At Easter time, on Palm Sunday 150 people would enter the church in a haphazard way, in all matching T-shirts, sometimes a very bright color with spanish words on the back. Tell me that it was another year that the church was sending our High School youth group to Tijuana. I always thought in my heart.. I would really like to to this and would love to go someday.
Well someday came and every year for the past 11 years I have not been home for Easter. My kids grew up not having me be present for the egg dying, basket finding, the egg hunt and the brunch. One of my sons birthday is Easter Monday and sometimes his birthday fell on the time when I was gone, it feels like more times than not. Not one of my kids ever complained, my husband encouraged me to go be the hands and feet for Jesus! David took on Easter and made it fun for the kids with baskets, church and brunch at the grandparents house and then managed to get through Easter Break without me. Josh would even hold his "birthday" for me to return and celebrate with all of us back home. My little Nick, didnt even know I should be home for Easter as I started going when he was just 2. Each of them just loved me and supported me in what I was doing.
Our church takes the high school group to Tijuana to serve the churches there, to do a Vacation Bible School and to sometimes feed and bathe the elderly of the community. Sometimes it was giving food away at the local dump or visiting the orphanage. Tijuana is a lost and desolate place, yet the lives of those that live there love seeing our busses arrive. The connections and friendships that we have made have sustained throught the years. Now we have a Sports Camp in the afternoon and Pastoral training for the churches. The food crew gets up in the dark of night to make preperations to feed us 3 times a day and provide many meals for those we serve and take care of. The medical team tends to the injured and sickly at the refuge with unending service and love. We have done alot more than I first started. This team from NorthCreek Church is an amazing team to be part of!
Once you know me, you'll realize I am not a crafty person. Sure I can copy anything from Pinterest just like you can, but to create it from my own idea... well thats stretching it just a little to say the least. Year after year I have been allowed to head up the craft team for this event, (still not sure why) and it is always a huge blessing to me to see the 4000 crafts come together for the kids to finish off at camp, and did I mention I have a budget of very little? Its a challenge, but a wonderful one! Its fun to see what can be created out of a little imagination and alot of paper cutting from my team!
The best part for me is to get to know the kids on my Craft team and to pour into thier lives just a little bit during the few months of training just before we leave. Then it is my absolute joy to ride on the bus with the kids to see them safely arrive over the border to our rancho that we stay in, (no hotels for us!) its cozy and safe and the girls all bunk together.
I cannot imagine not going on this trip, its part of me and thankfully my family understands my love for this ministry. Over the years all of my kids have gone with me... or me with them. Now my youngest can come with me and now he too understands how much more important what I am doing is, than an Easter basket or an Egg Hunt.
So here I go... Its mission week for me, I cannot wait to see what is in store for me this year.