The Turn

On Tuesday (yesterday), we began the day with breakfast and World Cup Futbol (soccer). A couple of guys from the “Community of Faith” church that we’re working with picked us up from our hotel in Coatapec and scurried us off to the church building (scurrying rarely occurs here in Mexico…unless it involves soccer). Weaving through unusually heavy traffic, we made the 12 minute commute into Xalapa to find the project setup and the game stretched across the back wall—Mexico vs Uruguay.

With much excitement and charisma (fitting for our setting) we got to enjoy some great soccer with some great fans. Some families from the church provided traditional delicious breakfast foods and we ate while watching the second half.

We then headed back to Coatapec and enjoyed the bustling town square (pics/video forthcoming). After a nice lunch, we met with some folks helping to plant the church here in Coatapec. We divided into 3 teams and walked around some streets adjoining the town square talking with some folks and inviting them to a bible study tonight, where they’ve asked me to speak (although my plan is to probably have a college adult or two share).

We topped off the evening with a very traditional restaurant specializing in traditional local cuisine. 

On tap for today is of course, World Cup soccer (USA vs Algeria…beginning momentarily). I’ll then go meet with Ivan, the pastor of “Community of Faith” church to share how we approach reaching the campus as a local church. We’ll then walk the square in Coatapec again, inviting some more to our bible study tonight.

Please pray for opportunities to connect with those whom the Spirit would have us connect with as we invite people tonight. Pray that those invited would come and hear the good news of the gospel. Pray for our college adults who will take a minute and share about how Jesus’ good news is changing them. Pray for me as I meet with Ivan, that I might be able to serve him and his leadership of this wonderful church family.

Muchas gracias.

PS Everyone is doing great.

Xalapa Day 1

After a very long Sunday, we safely arrived in Xalapa today about 1pm. We left Sunday after church, had some car issues before we even got out of town, invoked “Plan B” and finally got out of Jonesboro about 1:30. We got into Dallas around 8:30pm, ate dinner, dropped off the Fowler kids at my parents and finally got to our hotel near DFW airport at midnight. The next “morning” (technically Monday), our alarms went off at 3am…outside temp 84°. We were on the shuttle to the DFW airport by 4am and airborne for Mexico City by 6:30am.

After arriving in Mexico City…outside temp 60°, we successfully navigated customs and had about 45 mins before our next flight from Mexico City to Veracruz. We made it into Veracruz around noon…outside temp 80° and met our contact, Eduardo.

We piled into a van, luggage in tow, and drove the 1hr 20min drive up the mountain to Xalapa. We’ve tried to catch up on some sleep and we’re all about to hit the sack.

A few specific highlights from today…

• Sean survived his first flight and first trip out of the country
• Our van driver enjoyed our group’s sing along to the currently popular “Your Love Is My Drug” when that song surprisingly came up on the Spanish radio. We have video that we’ll upload later.
• Lunch #1 was good ol’ American pizza at Costco (like Sams)
• Nice cool weather here in the mountains of Xalapa

On The Agenda for Tomorrow

• headed to Eduardo’s church building to be treated to breakfast
• we’ve invited several to join us to watch Mexico play in the World Cup tomorrow at 9am CST
• mixing and mingling with some from the church and hopefully some students from the nearby Universidad de Veracruz (University of Veracruz)

Live.Learn.Love. is our college adult Leadership development. College age & College adults (IE you do NOT have to be an ASU student) are invited to join our gospel-centered, missional discipleship training this summer.

Objectives

Spend this summer living on mission as part of a gospel community. Learn how to be a reproducing disciple. Learn how to experience and share the genuine gospel-driven love of Jesus with each your friends, your campus, your city, and the world.

Questions We’ll Seek to Answer Together

• How does “being a Christian” translate into the everyday life? Is the “spiritual life” a separate component from the rest of life—my school, my friends, my schedule, my future, my daily activities?
• Do you know how to see your life, your friends’ lives, and the lives of those on your campus through the eyes of the gospel?
• Do you know how to bring the gospel to bear/speak the gospel into those in your dorm, your work place, your apartment complex, or even in Mexico?
• Do you have a reproducible understanding of God’s grand gospel story (God’s Word) that informs your life and is something you can reproduce in others?
• What will it look like to follow Jesus on mission both during college, and beyond—as husbands, dads, men, wives, moms, and women?
• Are you wondering if there’s more to being a Christian than “attending and consuming” Christian “events”?
• Are you desiring a thrilling, dangerous, life-long, passionate pursuit of a mission far greater than you could dream or imagine?
• Do you want to experience and grow in the gospel community of a local church alongside great people that have been where you are and are (presently) where you will someday be?

Schedule

• 1st Term: June 3–July 1; Break: July 2–July 4; 2nd Term: July 5–August 5
• Missional/Gospel Discussion & Training on Monday and Thursday evenings from 8-9:45pm
• The Turn gathering on Wed evening from 8:30-10pm
• Family time with Fellowship families Sunday evenings
• Xalapa Mission Trip June 21–28 (tentative dates)
• Xalapa Mission Trip Deposit: $150 due by Sunday, April 25
• LiveLearnLove Signup: Signup by Fri May 7. $75 LL fee due by June 3 (if you participated last summer, you will NOT need to take the two personality assessments, therefore reducing your LLL fee to $30 instead of $75)

 Sign Up

• Sign up for LLL (due by May 7)
• Sign up for Xalapa, Mexico Mission Trip ($150 deposit due by April 25)

See the attached PDF for more details.

Live.Learn.Love. is our college adult Leadership development. College age & College adults (IE you do NOT have to be an ASU student) are invited to join our gospel-centered, missional discipleship training this summer. An OPTIONAL component of LLL is our Xalapa Mexico Mission trip.

Xalapa Mission Trip
Our Xalapa mission trip is in conjunction with a local church in the beautiful city of Xalapa. The local church is directly across the street from the largest university in Xalapa, The University of Veracruz. Our focus will be on helping them explore ways to bring the gospel to their campus.
The weeklong Xalapa mission trip is an optional component that we would like every college adult to prayerfully consider. We recognize the cost may appear high, but we want you to seek the LORD in prayer and then commit to go based on His leading. With school finishing up the first week of May, you will have time to work and save money in both May and June. The trip has limited openings and there will only be 8 open spots. An initial deposit of $150 is required by April 25. Any remaining spots not filled by April 25th will then be opened to our entire church family so that others may join us. As mentioned above, the cost is primarily airfare and a Passport is required to enter Mexico.

Xalapa Veracruz Mexico and Safety
Fellowship went on a mission trip to Xalapa twice last year. Xalapa is in southern Mexico on the gulf coast and the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz—miles away from the Texas border. Our experience was wonderful and Xalapa was/is in no way connected to the drug-related violence sometimes associated with several border towns along the Texas and California borders. While safety cannot ultimately be guaranteed, college adults and parents can rest assured that Xalapa is an extremely safe city. For more on Xalapa, see the following sites:
http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Xalapa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xalapa

Schedule

• Xalapa Mission Trip June 21–28 (tentative dates)
• Xalapa Mission Trip Deposit: $150 due by Sunday, April 25

  Sign Up

• Sign up for Xalapa, Mexico Mission Trip ($150 deposit due by April 25) by clicking “Yes!” for this event. YOU MUST SUBMIT YOUR $150 DEPOSIT BY APR 25 TO SECURE YOUR SPOT.

(NOTE: you must sign up for LLL separately)

Support HELP
For a SAMPLE SUPPORT LETTER and full details and dates, see the attached PDFs.

Hang out with The Turn & Miguel Castillo, our missionary to Madrid Spain Thur 7-9 @ Chuck & Lindy Gschwend’s.

2301 Twin Oaks Ave, Jonesboro AR 72401

More details on City

Live.Learn.Love. is our college adult Leadership development. College age & College adults (IE you do NOT have to be an ASU student) are invited to join our gospel-centered, missional discipleship training this summer.

Schedule

• 1st Term: June 3–July 1; Break: July 2–July 4; 2nd Term: July 5–August 5
• Missional/Gospel Discussion & Training on Monday and Thursday evenings from 8-9:45pm
• The Turn gathering on Wed evening from 8:30-10pm
• Family time with Fellowship families Sunday evenings
• Xalapa Mission Trip June 21–28 (tentative dates)
• Xalapa Mission Trip Deposit: $150 due by Sunday, April 25
• LiveLearnLove Signup: Signup by Fri May 7. $75 LL fee due by June 3 (if you participated last summer, you will NOT need to take the two personality assessments, therefore reducing your LLL fee to $30 instead of $75)

Sign Up

• Sign up for LLL (due by May 7) by saying “Yes!” to this event.
• NOTE: Sign up for Xalapa, Mexico Mission Trip is separate ($150 deposit due by April 25) 

For full details and dates, see the attached PDF.

Take 1.5 hr study-break tonight: The Turn OLYMPICS, 8:30pm. Represent your country & battle for the gold! Bring your friends…you’ll need them!

As always, fabulous prizes await.

Model car racers. They’re an interesting bunch. Come find out more tonight at The Turn gathering. Bring a friend and come have a great time with us, 8:30pm. Our time together tonight will include…

• Model car racers
• a Church marquee sign
• a “gospel” tract 
• Mullets
• A nephew of the great Ricky Bobby
• an undiscovered tribal group

!http://www.theturngathering.com/images/theCity/sent.jpg!

New series @ The Turn tonight, 8:30pm…SENT.

Plus more details about this summer’s LiveLearnLove ‘10 & Mexico Trip.

Join us & bring some friends. We’ll have a blast

3-on-3 World Cup Soccer (football) Tournament tonight! Bring a team or come by yourself and we’ll load you up (FYI NO TALENT is required to participate, but may be required to win said tournament).

Other World Cup Games (Non-Soccer Players)

Other WORLD CUP games tonight: Nerts, Toss Up, Cheering, Poker, Ghetto Uno, Puzzle Champs. And of course, our infamous FABULOUS PRIZES!

Tonight at 8:30pm, Fellowship. Bring some friends!

Click Here for Full Details and Directions