On the plane 2.0

 

We are on the plane

 

 

Heading Home

Well, after a VERY late but incredible and awesome night (and into the morning), we are heading home. We are tired, but it is a good tired. We are sore, but it's a good kind of sore. Most importantly, we are connected...connected to our friends in Merida, connected to one another and connected to our Heavenly Father as we've witnessed His power, grace and love pouring through each person on this trip. We are almost at the Cancun airport...can't wait to see our friends and family!

 

Time to debrief - Late night Friday

Each year we take time to "debrief" and talk through what we learned during the week, what God has shown us individually, and also to encourage one another in the Lord. Wow...these students and leaders have been hearing from the Father. Of course, before we get to the sharing, we must have what has become an annual event called the "Paper Plate Awards". The leaders get together and write something funny or meaningful (or both) that stood out during the week on paper plates. I could give a few examples but there is really no need, just ask one of the students about their award (there is usually a story behind it). Due to confidentiality restrictions, I will not share how late the session went...ok, there are no such restrictions, but if I disclose that information you would think we're pretty insane leaders (and you would be correct). See you soon.

 

 

Lunch at the beach

After an awesome time at the beach, we walked a few blocks to eat lunch (and yes, we were hungry!).

 

Friday afternoon at the beach

After our final work day at Blas Pascal, we rewarded this incredible team with an hour or so of fun in the sun at the beach! Take a look!

 

 

 

 

Flash Back - Monday Movie

Yes, this is late (blame it on the slow internet connection for video uploads or my napping after lunch). Below is a video slide show highlighting just a few teams on Monday...you've already seen so many awesome pictures from this incredible blog team, thanks guys for your great posts!

 

 

Family

One of my personal favorite things about this trip is the fact that you get the chance to meet incredibly kind people who share a common love for God. Though we are different in our nationalities, we come together as a family in Christ, and get to accomplish things that change the way others live and love. When I say This, i think I speak for everyone. We our so blessed to have the privilege to spend a week here in Merida, and experience this country and the amazing people in it. I can't wait to see what god has planned for the rest of the week!

Sarah

 

Ready for Monday

Here's a few pictures of what we have in store for Monday...we are ready to go!

700 Concrete blocks...the beams are behind this pile of blocks about the length of the pile.

 

28 concrete beams (approx. 20ft in length) to build out the ceiling on two rooms

 

Forming Spiritual Unity

Shalom Church, Merida, Mexico

     This church is a beautiful thing. Sometimes we, as privileged Americans blessed by God with a high standard of living and quality of life, fail to recognize His Beauty in the simplest of His creations, and we get caught up in too many material, worldly affairs and things. Singing to the tune of many of the same songs we sing at InsideOut, we were able to vocalize (or at least take a shot at vocalizing) our love for God in Spanish. Worshiping and praising alongside so many natives of Merida this morning helped set the foundation for a spiritual bond between us. Even though we may not speak the same languages, we share the same love for Christ, and whether we sing in English or Spanish, it is our praise of God, and the beauty that we have brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world, that takes precedence and took precedence over all else this morning.

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" (Psalm 133:1). 

     Shalom Church is nowhere near as big as Browns Bridge or North Point. There may be aesthetic differences in the design and size of the church, or differences in terms of the dress code, but it is our strong passion for Christ that united us this morning as we sang and worshiped alongside the residents of Merida. And no matter who you are or where you come from, it is that bond in Christ that has the power to unite anyone, if we so pursue it and stay in His Grace. In the coming days, there is going to be a lot of unity to develop, but through Christ, I believe this team has the power to completely change lives. And that's what we're going to do with the graceful Strength of God's Great Hand.

It's time for pictures!

 

"It's been an adventurous couple of days." -Katie Jones

Expect more picture bundles soon!

 

 

Sunday Lunch

After a day of shopping we landed at a little restaurant close to the hotel for lunch; the chicken was incredible and the deserts even better. We will rest a bit and then head over to Blas Pascal to build some relationships with the Merida students and yes, we will have our own version of the World Cup (Mexico vs. USA). Stay tuned for more.

 

 

Dancing in the streets

What an awesome night on the town...

 

Merida Festival

Shalom Church treated us to a pizza dinner and then we took off for the Merida festival for an hour to check out the local celebration. We took in a few sights and sounds of Merida and made a quick stop for some cold treats. We are ready to fall over...time to get these guys some rest! Sunday we head over to the church for breakfast at 7:30AM then the worship service at 9:00AM. Excited to be here!