Are you lost?

If you are looking at this, chances are that you are lost in internet white noise. I sure don't update this blog very much. : )

But just in case you are here because you want to read about my love affair with the city of Monterrey, I have one quick suggestion: Start reading from the bottom and work your way up! It will make a whole lot more sense!

If you are actually trying to figure out what is going on in my life, my main blog is xanga.com/oregonianyahoo. Bye all!

Luke

A Final Thought...

Hey guys, it's been over a week since coming home and I've returned to the normal routine of life... although my thoughts keep straying to my friends in Mexico. I know a lot of people have stumbled onto this blog after we returned and probably will continue to do so. I tried to figure out a way to put the first posts at the top but blogspot won't let me. So...

If you are reading this for the first time, start at the bottom of the page! You'll have to work your way up if you want to read about the trip in the order it happened!

Also, CedarCreek is sending another team to Monterrey Summer 08. If you are interested in going, leave me a message and I will do my best to send you the info!

That's it! I'm giving this blog a rest until next time. Take care and God bless everyone.

Luke

Fun Day!

The food finally caught up with Jim. This picture is for my dad... Every email he has sent me on this trip contained a phrase like, "Is Jim eating everything in sight?" So anyway, here you go Dad... Jim wanted to make you proud!

Today was our last full day and objective numero uno was to HAVE FUN! The plan was to see some of the sights of the city and then head on to Sergio's house for our goodbye party.

But before that, our hosts made sure we started the day off with a good breakfast. I guess Gabe and Laura got tired of trying to make us authentic Mexican food, sucked it up, and cooked us some good ol' fashioned US pancakes! Crispy, light, full of calories... God bless the USA.

Jim don't cry... if the other kids are laughing at you then you don't need em cause they're not good friends.

So what on earth could have Jim so sad this early in the morning? Let me show you...

Ouch! This gives a whole new meaning to the term "redneck." Jim's neck is red from the sun. (Coincidently, Jim is also redneck... but you didn't hear that from me)

Yesterday Jim got fried making the benches and I thought I had brought some aloe. I went, rummaged through my bag and returned to him with good news and bad news. He asked for the bad news first: No aloe. The good news: I do have some girly colored pencils to give you.

Cori is a txt master. Texting is her bff. Y so much texting? idk. n-e-how, nbd... unless u ? her skillz. Then she'll slap u w/ a ttyl.

So the plan was to head to cola de caballo and see the sights. It was cool to just marvel at God's creation a little bit. I couldn't get enough of the mountains, trees, flowers, and even the insects buzzing around. I think I've been just so aware of the work of God this week that being in his creation makes me feel like part of his great work.

Jim... hold on man. Just 3 more hours till lunch...

"So uhhh... you guys are all snow geese, right? Nobody's an endangered white swan.... heh."

Here was the view... incredible. Marge wasn't worried so much about falling... it was more the landing part that troubled her.

Bungy jumping anyone? I wonder how many great party stories start, "So I decided to pay $30 to go bungy jumping in mexico..."

Adriane... he's trouble. He's been hanging around with the wrong crowd lately. They all keep rebuilding cars and won't quit singing "Greased Lightning." Dude... we are worried about you man.

Totem! Stupid picture opportunity! Go stand by Jim!

So after taking in the sights it was time to head towards the waterfall. Eric told me that Cola De Caballo means "Tail of the Horse." Which basically makes no sense to me... but Jim said the waterfall resembles a horse tail. He did drugs when he was younger so I believe him.

Marge and this guy would have had a deep and meaningful conversation... but you know.. no hablo Espanol.

This dragonfly is red. Not pink, not orange but rojo. What can I say? I'm a man of convictions.

This must be how the pilgrims felt when they landed on the rock of Gibraltar... only there was probably more turkey eating and Indian killing.

The Mexican heat finally got to Jim.

Ha ha, in all seriousness I have to write a little something here about my big brother. This is my second mission trip with Jim and I couldn't ask for a greater friend. We have been through some great highs and lows this past year together. When women bond, they... well... honestly I have no idea what women do but men bond by shared experience. I have laughed my guts out with him, got teared up seeing him bare his soul to a Mexican policeman, and have grown spiritually at his side. Thanks for everything bud. God has gifted you in ways more powerful than I will ever understand.

And here it is! This is the main waterfall. This picture is kinda small because Adriane had to take it from a really long distance away. Eric said the water was unusually low this time... so much for hurricane Dean doing some damage. For the duration of this whole week, it's rained about 20 minutes total.

This is what happens after telling people about God for 3 days straight. You think Moses ever looked this fly?

Our trusted guide... man's best friend. This guy followed us up and down the mountain. All day long he traveled with the group and showed us some shortcuts. He got us lost at times but such cute tongue wagging won over all of our hearts. Yes... Eric was all of these things. (Also pictured... a dog named "Mange.")

Lost? Who's lost?

Tribal dance! "I yi yamie! Ei yi eemie! I want some lunchie!"

So here is the view at the top of the waterfall. It was a pretty steep climb but well worth it. Every time I'm in nature I can't help but see finger prints of the creator all around it. To see something so vast, so complex, so beautiful... all of this from some big cosmic accident makes no sense.

Jim had a cool anecdote he told to one of the college students Monday. Say you are going through the woods and you find a pocket watch on the ground. When you pick it up and look at it. Do you say, "Hmmm.... this must have come from nothing," or "A designer had to make this. This came from a watch maker." Why don't we think the same way when it comes to creation?

Oh why fight it? Tim... pick the gray one! (If you are a little confused... take a look at all of Tim's previous pictures...)

Hooty, no matter how bad you want to... you can't take random kids home with you. They probably have homes, parents, and taco bell dogs to look after.

Lauri won the food roulette game. Basically we all point to some part of the menu and say, "Por-fa-vour." Fries and quesidillas? Can you say, "Jackpot!?!?"

Have you ever seen the movie se7en? Well Jim hasn't so don't spoil the ending. I know this picture was taken somewhere in the middle of lunch because at this point Lauri still has all her fingers...

"If I don't come back down... I leave my golf clubs to coryyyyyyyy!!!!"

So we headed back to Gabe's place to rest up before the party. We gave him some presents and Tim totally embarrassed us by giving kick butt gifts. I'm pretty sure he is the only one invited back.

Here we are chilling at our big party at Sergio's house. His place is like a madhouse. It is a whirlwind of missionaries, kids, and gringos. Once again I have to mention the incredible heart and vision of this man who is devoting his life to furthering the cause of Christ in a foreign city. He is one of those people who you just want to be around... and would follow to the ends of the earth. If you don't believe me, I know about 20 Hondurans you can talk to...

Here is Sergio's wife, Lloydia (Spelling?). I may not know how to spell her name but I do know how to eat her tacos! Thanks for everything!

One of these guys is an ex marine... but the other stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night so it would probably be a pretty close fight.

Ahhh... a nice Columbian serenade from Gabe. He played us some upbeat music, some American music, and finally the lullaby he uses to put Tim to sleep every night. Tim was asleep before the first chorus hit and Gabe felt bad for abusing his special powers again. At least this time he didn't go for Tim's wallet...

And now it was time to finally say goodbye!

Goodbye small pants!

Goodbye Sergio Jr. who no one back home has ever heard of!

Goodbye defuser!

Goodbye friends!

And until God decides to use me somewhere else... adios!

Luke

P.S. Thanks so much to everyone who helped support me in this endeavor. Your constant prayers, encouragement, and yes.. financial support have blessed me in so many ways. We serve a big God who is working in some very big ways all across this planet. It's easy to get caught up in our own little city and lose sight of the bigger picture.

Our brothers and sisters in Monterrey are putting their careers, talents, pride, and personal safety on the line to reach a city that is so broken. These people are living out the great commission... even though it is a daunting task... a constant uphill battle. I have so much respect for their efforts... but I have even more respect for who they are as followers of Christ.

I hope this blog has stirred something in your heart. Pray for our missionaries. Sacrifice a little to help someone in need. Go on a short term missions trip. It will change your life and your perspective. It certainly has for me. Love you all, God bless.

Workday

So today was the day of our big workday. So far the trip has really seemed more like a vacation than a service project. Sure, we have done some work for God but really we hadn't got our hands dirty all week. That was all about to change.

The day started off with another big breakfast thanks to Gabe and Laura. These guys have been unbelievable hosts. Their kindness and humility blows me away. I went on this trip with every intention to serve any and every way I could... but just the opposite has happened. It has been humbling to be served in so many ways. Time and time again these guys have bent over backwards for us.

So you know how everything is spicy in Mexico? I'm pretty sure the chicken who laid this was on a strict hot sauce diet. Who buys a carton of brown eggs? Seriously!

So the place we were going today pretty much has nothing in common with the rest of the city. Monterrey is known for its industry, wealth, and beauty... this place just 40 minutes away didn't have any of the three.

Not the greatest ride I've seen on the streets but I hear it has killer horsepower. (Bu dum ching!)

These people build their houses with whatever they can find. Slowly the expand and build new stories on these little shelters.

Isaac wanted to show everyone his back up plan in case Jennifer doesn't pan out...

Ha ha, sorry man. (Just kidding Jennifer!) This is one of the pinatas that was donated for the kids we were going to reach out to in this impoverished area.

Out of no where Jim grabs this one and names it "Gretchin." I replied, "Jim... I'm not so sure how Hootie is going to feel about you giving the same name to the doll , that we are about to beat up, as he gave to one of his daughters." Lauri quickly named the other one "Hannah." Sorry girls!

The kids travel to different spots three days a week for a short talk, Bible lesson, and some food to bring home to their parents. The Baptist church that the Grand Commission church is pairing up with organizes volunteers to come teach the children. They also learn basic social skills like lining up, sitting attentively, and respecting one another... even though much of these are completley foreign concepts to them.

Here they are in small groups, being taught by the volunteers. Not to be hurtful but I thought some of the methods were a little extreme... using guilt and asking the kids to tell on each other but I guess you have to use a hard lined approach to such calloused children. They may look cute, but these kids were tough. I saw a couple kids get in a fist fight over a couple cassette tapes... not because they wanted the tapes but because they wanted to smash them and play with the innards.

My heart went out to these kids. I guess the reality is that there is no easy answer. The life of these children is filled with sickness, broken families, poverty, and incredible odds stacked against them. Still, it felt good to see the smiles on their faces a simple drink of root beer could bring.

Not to mention smiles from the teachers!

This is the pastor of the baptist church. I totally missed on getting his name. Sorry. It was cool to see him comb the community and just talk to everyone. You could tell that this guy was here for the long hall and that he genuinely cared for these people. They were his flock. I got to witness him talking with one woman, who has yet to attend any of his meetings, who's husband and son have been drinking for 2 months solid. She was so overwhelmed with this that she was almost in tears just talking about it. The pastor made no hesitation, "You need to know that somehow Jesus Christ can help you overcome these terrible times. He is here with you and he loves you. There is always a place for you at our meetings where people will listen to you."

After the lessons it was time for some fun! Kids were coming out of the... uhhh... cement work I guess.

The kids had to line up straight so they could each take their turn trying to break open Gretchen. You could see the excitment building!

Apparently though, Allan is not pleased. Someone needs to go to "Chilli's! Chilli's!"

And on the 8th day God shown down a great light and said, "Let there be paper mache dolls which you will beat the crap out of with a stick. Then, they will produce candy." On this day God saw that He created Pinatas, and it was GOOD.

Okay, here is the plan. We teach the children how to live away from violence and drugs by giving them weapons, encouraging them to beat the heck out of something that looks like a person, and then letting them go crazy on sugar. Perfect.

This kid got smart, used the force, and grabbed a lightsaber. Saddly, Gretchen had no chance.

And... let's wait for the offical call... YES! The home team comes away with the ball!

"Okay, the hat is on... this will be like stealing candy from..."

It's strange to see how the value of things change here. At home I bought a set of 30 gumballs for a dollar at Dollar Tree. To make a dollar back home takes about 6 minutes of work for me... So the cost of one gumball is 12 seconds of work. This gumball made this kids day... and it cost me 12 seconds of work. How many more gumballs should I be investing in?

I'm not trying to get all "save the children!" on you... but it really makes you stop and think about how you spend your money.

Check out the church's new ad campaign: "Yo Quiro Grand Commission Iglesia."

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one is worth 20,000. I am half tempted to just leave this caption less... just so everyone can wonder if Jim has turned into the teary eyed crime/sin fighter but the REAL story is too great to pass up!

We had a little downtime so we decided to walk around, meet people, and share the gospel if the opportunity presented itself. We stumbled onto a house with these strange noises. There was a guy standing out front with no shirt on and a buzzed head. He looked to be about 30 and was just staring us down. Now... keep in mind, we are in prime gang territory. We had been warned not to wander off by ourselves because of the serious danger.

Anyway, Jim starts talking to this guy and finds out his name is Francisco. He asks about the noise and we get invited into this guys living room which looks a little something like this...

The guy owned 2 sheep, a bunch of chickens, some ducks, etc. Jim was looking at the one sheep when it busted out of it's room and charged for the door. Jim instantly grabbed on, wrestled this thing to the ground, and shoved it back in the room. He then proceeds to ask the guy about the last supper painting above his kitchen table. Francisco said he was religious and showed off his huge clay rosary... beaming with pride.

We went back outside and found out that Francisco was not a gang member (like his neighbor that Hooty and Lauri were talking to) but was a police officer. He gave Jim the police patch and wouldn't accept any money for it. Jim began talking to him about what a dangerous job a policeman is and asked if he was ever scared about dying. "Do you know that you will be with God forever after you die?" Jim asked.

The man wasn't sure and Jim began to talk about his own past. He found out that Francisco had had a similar troubled past, just like Jim. We talked for a long time about the gospel and the man never asked to receive Christ... but he was taking everything Jim said with great anticipation. Jim told him to think about everything they had talked about and that if he wanted to accept Jesus' gift... just like the free gift of the police patch which was given to him, he could do so with a simple prayer to God.

We prayed for the man's safety and family and said goodbye. You could see the relief in the man's face after we prayed and he looked like he was about to cry. Jim gave him a big hug and thanked him for his time. Just before we left the man stopped us and gave Jim the rosary... the same object he had showed off with such pride minutes before. We were all pretty shaken up by the man's incredible sacrifice. We scrambled to find a Spanish Bible and offered it to Francisco, who accepted.

Sergio told us not to flash the badge around because it is government property and that that man could get into a lot of trouble for giving it away.

It should be noted that Alexandria was the translator for the previous conversation. She is 14 years old, talking face to face with a rough and tough 30 year old man. When we said we were going out to talk to people and it might involve spiritual matters, she jumped up and volunteered. This was the first time she had ever translated for someone who was sharing their faith.

I have to say that these teens here are all stars. I wish Ben Snyder could hang with these guys for a week just to see how committed young people can be to the work of God. What is scary is that Alex is the norm among the missionary kids, not the exception. These guys are taking leaps of faith that most adult Christians have never dreamed of.

"It's cool. No one is watching... just stay calm and pretend like you don't have snow white on your back. This sort of thing happens all the time..."

Next we kicked it up a notch and began building some benches. The benches are for the mothers of the children who are in class. More benches = mothers have a place to sit while their kids attend classes.

Did you ask me to NOT hit your finger? Well that changes everything!

Tim really hit his stride today. The guy just took over a worked his tail off. He skipped lunch because he was so focused on the project that he didn't want to slow down. I've already seen Tim grow in some incredible ways here at Monterrey. Awesome guy.

I also heard that his wife is reading up on this blog everyday... she even checks it at 3:00 AM to see if I have it up yet. Now that's dedication! Hi Julie! Hang in there, just a couple more days!

Today's Timism (or Tim-bit as coined by Lauri): Look! That car says "Toledo" on it! A manufacturer named from the city I live in! Drive closer so I can see who makes it!

I doubted him. I questioned his methods. I even cursed the day he was born... but in the end Eric pulled through and micromanaged us into making a bang-up bench. Classic line:

Me, "Oh boy... this line isn't straight. The bench might wobble when we are finished. We need to re-do this board..."
Eric, "Luke, you are forgetting something. THIS IS MEXICO. If you can sit on it and it doesn't fall apart, it's a great bench."

"I should be working and Lauri should be sitting here. Getting away with small crimes is fun!'

Saddly, Isaac didn't find a way to get out of work today. Usually he just pawns off all the mind numbing tasks to Eric. I made the point to him, "What is the point of leadership if you can't boss someone around?" Even though it is retorical, Isaac still said, "yes."

"Go ahead and take a look behind the curtain... I think you'll be happy to see that you have yourself a chance to win...... A NEEEEW BENCH! Now it's time to play a fabulous pricing game!"

Magnifico.

After all our hard work we got a few hours to rest. I got a chance to see some of Gabe's graphic work that he's done for Motorola. The guy has talent coming out of his- elbow.

What? It's an expression okay? And it could be a lot worse so back off!

The sun was setting so it was time to...

Eat! Although this one really wasn't helping us work up an appetite. Jim... you are losing your touch man... Hootie is taking all the stupid picture opportunities... He might just be the next great up and comer!

Here is baby David (pronounced Da-veed), Isaac's boy. This kid is an answer to prayer! Last year we prayed that Isaac and Jenifer could get pregnant and low and behold God came through in a BIG way! He's a really good baby... another baby roulette winner... lucky peole!

And here is Jennifer! She is one of the most bubbly, genuine people you will ever meet. She keeps saying how much she wants to meet Sara. Ha ha, here was our dinner conversation tonight.

Jennifer: Luuke! I want to meeet ur wiife. I will like her I think!

They don't call this place "The Big Slice," for nothing! Yeee haw!

Okay, crucial point here. Romans 14:6b "Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating." The way I see it... if you are going to eat to honor the Lord, that means at least 5 pieces of pizza.

Reason Jim is my hero # 94. If he sees a dead tarantella, he picks it up.

This is when we were robbed and mugged by that gray shirted abominable snowman...

Ahhh... the city of Monterrey. Weird to think that 6 months ago I was dreaming of this place and now I am about to go back home... another trip in the books. Tomorrow is our fun day and I'm sure we will make the most of it! Night everybody!

Luke

Hoga

As the day began we were told by Gabriel (or Gabo, Spanish for Gabe) that we would have a traditional Mexican breakfast.

Tacos, Tacos, Tacos! Tacos for dinner. Tacos for lunch. And Tacos... you guessed... for breakfast! Driving in the van today we were deciding where to go to eat for lunch when someone mentioned Tacos. People started saying "Yes I love tacos! Tacos are great, etc." So I shouted out "I HATE TACOS."

Silence. Then... "Who said that? Throw him out of the van. No, throw him out of Mexico!"

Despite Jim's face here, it was actually really good.

After breakfast we went to Hoga, a center for mentally and physically disabled children. I guess the word Hoga comes from the son of the parents who started the center 15 years ago.

Do you ever get the feeling you are being herded?

So one thing about Mexico that is very different from back home is the pace of life. Here you are constantly waiting. People are not in a rush... unless they are driving apparently. Then they become time obsessed monsters but that's a different story.

This is one of the students we served named Tirzo and Alex, a Honduran who does not live in Monterrey but has been staying at Sergio's for 3 weeks. Tirzo is a cool dude who likes yogurt A LOT. ha ha. Alex helped translate for me to the kids and the teacher whenever my 5 words of spanish wasn't enough to get my point across. She is also a heck of a soccer player for being 14!

This is Diego and Israel. Last year I was really taken back by everything at Hoga. You feel so bad for the kids who are completely dependent on the teachers to do everything for them. This year however I knew what to expect and came ready to have fun. I really enjoyed hanging out with the kids and time flew by.

I'm laughing because Israel REALLY liked the spitting part of brushing his teeth. Not so much the opening the tube, putting toothpaste on the brush, or actually brushing his teeth but he had some incredible spitting power.

Adriane to the rescue! It turns out that Adriane is a genius. Sure... he knows how to brush his teeth, but seriously the guys knows a ridiculous amount about everything. He is like a Mexican Craig Mackett if that means anything to you. His dad is an agricultural engineer and Adriane is an electrical engineer. I've been throwing random subjects at him to try to stump him. "Adriane, what do you know about plumbing?" So far I'm like 0 for 6.

Diego is learning his colors... shamefully so am I. I learned that orange and pink are too tough to pronounce in spanish so if anyone asks I'm calling both of them red.

We had a great time. Marge and Nique jumped right in. I'm not sure what this guy's name is but Marge said he captured her heart.

They also do horse therapy which helps the kids feel in control and full of power. Having a disability can make you feel powerless and this helps give the children confidence. This little girl kept laughing and waving every time she passed our group.

Next we did what we always do... EAT! I haven't wrote a ton about the food but it has been incredible. We are being fed like kings. Eric said that the Hondarans take the mission groups to each of their favorite restaraunts throughout the week. In this picture Jim is saying, "Don't even think about coming to the US side of the table unless you have your papers!"

This food is redonkulous. Last year I started getting sick of Mexican by the end of the trip... No signs of that this year.

So at this point we headed over to Home Depot to pick up the supplies that we would need for Thursday's workday. Jim decided he needed to make sure this shed was up to US standards...

Anybody see a disembodied head floating around here?

Why is Lauri's pictured blured here? Because she was moving at sonic boom speeds. I've long theorized that her metal his is just step 1 into becoming the terminator. Watch out Arnold, this lady is tough!

Maybe it's just me but I don't recall too many armed guards hanging out in the home depot parking lots back home... Just me? Eh, okay then.

Next we went downtown to do some shopping. I have a theory that everyone on this earth has an arch nemesis somewhere... two people who are destined to be set completely and utterly in opposition to each other for the rest of their lives. This kid loved the birds and I figured out that he is Ben Bockert's arch nemesis.

Jeem! We need to take another stupid picture, get over here! And Eric... you look remarkibly good in pink. I'm worried about you man.

I'd like to introduce you to my sister... well sort of. This resturant's waitresses all dress up like nuns. I go into this place and walk all the way to back saying, "Photo? Photo? Pardoon..." and then this woman says, "Oh you'd like a picture? Okay no problem."

Finally, shedding their secret identities as Jim and Marge, "El Guapo and La Nino" burst onto the scene!

Here we were checking out the sites in downtown Monterrey. This statue is an anatomically generous Neptune and some hootchies. Much more interesting is our replica of it.

Jim, was a little disappointed that we weren't evangelizing today so he took it upon himself to reach out to the members of our own party. Tim was a little apprehensive at first but at this point he is coming around.

This is the old Governer's mansion... old as in not used anymore. It's nice to see the poloticians being so frugal in Mexico.

Eric, having another frat party flashback... "Who wants to see if I can climb onto the roof of the house, wearing only my toga?"

I think Tim is holding another Taco here. If not, he shouldn't have tried to eat that visor.

They are building a water walkway similar to the one in San Antonio. Lauri said that the San Antonio walkway was the inspiration for the marina project in Toledo. In a couple of years, this place is going to be amazing.

After our little adventure, we came back to the Holiday Inn to hear Hooty speak. The church had a special midweek service just so Hooty could address the congregation. He spoke powerfully about getting out of Christian bubbles and comfort zones. The people were scribbling down notes as fast as he was talking and I heard a ton of great discussion about his talk afterward. Hopefully God will use this time to challenge and strengthen the church in their resolve to reach the city for Christ.

And what else to do after that but eat? We went to an incredible little outdoor cafe to dine, talk, laugh, and just enjoy the night. People eat dinner here anywhere from 7-11 PM. Which is great for me, a night person but...

Not so great for everybody. Trust me, we were zonked! Time for some much needed rest!

And if I were a betting man... I'd bet some good rest might just be in order tonight. ; )

Luke

UNI!

Tuesday we got up and finally were able to formally meet our hosts!

We met Gabriel on Monday but Laura had to go to Mexico City for work. When we got up on Tuesday we ate breakfast together and finally got to talk to the people who were crazy enough to open up their house to 3 complete strangers for 3 days without ever meeting them. Wow, what an awesome couple. Super kind, giving, and hospitable. They give my mom a run for her money and that is saying something!

Jim, Tim, and I were talking about something interesting down here. You can know someone for 1 day and feel like you've known them your whole life. It's almost like time stands still and you can't think of the time when you didn't feel like family.

Eric and Andreas came over "conveniently" without eating breakfast yet.... hmmmm...

So the ominous clouds finally came rolling in. Even since before we left we feared a big rain and weren't sure if the weather would hold up for us. It is sort of hard to walk around campus meeting people when it is pouring. We had to keep our fingers crossed.

How would you like these guys pulling you over for a traffic ticket? ha ha. Actually, Eric said that these guys are gang busters. Anyway, there were 3 identical trucks lined up so someone was about to have a bad day.

Finally, we made it to the Uni.... short for the Public University. The cost to attend here (compared to the Tech at $6,000) per semester is $600. Probably a much more realistic slice of the population of Monterrey. Most of these students are from working class homes and many have to work to support themselves.

Here we are psyching ourselves up to head on out. Marge is super pumped!

Oscar (who I featured earlier, the son of the Sergio's right hand man Oscar Sr.), Jim, and Andreas (Youngest son of Sergio, the lead pastor). Each group of two Americans was paired with a translator. Unlike the Tech, in which almost everyone speaks good english, barely anyone here speaks english so a translator is crucial. I hung out with Oscar all day and Jim was paired up with Andreas... which was probably a God thing because sometimes Jim gets carried away.

It's not that Jim is trying to offend people... but he can get a little straight forward to say the least. I think its just that he cares so much about the people and helping them understand who God is, that it kills him to see anyone on the fence. A couple times Andreas (who is 16) had to pull Jim aside and say, "Jim (pronounced 'Jeem!", that was a little awkward when you told those people 'You must make a decision right now! Jesus said if you are ashamed of me then I will be ashamed of you!' You've got to slow down man! You are going to freak people out!"

This is Carla, Oscar's sister. She is pretty cool but she tried to pick a fight with me today. I'm pretty sure I would have lost so it is a good thing she didn't see me make all those funny faces at her behind her back.

Here is one of the many endless hallways at the Uni. There are a TON more people who go to this school than the tech. It's like wall to wall people everywhere you go.

Cut! Oscar! Your finger is in the way! Now we have to reshoot the commercial all over again! Okay, take 2 of "Remember when Coke came in a glass bottle" Rolling and... ACTION!"

You can tell that this place is hurting for money a little bit. Some of the classrooms seemed really old and wore down.

Why is Einstein on this wall with some skeleton dude? Yep! He sure is.

So their mascot is the Beavers. This guy is striking fear into everyone who passes.

And this guy told me he would never kiss and tell! I'm so ashamed!

This is Allan talking on his cell. He is another one of the missionaries and that cute kid a couple posts back is his first son! This guy's english is... uhhh... not so good to put it lightly but comedy breaks through any language barrier. About once a day Allan has us in stitches... and if his driving continues at the same pace... we probably will be literally in stitches at some point!

The morning at the Uni was pretty frustrating. Everyone seemed really busy and uninterested although Allan did pray with a couple guys who wanted to invited Jesus into their life for the first time. Despite this however, we were all feeling pretty drained.

Time to do what any good mission trip team does... pray in church!

Well... we are in Church('s chicken) and Jim is giving a SHORT blessing. Ha ha, I've already ate a week's worth of food! When I get home I'm seriously going to fast food detox!

When we headed back to the Uni it was totally different. I don't know if it was just that people weren't so rushed in the afternoon, if we just happened to talk to friendlier people, or lots of unnamed people were praying for us but the transformation was dramatic. Almost everyone we talked to was at least willing to hear us out and find out a little more about the new church.

This was a really cool couple we met at the school named Edith and Bernabe. They were really nice and told me I could feature them in the blog! They are both Catholic but willing to pursue God by whatever avenue He leads from. Hi guys, if you are reading this!

Whoops... was I supposed to open my eyes here? This is Ana Isabel who is also a student at the Uni. She was also really cool. She was really open about her faith and we gave her some info about the church. She also let me feature her in the blog and hopefully will stumble upon it with a friend who speaks English! Hi Ana!

Me and this guy are tight. Really, we go way back.

We are praying for the people we just got to talk to.

I'd like to say that Jim didn't fiddle with this massage chair for 30 seconds before he realized that it wasn't plugged in.... but that would just be untrue. Sorry man.

After the Uni we headed over to the mall for a quick coffee break.

And apparently Ronald Regan is cool here. Awesome. Zach Shepler once told me that he had a teacher who told him Ronald Regan invented crack to control African Americans... two things: 1. Wow. 2. Zach, I miss you man!

And yes... it did finally rain! Luckily though, it held off until we were already gone. A big shout out to the Big Man upstairs! Thank you!

They have a cable bridge like we do back in Toledo but the cables only come down on one side. The cement jets out to the side to offset the weight. Different but cool.

After dinner I got to go with Hooty as he talked to the teens and 20 somethings of the church. He talked about finishing strong in the Christian faith and how to use spiritual disciplines in order to follow straight after God for the rest of your life. They asked a lot of questions and really engaged in all he had to say. This is him praying for the group afterward.

Awesome.

Okay, Henry says it's time to say goodnight! Adios!

BONUS!!! But wait, there's more!

So as I'm working on this Jim grabs my camera and fires off a few pictures. Here is me in all my glory, pounding this blog out! Man I'm glamorous... especially the sexy white ankles I've developed from too much golf back home!

Here is Tim saying some Timisms. What is a Timism? It is a saying that goes something like this:

Lutherans? Sure. They are a spin off from the Catholic Church.
Use these rechargeable batteries. They last forever!
Oh look! Peter Piper’s Pizza. What if Peter Piper picked a pack of pepperoni pizzas?
So last year I sent letters to all the people I sent letters to…

I've realized that Jim has become the star of this Blog... and you know what... I'm okay with that. Who doesn't love this guy? Night!

The Tech

Today we woke up ready to talk to people about God at the world famous "Tech."

"We have to go where and do what!?!"

This year our approach was a little different than last year. Last time we sort of went ahead with the shotgun approach. We talked to as many people as we could about their faith, the church, etc. and hoped that some would stick. This year we had the hope of really connecting with one or two students who would be solid contacts for the church. Also, we had the students help us with a survey (pictured above) about why so many people of Monterrey don't attend church. About 98% of the population is Catholic (at least they claim to be) but VERY few actually practice.

In the past I've had people help me with a "survey" which was really just a conversation starter. I've always felt a little disingenuous about tricking people into talking with me with a fake survey but this research will be vital to the new church here. If they understand why most people don't go to church, they can try to remove those barriers to attract more people.

The school is truly international. Students come from all over the world to study at this private university. Even though the name is "tech," it is far from a 2 year tech school. It costs about $6,000 (American) per semester and the students need to speak both english and spanish in order to attend. Also, they have to own a laptop just to be admitted.

They also have random animals that just wander around the campus. Get em Cori!

Random enough for you?

This is a tower with some classes and not so nice security people... but I wouldn't know anything about that. heh... moving on.

This is the cafeteria which is sort of a mad house. It's amazing to see how communal the students are. Every table is filled with students studying, talking, laughing, and just carrying on. In the US I'd bet about 3/4ths of these tables would be college students studying and eating on their own. This is the same reason why people here will just sit and talk with you for an hour between class. Being independent and autonomous isn't so important.

This painting has something to do with the history of Mexico. I think it is one of those smart people things that I keep hearing about.

This is Ramone and Enna who were introduced to the church from the last mission trip. It's cool to think that we are helping to connect with students who the last team began ministering to. Hopefully the next group will hook up with the people we talked to today.

So we walked past the international building and Eric was showing how they list all the international students by name on this glass board. The list was old... from last year and he got a kick out of pointing out a friend who no longer goes to school here but is still listed...

And that would be her! I guess that's funny if you've been kooked up in Mexico for 9 months. Poor guy.

The campus is right in the middle of the city and you can still see all the mountains in every direction. I heard someone say today that the city is surrounded by 7 large mountains. Very cool.

The mascot of the school is a Ram. They keep bragging about how good their college (American) football team is. Which is ironic because no one cares about football. We went to eat at Chilli's which was playing an NFL preseason game on the TV screens. No one in the place even glanced at the TV until some soccer high lights flashed on the screen.

Where did Jim go? If it was up to him, the church would be made solely of baristas!

All in all we had a pretty sweet time. I didn't get an exact count but I know of at least 6 people who prayed to receive Christ for the first time today. It's tough to say if all of these people were being genuine because sometimes people will say whatever you want to hear so they don't offend you.

I met a young guy named Julio today who was really interested in everything we had to say. I told him about how I grew up going to church but really started to follow God when I was 14. I realized that God was real and everything in the Bible was true. That God loved me so much he sent his son to die for me. That he had a plan for my life and would never leave me.

I told him about the church and everything but what really caught his attention was the english/spanish bible. He had to run for class so I started wheeling and dealing like a used car salesman. I told him he could have the Bible if he promised to come to our goodbye party this Friday and meet everyone from the church. He quickly said, "Good deal!" And grabbed it.

After the Tech we went up to this mountain at the center of town where you can look down on the whole city.

Here is their famous Saddle Mountain again.

The team. Why is Tim seemingly angry in every picture? Because when you are 6'4" and drive a massive hunk of steel everyday for a living you can do whatever the heck you want.

This was when we stopped by the Titanic II auditions. Callbacks anyone?

Why is Jim laughing so hard in this picture?

Because this isn't his and the owners (who have guns.... no joke) are only 30 feet away. Ahh... to be the Federaliis for the day...

Random Taco Bell dog anyone?

Some things are different in Monterrey... and yet others are exactly the same.

It was a long day and some of us were crying for our mommies afterward. Don't feel bad Jim... it's okay to be tired. Most wussies are. : )

Night all! Tomorrow we evangelize at the Uni! Adios!

Luke

The Fun Begins!

As the day began, Jim, Tim, and myself awoke to find Master Chef Adriane preparing his finest gourmet cuisine. He is a personal chef hired by the people who we are staying with.

Ha ha, just kidding. This dude is named Adriane but he is a missionary from Honduras who was making some bacon, toast, and eggs for us. Cool dude. Everyone here basically steps up and does whatever is needed. They all wear a bunch of different hats and serve however is needed.

This is Jim talking about how much he has ate already. I tell you what.... I've realized that Jim is the ultimate Man's man. That guy can put away food like it's his job. If all the men on the earth had to pick a representative to speak for them concerning man issues.... like why all toilet seats should be left up at all times and why it isn't so bad to pee in drinking fountains.... they would do well to pick Jim.

Why did you pick that guy up? Because he had Bud Light! (Ha ha, sorry Tim. Love you man)

This is our team outside the church building. If I heard the story right, last year they met in a hotel but things got a little dicey when they wanted to turn the place into a casino. Because of that they had to move to...

That's right! Know of any other churches that started in a Holiday Inn? I think the reason why I am drawn to Monterrey so much is that it reminds me so much of the early days of the Creek. Everyone is so focused on Great Commission and no one is bunged up about titles. They just do whatever it takes to see the church grow and to help people who are struggles to find God.

This is the service at the Holiday Inn. It's a little strange singing worshsip songs in Spanish when your brain is plugging in the english words. It seems a little empty here because like 20 people walked in 15-20 minutes late. From talking to the missionaries, they think part of the problem is just a cultural difference in regards to time. The people here do not really value being on time and are much more apt to just going with the flow. The churched tried doing coffee and donuts 15 minutes early but then people were just showing up a half hour late.

That's one thing I had not thought too much about. Just because the Hondurans speak Spanish does not mean that they are without some culture clash with the Mexicans. They are still trying to feel out the customs and norms of the people they are trying to reach.

This is a headphone we used to hear the service in English. Also, this is the program from the service which is a take off of Spiderman. The church is trying to reach people where they are at and find ways to be relevant to what people are interested in without compromising the word of God. Once again... sound familiar?

Isaac is a cool dude. This the mic he was using to translate the service for us. The guy is amazing... english is his third language, his second being french. He studied at a French school and still speaks almost perfect english. He is the administrator/communications director/missions guide for the church. He also just had a son 3 months ago. Last year he asked us to pray for him and his wife to become pregnant. I'd say God answered his request. His wife Jennifer wants 6 kids so he better keep praying or else get busy!

Lauri consumed in message bliss. Ha ha. You can also see the service filling in.

Dress casual? You bet!

This is Oscar and I. His dad, Oscar Sr., is the #2 of the church. He plays the drums because... well... they needed a drummer. Last year he was really nervous but this year he was a pro.

Did Kyle Gray jump into someone's suitcase? I see that finger circling...

On the right is Sergio, the lead pastor of the church. The guy's faith and vision is amazing. He was a little concerned because they have not been growing during the summer. I got a chance to tell him about CedarCreek's slumping growth every summer. Vacations, nice weather, and sporadic schedules make it tough to keep consistency.

No comment.

Here are the soccer fields we got to hang out at after lunch. They do a weekly soccer game on Sundays with a bunch of local guys they are building relationships with. It blows me away to see all the empty soccer fields at home when these guys are more than willing to dish out $40 an hour (American) in order to play.

Jim... being amazing again. How annoying.

Not a bad crowd.

Here is what our traveling arrangements look like. The white guy who looks plastered (besides me) is Eric, a missionary from Chicago who is spending a year with the church. His parents donated the van and he is currently leading the youth group. He is also giving some english lessons to the missionaries who want to learn. The toddler here is Allan III... one of the most good natured babies I've ever met. Despite teething, this kid is always smiling and laughing. I hope we win the happy baby roulette someday Sara!

Did you just say, "Awwww?" I knew it!

And finally we have "Team Mom," Lauri who is helping scrape gum off my bookbag. What an awesome woman! This lady has been serving me for 10 years and she still isn't sick of me! Or at least she hides it well!

That's all folks! Tomorrow we begin evangelizing at the Tech School. Pray for us if you think about it. Night!

We're Here!

Finally, we've arrived! Our plane in Detroit was delayed two hours but we would have had a 4 hour lay over in Huston (thus being a 2 hour lay over). Our team is as follows...


Marge and Cori

Nique and Jim

Hooty and his amazing zipper bookbag... don't get him talking about this thing unless you want to be whisked away to the magical land of 20 minute travel luggage talk. (ha ha, just kidding buddy!)

Here is a bad picture of Lauri and I.... dang backlight!

This is Tim... Jim is working on a nickname for him... more details to follow...

Here is the view from the plane as we approached the city... And now it's time to start suffering for Jesus!

This is our barely tolerable living conditions...

It's so tough doing God's work... Ha ha, in all seriousness we got the hook up compared to last year. A couple joined the church last December who are from Columbia... I'm pretty sure they are not drug runners but the jury is still out on that one. They are in Texas today and are coming back tomorrow. The girls are staying with Allen (picture to come) and Hooty is staying with Isaac (picture also to come). You might thing we'd be jealous of Hooty having his own place but the word on the street is he has something of a snoring problem so maybe we are the ones who lucked out!

This is the view from our room. We are 10 stories up... you can see the famous Sattle Mountain in the top left and the city's coolest suspension bridge off the right. There is a chance they just want to be as cool as Toledo.

And now the real work begins!

I mean.... the work begins first thing tomorrow! Siesta anyone?

Well, it's off to dinner. Thanks for everyone who prayed for us. No sign of bad weather "Dean" yet. Tomorrow we will help with the church service. Later!

Luke

Packing

Well, the big day has arrived and as usual I'm packing at the 11th hour. At least I've got a little help..

Ha ha, sorry... where did that come from? Here is my real help...

Wait! That shouldn't go there... Only the things I need for the week go in the suitcase...

As much as I DO need Sara for the week I'm not sure customs is going to look so favorably on this one. Maybe next year honey!

And after a couple hours the task was finally done. As cool as it would be to keep all these fun toys for myself, these will be gifts for the host family. And yes, that is High School Musical 2 in the background. It seems my wife is as obsessed with the shows her 1st and 2nd graders watch as they are!

Well, I need to get to bed. I have to be at the church at 4 AM. Pray for our group's safe travel if you are reading this! Good night all... And Monterrey.... Here we come!

Luke

4 Days and Counting!

Well, here we are! Time has flown by and in just 4 short days I will be on a plane heading back to Monterrey to serve in whatever way I can. I briefly met the rest of the team this weekend and everyone seems really cool. Returning from last year is Hooty, Lauri, myself, and Jim...

Yes, you can start feeling sorry for me already! If the water doesn't get me, my roomate/Mexican wrestler will surely do me in! I was going through old pictures from last year and here is the mountain that Jim and I ran down...

If you squint, you can barely make out Jim and I running. I really don't think this picture does it justice! We'll have to see if our time record still stands when we get there! : )

Luke

Post #4, Counting Down the Days...

Well, I'm now about a month away from my trip to back to Mexico. I have been talking with the missionaries via email and they are all excited about our return!

Praise be to God, I now have the entire trip supported. Thank you so much to everyone gave so generously. This has been an amazing and humbling experience... to see all the people God has used to make it possible for me to return to Monterrey. Thanks so much everyone! I can't wait to begin serving God in whatever capacity he calls for in Latin America! Pray for me!

Luke

Post #3, Praise God!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to give a quick update of the past couple weeks. God is good! He has provided in ways that I could never have foreseen. So many people have responded generously... to see so many friends and family members opening their hearts like this is truly humbling. I am not totally sure what all God has planned this summer but I cannot wait to share the love I've been shown with the people of Monterrey!


To everyone who has joined my support team, I just want to say THANK YOU!!!!

Goal: $1,500
Raised so far: $1,170

Luke

Here is another picture of the city...

Ha ha, just kidding! (Sorry, I know that wasn't funny)

Here is a real picture of the city!

Post #2, the First Update

Monterrey here I come! (hopefully) Here is a picture of me in Mexico last year with a few of the missionaries’ teenage kids. These guys were our translators all week and had an incredible fire for God. I can’t wait to get back and see them again! It’ll be great to once again help them build their young church.

On the support raising side, the majority of the letters I am sending are out. The initial response has been encouraging. The generosity I’ve encountered so far is incredible, even though I still have a long way to go. I have officially raised $300 of $1,500 and have begun to build my prayer and support team! I am so excited to see how God will continue to provide for this journey. Thanks for all your prayers everyone!

Luke

Post #1, the Decision

I'm in! I've decided to go back to visit my brothers and sisters in Monterrey Mexico. I can't wait! Last year was a life changing experience... the chance to hang out with a group of people so focused on the great commission. These people have given up so much to be missionaries in a foreign country... I can’t help but be inspired!

I'm so excited but I'm also a little nervous about raising support again. In 2002 I raised enough money to come on staff at CedarCreek as an intern but that seems like so long ago. I really wish I had the money to just pay for my trip but that just isn't an option. Working at a church is incredible... but the money isn't!

I hope that when I send these letters out, people realize that I am not just begging for money... I am honestly looking to build a team who will pray for me, send me encouragement, and invest in me. I am looking for a group of people who are willing to serve God's church alongside of me. Maybe they won't be working on homes, painting, and evangelizing... but they will have made it all possible!

It will also be cool to give a daily update here when I am in Monterrey so everyone back home can get a sense of what God is doing. Good stuff.

Well, time to send out some letters!

Luke