I never planned on going this year. The trip just sort of fell in my lap, an open opportunity, why not?! It really did start in January when I got laid off from Nicholson Commons as part of the 20-ish people who got laid off due to budgeting issues. Tucker needed to hire someone to work a few hours a week and I was looking for a job- the shoe fit. Ever since January YouthWorks has been a part of my every week in some way, shape, or form. This summer I got to attend the camp that I had been helping prepare for and I’m so glad it worked out.
The trip to South Baja: Constitucion, Los Cabos, and La Paz now has a special place in my heart. Traveling with teens and adults from Mexico and the States was a bonding experience.. sleeping on buses, sweating together, playing together, singing, praying, talking, laughing lots, eating, dancing and hanging out together was something amazing to watch. As the trip began to unfold and as we started to get to know each other, the invisible walls of any sort of barrier seemed to fade away. Its amazing to watch how people can actually live together in tents, eat together, serve together, and get along with one another. It seems like we defeated a lot of odds and proved that a different way of living was/is possible. For me, community, simplicity, and service were three aspects of the camp that I treasured and have been thinking about since before the trip and these past couple weeks in Mexico showed me how much of a necessity these three ‘rocks’ are for my life and how I want to live.
On this trip I was reminded that where one heart is searching.. hope is still alive! This was encouraging to me because when I get frustrated with the ‘details’ and want to just give up, I am reminded that there are hearts around the world who are keeping the true concept of ‘church’ alive. When I say that, I am talking about the church body (people) who are seeking out truth and justice and willing to love God and people unconditionally. This thought reminded me of ‘unconditionally’ and what that means, and how that is playing out in my life. One of my friends told me a story about a guy who was turned away from a church because he just wanted to sleep by it and a guy at the church basically told him to leave…! what is that saying. I mean, unconditional should mean 24/7. Doors should always, always be open.
I guess, on this trip I was an observer. While I did make time to put myself out there and practice mi Espanol con mi amigos nuevos, I had some time to recognize that I want my life, my reality to include Jesus. I’m not really sure how that is going to look like but I’m going to start with: community, simplicity, and service. All of these involve living in relationship with others. I’m excited to intentionally focus on these things throughout this next year and hopefully for the rest of my life. I desire to help create a church that moves and is open to God moving in any possible way.
