Back in the USA... We have seen marvelous things!

Hey everyone!

     Well we made it back to America safely, but before we tell you all about that let's fill you in on yesterday's dedications. All three houses were finished and Thursday morning we headed to the sites where we met up with each homeowner. Pastor Roger lead each dedication which started with a prayer. Pastor made a point of telling each family that each house was first the Lord's and second theirs. The houses were truly a gift from God. The first thing we did was nail a cross on the outside of the doors to remind them that it was God's house and every time they stepped in the door God was watching over them. Eventually we handed over the keys and everyone cheered once they were opened. On the inside each specific group got to be a part of a small dedication service where we exchanged blessings and sang a song. It was a moving experience and some tears were shed. With heavy hearts we said goodbye to these families that had become our own for three days.
     We quickly cheered up though, when we crossed the border in true BLC style. You'd think that sitting in almost stand still traffic for an hour plus would be anything but fun, but on the contrary it definitely was one of the highlights on this trip. Because of hard feelings from a previous prank war the night before, girls and guys decided to segregate themselves among vans. The issue? The lame boys decided to set off alarms all through the night. The joke was on them when their ipods and phones were no where to be found. If you know anything about Tijuana border crossing, you know its basically an outdoor shopping mall on the highway. The girls waged that the boys would receive a piece of their belongings for everything they bought us. To make a long story short the boys held up the end of their bargain and we all enjoyed churros, chips, and some good laughs. The battle was ended in a truce when the guys ran up to our van with an ipod to play the cha cha slide. The boys started to dance amidst all the cars and traffic and the girls joined in to have the second best dance party Tijuana has ever seen.
So we finally got to the border inspection and the first two vans past through with flying colors. On the other hand the third van filled with the guys was pulled over to secondary inspection because it was a "random inspection". So the van was x-rayed then searched for meats, fruits, and other exports. Although it was sayed to be random, we are convinced that it was becuase the excessive sarcasm used by the guys. They joked about being searched and even suggested that Mike Long be thoroughly searched. After awhile, they were let go and back on our way.
      Once we were all friends again, we headed off to San Diego! We checked in to the hotel and enjoyed some rays poolside and. Then, it was off to Corvettes, probably the coolest restaurant we've ever been to. And probably the only one that welcomed the crazy antics of our group rather than kick us all out. =] The 50's diner with burgers and shakes was the perfect welcome back to the USA.
       Today, we enjoyed the best waffles we've ever had at the hotel and now we're about to visit the San Diego Zoo! Can't wait to share what happened next with all of you in person. See you at the airport at 12:50 ;) AM Saturday.

Love you all, Thanks so much for following our journey.
Over and out!

BLC blogger crew: Julia, Beth, Drew, & Lexie

Dance Party 2011... Leave You're Regrets on the Dance Floor!!!

     Today the girls were awakened by the melodious sound of Drew's Mexican styled guitar strumming. Needless to say the girls were not happy. (Although he looked handsome in a sombrero.) After breakfast we headed once again out to the work sites with a daily dosage of We R Who We R (Hot and Dangerous). Anticipations were high as we expected the houses to be complete today. The day started out once again with prayers around the work sites for safety. We then continued putting on the roof and then did shingles and tar. Trim, windows, and doors were also put in and the houses were finished with only a few touch-ups tomorrow. The dedications will be tomorrow, we will hand the keys over to the families, and the crosses will be placed above the door showing that the Lord is present in their homes.
         In celebration of the houses being completed, tonight will be the biggest dance party that the mission has ever seen. Energy and excitement are running high as people practice their awesome dance moves. There are rumors that Mike Long will attempt a fabled and dangerous move. As the week comes to a close, the gang is wishing it would last forever. None of us are quite ready to leave this blessed place.
        Please pray for tomorrow's dedication as it will be an joyous yet emotional experience.
Until then we will be dancing the night away! :)
                          Drew, Beth, Lexi, Julia

Hot & Dangerous!

     The day started very early with some breakfast followed with devotions and prayer. We headed off to the work sites to pick up where we left off yesterday. After our usual jam session on the ride over we got going right away. We took a break around 12:30 for a lunch that was provided to our whole group by the families we are building the houses for. The blazing afternoon sun made our usual labor more difficult than normal. In addition, we had to complete some potentially dangerous tasks such as building the lofts, roofs, and installing the windows and doors. However, the Lord protected and guided each of our work sites, and no one was harmed. Around 3:00, we stopped building for the day and led a myriad of activities for the VBS we held near the worksites. Not only the children but also their parents interacted in our activities and seemed to learn a lot. It was a rewarding experience for everyone involved, especially during the time when we handed out supplies for each VBS attendee. In the supply bag was beans, rice, toys, toiletries, coloring books, and a handmade blanket (made by Brookfield Lutheran's VBS 2010).

     We got to spend some time playing soccer with the locals back at the Mission when we returned. We ended the day circled around the campfire discussing the amazing things God had done today. We also went over our daily God Sightings and Rockstar (members from the group who contributed something special during the day) awards to people in the group. We are all tired again from another day in the hot Mexico sun, and ready for some sleep. 

Until next time, 

Buenos Noches America!

Julia, Beth, Drew, & Lexie 

Day Number One on the Work Sites

The last two days have been filled with both fun and work... and sometimes a little bit of both together! :) Yesterday we started our day with a wonderful church service in Espanol and really had to work hard to communicate with the kids as we taught Sunday school. However, once we worked out the bumps it was a very cool experience as it was fun to see the children experience some fun science experiments and actually understanding the Bible story. The afternoon was nothing but fun! We jammed out to some music in the vans on the way to a few hours at the beach. We also got some last minute extra shopping done before the day was over!

Today was a little different pace compared to the slower and relaxed pace of yesterday. We got up early, loaded up the vans, and headed to our work sites where we spent the rest of the day. The day was hot and a little long, but we accomplished a LOT! We got the frames, sidings, and lofts done on all three of the houses. We also had some amazing experiences talking with the families who will be receiving the houses, getting to know the locals, playing with the neighborhood kids, and even inviting some kids to VBS tomorrow. Now we are a little exhausted, but after some sleep tonight I'm sure everyone will be all ready to go  for another day. We can't wait to see what ways God will be able to use us as we continue to build relationships with to everyone we meet and witness in our words and actions.

Until next time,

God Bless!

Beth, Lexie, Julia, and Drew

Don´t Worry We Made it!

Hola!
     Ever since we arrived in San Diego around noon yesterday, we´ve been very busy. Sorry for the delay in updating you, but don´t worry we arrived safely and have already stayed our first night in Tijuana. Yesterday our two groups, from Wisconsin and Nebraska, finally came together. We loaded up the vans and began our journey with shopping for supplies and, of course, food! After safely crossing the border we got settled in to the Mission, El Divino Salvador. Then we drove to the building sites that we will be working at and scoped out the area. We´ve already experienced some shocking differences in culture, first off the extreme poverty, unpaved bumpy roads, and the amount of stray dogs roaming the streets. We´re already learning so much about the culture and we can´t wait to find out more as the week continues, as well as brush up on some more of our Español =).

     Today, after some much needed sleep, we ate some delicious breakfast, and then it was time to get to work. The morning was spent painting siding, cutting wood pieces, and building lofts, in preparation for Monday, our first day at the new house sites. Brought back pizza from the native Dominoes for lunch and soon today´s work will be finished. We´re off to downtown Tijuana for some shopping! Thank you for your continued prayers on this trip. We´re already having a great time and the trip is off to a wonderful start =).

We´ll write again soon!

God Bless,
     Beth, Lexie, and Julia

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!

We leave for Mexico in 13 days!!! I cant believe how fast it has come up!! Its almost surreal that we will actually be leaving so soon! Tomorrow morning our team will be commissioned during the 9:00am service at church. After the service we have lots to do! We will be packing duffel bags filled with tools, blankets, and supplies for VBS. Then we have a final meeting to discuss final plans and a cookout for the team and the parents. It should be a fun day and I think it will really help us focus on the fact that the trip is just about here! Prayers are very much appreciated as we make final preparations. Specifically that God would prepare us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually for this trip, and that He would prepare those whom we will serve.
*Pray Ephesians 6:10-19 for us before and during our trip, that we may be equipped and ready for each day!
"¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel."