To The Ends of the Earth

2009-07-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

We have continued to be amazed and inspired by all that we have witnessed this past week. From working with kids to painting and painting and painting, God has continued to bring us out of our comfort zones and equip us with patience, strength, and joy to complete our tasks.

Every night we have had the opportunity to listen as Joel (Sunshine Director) has challenged and stretched us to look beyond preconceptions of the inner city and fully open our hearts to the people we have been able to serve. Today, we had the opportunity to put these lessons into action as we handed out bagged lunches in the downtown Chicago area. We heard the stories of many homeless people as we showed them God's love through a sandwich, chips, fruit, and conversation. Through this experience we learned that even the outcasts of society are important as they were created in the image of God.

The picture you see was taken at the Sunshine Gospel Ministries summer day camp. Students working in this program were able to reach out to kids through drama, crafts, games, music, pudding (it's a good story) and dodge ball. The lesson for the kids was based on one way to serve. The lesson focused on Jesus washing His disciple's feet. Not only have we been able to help the kids, but they have taught us that the gifts of time and love and truly caring about others can go a long way.

We look forward to a day at the beach with the kids for the Peace and Sunshine Blast groups and more manual labor for the Yes! group. These will be followed by some sight-seeing downtown and then a hotel stay before the ride back home.

And for now, well, we're enjoying talking and packing and playing a good game of Apple, Apple Open, Open. We can't wait to share with you all the many things that we have learned through this experience.

His Clay,

Chicago Missions Team

Love you God and Live Humbly

2009-07-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

There is something to be said about being surrounded by concrete. It brings forth the desire to play basketball, hopscotch, Four Square and a plethora of other games involving concrete. While being in the city the last few days it is becoming apparent that our group is capitalizing on these activities with the people of the Woodlawn Community and experiencing fellowship through the common ground of competition.

In the past two days the three groups have given out groceries, alongside the Chicago Food Bank, helped run three different youth outreach programs, and have begun helping Chicago Embassy Church restore a park beginning the process of community beautification. It has been a privilege to work alongside the Woodlawn as we are both discovering how much the urban world has to offer to the suburban community and vice versa.

We will be updating again soon, but in the mean time enjoy some of these pictures of our escapes so far in the city.

His Clay,

Chicago Missions Team

Shalom = City Renewal

2009-07-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

We just finished with our first official day with Sunshine Gospel Ministries, and it is apparent that with only 5 hours of sleep 9 hours of ministry can be draining. However, I think God purposefully planned our exhaustion so that we would be in a physical state of readiness for the Holy Spirit to move and teach us new things. Tonight, while Joel taught us our first lesson it was apparent that the LORD was starting to open the eyes of the entire team.

Joel taught on the concept of "Shalom". The Traditional understanding of "Shalom" is "Peace". However, the Jewish concept of Shalom goes further than our modern understanding of peace. It touches on three aspects of peace that ascertain to our daily lives. The concept of "Shalom" is an intense peace with God. This is the kind of satisfaction that you might find when you connecting really well with someone who is your best friend. "Shalom" encourages us that we have this same connection with God on a daily basis. The second understanding of "Shalom" is to have a peace with with people. Not just your kind of people, but people from every tribe, tongue and nation. Lastly, the third concept of "Shalom" is to have a peace with your environment. This is not being comfortable with where God has placed you, but desiring to do more with where you are. This is a calling to bring the God of the Universe into prevalence in your community. This can be done by beautifying a particular eye sore in your neighborhood or making the building of your church a desirable place to be: a place that communicates "Shalom".

The group is really excited about exploring what it means to participate in bringing "Shalom" to the inner city of Chicago, but also to the ever diversifying community that is Woodbury.

His Clay,

Chicago Missions Team

12:31 AM

2009-07-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

What a beautiful day to travel to Chicago. Our group pulled into Chi-city a little after 6pm. Upon arrival our group met up with Joel Hammernick, the director of Sunshine Gospel Ministries. Joel was gracious enough to invite us into his home for a spaghetti and meatball dinner and, after 7 hours on the road it was a welcome treat to have a hot meal waiting and ready!

Quickly after dinner our group was introduced to Hixson Presbyterian Church from Chattanooga Tennessee. During our orientation to Sunshine's ministries we learned that we will be collaborating with Hixson in three specified programs. Our combined group of 26 will be divided among these three ministries for the entire week while we develop new relationships and friendships. The first cohort is made of Breana Schulenburg, Laura Nygren, Becky Markowski, and Emily Erickson. They will be working with "Summer Blast", a youth outreach in the Woodlawn Community. The second cohort will be Adam Niva, Derrick Erickson, Dan Boal and Chris Schulenburg. We will be working with "Peace", a Sr. High outreach that is part of "Summer Blast". Our last cohort will be Kayla M, Kayla Mo, Sam Strand and Fran Weess. They will be working with "Yes". A ministry that is closely associated with sunshine who is need of some volunteer for the week.

After our morning outreach events we will regroup in the evenings and go on a mission excursion to the Pacific Garden Mission on Monday, and Various other outreach's throughout the week.

Well, thats all for tonight or should I say this morning!!

His Clay

Chicago Missions Team

Chicago Team Departs!

2009-07-19T15:24:00.001-07:00

The Woodbury Community Church Chicago Mission Team departed today after the first service for a week long mission trip to the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago. Please be in prayer for the team as they minister throughout the week. Team members include (from left to right)Adam Niva, Chris Schulenburg, Laura Nygren, Fran Weess, Samantha Strand, Kayla Pearl, Kayla Moechnig, Emily Erickson, Cherrill Erickson, Becky Markowski, Breanna Schulenburg, Derrick Erickson, and Youth Pastor, Dan Boal.

Pray that God would keep the team safe, that He would teach them about urban life, ministry, and the people that make up the Woodlawn neighborhood, that the team would be a blessing wherever they go, that they would have a spirit of unity, and that God would be glorified throughout the entire trip.

Chicago Mission Trip Announcement

2009-04-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Sunshine Gospel Ministries Trip! July 19th-25th

Hello Everyone,
My palms are sweaty with the anticipation of taking our youth into the inner city of Chicago, and my former stomping grounds. Nothing can be as life transforming as making a connection with the impoverished who dwell in our own back-yards. It is eye-opening, compelling and at times a little frightening to realize that whether you are in the suburbs or in the inner city you are just a few steps away from being in the shoes of the helpless, homeless, and hurting. This is why I am so excited to be working alongside Sunshine Gospel Ministries. Sunshine as been an established inner city mission for over 100years, with long standing relationships and a real time tested passion to be the hands and feet of Christ in the Woodlawn Community of Chicago.
This summer the youth of Woodbury Community church will be partnering with Sunshine to run a morning vbs/day camp for inner city children. They will receive urban ministry training from a variety urban leaders and staff members from Sunshine. In the evenings we will be visiting and helping a plethora of different inner city ministries such as the Pui Tak Center, Pacific Garden Mission, South East Friendship Center and Breakthrough Urban Ministries.
In order to attend this trip each student will have to fill out an application that will be due by May 17th 2009. At the time they submit their application a $50 dollar deposit will be required. This deposit will be non-refundable once students are selected to go on the trip. Along with the successful completion of the application there will be six pre-trip training sessions that student will be required to attend. These sessions will deal with inner city training, support raising and developing and finding prayer partners.
The cost of this trip will be $450 per student. It will include travel, a t-shirt, room board and food. While the cost may seem steep we trust that God will work in such a way that each student will have means above and beyond what they expecting. So please, join with us in prayer as we begin to seek the renewal of the city along with Sunshine Gospel Ministries.

-- Dan Boal, Youth Pastor

Highlight Video

2009-03-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Here is our highlight video from the 2009 Woodbury Community Church Ensenada Mexico Mission Trip.

2009 Woodbury Community Church Ensenada Mexico Mission Trip Highlight Video from Brian Schulenburg on Vimeo.

Mexico Report Back on Sunday, March 1st at 6:00 PM

2009-02-28T17:18:00.000-08:00

The 2009 Ensenada Mexico Mission Trip Team will give a report back about the trip tomorrow night, March 1st at 6:00 PM at Wooddbury Community Church. Hope you can make it. Each member of the team will share about his or her experiences in Mexico and then we'll show a slide show/video from the trip.

Saturday -- What a Day . . .

2009-02-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

Hello again! This is Lauren. So this morning we had breakfast and went to the site bright and early. When we got there I got to help Caroline explain about her family to the mother of the Lopez family- she loved that! Then I was on painting duty again. Breanna and I were “touching up” all morning. Then we started to bring in the furniture. We built the two bunk beds and set out all the new toys, silverware, crafts, and food. Then I started to work on the sign for the front of the house- it said “Familia Gaynor-Lopez.” Then came the reveal! Yay! We took a picture with the family, then said thank you’s and gave them a framed copy of the picture (technology is amazing- new just printed it on site), a Bible, Cami and Mel’s cross pillows, and the key. Then they went in to see their new house- they loved it! Once they had had a chance to see everything, everyone piled in and we said a prayer to dedicate the building to God. We learned that when the house is dedicated, the family remembers- and they know they have a new start. To finish the day we went shopping in downtown Ensenada. It’s been a very good experience.

Hi, this is Joel. Mexico is a fun place. I hope you all can come to see all the wonderful things I’ve seen. It took us three days to build a 24 x something house. I put up shingles, trim, a wall, and I put the door together. There are many dogs running around free, and I feel bad for them.

This is Rachel. Well since I’m dictating to Brian I’ll make this extra long. We had a great day today. And, we were very excited to give the keys to the house to the family. Ummmmm It was great to see the look on their faces when they let us into their new home. This is hard I don’t have anything composed, and he’s typing that right now, so now this is going to get posted. But, we did have a great day and it was also nice to take a shower and get clean at the end of the day. And, I enjoyed having fellowship with our fellow mission trip people at the end of the day. I really enjoyed that we met up at Starbucks in Ensenada at the end of the night. It was like a beacon of hope in the midst of Mardi Gras madness. And, as if some unspoken force was drawing us all there Karen, Tom and I [who were avoiding the Darth Vader policemen – you had to be there, I know]were walking down the street and I commented, “Wouldn’t it be funny if everyone else was sitting inside of Starbucks when we got there?” It has been a great week, and, I’m very thankful to all of those who made it possible for us to be here through their prayer and financial support, and I also want to thank the YWAM staff for their hospitality and friendliness, especially our local host Luis who has handed over driving privileges to Tom Nelson who now drives like an Ensenada local.

Hello Everyone back home! It’s Breanna again. And, I can hardly believe that four days have gone by so fast. The entire time that we have had the privilege of being in Ensenada, I have been astounded by the humility of the people, the love that they have in their hearts and the incredible ways that God reveals Himself each and every day. Today was the final day of working on the house and as I finished my third day of painting, touching up little fingerprints and trim, I found myself thinking about all of you back home and I began to pray for many of you. Thank you so much for your support that has helped us be able to do this good work in Ensenada. The joy on the family’s face as their keys were inserted into the door and they beheld their home for the first time was an expression and feeling beyond any price. The sound of the children’s laughter and screaming as they saw all of the toys purchased in their new room and as they sorted through drawers filled with coloring books and cars and beach balls made my heart overflow. It is impossible to adequately describe the incredible experience that we have had during this time in Ensenada. Thank you for your prayers and your support we have seen God use both for His glory during our time here. I can’t wait to come home and tell you all about it. But, it’s still going to be hard to leave. Adios! Hasta Manana! (See you tomorrow).

Hey everyone, it’s Brian. Thank you so much for following our 2009 Woodbury Community Church Ensenada, Mexico Mission Trip Blog. This has really been a wonderful week of ministry. I’m so proud of my teammates, and the way that God worked through each one of them. One of my favorite parts of a mission trip is being able to meet the local missionaries. I’ve been so impressed with YWAM’s local Ensenada team. They run a top notch operation. God is using this ministry to make a phenomenal difference in the poorer neighborhoods of Ensenada. Luis, our local host shared his testimony with our team tonight. He was married at 15 years old and had a child at 16. He and his young bride came to America, and did quite well – owning three homes in Los Angeles. After 15 years of marriage they divorced, and when they did he hit rock bottom. He began to drink heavily and waste all of his money. Within a year he moved to Wyoming and had a good job working for Chevron. He then moved to Las Vegas where he built a couple of casinos, including Mandalay Bay. It was in sin city where Luis was introduced to God. Ten years ago he made a commitment to Jesus Christ, and his life has never been the same. This man, a senior citizen, who used to make $2500 a week eventually enrolled in YWAM’s Discipleship Training School. This is a three month intensive discipleship program that is usually attended by teenagers and twentysomethings. He has spent the last two years at the YWAM base in Ensenada and hopes to begin a DTS in South Africa in the next year. What a joy to hear his story and see how God has worked in his life.

I had a chance to share Christ with a young man for a couple of hours today. Please pray for him. He is so close to making a commitment to give his life to Christ, but is really struggling to get past some issues he has with God.

We leave Ensenada tomorrow and look forward to coming back home. We won’t post anymore pictures because we want to save some surprises for our Mission Trip Report next Sunday, March 1st at 6:00 PM at WCC. Hope to see you there. And, as I sign off a big thank you to Darlene Wendlandt, who planned much of our trip and was unable to join us. She was a huge blessing to us. Thank you too to Tom Nelson and Ken Mosner who led our team devotional times and to Carolyn Benson who served as our team accountant. We have been blessed with an awesome group.

Our Last Day Is About To Start

2009-02-21T07:28:00.000-08:00

In just a couple of minutes we'll be eating breakfast and from there we will load onto our vans for one more day of ministry here in Mexico. It's been a good few days. I'm amazed at how quickly the home for the Lopez family has gone up. It's so cool to see the joy on their faces and the pride in their eyes as they watch their home go up.

Last night our entire team went to Wal Mart in Ensendada to purchase several items for the family. We were able to purchase them food, bedding, toys, and more. We also purchased a second bunk bed from YWAM. It's going to be great to see how they feel as their home is completed and fully furnished.

Please continue to keep our safety and strength in your prayers. If all goes well we will probably finish the home around noon today.

We asked you to pray for so many things before the trip began, and I truly feel like God has answered all of those prayers. We have seen no hint of the danger that the papers have been talking about, we have felt safe everywhere we have traveled, we have seen wonderful team unity and God has protected us on the job site. Please pray for an awesome finish to the trip and that God would keep our eyes open to what He wants us to see and learn today.

Most interesting ice cream flavor accidently ordered last night: Tequila (by Tom)
Number of times our A Builders name has been mispronounced (it's Josue, pronounced Ho-Sway): at least 4 that I can think of (Jose, Jesus, Josuela, Consue)
Most common form of communication with our family: Smiling

Ken's Updated Taco Tally

2009-02-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

Ken - 8
Tom - 6
Brian - 4 1/2
Lauren - 4
Rachel - 2 3/4
Breanna - 2
Gail - 1
Karen - 1
Greg - 1
Joel - 1
Carolyn - 1 pickup line, No Tacos! - She passed on tonight's trip because she didn't want to add any more pickup lines from her suitor to her ongoing tally.
Tom - Passed tonight because of Acid Reflux brought on by Taco Overindulgence.

We Love Ice Cream

2009-02-20T21:39:00.001-08:00

Friday Pictures and a Message from Lauren

2009-02-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

Hello! It's Lauren. Last night we went on my first taco run- and that was awesome! There is a blue stand and a red stand, and my favorite is the red. In a few minutes I'm going on my second run. Oh, by the way, when we were walking back from the run, Caroline caught someone's eye- He thought she was very beautiful! This morning we had an awesome breakfast and then were off to the building site! Most of the day I was painting, and painting, and painting. But I thought it was really fun to help translate a little- I got to help Mel and Cami explain that they wanted to play soccer :) The house is almost done, so tomorrow we will finish and furnish it. Tonight after dinner we went to Walmart and went crazy shopping for the family- Breanna, Cami, Mel, and I found a lot of fun toys (coloring books, bubbles, and cars, etc.) Ok well I have to go. What time is it? Taco Time!

A Great Friday!

2009-02-20T18:01:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, it's Breanna again! It has been so incredibly fun to spend another day in Ensenada. Before I continue, I have to make a little comment about our time last night. Some local was quite smitten with Carolyn and kept asking us what her name was. He finally concluded with saying that she was muy bonita (very beautiful). As you can imagine, we haven't stopped teasing, even going so far as to serenade her with a beautiful Spanish folk song. But on to today. We woke up with the sun pouring into our windows and our backs feeling the pain of the work we did yesterday. After an interesting breakfast (beans, spicy red sausage, and eggs with chicken though most of us ate cereal and yogurt) we headed out once again for the site. It was so wonderful to already have an established connection with the family and to see their smiling faces once again. As soon as we dedicated the day to the Lord through a prayers in English and Espanol, we headed to work. I, again, painted and painted and painted. At a break I talked to the children about how my hands were totally white and disgusting. With all this painting, I have learned that it is incredibly important to pay attention to all the verbs learned in Spanish class. I think I have used the verb pintar (to paint) more than common words like hola, adios, gracias, or de nada. I also found it important to remember these obscure verbs as I made a major mistake that caused the locals a lot of laughter. I'll tell you about it if you ask me. Anyway, I was praying for many of you back home today as I painted an endless amount of trim. Know that you are in my thoughts and prayers constantly! (And Mom, I finally understand why you complain about staining all of that trim two summers ago. I love you!)

We are getting ready for a Wal Mart run to purchase food, clothing, and household supplies for the family. We'll update more later on tonight! Look for pictures too (although they will probably be posted around midnight your time):>) Thanks for all of your prayers. -- Brian

Taco Run

2009-02-19T21:27:00.000-08:00

Ken's Updated Taco Tally

Ken - 6
Tom - 6
Brian - 2 1/2
Lauren - 2
Breanna - 2
Rachel - 1 3/4
Karen - 1
Greg - 1
Joel - 1
Carolyn - 1 pickup line, No Tacos!

Pictures Anyone?

2009-02-19T18:40:00.000-08:00

That's all I can post for now. I'm running to our team meeting. Thanks again for all of your prayers.

We Love Ensenada - In Their Own Words

2009-02-19T18:38:00.001-08:00

Hi, this is Carolyn Benson. What a great beautiful first day – sunny blue sky. We made good progress on the house, and had a fun time interacting with the kids at the end of the work day. It was tough having to be teamed up with Workman Ken – the super work person! And then it was also a good laugh to watch Pastor Brian try to swing a hammer! I love working with newcomers Joel and Karin. We sure miss you Sandy!

Ken’s Taco Tally- Wednesday Evening
Tom – 2 Queso Tacos Ken – 2 Queso Tacos Brian – 0 Tacos
Everyone else pupped out. They don’t know what they are missing.

Hola! This is Lauren. I am loving Ensenada- the weather is beautiful and the families are so nice. When we got to the building site this morning, I was put on the painting team. We painted walls, ceiling trusses, and the trim for the windows and door. We got very good at asking the kids “Quieres pintar?” (do you want to paint). After painting we ate lunch, then Breanna, Cami, Mel and I went and talked with the kids in the family. We had an awesome time laughing over learning words in each other’s language. Then we did some songs and a puppet show and played with beach balls and one of those giant “parachutes”. Tonight, we are going on a taco run so Ken will stop teasing us . So far it has been an awesome trip- and I am using my espanol a lot!

Rachel here. Well, the girls did delay the taco run Wednesday night, but we were just saving up for taco heaven tonight. And to our credit, we did scout it out on our run to the Oxxo (corner gas station) last night for some giant bottles of water. Hydration first, especially given our tired, slightly jet-lagged state. After a good night’s rest and a great breakfast, we were all in tip top shape and ready to go today. On our way to the work site, we passed the house we built last year – and I think we’re going to visit later this week. I’m excited to see how that family is doing. The family we are building for this year has five great kids who wanted to help along with their parents – and once the painting got underway it seemed like all the neighborhood kids were there wanting to wield a paintbrush too. Some had more skill than others at neatly applying the paint, but they all painted with gusto. It was fun to work with them, even though our limited language skills sometimes made communication a challenge. But there were a lot of gestures, one or two word phrases, and smiles and it was great to have their help. I’d like to give a shout out to the cooks here at YWAM – the food is terrific, and we already have our kitchen clean up duty done for the trip, and it’s great to sit around and talk about our day (and challenge each other to taco-eating contests) over a fantastic meal. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us tomorrow and how far we’ll come. So far, there’s four walls up, lots of things painted, lots of things left to be painted, and some roof trusses that are ready to go. It’s going to be great!

*Boy, oh boy, no one prepared me for the “roughing it” that is Mexico. I just finished an amazing meal of cilantro chicken with a sundried tomato/asparagus risotto at the YWAM base and am currently sipping a warm hot cocoa while watching the sunset over the ocean. Another piece of crusty bread?? Twist my arm….
In all honesty, it’s an escape from and stark contrast to the poverty we experienced today. As I carefully treaded the rough terrain, slathered on hand sanitizer (yet again), and put a piece of wood under me while sitting down on the dirty ground, children around me ran and played and slid joyfully, happy to have a blow up beach ball to amuse them. One of the pictures that stands out most vividly in my mind from today was the eagerness of the children to help us paint. There were two kids in particular, Teresa and Alfredo, both probably around 7 or 8 who were so eager to do well, filling in every crevice and refusing to move on till the job was done. Never in my life have I wished that I had retained or continued with the Spanish I so flippantly participated in for two years of high school as much as I did today. The kids solidified my extreme limitations when they stared blankly as I pathetically attempted the American version of “Happy Birthday” in Spanish. I get the impression that’s not the way they do it here.
So thankful to be here….looking forward to another great day. Though I’m not so sure about this late night taco tradition. Cheese and grease don’t seem like such a good combo at 10 pm….
~Karin

Hello to everyone en los Estados Unidos from Breanna! Wow! I can hardly believe the amazing work that God is doing in Mexico. As I write this the sun is setting and the city is coming alive with lights and traffic. A cruise ship is pulling out and the extent of its grandeur is almost humorous when compared to the dogs and cats running around in the streets and the smell of people cooking and human waste. When driving through Mexico last night I was astonished by the fact that I was looking at real poverty. Houses here, if they can be called that, are really multiple pieces of scrap lumber and the roofs are held on by tires. The cruise ship lights are glittering now as it drifts farther out into the ocean and I can’t help but smile at the irony. But Ensenada glitters in its own way as well. It glows in the faces of its children, the humble and loving expressions of their parents. The many twinkling lights of the houses built into the hillsides make the city come alive.
Today it was amazing to see how well the team worked together and how fast the building really goes. There was this indescribable excitement on the faces of the family we were building for and on our own. I had the wonderful opportunity to paint more than I ever have in my life and am looking forward to doing it all over again tomorrow. I was also able to use the Spanish that I know to translate between team members and have conversations with the people we were serving. It was so fun to be able to converse and learn new words. Also, to laugh at my many mistakes! The girls I was talking with wanted to learn English so we spent a good fifteen minutes exchanging words. The day at the worksite was finished with playing with beach balls and a parachute, performing a puppet show, and giving out books to the family and their neighbors. The cruise ship is out of sight now, no I am not extremely slow at typing it moves fast, but Ensenada is just coming alive. The beautiful twinkling of lights still shines, reminding me that despite the poverty, the joy and life that is in the city shines brighter than luxury, inspiring the hearts of all who see them. I can’t wait for another day in Ensenada tomorrow, and to visit all of the kids again! Adios for now! Buenos noches!

We're Here!

2009-02-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

Thursday, February 19, 2009

We’re in Ensenada, and we love it! Thank you for your prayers. God has provided us with wonderful hosts, wonderful weather, and a wonderful mission. Today we woke up early [most of us woke up several times throughout the night – the normal thing to happen when dealing with a time change and new surroundings] and had a delicious breakfast of pancakes, sausage, cereal, yogurt and fruit. Then it was off to a Homes of Hope orientation meeting. It was fun to hear the story behind the Homes of Hope projects. YWAM will build over 200 homes this year for needy families in Ensenada, Tijuana, and Tecate, Mexico. When we completed orientation, each team member was given a tool belt and a Homes of Hope t-shirt, and then it was off to our construction site. As you can see in a prior post, we are building a home for the Gaynor Lopez family. They are a sweet family with five children all living in a tiny home. As best as we can tell the Lopez family all sleep in the same room. They have a stove with two burners that work and an oven that doesn’t. The family does have a refrigerator and a table, but there is very little food in the home. We were told that this family could desperately use some food. So, we are going to take up a collection from the team and try to purchase them some food. We’re also going to try to get them a second bunk bed. The package that we purchased for the family includes a furniture set. That means that we will give them a new working stove, a bunk bed, a table, and some more items. I’m excited to see the difference that these items will make in this family’s life.
We got to work on the home as soon as we got to the site. By the end of the day, all four walls were up. We are going to add one more room to the inside of the home tomorrow, bringing it to a total of three rooms. We had a painting team that painted the entire exterior of the home today. They also painted all the trusses that the truss team built. There was also a team in charge of framing the home. After a long day of work on the home, our children’s team made balloon animals, played parachute games, put on a puppet show and sang, and then Lauren Kimball shared her testimony with the kids. The kids loved the beach balls, books, evangelistic bracelets and balloon animals that were given to them.
We’ll have team time after dinner tonight and then a good number of us will head to the street Taco stands of Ensenada for some of the best tacos in the world.
Thanks for your prayers. We were not able to go to the orphanage today. We may get to do that on this trip, but it may not work out. We’ll visit the home that we built last year tomorrow afternoon. Everyone on our team is in great spirits. Some are a little sore tonight, but everyone is feeling healthy. Please keep us in prayer over the next two days as we continue work on the house. We’ll begin putting the interior of the home up tomorrow, as well as the roof. I’ll have several people post their experiences and post pictures from earlier today in a few hours.

We Leave Today!

2009-02-18T10:55:00.001-08:00

It's official. We are leaving for Mexico in just a few hours. Please keep our team in your prayers. We will arrive in San Diego at 5:45 PM tonight via Sun Country Airlines. From there it's off to dinner at In and Out Burger and then to Ensenada, Mexico!

Here is what our schedule looks like for tomorrow:

7:30 - Breakfast
8:30 - Homes of Hope Orientation
9:00 - Depart for Build Site
12:30 - Lunch at Build Site
3:00 - Depart Building Site
4:00 - Let The Little Children Come Orphanage Visit
5:30 - Dinner
7:00 - Team Time
8:30 - Bonfire on Base
11:00 - Lights Off

We are staying at the YWAM Base in Ensenada, Mexico. Should there be an emergency while we are gone and you need to contact a team member, you can contact us at 011-52-646-173-9183.

Our flight information is as follows:

Depart - Sun Country Airlines - Flight #403, MSP to San Diego at 4:00 PM. Arrive in San Diego at 5:45 PM.

Return Flight - Sun Country Airlines - Flight #404, San Diego to MSP. Departs at 7:15 PM. Arrives in Minneapolis at 12:40 AM.

As we go, we'd ask that you would pray for the Holy Spirit to have the freedom to teach us what He wants to teach us, to make our hearts, minds, ears and eyes sensitive to His leading, and to keep us safe and a blessing to those in Mexico. Pray for the Lopez family as they receive their new home. Pray for the orphanage visit tomorrow. Pray for our children's team to have opportunities to minister. Pray for team unity, and for God to work in powerful ways.

We'll update this site sometime tomorrow. Look for pictures here, and remember on Sunday, March 1st, we'll be giving a report back on the trip at Woodbury Community Church at 6:00 PM!

Send-Off Service

2009-02-10T14:48:00.001-08:00

Please join us this Sunday, Febuary 15, at 6:00 PM for our Mexico Mission Trip Send-off Service. The send-off service will be a part of our Pursuing UP prayer service. We'll enjoy a time worship songs, testimonies and prayer as we prepare to send our team off to Ensenada on February 18th. Be following this blog page next week, February 18-22, 2009 for updates on the trip.

Next Meeting

2009-01-12T05:27:00.001-08:00

Our next team meeting is on Sunday, January 25 at 11:45 at Woodbury Community Church. Please make plans to attend this very important information. We will cover all of the final details that you need to know before we leave.

The Lopez Family

2009-01-12T05:22:00.000-08:00

We just found out a little bit about the family that we will be building a home for. You can read about the Lopez family by following this LINK.

This family of seven is in dire need of a new home. All of the school age kids attend local schools and enjoy their studies. Adelberto is the sole provider for his large family and unfortunately his income is not enough to properly sustain them. Adelberto and Eloisa are still in love and so thankful to have been together for the past 18 years. They are presently living in a small house with a leaky roof. Adelberto is very frustrated that he is not able to build a better home for his family. Please join us in praying for the Lopez family, and thank you for your help in help building them a better home!

Welcome To The Ends of the Earth

2008-11-30T13:09:00.001-08:00

To The Ends of the Earth is the new blog home for Woodbury Community Church mission trips. We're excited about what God is going to do through this page, and through our upcoming trips. As of now, our next scheduled mission trip is with Youth With a Mission's Houses of Hope Project, February 18-22, 2009 in Ensenada, Mexico.

Ensenada is a port city of 500,000 located on the western coast of the Baja peninsula of Mexico. It is about one hour south of the San Diego, CA and Tijuana, Mexico border. Like Tijuana, it is a city with a wide variety of social and spiritual needs. As a port city, Ensenada is home to many cruise ships and tourist attractions. Parts of the city, which cater to the many wealthy visitors, are extremely beautiful and modern. However, not too far from these areas are hillside barrios, dirt streets, and small one-room shacks that serve as homes for many of the city's residents. Much of the population consists of migrant workers and native Mexicans who live in extreme poverty being paid almost nothing and barely scraping out an existence. Some of these people are seasonal, coming to help with crops and other work. Many, however, who live there year-round are seeking ways they can better provide for their families and themselves. They are hard working people looking for an opportunity that will make a positive difference in their lives.

YWAM (Youth With a Mission), along with groups like ours, seeks to establish relationships with these people, help them with their practical needs and share with them the eternal hope of life with God through Jesus. Woodbury Community Church will partner with YWAM to share God's love with them by meeting one of their basic needs, shelter. God will also open up opportunities to meet spiritual needs as well. We'll be bringing a team of 22 people with us to Ensenada. Join us through the gift of prayer by holding up our team as we prepare to go to Mexico.

Specific prayer requests would be that God would provide the funds needed to bring a team of 22 to Ensenada. Pray that God will prepare our hearts for what we will see, and that he will prepare the hearts of the people of Ensenada for the good news of Jesus Christ. Pray for the family that we will be building a home for. Pray that God would use this home to be a blessing in their home and that they will in turn use their home to bless their community. Pray for our team that is working on the home to be safe as they do the work. Pray for our team that is working with children to be ready for what God brings their way.

We'll be updating this blog with periodic updates, but until that time, here is a video of what Houses of Hope is all about:

And, here is a video of last year's Woodbury Community Church team: