Youth Missions 2008-Saltillo & Monterrey Mexico

MISSION TRIP PICTURES

"This trip was truly a mission’s trip in every sense of the word. Yes, we spent time doing the usual work that everyone has come to think of as the norm for this type of trip but that was just the beginning. The trip went much deeper than that. We were challenged not only physically but spiritually as well. We were pushed out of our comfort zones and forced to dig down deep as we searched for the answer to the questions every Christian must come face to face with, “What is my mission in life? What has God called me to do to change the world?”

            The day by day journal you’ll read below barely scratches the surface of the magnitude and depth of the soul searching that occurred over the two weeks we spent away from home, free from the distractions of everyday life. Don’t be fooled, the trip wasn’t some vacation in the mountains of Mexico. You won’t read about the hours spent in prayer and bible study or about all the times we wanted to quit because it seemed too hard to keep going. You probably won’t realize that the activities which seem so trivial on the outside held huge spiritual significance and taught us life lessons which produced spiritual growth. You could easily miss the impact of spending two weeks walking in the footsteps of a missionary who has given his life to a people and culture not his own.

As you read remember there are many names not mentioned, many stories hidden between the lines still waiting to be told. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to meet the characters and hear the stories but if not remember this one thing, you too have a mission from God and your story is right in front of you, just waiting to be lived."

Day 1 "Well after 4 hours in the air and a sprint through the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport we’ve made it safe and sound. It was great to see Brian’s smiling face waiting on us in the airport in Monterrey. When we made it to the camp where we were staying I was amazed. The accommodations are way too nice for a mission’s trip!!! Not only do we have running water and electricity but we have hot showers, and the girls’ room even has air conditioning. The camp is nestled right in the middle of a beautiful desert mountain valley and the views are amazing."

Day 5 "Well we've made it to day 5 and everyone is still alive and well!!! The kids have adjusted nicely and the trip is running smoothing. We are doing whatever we can to help out RIBBI, a network of 16 churches in the area all started out of the mother church in Monterrey where my friend Brian Brown is pastor.

Our first project was to clean up the camp grounds which cover approximately 1385 acres. The average temperature is about 100 but with little or no humidity...think Las Vegas in June and you'll get an idea of what it's like here. Good thing we only had to cover about 20 acres worth! After we had finished Brian talked with us about the importance of cleaning up the trash in our lives even though it is often slow and tiresome work.

Our next project was to clean out a concrete holding tank that is used to store water for the camp. It was tough work but very rewarding...the concrete holding tank now serves as our own personal swimming pool.

The next day we spent cleaning out the goat pens. The smell was horrible and the heat was unbearable. It reminded me of something off of “Dirty Jobs” on the discovery channel. That evening we went into Saltillo. We split into groups with the youth group their and went door to door passing out flyers for the church there. Afterwards we went to a restaurant called Mr. T-bone for some authentic Mexican cuisine. It was amazing!!! We topped it all off with a Magnum bar (the best ice cream on the planet)

This morning we woke up and got ready for more cleaning, a second set of goat pens was waiting on us. This set was even worse than the first but we really turned it up a notch and finished in record time. I’ve never seen the group work this hard before as a team. Our early finish means we can spend the afternoon relaxing and maybe even go for a swim or take a nap."

Day 6 "This evening we are passing out flyers at a new church plant in Saltillo with Pastor Julio then went to eat at Burger King...yep you heard right I said burger king. The fact that they offered unlimited refills on Coke was the main motivator but it turned out to be pretty good. We all needed the caffeine."

Day 9 "Saturday (which happened to be Heather's and mine 5th anniversary) was spent relaxing at the camp. That afternoon we walked through downtown Saltillo, taking a tour of an amazing cathedral built in the early 1600’s, and seeing some local culture. That evening we went to youth group in Saltillo and learned how to play Chinese ping pong. It was amazing how similar that youth group thousands of miles away was to our own back in pueblo. Afterward we ate dinner at Las Brazas and enjoyed some live entertainment. We spent all day Sunday in church, first in Saltillo and then in Monterrey. We actually knew most of the songs so the kids just sang along in English. To hear all the voices blending as one in worship was nothing short of a truly heavenly experience. Monday morning we begin working on the pecan trees, clearing out the ground around each tree so that it could receive the water and nutrients it needed to grow and produce fruit. That afternoon we spent on the off-road course jetting around in dune buggies, then after dinner the girls pounded the guys in a game of flag football.This morning we went to the high ropes challenge course. It was a huge challenge for everyone (even me) but we all made it across the course which floats 30 ft in the air. Yep that's right EVERYONE made it across. Afterwards Brian sat us down and we discussed the importance of trusting God totally with our lives. After this morning we have a new found sense of confidence surrounding the team. What the rest of the week holds we don’t know but we're ready for anything!"

Day 11 "We're all still happy, healthy, and safe. We've been spending our mornings working on the pecan trees and our afternoons completing challenge courses designed by Brian and his brother Scott, a missionary in Mexico City, to teach us biblical truths such as the seven levels of discipleship, the 5 stages of the great commission, the impact of missions, developing leadership, and the importance of God's word in our lives. The weather has been amazing, after a hot first week I doubt it's gotten over 80 the past few days and this morning it's actually raining, which is very uncommon for this area but extremely refreshing.  

Although I feel like we haven't worked as hard physically this year as in years past this trip has been much more of a spiritual workout and the kids have been challenged repeatedly to be going spiritual deeper in their lives. The group has also come closer together as a team, getting to know each other on a deeper level."