#squadup

See how a used a hashtag and a pop culture reference in my title? It's because I'm hip to the lit jive the kids are spitting, yo.

ALSO WE HAVE OUR TEAM(S) FINALIZED AND I AM SO REQUETE STOKED.

All caps is so obnoxious. But I am excited! Stephen and Hillary and Sheryl and I spent time praying and we came up with the following two teams (awesome names courtesy of Stephen):

Team Gringo

Stephen Campbell
Hillary Sykes
Claudia Flores
Zuri Sanchez
Aylin Ortiz
Maria Ortiz
Myra Rangel
Savannah Davalos
Steven Gonzales
Maegan Whitt
Matt Martin
Miranda Grey
Zachary Smith
Alex Cates
Isaiah Cruz
Emily Goldston

Team Extranjero
Sam Baker
Sheryl S
Evan Grant
Matthew Zawadzki
Travis Wheeler
Riley Knippa
Elizabeth Bustamante
Scott Fuller
Grace Muenich
Kelsie Kirk
Camden Ogier
Monica Nava

The next few months will be training and team bonding. We'll have Cultural, Evangelism and Spiritual Warfare training times. By the time we go, my hope is for the team to have a feel similar to a homegroup, where we know and trust each other deeply.

Extranjero means a foreigner; an alien or stranger. Think 1 Peter 2:11. If you've read much of my Monterrey blog before, you'll know that I think life and short-term mission trips are really, really similar. We'll be going somewhere that isn't our home, for a short time, with a distinct purpose: to see people come to know Christ.

Please be praying for us; I'll post after our training times.

Letter Go

We had our Support Letter Sending Party this morning. We all met up at the church office to finalize, stamp, address and send our letters.

I used to be uncomfortable with the support-raising process; it felt like asking other people to pay for something I wanted to do. Over time, I grew to be ok with it, viewing it as a "necessary evil," since I couldn't afford the trips without the help, but still never really liked that it had to happen. This is the first year I've actually been excited about the process. The church working together as a body to reach the lost is a beautiful thing! Our team may have the time and opportunity to Go, but we're only the hand, as it were, we can't reach without the arm.

If you're supporting a missionary or ministry somewhere, you are a vital part of the work God is doing. Be praying for your missionary (especially if it's me!), God knows they need it. Prayer is the best thing you can give to anyone. It's the most powerful ministry tool we have. Stop reading this and pray...I'll wait. Go pray for your family and your hurting and lost friends, pray for the people who aren't your friends, pray for your church, pray for our trip to Mexico...there's so much need for prayer, it's not hard to see the need to "pray without ceasing." (1 Thes. 5:16)

Our team looks pretty fantastic this year, there are so many of us that our team leader, Stephen, and the Missions Team at Fellowship decided to send us as two teams to allow greater flexibility, effectiveness and safety. Stephen asked me to lead the second half, which I am super excited (and un poco nervioso) about. We're deciding how to set up the teams right now and will have  it finalized next week. Please pray for wisdom and sensitivity to the Spirit's leading for us!

This is gonna be so good, y'all.

Orale! Training Number Uno

I'ma be honest with you folks...actually, disregard that intro, I shouldn't have to preface honesty.

Let's operate on the assumption that I'm always being honest with you folks (or at least trying).

Well, mijos, I'm going back to Monterrey this Spring and I. Am. Stoked. I tried to play it cool last year and pretend like I was fine with not going. But it was rough. The people I love, going to the city I love, to do the ministry I love (and eat the tacos de trompo I love)...without me. It were rough. As always, we're operating under the assumption that God knew exactly what he was doing and my not-going fulfilled the triplicate purpose of all God's plans (it is for his Glory, for my Best and for others' Blessing), but I still don't see it. We worked through it though and all's well.

AND I'M GOING BACK! (I slept about an hour and a half last night, so...sorry if I sound deranged any, I really can't tell how I come across at this exact moment).

We had our support-raising training today and, for the first time ever, I actually caught a little vision for why support-raising is good...which is exciting. In Matthew, Jesus says where your treasure is, your heart will be also. Note that it's the heart that follows the treasure, not the other way around. The act of Sacrificial Giving can actually soften your heart to things God cares about. How clever of him to redeem something that can become an idol so easily by using it to guide our hearts back to him...when we're obedient. So, follow me here: since the heart follows the treasure, asking people to support something financially is giving them an opportunity to take small steps to see their heart changed in a profound way and allowing them to partner in God's work and stack some treasure in Heaven... pretty crazy stuff.

In case you're a real person and you actually end up reading this (I operate on the assumption that is rare); consider giving to something you want to see your heart soften towards.Where is your heart calloused? Towards the poor? missions? refugees? addicts? the lgbt community? Who do you struggle to love? Maybe donate to a ministry geared towards that type of person and see what God does.

 grace and peace y'all