.back at it.

Sorry I have been delinquent in my blogging.  Since I've been back, things have been pretty chill around here - not without some good times tho!  We all just eased back into things after some good vaca time.  Even managed to get some fun adventures in my calender too... including a day out at Las Canadas - a local waterpark.  I did however forget I wasn't Mexican and got a pretty bad sunburn!  And then last weekend took off on a little camping trip to San Carlos where there is natural hot springs!  So fun to just get away and enjoy new friendships and cool parts of Mexico.  It was fantastic sitting around a fire, relaxing in the hot springs, and being surrounded by the awesome view of the mountains!  

This past week we've been busy getting the camp 'woken up' and ready for the summer season! Sunday starts the 9 week run of teams.  Our numbers are definitely down this summer... over 25 teams have cancelled (mainly due to economics and fear of violence). Its been a tough season for the ministry... but puts us in a place where we truly need to rely on Him... and listen. What does God want for His ministry?  Its a bit unnerving, but kind of exciting too. I am totally guilty of relying on my own strengths... knowing what Im capable of and forgetting where these capabilities came from!  Im hoping this is a season of 'awakening' for me as well... of listening... of stirring.  

But I am excited to serve the teams again this summer and see the amazing work that can be done when people offer themselves, surrender their agendas, and step into the purpose of God!  Im also excited about some new initiatives to connect in more local youth into our ministry. We will be having 2 or 3 local mexican interns helping and volunteering this summer! Im so pumped about this! One will be living in the girls staff house with us. I think this can really enrich our community.  We are also in the beginning stages of planning a mexican youth camp/mission week in August.  We will run the same program we normally do (chapels, meals, video, etc) but instead of hosting american/cdn teams... we will host youth from churches right here in Ensenada.  There are alot of youth who live in the more 'central Ensenada' area who don't come face to face with the poverty in their own back yard.  Even tho many of these youth still may be considered "poor" in some people's standards, some of these youth aren't aware of the villages and communities just 20 mins down the road who don't have homes... food... clean water... etc. It's a familiar story isn't it? My youth (or not so youth) back home in Burlington, Ontario didn't often want to realize the poverty in their own little suburbia or the homeless just a go-train ride away.  But we want to stir up awareness in these local youth and to empower them... to make a difference in their own community!  Maybe they don't think they have anything to offer... but we know they can!  I am excited about this call of action on their faith to the young people Ensenada!  

So, there are many things I am looking forward to this summer.  New interns. Worship times in the chapel.  Sitting around the fire in Scott & Ana's patio.  The energy of teams.  Thursday dedications.  Watching our community do what we do best.  Serving.  More camping trips?. Laughing.  Listening.

Oh and more shortly... receiving a visit from my dear friend Cait! I am so excited to share my new home with Caitlin - she is a friend I really respect and have a lot of fun with!  She's coming for a visit in just over a week  and I am pumped!

So here's to it kids! In the terrible words of some fellow mexican mission trippers...

let's git'r done.