Hello world!
I dont even know where to begin, this trip has been so exciting, life changing, and awesome. The last few days I have seen my team members stretched, changed, strengthened, and so much more. I am going to write in chronological order so that you can follow me easily.
Day one: Saturday
Sunday was our travel day, whether it was on a plane or in a car, we were sitting alot. Travel has become easy to me because I do it quite often, so basically when everyone else is loud and obnoxious at four o'clock in the morning, I am sleeping on every plane and in every airport. (I even started a trend of sleeping under the chairs during our layover in Minneapolis) Moral of the story- day one travel was awesome. Other than a loud first flight, everyone in the group did an awesome job staying together and being respectful of the many people that we encountered. WE DIDNT LOSE ANY PEOPLE! After a few hours of flying, we piled into four vans and headed off to eat at an awesome burger place called In and Out. Great burgers, fries, and milkshakes! Then we jumped back into the car and drove across the border into Mexico. After a scenic two hour drive we made it to the Envision site where the interns and missionaries were waiting for us.
Day two: Sunday
As our first official day in Ensenada, Mexico, we experienced the culture by attending five different church services. (The whole group divided into smaller groups which then traveled at different times to the various Alliance churches in the area) I attended a service that was held in the building that we are staying and I thoroughly enjoyed it. After figuring out the correct technique to stay awake, I understood more than 75% of the message. Our pastor could not make it to the service for some reason so his wife taught- what great teamwork! Anyways, she taught about how as Christians we are called to love, referencing tons of Bible verses. I thought it was awesome how she incorperated over 20 different verses into her message! She also explained that the Americans who were siting in the service (my group) care for and love the Mexicans so much that we sacrificed our time to come down and make a difference. It is so awesome to watch other church services because although you don't know the language completely, we are connected through the holy spirit and our love for Christ. And although we may not know all of the worship songs in Spanish, we know the words and phrases in English and can worship the same God.
Day three: Monday
Monday was our first day of work. After a group discussion with Pastor Scott followed by a time of prayer with the interns and missionaries, we had an awesome breakfast. Then we split into our groups and dispersed to our various sites. Some groups went to work on roofing of a house, others to a lady's house to pray with her, and others to work on building the second floor to a house. (There was also two other groups but I dont know exactly what they did) I was in the group that started the second floor to the pastor's house. Some team members painted siding, others cut wood, some began preparations for the second floor, others tore down dry wall. I had the opportunity to work alongside the pastor, working on cutting the stair stringer. We were able to work together and communicate really well which was awesome! After working for a few hours, a few members of the team jumped into the van, traveled back to the envision center to change and get ready for VBS, and drove to the VBS site. Then we gathered the children from their homes and played some games outside of the church. After singing a few songs, teaching a lesson, doing a skit, and then a craft, we went outside to play again with the kids and have a snack. After VBS was over, we ventured back to the Envision center for our dinner and evening activities (debrief, prayer, worship, etc). In all, the first day of work was amazing :)
Day four: Tuesday
I accidentally overslept through the optional devotions but made it down in time for prayer and breakfast. Just as the day before, we divided into groups and went our different ways. I went to the same house again because I went to VBS. After doing a few random jobs, I nailed down the plywood (second) floor to Renariou's house and painted siding. Just as the day before, a few of the team members hoped into the van and prepared for VBS. Another very successful VBS followed. Lots of playing with the kids at the beginning, then singing, a lesson, craft, and a snack. We did not have an opportunity to do the skit because we had to get back to the Envision site in time to leave for the beach. On a side note- the wonderful dirt roads make the potholes in Pittsburgh look like ants, and there is no site of white cars anywhere- everything is coated in dirt. Back to the brief description. Once every team has returned to the Envision center, we changed and got ready for the beach. After a lovely ride to the beach, we jumped over waves, ran in the sand, took pictures, had a ball, and then went back home. Then we did our daily debrief with prayer, testimonials, and worship. Day two again was fantastic!
Day five: Wednesday
We did it, we got to today! To begin the day we had our daily devotions and prayer time followed by breakfast. But instead of dividing, we stayed together and traveled to a market to barter our hearts out, and get you guys some great gifts ;) Some of the students and leaders bartered for the first time in their lives, and loved it. Then we traveled back to the Envision center to eat and divide into our groups. Again I headed off to VBS, where we had our best day yet. There were over 40 little kids singing to Jesus, learning about David and Goliath, and playing with the team members. After an awesome VBS we headed back to shower and get ready to eat dinner. Other groups slowly came back and also got ready for the night. We had an extra 30 minutes before dinner so some of us went to a market thing down the street (it was more like a garage sale where random people brought new and old things to sell under their tents). Then we had an awesome dinner and now I am finally finishing up my blog post.
I hope you guys have enjoyed my stories and brief descriptions, but a few other people need to use the computer. The students have been moved, stretched, and lives have been changed. I am so encouraged every night when I hear how Christ has worked in each person's life each day. The testimonials from this trip will be so exciting to hear! Get excited!
I hope everyone is doing as great as we are down here in Ensenada, Mexico. See you all soon.
In his hands,
~Rebecca Wakeley
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