Idaho/Montana

We are continuing our travels back to Edmonton. We have drove in 3 states today. We had to contend with a bit of a Thundershower on our way to Butte, Montana. The “Van Life” continues to be a special time for everyone to still connect with each other. However, it is starting to become more apparent that many of us are missing our solitude time. Some are maxed out, drained, and spent in terms of socializing. Some on the other hand just flat out cannot contain their excitement to come home and to apply what God has spoken to them through their time at Caravan. Even though some are not so energetic and some are still fighting colds, everyone still continues to encourage and pick each other up. Fellowship at its Finest.

Funny what 6+ days of driving does for everyone. It has made current friendships even stronger. I personally feel like I have adopted 20 brothers/sisters in one week. These last remaining hours almost feels bittersweet for the team. We do not want this time to end, but we are excited to see where God directs us now. Some members are already making personal plans to live their faith out more real than ever before. Some are looking into Bible College. Some are looking into leading small groups. Some are looking into accountability groups. Some are looking into Mission Work full-time. Some are looking into returning to Caravan. Some just flat out want to cut out the burdens of business by turning to Prayer & The Bible.

I cannot fully speak on behalf of the other Leaders and/or Adults, but I personally have never experienced a Youth Group like this ever before in my entire life. Never before have I had such faith in this Youth group to the point that I firmly believe that God will be using some of them to change the World & even the course of history in such radical ways. The future for this group is full of such promise & potential. The kind of promise where the most smallest actions are done out of great love for a God that has constantly defied the impossible; The kind of potential where God turns the most simple actions into revolutionary results. Look out parents, some of these kids may be yours that I am talking about.

We have a debrief tonight. Tomorrow, we have one more day of driving to go, before Team Mexico's Mission Trip is officially completed. Thank You once again to all the friends, family, & staff at ERBC for the constant prayers and support. If possible, please pray that the process of crossing the US/Canada Border tomorrow with go smoothly. Parents, phone calls will most likely be made when we arrive in Red Deer. Stay in touch.

Random Pictures

Here are a few random pictures from past days. Enjoy.

Random Video (Day 4 of Building)

Here is another quick video of some fun we had as a group on one of the work sites during Day 4 of Building. Some of the Youth decided to race and see who could hammer in their nails the fastest on the roof.

Random Video (Day 3 of Building)

Here is another quick video of the blankets given to the familes we have been building houses for. This was from one of our work sites on Day 3.

Anaheim Day 2

We have lost a couple of Young Adult Leaders as Brian & Heather left for the airport Sunday morning to fly home. Emma has been battling a terrible illness that has been throwing off her sense of balance. Many of us has been praying for her. Thankfully we managed to get her a seat to fly her home. She should hopefully be home by now. Almost half the team has been battling colds and viruses that have been passed around throughout the trip.

Our 2nd day in Anaheim began with a group of us going to Saddleback Church on Sunday morning. Everyone else either went to Disneyland or stayed back at the Best Western. Our group never witnessed a Church like this one ever before. I wished I would have taken my camera with me, but I had to leave it behind as all my batteries needed to be re-charged. The office building alone was incredibly huge in size. There were stop lights in the parking lot. Once you parked your vehicle, you could take this 5 minute trolley ride all the way up to the Church. Once you got off the trolley, there were all these walk ways surrounded by trees & gardens. There was a prayer garden you could go to for a time of solitude. There was a bridge where you would cross over this little river to go to the main sanctuary. There were some fountains. There were fields of grass. There were coffee & donut stands you could have for free. There was a large book store. The whole atmosphere felt like you were sort of on a rich college campus. There were so many people walking around and going to where there needed to be. Apparently this Church had a congregation size of 20,000 approx. The surroundings also had a bit of a YC feel to it. One of our group members felt like they were in some sort of carnival. There were several large tents where you could choose the style of worship you wanted to sing to. We chose this Youth tent which had a Hard Rock style to it. Inside our tent, the set-up on the stage reminded me of Ignite at Ellerslie or The Project at Millwoods Pentacostal Assembly. It had many lights flashing around like a mini rock concert. They had a large plasma screen playing some really cool video footage behind the lyrics as they dissolved in & out for the songs. One of their songs had clever lyrics for the Queen cover of their song “We Will Rock You”. Other than that, none of the songs were recognizable from the traditional songs most Churches use, but the lyrics were still very God honoring. There were a few that were actually really amazing and very enjoyable to listen to. After worship & announcements, the screen would tune into the satellite feed for the sermon. All the tents would get this feed.

After the service, our group generally had mixed feelings afterwards. It was great that Saddleback was making its Church relevant to today's generation. However, we were not sure if this approach was compromising or sacrificing the integrity, tradition, and value of Jesus and what he did for us on the cross. I personally enjoyed the service, but I walked out scratching my head wondering what Jesus would have thought of it all if He walked into that Church. It was definitely an experience we will never forget.

Afterwards, everyone just did their own thing for the day. It was cool to walk down Downtown Disney to hear and see the different types of music and attractions. There was this mall called “The Block” that had a lot of stores we have never seen before. It was unique in the fact that it was pretty much a mall with no roof. After coming out of Tijuana, not many of us really had to urge to buy any material things. I think the Youth is starting to have a better understanding of what is a “want” & what is a “need”.

We are now in Utah again. We are staying at the same place as before (America's Best Motel). There is really not much more at this point to update about as we are journeying back home. I do want to say the prayer life of the Youth has been so prevalent and passionate these past few days. It has been a blessing to see them all pray for each other. We have 2 more solid days of driving ahead of us. Our last day will be the longest day as we will be crossing the border and driving through Lethbridge. If everything goes smoothly, it seems like our team will arrive in Edmonton very late in the evening on August 11. I am sure in the next couple days parents will be getting phone calls from their kids to give a more accurate update. On behalf of our Mexico Team, I would like to Thank You so very much for your constant prayers throughout this Mission Trip. We have answered God's call and completed this mission out of obedience & love.

Anaheim

One of the 3 vans left the Dorm at 6am this Saturday morning to drop off 2 of our Doctors & Mark Dixon at LA-X airport. The other 2 vans left at 7am. Crossing the Mexico-US border took a fair amount of time to accomplish. It is known as the most crossed border in the World, and are a lot more strict on granting access to cross. It is mind-boggling the amount of change there is from one country to another. It is almost like teleporting to another World. All 3 vans eventually met up at Westminster for a swim and a lunch before hitting the road again. Our team is now in Anaheim. It is a lot hotter here now than it has been during most of our stay in Tijuana. We are at a Best Western right across the street from Disney Land. We will be staying here for 2 nights. A fair amount of Youth are still battling their respective colds, most being the girls. This time is a chance for everyone & our drivers to rest before the long 30+ hour trek back home. On Sunday, everyone is given the opportunity to do whatever they want. Some will be going to the theme parks at Disney Land. Others will be checking out this Saddleback Church nearby. Overall it should be a relaxing fun day on Sunday for everyone. I will try and keep updating wherever Internet is available. It seems like we are still on schedule to be in Edmonton on August 12. To the parents, your kids will have plenty to share when they return. This has been a tremendous trip for them.

Day 5 Of Building

We began once again our final day of building with a morning devotional time. It was our last moments with the Americans before they all had to leave today. It seems like each day the worship gets more and more passionate with everyone, Eddie spoke one last time with us all about applying what we have learned. He reminded the Youth how much opportunity they have ahead of them in their lives, and that nothing is impossible with God. Eddie also taught us all about the 8 things we should take & leave behind. This all varied from the people we associate, to the media we are exposed to, and the way we use our time/money/resources.

Our final day of building was not of houses this time. We all as a group, went back to the local Church to replace a portion of the roof, that was rotting away. Once again, it was not very hot out that day, which for many was greatly appreciated. A portion of us spent some of the day scraping off the cement from one of the brick walls of the Church. This was a very dirty job, as brick shavings would constantly fall on us. There was another group pulling out nails & screws from the old wooden frame of the roof so the Church can re-use the wood. This was actually a bit more fun, as it was like trying to solve a constant puzzle. God has been so protective of us this whole trip. Aside from a few deep cuts, everyone has been injury free. I find it ironic that the only 2 injuries sustained on the trip were from 2 of our doctors. Thankfully they both fixed themselves up. After 5 days of working, our team finally was able to have our first shower. Many of the girls were very joyful and ecstatic about this.

For this trip, our team has made it a habit to head off for ice-cream after work. We did not go out for supper this time. We went back to the Church for a Fiesta (Party) to celebrate Micheal's (Matt Hornbrook's son) 6th birthday. Behind the Church, there is this little soccer arena with wooden boards were many of us and the kids played. The ground was pure dirt, and someone would frequently come with a bucket of water to sprinkle the playing area, to make it less dusty. The kids were so amazing. Even the kids in net made some of the most outrageous saves. Everyone got very dirty, but it was so fun. We ended the night with us hanging out at the Dorm. We all spent some time packing our bags to start heading home tomorrow morning.

Random Video

Day 4 of Building

Attached is a random picture of one of the 12 houses we have built as a team.

Our last day of building houses came upon us. We once again had a passionate start to our day with Eddie leading us into prayer of the unreached villages around the world. Jeff Johnson talked more about the Muslim faith and how so close they are to actually understanding the key element of all religions, which is Jesus Christ.

The Lord has been so good watching over us these past 4 days. 2 of the 3 teams had a bit more of an interesting task as they were building an add-on on top of an existing home. They managed to do well despite some difficult logistics of bringing the supplies through the tight corners of the home. The other team once again just stayed with the original routine of building a home on concrete foundation like the past 3 days. The build went very well, and injury free. After stopping for some dinner & ice-cream. We drove up to the Church and did another debrief this time. Although this time it was a bit different. After we did some worship, The Young Adult Leaders prayed for the Youth; the Adults prayed for the Young Adults; and the Youth prayed for all the Adults. It was a unique concept that I have not done before.

God has been so amazing to us on this trip. He is a very mighty God where His glory has truly shone through the Love that has built these homes. Tomorrow, we will be fixing the roof of the Church.

Day 3 of Building

Today, we had an unusual cool overcast morning. It seems like the next 3 days will be about 20 degrees which does not seem normal or Tijuana. We are all getting pretty use the procedure of getting up, devotion time, breakfast, worship, speaker, prayer, and lastly loading up the trucks to head to our work sites. Jeff Johnson was our speaker this morning and evening. He spoke about his stories and amazing times of Faith in India and areas of the Middle East. He taught us a bit about what Muslims believe and the best ways to communicate with them as Christians. He pointed out many areas of unreached people as well. Once again, we closed off in prayer, and loaded up the trucks.

Almost all of us pretty well know exactly what to do when building the houses. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the youth came back home and wanted to build an extension to their parent's house. Later on in the day, the heat picked up finally. Once again there was not too many kids to play with this time around. The ones that were there were either too young or shy. Once again the Mexican families did not dissapoint with the food they provided us. Anyone to comes to Mexico will most likely fall in love with their food. On a side note, they have 3.3L Pop bottles!

2 of the 3 teams had relatively a smooth build day. Unfortunately the other team had a mis-communication with the family, and had the house built at the wrong location. So they had to dis-assemble the walls, and transport the pieces to the correct location. They had a very late supper by the time they were done. We had a few minor injuries. One of our team doctors accidentally sawed one of his fingers. Our doctor right away stitched and bandaged the cut, so he will be okay.

After work, we once again listened to Jeff Johnson speak. He had a Question & Answer time which was very informative. Afterwards, we have the usual procedure of playing games/socializing for about an hour. I believe I have over half of the Youth addicted to the game “President”. After that hour has gone by, we have a half hour of quiet time, followed by a half hour of devotion. By 11pm the lights go out. Jeff Johnson will once again speak tomorrow. Adios!

Day 2 of Building

We began our day with another speaker this morning after breakfast. The speaker was Aaron (Eddie's Son). He talked about the many messages you get from the various stories of the Bible. He focused a lot on the story of Jesus at the well. Overall, his main message was applying your faith in action and not words. Aaron challenged us to look beyond our obstacles and asked us to write our story in obedience to God. He spoke very well and once again, we had another encouraging start as a team. Our team has also been learning more and more how friendly the people of Tijuana are. It is has been special to see how much Mexicans value family. Too often it seems the outward appearance of Tijuana truly does not reflect the inner beauty of this large community.

It has been very fun bonding with the Americans. Although we don't work with them, we pretty much share the whole Dorm with them and participate in all the activities together. It has been pretty entertaining discussing the differences between our countries. They are all pretty much from different parts of California. There is even a group from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley. It was awesome for some of us to talk about their Church & Francis Chan.

Well, we have completed day 2 of building houses. So far each day we have switched up the teams. Once again we had another solid day of building. We once again had more authentic Mexican Food. It is very delicious & very filling. We all noticed today there wasn't many kids to play with this time around. It has been fun getting to learn more about their language. It has been even more fun to communicate with sign language, when you do not know what to say to them in Spanish. They catch on very quickly. It has been a joy to see how much fun you can have with a child with little to nothing of material possessions. There is nothing that a single soccer ball cannot fix for hours of fun. We had a very special time again to see another family touched by God. After each house is completed, we all pray for the family as a group and give them some blankets. This has been one of my favorite moments each day on the trip. It has been so good to truly see Faith & Love in action.

We have been very fortunate the past few days weather-wise. Both days have generally been overcasts so it has not been blazing hot yet on the job-site. This has worked greatly to our benefit as none of us have the privilege to shower until possibly Friday. I once again am privileged to work with such an amazing team. The parents of Ellerslie should be very proud of the step of faith their children are taking. I am already seeing some of the Youth having such a servant attitude, passionate heart, and a willingness to love the people of Tijuana. You may be surprised how much more Spanish they are learnning.

Sorry, I have not added more pictures/video yet. I hope to do that soon. It has been a challenge finding time to do these updates as I am constantly busy and always with people. It is midnight as I am typing this update. Just know the team is still injury free and doing extremely well spiritually. It has been a privilege getting to know both the guys & girls on this team. Adios!

Tijuana

Okay. So you are all probably wondering what has taken so long for an update. If the updates are slow, I apologize, as access to Internet has been tough and our team has been on the road a lot. So I have a lot of catching up to do.

We all arrived safely to Tijuana Saturday evening. We drove through Las Vegas, and California. Our team was absolutely silent once we crossed the border and took in all the differences of Mexico compared to Canada. We arrived at our Dorms at Caravan Ministries at around 9pm. We had a quick tutorial with the staff as they explained the rules and procedures.

On Sunday, we went to a local Church. The congregation was very friendly and very passionate in worship, Even through the service was rarely translated, the congregation displayed a strong sense of community. During the afternoon, many groups walked around and checked out the various markets. The land has many hills, that drivers constantly have to contend with, The roads can be bumpy at times, and it seems many drivers make up their own rules of the road. Since there is really no waste management system in Tijuana, there is frequently a lot of garbage lying around. There are many dogs randomly walking around in the village. We were told not to pet them because many are diseased. During the afternoon we went to a very nice restaurant to eat. I sometimes feel bad when 30 people are all ordering at once when there is only a staff of 6 trying to make food for our orders, but I also understand it really helps them as a business. Many of us quickly realized how very hard-working Mexicans are. For snacks, we have been going to local vendors that may not get very much business.Later on, we visited The Baja school where Jay Acuna has been for the past month. It was a great opportunity to learn what this ministry does and the tour they gave us. When we arrived back at the dorms, we had extra visitors from California living with us. It has been a great time bonding with the Americans. Alyssa arrived safely from her flight and she is now with us thankfully.

On Monday we finally began our work day. Everyday we begin with a half hour of devotion time. Before we began to work, we did worship, prayer, and heard a very passionate message from Eddie (Head staff member) about serving and being humble. It was a very inspiring way to start the work day. All of us in the Dorm split up into various groups to go to the local families and do our building projects. I couldn't believe how fast it was to put up a tiny house. The kids from the families we are building a house once again steal your heart. What is amazing, is they actually want to hammer and saw and help you build the house. It was very rewarding to play with the kids. The families were very hospitable and their food was very very good. It was a blessing to see how much family means to those in Tijuana as a Mexican culture. We ended our evening with our first debrief as a team in Mexico. So far, everyone is seeing God in so many unique ways. Our team is very excited tomorrow to serve, learn more about Tijuana, and to see God more in the mysterious ways he moves. Well I hope to add more updates, soon, it is very difficult sometimes with all the people we are constantly bonding with. Just know we are safe, and their is no question some of the Youth will be radically changed after this trip.

Utah

We started the morning off a little slow. We spent time as a group in prayer at the parking lot of the Best Western before heading off. It has been another solid day of driving. The heat has really been picking up. This is definitely not the Alberta weather we are accustomed to. The drive has continued to be a valuable time for team building. I believe our team is at the point where we all know each other very well and we are just having so much fun together. We stopped our travels at a motel in St. George Utah. This motel also had a pool, and once again, we did not waste this golden opportunity to bond even more as a team. I believe us guys will be super soar from playing a very manly game of rugby in the pool. Although these are such memorable times, we are getting more and more closer to the real purpose of our travels and our actual destination. We have one more solid day of driving as we head to our next stop in Anaheim. We will then hope to reach Tijuana the following morning. Once again a few members are still trying to put an end to their respective colds. Other than that, everyone is safe & injury free.

Montana/Idaho

Today, our team left at around 7am, took a quick drive down to the Mother/Father in-laws of John Mayer for an amazing breakfast. They were tremendous hosts to make breakfast for a group our size. We then traveled towards the CANADA/US border with no issues as we crossed. The travels continued through the state of Montana. Although some of us did not get much sleep, the team has not lost an ounce of energy or excitement. Everyone is enjoying the travel time. It is hilarious how creative some of us are when in a van for several hours. We are now staying at the Best Western motel in Pocatello, Idaho. We had an absolute riot playing in the indoor pool they had. It was a very nice break from the “Van Life". Our team is very healthy right now, with the exception of a couple members getting over a cold. Other than that, we have an awesome team and I cannot wait to see how God will work in this team during our time in Tijuana.

Lethbridge

On Wednesday, our team said our goodbyes to family/parents/staff at Ellerslie. Larry McCormick gave us a very inspiring send off before Selmer Hanson closed in prayer. Our travels to Lethbridge was smooth with the exception of a minor traffic delay, and a brief rainstorm. The team has already been bonding extremely well during our travels. We arrived at the University Drive Alliance Church at around 10:30pm. Our team had an instant craving for ice cream at Dairy Queen across the street. I kind of felt sorry for the girls working there as 20 of us piled in with 30 minutes until they were closing. Afterwards, we had a debrief/prayer time as a team. Our first night was definitely our most difficult one to sleep through as the girls slept in a very cold room, while the guys slept in a very hot room.

Commission

Today, our team was sent out during both services at ERBC. Our team will be meeting at the Church this Wednesday July 28, 3:45pm, to load up our bags, and prepare for our departure to Tijuana.