Never Leave a Man Behind

Several hands shoot up as one of the students states her opinion during the debrief of the balance beam exercise. Across hot, sweaty cheeks, lively and cautious eyes, and sprawling bodies, the discussion about individual participation versus team responsibility rapidly criss-crosses the DTS classroom. Some readily interject their opinions, others observe attentively, while a few sit wide eyed. Emotions are running high and personalities are rising to the surface. And after this week, everyone knows how to recognize them. Four days of sharing, taking personality tests, intentional games, and physical challenges has aimed at getting this team to become exactly that- a team. Not just a bunch of individuals going through the same program, but healthy group that work hard for trust, honesty,effectiveness and relationship.  Our masks are beginning to wriggle off and the team is learning how to process "real". It's good. It's just the beginning of a molding and integrating process.

As he was praying for our team, our speaker Tim Pratt was reminded of the phrase used by the U.S. military: "Never leave a man behind." And he's repeated it several times in the last four days, trying to get us to grab it and weave it into the make up of who we are as a team. For situations like the one that's sparked this discussion- when someone either got left out of the exercise or chose not to participate and not many people noticed. The way that we process as a team in the classroom will determine how effective we are as a team outside of it- and whether or not we model Jesus' love to each other and others in real life. So I hope we learn well, and choose our actions and words carefully. It's beginning here. And in our brokeness and free will, there's no guarantees we'll be a success. Success will depend on how much we choose to trust each other, how humble we're willing to be, and how much we listen to and obey our Team Leader. As Tim and many others have said, the point is not the goal- it's the journey.

Off and Away!

A sweet awe hangs in the air as guitar strains sing softly, our voices now silent, letting the moment linger. Tonight, this green team of 31 new DTS students is practicing their newest lesson- intercession for the area and people in Ensenada's zona rosa (redlight district). In just a couple minutes, half of them will be following their prayers to the zona rosa, armed with soup, smiles, and a loving touch. For many, looking drug addiction, homelessness, prostitution, and drunkeness in the eye will be a new, uncomfortable experience. I hope it breaks their hearts. Just I'm leaving the room, one student is getting a group together to pray for the ones who are going out. This is what DTS is about. Perspective. Relationship. Learning the necessity of us and Him. Warfare.

In the last six days, I've had the opportunity to get to sit down with many of these students. Hear their stories. Eat lunch with them. Randomly dye our hair together. Mess up their names. Say "I'm not sure" to their questions about Ensenada and Wal-Mart and where the closest ATM is. They are a great bunch of people. And I do mean a bunch! With 31 students, nine staff, five kids, and one adorable, chubby cheeked 7 month old,  this will be the biggest DTS I've been a part of (not that I'm intimidated or anything ; ). Our passionate, untameable, gentle God's got plans and appointments with them- I can feel it. And I can't wait to hear about it.

As I've been settling into a new base, group of people, and rhythm of life with the students, I've had a chance to talk with Tym and Sarvia (who lead the DTSes here). I'll be cleaning, restocking, and setting up the speaker's room each week, helping out with some admin stuff when they need it, and being the "book girl" (making sure small group leaders have and hand out the next book to the students). I get to meet twice a week with a small group of 6 girls, helping them process DTS and lecture and what God's doing. I'll also be  following up individually with each of the girls, seeing how they're doing. Days will be full with lectures, staff meetings, exercise, local outreach, grading book reports, reading journals, and host of other "unexpecteds". The staff will also be going through some extra training in leadership, complete with our own classes, journals, assignments, and reports. It'll be a bit crazy, but I know that I'm in the right place for now. So as I take a couple minutes to let the day wind down, drink a cup of tea, and wait for the students to get back from the zona rosa, I'm also buckling up and leaning into this next adventure!

24 Hours

24 hours ago, I was hurriedly packing and cramming all of my stuff into suitcases, boxes and garbage bags. Now, I'm on staff with the DTS in Ensenada.

In the last week, God has been doing interesting things in the TJ DTS. Due to beginning with samll school of 10 girls, our leadership began wondering what was going on when 3 of our students cancelled or requested to be transferred to the Fall DTS in Ensenada. After several days of long meetings, prayer and conversation, the leadership team decided to combine our school with the DTS in Ensenada. Many of our students were surprised, but have agreed to transfer an hour further south. We don't know what God has up His sleeve, but are trusting His faithfulness.

Interestingly enough, throughout the last year I have always had a sense of peace when I am at our Ensenada location. In the last several weeks, that peace has come back very strongly. Last week, I spoke with Rob, the DTS director in TJ, and Jim, the base director about what had been going on in my heart. We were processing what that could mean or look like and waiting on God to speak into the situation when our studetns began to be directed elsewhere and the decision to combine the schools was made. When Tym, the DTS director in Ensenada informed my leaders that he was in need of one more femail staff memeber, they asked me Wednesday afternoon if I would consider helping with the DTS in Ensenada. I said yes. AS the DTS students arrive on Saturday, I moved down last night, got unpacked, and am getting caught  up to speed  as much as possible before the school officially begins on Monday. 

While there are certainly challenges with all the rapid change, I feel that God has His hand in all this. He's a master weaver of lives and circumstances, and I'm learning to trust His judgment : ). Right now, it's off to a meeting and a new adventure!

El Grito

The fifteen-passenger van whips around another corner, and I brace myself against the seat and try not to land on Elsi sitting next to me. Johny chuckles from the driver’s seat up front, and turns his attention to finding a parking spot in crowded downtown Ensenada. After parking the van, the six of us weave our way through crisscrossing pedestrian traffic and vendors with their carts selling elote (cups of corn with butter, salt, and hotsauce), caramel apples, cotton candy, and shimmery red, white and green Mexican flags in an impressive array of sizes. A teenager offers to paint my cheek with the Mexican colors, and I barely have time to offer a polite “No, gracias” before hurrying after Susie’s retreating head. The energy of celebration pulses in the air, trumpeted by little horns and whistles, bright lighted booths selling tamales and chicharones, laughter, and mariachi music pumping from the stage area. It’s September 15, Mexican Independence Day, and it seems as though all of Ensenada is on this street for El Grito (The Shout), the sound of freedom.

On the main stage, huge banners lead up from the platform to a second story balcony where the formal ceremony will take place in about an hour and a half. Large video screens allow the crowd to participate in the pre-ceremony festivities. As we work our way closer to the platform, a young girl gets up and sings acapella in a high clear voice, a traditional Mexican love song. Right on her heels and in a furl of black ranchero pants, billowing stripes and swirls of color, a dancing group flirts, begs and tip-taps their way through several traditional dances from the state of Colima (Susie and I decide we need to find out how to sign up ; ). All the while, the whistles toot and people applaud and catcall.

I try not to trip over a plastic cup rolling around between a maze of people’s feet as we find the rest of the group representing YWAM’s 3 locations in Mexico. We’re an interesting bunch, more than a few nationalities, languages, and races represented, but all of us laugh, attempting to dance to the lively folk music and getting to know people we don’t often get to spend time with. And after a presidential speech piped in from Mexico City, the Mexican National Anthem and several other localized political ballads, we join as the Mexican Declaration of Independence is read and the crowd screams, “VIVA!” in response.

Just as the excitement reaches its peak, we’re directed to turn around. After a second, the dark night air is broken by high pitched shriek. A second later, a riot of color explodes and sparkles in the sky above us. We crane our heads back and applaud like the delighted children in front of us as firework after firework sounds the independence of Mexico.

After a few minutes of chatter and more mariachi music and dancing, we round our group up and head back to the base. In the midst of preparing for DTS, it’s worth the crowds, the parking, and the neck ache to celebrate the culture and heritage of a country I get to share.

Sportin' a 'Tude

I knew Chad's sermon for the MA kids was really meant for me, but I doubted he knew that. "I will not give the Lord a sacrifice that cost me nothing. . ." The verse inched under my skin as I sat in the plastic chair in our make-shift worship hall. I had the sneaking feeling that God had something to say about it. I began to think of all the things I could sacrifice to God. . . my future, my desires, you know. The big things. But as Chad got down and I went up with the rest of the worship team to do the last set, it hit me. I'd been complaining all week about being assigned to Mission Adventures this week. I had my excuses: we have a lot of work to do with the DTS just a few weeks away. It's an evangelism team and the role of translator feels way bigger than my skill level. I had plans for this weekend, and I was on the worship team and Saturday breakfast prep already. It would take days away from the work week next week, days I couldn't afford to loose. But I couldn't find a replacement. So here I was. And as I picked up my mic, I knew the thing God wanted. My attitude about this week of translating. It's easy to think about sacrifice when it's in the future. But what about tonight? "Okay fine. Just for You." But as I said okay, my heart began to change. And my heart changed, my whole week changed. The first day, I didn't have to do much translating. All the kids at the orphanage we were working with were out of the building, so we deep cleaned the kitchen while the guys on the team cleared a lot to be used for youth rallies later. The next day, my friend Susie went along to help translate so I got to do a lot more relationship building with the team and the workers at the orphanage. By the time my heavy translating day came on Monday, I realized I was having a lot of fun. I loved the kids on the team. I loved the orphanage and the pastor we were working with. And I had had a great example of a translator the day before and my Spanish was warmed up enough that I enjoyed translating for the kid's program. God blessed me by removing some of the things that I was insecure in. He didn't have to do that. But He did. And He didn't have to give me an amazing group of students to work with. But I was so impressed with their flexibility. Their outreach location got changed at the last minute, yet still the words I heard out of the leader's mouth over and over were: "How can we serve you? Yeah, we have a program. But what do you really need?" or "Give me the dirtiest job. I want to get it done for you." Whether it was moving rocks in the burning afternoon, or scrubbing cup after cup in the kitchen, or moving a pile of rotting trash and old Depends, I saw them stretched. And I saw them fight, and make up. I saw them serve in situations they weren't planning on. My "sacrifice" ended up being a blessing- to me. Instead of coming away exhausted, I felt refreshed. And as we learned to serve together, I made a passel of new friends. Sometimes, our sacrifice isn't the actual action itself. It's our pride. My rights. My time, right now. God knows the right things to ask for, eh? Because he knows once we get over ourselves, our lives are whole lot more of a blessing to everyone-including ourselves.

Busyness

The last couple weeks has been full of fun things- my boss/mentor/other dad here in Mexico and his family got back from a month in Canada; several other YWAM staff and I set up a booth at a big youth festival here in Tijuana and connect with some young people; and I attended my first pro sporting event- park seats at the Padres/Astros baseball game in San Diego! The number of girls living in our house near to the new property has grown from 3 to 7 in the last 2 weeks. Planning for the DTS seems to be going well; it's fun now to have more of the DTS staff here from their respective homes and be able to share tasks and prayers with them. July 20-22 we'll have our DTS staff "retreat" here at the base- team building, getting to know each other, praying together for students and outreach, and going over practical info for the DTS. Thanks for keeping the DTS planning in your prayers! Check out the pics!

(Left) At the baseball game- Petco Stadium, Downtown San Diego. $7 seats- my blanket, my jacket, and a bunch of snacks!

(Left) Blanca, Melissa, Me, and Crissy chilling at the game.

(Left) Friends Jonathan and Brodie having a drink and enjoying the grass.

(Right) My friend Robbie from the National City office and I.

(Right) At the Youth Conference in Tijuana last Saturday,Omar and Luisa share about Youthstreet, DTS, and the other ministries YWAM TJ does.

(Left) Our booth displaying YWAM TJ info.

(Left) We estimate that there were about 2,000 people at the Conference in one of TJ's nicest parks (Parque Morelos).

Pews, Tarps, and Two Little Fish

In a blur of delighted, breathless screams, outstretched arms and pounding little feet, a herd of kids races past, one of our Mission Adventures staff keeping just ahead of them as he weaves and ducks between mothers with babies and 15 passenger vans. It’s day 2 of our 3 day outreach to San Quintin, a few hours south of the Ensenada location. All morning, several teams of YWAMers and JuCUM teens have been stretching tarps over roofs and washroom frames in this dusty, well kept colonia. The JuCUM teens have just presented their evangelistic program, an artistic mix of dramas, mimes, and rap performed by the young members of the group.
Now, clusters of people stand talking in the dirt road. Over by the fence, a line of youngsters waits impatiently for their turn to have a bright rainbow, cross, or flower painted on their cheek or arm, while others energetically wrestle and dance sporadically with YWAM staff. The local pastor we’re working with takes down names of families who would like to receive tarps if we can make a second trip in the future. Two of the JuCUM teens continue to rap to the heavy rhythm blasting through the portable speakers, while a couple teams finish up with their tarping projects.

After a fast lunch and some clingy hugs good bye, we pile in the vans and head back to Impact Ministries facility to shower, change and go set up at a local church, where we’ll be participating in the second and final service of the Youth Missions Conference. Last night, we’d directed a service at another church. The small sanctuary is packed, overflowing with young people from 7 different area churches, faces bright and shy. A worship team led by an Ensenada staff member and supported by Tijuana full time staff and MA staff had begun the service, followed by a presentation by the JuCUM teens and the video Hakani, which speaks to justice for children in Brazilian indigenous tribes. Jonathan Mendez, a former YWAMer and now pastor in San Quintin, gave a message on our theme: missions. Afterward, we had the chance to speak with several different youth about our Discipleship Training School beginning in September.
Tonight, the church youth group directs much of the service. Praise songs in 2 languages fill the large sanctuary. Using their gifts in evangelism, acting, and music, the JuCUM teens present their portion of the program, speaking about using and developing your talents to bring honor to God and leading out in doing it. As the youth group from the church get up and begin reading a scripture together, a few loud pops sound and seconds later, armed youth with ski masks pulled over their faces burst into the sanctuary, rousing screams from the audience, ripping bibles from the shocked youth, and herding chosen people out of the sanctuary. Slowly understanding that this is only a simulation, the captivated audience watch as a girl refuses to renounce her faith at gun point, eventually leading her captor to Christ. He is then martyred by his fellow revolutionaries as she is dragged out of the sanctuary. As the youth group files back in, one member explains that while this was only a drama for us, many churches in other countries face threats of violence like this everyday. Choking back tears, Jonathan gets up to present his message for the evening. “I’m already seeing examples of what I want to tell you tonight,” he begins. “As I sit in my seat, I see an entire service directed by young people leading out in the kingdom of God, using their talents for Christ.” He continues by reading the story of the little boy’s 2 fish and 5 loaves from Mark 6. “God takes what little we can offer Him- a listening heart and willingness to obey- and multiplies it and uses it for His kingdom.”
A Mexican YWAMer then gets up and says that he wants all the foreigners who are in the church to come up. He then thanks them that in spite of the violence and sickness, they are here because of their passion for the Mexican people. He then invites the rest of the church to pray for them. As YWAM staff and former DTS students and the local church lay hands on the embarrassed staff and begin to pray and prophesy over them, tears squeeze from tired eyes and language and cultural barriers fall away. Hugs and handshakes are passed all around. As the praise team plays the first energetic strains of a song, the hugs turn into singing and dancing and laughing. This is the family of Christ- a myriad of cultures, races, languages, and personalities having fun with their Father.
And as we clean up the Impact facility where we’ve been staying, take a few fun hours at the beach, and reflect on the 3 days in San Quintin, a truth remains: This is how we reach a broken world. It’s not the organization or smoothness of the program, the skill or the presentation, or even the hammers and nails. We love each other and offer our little to God, and He uses us to bring life into hurting hearts.