Hey everyone sorry it took longer to get back to you all. We were unable to get a blog out the last night and with the arrival of being home most of us were exhausted. But we still have more to share with you. Our last day we went to an orphanage which was awesome. It was run by about 3 older ladies who were managing about 50 or so kids. As we left Mexico we stopped at Spectrum Mall and just spent an hour without talking to one another but observing the surroundings and people. We were then asked to write what our thoughts were of the cultural difference and the things that disturbed us about our culture. I will put in quotes below of what some people wrote. Look forward to a more detailed blog of our last day in Mexico along with a photo gallery and video of our trip within the next few weeks. Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
-The Mexico Team of 09
OBSERVATIONS
Dave Herrera-
Everything is the same, the colors, the sights, the sounds, the people. I see the same vibrant glow of the neon lights, the same conversations I heard before; “What do you want to eat? I just deposited $300 into my bank account. I’m going to the ball game.” There are so many restaurant choices, and even the restaurants have multiple choices. I see the same people. Leather jackets, designer jeans, purses, and sunglasses. I see the make-up. The same bags from different department stores. Big bags, small bags, so many bags you struggle to carry them. I see short shorts, low tops, tattoos, piercings, bleached hair, colored hair, dress shoes, tennis shoes and finely pressed clothing. I smell the same things, french fries, teriyaki, sweet spices.
The culture shock of Mexico hits you as soon as you arrive. “What did he say, what does that sign say?” After being there it becomes just noise because you don’t know what they’re saying. You begin to tune it out. You think, “If I only spoke Spanish, things would be different.” We come back to the California, where we speak the language, but nothing is different. I speak English very well, but it’s not being used to impact people for Christ.
In Mexico it was easy to drown out the voices of people as just noise because of the language, but I do the same things with the voices of people in California. I’m “too busy” with my life to be a difference in some one else’s. If I actually listened and recognized the voices of a dying world, screaming out to be noticed, then things might be different, or at least could be. I am that man who has found water in the desert and hasn’t told others about it.
So what now? Do I go back to my comfortable lifestyle of media at the touch of my fingers, able to buy most things, at least on credit? Do I head back to security? Do I continue to live the same chameleon lifestyle as everyone else, just blending in to not stick out, but with just enough spice to be noticed? This is my world, but will I conform to it? I don’t want to keep being the man who has found water in the desert and hasn’t told others about it.
I need to live an intentional life. Not one chasing after the lusts of my heart. I need to pray more often, and not just say words, but believe in the power of prayer. I need to turn my affections towards God. I need to lesson the “business” of my life, so that my time with God isn’t compromised, cheated, tainted, or hidden. I need to be in constant communion with God. I need to recognize his voice. I need to walk so closely with God that at the very whisper of his voice rings through loud and clear. That can’t happen if I’m not first sitting at the very feet of the one who died for my TV consuming, money hungry, world chasing lifestyle. I will not be the man who has found water in the desert and doesn’t tell others about it.
Josh Limneos-
I want to thank everyone who prayed for us during our trip to Mexico. It was an answer to prayer that our team was unified throughout the week. Please pray that the unity would continue not only within our Mexico group but in Highlife, PCC, and ultimately the entire body of Christ. While in Mexico we had a chance to hear Aaron, the leader of Spectrum Ministries, talk about Philippians 2. The verse that stands out most to me is verse 3 which says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” This verse stands out so much because verses 1 and 2 establish it as the key to being united in Christ. My goal in life is to take Philippians 2 and live it out on a daily basis.
Makinzie Thomas-
“Everyone around me seems so much in their own world, caring about what they look like and how other people think of them.”
Payton Thomas-
“Mexico is just such a great experience and it totally changes my mindset, and I really just need to focus on God and let Him control my life.”
Chris Boyle-
“This was the best trip for church that you can go on in a spiritual way and a far way. I loved it.”
Jordan Jandreau-
“I need to make service my daily goal. Too often, I am selfish and consider others before myself. How can I be godly like the leaders that God has put before me? My faith needs to be the essence of what I am, not just a characteristic. I will make so many decisions in the upcoming four years and beyond, minor and important ones, and I pray that I can make the right choices. I am tempted by the world, but I need faith to keep me on the narrow road. If I know the TRUTH that God has created, all I need to do is become a man of God and be most satisfied above all things when Christ is glorified in me. I think I could describe things as this way, but at this point in time, I do not honestly thing that this end is my primary goal.”
Vero Granado-
“I am to be living my faith out with words and actions. I am definitely going to remember to go to God first, with prayer and reading and to stay connected with fellowship. God is the ultimate defense against the devil’s attempts at distractions.”
Brittany Flavel-
“In America we have paved roads, healthy water, and strong septum systems, and yet we complain about how much we don’t have, and how much we wish we did have. I definitely do not give God enough glory for the things he does in my life, and that needs to change. If I face certain obstacles that threaten my relationship with God, I need to turn away from the situation immediately, and pray to God for strength.”
Veronica Thomas-
My experience in Mexico was above and beyond my expectations. I am so thankful to you who were praying for me. God answered!!! I went as a "staff", expecting to be focused on what God might be teaching and challenging the students to and how I might be able to encourage and challenge them in these areas, not anticipating that God had some huge things in store for me personally. I don't know why I think this way. As if God is finished with me! I was again touched by such extreme poverty and challenged to be more grateful and less wanting!! I also was disappointed at how easily I get discontented with what I have. It is pathetic actually. I felt humbled and as if I had been living my life with some sort of blinders on to the fact that I actually have too much, not too little. I was sooo encouraged that God blessed me with a significant amount of time with each of the leaders who serve in the Spectrum ministry. Each of them ministered to me in very specific ways. I grew to love them very much in a short period of time. It would take me pages and pages to share all that I learned through them and this incredible Mexico experience, but I would love to share it all with any of you face to face! I just want to challenge you to really look at how much we have, even those of us who might not have as much as others, and thank God for it! Also, we need to be so focused on the fact that we are heirs of the King and we are inheriting the kingdom of God for all of eternity. We are wealthy beyond measure!!! Let's use this short time we have here on earth to give others that wealth, through love people in Jesus name and whatever means God has so blessed us with!! Thanks again for praying for me and the team!!!!!
Carly Donohue-
The things I notice now are that we have so much and most of the time we take those things for granted. The people of Mexico live their lives to the fullest everyday and they don’t care about the way they look, but we care about that so much. Some of the basics of my faith will change. I want to read the bible more but I just don’t know where to start, and I want to fellowship and start witnessing to my friends on the Swim team and at school.The obstacles are that we will go back to the way we were living before (selfish), and school will be a distraction.Tonight (April 17th) is the night where I’m going to stop being shy about what people think about me, as a person who loves God so much. I want to share Christ with my family, but I will need help, by friends, family, but most of all God Himself.
Zach Schubert-
I noticed that Irvine seems so different than Mexico. I have a whole different perspective on people and my surroundings. For one they are all white and speak English, but also I notice that everyone here doesn’t’ know how fortunate they are. I also notice how greedy America is and aren’t even happy with what they have. Whereas in Mexico, people have so little but love so much and are happy where they are. One thing that I would like to change is to not get distracted from God by everything that I do in my day and make God the first. I need to stop ignoring God. He calls me everyday and I only talk when I want something or I’m made to. That is how I need to change.
Jared Rohrer-
You never know if you’re a true servant till your treated like one.
Hannah Wang-
My perspective of the Spectrum mall has changed since Monday afternoon-though it should have always felt the way that it feels now because I have seen and experienced poverty like that in Mexico many times before. I want to be able to see the world the way I do now always and not just after a culture shock.
Dylan Rohrer-
These kids have so little but they are so happy. I was with this kid at the orphanage and he just always had a smile on his face. I just pray that God will keep me content with what I have and not have. I’ve been greedy.
Bill Vucurevich-
Blessed far beyond what I deserve.
Tony Tiemann-
Thanks so much for all your prayers and support for this incredible experience that our team had in Mexico. We were so blessed by each of you who supported us so much. The blog tells what we did, so I won’t get into many details about the whole week here. We met tonight with our team at Bill and Judy’s home, 6 days after crossing the border, as we headed back home. It was so encouraging to hear how this time down south has changed each of us. There were tears, laughter, and contemplation, worship, prayer and great fellowship as we shared how this experience in Mexico has changed us all. One quick story I shared tonight is about a young boy named Alex. We were wrapping up our visit with about 50 orphan kids in this simple orphanage in Tijuana on Friday, our last day in Mexico. We had cooked for the kids a lunch that we all gobbled up and were playing with the children. I went up some stairs to just take a peek at the rooms the children were staying in. It was dark and reminded me of the concentration camp dormitories I saw in Dachau, Germany. The rooms were small and crowded. The walls were filled with three high bunks. As I entered this room there was a boy with his shirt around his waste. I went to talk to him and he reached out to me and just grunted and was looking wildly around the room. I went to pick him up and I could not help but notice the smell of his very full diaper. He was, I’d say around 9 or 10 years old. As I picked him up, I noticed he had down syndrome, just like my 2 year old daughter Leilani. He craved human touch. He clung to my neck and wrapped both legs around my waste. I took him outside and I saw his face light up as the sun hit his face. Each step down the stairs he lit up more and mid way down the stairs he started giggling and then full out laughing as I bounced him more aggressively down each step. As soon as I hit the bottom the orphan boys started yelling out his name, Alex, Alex, Alex. Their faces were so excited for him. I got the impression that Alex does not get out of his room much. There were only a handful of ladies there taking care of all these orphan kids, a daunting task no doubt. Our group was saying our goodbyes and we took a photo and a quick video of our group with some of the kids. The whole time Alex clung tight to me. Our team was heading to the vehicles as it was time to leave. I carried Alex up back to the room. It was a tough journey. He clung tighter and tighter to me as we climbed each step. I went to lay him back down on his bed and he would not let go. I had to pull his legs from around my waist and then I leaned forward to keep his legs from wrapping back around me. I then removed his arms from around my neck and he held on to my hands as tight as he could. I then had to pry his hands off of my hands. It was so difficult. All he wanted was to be held, touched, loved on. I think of my beautiful daughter Leilani and with her 6 therapies and classes she has a week, and thought how much more opportunities and abilities she had then this young boy about five times her age. Leilani loves to be held and snuggled and loved on and her family and friends love to do that with her. But so does Alex, but there is no one there for him. I was heart broken as I left his room, Alex just laid there moaning and I left with this empty feeling for him. We thank God that He has wonderful servants loving the orphans, providing for widows washing and bathing the poor. Our team saw that first hand and were ministered to by the wonderful people of Mexico. I thank you for lifting us up and allowing us to touch, to serve and to love with the love of Christ.
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