I finally made it. After 5 years and over 35 days of looking at Mt. Kernel, today was the day I made it to the top. I did not and could not have made it alone...in fact there were many times I would have been happy to quit but my friends wouldn't let me. Erin, Chris Mullenhour, Tyler Martin, Kaleb Spicer, Jake Ditmer, Kent VanFossen, Derick Latimer and Natalie Gossard were incredible teammates. WE hiked for 4 hours straight up and then straight down. It was seriously one of the most intense hikes of my life. We had a blast though. We talked a lot, we read Psalm 121 on the top, we took lots of pictures and all in all it was so worth it. Nothing could spoil it...
...until 20 minutes from the end of our hike, almost nearing the orphanage someone mentioned one of the other people that they THOUGHT were supposed to come with us but didn't. As we talked we quickly realized that him not being with us on the mountain may not have been the biggest worry. We may have left him in Tijuana (45 minutes away). It was true. Mitch Paulus was left behind.
My heart sank. As much as I was excited, I was that crushed because I SOOO wanted him to be there with me and I was responsible for leaving him. (he tried catching us as one of our Mexican friends, Balta, drove 100 miles and hour trying to catch us). I realized that my joys in life are really not joys without those that want the same for their life there too.
Mitch gave me a hard time for a while but after pampering him all night and stroking his ego with my words, he has given me reprieve. Actually, he has been more than generous and considers the conversation with Balta worth a ton.
I told him I'll hike it with him next year!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Coming Home
I must first apologize for the lack of posts lately. Believe it or not, we actually get busy on missions trips and when faced with the decision of writing or sleeping or writing vs. playing with our new friends, writing inevitably lost. Lo siento.
We have been hard at it. On Saturday, we all stayed in Tijuana and did a million little but necessary projects around this home. We organized tool sheds, we fixed bikes, we deep cleaned rooms, some guys installed shower curtains, new sinks, mirrors and a bathroom overhaul, others organized and cleaned closets. It was all thankless but in it we were serving Jesus. That night, 9 of us went to the home of Nicolas the pastor here to stay for the night. I'll try to get someone to share at some point on what that night meant, but needless to say, this humble giving man opened his little home to our travelers...and in doing so became Jesus to us all. His wife, Candi served them 2 incredible meals and the kids gave up their beds so our group could sleep there.
While they were they about 15 of us drove through the Red Light District of Tijuana. I will not even try to describe it but instead tell you about what God did through it. The girls learned about what it means to be God's treasure and to never let anything or anyone lessen that and the guys learned what it means to love unconditionally, what we should be giving our lives to prevent and how to care for women in the world.
The next night, we switched. More went to Nicolas' house, the rest to the Red Zone. In the middle was the city dump, church, some hang time, and lots and lots of beans and rice.
I don't want to diminish any of those, but their stories are too grand for one post.
Our final day has been spent reconnecting with the Mexicans, processing our weeks, laughing a lot and one incredible hike. More to come later...I may write a bit on our flight tomorrow.
Dan
We have been hard at it. On Saturday, we all stayed in Tijuana and did a million little but necessary projects around this home. We organized tool sheds, we fixed bikes, we deep cleaned rooms, some guys installed shower curtains, new sinks, mirrors and a bathroom overhaul, others organized and cleaned closets. It was all thankless but in it we were serving Jesus. That night, 9 of us went to the home of Nicolas the pastor here to stay for the night. I'll try to get someone to share at some point on what that night meant, but needless to say, this humble giving man opened his little home to our travelers...and in doing so became Jesus to us all. His wife, Candi served them 2 incredible meals and the kids gave up their beds so our group could sleep there.
While they were they about 15 of us drove through the Red Light District of Tijuana. I will not even try to describe it but instead tell you about what God did through it. The girls learned about what it means to be God's treasure and to never let anything or anyone lessen that and the guys learned what it means to love unconditionally, what we should be giving our lives to prevent and how to care for women in the world.
The next night, we switched. More went to Nicolas' house, the rest to the Red Zone. In the middle was the city dump, church, some hang time, and lots and lots of beans and rice.
I don't want to diminish any of those, but their stories are too grand for one post.
Our final day has been spent reconnecting with the Mexicans, processing our weeks, laughing a lot and one incredible hike. More to come later...I may write a bit on our flight tomorrow.
Dan
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Friday Thoughts...From Chris Mullenhour
Time has been absolutely flying by. First I would like to tell you what some of us have been working on. Kent VanFossen, Jacob Ditmer and I had the privilege to work with a group from Monroe, OH and another gentlemen (Alen) on installing solar panels for the new orphanage in Rosarito. We had to climb up onto a sloped structure and install 6 panels, then a seventh on another building and and an eighth panel above the kitchen to power the freezer and fridge. It tested us physically and mentally. But we were able to get it all done in 2 days and the new orphanage was able to use the power from the solar panels yesterday. They turned off their diesel generator and let the sun power take care of them. It was awesome. I hear that it is pretty rare for a project to be started and completed to where we can see it's benefits immediately. So we are very blessed to see that complete. God is so good. Watching all the different projects being worked on and completed has been rewarding, but watching and experiencing what God is doing in each of us here is nothing but miraculous. It is amazing what changes in you when you get away from you everyday life and go somewhere just to serve them. I feel like there are no issues in my life right now. I know they will return when I return home. But why? Why can I live here not worrying about work, providing for my family, what's on tv tonight, but I can't do that at home? That's something for me and everyone else here to figure out.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Another Day...Did you Know
Did You Know...
...that your teenager is capable of using a jack-hammer to dig a trench? I saw 2 do it today.
...that your teenager can hang solar panels to give power to an 8-acre orphange? I saw one do it today.
...that your teenager can help 10 mexican kids smile by making beaded necklaces? I saw 15 do it today.
...that your teenager can build a wall that would keep the security of kids who have been broken secure? I saw 6 do it today.
...that your teenager cheerleader knows how to correctly pour the footings for a basketball court? I saw 2 of them do it today.
...that the whiny, hyper teenager in your house just volunteered to wash dishes for the entire orphanage instead of playing basketball? I just witnessed Jesus!
God has been huge here. We worked hard at the Rosarito campus, building a wall, pouring a floor, cleaning rooms, installing solar panels, doing dishes and more. We even spent some time as a group praying for the permit to come for the orphanage to be able to dig a well. God is huge and tonight we are just hanging with our new friends, sharing a bowl or two of ice cream before we head out to another busy day tomorrow. We love you and could use your prayers!
Dan
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
They're Here - From Dan
It's been a while since we posted...here's brief run through of why:
Monday 9 am - Went to Rosarito (no phone or internet) to play with the kids and build a wall and sand walls. Loads of fun. At 5:30, we all hiked to the top of the Mt. Kernel that I've been wanting to do for 5 years...but we only made it to the peak before the peak before we ran out of water and time. We were above the clouds though and we read scripture and prayed on top as the moisture in the clouds softened the pages. When we came down, we had a quick bologna sandwich, shower and bed at Rosarito. It is awesome to sleep in the bunks of the kids who mean so much to us already.
Tuesday - We woke up early for breakfast and then spent most of the day working on random projects in Rosarito until lunch and then spent a lot of time with the kids. It was awesome to see Laura (they called her Dora) find her niche with some girls and Zach (they called him EE-Sack or Isaac) with Daniel, Jesus and Oscar. They took his digital camera and took some awesome pics. We came back to Tijuana around 5 for dinner and then we had an incredible night. After dinner, we met in my room for a time of devotion where we examined Psalm 32...the difference between living unforgiven and coming clean. We prayed and then Zach and Laura and me prayed for every traveler coming, we anointed each other and then they anointed each vehicle, room, bathroom, common space and more asking God to be the group's protection and hiding place this week. (I have been tear-ey ever since). We crashed early and then...
Today - We left early to pick up our crew of 30 today. After a fun border crossing in 2 15-passenger vans and a Suburban, we excitedly picked everyone up. And we even had a little room to spare in the cars. We drove them to downtown, gave them 3 maps and an assignment to find a couple key things in downtown San Diego before hopping on the trolley and meeting us down 5 miles from the Tijuana border. Only one group got them all done but they all look energized. We arrived in TJ around 4 and had a group time, we unpacked, we played with kids, we watched the Mexico/Argentina Soccer game, we ate incredible food and as I type the kids are playing volleyball and an incredible jam session between 2 mexicans and 2 americans just ended in the chapel. Tomorrow the hard work begins in Rosarito as we head out early.
Love you all and thanks for your prayers.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
One Full Day
From Dan...
It's been a wonderful and typical first full day in Mexico...
One of the questions that arose during out team's preparation was "Are we invited down there or are we just going (invading)?" It was and is a great question, one that cannot be answered in a simple sentence but in the moment I remember saying, "You are invited not to what you think. You are invited into a relationship." Today typified that.
We began the day trying to go to church in the neighborhood next to the enormous city dump. I had researched it, talked to the pastor's wife about coming and we even drove and found it (which is a miracle since the directions said, "make a left on the next road after the blue building and if you reach one with ducks on them you've gone too far." Seriously. Those were the points of interest. Well anyway, when we got to the church, there was a note on the door saying, "Special Worship Sunday Night 6 pm." In other words, they had moved the morning worship until evening. (those pastor types, I tell you). In America, we would have yelled and screamed because we demand our churches to cater to us and so if it wasn't properly advertised using the radio, paper, internet and newsletter, we feel as if our rights were violated. We didn't have that luxury...we just turned around and headed back to the orphanage for church.
It was great. I could barely understand a word, but the 30 or so members that were there were really worshipping and engaged with the Word. I was privileged enough to be asked to pray at the end too (actually someone had to tell me in English that he had just asked me to pray in Spanish). it was fun.
Here's where the story comes together. From that point on until now (10 pm local time), we have DONE, aka ACCOMPLISHED nada, zero, nothing. No walls to build. No orphans to save. No prayer services. You see if we were to work on these days, then our Mexican hosts would too and they don't do that. They, instead watch football (soccer) (Mexico beat Paraguay and they literally had a superbowl-like celebration in the streets over a simple win...awesome), they hang out and talk, they eat, they engage with each other. And what I'm learning is that in that, they are engaging God in them and God in others. They were not rushed and neither were we. We just enjoyed.
Tonight Zach and Laura took some of the Mexican high school boys and girls to get pizza and ice cream. When I saw them after, they both were excited and I could tell that they had made connections that will change their lives. And imagine that all that happened without hammering one nail.
We were invited to relationship. We are invited to relationship. It's not about what we do. It's about Him.
Hasta luego.
It's been a wonderful and typical first full day in Mexico...
One of the questions that arose during out team's preparation was "Are we invited down there or are we just going (invading)?" It was and is a great question, one that cannot be answered in a simple sentence but in the moment I remember saying, "You are invited not to what you think. You are invited into a relationship." Today typified that.
We began the day trying to go to church in the neighborhood next to the enormous city dump. I had researched it, talked to the pastor's wife about coming and we even drove and found it (which is a miracle since the directions said, "make a left on the next road after the blue building and if you reach one with ducks on them you've gone too far." Seriously. Those were the points of interest. Well anyway, when we got to the church, there was a note on the door saying, "Special Worship Sunday Night 6 pm." In other words, they had moved the morning worship until evening. (those pastor types, I tell you). In America, we would have yelled and screamed because we demand our churches to cater to us and so if it wasn't properly advertised using the radio, paper, internet and newsletter, we feel as if our rights were violated. We didn't have that luxury...we just turned around and headed back to the orphanage for church.
It was great. I could barely understand a word, but the 30 or so members that were there were really worshipping and engaged with the Word. I was privileged enough to be asked to pray at the end too (actually someone had to tell me in English that he had just asked me to pray in Spanish). it was fun.
Here's where the story comes together. From that point on until now (10 pm local time), we have DONE, aka ACCOMPLISHED nada, zero, nothing. No walls to build. No orphans to save. No prayer services. You see if we were to work on these days, then our Mexican hosts would too and they don't do that. They, instead watch football (soccer) (Mexico beat Paraguay and they literally had a superbowl-like celebration in the streets over a simple win...awesome), they hang out and talk, they eat, they engage with each other. And what I'm learning is that in that, they are engaging God in them and God in others. They were not rushed and neither were we. We just enjoyed.
Tonight Zach and Laura took some of the Mexican high school boys and girls to get pizza and ice cream. When I saw them after, they both were excited and I could tell that they had made connections that will change their lives. And imagine that all that happened without hammering one nail.
We were invited to relationship. We are invited to relationship. It's not about what we do. It's about Him.
Hasta luego.
Reflections on Church from Zach
Matthew 18:21-22 - Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
Wow. Imagine your best friend (Frank) coming over to your house, getting in your purse/wallet and taking a dollar from you. You catch Frank in the act. Could you forgive him for what he did? Sure. It's just a dollar. Then you catch Frank again rooting through your handbag, with another dollar in his mouth as he's trying to close the clasp on the purse. What's this guys problem? I'd rip him a good one, and tell him to leave. Imagine Frank coming over to your house 490 times, and you catch him trying to steal a dollar each day. The Bible says our reaction each time should be to politely tell him to put it back and go in to drink some coffee or something. Forgive, forgive, forgive. What if, say, you're at a big carnival with Frank and he asks you to borrow 20 bucks to get a funnel cake. With the knowledge gained from Frank's history, I'd ask Frank if he's already taken it out of my wallet. But God tells us to give him the 20 dollars, and to trust that he'll be paying us back. Because that's what forgiveness is right? Forgiveness is totally erasing the wrongdoing that someone has caused us from our knowledge and to go on as if nothing happened. Could you forgive Frank???? Adios!
Wow. Imagine your best friend (Frank) coming over to your house, getting in your purse/wallet and taking a dollar from you. You catch Frank in the act. Could you forgive him for what he did? Sure. It's just a dollar. Then you catch Frank again rooting through your handbag, with another dollar in his mouth as he's trying to close the clasp on the purse. What's this guys problem? I'd rip him a good one, and tell him to leave. Imagine Frank coming over to your house 490 times, and you catch him trying to steal a dollar each day. The Bible says our reaction each time should be to politely tell him to put it back and go in to drink some coffee or something. Forgive, forgive, forgive. What if, say, you're at a big carnival with Frank and he asks you to borrow 20 bucks to get a funnel cake. With the knowledge gained from Frank's history, I'd ask Frank if he's already taken it out of my wallet. But God tells us to give him the 20 dollars, and to trust that he'll be paying us back. Because that's what forgiveness is right? Forgiveness is totally erasing the wrongdoing that someone has caused us from our knowledge and to go on as if nothing happened. Could you forgive Frank???? Adios!
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Bienvenido
Welcome to our world in Tijuana! Me (Dan), Zach and Laura safely arrived this afternoon into San Diego and drove through the ritzy, Hollister-clad city of the Padres, past the numerous naval yards and into the multi-colored world of Tijuana. The first thing I always notice is sight. The yellow facades...the bright blue churches...the red political signs are just everywhere. It truly is a world that is foreign to this suburban boy, but one that has and I pray, will bring more color into my life and into my world.
Zach's Thoughts:
Everything here is pink. The walls, the ceilings, I even noticed that someone had painted a tree pink. It is driving me nuts seeing within 100 ft. of each other, the huge buildings of San Diego, and then the little fenced in buildings of Tijuana...thats all for now.
Laura's turn -
I found out that Zach sleeps A LOT! On a more serious note. I liked seeing how much things have changed since last year. Every thing looks different, and I'm noticing things that I didn't notice before. I still can't believe how happy these kids are...they are most likely 10x happier than I am, and I have 10x more things then they do. That's all really.
We'll try to share our thoughts daily and add some pics tomorrow and then when the BIG group arrives on Wednesday, I'll update it when I can.
Dan and Crew
Zach's Thoughts:
Everything here is pink. The walls, the ceilings, I even noticed that someone had painted a tree pink. It is driving me nuts seeing within 100 ft. of each other, the huge buildings of San Diego, and then the little fenced in buildings of Tijuana...thats all for now.
Laura's turn -
I found out that Zach sleeps A LOT! On a more serious note. I liked seeing how much things have changed since last year. Every thing looks different, and I'm noticing things that I didn't notice before. I still can't believe how happy these kids are...they are most likely 10x happier than I am, and I have 10x more things then they do. That's all really.
We'll try to share our thoughts daily and add some pics tomorrow and then when the BIG group arrives on Wednesday, I'll update it when I can.
Dan and Crew
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