Day 4 - Friday

If we ate like we did on mission trips all the time we would all weigh well over 200 pounds. Of course some of us do and we are over 200 pounds but that’s not the point. The point is that our cooks do a great job. Mark Kane and Mark Salomon are up early and have the food ready for us when we get up. Verna cooks up a great lunch and it is ready for us when we return at 1:00 p.m. Every night we have left overs and there’s always something good to nibble on. Tonight Left us hot dogs and beans – an authentic American meal. Mark fried them up and we ate all of them.

The group works hard during the day. The work is messy and not very easy. The two major jobs have involved sanding and laying concrete blocks. I felt badly for the people doing the sanding. They were covered with white dust. Everyone wore masks but the dust got into everything and the crew looked like ghosts when they came out into the sunlight. Ramon, helped out today and he did it without the mask. He came out looking like something you see in the zombie movies. He was totally white faced. He wore a big smile though. He was so excited at the progress we were making. We worked a full day today and by the end of the day we were able to prime the big Sunday School room upstairs. That made he people who did all the sanding very happy because they felt they had really made some progress and that they would be able to see he result of all their efforts.

The bathroom crew was zooming along too. As the bricks were going up Andy Scheuermann began to install the copper piping that would support the toilets, urinals, sinks and showers. Mark Hopkins continued to work on the electrical so that we could supply power to the restrooms. The Salomon men worked in one half and Randy Sargent and Roger Mainville worked the other side. Our goal was to go up at least eight blocks high.

At one point Mark Salomon and Mark Kane went over to Ramon and Alma’s house to do some more work in their bathroom. They were going to grind out a layer of concrete so that new tile could be installed. That meant getting rid of the sludge and mold that had built up over time.

My job on these trips is four fold. I’m the chaplain of course. That puts me in charge of the spiritual welfare of the group. My goal is to help the team pray together and reflect on what God is doing in our midst. I do some of the devotionals but I always invite others to take a turn. God has this wonderful way of speaking through others. I admit that it is hard for me to keep quiet but when I do, great things come of it.

I also am the supply sergeant. I am in charge of getting everything people need to do their job once we get there. I work with Rick and Mercy to get what we need. For example today I got directions to the hardware store to get respirators for the two Marks who were working in the bathroom. The masks they had just weren’t doing it. When I dropped in on them the dust was so thick you couldn’t even see them. That wasn’t good. So I ran out to get them something that would give them better protection. I also picked up some scrapers and a level for the crew. I am also the one who gets the coffee and snacks for break time. I like that job the best because everyone really appreciates the effort.

I am also the official photographer and media person. I take photos, collect them from others and put them together in slide shows. I’ve also been trying to keep the world back home updated on what we are doing. We have had wireless internet at the seminary this year and it made it a little easier. The problem is that we have been very busy and I haven’t had a lot of time to write up these entries and post them. For example, this is day four and I am two days behind in getting it posted. I’ve been able to get some things up on facebook I’ll catch on Monday on the way back to San Diego.

The last thing I provide is overall leadership. This year I didn’t have another Pastor to bounce things off but the team has really come through. Everyone has accepted more responsibility and made the trip go very smoothly. I have gone to several people for advice on various matters and they willingly gave it.
Friday was a long day and after lunch the majority of the group went back to the church to finish some of the jobs they were working on. The big room upstairs got its first coat of primer and Andy Scheuermann really made some progress laying the copper pipes. Mark S. and Mark K. went back to Alma’s house to finish cleaning up the bathroom. Melanie S. Lisa L. and Michelle C. stayed back at the seminary and filled water balloons for the night’s games.

At 5:00 p.m. we went back to the church and participated in Vacation Bible School. Tonight Doreen, Michelle and Erica got up front when the kids sang the Superman song. It was great. When they broke up for classes, Doreen and her crew set up the chameleons the kids were going to make. Matt Salomon and I also figured out where we were going to set up the balloon toss game.

We set up the game on the road in front of the church. When the kids came down it turned out to be a big success. Roger, Randy and Mark S. volunteered to take the hits for the team. They sat in chairs with large inner tubes in front of them while the kids tossed water balloons at them. It was very funny and with 150 water balloons the fun last for a while. Carol, Matt and Jake fed the kids the balloons and tried to police the crowd. It was a huge success.

Earlier in the day I had Rick ask Ramon if he and alma were satisfied with the stuff we were doing. Nothing had gone according to plan so far. Chaos usually ruled. The kids didn’t mind. They actually seemed to really enjoy everything we were doing but it was Alma’s opinion who mattered. She and Ramon told Rick they were very pleased. The kids smiles didn’t lie.

We closed out the games and the kids received a snack and we took off for our annual visit to Dairy Queen. What a blast. We did our devotional there in the middle of Mexicali. It was a familiar setting in a distant land. It was a perfect end to a busy day.

Cal

Day three in Mexico

I am not sure if it is the time change, the amazing energy and enthusiasm or the power of the Holy Spirit but each day our group is up early and ready to go. Yesterday all of the men were up and in the kitchen by shortly after 5:00 a.m. I shouldn’t say this but we took bets on which of the women would be up and out to the dining hall first. It has become a bit of a tradition on these trips where all or most of the men are up and out while the women sleep in a few minutes longer. Of course it helps when you have people like Mark Kane, George Rezendes, and Mark Salomon cooking up big breakfasts for the group. Yesterday Michelle Chaffee took the prize. Of course Andy Scheuermann fixed the contest. After picking Michelle as the first lady to enter, he went outside until a few of the women were up and then he found a way to delay the others and get Michelle to walk through the door first.

It’s a good thing I found my cholesterol pills because bacon seems to be the comfort food of the cooks. They start cooking and the bacon begins piling up on the plate. We had pancakes the first morning here and toast and bacon. Not everyone eats what they cook, but those of us who do, are completely satisfied. At 7:40 a.m. we gather out in the courtyard to check in and do our morning devotional. There is always something to think about I’ve tried to get others to think about taking turns. Last night, for example, the devotion was a simple one. We all had a chance to reflect on where we had seen God that day. This morning I encouraged everyone to be thinking about the fact that each of us were called to be a part of this team because we had something to share. With that thought we prayed and left for El Buen Samaritano.

With a good understanding of what we were called to do, the group went right to work. I like this team because they know how to have fun. The friendly banter between Roger Mainville and Randy Sargent seems to get everyone laughing and joining in their fun. Randy has lots of multi colored shirts and Roger has plenty to say about them. Roger is the old man on the team and we get on him good about that. Every night so far, the guys have played cards. I’m not sure what they are playing but they sure make a lot of noise. They seem to be having a lot of fun too.

The walls of the restrooms at the church are going up slowly. Each cinderblock has to be laid in place with cement to bond them to the next one. The metal rods that run up through them every feet are also cemented in place to give the wall strength. The blocks are staggered and the room I starting to look like a fortress already. Michelle Chaffee, Erica Corbett and Lisa Lapointe were mixing cement and running it over to the guys. Mark and Matt Salomon were working on one side and Roger Mainville and Mark Hopkins were working on the other. Randy Sargent was cutting blocks and they had a pretty smooth operation going.

Upstairs in the church Jake Shanks, Amanda Duntz, Carol Calkins, Doreen Mainville and Melanie Scheuermann were patching and sanding again. That was a messy job. Dust was everywhere. It is almost too much for any one person to be doing for any length of time. Fortunately, most of the people know their limits and only do a bit more than they should.

We quit for lunch at 12:30 p.m. and headed back to the seminary. Lisa, Erica and Michelle ran the two miles back while the rest of us traveled by van. Today we planned to take the afternoon off. That bothered a few people because they really wanted to keep going. I tried to explain to them that we needed the break and so did the local folks. For example, Pastor Ramon works full time as a police officer on the third shift. On the days we work I understand that he skips sleep and stays with us. That means that on the full days he gets little or no sleep at all. Yet, he is so excited to be with us that he counts it as joy.

We also take the break and use that free time to get a taste of the surrounding culture. Our mission trip has at least a two fold purpose. We come to do work and to accomplish something real. We also come to get an understanding of the people and the culture in which our missionaries work. Yesterday a group went up to the mountains to one of the newer churches that Rick and Mercy work with. The La Rumorosa congregation was started by a retired pastor and it is doing quite well. We got a chance to meet the pastor and hear about his ministry. The two vans also got an hour long drive to talk with Rick in one car and Mercy in the other.

Another small group went shopping in Mexicali. We got to see the local merchants and were able to barter with the people to pick up a few souvenirs. Michelle Chaffee was amazed at a pinata store where four foot piñatas in all shapes and sizes were hanging from the rafters and barrels of candy were placed underneath. I got three tee shirts for my girls and a mug. I almost bought a Steelers poncho but I couldn’t get the girl to come down on her price.

The group that went up the mountains got back late and missed the start of vacation Bible school but the five of us who stayed behind got there on time and enjoyed the singing. Michelle and Erica even went up front and helped with the motions on our favorite new song, “Jesus is better than Superman.” The other group did get there just in time for the classes to begin.

Although we tried to prepare for every scenario, our motto appeared to be working. “Be flexible” was our charge and for the second night in a row things did not go as planned. The kids came streaming down in two groups. The first group went to the craft table and the second group came down before the adults had cleared out of the sanctuary. So we had a balloon race in the street. We also planned a balloon tag and stomp game for the sanctuary but the kids were popping each others balloons even before we had the chance to tell them how to play the game.

In the final analysis, the kids all had fun even if things didn’t turn out quite how we planned. When we asked Alma and Ram on if they were happy with what we were doing, they replied with a great big smile and a resounding “Yes!”

We got home (can you believe I’m calling it home now?) by 7:30 p.m. and had dinner and a devotional. Michelle Chaffee gave us the thought for the night. She told us about the way she just happened to run into a candy store that had ice cream bars called devotions. Then she pointed out that this is the way God works. He guides us to the places he wants us to be.

After Michelle finished I told the group that a devotion as something you offered up to God. Then I challenged the group to look for things they could offer to God the following day and we broke up for the night.

Cal

Day Two of our Mexican Mission Trip

Traveling west always messes with people’s internal clocks. In my room, Mark Kane, Jake Shanks and I kept waking up. At one point I noticed Jake was looking at his cell phone to check the time. I thought it had to be at least 5:30 or 6:00 a.m. and I asked Jake about the time. He responded it was 3:00 a.m. We all tried to go back to sleep and slept fitfully until about 5:00 a.m. and the we got up and started the coffee and got the kitchen ready for breakfast. By 5:30 a.m. all of the men were in the kitchen and dining hall. A short while later all the ladies joined us. We had a great breakfast. Mark Kane cooked up pancakes and Mark Salomon helped with the bacon. Matt Salomon made the coffee and Mark Hopkins and Roger chipped in to make toast and wash dishes.

At 8:00 a.m. we prayed and were on or way to El Buen Samaritano. We were very happy to have the church so close to the seminary. It was a five minute commute. Rick was there to greet us. He outlined the work that needed to be done and the group jumped right on it. It was a busy day. One group began working on the bathroom walls. It required mixing cement and piling cinder blocks. It looked like it would be a quick and easy job but it was a very time consuming endeavor.
A second group went upstairs and began sanding the walls. That was a messy job. A third group went over to Alma and Ramon’s house to take care of a plumbing problem in heir bathroom. Ramo had all the tools and all the materials laid out and we got right to work. (I should say they got right to work because I did my usual thing – supervise and stay out of the way.) I actually tried to help by moving the 120 lb cement bags to Ricks truck but I cracked a finger nail and started bleeding all over the place so they told me to take it easy.

We broke for lunch at 12:30 p.m. and came back to the seminary for lunch. Verna is a great cook and we enjoyed chicken and rice. We ate with the ten seminary students and Verna. One of the students prayed in Spanish and we dug right in.
After lunch went back to the church to get in another two hours. We finished up some projects and cleaned up for Vacation Bible School. At 4:00 p.m. we headed back to the seminary to shower and prepare for the first night of Vacation Bible School.

We made our way back and the kids started rolling in. Before long their were forty kids jumping and singing and excited to be there. They welcomed us and made us feel at home. The night began a little late but before long we were singing and having fun. The funniest thing was a song that featured Jesus in a Superman costume and the lyrics saying Jesus was mightier than Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and even Barney! It was real cute.

After a half hour lesson we were in charge of a crafts and games. The kids were supposed to come in on a rotational model but as soon as they finished the lesson, chaos followed. The kids had a great time making hand prints on the banner and then pouring water into bottles. We gave that game a twist by having our team members put the bottles on their heads. The kids love it and Randy, Jake, Roger and Mark Salomon got a bath.

We had a blast and the kids touched our hearts. As Mark Hopkins put it, I came down here to work but seeing the kids and interacting with them has made the trip really special

Cal

What we did on our Mexican Mission Trip

They told her to follow the yellow brick road. Dorothy waved good bye and set off on her amazing journey. Along the way she met some interesting people before her journey came to an end. They also learned a lot about themselves and came away with amazing and wonderful insights into the gifts that each of them possessed.

At 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 23 nine of us left the First Baptist Church parking lot for our adventure to Mexicali. Randy Sargent, Mark Hopkins, Carol Calkins, Mark Kane, Erica Corbett, Michelle Chaffee, Lisa Lapointe, Mark Salomon and I sped away in the church van and my Toyota. A light snow began to fall as we got to Route 2 and sped westward. A storm was in the forecast and we hoped to get out before the snow came in earnest. Like the twister that sent Dorothy on her amazing journey to Oz, we were in the middle of a storm as we set off on our mission to Mexico.

We stopped in Colchester and met up with Jake Shanks and Amanda Duntz. They jumped in ready to join us on or adventure. We arrived at the Roncari airport parking an loaded up in the shuttle that would run us over to the airport. We met Andy and Melanie Scheuermann and Roger and Doreen Mainville at the gate and we were off to see our own wizard, the wonderful missionary partners, Rick and Mercy Barnes.

We took our seats and were off to Chicago Midway for the first leg of our journey. When we arrived there we met up with Matt Salomon who was coming in from Baltimore to join us on our trip. The whole crew was finally together. We boarded the plane and continued the journey that would take us over the great plains, the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon and on to the Pacific Ocean. We didn’t meet up with any flying monkeys or wicked witches, but we were ready and flexible in case we did encounter anyone or anything that came along.

For the first time in three years we picked up our rental cars without incident. Three Toyota minivans were waiting for us and we were assured that the gas pedals passed muster and were safe to drive. We were off on our journey through the mountains and the desert of the California southern coast. After two and a half hours in the car, eight hours in planes and airports. At 3:35 p.m. we arrived in Calexico and had lunch/dinner at Carl Jr.s while we waited to meet Rick and Mercy. By 4:30 p.m. we were heading across the border to our home for the next seven days at the Nosostros Con Dios Seminary in Mexicali.

We had our orientation, put our things in our barracks and then headed over to El Buen Samaritano to meet with Ramon and Alma to go over what we would be doing and to deliver invitations to the kids in the neighborhood to join us at Vacation Bible School this week. Ramon and Alma were so pleased to see us. Ramon began talking about the number of projects he had planned. We were going to build the cinderblock walls around the bathrooms and then put a roof over them. He also planned to finish mudding and sanding the walls upstairs in the church. They hadn’ done very much with the upstairs addition since we left last year. If everything went well he wanted us to paint the walls too.

I found it very interesting that even though Ramon couldn’t speak any English, most of thre crew could understand what he was saying through a few key words and hand gestures. Construction seems to have a universal language of its own.

It was dark by the time Alma divided us up in teams to go around the neighborhood with fliers. We went in teams of three or four with a host from the church. I am not sure how it worked in other groups, but we went with Alma. She began by knocking on a few doors and then she encouraged us to go to the doors. Mark Hopkins, Andy Scheuermann and I were tentative at first but we went. Then Alma would jump in and explain. By the time we finished we were even saying a few words like “hello “and “good buy.” I even was able to say this is an invitation to Bible school at the church.

We finished up and then went back to the seminary and most of the group settled in for the night. A few hearty souls decided to brave the night and head out to Walmart for our first visit of the outing. We picked up a few supplies and had a good time.

A few others played cards in the dining room and were glad to be able to relax for a few minutes. By 9:00 p.m. we were all in be after a long first day.

Cadillac delivery

I stopped at the red light and a Cadillac pulled up next to me. There's nothing special about that. But when it pulled away I noticed the Dominos sign on the roof and I had to laugh. How many people expect to have their pizza served in a Cadillac. Now that's service.

It made me think about what God did at Calvary. He didn't send a prophet. He didn't send a priest. He came himself. It's like he came to deliver our salvation in a Cadillac. He gave us his very best.

That's cool.

Cal

Embrace the call

Imagine that you had to decide today what you were going to do about something that might change the direction of your life. What would you do? Would you hesitate and put off the decision a day or two? Would you embrace it and enjoy the adventure? Would you turn it down right away and keep going the way you are going?

The answer will be different for everyone. You may have to consider the opinion of a significant other. You may have been burned in the past and are afraid it will happen again. You may be comfortable with your life as it is.

When Jesus confronted Andrew and Simon and asked them to follow him, they accepted the call without hesitation. When Jesus met Matthew at his tax station, he left it and followed Jesus that day. James and john left their nets to follow him.

Now I know it may have been different for them because they were able to look into his eyes. But that call comes to us today through people who know and love Jesus. Then they come to us and invite us to follow him.

That call came for me when I was a boy. I'm one of the lucky ones because I've had the joy of following him my whole life. His call morphed into a call to be a pastor. I used to think that meant to serve a church and minister to a small group of people who belonged there. Over the years that has changed. As I have grown in my faith and understanding of this call to follow Christ, I now understand my call to ministry as a call to serve anyone God directs to me. Believe me, God sends a lot of people my way.

The same thing is true for you. God invites us to not only follow him, but also to reach out to others with the good news. He calls us to share our lives and our stories with the people God sends across our paths. It has always been that way. We sit at his feet for a bit and then we go out to share his grace.

Meeting Jesus changes our lives. Let me tell you from personal experience that it is a good thing. So don't hesitate if he comes knocking on your door. Embrace the opportunity and go with it.

Cal

If I knew

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time
That I'd see you fall asleep,
I would tuck you in more tightly
and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.

If I knew it would be the last time
that I see you walk out the door,
I would give you a hug and kiss
and call you back for one more.

If I knew it would be the last time
I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise,
I would video tape each action and word,
so I could play them back day after day.

If I knew it would be the last time,
I could spare an extra minute
to stop and say "I love you,"
instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.

If I knew it would be the last time
I would be there to share your day,
Well I'm sure you'll have so many more,
so I can let just this one slip away.

For surely there's always tomorrow
to make up for an oversight,
and we always get a second chance
to make everything just right.

There will always be another day
to say "I love you,"
And certainly there's another chance
to say our "Anything I can do?"

But just in case I might be wrong,
and today is all I get,
I'd like to say how much I love you
and I hope we never forget.

Tomorrow is not promised to anyone,
young or old alike,
And today may be the last chance
you get to hold your loved one tight.

So if you're waiting for tomorrow,
why not do it today?
For if tomorrow never comes,
you'll surely regret the day,

That you didn't take that extra time
for a smile, a hug, or a kiss
and you were too busy to grant someone,
what turned out to be their one last wish.

So hold your loved ones close today,
and whisper in their ear,
Tell them how much you love them
and that you'll always hold them dear

Take time to say "I'm sorry,"
"Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay."
And if tomorrow never comes,
you'll have no regrets about today.