Please read

The blog that follows was written by one of my friends here at the base and offers an amazing glimpse into what goes on here and the situation with the local police force. She had the opportunity to build a house with a group of local officers. Please read it... it's good stuff! thanks Amy! B.T.W.... she's from Kansas if there was any confusion :)

Kansas, Policemen, and Several Cups of Coffee

"We are human beings, too. . ."
As I take off the stainless steel lid of a pan of bacon, I observe the group of off-duty cops talking and ribbing each other through the steam. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to handle this building group. They are different from the average family church group. These are officers in the Tijuana police department, immediately associating them with words like toughness, extortion, or corruption in the mind of an average Mexican. I haven't decided what I think about them yet. Fresh in my mind are images of the fully suited out cops with their helmets and automatic weapons standing at the corner directing traffic, the reports I've read on the internet, the comments I've heard, but today in their shorts, T-shirts, and jokes, they don't seem as intimidating. . . maybe. My understanding broadens as the only female, one of bosses, addresses the group before we leave: "Today we are not only cops. We are human beings too. . ."
You can't miss our caravan as we weave through high ways, washboard alleys, and hair raising traffic. A beat up tool van, several shiny squad cars, and a green jeep bringing up the rear are not the most common sight out in the colonias (poor neighborhoods). Between hanging on for dear life as my friend, Hagen, drives and snaps photos at the same time and taking in the ramshackle cardboard homes clinging to the sides of the steep hills that TJ is flung over, I run through the Spanish building vocabulary I've learned. Clavo- nail, techo- roof, madera- wood. All of a sudden, Hagen begins to pray. Impact the hearts of the policemen as they give and the community as they receive. Protect the team, from accidents and those who don't appreciate policemen in the area. Break down barriers between the law and the people. I join him quietly. Once we get to the build site, I get a chance to hear the story of the mother we're building for, and it gives me chills. Her husband was in training to be a police officer a year ago when he died, leaving her with two children to raise on her own. She gets up at six every day to make breakfast for her kids, and works to keep them alive. She and her husband had bought this lot before he died, and she's just moved here about 2 weeks ago. They have no running water or electricity yet, but that's one of her goals. It's no coincidence that these men and woman are building for the widow of a comrade. I also think it's no coincidence that one of the most committed intercessors at the base got put as our photographer.
Over the next several days as I joke with the guys on the paint crew, see the stories in their eyes, watch a few local officers buy soda for those who are building, or notice their Christian captain grab a paintbrush without being asked and begin slapping blue paint on a few offending nails, I conclude a couple things: that people are people- there are good apples and bad apples in every barrel, no matter what society's stereotype is. I don't know what these men do in the dark or under pressure, but I've seen their captain pick up paintbrush faster than a lot of pastors. I felt like a curious object to some and respected by others. That all are affected by the job they do, whether they handle it by joking and partying, by being capable but cold, or by soberly serving. And that the potential that watching a TJ police officer hand a mother the keys to new hope has to obliterate an iron dividing wall- in his heart, in her heart, and in the hearts of the community that watches- is worth a crazy German driver, getting asked out by a creepy teenager, and Spanish tangling my tongue. In fact, it's worth a lot more.
Please pray for the cops in Tijuana- that's a direct request from a captain who's seen a lot of men die this last year. Pray for good men in the police force to be brave in their ability to influence others. Pray for their protection. For their families, who not only worry for their loved ones but often in danger themselves.

Everyday Blessings

8:30. A time normally reserved for a large office desk, the smell of coffee, and morning pastries, people talking in hushed tones, waiting for their boss to start the "morning meeting."
So there we we're, gathered in a circle, with an acoustic guitar, singing out to the God that we love. Our boss leading us in prayer and worship, interceding on behalf of the city of Tijuana, and spending time in the presence of God. As I stood there, singing and praying, looking around at our staff, I was in awe. I starting realizing how blessed I am, how fortunate I am, and how grateful I am to have the life and the job that God has given me. As I began to thank God for all that he has blessed me with, I began to hear the voices of people praying in German, Spanish, and in English. The sound moved me, it touched me, something stirred deep within me. Three languages in the same place all praying, all worshiping the same God. A Mexican and a German reading the same sheet of music so they could sing in the same language, a girl on her knees in a moment with God, and hands raised in praise... This is our morning meeting.
Yes I work at a desk most days. Yes I file papers, I send emails, I enter numbers into accounts, but the work is for Christ. It is work that is serving to further his kingdom and help people in need. Where else can your morning start out like this at work? Where else can I have an hour with God before I start my desk job? I thank God that I get to be a part of this. I am grateful that I have a normal job, but a job that is ABnormal in so many ways. I am also thankful that you all can be a part of this experience. Being with me in prayer and spirit, in encouragement and support, in love. Thank everyone for enabling me to do this work. I pray that God would richly bless your lives as he has blessed mine, and that you would be open to receive what he has for your life. I pray for your continued support, and for God to be evident in your life.
Your friend in Christ,
Nolan C.

How I ended up in YWAM

It started with a desperate call out to God after some trying times. I was in a very lonely and depressed place after a four year relationship had just ended. I was laying face-down on the floor in my room, crying, and I did something I hadn't done in a long time...I prayed. I prayed for God to take my pain away. I prayed that he would heal me, that he would change my life... and guess what? He did! In a HUGE way.
The next day a friend that I hadn't talk to in about a year, called me out of the blue. I told her about the problems I had been having. She asked "can I pray for you," and I agreed. After she prayed for me, something told me to ask her about the "D.T.S." thing that she had done with that "YWAM" place she had gone for a while. I liked what she was saying, so I decided to check it out for myself. After I looked into a couple of places I landed on the San Diego Baja website. I got accepted into the school about three weeks before it started. I needed about 3100 dollars in less than three weeks. This would be my first of many times that I would see God provide in incredible ways. It was if God had been just sitting there, waiting. Waiting for me to call on him so he could carry out his "plan," as if he had everything in place, all the pieces lined up, just waiting to be set into motion.
I had no idea what to do about money, so I asked what any reasonably intelligent person would do...I asked God and my mom. They helped me put together a yard sale with donations from our church and family friends. I know I know a yard sale. Kinda cliche but what else could I do. I prayed that God would bless the yard sale and help me raise the money I needed. I figured that if I came up with the money that that meant I was supposed to go. We planned on starting the yard sale around 7 but at about 6:30 people started showing up. By 7 we had made over $100. At the end of the day the yard sale had made $1100 dollars. I also received matching funds from a Lutheran financial company. $2200 in one day... not too shabby! In the next couple of days I received $900 dollars in the mail from friends and family...exactly 3100 in less than a week. I guess I was supposed to go. So two weeks later I left for what would be my new life with God.

Lecture Phase- D.T.S.

Wow! Where do I even start? D.T.S. was definitely a life changing experience! Six months ago I would never have pictured myself living in Mexico, working as a missionary, and trusting God to provide for my daily needs but here I am, working with YWAM in Tijuana building houses for people in need.

D.T.S. was five months long, three of which were called "lecture phase". There were 19 students that made up our school; 3 Americans, 1 Canadian, and 15 Mexicans. We also had two married couples, one of which had a child named Fabiola...the cutest little Mexican girl i've ever seen! Our school was diverse, and we all grew closer to eachother, learned about our different cultures, and how learned how to comunicate with eachother. In my case it was a little challenging. I knew no Spanish before coming here and my roomates (five mexicans) spoke no English, so communication was difficult at times, but amusing... somewhat like charades :) Definitely something I will not forget.

The lecture phase consisted of 12 weeks each week being a different topic. some of the topics we had were; the father heart of God, biblical world view, evangelism, spiritual warfare, identity in Christ, and hearing the voice of God. We also spent time learning intesessory prayer, a personal relationship with Christ, and doing local ministry.
One of the opportunities we had was a with several local churches doing an event called "Operation Light." This took place during Halloween in which we helped provide an alternative to trick or treating for kids, were we could spread the message of Christ. We performed songs, puppet shows, and dramas, and of course a healthy amount of candy :)
I also had a chance to organize a prayer day in which we went into downtown TJ to the redlight district. We broke up into groups and went into the streets to intercede on behalf of city of Tijuana and for the people of the streets. From this time of intercession, a weekly ministry has sprung up in the same area that we prayed, in which people from our base hand out sweet bread and hot chocolate and pray with prostitutes and homeless people.
As a school we also had a chance to build a house with one our ministries called Homes of Hope (which I now work for). The build was amazing! We were able to physically provide a house for a family that barely had shelter. It was an incredible blessing to be able to provide for someone in that way. The build took two days. When we arrived the first day the foundation and the materials were there waiting for us. We spent some time getting to know the family we were building for, we prayed to start the day, then it was off to the race (or a los caballos) as Abraham, one of our students frequently said. We did all the framing, trusses, and some of the drywall. The second day we finished the roof, exterior and interior painting, drywall, electrical, and trim. At the end of the second day we had a small dedication ceremony for the family in which we shared our experience with them, prayed for them and over the house, then handed over the keys. The joy and grattitude that I saw that day was something that will stick with me for the rest of my life. There's just something about seeing a grown man cry out of grattitude. God is truley great! It's amazing to watch a situation that God has put together, and the love that all involved feel as a result.
It's extremely hard to put into words the personal transformation that takes place in a setting such as this, but I know I can speak for all of us when I say that our lives are forever changed. Even if it's a memory or ends up as a remnant of God's glory none of us will forget this five months that we got to share.
I just want to thank all of you who have/are supporting me through prayer and finance. Thank you for help providing me an experience like this for me, and helping God do his will for my life.