Mexico

So I just got back from San Vicente, Baja Mexico. I really felt convicted to write something. I am just so awful bad at journaling. So I went down to Mexico last week with a team of 28 or so people I think. Ranging in ages from old to really young. We had the opportunity to host a festival for the town. The largest thing that town has ever seen.

As far as the festival went, it was real great. It was preceded by a lot of community work around town, repainting the school, jail, park, etc. the festival itself was made up of just a bunch of great fun and games for the children, air jumps and water slides just to let them have fun. All for free mind you. We got to make a bunch of bike jumps and had the privilege of hanging out with three guys from Murrieta (San Diego area, actually funny side story, the guys live down the street from the Pettengil family so we got to see them again on our way home) so the guys put on a fun bike demo and did some flips and spins if you know what I'm sayin, really getting the people pumped up. The last night of the festival we had a huge ministry night with worship and a message with a ministry time, kids falling on their knees in the glory of God. So awesome.

Like I had mentioned we did a lot of community work, it was a promise that was made to the community to just make improvements and build hope. So we did a lot of repainting, and moved a bunch of concrete. Hard work, tiring work, exhausting work. But it was soo good once we were done the people, so thankful for our work and really encouraged them to just see the hope in their city and start to play their parts in taking pride in their town.

Together with the community service and festival Dan Vallotton had organized and was getting a team to run a soccer tournament for the locals. A great tournament with a bunch of kids from all over. Imagine league soccer, but a tournament, on a dirt soccer feild, with no uniforms, kids playing in jeans and tshirts. But they were having a blast.

Aalllsssooo, we did a little volleyball thing, with the girls from our team versus sponsered team from Mexico, it was a humorous game, lets just say that it was just for fun... (we lost) haha.

Alright that's the practical stuff of what we did, the actual work that was done, but the real stuff we did, the lasting stuff, the spiritual stuff, the stuff that changed lives was so amazing.

In the morning our team would go to labor camps (camps where familys are given a place to live and payed a small salary for working at the vineyards, orchards, crops, etc. that are owned by companies) during the day, the adults go out and work the feilds and stuff while the kids stay back at the camps just hanging out with each other. We had the opportunity to go and hang out with these kids, play and have fun. Teach them bible lessons, and get them to smile. Lives were changed, not just lives of the kids, but of our team as well. God revelead himself in a way that many of the students on the team had never seen. And the glory of God was shown to the kids by us getting down in the dirt playing soccer, or basketball, or just holding them and racing and etc. the ultimate way of having fun with 30+ kids all at one time.

This all happened and the team was able to go to that, I however had the privilege to go around town and film. I was able to get video of the soccer tourny and the painting that was going on, and the guys riding bikes. The purpose of these videos was more than just for us. It was for me to make a 15-20 min video to play every night preceding the final night of the festival. It was such an honor to go and capture the lives of the people there and put it all together. and this, this is why it was an honor. I got to stand there and look out over 100+ sometimes a few hundred people, that stayed out after dark just to see my video. The video they were in, the video that wouldn't exist if they weren't there. Such an honor and privilege.

God did such good things with revealing the reality of walking in humility and being a servant. Talking with the team and praying with the team, I am just so encouraged to see them getting God, getting what it means to live outside of the box. I am so pumped about this outside of the box mentality. Like last year when I went to Australia God revealed to me what that means to be outside of the box. And I got it, I've been trying to walk in that and live that. And to see more people seeing that and wanting to walk in that oh wow, sooo good.

Speaking about people getting it, and wanting to live outside the box. Kayla Smith. WOW. God has done so much in her. Just to fill you in she's been doing a summer internship for Dan and Emalia Vallotton in San Vicente, and been the person leading these teams that come from all over to go to labor camps and stuff. But God has just rocked her soo much, allowed her to die to herself and to be renewed in him. Given her new life. It's so encouraging to see, and so exciting to see her walk in the fullness of God, and be entirely dependent on the Spirit and God for everything. She still has a few more weeks left so be praying for her that between now and when she gets back she is able to continue to build on that, and that when she gets back, she is able to come back and stay out of the box, and not get into routine of life, and is able to continue to stay strong in her ministry and passion for doing work for God.

This is similar to the prayer I have for my team, that they will be able to stay in that place of being passionate for people and doing work and revealing God to people, friends, family. Also, to stay strong in their walk and stay passionate about seeking out seeing God face to face.

There's way more, but this is good enough for me to remember this week for a long time.