Last night I dreamed that we were meeting in the church at Sanborn Rd and that the two key families had returned to our fellowship. There were many first-time guests. When I looked out from the stage, the sanctuary was very full. Some extra pews even had to be brought in. I am not an expert dream interpreter, but this was a SURPRISE dream for me. I am believing that this means that there is a hope and a future for New Life Church.
Today, Louie will speak/preach/teach on John 13, and especially on the disciple whom Jesus loved. Louie has been taken by the phrase that John "leaned back against Jesus" (13:25). This leaning back and resting on Jesus is a sign of intimacy and love and trust. We too need to lean on Jesus for our decisions and questions and friendship.
Today at 7:00 a.m., we had a leaders meeting with Melissa. PLNU student-leaders and all other adults are considered the leadership team. These early morning meetings will be daily for throughout the week.
After our meeting and cereal breakfast, we drove to Tijuana and worked with the TJ Central Church, led by Pastor Alejandro. Our team had been assigned to the haircutting booth, one of our seven ministry booths set up at a popular central park in TJ. As we were setting up the canopies and tables, a four year old girl came and asked me (in Spanish) if she could have some water to drink, from one of our blue jugs. It was a genuine pleasure to fill her water bottle with fresh water. It was a pleasant SURPRISE to learn that one of our teammates, Brooke, actually does hair as a profession. She kept quite busy with the scissors, working alongside the three other women form the TJ Church. I tried using my Spanish to converse with a few of the "clients". We also played Frisbee, American football and soccer with the kids and teens. For lunch, the church brought us brown bags of PBJ, an orange, and chips.
After the ministry fair, we had to pack out all the gear (it was quite a sight with 130 people each carrying something out of the park), load the vehicles, and then drive to TJ Central church where we would have our evening meal. The church is in a residential neighborhood, surrounded by streets in disrepair. We saw a couple a dogs wandering the streets, a typical scene in TJ. As we entered the church property, we found multiple kids jumping on a trampoline, men grilling carne asada, and women working in the kitchen to prepare the meal. We were all seated outside on a large patio (driveway/parking pad). Bowls of pico de gallo were the first food to appear. Then out came the plates, one by one, of burritos de frijoles y carne asada, and a side of guacamole. Then came the coke and then came some ice. The meal was awesome and really hit the spot. I think we were all starved.
After dinner, the Youthworks team members began playing all sorts of impromptu games. A stray super ball was found and became a wall ball game, right against the church wall. A circle formed, and a mystery murderer game began. There was arm wrestling, wrist/sword fighting, the one vs. one balance game, flips on the trampoline. Conversations and laughter filled the space as we rested from our day of work and ministry in the park. We felt quite welcomed by our TJ church family.
On the bus ride back to Tecate (east of TJ), we brought siblings Omar, Raquel and Karen. Omar, the youngest and most sociable of the three, revealed his gift for singing as he joined seatmate Mark in Spanish versions of Open the Eyes of My Heart and Shout to the Lord. There were also games of Rock, Paper, Scissors and various conversations. Joy, a principal from Bishop, served as a translator for the sisters. Lidia and I sat by closely and quietly, just watching and listening and feeling just fine doing so.
Back at camp we gathered for small group, played a name recognition game with a tarp between us, and then debriefed the day's events. We were especially grateful for the partnership shared in the haircutting booth. Melissa then brought around Grandma cookies as a special treat. We were late to bed, but it had been a good day. Tomorrow we head two hours sought to the coastal town of Rosarito for another ministry fair.
Saturday, Day 28
It felt good to sleep in a bit before we headed across town to PLNU where we would meet the other 130 Youthworks participants. We were some of the last to arrive, scarfed down a salad/sandwich lunch at the Caf, and then had our first meeting with Melissa, as she prepped us for the day and coming week of ministry. Before the meeting, we were SURPRISED to reconnect with Rene (Bonar) Christensen from youth group/college days. Her daughter Laura was joining the Youthworks adventure.
After loading the bussed and vans, we boarded our assigned bus and headed out to Tecate. We were SURPRISED to learn that we were taking Highway 94, instead of entering Mexico through the TJ border. The windy rural route was new to us. As entered the international border crossing, the Mexico gate welcomed us, but the border guards wanted to make a walk through our bus. As instructed by our dear leader Melissa, we were all quiet as the guard strutted through the bus. In a matter of 15 minutes, we were on our way to the Nazarene Campground, just across town.
As we turned into the campground, I was SURPRISED by the size of the building which greeted us: a daunting white structure with a metal roof. Filling at least two-thirds of the wall facing the entrance was a huge sign which read "Iglesia del Nazareno". I felt a sense of pride and ownership. I was part of this Nazarene family. This was going to be my home for one week of my life.
We unloaded the busses, found our bunks, made our beds and then returned to the "Comedor" (painted above the door). As we waited for a spaghetti dinner, some of the PLNU students formed a long line on the outdoor basketball court. A game of knock-out ensued. After dinner, we gathered in our teams to get acquainted with our teammates. Maria, Sherene, Nadia, and Urbano are our PLNU leaders for the week.
After loading the bussed and vans, we boarded our assigned bus and headed out to Tecate. We were SURPRISED to learn that we were taking Highway 94, instead of entering Mexico through the TJ border. The windy rural route was new to us. As entered the international border crossing, the Mexico gate welcomed us, but the border guards wanted to make a walk through our bus. As instructed by our dear leader Melissa, we were all quiet as the guard strutted through the bus. In a matter of 15 minutes, we were on our way to the Nazarene Campground, just across town.
As we turned into the campground, I was SURPRISED by the size of the building which greeted us: a daunting white structure with a metal roof. Filling at least two-thirds of the wall facing the entrance was a huge sign which read "Iglesia del Nazareno". I felt a sense of pride and ownership. I was part of this Nazarene family. This was going to be my home for one week of my life.
We unloaded the busses, found our bunks, made our beds and then returned to the "Comedor" (painted above the door). As we waited for a spaghetti dinner, some of the PLNU students formed a long line on the outdoor basketball court. A game of knock-out ensued. After dinner, we gathered in our teams to get acquainted with our teammates. Maria, Sherene, Nadia, and Urbano are our PLNU leaders for the week.
Friday, Day 27
Today was the day drive to San Diego, where we would reunite with Lidia and Maria. The plan was to leave at noon, but my errands and last minutes tasks prolonged the departure time to 1:15. We took our normal route of south on 101, east on 46 and south on Interstate 5. As we were on the Grapevine Grade, the engine light came on. This was a first for the van, so I was perplexed. After pulling over, and checking the oil, we resumed our trip south. Once in the Friday rush hour slow down in North LA, the engine light came on again. I pulled off a Burbank exit, found an automotive repair shop that was still semi-open, and was served by Dro. He was closing for the day, but was kind enough to put his sensor on my engine and report that the van was running extremely lean. In other words, I was getting too much air in the fuel/air mixture. Dro did not have the manpower or time to fix it, and I was not real keen on finding a rental. Dro SURPRISED me by telling me "no charge" when I asked what I owed him, so I gave him a $20 tip for his time. Then I took the risk and resumed our trek south. I did call my friend "Mechanic Mac", back in Salinas who said that as long as the van was not overheating that we should be ok. Thankfully, we made it all the way to San Diego without incident.
Thursday, Day 26
Today I had to take the van to get the oil changed before our trip south tomorrow. I went to Walmart, and chose to wait across the parking lot at Starbucks. As I was in line to place my order, I was SURPRISED to I recognize one of the baristas (I am not a regular at this Starbucks). As I approached the counter, I asked her if we knew each other. She said, "Yes, from the Nazarene church." Angela (also called Patty) was in Lidia's Sunday School class six or seven years ago. As Angela spoke, I remembered her family, asked about them, and then asked her about where she was worshipping. It seems that work is her priority right now. From this meeting, I had to wonder what God might have in mind for the reconnection. Was it encouragement for one moment? Was there some future ministry with Angela that he was calling me to? One thing for sure: it was more than just getting the oil changed.
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