Going Deep

This past week we were privileged to have a small medical group from Kansas serve with us. For those of you that don't know, we partner with a children's home here in Mazatlan that cares for kids with physical and mental disabilities. Over the last month we have come to know that the kid at Rancho de Los Ninos go to a therapy center everyday called Padres y Compadres to exercise and receive one on one time with a physical therapist. This past week we started to bring the group out to help with the kids. The center is amazing, but only has one therapist. But they do things like equi therepy (horses), senses therapy, water therapy, and mental therapy. They have this room called the senses room, where there are lights and smells, and sounds and things the kids can touch. It's all focused on teaching them to see and smell things, and hear and feel things. I have learned so much just in the last 5 days, and I have enjoyed not just spending time with the Rancho Kids, but the other kids at Padres as well.
I met a little boy named Alberto this week, and Alberto is about 5 years old. He cant walk, nor can he talk. He also has some kind of muscle disorder where he can't chew food or eat with out help. But despite all his disabilities, God gave Alberto something greater. His smile. On Monday I walked into Padres for the first time, and saw Alberto sitting by himself against the wall. I plopped myself down next to him, and he turned and looked up at me with a smile that melted my heart away. Such an amazing kid with a huge heart, and how does he express God's love... through his smile!
Serving the kids both at Rancho and Padres is very different than the other homes we serve with. The kids physical needs are extremely different but more so the social and emotional needs go way deeper than we can imagine. When I sat down next to Alberto, I thought "oh we might laugh a little and play with some blocks, but when he looked at me and smiled, I just wanted to scoop him up and love him. As I am learning to adjust to living full time in Mexico, God is continuing to humble me through the kids we serve. He is teaching me that the relationships we build with these kids must go deep within our hearts or else we loose them. Because when we truly go deep within ourselves we find Jesus. How can we expect to go deep with out the core root of who we are. Jesus Christ. God breathed into us and gave us his spirit, but he also gave us his son that we may have life within him. So that we may live and share that life with others.

There is a boy at Rancho named Chuy, and Chuy is about 15 years old. He cant walk or really move any muscle in his body. He sits either in his wheelchair all day or lays on the floor. But as helpless as Chuy looks, he is smarter than any of the kids we serve. You can sit there and talk with him about science and math, or what kinds of Tacos he likes. Green salsa not red!! He will tell you stories about the other kids, and crack jokes with you. He is 100% relational, and he thrives off of those conversations and the time you spend with him.
Chuy loves so many things, but he feels so helpless, trapped in a body that doesn't move. Trapped in a society that doesn't care about him. I am pretty sure he could win like a Nobel prize or something. But whose going to give him a chance?...Jesus will. Why has God called us here? ....To live like Jesus did. But more importantly, to Love as Jesus did. As a ministry, we want to go deep with each child we serve. We want to build deep relationships with in, and we want to show them deep Love that we care about them. From the needs of Alberto to Chuy, to Lupitha, to Helberto. God has a plan for each and everyone of them.

Lastly, I cant tell you how grateful I have been this week to be able to walk, and to talk. To be able to feed myself, and go to the bathroom when I need to go. To be able to get out of bed each morning and to be able to feel, and hear and touch things. Thank you God for the wondrous things you do, even when we don't see them.

Las Vegas Mazatlan

Hey Everyone,
Sorry for not writing for a while. I just officially got Internet this week, so Ive been trying to get caught up. These last several weeks have been great and busy. We have a group coming tomorrow, and I have been working hard in my new role of site and project management.  We recently looked at a piece of property that we think would be perfect for the development of our ministry site. We found out today that the property is not available. But we are continuing to pray and ask God to provide for this need. To the left is a picture of our staff praying on the property. Our hope is to have the capital campaign ready to launch by September. Trusting in the Lord to guide the way.
We are getting ready for the summer. We have about 150 group members coming down to the nice hot weather here. We also have about 10 Interns coming as well. The guys will be staying with me, and I am looking forward to working with them and growing in fellowship. Hoping the house stays clean, but I was an intern guy a few times, and I know what the dorms looked like..... and smelled like.
Last weekend we went out to a squatters village here in Mazatlan with a local church. It was an amazing experience to work with the people there, and hear their story. We took the kids down to an open field and played some games with them. They ranged from 16 years to 2 years, so cute. We played Duck Duck Goose, or Pato Pato, Ganzo, and some other games that I'm not quite sure of the names. They call this community Las Vegas, but far from what we know, this village is very similar to a Rio community that we serve in Monterrey. Houses are made from garbage, platform skids, plastic. The floors are dirt and pirated wires run along the roads. Aside from the beautiful beaches of Mazatlan, there are places here that many folks along the golden district never see. There vision of Mexico is slightly skewed to the one that we travel into each day.
Here in Mazatlan we serve alongside 3 children's homes, called Casa Hogars. One of the homes is a special needs home called Rancho de los Ninos, where the kids have both mental and physical disabilities. We have been working with a local group called Padres e Compadres, which provides therapy for the kids. We have also been bringing groups to Padres' to work with the kids there, and provide relational development. I have been doing some research and design for a new therapy room on site at Rancho, to further the development of the kids.  Please pray that God would look after the kids and provide us with the resources and energy to build into them.
We also serve with a home called EdS, which is a Salvation Army home. The kids here range from 2- 16 years of age, and are the cutest. To the Left is Lupitha and I. Isn't she just adorable. Ive been working with the directors here to design a new study room for them. This will be a separate building on there property which will provide a space for the kids to do school work, and educational development.
God has been teaching me alot of things since Ive been here. It has been a crazy ride so far, but I am enjoying every bit of it. The greatest thing the Lord has been teaching me though is patience. When I am ready, I am ready. But he has been teaching me to slow down, and stay focused. I just love going to EdS and playing with the kids, or helping them with there homework. It is here I see the Lord teaching me the most, through the kids. Its also here where I learn more Spanish. The kids aren't afraid to call me out! The journey is continuing, and I am grateful that God is working through us to serve his children here.
Thank you for all the prayers and your continued support!
Many Blessings
Adam

Along for the Journey

I am currently sitting in a Mcdonalds parking lot stealing their internet haha. But felt a need to express a few things. The last few days have been a crazy up and down as ive had to travel to Monterrey Mexico and drive over the border to Mcallen texas. A few things took a turn with my visa and I needed to get out of the country for the process to be finalized. But in the midst of caos and travel it was Easter yesterday.
I went to a church here in Mcallen and at the beginning of the service I saw a cross on the alter with chicken wire on it. Confused as I was a lady walked by me and handed me some cut flowers. As the music started everyone began to make there way to the cross and insert there flowers in the wire. I followed and when I sat down i caught a glance at the cross and saw a beautiful glow of wild colors. It was so radiant and reminded me of just how awsome our God is. It is so increadable to know that God is above this world and this life. That he is above death but still loves us amidst our sins, that he would die for us.
Amoung all the speedbumps these lasts few days, I feel as though God is humbling me today to just surrender to him. My initial reaction is anger, but the peace of God is so tranquil that it reminds me that God is in control. When im frustrated wondering what is going on, God is beside me saying "I got this".
Today I went to to the Mexican Embassy here in Mcallen to process my paperwork. After an hour the lady told me that my Visa would be ready at 2pm. Well the story is still changing, and praying that all goes according to plan at 2. Hoping to be across the border in Monterrey by tonight. But right now just being humbled to trust the Lord with whatever happens. Please pray with me that all goes well but also that we all learn to humble our hearts to trust Jesus.

Dance Your Shoes Off Easter Sunday video!!