Invisible...

So as you have probably figured out by now, I love music, and often feel God moving through it. Just last night we began singing a new song called Break Through, by Tommy Walker. I posted all the lyrics and highlighted what really stuck out to me.

Break through, break through all my doubts
Break through, break through all my fears
Break through That I may worship You
Break through, break through all my pain
Break through, all my guilt and my shame
Break through like only You can do

You are brighter than my darkest night,
Stronger than my toughest fight
Just one touch from You, my King, my Friend
And I’ll never be the same again

The lyrics about being stronger than my toughest fight quickly brought my mind to some scripture I had read early that day (or maybe week, I can't remember for sure) from 2 Kings chapter 6, which tells us a story about Elisha capturing the Syrian army against all odds. What strikes me the most is the part that says:

"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. (Verses 16-17)

What a great picture of our God being SOOOO much bigger and stronger than our strongest fight! He can send an army of fire to protect us! That image of have an army of fire surrounding me in my struggles just overwhelmed me last night, and yet again reminded me to not put God in a box. We serve a truly great and glorious God.

As promised...

Hi ya'll! Here is the super cute video that I mentioned yesterday. It's the kids from Imperior de Amor singing for us after we had finished working for the day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GIbgE1TbHY

Today was a pretty simple, yet fun day, as I got to lead two other men in building a picnic table for a children's home called Bathesda. I 1) almost decided to walk of with super cute Mexican kid, and 2) ended up getting a ton of sun again and of course I failed to put on sunscreen...The tan-o-meter is putting me pretty darn close to Mexican right now, haha (I just had a conversation with a Mexican about this, and they actually admited that I was pretty close). K, well that is all for today. Not a long post for once. God bless!

Ayyy! El Fuego!!!

Remember how I was talking about chaos yesterday? Get this- today during worship a couple of guys across the street who were probably a bit drunk dropped a cigarette into the grass around their feet, and before they knew it, a huge fire had broken loose. By the time we noticed it, the flames were up above the 10 foot concrete wall surrounding the place. When we got there, and asked them if they had it under control, they said, “Oh no, we’re fine” as the fire quickly spread away from the single measly hose. We quickly dismissed that, grabbed hoses and buckets, and extinguished the very out of control fire. Needless to say it was kind of chaotic and quite the mid-worship experience.

As for the rest of the day, it was very low key. I went with my group to a church service at the local orphanage Casa Hogar Douglas (CHD) and it was AWESOME! I just loved worshiping totally in Spanish and sharing in a powerful message. After the service the group served food to the orphans and care givers before heading back to campus for a pool party with kids from another local orphanage called Bathesda. The party was a lot of fun for the kids, and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time in the pool with some of my favorite girls that live on the campus (Lupita, Ashley, and Brendis). I feel so blessed by them, especially when I get to legitimately hang out with them. That was pretty much the end of the work day for me...nice and low key.

SOOOOO, I am in the process of uploading a super cute video to YouTube for you all. It should be finished by tomorrow so I will post that link then. Until then, you can enjoy this goofy picture of what I like to call my “tan-o-meter.” That is my degree of tan after two weeks in the awesome Mexican sun haha.

Recuerda, somos más que conquistadores. =)

Chaos and Opportunity

So as many of you know, I changed my major from Entrepreneurship to Finance this past year for several reasons, none of which are relevant to this post. One of the things I have learned after switching over is a phrase that primarily relates to the state of the economy and trading on the stock market. That phrase is “Where there is chaos, there is opportunity.” I don’t know who said it originally, but I do know that its implications hold some truth both economically and spiritually.

At first I never really thought about it outside of an economic point of view, but the other day I began thinking about it from a different perspective. I decided to stop putting God in the box that I so often placed him in and look for Him in even the most odd and chaotic of places. For example, the other day I was working at an orphanage called Casa Hogar Douglas, which is just down the street, and I found myself in a discussion with the captain about the very broken pasts that many if not all of these kids have, and my mind went directly past all the powerfully bad things we so often focus on to the ridiculous potential that God has for these children, HIS children. Their broken lives are such an opportunity for Him to show up and show off. God really has a great plan for each and every one of them. I mean I can’t help but give praise, even amongst the direst of circumstances. There is just such an opportunity for God’s glory to shine through that it isn’t even funny.

While I never initially thought about whether or not this concept is biblical or not, it turns out that it can be found in the lives of some of our favorite characters. Lately I have been reading through 1 Kings, and I just recently covered a couple of stories about the incredible life of Elijah. The story that strikes me the most in reference to this is when Elijah, much like us, falls prey to his doubts and runs off into the dessert to hide from his enemies. After some angelic prodding, Elijah ended up in a cave after an incredible 40 day journey on only one meal. It is here that he is instructed to listen for God:

“The LORD said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” -1 Kings 19:11-13

Isn’t it funny that God had Elijah go out into His presence (which was present the whole time, but He actually "passed by" at the whisper) but yet his small whisper is what we are intended to look for amidst all the other chaotic events? I just love how God does things that sometimes just don’t seem to make sense to us, but truly end up bringing Him SO much glory. What a comfort to know that God is always there throughout all things, and is in control of all things, even things like strong winds, earthquakes and fire! What a challenge it is to fight our human nature and seek out His still small whisper rather than focus on the negative…

In regard to that small whisper, I will just say that my past week was quite hectic, and there was certainly enough chaos to go around, which is a big part of the reason I haven’t updated my blog in awhile. Even so, I can truly say that God was still very present, and I am quite confident that He whispered to more than a couple of us during the week. Amidst the challenges there was great opportunity for growth, and we as a team, heard the whisper and embraced it. I couldn’t be more proud of my fellow interns and staff for our perseverance through the challenging moments.

Just to quickly recap the past week, I worked mainly at a children’s home called Imperio de Amor (IdA, or empire of love) where we began digging an L shaped trench which will serve as the footer for a wall on one side and a fence on the other. I know that doesn’t totally sound logical, but it would if you saw it. We also sealed a lot of the concrete roofs on the other buildings. The sealant goes on AND dries bright white which reflects the sun a lot. Let’s just say that I definitely got some sun while doing that sealing. =)

Outside of working at IdA, the group and I worked on campus a little bit and took our kids to a sweet place called Kidzania the other day. (I SERIOUSLY wish I had one of these places as a kid. You should check it out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidzania, http://www.kidzania.com/). Also of note, I finally got a chance to go on a good run, which ended up being 8.5 miles long. I will admit that I was certainly sore the rest of the day, and the following days. As of yesterday, I am officially signed up to run a 10k on July 5th. There is no backing out now! It should be pretty exciting, especially since it’s my first long race ever. If you want to read a little about the race you can go here: http://monterrey.usconsulate.gov/euamexico10k.html.

Looking ahead, we have three groups this week totaling around 60 people, so it should be a little bit lower key. I am excited to get to work and to get to know the group I am with. Yet again I can’t wait to see how the Lord will work this week, even if it means calmly sifting through the chaos to see it.

I will be posting some videos and whatnot from the past week here very soon. You're gonna love it!

PICTURES!

Okay, I finally posted my pictures to facebook. Here is the public link for you all to use. I will be adding more pictures as I take them (and have time to upload them).

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036484&id=69103621&l=fd45aa91b1

I hope to figure out how to share a couple of videos with you all soon. I will keep you posted.

K, gotta go take care of my sunburn haha.

Post Meeting Thoughts

So we just had our Friday morning intern meeting, and unlike last year we began a new tradition where a staff member has the opportunity to share something he or she either thinks is very important for us to hear, or is something that they wished they had known as a youth. So this morning one of my favorite staff members, Juan Porto, presented on seeing God’s plan and leadership, and something he said just struck me upside the head. At some point he said that we shouldn’t pursue leadership, but rather we should let our passions bring us to it, and develop into leadership. Why did this strike me so oddly? I have been pursuing and practicing my leadership gifts for the past two years pretty intensely, but at the last worship service at college I felt like God was telling me two things, 1) Don’t focus on leadership at all for the summer and 2) seek out the orphan child. At that point I was kind of confused about both and what exactly they would look like, but now it just seems so clear…so much of my leadership has been in things in which I am not truly passionate about, and it is just so clear in how difficult it is to stay motivated to lead. I know that God brought me those opportunities to learn a lot, but my direction seems so clear now that I really do need to pursue my passions, and be much more careful about just doing things because they are leadership opportunities.

Another thing that I felt God speak to me this morning came after Greg and I talked about our day at Manantial de Amor yesterday, and how he ended up going back later that day (from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.) to finish up some concrete work that the mason failed to finish even though he said he would. Greg mentioned how one of the boys that he was close with seemed to REALLY appreciate the fact that Greg came back to actually follow through and kept giving him back rubs and things to encourage him. Take a second to think about how many times these orphans are promised something and it never comes to fruition and how much it breaks their hearts. Just think about the way we can minister to their hearts by finishing strong for these children and how much love it speaks. A verse that has been in the back of my head for the past couple of weeks comes to mind. Luke 8:15 says “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Notice how this verse implies that we must persevere to produce a crop, not that it just comes to fruition while we sit and watch. After listening to Greg’s thoughts and reflecting on this verse I thought about my day, and I was instantly drawn to a moment at the very end of the day where I was one of the last people cleaning up, and this child came running up to me to offer me some very cold and refreshing coke. It didn’t strike me until later that this little boy ran all the way from a birthday party the group members were throwing to come show his appreciation by offering coke…I’m sure that he, too felt so loved that we took the time to finish what we set out to do.

So those two things God spoke to me awhile ago seem so clear to me. Right now I just want to minister to these children’s hearts by loving them in every possible way I can, especially by standing firm, giving everything I have and finishing strong each and every day. Each and every little act of love we do for these orphans is a step to renewing their hearts and ushering in the healing that God has planned for them. I feel so free to be able to step back and just act within my passion, and wait to see the leadership God will usher in. I can only hope that that principle will transition back to the states with me in 7 weeks.

Manantial de Amor

So yesterday was just such a great, yet entirely exhausting work day. After the 8 A.M. staff and intern meeting we all knew it would be a bit chaotic with 25+ group members and a tight space to work in, but it just all came together so well. We worked on one main project where we needed to bust up a concrete floor and re-pour it to fix a leaky issue that was causing the existing floor to wash out. It took us all day, and a lot of teamwork, but The Lord just provided for all of us so much throughout the day. I feel like the interns and staff just meshed SO much. I thank God for all that He did through us and know that without His hand in it, we never would have accomplished more than the main project we set out to do.

Daniel

So I’m sitting in the main room on the campus which we call LDM (which stands for Lugar de Misericordia, or place of mercy) and we are in the middle of an ever so wonderful Mexican brownout right now. Thankfully I have some battery power and some free time so I can write about my friend Daniel from Rio 3, which is a terribly impoverished area where people make houses and their $2 a day living out of the garbage they are surrounded with. The other day I was serving at Rio 3, and at a point I went outside to join some group members in a game of soccer against the locals. After the game I began talking with one of the older boys named Daniel. Daniel is 18 years old, has 7 siblings (I met like 5 of them that day haha) and has just graduated high school. He currently isn’t doing anything with his life other than a little bit of work here and there and most likely caring for his family. What I thought would be a short conversation, blossomed into a two hour conversation about many things. At one point I invited Daniel to join us the following day in a work project that we would be doing at the Rio the next day. He was seemed excited, and then began asking me why on earth I, a white skinned gringo, was there serving. Many of the Mexicans in the area were clearly stunned at our presence. It was kind of cool. Nonetheless, this question lead me into a discussion about Back2Back, and eventually our Hope Program. When he heard about the Hope Program (which is a program that gives teens the opportunity to grow up in a family atmosphere and go to college) and that it may be an opportunity for him he got SO excited and asked me to talk to the directors of the Hope Program that night. (On a side note, the power just came back on. Cheers erupted.) Anyways, he said it was his dream to work with B2B, and I left feeling very uncertain about the whole thing as his chances weren’t good, and I didn’t want to get his hopes up, but my Spanish wasn’t good enough to downplay it like I needed to…nonetheless I returned the next day, and told Daniel that I didn’t get a chance to talk to the director, and he was okay with it. He joined us for the work day, and joyfully worked hard with us throughout the day. It was just such a blessing to be able to spend more time with him, and minister to him by spending time alongside him. At the end of the day I left feeling that God was 1) telling me “I told you not to worry about it” and 2) that my role was not yet done with Daniel. I don’t necessarily know where to go from here. I know how many things my flesh wants me to do, things that would emphasize my own power and abilities but I know that isn’t the right direction, so for now I am praying for Daniel each and every day claiming the God’s promises on his behalf, knowing that God has a plan for his life, and that Daniel will be more than provided for. I hope to see it unfold as I am here, but know that only time will tell. (The power just went back out, BOO) So as I head off for a bit of relaxation before tomorrow brings us new groups I invite you to come alongside me as I pray for Daniel and his family. God will work mightily through our prayers.

Daniel is the one in the middle =)

A Typical Day

One of my friends did this and I thought it was a great idea. Here is a typical day in the life of a Back2Back intern not including Saturdays and Fridays which are different because we are receiving and sending off groups.

5:30 - If it is a running day this is when I wake up. I'm running a 10k race (in Mexico!) in July. Craziness.
6:30 - When I normally wake up, quiet time.
7:30 - Shower/breakfast
8:00 - Morning staff and intern meeting
8:15 - Morning preparations, such as preparing the groups food, water and necessary supplies for the day.
8:30-9:50 - Free time while the groups do their bible studies and stuff. Sometimes we leave early or have extra preparations. If I didn't make it out of bed for my quiet time, then I do it now.
10ish - Depart for the work day
11-4 - Work projects. Can't be too specific as this changes like every day.
4-5 - Travel back to campus or a restaurant depending on the group I'm with.
6 - If on campus, dinner, if not then probably still at said restaurant or possibly back and having free time before worship.
8-9 - Worship, YAY!
9-10:30 - I generally hang out with the jovens (teens in our hope program that live on campus and have the chance to go to college) or the other interns or group members.
10:30-11 - Bed time =)

That's a typical day, woot woot! Stay posted, I will write about my friend Daniel soon, AND I will have a picture for once haha.

Reign In Us

Just some lyrics I feel God put on my heart tonight...Reign In Us by Starfield

You thought of us before the world began to breathe
You knew our names before we came to be
You saw the very day we'd fall away from you
And how desperately we need to be redeemed

Lord Jesus come lead us
We're desperate for your touch

Oh Great and Mighty One with one desire we come
That you would reign that you would reign in us
We're offering up our lives a living sacrifice
That you would reign that you would reign in us

Spirit of the Living God fall fresh again
Come search our hearts and purify our lives
We need your perfect love
We need your discipline
We're lost unless you guide us with your light

Lord Jesus come lead us
We're desperate for your touch

Oh Great and Mighty One with one desire we come
That you would reign that you would reign in us
We're offering up our lives a living sacrifice
That you would reign that you would reign in us

We cry out
For your love to refine us cry out
For your love to define us cry out
For your mercy to keep us blameless until you return

Oh Great and Mighty One with one desire we come
That you would reign that you would reign in us
We're offering up our lives a living sacrifice
That you would reign that you would reign in us

So reign please reign in us
Come purify our hearts we need your touch
Come cleanse us like a flood and send us out
So the world may know you reign you reign in us

I MADE IT!

I'm here!!! Thanks be to God for having all the traveling go oh so smoothly. Timing couldn't have been better at the Cleveland airport. I got to sleep in a little more than usual, and unlike past times, I got to the gate only about 5 minutes before boarding. It was so nice to pretty much just hop on the plane and go.

After landing in Houston, I started talking to a lady who had asked me about Grove City College (I was wearing a GCC shirt) and it turns out that she was also from Ohio, AND knew where Kidron was. Every time I talk about Kidron I basically hold no hope in people knowing where it is. She ended up being very knowledgeable about the whole area! It was such a nice conversation! Once I got off the plane I met up with a bunch of my past intern friends. I couldn't quite believe I got to enjoy the blessing of seeing them early.

Anyways, so the transition to Mexican life has gone super well so far, with the remainder of the day focusing on a lot of "get to know each other" games and a pizza party...This time around I knew pretty much all but 3 of the interns which made this day a lot easier. On the downside, though, my Spanish is SO bad right now! I haven't practiced in like a month or more and I am feeling rusty. I know it will come but boy are the wheels just not turning very smoothly right now.

Tomorrow is a day full of "intern training" from basically 8 am to 8 pm...it will be a long day of information giving and some practice for the incoming groups on Saturday. Thankfully we get to end the night in worship, which is something we do every night. As of right now it looks like I will be back at El Retiro Juvenil (ERJ) which hosts an awesome ropes course. I have a lot of relationships there that I can't wait to catch up on. I have missed that place a lot (I spent most of my internship there last summer). If not ERJ, I will be working a lot at a place called Rio 3, which is a very impoversished area. I also spent a good amount of time there last year...either way, it will be a blessing to get to work and see what the Lord will do.

On another note of blessing, I was hoping to find a way to keep myself in shape, basically for my return to biking in August, and I found two great running partners, both of whom are training for a marathon later in the year, so it will be nice to join them as that is one of my new goals for the near future (I know I'm a little bit crazy. I'm not denying it at all)...We'll see how tired this gets me! haha

Welp, it's about time I head to bed. I have a long day ahead...I will post an update again soon. Love you all!

Ever So Close!

So I know I said I had a lot to write about, and I do, but I decided to hold off. To summarize a lot of what I was going to write about, I have a great brother, great pastor, and great church community. Basically I am SURROUNDED by great people! I am just so thankful for the role that each of you has played in my life. Thank you!

This will probably be my last post before heading out...I should probably start packing, but instead I am sitting here watching the Matrix (and loving it!) and I am finally starting to realize that I am ACTUALLY about to leave behind so very much for the next two months. It is going to be great! While a part of me wants to stay comfortable at home, the rest of me knows full well that God has great things in store for the next two months that far outweigh those other desires. I truly cannot wait!

I will send you all an update when I get in. The first day typically consists of a lot of training, and "get to know each other" activities as well as a lot of sweating throughout the whole process. I remember stepping outside of the airport last year, and the heat almost took my breath away haha. It was crazy! So once that is all finished up I will try to put up a quick post with pictures of my room and stuff so you all can see what my living conditions are like. Hopefully I will figure out what my role for the summer will be, too. That is the part I am most excited about. I have no idea what exactly I will be doing at this point, and you know what? That is totally okay.

Well...I should probably start preparing a bit since I will be spending most of the night enjoying my last bike ride for a while. Hopefully I can stay in shape over the next two months so I can come back and get some serious miles in and maybe even do a century or two (That's a 100 mile ride for those of you who aren't cycling enthusiasts). Only time will tell I guess haha. I just hope that I don't actually turn into a fatty (that one was for you, brother) from eating all of the incredible Mexican food =)

Anyways, until I write you next, I guess I will just leave you with a pretty powerful quote from the Matrix since I am watching it and all. Ciao!

Setting: Neo has just turned to face the infamous agent rather than running away like everyone else would...

Trinity: What is he doing?
Morpheus: He is beginning to believe.