Baja, Mexico!

I’m amazed of what God has invited us to be part of..Yes…a mission trip…to some people it may sound as “Ahhh. it’s another trip to do good, another Katrina/Haiti type of ‘help the poor & do good’ effort, something to help the less fortunate, to feel good about yourself, on some level it’s just a way to justify being a Christian or simply look cool”….. Believe me, This goes far beyond that if not the opposite!

God has presented an opportunity to 10 HS students & 2 adults from Faithbridge UMC to be part of His work in Baja, Mexico for almost 2 weeks from 07/11-07/23. The first week, the group will be focused on both helping a local ministry build a children/youth camp in the mornings as well as leading a VBS program for the local children in the evenings. The second week, we will face the wilderness, our focus will be developing our student’s leadership skills & responsibility. Throughout the whole trip each student has a defined role that they have been preparing & praying for months.

Sometimes you see something or go somewhere that when it’s over you think that this place or that thing was so amazing that on some level it changed you. You get excited & enthusiastic for days, weeks, or even months but most times it stops there. Our main prayer for this trip is that everyone we interact with as well as each and everyone of us would not return the same, but would be changed FOREVER! Not because of anything we do but because of Christ & Him using us to to reach out to His people & everyone was faithful to accept that invitation.

I am so very proud of each & everyone that poured their heart preparing for this trip. I am so grateful of each parent that allowed their sons or daughters to be part of this adventure. We are all beyond excited & very humbled to see & be part of what God has planned in Mexico!

I ask that YOU too would be excited for us! I also ask that YOU pray for:

Everybody we interact with especially the children: Ben Stuart recently talked about God’s priorities. Our prayer is that even though we have a set of tasks that we need to complete that we would always put people before tasks.

Teaching moments: Please pray the adult leaders would have the wisdom to create & cease those unique moments that we can help the students learn something valuable that they would always remember.

Our heart, Pride: The message we carry is so valuable so please pray that our hearts are bowed before God as we do our absolute best in delivering this message. We are saved by grace & grace alone…we are in Mexico because of what Christ has done & because of His sovereign plan to reconcile His people.

Our eyes, Love & Compassion: Pray that we would see the children we interact with through God’s eyes! To really be the hands & feet of Jesus so we can truly serve & love them!

Strength, both Spiritual & Physical The trip will be exhausting on all levels so please pray that we would be faithful in completing God’s work to the end. Pray that we would start strong and finish stronger!

Cindy: She just started her third trimester carrying our first baby girl, Adeline Reign that we are so excited to meet in September, so please pray for both her health as well as Adi’s!

The perfect Godly mix of Risk & Safety for: Phil, Abby, Matt, Steph, Lauren, Alli, Alli, Bennett, Alex, Stephen, Nathan, Ryan & Ash

“As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:10”

In Christ…for the win!