Mission Trip - Day 4

One upside to the last day of the trip was getting to sleep a little later...until 8:30 am! After breakfast, we cleaned the entire upper floor of the guest house. Y es, this includes bathrooms (toilets, showers, sinks, etc.), sweeping, vacuuming, taking out the trash, and making beds! The kids ARE capable of doing these things, and we were proud of the job they did. We also had to take pictures with the new stuffed seals - prized possessions purchased at Sea World that the girls were kind enough to name after the three of us!

Once the house was reasonably clean, we put on our church clothes and headed to San Jose Mission to worship at their noon Mariachi Mass. Fred took the kids on a brief tour of a grist mill located behind the mission. We then found our seats for the mass - the very back 3 pews - it's a very popular event for tourists. The mariachi music was amazing, and added a special element to the worship service.

God has called these 11 kids to go and make disciples, and their hearts are ready and willing to do just that. It was a tremendous honor and privilege for Dante, Fred, and I to take part in this trip with the kids. Yes - there was lots of fun, and yes - we had beds to sleep in and more than one bathroom to share...but God was in our midst, doing a new thing in our hearts and minds. These kids are the future of God's kingdom, and I hope you will join us in encouraging them and praying for them.

Levi, Hansen, Taylor C., Callie, Amy, Vanessa, Taylor L., Rachel, Haley, Lauren, and Patrick - you are all extraordinary young people, and God WILL use you to change the world. I am grateful to be a small part of your spiritual journey, and I am blessed to call all of you my friends...