week one

wow...what an amazing week. 8 days ago on the 20th, 51 people from Washington, California, Montana, Ohio arrived in San Diego ready to come down and serve for a week here in Ensenada and left yesterday after a life changing week. I lead
a team of 10 amazing students from a youth group in Ohio through a week of outreach and ministry throughout the city. I was so incredibly blessed to see these kids serve others and be a tangible expression of Jesus' love at orphanages, colonias, churches, and at the base interacting with the other students. I got to talk to all of them about their experience throughout the week and every single one of them left different with their lives changed in some way. Some received healing for the first time in their lives as they were able to forgive, one heard the voice of God for the first time, one considered himself born again in his faith, and all of them learned more about themselves, God, and the world. They also touched so many peoples' lives in the city, mainly children, during their outreach. They shared the gospel and made God known to kids at an orphanage, a part of a neighborhood, and through daily programs at a church we worked with for 3 days. It was so great. Apart from my Ohio group, there were 3 other youth groups as well as one family that came down to serve! The other 2 youth groups and the family shared the gospel and did lots of physical labor with other local ministries just like my group. The other youth group from Montana built a house for a family in need and changed their lives forever. All glory be to God for the work done through these kids and adult leaders alike, and a special thanks for these people that were willing to surrender themselves for a week to bring the kingdom of Heaven down to Earth. God also reminded me to everyday die to myself and keep seeking him and his heart for the people I would meet everyday and for his vision for the ministry we would be doing that day. To be obedient and step aside and let God work through us. Man it was such a great week and im sad it had to end. Oh well...this will happen almost every week till the end of August! Pictures to be posted soon :D yay!