in, I think we are ready to go.

By 10:30, I was in bed, ready to sleep – I hope I sleep well, I have a feeling it is going to be a long day tomorrow as well.

Peru Trip - Day 1

Actually, today began last night around 9:00 as the team came to “the Summit” to spend the evening together. We gathered all of the bags into the bus to be ready to leave at 3:00 in the morning. Around 10:30, Tony said he was going to sleep, and encouraged anyone else who would like to go to sleep to find a place to sleep and bed down for a couple of hours. As I had anticipated, the teens were a little wound up and played hide and seek in the hallways. I was amazed at the amount of noise they were making and that Tony had not settled them down – then I went into the room he was sleeping in and realized he couldn't hear them carrying on. Eventually around 12, the girls began to settle down and stated trying to sleep. Occasionally the boys would play with the ball, and Gina would come in to yell at them for making too much noise. They really were not making a large amount of noise, but when you are trying to sleep, it doesn't take much. Needless to say, I stayed up with the boys all night, and they talked about movies, girls, sports, etc. It was a good time of preparation for the trip.

At 2:30, Tony came into our room and started rousing the troops. They had some Panera bagels, juice and milk, and by 3:15 we were on our way to Atlanta. This is where the story gets interesting. We arrive in Atlanta around 5, and as we head into the Spirit Airlines counter, I listen to a conversation of a woman with the man in front of me. “If you do not have the permission to travel form filled out for your minor child, I cannot allow you to board the plane.” Instantly I pulled out my paperwork to make sure that I had all of the necessary papers, and I did. Anyway, he was not very happy, and had to leave the counter. She called me up to the desk and asked where I was going. I told her that I had a group of 13 heading for Lima, and she asked about baggage. I informed her that we all had 2 bags a piece, and she told me that there had been an embargo from Lima that only allowed 1 bag per person. Somehow we had to consolidate 26 bags (most of which weighed 40 lbs or more) into 13 bags that weighed less than 50 lbs each. I started asking other people that worked for Spirit. I pulled out my printed paperwork from the internet that assured me I could bring 2 bags. Eventually, w e started working toward consolidating the bags, and called the guy who took us to the airport to come back to pick up the extra bags. As we started, another woman approached us and told us she worked it out to carry all of our bags. Praise the Lord!! I was worried about leaving all of the crafts, candy, games, etc. and God took care of it all.

Our first flight landed in Fort Lauderdale, where we had an 8 hour layover. The group decided to take a few hours and go to the local beach, so we took the shuttle to a local hotel and hung out at the beach for a couple hours. Finally we returned back to the airport, and presently we are en route to Lima Peru. It is supposed to be a 5 ½ hour flight – we will arrive around 11:00 our time (10:00 local time). We will head back to the hotel and get a good nights rest – Lord willing – because tomorrow we take the shuttle to Huaraz.

One day at a time – that is what God is teaching me – one issue at a time. We will see how the whole plan plays out as the week progresses.

Thursday Evening 10:22 PM - waiting for Peru...

It is Thursday evening, and I am sitting here at "the Summit", Ridgedale Baptist Church's youth facility. The team, all except Zach and Dave, are here. Tony is heading to bed, and Gina says she is going to do the same. The teenagers are running around the facility with much excitement for the things ahead. So here I sit writing down some thoughts in preparation for the trip...

First of all, here is our schedule in a nutshell.

Friday - fly to Fort Lauderdale and then on to Peru.
Saturday - wake up early and take a 8 hour bus ride to Huaraz. We will arrive in Huaraz in the late afternoon, so we might go downtown.
Sunday - after breakfast we leave for the Andes Mountains - led by Ade, our guide.
Monday - wake up and trek again...
Tuesday - wake up, pack up, and get ready to go back to Huaraz.
Wednesday - work at the child care center
Thursday - take the 8 hour bus ride back to Lima.
Friday - work at 2 child care centers
Saturday - visit Lima
Sunday - Church in AM - head home in the evening.
Monday - arrive home safe and sound - thanks to the prayers of others.


This group is going to be a great group. There are 9 teenagers and 4 adults. The 9 teenagers (apart from the 2 brothers) all attend different schools. Christian school, private school, and public schools are all represented. I don't think any are home schooled. Anyway, they treat each other as friends that are just getting to know each other. This could make the trip an excellent experience for them as they mold together and bring the excitement of the trip back home. However, it can also be a problem since what they do know about each other is based on premise, not on fact, so as they get to know each other better, they may not like what they see. So I guess this is an area for prayer. That God would bring unity and harmony to the team, and that He would merge them together for the common purpose of glorifying Him in Peru, and ultimately back at home.

Well, they are all playing hide and seek - making an amazing amount of noise for Tony to sleep in. We will see how long this lasts. I doubt I will be getting any sleep.

Hope to write more tomorrow. Thank God for the prayers of the faithful that make these trips effective and efficient for the work of God. By the way, I have never flown SPIRIT airlines, so that is a concern for Friday. We will see what God has in store for us.

Returning from a Missions Trip

Following the missions trip to Mexico, I returned to my mother's home at 1:00 in the morning Saturday, July 3, and left for Chattanooga at 9:00 in the morning. I woke up at 7:00, so I started to prepare to return home. After a 11 hour drive, I had finally arrived in Chattanooga, and the trip was complete.

It is amazing all of the things God can accomplish in a persons life and heart over a 14 day period. Issues of pride and self reliance, lack of trust in God, lack of obedience, etc. can all be brought to light in just a few short days, and the conviction of the Spirit can change your heart and mind so quickly. However, it is in the daily life that the new ways of thinking and believing need to be implemented, and that is where the rubber meets the road.

How am I going to live differently? How will I trust God more? How will I lay aside my own abilities to lean on Christ? Will I allow God to strip away my own pride on a daily basis?

It is my desire to allow the Spirit to direct my life. I pray that I will not get in the way of what He wants to accomplish in me and others. I love going on missions trips and I love being home. I pray that regardless of where I am, whether at home or away, that I do all to be pleasing to my Father. I hope this is your prayer as well.

Mexico Trip - the return...

We began our journey at 3:30 in the morning – actually, I woke everybody at 3:00 (all but the guys who stayed up all night) – and we left on the bus at 3:45. We had an uneventful trip to Mexico City, followed by a smooth flight into Houston – arriving there around 11:00. Our flight was supposed to leave Houston at 3:55, so we made our way through customs, security, and on to our gate – which had been changed to C-45. We found out our flight had a slight delay, and was now scheduled for 4:10. No big deal, we should still arrive in PA by 9:30. However, this was not meant to be. Over the next 8 hours, we visited C-37, C-39, C-29, C-39 again, as our flight time and gates were being changed. Imagine moving 30 people 5 different times to gates that could not hold us. Some gates we were mixed in with the crowd. Some gates we sat (some laid) on the floor. But the team did a great job flexing with the changes. We even got in a couple games of RAGE – one game included 12 people and 2 decks. It was a blast – the card game that is! Anyway, by 7:00, we were on our way to Philadelphia.

We arrived without much problem in Philly, about 3 hours later than expected. We landed and made our way through the airport. Some had to go to the restroom, so we stopped a moment because we knew it would take a few minutes to get our luggage anyway. Little did we know of the issue that was awaiting us.

As we headed to baggage claim, some of the people got blocked in behind these plexiglass moving walls that kept the friends and family at bay. It was funny as the security kind of locked down and kept half of our group on the wrong side of the glass. Eventually they were released, but they were a little concerned.

Finally we arrived at baggage claim, and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. One woman on the other side of the conveyor decided she was going to make a stink, and so she pranced into the office demanding a reason. She came back out looking rather foolish, because everyone else was waiting patiently. Finally the man inside came out and sheepishly told us about what was going on. Since everyone else could not hear him I had to help out... “They say that a big black dog got loose in the cargo bay. They are finding the owners, and when they can get the dog under control, they will release our bags.” Yeah, that's right, we waited around for almost 45 minutes to get our bags. It was the perfect ending to a rather smooth trip. As a matter of fact, Matt had mentioned to me just before our flight out of Mexico that things went incredibly smoothly all week. I told him he had jinxed us... little did I know.

Anyway, we are home, the team did a fantastic job, and I was blessed to be part of it. I look forward to traveling with them again, and if nothing less, I hope to see them at Winter Weekend 2011. We will see what God does...

Mexico Trip - Day 10

Today began with a little confusion as to what we were going to do. Most of the jobs were completed, so we did not have a lot to do. However, on our list of items to accomplish were a number of jobs that we were waiting for rain to do. Wouldn't you know, the last day, and it's raining. Actually, as Ruth has reminded us, it has been raining all around the church during our stay, but God had placed “an umbrella” over Dios Es Amor church for the time we were there. Now, with basically inside jobs left, God has opened the rain clouds to water the area.

We ate breakfast and broke into groups to complete the morning jobs. The bathroom was tiled, the school work was completed, Librada's home was painted, racks were hung up in the garage, and we even through in a stair between the kitchen and the sanctuary because it was needed. All of these jobs were completed by 3:00, and we ate lunch.

Following lunch, we gave gifts to the people who ministered to us all week and the children that we had grown to love. It was a wonderful time of rejoicing in what God had done in building these relationships over the past few days. We even included the masons – two of which (Sylvestre and Oscar) we knew were unsaved. We thanked the Lord for the work accomplished. Jeff gave some encouraging words to all of the workers, and especially recognized Ruth and Manuel with a financial gift to help with the ministry there.

In the afternoon, 12 of us went with Ed Ogelsby to see the property he is working on buying. It was a 100 year old farm that he would like to convert into a convention center and a number of other things. The buildings were beautiful, but they were in disrepair. It was going to take a lot to get the property ready to be used, but Ed has a vision for what God can do with the property,. We will pray that God will make it clear to him. We did have some fun on a rickety bridge and then sliding down cement slides while we were there. By the way, I did get to drive, and wouldn't you know it, this group complains about my driving too. I wonder when people are going to realize that I am an excellent driver.

The evening included another trip to the soccer fields, followed by dinner and a debriefing time. I was given an opportunity to address the group, and I told them how much I appreciated working with them. Then Jeff spoke to the group, followed by the leaders, and finally the kids. Jeremy feels that God has called him into missions as a result of the trip, as does Ben and Megan. Not sure how that is going to play out, but I know that God is doing something wonderful in their lives. Ben shared a number of things that he has seen God do this week. Rachel, Keli, Matt, Ryan, Katy, Mariah, and Levi also took the chance to say something. It was a wonderful time of rehearsing the great works of God over the week. Following this, we had a debriefing time with the team, and then encouraged them to take what they had learned and seen back with them to Pennsylvania. I pray that they do just that and bless the people at Berean Bible Church.

Officially, we went to bed at 11:30, but unofficially the guys in my room stayed up until almost 2 o'clock encouraging one another with what they had seen in them over the past week. From Levi, to Nathan, to Aaron, to Chris, to Jeremy, to Ryan, to Matt, and then even I got a turn. It was a wonderful time of hearing the men encourage the others. I pray that this effort bears much fruit in the future. Only time will tell.

Well, right now I am on the bus – it is 4:22 and actually day 11, but I am just now recording what I saw God do yesterday. I look forward to getting home in only... 17 hours!!!

Mexico Trip - Day 9

We got up late this morning, but still had breakfast at 8. The team had only a half of the day to accomplish most of the work set before us. The afternoon would be spent in preparation for only God knows how many people.

By lunch time, we had finished the work that we had set out to do. Rooms had been painted, a mail box set up, the concrete walkway was finished, the dirt covering the pipes had been leveled inside the fence. The dirt outside the fence had been taken away, and rock had been place on the 75 yards of road leading to the dirt road at the bottom of the hill. The team accomplished a lot of work in just 5 hours, but I guess with 30 people, that can happen.

In the afternoon, we went canvassing in the neighborhood handing out fliers for the evening's event and for the fair next Wednesday. We went to the school and the local projects and handed fliers to everyone we met. We even put up signs on the poles in the area to show where the church was. We were hoping for a crowd of 100 or more.

Eventually, 5 o'clock came and had the evening outreach. We had over 150 people show up to watch “Fireproof” (in Spanish of course) and then we served what they consider a real “American Hot Dog” - it is a hot dog bun with Mayo, then the hot dog, followed by ketchup, mustard, chopped onions, diced tomatoes, diced carrots and peppers on top. Actually, they weren't all that bad (minus the peppers of course). The people enjoyed the movie with popcorn and some Mexican fried item. The team presented 2 skits with clear gospel presentations, and Manuel shared the gospel after the movie. It was a great evening.

After everyone had left and we finished cleaning up, we walked to the local store and got ice cream for everyone. The group loved the treat, and it was well deserved. Even the helpers and workers got ice cream. I think the only person who didn't was Chris – because he left while the “vultures” attacked. I offered him my ice cream, but he said he was fine – he had pringles and soda. We had devo's – spoke on giving, and then we played a game of Rage (actually finished a game that we had started during the movie. Yes, I won again – this time on a “shoot the moon” move on the last card. Had I not gotten a +5 card, I would have tied with Adam who was leading the entire game. Well, that's the way it goes.

By the way, my first for today was I had the opportunity to drive in Mexico. We were sent to the store right down the street, but they did not have what we needed. So me and 4 of the guys went riding around Puebla until we found what we needed... It was an adventure.

Mexico Trip - Day 8

Today began much like most of the other. Breakfast at 8, then time for devotions, then it was off to work. The tasks for the day were loading block to the second floor, finishing the “garage” room floor with concrete, finishing the sewer hookup to the sanctuary, finishing the concrete in the new restroom, and miscellaneous other jobs.

The team broke into groups at 9, and I was assigned the task of finishing the floor prep for the garage. We had a lot of dirt to move, and little time to get it done. By 11 we expected the concrete to begin getting laid. Just like every other group, Chris, Eli and myself got to work. It was intensive labor, but sure enough we got it done. As we were finishing, the block crew had over 80 block left to move. I told them that if they could move 8 blocks a minute, they could be finished in 10 minutes. They were up for the challenge. In just 10 minutes, they accomplished the final blocks being moved to the second floor.

That was not our final challenge for the day however. During lunch, I challenged the concrete laying crew to finish the garage in 2 hours. Most of them said it could not be done. We had to mix the concrete by hand, shoveling 6 buckets of sand, 5 buckets of rock, and a bag of concrete on a tarp laid on the ground. The sand and rock had to be brought in by wheelbarrow from about 50 yards away. They got to work, and in just over 1 hour and 45 minutes, they accomplished the goal! 2 challenges in one day – way to go team.

By the day's end, we had finished much of the work that was needed for the day, but there was still much to do on Wednesday.

We topped off the evening with a trip to the soccer field and a walk to the store. We had dinner around 8 o'clock, and devotions around 9. The evening ended with a game of Rage, which Keli was winning all the way to the last hand when she (being 5th to lay her card) bid 1. Not a good call, and so I had to end up winning. It was painful, but I enjoyed winning. :-)