.website.

oh. and check out the eoc webpage.

www.eocyugo.org

it's got some photos, blogs, videos, and just all around good information.

(and i made the website! woo! go macs!)

.update.

Well well well. Don't I get a failing grade for keeping in touch! Sorry its been so long since i've blogged, or posted new photos... 'Tis the season around here at EOC and it's hard to find the time to pull off a remotely coherent blogpost. So I wish this update wish i could be more raw and personal. like shared over a drink on a patio on a summer evening. But I wanted to post SOMETHING at least...

Well, we are on our last stretch of the summer season here in Mexico. We've had about 9 weeks of teams in already, just two more weeks to go. The summer definitely has had a different feel this year with smaller teams, lots of cancellations, smaller numbers, etc. Due to fears of violence, a bit of the swine flu scare, and then the economic situation, it hasn't been the best of years for teams and EOC. Over 30 teams cancelled, there are over 40 families waiting for homes that we anticipated we would be able to build this year, our finances are tight, and the needs here in Mexico are growing even more as the economics hit them hard!

Its hard... but at the same time we are excited and optimistic about the opportunities this situation has stirred in us to continue to become less 'reliant' on teams from Canada and the States. To work more and more on empowering the local people and church. Obviously, our partnerships with the teams and churches in Canada and the States are still so vital and an important part of the ministry, but it's been a interesting journey trying to figure out "now what" as we look at homes that still need to be built, children that still need to be fed... One way I've really been stirred up is to work more on rising up the youth here in Mexico. Particularly in the 'downtown' Ensenada churches. Where even though they still may be considered 'poor' in the world's standards, they have so much more than many of the people in the rural communities we are serving in... and these young people haven't been challenged or empowered to serve their own people. It's the same problem we have back with our youth back home... it's hard for them (and us!) to see the needs right in our own backyard. So we are planning some camps just for youth here in Mexico. Its been cool to meet with youth pastors from these churches and see them get excited. So even though its been a trickier year in terms of numbers, finances, etc. we are excited for the possibilities.

Regardless, this summer has been rich, smooth, and full of God's presence. Even though this is my third summer, each week brings its own tone and energy. There's been a good mix of teams this year and it's kept it fresh. And actually I don't mind some of the smaller weeks as you get a chance to get to know the people a bit more. Its definitely neat re-connecting with teams and leaders. Maybe I'd dare say it gets easier too as I feel I know what Im doing now. But there are still tough and long days, so easy isn't the word I want to use too quickly. And for me whether we have a team of 30 or a team of 130 my job is still the same. So as fun as having teams are... Im ready for the summer rush to be over. The cool thing about EOC is that just when you get bored of not having teams and the rhythm of 'off season' ministry... teams come. And just when you get tired and need some space.. they leave. So its a good balance. And Im definitely looking forward to some vacation time at the end of August. That will probably just mean for me lots of sleeping in, enjoying my house to myself (normally shared with my wonderful intern girl staff...but this fall it will be just moi!), puttering around, and hopefully treating myself to some little mexico getaways. I know my heart and energy is low.... i know ive been trying to run on empty too much, not fueling up with time for myself, or with God. Ive never been great at that whole balance thing... discipline... and its catching up to me. I know I need to be spending some time listening. waiting. reading. soaking. but right now that seems impossible... not just for my schedule but for the state of my heart/mind. So i need some time to really unwind and be. just be.

As I step more and more into leadership and working closely alongside Scott (the director) and Abram (our "pastor") I am both humbled and empowered. It makes me want to do more and be apart of the next steps for this place. Where other moments Im overwhelmed. There's so much to do. Not just in my job... but in this world. There is so much need. There is so much to do... It can be a bit paralyzing sometimes to have to pick and choose what to focus on.

Im still loving living here and making this my home for awhile. My spanish is getting better (maybe?!) but I want to kick it up to the next level. My verbs and conjugations still need alot of work and Im sure people are being very patient with me as I hack up their language... but Im getting by. Im still working out every morning at 6am (gah! yes, even in the summer craziness! Who woulda thought!). Its been great having my friend Ana to help motivate me to get my butt outta bed and obviously its so worth it. My friendship with Scott and Ana continue to be one of the biggest blessings of friendship here. Its been so important for me to have them to just be myself around. There's a growing community of people that is happening for me... its slow. and work sometimes. and sometimes its lonely. but its been good. Im still continuing to learn alot about myself and about people and community. Sometimes its tough lessons, but lessons nonetheless.

So that's a bit of a glimpse of me these days. Hopefully not just about what Im doing but how Im doing. Hard to articulate sometimes... but I hope its a start...

Please continue to pray for me.

For energy, for focus, for discernment. For listening ears. For perseverance. For balance.

And pray for the hungry. The broken. The homeless.

Be blessed my friends and partners.

.simple but complicated.

when did loving people get so complicated. or is it? we just make it that way.

helping. loving. serving.

seems like simple concepts right? they should be. but somehow i still get confused and frustrated sometimes.

the other day Ana and I were getting some groceries at Costco. As we were leaving, we notice a young father with a frail looking little girl in his arms standing near the exit. We then see the nearby mother and Ana asks what is wrong with the little girl. We learn she is seriously sick with a throat infection, she's been the doctor and has a prescription. Ana turns to me and says i dont want to just give them money, but I will go buy the meds. So in she goes to get the drugs. I attempt to make some conversation with this young family, but with my limited spanish and their timidness, we didn't get too far. At one point I asked them where they lived. They looked at each other and didn't answer. I thought they just didn't understand me. But later learned when Ana asked the same thing, they responded with a similar timidness. They didn't know how to answer because they didn't have a home. a city. a anything. They had recently made their way down here from Oaxaca. They hadn't found work yet. They couldn't have been older than 22 and their little girl was 5 years old. They looked tired. weary. sad.

Ana returned from the store unable to find the right drugs. We hopped in our car to another store to find the meds and also picked up a few groceries for them. In our drive, I could see a passion in Ana come to life. "This is my purpose. To help people like this. Just to do what I can." Isn't it supposed to be all our passions and purpose?? I wish I had the passion and drive like Ana does in those situations. Something comes alive in her. She even wanted to take the time to take the family to another clinic in order to get some specific drugs and help this family even more. They unfortunately were hesitant to come with us and said they couldn't leave as they were waiting to see if their uncle would return having found them work. Ana spent some more time talking with them, both in a loving but challenging way... to be sure to care for their child.

We had to drive away that day not knowing what would happen to this family. We weren't able to hand them keys to a new house. Or know that the daughter got the care she needed. We only could step in for a moment and offer some love and hope in a couple bags of groceries and medicine. But I am confident that simple act of love likely impacted their day... or week...or life?

So why don't we do it more often. stop. ask. listen. help. serve. it's easy when it's 'ministry', but what about when its just life. life's everyday ministry. Im not sure I have an easy answer, but at least for this small moment it felt right...

.one year.

I can't believe its already the summer camp season. I can't believe it's technically a year ago that i moved down here semi-permanently after leaving my church job and life in Ontario. So weird. One year. Some ways its gone so fast. In other ways, so much has happened.

This month has been a rich one for me. in a subtle kind of way.

I really enjoy that teams are in again and that the camp is woken up, and we're in full motion. I have actually kinda liked the slower start to things, the smaller teams (aside from its repercussions). It's been a month where I too, like the camp, am feeling 'woken up'. I remember having a conversation with Ana last fall about why i thought God lead me here. I think its partly b/c i have gifts to offer, its partly b/c i crave community living and ministry like this, but I know it is partly too b/c God has some specific things He wanted me to work on, think about, ponder, change... I think that season is emerging for me. Some things I look back on in my year here and see growth, change, and positive impact. Other areas I know still need attention, conviction, and surrender. My eyes need to continue to be opened. My heart continued to be stirred. My spirit continued to be woken up. I know it is in these moments, these awarenesses that God meets with us intimately.

On a more tangible note... a few highlights this past few weeks have been...

+ My dear friend Cait just came to visit for the week and it was INCREDIBLE to share life and ministry with her. She is a joy.

+ Prayer & worship night with the staff

+ Watching new teams experience their week with open hearts and innocence. a beautiful thing.

+ The Holy Spirit

+ Helping pour a cement floor for our security guard Damiana. like real work. with sweat and dirt and stuff. Felt good.

+ Las Canadas staff trip

rodolfo. cooking. with a stick.

some of my fearless and fabulous interns!

.single rose.

I saw this on my friend Caitlin's blog...

it's inspiring. at 12...

thought i'd add the link so you can watch it, and also explore my friends blog... who i admire greatly and thought you may enjoy her thoughts and bloggings too...

.single rose.

.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.

.highlights.

So im almost back home in Ensenada. Im just chilling in my ghetto motel 6 until kimyco and angela pick me up and we make our way back to EOC. Im so excited to see everyone again and be in my own space again. But my time home in Canada was wonderful.

a few highlights...

...watching maja enjoy countless hours of fun with mac photobooth!

...reuniting with wellington!  

...my numerous lunches, dinners, and coffee dates

...girl talks with steph

...shopping spree with tracy

...getting bumped to first class & having a wonderful conversation with my seatmate 

...playing soccer with my niece and nephew and visiting with my fam

...the greenness of spring in canada

...the dinner party with some of my favorite people in the world

...my san diego time with steph

...picnics and bbqs with some of my wonderful ol' youth crew

...the return to the poacher

...being known. being in the familiar. being reminded of the many people who love me.

but for now. ensenada bound! vamanos!