To Mexico & Back (again)...

This past weekend was Cornerstone's third annual Imagine trip to Mexico. A little more than 800 people from Cornerstone packed up tents, toilet paper, and work clothes and headed south of the border to serve at various sites in Ensenada, Mexico.

It was an interesting weekend. i could go on a long rant about how i seriously question the value of short term missions trips and events like Imagine, but i think that's more of a dialogue, not a blog entry. Instead, i'll just say that the weekend was unexpectedly very enjoyable for me because of the time i got to spend with various people on my team. The way Imagine works is everyone is broken down into smaller teams of 20-30 people, and each team is assigned a different site and task somewhere in Ensenada. The projects run from serious construction like framing houses and pouring concrete (jobs for the skilled professionals) to painting and playing with kids (jobs for the kids and people like me). Our team was assigned last minute to a daycare center where we played with kids, painted, fixed a door, and encouraged the staff. Anyway like i said, the day we spent serving at the center was good, but i think God was most glorified in me in the time i got to spend with people on my team.

Most of the weekend i hung out and got to know Deborah. Her story and why she's here is pretty complicated, but basically she's from France and she's not a Christian. Our conversations and time spent together were so rich and fun, and we both just got along smashingly. It's so fun hanging out with someone for an extended and concentrated period of time, and you end up talking about everything. Anyway i'm thankful we got to share our lives with each other this weekend and it was just a sweet time.

As for everyone else, i enjoyed everyone on my team but there were a few people who i got to know better than the rest. They are just phenomenally great people. The time i spent with them was so fun and encouraging.

Anyway i had a fun weekend, complete with sleeping in a tent in the freezing cold, port-a-potties, a yummy Mexican taco stand, a failed quest for Apple Fanta, funny Mexican kids, a two hour wait at the border, no showers or running water, beautiful stars at night, and a renewed enjoyment of God's grace and goodness.