Hey everybody!!! Wow, we were way down south!!! I didn't realize how far south we were going until we drove all the way down there and then back again. It was a great week. We were blessed to be a part of what God is doing in many hearts. We got down there last Monday at 4:30 AM and we were there until Sunday, the 16th at 3:30 PM. A lot, a lot happened in between. We were blessed to be God's instruments of praise and worship in leading nearly 40 amazingly fun Senior high youth in worship and also in being able to tag along and watch them in action at two different communities' churches as they put on a very festive and fun Vacation Bible School for young children. The people down in that part of the country are different from anywhere else. They opened their homes and their hearts to us. They fed us some of the most amazing food I have ever eaten like three times a day. I never knew you could do so much with a tortilla. I also never realized the difference between corn tortillas and flour tortillas and that homemade tortillas are so much better whether they are corn or flour. When it came time for us to leave, tears were shed, hugs and kisses were exchanged and I truly felt like I was leaving a piece of my heart in South Texas. It was truly incredible to see how even in a week like this, we were invited into families. It was also truly awesome to meet Joshua, Gilbert (aka Gib), and J. Those three guys will be packing there bags to come to Tabor College in a little over a month. I can't wait until they get here. We also met and developed relationships with so many others who want to come to Tabor in the future, like Randy, Kezia, Ali, Matt, Jon, and maybe more. Tabor would be so blessed to have them as students.

We also got to spend some time as a team relaxing and enjoying each other as friends at a beautiful little place called South Padre Island. We were able to go there on Saturday for a few hours in the afternoon and swim in the salty, salty, salty surf of the Gulf of Mexico and spend some time walking, jogging, or running along the beach. It was pretty grand. I think sometimes we get so caught up in touring and preparing and such that we forget sometimes that we are all friends outside of the group and we have to remove ourselves from that context sometimes to maintain our focus and to love on each other. In the context of the team, I can have difficulties and conflict with the members, but outside of that context, we can forget about those things and enjoy being together as friends.

We got back this morning (Monday) at 8 AM. We left at 3:30 PM yesterday and drove all the way back straight through the night. It was a long haul and we are all pretty exhausted, but we needed to get back before we just decided to take up permanent residency.

God blessed us so much through the people, the miles, and the ministry of so many. I almost felt like I didn't minister to others as much as they ministered to me. Weird. Crazy. Yet totally the way that God works and operates. How Great is Our God?!

Scripture to ponder: John 15:15-17 "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit - fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other."