Day 2: It just got Real.

At long last, they thing I have waited for has happened: I ate breakfast here. It was pretty good.

We went to church early with Adrian because he is involved in the church setup. He had us help with everything from lights & sound (yellowcard, anyone? no? ok) to hospitality to sunday school. In the past, Pastor Sergio has usually told us "no, just relax!" but it is lovely to be able to be helpful. We all went to the first service (11:00). The worship was, not surprisingly, upbeat and exciting and just plain fun. Pastor Sergio's message was about Authentic Love; he gave really practical tips on being loving in every day life. For the second service (12:30), some of us stayed and some went to help with the ovejitas; Sunday School classes for the kids.

The beauty of staying for the whole time is that we got to see everyone we know in the church: Javier (I just smile every time I see that guy), Perla and Omar (too cute), Abdiel, the Handal family... ok, I could pretty much do this for the rest of the post. Anyway, it is encouraging to see everyone growing.

For lunch, we went to the foodcourt of the mall. It was fun, but it made my heart a little sad to see the darkness, by which I mean, distractedness, of the Regio culture (I could talk for a long time about the beauty of that same culture though). We ate mas tacos, by the way.

After lunch (i.e. 4:30), we went to change clothes then play volibol (yes) in a park. Sand Volleyball, to be precise. It was glorious. Sand was kicked, people were injured, jokes were made... the usual.

Once we left the park, Adrian drove us to...well, we'll get to that. We didn't really know at the time. As we were driving (we have an official team minivan now... it rocks), we started playing these inane (not a typo) singing games that no one over the age of 12 should enjoy much. It was the most fun I've had with a group of people in months (no hate, homegroup, y'all don't count). I cannot express how hard we laughed or how bemused Adrian looked the whole time.

It was dark by the time we arrived at El Mirador del Cerro Obispado (you would be correct in postulating that that was our destination). Obispado is a hill in the middle of the bowl made of mountains that contains Monterrey (did you track with that imagery? because I didn't). It allows a view of most of the city, which, when lit up at night, is just plain beautiful. We talked, took pictures, laughed, ran (thanks Stephen), and finally, prayed. And oh, did we pray. We prayed for the church and the city and our trip. We prayed about fear, boldness, freedom and God-glorifying, Spirit-following, life-changing, Jesus-sharing Evangelism. It was so good. I was left in awe of God's work in our team.

You've been introduced to our Monterrey 7, but I want to share what I saw tonight. It was that moment in the story where you see the Team, with their skill sets all assembled for the first time and just think, "oh, snap, this is about to get epic." (think Lord of the Rings, Council of Elrond type scene (yes, I made that reference. no, i'm not ashamed).

Stephen Campbell is pure Passion. His soul craves Jesus like a love story.
Bethany Garay is deep Gentleness. Everyone who talks with her feels at home; like talking to family.
Jeffier Dawson is a river of Joy. She is freedom and laughter.
Sheryl S is reckless Love. Her heart is open and soft like God intended for us.
Greg Stadter is unshakable Wisdom. His very presence gives counsel and insight.
Erica Love is unfathomable Kindness. She sees people as they are and treats them as God sees them.

...and with our powers combined, we are....
nothing without Jesus. He made us, and it is God's glorious, beautiful image in us that makes these things true. And that same God made the people we will be sharing with tomorrow in hopes of them coming back to the One who is calling their hearts.

oh, yeah, and we ate dinner. It was delicious.

Pray for perspective on God's work and boldness in God's truth.