Planning

We're gearing up to do some evangelism outreaches with the youth in several of the surrounding towns. Camp helped to really pump them up, and they learned some great sketches and choreographies at camp that we want to do in the evangelism program. They are excited! A few days ago we had a planning meeting with Steve, Gena, the four student leaders (Sandy, Chuy, Jose Luis, and Martin), and me. In the end we decided that I'M overseeing this particular event with the aid of the students and the four leaders. My goal is that my role be purely organizational and that it be handed over to the student leaders once the program begins, especially since I leave for the states before they will have finished all the towns we have planned to visit. Chuy will be the overall head-honcho in my place once the evangelism begins. Sandy is in charge of the dramas, and will most likely have help from Mili since we're going to enlist her once she gets back from Bible school this weekend. She and Julio learned a couple of great ones during Bible school, so we're excited to learn those. Jose Luis is in charge of the choreography and is helped by Gollo who was on the team that created the choreography we'll use. And Martin is in charge of the gospel presentation and the invitation at the end. Steve will head up the introduction and worship, possibly aided by Julio since he too will be returning this weekend from Bible school, and of course the band will be the youth band.

So, we're going to visit Agua Aceda, which is a Cora Indian village (although there is a Huichol population there as well) on Tuesday, Aug 13; Santa Fe on Wednesday, Aug 14; and Las Pilas on Thursday, Aug 15, which also happens to be the day that I leave for the states. We'll have a two dramas each day, a choreography number (based on David and Goliath..so fun!), testimonies, the rap band will play, games for playing with the youth there and just hanging out with them, worship, and an invitation to various youth events coming up with a mini gospel presentation to follow. The youth are really excited and they're really into it! At the beginning of the week we had a meeting with the youth to decide who would participate in what parts of the program, and then Wednesday Gollo taught the choreography to those involved with that event item. It's called "Mucha Lucha", which means "A Lot of Fight", and the choreography presents David and Goliath duking it out in a boxing ring with a couple of demons in Goliath's corner and a couple angels in David's. Of course David wins because "he who is for us is greater than he who is in the world." It's a great, upbeat song, and the team at camp who created the number did a stellar job. Everyone loves it and they're doing a great job of learning it. We're going to have another practice this weekend because they will present it at both services on Sunday as a test run for the week.

Today, Sandy and I spent the whole day working on the craft items needed for everything. One of our dramas is the Mask Drama, and we had to create four masks for the various personalities that the main character takes on. We had a good time creating those, and they came out really cool! We also had to make the boxing ring for "Mucha Lucha", which consists of LOTS of straw, string, four chairs, and four mops/brooms. It's a bit cumbersome, but it came out well. We also had to make a bunch of poster signs the Sin Chair drama and the choreography and some other items of the program. It was a long day, but we got it ALL done, and we had a good time doing it.

I'm really excited about how all this is coming together. The kids are doing a great job of learning their parts, and they seem to be enjoying it. I'm amazed every day by each one of them. They are not the same youth group as a year ago when I first got back here, that's for sure. One thing I've noticed change over the last year is that they have developed a level of commitment that is rare to find in youth groups..at least the youth groups I've had opportunity to observe. These kids are finally putting into practice what we've been preaching for more than the last year: your faith is not something to soak up and put on a shelf and feed on until your so spiritually fat that you are useless. It's something to be put into practice. Thought it's cliche, faith is not a noun; it's a verb! And they are certainly ending their action sentence with lots of exclamation points. They are throwing themselves into this as though lives depended on it because they realize that very likely lives really do depend on them....eternal lives...they range in age from 13 to 21, but they move and act as 1 Jesus filled group, and that's amazing to watch!!! We have such a great youth group!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!

This is also really great for me because it's the first time I've felt like I was REALLY doing something here. Steve's not even here right now. He and his family left earlier this week to go to Mazatlan for some much needed R&R before they pick up Mili and Julio at the end of the weekend. So, this is all me and these kids. I'm planning and delegating and overseeing and not just by putting into action someone else's plan. It's really neat to feel like I'm putting my own stamp on something, standing on my own two feet in something of the ministry here...this is ours, not just theirs. It's really exciting. Although, I have to admit that I have a whole new level of respect for Steve and Gena and all they do. I don't know how they do all they do, but it's amazing and we're seeing the fruit of that faithfulness now. How exciting!!! Stay tuned for further updates...