I know not everyone is on the Getting Things Done bandwagon, but it really is hard for me to go an entire day without seeing a reference to GTD. I picked the book up about a week before I went to Mexico.  Everything in it so far has brought out the “that makes sense” comment, and even a few, “this is genius” comments.  I did one little exercise that it said to do where you take a big project that you have been thinking a lot about, and then you write down one sentence that summarizes what it will be like when it is finished.  Then you write down the very next action that you need to take on the project.  Then that’s it.  For now.  I actually stopped thinking about the project and focused on what I was working on instead.  It was genius.  I wasn’t any further along on the project, but I had put down on paper everything that got it out of my head.  I’m now in the thick of it, and I’ve got these stacks of everything I could ever want to get done on my desk, and I didn’t do what he said.  He said to make sure to have 2 days to go through it, and I was like, well, I’ve got 3 hours, so I can start now.  Big mistake.  I don’t know when I’m going to have time for those stacks.  It really is changing how I see managing what I do.  I need to get those stacks unstacked though.  But it’s too late.  I need sleep.  Hopefully I find some time soon.

During my springtime blog silence, I finished a few books that I need to synopsisize and reviewerize.  This was the 3rd Donald Miller book I’ve read, and I have to say that I can’t get enough of his style.  It is so honest and free.  It’s like he has this point that he is getting to, but you’re not sure if he really knows what it is because the points that build to it just meander along until all of a sudden, you’re like “this crap makes sense.”  Well, maybe not those words exactly, but that’s kind of how I think.  I know that there are some ‘good’ books out there that outline the why of life, but this one really kicks you in the teeth.  It’s so subtle in how it guides you, and in how it builds.  There are two points near the end that I really loved what Don was saying.

In my opinion, if you hate somebody because they are different from you, you’d best get on your knees and repent until you can say you love them, until you have gotten your soul right with Christ.

I can’t say this clearly enough: If we are preaching morality without Christ, and using war rhetoric to communicate a battle mentality, we are fighting on Satan’s side.  This battle we are in is a battle against the principalities of darkness, not against people who are different from us.  In war you shoot the enemy, not the hostage.

And also:

It is true that people need Jesus, not religion.  And yet at times I am concerned our most passionate missionary endeavors are more concerned with redeeming our identity as Christians within the lifeboat than with presenting Jesus to a world looking for a God.

I fully recommend it to people in all walks of life.  The way Donald writes just poses questions and ideas in a way that gets you to think about everything you know and things you’ve never thought of before.

On a side note, a good friend of mine, John Niemeyer, was helping set up a school in Uganda and while he was there, he hung out with Don for a couple days.  I asked John if Don was as cool in person, and he said that he totally is.  I’m just a little bit jealous.

One group went to the church in the morning to try to get a head start on the shower.  At ten, the other group went to the church and we met up with Carlos, and all of us headed over to the Oaxaocan migrant camp.  I’m not sure if any of us were fully prepared for it, and I for one was pretty nervous, but we went anyway.  When we got there, we played soccer with some of the kids, and another group played pato pato ganzon (duck duck goose) with some of the other kids.  After playing with them for a while, we gave them some sandwiches that we had made and some punch.  Some of the kids sniffed the bread before they ate it.  Some of them dunked their sandwiches in their punch.  In all, I could tell they were happy and grateful.  We also brought some oranges that we gave to each of the mothers that were there.

I can’t begin to tell you about the way these people are forced to live.  It’s a version of share cropping/modern day slavery.  Their language is one of 150 dialects in Baja that don’t have a written language.  I don’t know if some of these kids have ever had baths.  I don’t think that we can process what was going on quite yet, but we will show you some pictures.  The church here has amazing vision for what they can do to help these people and lead them to Jesus.  There culture is thick with paganism including witch doctors as their sole source of medical care.  It was only an hour that we were able to be there, but I don’t think that any of us are the same after that short hour.

We debriefed a little bit from the trip to the camp and began to ask the question “What now?”, but there was no concise way to end that conversation.  One of the really good thoughts that came out during this time actually developed from Joanna’s trip to Africa: Justice cannot begin to really happen without compassion, and compassion is ’suffering with.’  It is a feeling and a reason why we act rather than an action.  The Holy Spirit uses it to partner us with others.  It compels us.  I’m sure the conversation will continue for the next couple of days

In the afternoon we were invited to a bar-b-q to celebrate the church’s 2 year anniversary.  It was an interesting dynamic going from the one to the other, but there really isn’t any easy way to transition that.
We played with some of the children there as well as with each other.  There was also some bocchi ball going on.

In the afternoon some of us stayed to try to finish the shower and the rest went to La Bufadora (The Blowhole).  The group at the church got really close to finishing, but there was this water problem that required a fire line with 2 buckets for about an hour.  We finished most everything, and we are going to put the finishing touches on tomorrow.  We finished the night with some delicious tostadas and a bon fire on the beach.  Smores were enjoyed, and we tried to unwind with one last night at the beach.  We’ll be heading back tomorrow after church.

We split up and some of us went to the church and some of us went to La Casa de Esperanza.  The group at the church just about finished the painting, but most of the day was spent trying to set up some walls for the shower.  The single most frustrating thing about this trip has been hardware.  When we go, we can’t talk to anyone about sizes, and they are out of at least half of the things we could possibly use.  It is at least 20 minutes in to town and then it is a shot in the dark as to whether or not they will have what we need.  So we have been trying to make it work, but it hasn’t been.  We also got most of the pipes in to connect up the hot water heater.  In the afternoon, one group went to town to get diapers and formula for La Casa.  In the morning while we were there, there was a toddler that had peed his diaper, but they wouldn’t change it until he pooped because they were so low on diapers.  It was so sad to see his face.  And with the language barrier, we couldn’t really figure out what to do, so we just bought them some more.  We also helped them make a bunch of tamales for a wedding, and just played with the kids.  The kids are so sweet and starved for attention.  There are just so many of them.

Some of the cool things that are happening at La Casa is that they are helping the battered women that seek refuge there to create businesses to become self sufficient.  They are using some of the sewing machines that have been donated to make uniforms because all of the school children in Mexico have to wear uniforms.  They are making tortillas and selling them, so we bought like 200 tortillas to bring home.  They are also getting licensed to run a day care to generate income and help out the community.  

The mission officially started yesterday.  We headed out to the church in the morning and Shawn connected with Pastor Walt.  He wasn’t there, but someone else was that had is cell number.  We jumped in quick and helped another group that was from Arizona to start painting the church.  The paint was the delicious color of nacho cheese.  Shortly after that, we sent one group to Costco to get food for the week and the other groups kept painting and started setting forms for one of the concrete pads.  There was also a lot of planning, figuring out what we need for each project.  We are going to pour a concrete pad for a propane tank, two outdoor showers, install a hot water heater, tile a bathroom, and paint the church building.

When the Costco group got back after many problems related to not speaking/reading spanish, we all returned to our villa to eat some sandwiches.  We stood around on the beach for a bit before heading back to the church.  When we got back, some of us dug a sweet ditch to provide drainage for the showers.  Another group finished painting the second wall and most of the third while one group went off to Home Depot to buy supplies.  That was one of the greatest adventures thus far.  There was the obvious language barrier, but there was also the lack of clarity in what exactly we were doing, the metric system in length as well as volume, and moving a bunch of bags of concrete mix into the truck and trailer.

After working in the afternoon we returned home and swam for a bit in our ocean.  The waves were so quick; there was never a dull moment.  An excellent birthday treat for Jesse.  After swimming we ate some delicious nachos and the Home Depot team finally arrived at home when the other two teams were finishing their dinner.  A little bit later that night we built a fire on the beach and sat around telling each other our thoughts on the trip so far and sang some worship songs.  One of the best comments, which was a definite shared sentiment, was the feeling that when it is all over, we are going to go back to life as normal, even though we don’t want to, and we hate that about ourselves.  It got quite introspective pretty quick.  We are all already being challenged.

Today, we woke up and had some pancakes.  We headed over to the church where we got a ton of work done.  One group poured the pad for the propane tank while another set the forms for the shower.  The third group took off to La Casa de Esperanza.  It is a shelter for battered women and children.  They helped out the staff there get ready for lunch and cleaned out some rooms for some teachers that will be coming soon.  That group returned, and we had some lunch while Shawn left to go buy more concrete because after the adventure yesterday, they didn’t get enough for both pads.  When he returned we finished pouring the shower pad with drains and pipes, and we almost finished the fourth wall that needs painting.  The water heater was also put in place along with some holes drilled to hook it up.  It was an uber-successful day at the church.

When we got back to our house, we swam in the ocean and ate our first meal cooked by Veronica, our Mexican cook.  It was amazing food.  We also went down the beach to our new Arizonan friends house and worshiped a bit and heard pastor Walt speak.  Afterward, the Arizonans prayed for us since they are leaving and we are staying.  It was a good time.  Now we’re back home and enjoying some down time.  I’ve tried to put up a bunch of pictures because that is the best part anyhow.

Well, we’re here, so that’s good.

The adventure began Monday afternoon in Oroville. We met up at the church, loaded all our stuff into a trailer that Shawn is towing behind his truck, and we all loaded into a van. By we, I mean Rhonda, myself, Desi, Lexi, Brenden, Sam, Caleb, Angela, and Justin. Shawn, Jesse, Joanna, and Destiny loaded into his truck. And we ventured forth.

Everything was fine for most of the evening. There was much fun and rejoicing in the van after dinner when Catch Phrase was being played. It was, however, so rudely interrupted when Shawn called on the radio to inform us that his truck’s battery light was flashing on and off and that he might be loosing power. So the rejoicing ceased momentarily while Lexi prayed for the truck. We got off on the next exit just to make sure that if the truck did die that the van could charge the battery. It could, but we were still 65 miles from Bakersfield, our first destination, so we didn’t really want to risk getting stuck on the freeway.

This is where Martha really comes into the story. Martha Garmin is the name of Lexi’s GPS system. We asked Martha for a Nazarene church in the area, and she gave us four withing 11 miles, including turn by turn directions. We thanked God for Martha, made a couple of phone calls, and Ben in Tulare at Wayside Church of the Nazarene became our new best friend. We quickly drove a short 4 miles to the church where we would stay for the evening.

After unpacking some luggage, we all gathered in one of the rooms to journal a little bit about our expectations for the trip and we sang a couple worship songs. It was our first time together as a 97% complete team, so it was good to just be together. In the morning, Ben gave us a phone number for a mechanic that goes to his church, and Shawn got the truck in first thing. It ended up needing a new alternator, which was replaced, and we got breakfast, and we left the Wayside and were back on the road by 10 am. It definitely could have been worse.

On the road again, we met trouble at the grape vine. Shawn’s truck started overheating on the way up. He used his smarts and popped his hood a little to cool the engine down, threw some water on the radiator, and turned on the heater. Then at low speeds and high RPMs we got over the mountain. After a quick lunch stop we started to make our way through LA, which was fine and dandy, but we did have a little hang up that added about 15 minutes. You can ask Shawn about that later if you feel so inclined.

In San Diego we picked up Angie and our team went from 97 to 100 percent. We made a quick stop before the border to get some Mexico Auto Insurance, and away we went. As we crossed the border, they stopped Shawn, so I stopped as well. The border guard looked at our trailer and in the back of the van, and they let us through. It had already been a very long day, so we tried to make it all the way to where we were staying, but we stopped at about 8:30 for some dinner in Ensenada. Let’s just say it was delicious and cheap. Tacos and Quesedillas and sodas and horchata for all of us for 54 dollars. I think that is the same amount I spent for lunch in a mexican restaurant in New York.

We finished our trek at around 10 pm. It was dark and foggy, so we couldn’t see much, but after unloading our stuff and choosing sleeping arrangements, we got our first night’s sleep in Mexico. We woke up to a foggy but amazing view out of our front window. We’re still trying to figure some logistics out, but we’re hoping to go to town and meet the pastor we will be working with today. Thanks to everyone that is praying. If you leave any comments on here for team members, I will be sure to pass them on. Until tomorrow….

Rhonda and I leave this afternoon for a mission trip to Mexico. I have never been out of the country, but I’ve seen a few seasons of the Amazing Race, so, you know, I still have no idea what it is going to be like. I feel entirely unprepared and terrified of what is going to happen when I get back. I know it is going to be a crazy experience. I’ve tried to take Jesus at his word, and he said to go, so I am going. I will post an update when we get back next Monday, but as far as I know we won’t have any sort of internet while we are down there. Keep us in your prayers.

Update: We have internet.  I’ll try to post once in a while.  Booyah.

I’m sitting on my front porch. It’s awesome that I have a front porch to sit on. I went to the doctor today because I have strep throat. It’s awesome that I have a throat that it can get strep. I’m really thankful and really sad right now. I am watching the smoke layer float in front of the sun as it sets across the valley. My friend’s house burned down yesterday along with 20 other houses in this little town called Palermo just south of Oroville. I am watching the particles that used to be his home, his stuff, his box of things he will always want to go back and look at someday. I am watching those particles light up the evening sky. We always try to talk like we are tough. You can’t take it with you. Which I know, and you know, but if you can’t even get it back tomorrow, does it matter, or can we move on? I don’t know, but right now I am really thankful and really sad. Sirens mean something entirely different on days like today. I wish that cameras could do it justice, but it cannot. It is thick and brown and yellow and pink and purple and concise and daunting, this haze that sits between me and the setting sun. Maybe the wind will take it away tonight. Maybe it will stay here and remind us of eternal things, what real value is.

This has been a long time coming, the post is long, and I am more excited about this season of my life than you can know or I can say(or type). Here goes:

Last September, a boy by the name of Greg Wright brought a pistol to the school where I teach and took some students hostage. After a few hours of lock down, helicopters, snipers, swat team, running from one room to another, and anything else you could imagine where no one really knows what is going on, we were put on a bus where we were evacuated to the Oroville Church of the Nazarene, where I attend. During much of the discussion that followed on campus about improving school culture, I couldn’t help but think to myself that every possible change would only help surface issues because the truth of the matter is that we are broken people and we need Jesus. Until the conversation includes Jesus, it only deals with the surface. So I didn’t really participate in the conversation.

Fast forward to the beginning of December. Rhonda and I got back from a trip to New York that we had been planning to take since I graduated college in 2004. It got harder and harder to get up every morning. I wasn’t excited to hang out with kids and keep my mouth shut about the hope that I had in Jesus and that it was for them as well. During Christmas break I took some real time to seek God and what His vision was for my life. In all honesty, I hoped that I could start my own business making websites or designing graphics and still volunteer at the church on the side. The real result that came out the break was that God wants me to work at a church. I really didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t matter, because I wasn’t going to do it. I don’t like people that work at churches. I mean they’re ok, some of them, but I wasn’t going to subject myself to that willingly.

I wrestled with this idea for a few months, and it came down to a short conversation that I had with God. I asked God why in the world he would love people that go to church, fake it on Sundays and Wednesdays, and live selfish, sin-ridden lives during the week. (of course I wasn’t talking about myself*) Jesus himself had said that church people honor Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. Jesus recognized it. But then God told/asked me, don’t ask why I love these people, Kurt, why don’t you? And that is when I gave in.

I am called to work at a church. And it is ok. I am called to love people. I am not called to judge, but in spite of everything, love people. And that is where this journey has taken me. A position came open at my church to assist the Student Ministries Pastor, and after a lot of tip toeing around a sticky situation, I put in my application. I didn’t want to give up on the school and the hope that kids need. The greatest thing that has come out of this is that I will be able to effectively minister to hundreds of kids through the Axiom, a youth center downtown, and affect change in the lives of students in Oroville. For this season, I am going to work across the street, but I am still 100% for seeing students reach their God given potential and giving of myself to help that cause.

It was actually a drawn out process that left me not being offered the job for just over a month from when I applied, so it has been a secret but consuming much of my thoughts. I am glad that the time is here and that I can step into this next season in life. Thanks for reading, or at least skimming such a long post. Stay tuned for many thoughts on many things that you may or may not care about.

i was supposed to have a meeting today, but it got moved to thursday. stay tuned for thursday afternoon.