Our family is preparing for our first Mission Trip. Our church doesn't call them Mission trips, rather they refer to our trips as Bridge Building. We visit the same place many times, building relationships, offering help in any way we can. Our family's first trip will be to Mexico over Christmas. From Wisconsin, it's a 32 hour bus ride, and that is one of the things the kids are really excited about Our church has been going to this city in Mexico several times a year for the past few years, and so relationships are established, and our love and Christ's love for His people is felt. We will be visiting a state hospital, where the conditions aren't that great, an orphanage with 9 children, and a nursing home. We will be doing crafts with kids in the neighborhood. The kids don't have many possessions, and often only have the one outfit they are wearing. In the past our church has built a playground in the area, soccer nets, and basketball hoops. This year our group will be tiling the church sanctuary there. We will be bringing warm coffee and blankets, grapes and cookies, along with small gifts to the nursing home residents; gifts, games, and a trip to a "Playland" type of restaurant for the kids in the orphanage; and linens, blankets and small gifts to the hospital residents. The children from our group (It's a family trip and MANY kids are going!!) will be doing dramas, children's songs with motions, crafts, etc with the kids in the area, along with playing soccer, jumping rope and just generally befriending the children there. At night there will be movies, worship concerts and outreach events for the neighborhood. We will also be putting on a parade to invite people to a "carnival" where there will be lots of fun games, treats, etc. One of the dramas the adult acting team will be doing is the skit to the song Everything by Lifehouse. While some may think it's very dramatic, the things in the skit really represent a lot of their everyday life in this area. What an awesome way to infuse the Hope of Christ into their lives. Here's the video, although we'll have a group of actors acting this out rather than showing the video. 

Everything Skit 

Please, if you feel led to, please pray for us during this time of preparation. There's a lot to prepare before we go, and it's a busy time of year for people. We've sent out support letters to help raise money for the trip, and people have been very supportive in helping! What a blessing. Also, please pray for peace of mind, as anxieties start to build and spirtitual battles begin (or continue) And lastly, please pray for safety for the team, and that many lives will be touched by the love of God in Mexico.