Set Apart

Christians are called to be set apart, to be different. Yet too often I think Christians blend in far too well with society. We are in the world, which were called to be, but we were called to stand out. There is supposed to be something in the way we live that sets us apart, that makes us holy. Honestly, when I am hanging out with my friends I hardly feel holy. I feel like my standards are a little different, I feel like where my friends are making bad decisions I am with standing, I feel where I choose moderations many of my friends choose loosing self-control, but I really don't feel like there is always a noticeable difference in this aspect of my life. We were called to be a city on a hill, but often times it feels like we are not standing out but rather disconnecting. I think the radical message ofthe Jesus is that we are supposed to live different, move different, be active, but the way religion has moved us is to a place where to follow Christ is not to act rather than to act. We try not to do this, say that, wear those, watch that, or listen to that. And while I do feel we should stand out by what we choose to avoid, we must not use that as our way of living out the faith that we hold so firmly too.

We are followers of the light of the world. Light does not take away from the darkness, but overtakes it. Honestly, is the life of the Christians you know, or maybe your life, shining bright. Being set apart has nothing to do with trying to make others feel inferior, but rather quite the opposite. What if people near us found life. When people lived the way we live, if even for just a minute, they should find life and not feel as if they are loosing life. Jesus had the incredible ability to make people feel important. He rarely tried to impress people by what he refrains from, but rather chose to live in a way that the actions he made and the people he hung out with would bring their own questions? Do you ask more questions when people don't do something you do or when people do something that you just don't understand? I want to live a life that is constantly getting questioned. Why do you always talk to the loners? Why do you constantly buy food for homeless people? What is it like talking to people at their lowest points? Why did you drive all the way out here for me? You really do care, don't you? I want to be surrounded by these questions because for many people we really are the closest thing they will see to Jesus Christ in their life time. Silence is deadly. A spoken word poet that I listen to says that if we walk by the hurting without saying that Christ loves you, we might as well stop and tell them how much we don't care about their life and where the end up.

Being Set Apart, being Holy is not necessarily about pulling away from the filth, but overtaking it with love. In fact, it is in that love and hurt where God is most present. Are you living loud? Are you living light?

I do know many amazing followers of Jesus Christ who are shining bright and who are loving loud and living intentionally. I just feel like it is time that some of us choose to join them. Let's be Holy.

Mexico Day 8/Recap- Parting is such sweet sorrow

I’m sitting in the DOL right now, and somehow it seems like the perfect way to contrast coming home to spending my last week gallivanting through the streets of Tijuana. So now I’m surrounded by a stupid amount of American’s wanting to renew licenses and stuff like that. However yesterday morning I was standing on a dirt road in Mexico starting the day like I had ended the last one. God had me wake up pretty freaking early cause he wanted me to start out the beginning of my 21^st year with him and I’m not one to say God did this or that very easily, but I do feel he wanted me to start this year resting in him. It was so cool as God just challenged me to thank him for all he had been doing in my life and all that I still need to hand over to him. Have you ever had that opportunity? It was pretty cool just to re-cap my life with God and see where he has taken me and what he has allowed me to see and do. The rest of that conversation was pretty personal so I’m obviously not going to go into detail, but let’s just say it was a cool way to start the year.

Right after I got done writing my last blog, I came downstairs and snuck into a room full of the younger boys and one boy Ricardo was up laying in his bed and I sat down next to him. In his hands he was clutching an envelope and inside it were pictures he had drawn for Mackenzie, Carly and myself and little trinkets he was going to give us. (He had no idea I would be coming down, which is why it was so surprising and sweet that he would be clutching this envelope while lying in his bed.) It was one of the sweetest things I had ever seen. Here is a picture of Ricardo.

The next morning I went into the room and all the boys had pictures or letters for me. The littlest boy, Oscar, that wasn’t in the baby house gave me a Dish Network add that had superman on the front and told me I was superman. Than moments later he tried to give me his Spongebob stuffed animal that was bigger than him (although it may have been the boys whose bunk was above him), and than he tried to give me a toy truck, and than he tried to give me more and more toys (all of which I would not let him give me, he was three…and seriously he had already given me the dish network card so I felt super special. Check out how cute Oscar is.

When I went to visit the baby house I got to see my favorite kid in their, Lucy. Lucy is a toddler and kinda waddles around and she is freaking adorable. For 5 or 6 of the days I was there I would go in and pick her up, through her around, dance with her, sit in the rocking chair with her, get besos (kisses) on the cheek from her, and just show her love that she doesn’t get consistently from parents (but she does get love from the orphanage worker, but they have 16 other babies to share love with so its not what it would be). I was getting ready to leave the baby house for my last time and Lucy followed me through an open door into one of the crib filled rooms and grabbed my shirt tail and reached up to me and said “Papa.” WHAT! Papa….that melted my heart and I picked her up and never wanted to let her down.

I bonded most with a boy named Moises. He is a fourteen year old kid who has had to grow up way too early. Two of his brothers ran away from the orphanage and I’m not sure if his parents are alive, but if they are they are completely abandoned from his life. He’s one of those guys who is craving for a positive male influence in his life and I pray that I began to play that role. Every morning this trip he would come to my window and whistle to wake me up. We spent hours playing card games, trying to teach him how to jump high enough to touch their 9 foot basketball hoop, fighting, cleaning up after meals, and struggling through conversations. I guess I see more and more why my heart is youth ministry and the potential that teenagers have to influence others. He lived in the shadow of his Jesus-junior brother, and was just trying to find his place in this world. I will always be thinking of Moises.

Well this is the end of my Mexico blogging. I pray that it made a difference in your thought process somewhere along the way. I pray that you think differently about the needs in the world, about the way God cares for you, in who God is, and in the call for the church. I will be blogging sporadically but Thanks so much for your prayers for our trip to Mexico

Mexico Day 7----One night left to live....in Tijuana

The sun was setting over the Pacific ocean as I stared at the end of a dirt road that led into a valley and eventually into the Ocean. Turning around I saw the lives of many Mexican families as they went about their normal business. Glancing back across the valley my eyes were drawn to small and poorly put together houses. As I continued to just think about the situation I was in the voices of 18 orphans, 5 orphan care adults, and 1 other family encased me. In the middle of Tijuana worship filled the air as it always does at the orphanage. It was one of those moments when I was stuck in God's grace and overwhelmed by his grandeur. Entering church I came to the realization the any love these kids have for God comes from seeing the example put out by the five workers and the pastor. Their posture of worship was incredible humble and grateful. It was great we again said what we were thankful for and I got the chance to tell the church that I am thankful for my new big family in Christ in Tijuana (I wanted to say that my heart was with them, but I didn't know how, but it didn't matter because Mackenzi feeling the same way told them that and both times we spoke the room filled with Amens and "Gloria a Dios"s. I'm just still overwhelmed by how their entire lives revolve around Christ its cool.

We are preparing to leave and it is obvious that tomorrow they will have to return to life as normal without us, but it has been so incredible to begin to say our farewells. Two kids have given us notes and both say that we are there best friends and that they love us and that they pray God blesses us!

Manuel and Armando came to church today and we got to chat and exchange numbers and email adresses and the like (On the paper Manuel wrote in perfect English "You are my best friend"...He's actually my friend and I like it lots). As time drifted by and we needed to begin to part ways we embraced and began to walk away, but with urgency he called out "WAIT, I want to pray for you guys!" He just encouraged us and continued to pray, and I got to pray for them and it was so freaking cool! I loved spending time with them and it was so much fun getting to know these true amigos de Christo. It was sweet! Keep praying for all these people I love them much and a part of my heart is stuck in Tijuana! There will be one more blog in a few days! I hope you have been encouraged reading about these kids and the church! They send their love! Adios!

Mexico Day 6

Yup....I'm in Tijuana! I love it here but I do miss everybody at home.  It's incredible to experience the love that has been shown to me by everybody in this community.  The younger kids had school today so two high school boys and myself played card games and did card tricks for over three hours. It was cool just to understand that these guys just wanted to be in community.  We laughed, played, drank more coke, ate cheetos, I cheated, so they started cheating (and that made me angry) and we continued the trend for all three hours.

Life moves slower here and its really strange.  For a while it is the most obnoxious thing in the world and you need time to speed up, but lately I have began to embrace it and really see that the focus of their lives is so much more relational and run less by individual accomplishments.  The pace also allows time daily to get away and dive into the Bible.  Today I took advantage of that time and was blown away by Paul's life as described in the book of Acts.  It was crazy to just see how his heart always went out to do the work of God, it always came before his comforts or his desires.  I am amazed by his heart and passion.  As I was reading 2 Thessolonians I came across a verse where he says, "May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance."  this just popped out to me!  May the Lord direct my heart...is that really what I have been praying, is that really what I seek?  As I begin to mature more in my identity with Christ it seems as if I just begin to notice more shortcomings in my life and honestly that excites me!  How awesome is it that Christ reveals to me my depravity in the midst of my growth.  It is like a magnet that continually draws me back to his grace and his love!  I like Paul...thanks for making me think Mr. Apostle  man.

Anyways....the rest of the day was spent taking a van full of kids to a shoe store and a store to buy their uniforms for school...which seems easy enough but it was crazy!  Which makes me have mad respect for a man named Alejandro and his wife Alison.  They have one child here and they devote their lives to the rest of the kids! I don't know them incredibly well but I have just noticed that Alejandro is the quiet servant type who doesn't want any credit for what he does and Alison just loves on the kids 24/7!  Keep them in your prayers.

I just love these kids.  After dinner they were all playing in this little court yard!  There was a three year old running around with the stick part of a broom, there were two kids sitting with Mackenzie, there was a person running around with Mac's camera, there was a nine year old girl trying to make fisher price rolelr skates work that were super cheap, and my favorite part was they don't have enough rollerblades (I think they have 1 1/2 pairs) so there were three kids skating around with one rollerblade each and having a fantastic time! Life is so different here and the kids love it!  This girl named Aida is looking over my shoulder and wanted to be in this so Aida says hi...She has a huge crush on a boy named Isaac who plays in a band and apparently is super sexy! Well That is today...different than any other day but is an incredible day still! Keep praying peeps, always works

Mexico Day 5 - - -Where are we?

Where to start, where to start where to start.  Honestly I'm not sure if there was much that I realized today that is crazy life-changing more so I realized that my life has the ability to be crazy.

I started the day off by going to church and I expected it to be packed because there aren't any other churches (besides one a catholic one) in the area, but I came down to the church and the place was almost empty, except the orphanage kids.  However this didn't stop them.  I ended up trying to teach a Sunday school class and I was more nervous than I have been speaking in front of 7 people than ever.  Luckily the regular teacher saved me and taught an incredible class on the importance of communion! When we returned to big service there were 50 people total, 27 kids and 23 adults.  Again they had a time where anybody could stand up and say what they are thankful for....they never stop giving thanks.  It was also cool because three songs they played I knew in English and it was so cool to have a chance to say in tandem with them: "Savior, He can move a mountain Our God is mighty to save her is mighty to save."  It just rang through my heart that OUR God is mighty to save, not my God...OUR God.  We get so caught up about how God changes me, and what God says to me, and how I feel about God, and how I relate to God that we forget to acknowledge that he is the God of all of us.  It was also incredible to be able to proclaim with them: "Shine your light and let the whole world see, were singing for the glory of the risen King."  Again it was that idea  that we are only an extension of the church that grabbed my attention, so cool!  Jumping ahead in my day I came back to the church and some youth were listening to music over the speakers and just singing into mic's for eachother.  When I came in they found an English version of "How great is our God and handed me a mic...it was awesome to sing along side them again and to know that they wanted me to join in the worship of God.

Anywho my life got crazy from there... Manuel (from yesterday's blog) was at church and he took us to Aramando's (also from yesterday's blog) dad's taco stand where we ate great tacos and we had sugar cane coca cola's in glass bottles which are like the best thing on the face of the planet, and if you have never had them you are stupid (not really but I was in a dramatic mood).  Anyways after that Manuel took us to this ranch and we saw like 15 horses and so many chickens and they were hanging out amongst the cactus' and we were just wandering around.  Well a horse riding teacher, and friend of Manuel brought out a pony and gave us the chance to ride it which was awesome! The pony was just the right size for Carly, a little bit small for the taller Mackenzi, and crazy small for me...I looked like a Giant (I would say the horse was more Gary sized....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DISS!)  Anyways we were picked up by Aramando and rode in the back of his truck through rural Tijuana down dirt/rock rodes avoiding pot holes and dogs (we tried to hit the cats!) all the while drinking more Coca Cola (cause it is like Jesus in a bottle).  Eventually we reached a valley crossed over a stream and arrived at this amazing ranch that had pigs, horses, lambs, a goose and the cutest dog in the entire world.  We wandered around this ranch that had a pretty nice house and old school wood board swings and orange trees, the road to the house was lined with palm trees and the grass was actally green.  It felt like I had found the secret beauty of Tijuana...but to put the money problem into better perspective, right up the hill were two houses put together with left over plywood and hardly standing. but how would this happen! I am in Mexico...but wait...we left this crazy ranch to go up to the weekly horse race in the street! THE HORSE RACE IN THE STREET!  I watched as an entire community came together to ride horses down the street and drink beer and place bets (late I found out that people have been shot over these bets but my mom doesn't need to hear that)!  We came back to this singing and to the kids and ate dinner and spent time with babies and learned card games its pretty cool.  I spent probably 20-30 minutes just laying in the bedroom with all the guys changing words from Spanish to English and English to Spanish and helping them study for school which starts tomorrow!  It's so cool!  I also got to sit down with these two girls and talk to them about the boys they like and a girl named Naomi brought me love letters from two different boys who like her! Oh the decisions and oh how girls are girls!  Oh and the boys both said they wanted kisses....I donno about this (however instead of showing disgust I asked if she wanted a peck or a big sloppy wet kiss...she didn't answer).

The people I want to tell you quickly about today are Alberto and Carmen.  Alberto is the pastor of the church and the head of the Orphanage and Carmen is his wife. They live in an apartment right above the kitchen in the orphanage with there 7 year old son Haciel. They have agreed to share their love with 32 other kids and take them on as their on children.  They are an incredible couple.  Pastor Alberto loves God so much and it runs through everything he does.  He is an amazing leader and an incredible host (plus he has a killer mustache that I have been trying to steal).  Carmen is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen and I'm not sure if it is just that she is pretty or that her demeanor, her love, her smile all obviously come from her intense heart for God.  She is a mother to all of them and its amazing.  Keep them in your prayers...I like them alot! They have truly grasped how to make a church a community or even more so a family!

So I guess here is my realization for the day: I would not lead close to the same life I lead if Christ were not my reason for living!  It is so clear to me that everything that my life is comes from this transformation that God has done and is constantly doing in my heart.  I would not know a lot of you if I were not a Christian. I would not have the chance to pour into kids students lives if I were not changed by God, I would not be able to be in an orphanage in Tijuana if I did not know Christ, I would not have gone to a horse race today if God had not blessed me with the opportunity to sacrifice for him, I would not have been able to drink two of the godliest Coca-Colas if God were not in my life, I would not have witnessed two healings at church on Thursday if God were not my heartbeat, I would not be the same. Period!  It's funny I guess when I look at how God has changed me I get stuck on the big things.  I get so caught up on how god has gotten me over hurts and has allowed me to see crazy things, but I forget that being a Christian calls for my entire life to be different.  But I have been transformed by Christ to lead a different life- a life full of love, compassion, horse races, ranches, sacrifice, sometimes dealing with pain, other times drinking really good coke, but throughout it all I simply remember that God is God and he has allowed me to live a mighty charmed life! I love you all and am thinking of you!  Continue praying...it works I promise!

Mexico Day 4---Oh the people I meet

Today the pastor at the church invited mac, carly and myself to join the older students and some community members on a trip to the beach today.  He prefaced it saying that these students don't get vacations but for one day they get to feel as if they are on vacation at the beach.  How can you say no to joining that? We hopped in the car and made our way to the beach, where my face later became a lobster, but that is a different story.  It was incredibly interesting to have the opportunity to experience  life with the older students because we are typically spending con los ninos (with the children).  Anywho three people I want to introduce you to today who I just met and made me think an incredible amount. 

First is a 20 year old guy from Tijuana named Manuel. He loved speaking English and stuck to me like glue! He was someone who actually became a friend. We spent the majority of our time in the ocean experience the power and majesty of our creator....oh and we jumped through waves. He didn't say anything inparticular that made me think, he didn't have an incredibloe story to tell, but he interacted with me in a way that I wish more people had the ability to do...he was transparent.  He spent time with me, he cared for me, he asked me question and answered questions, but most of all he was willing to be present with me.  Manuel is the perfect example of an amazing friend, and I have experienced his friendship for one day...and I would not trade that for anything.

Another interesting guy is a 24 year old Mexican named Armando!  Armando es increíble! He has an incredible testimony in which he was once addicted to drugs and drinking and the entire party lifestyle, but God grabbed him by the face and turned his life entirely around.  Then, check this out...He moved to Bellevue where he worked and evangelized in multiple community throughout western Washington!  He returned to Tijuana because of his family, but he still evangelizes in some more southern cities in Mexico, and let me make this clear...for those of us who claim to be Christ followers, we should be ever so proud to have a brother in Christ like Armando.  He lives life with so much joy!  Currently Armando is still evangelizing and he is going to a Bible school in Tijuana.  God has grabbed his heart and turned him around! He also helped us find some killer Taco's today! which is awesome!

In fact, the guy who we found who sent us to find these incredible fish and shrimp tacos with fresh pico de gallo on amazing tortillas was a man named Renee.  Now Renee was not with our church, he was actually a random worker at a taco stand (that ran out of fish and shrimp tacos so we didn't buy from them) on the beach. Anyways we started talking and he asked what I do and I said that I am a pastor and he was crazy confused because I am so young, but God is good and used this to open the door for me to hear his story!  Basically Renee began to used marijuan and began to drive while being drunk and his parents sent him into a rehab center. This rehad center treatsthere patients horrible on purpose.  Their goal is to not give them any luxuries and to break them in order to make them stronger and with Renee it worked. He came back a different man and he believes in God now, but does not know Jesus!  He sees life as beautiful and will continually be in my prayers...but he did say one thing that made me think like crazy.  He lived in LA for a couple years and he said that the rich seem to only want to put their money in their own pockets.  He recognized the greed that runs through America and he asked why people hold on.  He recognized that God calls us to give.  It surprised me that a poorer man would say that if he had money he wouldn't just take care of himself and help his lifestyle.  Instead he was broken over the greed and the lack of love that comes from the rich and was confused by how his very own uncle had become like this!  Renee was amazing...I wish I could do him justice, but it is crazy difficult.....So basically I had a long conversation at some random Market in Mexico with and incredible man who had gone through hell and back and came out understanding that God is good and that life is beautiful! Now let's pray that he understands that Jesus is the savior of the world!  Pray for Renee.

My last few thoughts of the day came while we were sitting in a circle with the students on the beach talking about what we were thankful for.  It was one of those moments where I realized I was on a beach with a church that 2 weeks ago I had no idea existed.  The thought came to my head and I said, "Gracias por que la familia de dios es grande."  "I am thankful becausethe family of God is big."  This is soooo true!  This week I have met believer from California, Canada, Germany, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Fiji, Costa Rica, Austria, and many other countries.  It's incredible.  We were sitting in this circle singing "Open the eyes of my Heart Lord" in both english and spanish and I looked at this Mexican woman named Brenda at the line that says "I want to see you."  I though just as badly as I want to see and experience the God of the Universe (not just the United States) Brenda also wants to see, experience, and be moved by God.  It blew me away.  So in your prayers begin to pray for the church across the world.  I have began to recognize that few things unite so many different types of people, but Jesus Christ has made me family with many different cultures this week.  I am bonded by my savior with my family....PLEASE PEOPLE IF YOUR NOT SMILING GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD HOW EXCITING THIS IS!  THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE DIED FOR US ALL AND NOW FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE THERE IS A UNIVERSAL FAMILY!  God is good!   Please enjoy this.  The ninos here understand this.  My new family includes, Moises, Carlos, Antonio, Alberto, Carmen, Brenda, April, Armando, Renee, Oscar, Alejandro, Liz, Bryce, Stefanie, Brody, Andrea, Jonathon, and many more people!  My heart is tied here....it is tied to mi familia de dios!  

Lastly my challenge to you is to practice this:  Every morning the students gather to sing and in the middle of this singing time multiple students share what they are thankful for!  I have been so impressed that they never cease to thank God for what they do have....so if you are reading this it means you at least have access to a computer to be thankful for! Stop...now and thank God for the crazy amount of blessings he has overflowed your life with!  Keep praying!

Mexico-Day 3

Today is a totally different day than any other we will have this week. Today is my chance to chill and do some touristy things. However, God never stops being present in these moments. I want to tell you guys about the most amazing woman I have ever met named April.

April is a typically white lady from Los Angeles and she is well-off and she knows normal American life, but my friends she has no desire to settle. April has been coming down to Tijuana at least once a week for over 25 years. Now she and her husband own a house in Mexico and stay here every Tuesday through Saturday! She longs to bring truth and life to a broken nation. She is incredible. Her heart beats for the broken, her heart beats for the hurting, her heart beats for the church and it never stops beating. While many Americans have been fleeing Tijuana because of drug cartell wars, human sex trafficking and more she has gone into the core of it! Every Wednesday night she brings a group into Zona Norte and feeds the homeless in that area. Zona Norte is the red-light district of Tijuana. It is filled with prostitution and drug trafficking and criminals galore! In fact just a block down the road from where they feed the homeless is the Purple Rain night club where a person can buy anything! And by anything I mean anything...you can buy drugs, you can buy sex, you can buy weapons, you can even pay to have someone murdered. In the midst of this craziness, danger, crime, hell April shines the light of Jesus with soup and a smile. I can only hope you get the chance to experience April, She is the epitome of hope, love, hospitality, passion, and any other redeeming quality! Please keep April in your prayers.

I have so much more to write, but I had to blog earlier today because of a party at April's house (which she throws every friday for between 30-80 people)!

Oh Duh! The kids! They are doing amazing today...We haven't seen them in 5 hours and Mackenzi and Carly were already talking about how much they miss them! They are such a blessing. Today I went into the Baby room and a 18 month year old girl named Lucy ran up to me and grabbed my shirt tail. She wouldn't let go...She rested by me while I fed another Baby. She smiled at me. Let me tell you a little about Lucy...
She is adorable, she does her hair in pig tails, she wears little cute dresses, she has teh most heavy duty garbage bag diapers ever, she laughs at me when I bark like a dog and her little teeth that are still incoming and definitely baby teeth show up! She is my one of my favorites! There is also Oscar who is three years old. Today I picked him up and he was just smiling at me and I would throw him up in the air and he would laugh so loud! Eventually he looked at me and said, "David, tu quieres comer mi mano?" which means "David, do you want eat my hand." And of course I responded with "No, Tengo comer tu Cabeza." which means "No, I want eat your head!" That is OSCAR! He is awesome! Adios! Hablamos Manana!