ENTRY 1: MEXICO

Sitting ten thousand feet above the Pacific Ocean puts a few things into perspective. Below me, an enormous crashing ocean, above me the stars and the heavens. Sitting in my little section of Row fifty-five at 3am NZ time, I can't sleep and I start to think about the power of the sea beneath me. I'm not a good swimmer, and I know that the waves could roll over me, break me and dash my life in a second. At that moment early in the morning above the Pacific, I finally understood the writers in the Bible who talk about God's power being like a mighty ocean or a mountain.

What power! What glory! And yet God chooses to use us as feeble humans to work out his plan for this world. What an incredible honour! God's power must be so much more than the oceans he created, and yet he places his representation on this world in the hands of broken and desperate people like ourselves. Despite being completely underqualified for the job, Despite lacking the skill-set and the maturity to handle it, God calls us his workmanship, created for good works in him. If God offers this power to us, then what have we to fear?

And yet, several hours later I faced the first challenge of the trip. Heading down the Freeway between Los Angeles and the Mexican/US Border was one of the scariest experiences I've been through in a long time. Our very Kiwi driver has a nasty tendancy to drift to the right from time to time, resulting in the best part of half a dozen near misses with American motorists. I found myself having to ask whether I believed the God of the oceans could be the God of the freeway.

Luckily he was, and arriving at the border was an incredible experience. On the American side were all the familar Capitalist landmarks. McDonalds, Dennys & Walmart. Once through into Tijuana the glass-frontages were now replaced by concrete walls and tin shacks. Graffiti covered nearly every wall. This theme continue today as we visited the slums we'll be working in to have a fiesta with some local families. Tacos and fresh Guacamole were on the menu. Awesome! I got the chance to exercise my brief understanding of the Spanish language, and managed to find out the names and interests of a few kids. We played with trucks together, and one young guy was a particular fan of Spider-Man. We got our web-swing happening together :) Wild!

The most amazing thing about this trip so far has been seing how God provides for people in the slums here in Mexico. I expected to break down in tears when I saw the conditions they were living in, but the truth is that as I ate with these families I could only notice how joyful and welcoming they were. God's joy is REALLY their strength. They offered us everything they could, and the community does the same when any member is in need. It's not uncommon for families here to give the little food they have to another household to make sure they don't starve. They know that a spiritual poverty is far greater than a physical one, and are happy to go without knowing that God will provide. Incredible.

That all I can really add for the moment. Something to end with...

JOB 1:21

"We bring nothing at birth;

We take nothing with us at death.

The LORD alone gives and takes,

Praise the name of the LORD".

Indeed.