En Vivo has officially started its spring semester, and we could not be more excited about what lies ahead. The team spent the majority of January planning for the semester, and we think it’s going to be a good one. Our devotional lunch is starting with a series on conflict: Fighting Fair and Forgiveness are 2 of the topics. We will also be talking about finances and social issues during the semester, and ending with a series called, “Mama Always Said…”, during which we will talk about all the wisdom you have learned from Mom.
Salamanca also hosted the first ever Euroscope Team Leader Summit (as Jesse liked to call it) 2 weeks ago. Rick Harper and Perry Rubin came over from the States to meet with the TL’s and share some wisdom with them. It was a busy week of hosting for us, but it’s always great to spend time with and be encouraged by other Globalscopers.
Our other main focus over the last few weeks has been keeping the campus house dry. Every spring, En Vivo has experienced flooding from overflowing street drains. This year was the worst yet, with several of the walls become soaked and the water bursting through, causing holes. We spent a straight 24 hours mopping to keep the damage under control. The flooding finally stopped after about 48 hours, and now we are meeting with our landlord, trying to get the problem fixed once and for all. Pray that things would go smoothly and be fixed quickly. Hasta luego!
Juarez, Mexico… going back again!! Our students got so much out of last year’s spring break trip that they are already planning for this year’s trip. We will be taking students to work with Casas por Cristo where they will build a home for a very needy and deserving family. This partnership gives our students the opportunity to serve and help people in THEIR country. There is already a lot of excitement about trip, however, there is also a lot of money that has to be raised in order to make this happen. Our students know and understand this and THEY planned and implemented their first fundraiser… it was great!
Last Saturday, a holiday in Mexico I might add, 3 of our student leaders decided to host a Rally which ended up being a group scavenger hunt. Each group had a car and was given 2 hours to complete all the items on the list. (and of course each car had to pay to enter the Rally with the first place team winning the grand prize… that’s right, Money!) The day was filled with costumes, lots of pictures, hanging out with horses, driving all over town, decorating
cars, getting stuck in traffic, random questions and great bonding.
I did participate in the event which was an absolute blast. All of our student really got into it and there was a lot of fellowship and friendships that developed in the course of the 2 hours everyone spent together in a car. Oh, did I mention there was free food afterwards… that’s always a great way to get college students interested in something.
We don’t know who is going to Juarez yet, but because 3 students are passionate about it there is already several hundred dollars waiting for them. I can’t wait to see what else God lays on these students hearts, to see their creativity come to life, and to experience them taking ownership of such an amazing trip!!
My name is Raef Chenery. For the last year I have been working at The Grapevine with Globalscope Thailand as their intern. My internship is nearly over and I was asked to share a few departing words about my time here. The following are some of my most memorable experiences in Thailand.
This is a picture taken at The Grapevine one night when we had four of our Thai students participate in a skit version of The Dating Game. It was a very funny night. One of the reasons I love this picture is because the three guys participating in this event are three of my closest friends here in Thailand: Milk, Bank, and Anas. I have spent a lot of time with each of them, and it is going to be very difficult to leave such good friendships behind. The Lord has done a lot in each of their lives.
This picture was taken last Christmas. I love this picture, just because it is a fun picture. I think we were at the airport dropping exchange students off to go home. That was my first Christmas away from home, and I was nervous that it was going to be very difficult. But the staff at Grapevine made me feel like Bangkok was my home, and the Thai students, being concerned for me, gave me extra attention during the holiday season. The holidays ended up being a time of great strength for many of my relationships here in Thailand, and I was grateful for every moment that I spent.
This picture was taken during a Thai holiday called SonKrong (That’s the best I can spell it with English letters). If you step outside, you risk being drenched in water and covered in a weird clay by anyone and everyone on the street. It was so much fun being part of the celebration. Unfortunately my wallet and keys got stolen. All the students came together though and helped me. In the end, a police officer had caught the thief and managed to return my stuff to me. If you don’t know about Bangkok, it is extremely unlikely that I would ever see my wallet again. The day was a blast though and another great opportunity to spend with students. Watching them come together to help me find my wallet was a blessing.
There’s much more I could say about a year with Grapevine, but I will close by just thanking God for every opportunity I have had to be a part of the ministry and the work God is doing through Grapevine in Thailand.
About a week ago we went on our fall retreat to a wonderful resort called “Oaxtepec”. This place had at least 5 different pools and oh yes there were diving boards. And not just your normal diving boards: they had spring boards from different heights and a 5 meter and 10 meter platform… talk about a day of fun (and of course lots of people were sore the following days, a few with some nice bruises. Who knew water could hurt that much)!!
So of course you always want a lot of people to come on retreats but there is something to be said about having a small number. We only ended up with 35 people going, but it was truly amazing. The community the entire weekend was unreal. These students created true friendships, there were great questions asked, and lots of good discussions. We even had 6 students come with us who had only come to the Casa Verde the week of the retreat AND they all came back the following week for all our events. They are now regulars and everyone knows who they are.
One student, Raul, told one of our staff members right after the retreat that he doesn’t really know what he believes, but that’s why he wants to come to the Casa Verde. He is searching for the truth and wants to learn and hear about Jesus. His roommate, who is a Christian, says that in the last 2 weeks he has seen a huge difference in Raul. Raul now wants to read his bible and is starting to change his attitude and behavior. God is truly working in Raul’s life right now and it is such a joy to watch and be apart of.
And of course our retreat speaker was fantastic and it was fun to watch our students fall in love with Phil and Merran Tatum. El Pozo was blessed to have Phil and Merran hang out with us for a week before the retreat. This was great for our students because they were able to build friendships early in the week which enabled them to really opened up to these guys and develop respect for them. When we returned from the retreat on Sunday, a few of us were going out to eat and one of the guys on the retreat drove past on the street and yelled out Phil’s name out of all of us. Phil, the guy who was only here for one week made a huge impact on the students of El Pozo.
God is doing some pretty amazing stuff right now at El Pozo. Please continue to pray for the ministry and all our ‘new’ students. Pray that we will be able to build relationships with them and share God’s love in a way that makes these guys realize how powerful, mighty, and loving God truly is.
Much Love,
Karen
“Going Green”.
One of our closest students, Bank, is very serious about the environment. So serious that he single handedly organized a tree planting event on the campus of Thammasat University. Bank eagerly invited The Grapevine to get involved, so we eagerly did. Bank informed us that he had successfully acquired 888 trees to be planted. We were a bit alarmed at that number, but being the go getting, “do it yourself” Americans that we are, we prepared to spend the whole day digging in the dirt. Of course, most Thai people are not as silly as us Americans and would never burden their good friends with the task of planting 888 trees in one day. When we showed up, the grounds crew had already planted all of the trees, our role was to just scrape mulch over the newly planted roots and pose for pictures. Bank had gotten some help in organizing the event and, in spite of the rain that day, it turned into quite a party complete with refreshments, prizes, and about 100 working class Thais. We were the only ones who came prepared to dig holes and plant trees and, as a result, got some interesting “smiles” from everyone else who were dressed for work that day.
This was one of the most exciting things to happen this semester, thanks to our friend Bank. It was also a great culture learning experience for us Americans who usually go into situations thinking, well, just like Americans. We are often taken back, even those of us who have been here for a while, at just how different things really are here. Hanging out with modern, westernized young people sometimes tempts us to forget that we are in a different world. Thank God for Bank, who gave us an opportunity to be reminded that we are guests here and that most people think, and act, very differently than us.
When it comes to our purpose here, it is a challenge to continually work to get our own culture out of the way of the Gospel so that Thais can see more of Jesus and less of our culture. We pray that the Holy Sprit is constantly “translating” our lives into ones that clearly reflect God’s character, even if we look as silly as we did that day. God bless Bank.
-Andy
As I walked in the door at the casa verde my heart was filled with joy to see 2 students hanging out playing x-box, 1 getting help with english homework, 3 helping cook for dinner later in the night, and all the staff running frantically around trying to get ready for En Vivo (bible study). It’s a an amazing thing to see the house filled with activity again and God’s will being done. Summertime in Puebla is great: everything is more low key and there is a lot of good fellowship with the few students who are in town. But there is just something about the start of a new semester and lots of students back filling the campus house.
Our semester began not quite as planned, but God was in the midst of all it. Our planning time was absolutely crazy with several unplanned trips to the states by staff members for various reasons and Frizz, our member from Chile, getting delayed on returning. But we had a great team retreat to begin the semester and have been super busy ever. We have 2 new interns and 1 exchange student ready to pour themselves into El Pozo.
Our first two weeks of the semester have been filled with parties, bible studies, devotional lunches, leadership night, several trips to the movies, soccer games, and lots of great fellowship. I am continually amazed with the amount of new people who continue to get involved at the Casa Verde. It brings a smile to my face to see all the old and new faces take over the casa verde every Tuesday night and Thursday and see friendships develop.
I can’t wait to see what God has in store for El Pozo this semester and to see how the hearts of students are changed.
Thanks for all your prayers and support. Please continue to pray for us and the ministry God has called us to.
Much Love,
Karen
SUMMERSCOPE
Let me start with what SummerScope is: Every year we pick one week during the summer and invite everyone we know (churches, individuals, youth groups, etc…) to come down to help out at El Pozo and in the community for a week. It’s a great time for lots of work to be done and for others to gain a better understanding of what we do down here in Puebla, Mexico.
Last week we hosted 22 people from 4 different churches and it was INCREDIBLE.
It was incredible to watch the 11 youth and 11 adults work on projects together.
It was incredible to see all the different people from different backgrounds and churches build friendships with one another.
It was incredible to watch our Mexican students work side by side with ‘the gringos’ and to give up their entire week to help improve their ministry.
It was incredible to see the love and thankfulness pour out of one of our students after we installed a much needed bathroom door on their house.
It was incredible to watch 28 people get on an already overcrowded bus and truly experience public transportation.
It was incredible to look at the end result of the week and see the sense of accomplishment in everyone’s eyes.
It was incredible to watch the rain pour down and see our brand new drainage system actual work. (no puddles were formed in the walkway or yard… hurray)
It was incredible to baptized 2 of our Mexican students at the end of week and for everyone down here to experience and participate in such a joyous occasion with us.
It was incredible to see lives changed by people giving up one week of their summer to help others.
It was incredible to see a 65 year old woman shoveling gravel all week.
It was incredible to hear everyone at the end of the week singing a praise song in Spanish that they knew by heart.
It was incredible to see the tears of joy for what had been accomplished and the tears of sadness of having to leave what became so comfortable.
It was incredible see the joy that came at reaching the top of the pyramid and the various reactions to eating the traditional grasshoppers at the top.
It was incredible to see the reactions from people experiencing their first cathedral.
It was incredible to watch our summer interns (who are only here for a month) work so hard.
It was incredible to see God work in and through everyone who participated in SummerScope… it was a truly INCREDIBLE experience for all involved.
So I know that it has been a while since GS Puebla has updated everyone, but here is the scoop on what’s been going the past 2 months…
END OF THE YEAR
We finished another great semester with our annual End of the Year Banquet. It was night full of great food, remembrance, laughter, superlatives, a visit by spandex man and good-byes!
We had 10 students graduate moving on to bigger adventures.
We said good-bye and thank you to our amazing intern Harold who gave so much of his time and heart to the ministry of El Pozo.
We also said good-bye to our dear teammate Sarah who is going back to school to finish her seminary degree.
And we temporarily said good-bye to our team leaders Nathan and Erin McDade who are now officially on furlough until December!
It was so wonderful to see all these students gather together in fellowship. It’s amazing to see God’s love pour through them as they interact, support, comfort, laugh, and cry with one another.
MONTH OF MAY
Celebration :
Our semester ended a bit earlier than usual because all the staff headed back to the US (except the Stryker’s who were very pregnant) for the annual GloabalScope Celebration in Tybee Island, Georgia. Celebration is a week where all the GS ministries come together for a week to share, brainstorm, and relax. This was my first Celebration and it was a truly amazing time. I am still astonished everyday how similar ALL college students are no matter where you live. They truly are struggling and dealing with the same stuff. I also got to meet and hang out with lots of really cool people who I have heard about for years! I was able to learn so much through this one week spent at the beach in Georgia.
Golf Tournament:
This year we had our annual El Pozo Golf Tournament at the end of May and it was one of the biggest we have ever had. We even had one team dress in costume/uniform this year. Our tournament is growing more and more each year and I think is becoming more fun. It is even great for those who may not be the greatest golfers because yes there is a prize for last place. And you better bring some strong competition for this prize because Heath and I pretty much have it sealed up each year. Heath has won this prize for the last 3 years!! All in all it was a great day of golf, food, fellowship, and praise for God and His amazing love and provision.
SUMER HAS BEGUN…
This year we decided that since we are now 3 years old and have a solid presence on the campus of UDLA that we would actually have events. So every Tuesday we have dinner and a time of fun just hanging out. We’ve done things from going to a movie to playing Rock Band to having a ping pong tournament. We even have a few small groups going on this summer. I’ve only been back in Mexico for 3 weeks, but it’s cool to see the campus house filled with people each Tuesday when the town is essentially empty.
Stayed tune for more happenings of the summer…
Thanks for all your support and prayers.
Much Love,
Karen
Casas por Cristo: Juarez, Mexico
So I’ve been on Juarez trips lots of times before, having experienced four with Georgia Tech CCF, one with Southwest Christian Church, and then an entire summer of Casas when I interned there in 2006 (I’m returning this summer and for the future to work there as well). But to lead a trip from El Pozo…that’s never been done before…across Mexico…this was going to be an adventure.
We left Sat. March 15th, the first day of Spring Break here, and return Easter Sunday, the 23rd. After taking off in our 11 passenger van that treated us very nicely, we made it up to Juarez from Puebla in two days, stopping in Torreon along the way. Once in Juarez, we met up that Monday with our friends from GTCCF in Atlanta and built two houses for a couple of families that really needed them. I led the construction of one of the two, and Michael West, a Georgia Southern alum and former El Pozo and Casas intern, led the other. By Wednesday, two more houses stood in Juarez (along with 27 more, actually, a Casas single-week record), and the students at El Pozo had gotten a taste of humbling yourself for others, getting multiple days of good hard work, and roughing it for a bit by sleeping on the hard floor in a church in inner city Juarez and eating foreign food, including the first peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for some of them, if you’d believe it!
On the way back from Juarez, we stopped by the beautiful city of Chihuahua for two days, the magnificent Copper Canyons in the SW corner of Chihuahua state, and the gorgeous city of San Luis Potosi. Some amazing stories came out of the trip, students talking about how this changed their perspective of how the view “necessities” in life, how others live – even in their own country – and even one person, Malena, decided to apply to intern at Casas this summer! THANK YOU SO MUCH to those of you who helped to support the trip; the students already can’t wait to go on next year’s trip…and that’s exactly what we needed, was to get a group of students at El Pozo motivated about it to make it a yearly tradition.
Make sure to check out the video from the trip (in Spanish) online at YouTube! Here’s the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLg4o8ruf1U. Harold
Let me tell you what I love about retreats, especially beach retreats to Veracruz.
I love that we crammed 55 people onto a bus to travel 5 hours together. It is such a great time of bonding and fellowship.
I love that the weather was perfect and we stayed literally right on the beach.
I love that the speakers shared personal stories that our students could relate to and learn from.
I love that college students are crazy and stay up all night long playing games, hanging out, and talking.
I love that we were able to play a game of flamingo football where the girls scored two goals for the boys resulting in the boys winning 4-2.
I love that the sand castle contest theme was inspired by Jack Stryker!
I love that there was a song competition between the girls and guys at the campfire Saturday night. It was so much fun to watch songs being sung between the two groups both in English and Spanish and the competition that arose from it. (the girls did win this!!)
I love that the first student ever baptized at El Pozo was able to baptize another student in the ocean at night… what a joyous occasion.
I love that we didn’t have to cook our own food; thank you hotel!
I love that if you walked too close to the pool you would definitely get pushed in!
I love that students who barely knew El Pozo have now found a home and friends.
I love that one student that came with us had no idea what would be going on at the retreat and at first really wasn’t that into it. But when given the option he choose to stay with us, make friends, and see what he could learn. (and has come to weekly activities at the campus house)
I love that a student, who is Jewish, now wants to read the bible with one of our exchange students.
I love that we stopped at Costco to eat with 55 people on the way back home. Talk about fun chaos!
I love retreats: the bonding, the fellowship, the way God works in lives of the students, and what they learn about themselves, others, and God. Retreats are great!
