Here we are sitting in our favourite Starbucks on Sunset Blvd and Gower, posting for the last time! We have had an amazing 2 weeks and words truly can't describe all that we have done, seen and experienced. We will have many stories to tell to our family, friends, and church in the days and weeks ahead. Some of them will be humourous, informative and powerful; others heart breaking and humbling. We have seen the face of God in the dusty roads of Ensenada and the open air churches we had the privilege to visiting and ministering in. We have seen the face of God in the people we spoke with and worked alongside in LA's "skid row", Hollywood Blvd, First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood and numerous places in between. We have seen God at work both in our individual lives and that of our fellow team members.
Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers over the course of the past year as we prepared, and these past two weeks as we ministered. Tomorrow we arrive home as richer people for having experienced this journey! The challenge now before us is to use what we have learned and experienced to better our communities and the people we know and love. To see the face of God in the disadvantaged, homeless, poor, abused, rejected and ridiculed; not simply ignore them or pretend they don't exist. To see the face of God in our family and friends, granting them the love and grace they too deserve. To see the face of God within ourselves realising that God not only loves and forgives us, but asks us to reveal this to a world in need of His redemption and reconciliation through Christ.
Please pray for travelling mercies tomorrow as we depart at approximately 9:30 a.m. Winnipeg time. We hope to arrive back at ACC between 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. We will post photos of our week in Hollywood early next week.
God bless!
Kent
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
What would you do with a dollar?
Hello again,
Its been a while and we've done a lot! We will back track a bit to Tuesday. The youth were very excited because they thought we were going out for dinner, which in a way we were. The challenge was to have our group well fed with one dollar each. We were put into groups and could put all our money together, we could also find other ways to earn more money as well. Our group didn't come up with any great ideas to get more money, except when Bethany asked someone for a dollar. We also ran into a newly wed Christian couple who were doing a web documentary funded by Chick-fill-A. It was about love and what it meant to different people. Kevin was interviewed and said Jesus was love! After the interview we talked with them about what we were doing, and they thought it was really cool. Our other group ended up singing some songs to get extra money which raised a total of $37. Our DOOR leader Matthew said that was the most anyone had ever received. We were very proud of them! If you click on DOOR above you'll see a write up about the groups here this week and a photo of our group!
On Wednesday we had a good day helping with some small projects at PATH Hollywood and at the DOOR house. The other group was at L.A. Food Bank where they worked hard. After our day of work it was a free evening to go out and have some fun, and boy did we ever! We went to The Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Hills for dinner where we had amazing food and great service from our new friend Gabe. After our wonderful meal we decided to take a walk around the Santa Monica Pier. Some people went on rides, got some ice cream and hit by a HUGE (Beth says) wave. It was such a cool experience to be surrounded by all the lights and excitement of the pier. On our way back to the church we got slightly lost, when I say slightly I really mean for about 2 hours. It was actually so much fun driving around, jammin to some tunes, and having a good laugh when Taylor got caught on a green light during Chinese fire drill!
Today was by far our favourite day as we went to Union Rescue Mission - "The Way Home", where we met some amazing people. Jennifer- the lady of the kitchen, was definitely the mother of all the men there. She loved us and we loved her as soon as we started talking. She was so honest with us and truly loved God. Sam is another of our new friends and he was such a gentleman, caring, and so glad we were there. We were lucky to be able to get a quick tour at the end from a man named Andy. He used to be a client of the mission after being in and out of jail and into drugs and gangs. He truly showed us how God works to change peoples lives. It was neat to see him on staff as the Volunteer Coordinator.
On our way home from here was had a good laugh when Kevin asked Kent if he could legally marry people. Kent responded by saying "I can marry anyone I want." Bethany then piped in by saying "But Kent, aren't you married to Christine?!?!" And yes she was totally serious!
We have had such a great week serving in Hollywood but look forward to a day at the beach tomorrow then home on Saturday! See you soon and thanks for all of your prayers and support!
Love,
Bethany & Kelly
Its been a while and we've done a lot! We will back track a bit to Tuesday. The youth were very excited because they thought we were going out for dinner, which in a way we were. The challenge was to have our group well fed with one dollar each. We were put into groups and could put all our money together, we could also find other ways to earn more money as well. Our group didn't come up with any great ideas to get more money, except when Bethany asked someone for a dollar. We also ran into a newly wed Christian couple who were doing a web documentary funded by Chick-fill-A. It was about love and what it meant to different people. Kevin was interviewed and said Jesus was love! After the interview we talked with them about what we were doing, and they thought it was really cool. Our other group ended up singing some songs to get extra money which raised a total of $37. Our DOOR leader Matthew said that was the most anyone had ever received. We were very proud of them! If you click on DOOR above you'll see a write up about the groups here this week and a photo of our group!
On Wednesday we had a good day helping with some small projects at PATH Hollywood and at the DOOR house. The other group was at L.A. Food Bank where they worked hard. After our day of work it was a free evening to go out and have some fun, and boy did we ever! We went to The Cheesecake Factory in Beverly Hills for dinner where we had amazing food and great service from our new friend Gabe. After our wonderful meal we decided to take a walk around the Santa Monica Pier. Some people went on rides, got some ice cream and hit by a HUGE (Beth says) wave. It was such a cool experience to be surrounded by all the lights and excitement of the pier. On our way back to the church we got slightly lost, when I say slightly I really mean for about 2 hours. It was actually so much fun driving around, jammin to some tunes, and having a good laugh when Taylor got caught on a green light during Chinese fire drill!
Today was by far our favourite day as we went to Union Rescue Mission - "The Way Home", where we met some amazing people. Jennifer- the lady of the kitchen, was definitely the mother of all the men there. She loved us and we loved her as soon as we started talking. She was so honest with us and truly loved God. Sam is another of our new friends and he was such a gentleman, caring, and so glad we were there. We were lucky to be able to get a quick tour at the end from a man named Andy. He used to be a client of the mission after being in and out of jail and into drugs and gangs. He truly showed us how God works to change peoples lives. It was neat to see him on staff as the Volunteer Coordinator.
On our way home from here was had a good laugh when Kevin asked Kent if he could legally marry people. Kent responded by saying "I can marry anyone I want." Bethany then piped in by saying "But Kent, aren't you married to Christine?!?!" And yes she was totally serious!
We have had such a great week serving in Hollywood but look forward to a day at the beach tomorrow then home on Saturday! See you soon and thanks for all of your prayers and support!
Love,
Bethany & Kelly
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
My friend Alby and the beard!
Hey for today!
We are still having great weather here in L.A. and a wonderful time together. Today our group went to the L.A. Food Bank where we put together food kits to give to people around L.A. We worked very hard today and ended up putting together about 1900 food kits! We also had a bit of entertainment from Kent, unfortunately not everyone liked it. Our other group went back to Project Angel Food and then helped with a garden project in the afternoon.
Last night we were privileged to meet an amazing man. His name is Albert but we called him Alby. He is a homeless man in the Hollywood area who came to chat with us about being homeless. He told us that there is a saying among people in Los Angeles: "Your one pay cheque away from being homeless." To think about that and about how true it is for people here really hit me. We talked with Alby about not only him but about other homeless people and how we should act or treat them. He basically told us that they are so used to being ignored and shut out that just saying hi can make their day. We were also told that you can not go to the aluminum recycling if you don't have a car. Which completely shuts out the homeless community with their shopping carts.
Having this chat with Alby made me very excited for our work tomorrow with a group called PATH Hollywood where we get to go and talk with some homeless people. It should be a great day tomorrow so we will find another Starbucks so that we can fill you in again.
To view new pictures from our time at Agua Viva and a bit of San Diego click here.
-Kelly
p.s. One of the funniest moments of this week so far that everyone was too scared to post about was when Kevin HAD to shave. Thursday we went to La Bufador Kevin told a few of us that he had to shave that morning. We had to laugh considering the fact that none of us saw any hair on his face. So we challenged him to not shave for the next he agreed to is. But yesterday we were on breakfast duty and all of a sudden Kevin was gone. After about 15 minutes of us working without him he shows up and tells us that he had to shave, he said his hair was getting way too long. It was literally 2mm's long!!! HAHA
We are still having great weather here in L.A. and a wonderful time together. Today our group went to the L.A. Food Bank where we put together food kits to give to people around L.A. We worked very hard today and ended up putting together about 1900 food kits! We also had a bit of entertainment from Kent, unfortunately not everyone liked it. Our other group went back to Project Angel Food and then helped with a garden project in the afternoon.
Last night we were privileged to meet an amazing man. His name is Albert but we called him Alby. He is a homeless man in the Hollywood area who came to chat with us about being homeless. He told us that there is a saying among people in Los Angeles: "Your one pay cheque away from being homeless." To think about that and about how true it is for people here really hit me. We talked with Alby about not only him but about other homeless people and how we should act or treat them. He basically told us that they are so used to being ignored and shut out that just saying hi can make their day. We were also told that you can not go to the aluminum recycling if you don't have a car. Which completely shuts out the homeless community with their shopping carts.
Having this chat with Alby made me very excited for our work tomorrow with a group called PATH Hollywood where we get to go and talk with some homeless people. It should be a great day tomorrow so we will find another Starbucks so that we can fill you in again.
To view new pictures from our time at Agua Viva and a bit of San Diego click here.
-Kelly
p.s. One of the funniest moments of this week so far that everyone was too scared to post about was when Kevin HAD to shave. Thursday we went to La Bufador Kevin told a few of us that he had to shave that morning. We had to laugh considering the fact that none of us saw any hair on his face. So we challenged him to not shave for the next he agreed to is. But yesterday we were on breakfast duty and all of a sudden Kevin was gone. After about 15 minutes of us working without him he shows up and tells us that he had to shave, he said his hair was getting way too long. It was literally 2mm's long!!! HAHA
Monday, July 19, 2010
Where Art Thou Wallet?
Hey guys we are chilling at a Starbucks on La Brea and Santa Monica, after spending the morning helping to prepare 1600 meals with Project Angel Food. We started our morning there by watching a music video on how we can all volunteer. "Hairspray" style. You can watch the video by clicking here. This organization provides thousands of meals for the terminally or critically ill every day. People who suffer with HIV/Aids, cancer, diabetes, etc. The meals are prepared mainly by volunteers in a kitchen that could be featured on TLC. Then more volunteers go city wide to deliver the meals either warm, or frozen. We we're all very impressed with the efficiency of Project Angel Food!
Before our lunch break Kevin had to rescue Kent's wallet from the deep dark interior of the van's siding. Many questioned how Kent could possible rip apart the van's siding and drop his wallet into the 4 inch hole. But 30 minutes later and after prying apart the siding from underneath, Kent was once again a high roller.
It was great to have a much needed restful morning yesterday before we arrived at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood.The expansive campus is often used to film TV shows, and movies. We were led through an orientation meeting by Matthew, and Lou-Trice. They have a real heart for the people of the city of Los Angeles and we look forward to learning more about the issues people face.
Please continue to pray for us and our group! To see picture of our first few days at Agua Viva click here. We'll try to add photos from the rest of our time in Mexico and the start of Hollywood soon.
Love,
Kevin, Laura, and Kent
Before our lunch break Kevin had to rescue Kent's wallet from the deep dark interior of the van's siding. Many questioned how Kent could possible rip apart the van's siding and drop his wallet into the 4 inch hole. But 30 minutes later and after prying apart the siding from underneath, Kent was once again a high roller.
It was great to have a much needed restful morning yesterday before we arrived at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood.The expansive campus is often used to film TV shows, and movies. We were led through an orientation meeting by Matthew, and Lou-Trice. They have a real heart for the people of the city of Los Angeles and we look forward to learning more about the issues people face.
Please continue to pray for us and our group! To see picture of our first few days at Agua Viva click here. We'll try to add photos from the rest of our time in Mexico and the start of Hollywood soon.
Love,
Kevin, Laura, and Kent
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Week 2 Itinerary
Hi there! Well its late (again) but I wanted to post our itinerary for week two of our journey before I hit the hay. We all enjoyed a day off and look forward to the week ahead. Here is what will be up to next week:
Sunday, July 18th
12:30 p.m. Arrive at LAX to drop off Christine Liam, Brontë, and Mark; pick up Josh & Andrew
1:30 Laundry time!
6:00 Arrive at Discovering Opportunities for Outreach & Reflection (DOOR)
Monday, July 19th - Friday, July 23rd
Ministry and education in the Hollywood, California area including food banks, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, etc.
Saturday, July 24th
4:00 a.m. Good morning!
4:30 Depart DOOR
5:15 Arrive LAX
7:25 Depart on Allegiant Air flight # 346 to Fargo, North Dakota
Please note: The following times are listed in Central Daylight Times, which is Winnipeg time.
12:45 p.m. Arrive at Hector International Airport - Fargo, North Dakota
5:00 (approximate) Arrive at ACC
Please pray for energy and unity for us as a team, as it isn't always easy to live and work in close proximity to many people for an extended period of time. May we be people who consider the needs of others before ourselves and offer and receive forgiveness when needed. Pray that our ministry will be effective this week and that we will learn to "walk a mile" in many people's shoes. Thanks again for all your love and support. We'll try to blog if possible tomorrow. God bless!
Kent
Sunday, July 18th
12:30 p.m. Arrive at LAX to drop off Christine Liam, Brontë, and Mark; pick up Josh & Andrew
1:30 Laundry time!
6:00 Arrive at Discovering Opportunities for Outreach & Reflection (DOOR)
Monday, July 19th - Friday, July 23rd
Ministry and education in the Hollywood, California area including food banks, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, etc.
Saturday, July 24th
4:00 a.m. Good morning!
4:30 Depart DOOR
5:15 Arrive LAX
7:25 Depart on Allegiant Air flight # 346 to Fargo, North Dakota
Please note: The following times are listed in Central Daylight Times, which is Winnipeg time.
12:45 p.m. Arrive at Hector International Airport - Fargo, North Dakota
5:00 (approximate) Arrive at ACC
Please pray for energy and unity for us as a team, as it isn't always easy to live and work in close proximity to many people for an extended period of time. May we be people who consider the needs of others before ourselves and offer and receive forgiveness when needed. Pray that our ministry will be effective this week and that we will learn to "walk a mile" in many people's shoes. Thanks again for all your love and support. We'll try to blog if possible tomorrow. God bless!
Kent
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Surfing U.S.A (Beach Boys)
Hey guys its Kevin Schmidt here, we are in the San Diego area. We just finished our first week of our two week mission trip. I think I speak for all of us when I say it was an eye opening experience! The hospitality and appreciation the Mexican people have for everything you do is just something we haven't experienced. The people have a great passion and the Church's are filled with people on fire for God.
The week started with excitement as we chased two mice out of our cabins, and couldn't have ended better as we attended Pastor Marcos' Church Thursday night. Attending the worship service was an honour. Although none of us speak Spanish (except for Mark), the one thing we shared in common was that we're all brothers and sisters in Christ. Singing and dancing with the people was an experience I will never forget. It was by far the highlight of my trip so far.
Another highlight was playing soccer with kids, teenagers, and adults from the local area. It's clear to see that soccer is their game, as 5 and 6 year old children bolted by us, volleying the ball over our heads. Although we put up a good fight, in the end it just wasn't enough. I won't lie, a small piece of my heart broke when they scored the final goal, but I think we earned their respect for trying our hardest and coming close.
All in all it was an awesome week! I would love to return to Mexico as a summer staff at Agua Viva next year to see how God has continued to work in Ensenada, and to have more time to polish my soccer skills.
As for today not too much really happened. We drove for many hours, most of which was spent being asked to buy Disney replicas as we waited to cross the border into the United States. We then went surfing in California which is something most of us dreamed of since we heard the Beach Boys sing about how much fun it was. It was also a good chance for to even out our farmer tans after wearing shirts all week. The day finished with us going to Gateway Church where we are spending the night.
Good night Winnipeg! By the way Riley, Carlos (Carl`s) Junior burgers may very well be better than Whoppers.
The week started with excitement as we chased two mice out of our cabins, and couldn't have ended better as we attended Pastor Marcos' Church Thursday night. Attending the worship service was an honour. Although none of us speak Spanish (except for Mark), the one thing we shared in common was that we're all brothers and sisters in Christ. Singing and dancing with the people was an experience I will never forget. It was by far the highlight of my trip so far.
Another highlight was playing soccer with kids, teenagers, and adults from the local area. It's clear to see that soccer is their game, as 5 and 6 year old children bolted by us, volleying the ball over our heads. Although we put up a good fight, in the end it just wasn't enough. I won't lie, a small piece of my heart broke when they scored the final goal, but I think we earned their respect for trying our hardest and coming close.
All in all it was an awesome week! I would love to return to Mexico as a summer staff at Agua Viva next year to see how God has continued to work in Ensenada, and to have more time to polish my soccer skills.
As for today not too much really happened. We drove for many hours, most of which was spent being asked to buy Disney replicas as we waited to cross the border into the United States. We then went surfing in California which is something most of us dreamed of since we heard the Beach Boys sing about how much fun it was. It was also a good chance for to even out our farmer tans after wearing shirts all week. The day finished with us going to Gateway Church where we are spending the night.
Good night Winnipeg! By the way Riley, Carlos (Carl`s) Junior burgers may very well be better than Whoppers.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Sleepless in Ensenada!
Its 12:47 a.m. our time so I need to keep this short. Besides, the power is off at the camp so my laptop is attracting all sorts of bugs that necessitates this being brief.
We were out all day and only arrived back at Agua Viva at approximately 10:45 p.m. local time. We finished our last DVBS ministry Thursday morning at Pastor Armando's church and then headed to La Bufadora for some shopping and witnessing the blow hole first hand. Everyone enjoyed purchasing items from the market people who somehow gave each of us "special" prices just for "you." I even received a "missionary" discount of 40 % for one item I purchased. The youth enjoyed bartering and the whole Mexican shopping experience! One even bought a Nacho Libre style wrestling mask and wore it for about an hour in the van on the drive back. I won't mention who as it is a gift for a family member.
After our time at La Bufadora we headed for some ice cream and then on to Pastor Garcia's house for a burrito supper. This was the house that our group began working on two years ago and it was neat to see the progress made and to meet with Pastor Garcia again.
Then we were off to the evening church service at the Great King church, which is where Pastor Marcos ministers. Nigel and Elisa did a wonderful job sharing their testimonies and I had had the privilege of sharing a message to this wonderful congregation. The worship was lively and the passion for Christ that our Mexican brothers and sisters exhibit is both humbling and encouraging. I'm not sure ACC is quite ready for dancing and jumping around, but our team sure enjoyed our time! We ended our day by enjoying some food at Carl's Jr. or as we like to say, Carlos Jr.
Later this morning we need to pack up and head for San Diego and surfing for some of our team and the beach for the rest, Please pray for safe travels and that the border crossing will go smooth.
Everyone has enjoyed their time in Ensenada and we will miss our Mexican & American amigos! Thank you for your love and support. Please know that the youth have truly worked hard this week and I am very impressed by their dedication and the ministry they have been involved in.
Adios! I'll try to get a few of the youth to write tomorrow and upload pictures this weekend, once we find a fast Internet connection.
Muchas gracias!
Kent
We were out all day and only arrived back at Agua Viva at approximately 10:45 p.m. local time. We finished our last DVBS ministry Thursday morning at Pastor Armando's church and then headed to La Bufadora for some shopping and witnessing the blow hole first hand. Everyone enjoyed purchasing items from the market people who somehow gave each of us "special" prices just for "you." I even received a "missionary" discount of 40 % for one item I purchased. The youth enjoyed bartering and the whole Mexican shopping experience! One even bought a Nacho Libre style wrestling mask and wore it for about an hour in the van on the drive back. I won't mention who as it is a gift for a family member.
After our time at La Bufadora we headed for some ice cream and then on to Pastor Garcia's house for a burrito supper. This was the house that our group began working on two years ago and it was neat to see the progress made and to meet with Pastor Garcia again.
Then we were off to the evening church service at the Great King church, which is where Pastor Marcos ministers. Nigel and Elisa did a wonderful job sharing their testimonies and I had had the privilege of sharing a message to this wonderful congregation. The worship was lively and the passion for Christ that our Mexican brothers and sisters exhibit is both humbling and encouraging. I'm not sure ACC is quite ready for dancing and jumping around, but our team sure enjoyed our time! We ended our day by enjoying some food at Carl's Jr. or as we like to say, Carlos Jr.
Later this morning we need to pack up and head for San Diego and surfing for some of our team and the beach for the rest, Please pray for safe travels and that the border crossing will go smooth.
Everyone has enjoyed their time in Ensenada and we will miss our Mexican & American amigos! Thank you for your love and support. Please know that the youth have truly worked hard this week and I am very impressed by their dedication and the ministry they have been involved in.
Adios! I'll try to get a few of the youth to write tomorrow and upload pictures this weekend, once we find a fast Internet connection.
Muchas gracias!
Kent
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Its Hump Day!!!
Hola!
Today was a busy day, starting with a special breakfast at 7:45 and ending with a time of sharing with our Ohio friends tonight.
Our early breakfast today was a chance to get to know more about Agua Viva from the directors Brent and Allison. They talked a little about the churches they work with, some of which we are helping this week.
We then went back to Pastor Armando's church for another DVBS, where we talked about loving your neighbor. The children seemed a lot more comfortable with us today, which was really great to see. We also had a slight mix up in our memory verse which made the children laugh at us quite a bit.
After an amazing lunch at a favouritetaco stand and some wonderful Mexican ice cream, we went with Pastor Marcos' church to play a huge 11 on 11 game of soccer with another youth group. It was extremely hot today and everyone was very sweaty and dirty. Christine also prepared some crafts for the people who didn't want to play soccer, I learnt that these people are very crafty. The cards they made were so colourful and precisely assembled to their liking. I was blown away by how much they loved doing the crafts and how great they were.
We were a little late getting back after all this- and honestly running late is now very common for us. But after we ate and cleaned up a bit we had some time to worship with our new Ohio friends and share a bit with them.
All in all it was a good day, except that Elisa and I just found... and killed a praying mantis. Please keep praying for our health and safety, and also please comment on the blog, Kent is getting a little sad :(
-Kelly
Today was a busy day, starting with a special breakfast at 7:45 and ending with a time of sharing with our Ohio friends tonight.
Our early breakfast today was a chance to get to know more about Agua Viva from the directors Brent and Allison. They talked a little about the churches they work with, some of which we are helping this week.
We then went back to Pastor Armando's church for another DVBS, where we talked about loving your neighbor. The children seemed a lot more comfortable with us today, which was really great to see. We also had a slight mix up in our memory verse which made the children laugh at us quite a bit.
After an amazing lunch at a favouritetaco stand and some wonderful Mexican ice cream, we went with Pastor Marcos' church to play a huge 11 on 11 game of soccer with another youth group. It was extremely hot today and everyone was very sweaty and dirty. Christine also prepared some crafts for the people who didn't want to play soccer, I learnt that these people are very crafty. The cards they made were so colourful and precisely assembled to their liking. I was blown away by how much they loved doing the crafts and how great they were.
We were a little late getting back after all this- and honestly running late is now very common for us. But after we ate and cleaned up a bit we had some time to worship with our new Ohio friends and share a bit with them.
All in all it was a good day, except that Elisa and I just found... and killed a praying mantis. Please keep praying for our health and safety, and also please comment on the blog, Kent is getting a little sad :(
-Kelly
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Fiesta!
So today at Maneadero Church we played a lot of soccer with the youth. They were very enthusiastic. It was a hard time trying to communicate with the people here. Our little melodrama was very well done; The Story of Noah's Ark. After, Kent's group went back to help Agua Viva with construction: mostly with roofing. Mark(ito), Kim, and Kelly's group went to do soccer ministry with Pastor Marco's church youth, We only lost by two to the very skillful youth! Kevin and Mark shared their testimony about God in their life. After the work was done, the Agua Viva staff had a special event, sort of like a fiesta including a jail. Kent got "arrested" twice. We played games that helped raise money to go to Agua Viva ministries. We are planning for a great day tomorrow and rest of the trip.
We really enjoy Mexico and helping with the communities here, having different experiences, and doing things we've never done before. A highlight of the trip was a hike yesterday with the Ohio youth group here at Agua Viva. The view was amazing and peaceful. The temperature here is one memory that we will probably never forget. It's scalding hot, especially on the dining hall roof where we were working this afternoon.
Today has been great and we look forward to another great day and TACO'S manana (tomorrow). -Nigel and Ian
We really enjoy Mexico and helping with the communities here, having different experiences, and doing things we've never done before. A highlight of the trip was a hike yesterday with the Ohio youth group here at Agua Viva. The view was amazing and peaceful. The temperature here is one memory that we will probably never forget. It's scalding hot, especially on the dining hall roof where we were working this afternoon.
Today has been great and we look forward to another great day and TACO'S manana (tomorrow). -Nigel and Ian
Day One
IT"S THE CANADIANS!!! A phrase that is often said by our new friends here on the ranch that originate from Ohio. It's great to be here in Mexico, making friends with people who share the same beliefs.
Our first day consisted of three things. First everyone in our group went to a small church to work with the kids in a DVBS program. The pastor Armando and his wife Ava welcomed us with open arms and tears of joy. It was great to interact with the children of Mexico despite the language barrier.
After this, we split up into two teams and one team went to a different church to play soccer and the other group came back to the ranch to help with construction work. Our group went to play soccer and we got destroyed by the kids that were there. It was a lot of running in the heat but I think that a good time was had by all. The pastor Marcos and his wife shared shared with us their plans for the church and the area including their hope to buy an abandoned drug house to turn into a rehab centre and a multi-purpose ministry centre. To buy this place they will need 300000 pesos which is roughly 24,000 dollars American.
By the look of Kevin's blistered hands, the construction work was a lot of work. The other team was required to build three 50ft long, 16 inches deep trenches.
Have fun at home everyone!
~Elisa and Bethany
Our first day consisted of three things. First everyone in our group went to a small church to work with the kids in a DVBS program. The pastor Armando and his wife Ava welcomed us with open arms and tears of joy. It was great to interact with the children of Mexico despite the language barrier.
After this, we split up into two teams and one team went to a different church to play soccer and the other group came back to the ranch to help with construction work. Our group went to play soccer and we got destroyed by the kids that were there. It was a lot of running in the heat but I think that a good time was had by all. The pastor Marcos and his wife shared shared with us their plans for the church and the area including their hope to buy an abandoned drug house to turn into a rehab centre and a multi-purpose ministry centre. To buy this place they will need 300000 pesos which is roughly 24,000 dollars American.
By the look of Kevin's blistered hands, the construction work was a lot of work. The other team was required to build three 50ft long, 16 inches deep trenches.
Have fun at home everyone!
~Elisa and Bethany
Monday, July 12, 2010
Safe & sound in Ensenada
Hi there! Just a quick note to say that everything went well over the past two days during our journey to Ensenada and Agua Viva. We had no problems over the border crossings and we are all excited about our first day of ministry!
Got to run to drive to our DVBS church. We'll blog later tonight. Thanks for all of your love and prayers!
Kent
Got to run to drive to our DVBS church. We'll blog later tonight. Thanks for all of your love and prayers!
Kent
Friday, July 9, 2010
Week 1 Itinerary
¡Hola! Well in approximately 14.5 hours we depart and as promised, here is our itinerary for week número uno:
Saturday, July 10th
7:00 a.m. Arrive at ACC and load vans
7:15 Group prayer time
7:30 depart ACC
11:00 Arrive at Hector International Airport - Fargo , North Dakota
1:25 p.m. Depart on Allegiant Air flight # 347 to Los Angeles, California
Please note: The following times are listed in Pacific Daylight Time. Please add two hours for Winnipeg time.
2:55 Arrive at Los Angeles International Airport
We will be staying at Gateway Church in El Cajon, California.
Sunday, July 11th
8:00 a.m. Good morning!
8:30 Breakfast
10:15 Worship service
11:45 Lunch
12:30 p.m. Depart for Rancho Agua Viva!
5:00 (approximate) Arrive at Rancho Agua Viva!
Monday, July 12th - Thursday, July 15th
Ministry in the Ensenada, Mexico area including Vacation Bible School, construction, sports and youth ministry, testimonies, church service, etc.
Friday, July 16th
10:00 a.m. Depart Rancho Agua Viva
1:00 p.m. (approximate) Arrive in San Diego, California
In the afternoon some of our team will be taking surfing lessons,while the rest of us less adventurous types will hit the beach and do some shopping. In the evening we will have our week one debriefing meeting and prayer time over pizza dinner. We will be staying at Gateway Church in El Cajon, California again.
I'll be posting the itinerary for our second week sometime next Friday or Saturday. Please feel free to leave any comments for our team as we'll be writing updates throughout our trip. We'll be sure to pass your greetings and messages on to our team. Thanks again for all of your support and prayers! Hasta la próxima vez.
Saturday, July 10th
7:00 a.m. Arrive at ACC and load vans
7:15 Group prayer time
7:30 depart ACC
11:00 Arrive at Hector International Airport - Fargo , North Dakota
1:25 p.m. Depart on Allegiant Air flight # 347 to Los Angeles, California
Please note: The following times are listed in Pacific Daylight Time. Please add two hours for Winnipeg time.
2:55 Arrive at Los Angeles International Airport
We will be staying at Gateway Church in El Cajon, California.
Sunday, July 11th
8:00 a.m. Good morning!
8:30 Breakfast
10:15 Worship service
11:45 Lunch
12:30 p.m. Depart for Rancho Agua Viva!
5:00 (approximate) Arrive at Rancho Agua Viva!
Monday, July 12th - Thursday, July 15th
Ministry in the Ensenada, Mexico area including Vacation Bible School, construction, sports and youth ministry, testimonies, church service, etc.
Friday, July 16th
10:00 a.m. Depart Rancho Agua Viva
1:00 p.m. (approximate) Arrive in San Diego, California
In the afternoon some of our team will be taking surfing lessons,while the rest of us less adventurous types will hit the beach and do some shopping. In the evening we will have our week one debriefing meeting and prayer time over pizza dinner. We will be staying at Gateway Church in El Cajon, California again.
I'll be posting the itinerary for our second week sometime next Friday or Saturday. Please feel free to leave any comments for our team as we'll be writing updates throughout our trip. We'll be sure to pass your greetings and messages on to our team. Thanks again for all of your support and prayers! Hasta la próxima vez.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Not So Cheap Trek 2010!
On Saturday, July 10th our team will depart for our two weeks of ministry in Ensenada, Mexico & Hollywood, California! A lot of prayer, preparation, training, ministry excursions, and fundraising has taken place over the past year. I am thankful for our wonderful team of youth and leaders, as well as our every supportive parents and family at ACC. We truly couldn't have done this without all of your love and encouragement - ¡Muchas gracias.
During our first week we will be serving at Agua Viva Ministries, which is located approximately 20 kms South of Ensenada, Mexico. There we'll serve by implementing a children's Vacation Bible School program each morning, various construction projects, soccer ministry with children and young people, and also have the wonderful opportunity to run programs in a juvenile prison. We'll also have opportunities to share testimonies in the prison as well as a local church. Please pray that we'll have an effective ministry and serve the people of Mexico with great love, respect, and humility. Please also pray for safe travels and overall safety and health during this first week of our trip.
Our second week of service will bring us to Hollywood, California and the Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR) program. Here we'll have the opportunity to participate in various urban ministries including homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, etc. We'll also have evening sessions that will help us better understand the issues of urban life and how to "See the face of God in the city!" Please continue to pray for safety and team unity as we'll be spending most of our days together in close proximity. Pray that we'll be open to seeing things from different perspectives and that we'll have compassion for everyone we'll encounter.
On behalf of our group thanks again for your love, concern, and support! I will post our itinerary in a few days. You are invited to join us for a brief send off and prayer on Saturday at 7:15 a.m. at ACC.
Kent
During our first week we will be serving at Agua Viva Ministries, which is located approximately 20 kms South of Ensenada, Mexico. There we'll serve by implementing a children's Vacation Bible School program each morning, various construction projects, soccer ministry with children and young people, and also have the wonderful opportunity to run programs in a juvenile prison. We'll also have opportunities to share testimonies in the prison as well as a local church. Please pray that we'll have an effective ministry and serve the people of Mexico with great love, respect, and humility. Please also pray for safe travels and overall safety and health during this first week of our trip.
Our second week of service will bring us to Hollywood, California and the Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection (DOOR) program. Here we'll have the opportunity to participate in various urban ministries including homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, etc. We'll also have evening sessions that will help us better understand the issues of urban life and how to "See the face of God in the city!" Please continue to pray for safety and team unity as we'll be spending most of our days together in close proximity. Pray that we'll be open to seeing things from different perspectives and that we'll have compassion for everyone we'll encounter.
On behalf of our group thanks again for your love, concern, and support! I will post our itinerary in a few days. You are invited to join us for a brief send off and prayer on Saturday at 7:15 a.m. at ACC.
Kent
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