Memorial Day Weekend

This Memorial Day weekend is traditionally our big kickoff weekend to a huge and fantastic summer. While it wasn't huge in numbers it was fantastic and it was a great kickoff to what will be a great summer. We hosted three amazing groups in our main camp this weekend and built five homes in the community of Lomas De Pedregal.

The Crossing Church was represented this weekend as well as their sister church Canyon Ridge out of Las Vegas. Being sister churches, a little friendly pranking ensued in the form of water balloon launching from work site roof tops but ultimately Amor won the pranking battle when a bucket of cold water was dumped on the unsuspecting Crossing group during picture time. The picture says it all. As a co-conspirator in the prank I will take half the glory and the other half belongs to my brotha from anotha motha, Nick. Way to represent. Kairos church out of Santa Monica was also building hope this weekend in Pedregal. They were a small but mighty group with a great sense of humor. Their express desire for their mission trip was to serve the family and community. We got to experience a church service together at Armando Ponce's church plant "Agua Viva" where Armando's brother Israel spoke on perseverance. The homeowner Jaime worked skillfully alongside our unskilled hands for all four days as his beautiful wife and daughter watched with joyful expectation. From time to time we would all laugh together at some blunder of ours and Jaime's one year old daughter would explode into boisterous giggles at the sound of so much laughter.

One of the families we were building for this weekend was absent because they were demonstrating for lower prices on land at the Mayor's office in Tijuana. Some of the families in Pedregal are finding it hard to keep up with their payments and may even have to move. For families already struggling just to survive, the gift of a home and a water filter is not just some place to sleep; it is hope. For these families, a home is security for their children, like Jaime's daughter, and a water filter is a source of life giving water that saves money for necessities.

Our God is always building in ways that I would never expect for as I serve here and build hope for families I see hope being built in me. Come build some hope and watch it flourish in you.