Ignite Missions Trip

Grand Canyon, Arizona...

God is Good!

A week or 2 ago... We took 15 junior high kids to a 13 hour drive to Kayenta, AZ to serve in a reservation. There we did VBS (Vacation Bible School) in the morning and did service projects in the afternoon. The kids definitely stepped up during vbs, and just loving on these Navajo kids. Ignite found me a daughter and a son. I was very attached to these two kids that my daughter wouldn't let go every time it's time for her to go home. And my son would just talk to me all the time about how he likes girls and he's only 4. He could totally be my son. We picked them up and dropped them off everyday. And some of them live in the middle of nowhere. About a mile or two driving in a dirt path just to head to their house. There's no freeway exits, it's just a random whole on the side of the rode that leads to a house or a "hovan" as they call it. These kids that we served too were amazing. They're so precious and so lucky to not be living in a city. They're happy with what they have. They don't need an xbox or an iphone to be happy. They just need their farm animals, their sticks and stone and their family members to play with. Our theme for the week was bible super heroes. We talked about Moses, David, Jonah, and Daniel. The kids did a really great job presenting to the Navajo kids; what its like to be a Christ follower and to be a loving and obedient individuals. It was just fun times!

Where's Harry? The first day of vbs, we tried to get to every home with kids to attend vbs. Then came this older kid named Harry. His dad dropped him off around 2pm and vbs ends at 1. I told him to come back the next day or I'll pick him up wherever he lived. So the next day comes along. I thought I was at the right house as I recognize his father and the truck that dropped him off at the church. Well every morning I go to Harry's house and this woman in the window, sleeping, would just give us that early morning look and would go back to bed. Then comes Harry's dad from the closed garage door just rolling up really fast and loud telling us that Harry's not home. Every morning, I'd come by and wake up that lady. Every morning I try to find Harry and tried to make sure that I'm not missing an opportunity to have this kid in vbs. I still miss Harry up to this date. I won't stop finding Harry from Black Mesa, Arizona.

The project works were a bit intense especially for junior high age from the beach cities. We had to clear out the outside and made the place look clean and sweet. I was basically contracting kids to do certain task. There were several projects added to what we're supposed to be doing. Not everything got taken care of, but majority of it was made fine. From the playground (big adventure), to the walk way/steps, to the secret garden, to the painting, and even electrical stuff, the kids were so good at working hard for God and maybe to be compensated with a little bit of Sonics. We don't really have Sonics around the South Bay, so we went to Sonics for dinner like twice that whole week. It was sad.. I was working a lot outside w/o a shirt and so I got super black. There was this one morning where we had to pick up rocks in the middle of the jungle. It was extreme off roding and that was rough, but fun.

We rescued a puppy, which we named "iggy". She looks like a half retriever, half shepherd. There's photos of her on facebook. She's pretty much a blessing to everyone. She reminds us of the reservation. Iggy is a legend. I love her, and I love those Navajo's

Overall, the trip will definitely remain in my memory forever. I am touched and just blessed to be able to serve and witness in that region. There will be definitely a lot more places to go, soon. It's all slowly coming into place. It's time for a few changes. Change is good. I'm ready to move on. I'm happy!

ps. I've been writing, just not publishing. I start something, and can never finish it. So it just doesn't flow. It does in my head, but not in here.

Half Way

Here's comes the second half of the year. There can't be any better way to start it off by going away to a place where God's creation is undeniably ecstatic. Heading to Lake Tahoe this week and I am excited! I'll be looking forward to good food, good hikes, good fire works, good company, good nature walks, good swimming, and good adventure. Going back to where it all started. Lake Tahoe is the place where my curiosity to open and read the word of God had all begun. Amazing!

Looking back at the first six months of 2010 there has been goals that's been met and there were disappointments and there were gladness. I've made a list beginning of the year, and so far I'm a little behind schedule. However, there's still plenty of time. This summer will be an exciting/interesting one. There are certainties and uncertainties in life and this next half of 2010 has a lot with the next 5 or 10 years of my life. It's not like every doesn't have to do with the future. This year will just be the basis of my mid to late 20's. There's no expectations, there's just pure vision and plans based upon results and observations. Oh so I love to be vague!

There are a few who knows what's up, and there are those few who tries and guess. There's also plenty of those who just makes assumptions. I dislike it; however, it's a human trait. We pray that God will lead us the way. That God will lead us to His cross. It's never easy what God is telling us. Even if it's already in front of us. Sometimes we just don't see things as good as our Father in heaven. That's why the focus should be on Him and not on ourselves nor to others. I give myself to my creator. I give my emotions, my frustrations, my feelings, my likes and dislikes to Jesus. He's just that big. He can take it all. I mean He died for everyone's sins. Everyone! And for me to be sitting here writing about this year and the blue print of my life, etc. I just build what He has written down.

I read and grasp His message everyday and make sure that I'm on tract. But how do I know that I am? For example, learning to play the guitar this summer is something that I wanted. Can it glorify Him. Yes... I was going to write down, eventually. However, looking at the time spent being productive and having the thought of perhaps playing music and worshiping God someday would be amazing. Also consider the fellowship that will be happening with my teachers and whoever I come across with. I see things very distinctively compared to a normal eye. My brain's just weird.

So I am happy to be away for some rest and recreation. Oh how I wish I can just leave anywhere on this earth and know that I can come back anytime I want as well. It seems like this world's so big, but it isn't really. I'm super tiny, and this earth's not even that big at all compared to whatever's out in the galaxy. I feel special because I have this thing that I would like to call LIFE. It's a gift meant to treasure. This guy's not going to waste it on a stupid tv show, video games, fast cars, facebook, etc. "Do not be drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" Ephesians 5:18.

Sure, things of this world could be used to fill us in the Spirit. It's a choice that people make. A decision that we make. The will to choose is what separates us from everyone else. I could see someone telling me that he/she loves God and be watching their favorite shows everyday. That's totally fine. Is it for me? Yes. I am in love with sports, music, and arts. Sometime my attention's very much into it and that I don't really know what God thinks about it. And that's where conviction comes along. Somehow, I wake up in the morning thinking all the time of how can I be a change to my house, my community, my world, and myself. I have a tangible to-do list and a mental to-achieve list. To make a difference, a positive one. To a very small thing like holding my temper, picking up a trash, letting someone in traffic, being kind hearted to a stranger, a spontaneous prayer in the bathroom. I just want to be a man of integrity.

There can't be enough advice other than what's in the bible. The second half of 2010 is going to be what it is going to be. There will be good, and there will be bad. The only difference maker is that my faith, character, and heart will not be taken away from me. I'm just stacking chapters into my life. Which is already amazing. Hopeful that there's more tomorrow!