My GOD is good to me..

work.
I worked for about 8 hours on Friday, September 26 one day before our first Ensenada weekend trip. That day was so freaking crazy.. we did all the shopping for supplies and food, confirmed vans, people's attendance, numbers, insurance plans, weather.. blah.. blah... And on that day we also found out that 8 people dropped from our trip.. and that threw us a huge curve ball, just because we had already made all the calculations for 25 people. . that really sucked. . One of the biggest lesson I learned from that trip was that people are flakes.. little harsh i know.. but as leaders we must be prepared for anything.. oh flexibility.. thats a gift.. .. (my biggest pet peeve)

Anyhow.. enough. .. about that ..
It's now Saturday morning.. I wake up at 6AM and head out to the Outreach office at 6:30 am . We load the vans.. double check individual's forms, get some breakfast .. we head out..
.. the drive to Ensenada was sooo bad.. we were stuck in traffic for about 8 hrs. .during that wait we sang soo many songs.. shout out to Shaun.. an amazing DJ.. but.. I still was going nuts.. the reason for all the traffic was because there was an annual BIKE race from TJ to Ensenada.. giving cars one to two lanes to drive on.. it was horrible.. I never want to see another bike in my life..
.. we arrive at our site.. real late.. we get there at 3PM.. we were suppose to be there at 1PM.. now our schedules are all messed up.. but it's ok.. we were a flexible bunch... half of us head to an orphanage and the others to a church site..
... I went to the church site.. it was pretty amazing.. there we meet up withe pastor.. headed up to his little mission.. We gather some street kids.. sang some church songs.. performed a skit.. did a fun arts and crafts.. and we played an intense game of soccer.. i mean intense.. so intense that we all sweating through our shirts.. got some cuts and bruises.. fun times..
... it was around 6:30ish that we arrive to our camp grounds.. we cleaned up and headed to down town ensenada for some dinner. . .man we scarfed down a bunch of chicken.. It was soo good..
. .. after a night of fun.. we headed back to our camp ground..we played an intense game of mafia.. Oh my goodness... loads of fun.. after many games.. a group pf us stayed up really late talking and everything.. I was getting really sleepy.. but i was a trooper and stuck with it..

sunday morning came really quickly .. we had a devotion given by Josh Harrison.. i like saying people's last names.. anyway.. man.. was it one the life-changing devotions.. so.. it was a very basic concepts about our Christian belief.. but the way this man used his words.. were so penetrating... the devotion was about God's beauty.. God's worthiness to be praised and worshiped.. and how we only see a glimpse of it.. a mere whisper of his awesomeness... it just really hit me and my walk with God. i don't really want to write about it.. i apologize for that ..
.. so after our morning devotionals we had to church.. we attend Pastor Juan's church.. it was soo good.. it reminded me of Guatemala.. and the sweet time I had over there.. anyhow.. a few of our team members played worship.. Josh harisson preached.. and i gave my testimony.. i told my freinds my life story.. and where the Lord has taken me from.. this is really hard for me because i find it to be real personal thing i hold.. but i just felt that i should share it.. and i did. and it was amazing.. and i felt God moving. and i want to feel that feeling again... and again.. i never want to fade away like the rest of the feelings and emotions that i have.. i want God to be infinite in my life...

wow.

so.. we are now in the border line.. waiting for about 5 hrs.. going crazy once again..
we arrive at VU around 8pm.. we clean up the vans.. and head to our rooms..

I went to bed at 10.. amazing rest.. God given rest..

Buffalo Soldier

So .. all the titles for my blogs. have a meaning it's not just a random phrase i place there.
.. FYI..anyhow.
work.
work was crazy again.. . i worked for 3 hrs..
.. i called up so peopel who haven't paid.. made sure they knew that money was due .. yesterday.. fun stuff.
.. after that.. i just worked on busy work..

i had an examine today .. it went pretty well. . i think. i hope.

So.. tomorrow i have a metting at 10 am.. i will be explainnig the details of the trip and some other logistics.. that people need to know ..

we leave saturday morning bright and early..!!

yeah..

Ethos water

work.
I was in the outreach office for approximately 3 hours.But it was an intense day...
Today..
we rented vans for our first MEXICO TRIP, which is this weekend.. bought mexican car insurance.. just in casefinalize budget.and numbers.. 3 people dropped, so now we are at 23.. i figured people will drop last minute..and we are over budget.. again.. Found a second location.. we are headed to Pastor Juan's mission.. man.. im excited.. Finally wrote up an agenda for our meeting this Friday.. "We write an agenda so that people wont feel we are wasting their time.." according to my small group leadership class.

On top of all that.. i need to study for a test.. write a short story .. deposit money to my account.. ..
it will be another interesting night..

the secret garden

Yesterday. I worked like a mad woman, from 9 am-4:30pm

Things that I did. ..

-I typed up a payment tracking excel spread sheet. This will keeps us organized for weeks to come on finances, supplies, number of people that will be attending the trip. We have a total of about 25 people coming along. I'm so excited and anxious.. this is the largest group we have taken to Mexico for one weekend. I truly hope God will meet each person at where they're at...

-After the payment tracking Josh and I were on a quest to find out who will be coming to our trip .. We went to Kilm Ulm's office, Liz's office, and called some friends that were interested in coming along.. We finally got all the numbers settled.

-After the exhausting walks through Vanguard.. we had a team meeting, unrelated to Mexico. We are starting to plan out Missions Week.. man oh man.. is that going to be some work..
After the meeting.. I ate lunch with two of my favorite people.. christinie winnie and josh harrison..
.. . an hour later..
i got back to work..

I sent out a mass email to the students that will be going to Mexico..about some logistic we need to handle before we head out. One of them is a meeting on friday, sept. 26, during activity hour. At this meeting we will be talking about our trip, what we expect to happen, things we will be doing.. stuff like that.. and people will get to mingle. that's always fun..

After finishing up the email.. i called the orphanage we were going to be at .. and found out terrible news .. we had too many people coming along.. they were just expecting 10-12 students.. and now we have to find another location to send the rest of the students.. i am kind of nervous about this situation, but I know we will come up with somethink sick.. ..

After this headache faded away.. Josh and I began writing up a to do list before the trip.. it is not that intense .. I think it all can be done.

.. the day got a lot better too!! one of my good friends.. mabelinne came over from the IE and we had a splendid evenign..

hurray for gardens...

on the other side of the wall

work.

I was in the office for about 5 hours today because one of my religion course was cancelled. .. so I got a lot of work down today.. .

today was just prep work for our first weekend trip to Ensenada.
-I called the orphanage that we will be helping out to confirm that they know that they are aware that college students are headed down there in about two weeks.
- I sent out emails to all the participants stating when the money is due, Sept.24.
- I ran some errands for Josh and Jaime.. home depot .. check request.. .. filling. .. busy work that needed to be done.

F. Y. I
I am so excited for this trip because we have a total of 18 students coming along!! it's a record.. we have never had so many students interested in the weekend trips. I am so excited ")

I'm just a little anxious and nervous about the trip.. i just hope everyone will enjoy themselves.. ill leave it in the Lord's hands. .. :)

John piper

Sept. 16, 2008
work.
i've just realized that i spend too much time at my workplace. Work has taken over my life in a very good way.. i can be found on the first floor of Laguna Hall.
The Outreach Department... aka. The Diversity Program Management .. pretty cool.. I'm there when I want to hangout with friends. .. when I feel like starring at the clouds. .. and when i just need to talk to someone.
now..
the question is.. what does Vilma do??i am the mexico intern for DPM. I plan out all weekend trips to ensenada, Mexico & Hands Across the Border.one of the main reasons why we go to mexico so frequently is the mere fact that we want to establish real relationships with the people and the pastors. i dont want to go down to mexico once a year.. so that i can feel good about myself. .or because it's the right thing to do.. nor because its the "christian thing to do".. i do it because i love GOD. i want my life. my young years.. my energy.. to give Him glory. i love His people

.almond milk. is so good. try it out. there's some in the cafe.

i forgot to mention john piper. . josh harrison.. my boss ..read some passage that he wrote it pretty amazing.. i will explain later.