Day 12

Thank you, God, for keeping us safe on the home stretch on the road, bringing our STM trip to a close.

After breakfast and a few team photos against the morning sky, we left the camp in Dillon around 7:30am to start the drive through Montana on the way to the US-Canada border. We spent the morning drive working on our testimonies that we’ll be sharing with our church congregation at Sunday services this month.

We stopped for lunch in Shelby, Montana before heading to the border, where God provided another smooth crossing. During the last stretch of the drive, we did our daily devotions that reflected on Philippians 4, where Paul thanked the Thessalonians for their sacrificial gifts to meet his needs - not because he wanted their gifts but because he wanted them to receive the spiritual rewards of sacrificial giving. He also encouraged them, promising that God would meet all their needs.

We arrived at the church parking lot just after 5:00pm, welcomed warmly by hugs from our families & church staff, plus yummy milk tea! Pastor Rick led us in a prayer & group hug to mark the end of the trip, but the beginning of our journey in response to what God has shared with us during the STM and what He is calling us to.

As we return to our lives in Calgary and usual routines, we want to thank our prayer partners and church family for praying for us and this STM - we truly felt your prayers throughout the trip. We invite you to join us to pray that we will remember God’s presence & provision on this trip, that we remain convicted to participate in God’s global mission, and that we walk in the Spirit to obey Him as we continue to discover our part in & step into God’s passion for all peoples.

Day 11

Today marks the second travel day back to Calgary and the second last day of the missions trip.

After an early breakfast, we left the hotel in St. George, Utah around 7:00am. During the drive, the team read the final chapters of “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper. He explains that Jesus’ Great Commission - the command to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming the Gospel to every tribe and people group - is “binding on His church to the end of the age”. He also describes how those who go to the unreached nations (“goers”) and those who stay to serve at home base (“senders”) are united in partnership, challenging us to ask: “How will I join the great global purpose of God?”

After stopping for lunch in Ogden, Utah, the team set off again and spent time doing our daily devotions. We reflected on 1 Thessalonians 1, where we can learn from Paul’s example of continually praying for other believers. We then chose a person we would partner with, along with the date & time, to pray for the people we met during our STM experience.

We made a pit stop to pick up dinner supplies in Idaho Falls on the way to the camp we are staying overnight in Dillon, Montana. We arrived at the camp in the late afternoon and made a simple pasta meal for our last dinner together as a team.

At our last team debrief, we reflected on the daily devotions and Pastor Rick encouraged us to pray for the people we met during our missions trip regularly - the families we served and the people we served with. He also challenged us to pray for missionaries around the world. He encouraged us also to pray for each other, especially during this time where we are more vulnerable to spiritual attack that will try to dim the conviction we’ve gained during this missions trip.

We each shared our self-assessment of our level of awareness and support for missionaries. Many on the team agreed that there is great opportunity for improving our knowledge and care for missionaries and that this STM is a key step in that direction. Pastor Rick reminded the team that within our group, statistics would predict that 1, maybe 2, members will respond to God’s call to go and the rest will be senders. We all have a part in missions and our responsibility is to discern what our part is.

Before turning in for the night, we were able to do some star-gazing and take in God’s handiwork in the night sky. We were excited to see shooting stars and the Milky Way with our naked eye. It was also a chance for us to have meaningful conversations about our experience, what we plan to do in response, and how we could pray for one another.

As we head to the last leg of the drive back to Calgary tomorrow, we feel bittersweet about this experience coming to an end. May we cling to how God worked in us and through us on this trip and carry it into what He has next for each of us.

Day 10

Today was the first full day of travel on the drive back to Calgary.

The team set out at 8:00am to travel from San Diego to Barstow, California for an early lunch. On the way to Barstow, we did our daily devotions, which challenged us to live so that we are not stumbling blocks for others.

After lunch we set off for St. George, Utah, where we are staying overnight. On this stretch of the drive, we returned to the next chapters of John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life”, which challenges Christians to use our money to show that God is our treasure, not our possessions. We should be using our possessions to draw people to God, especially the most needy. Piper also clarifies that a small proportion of Christians will will become “frontier” missionaries who bring the Gospel to unreached groups, and the rest of us will work “secular” jobs (jobs not structurally connected to church). He argues that both types of vocations are needed - what is important is how you work and why, so he outlines ways we can magnify God at work.

We arrived at our hotel St. George, Utah at 4:30pm, where we had some free time before dinner. After dinner, we stopped to take in Red Hills Desert Garden before heading back to the hotel.

We ended the day with our daily debrief. We discussed how things like the music we listen to, the social media we consume, and our behaviour within romantic relationships, can be stumbling blocks for others. We also discussed how Christian lifestyle and behaviour should look different than non-Christians, and reflected on whether other people (classmates, coworkers, etc.) would be able to tell that we are a Christian. We ended with the reminder that no matter what our vocation is - pastor, missionary, student, doctor, lawyer, stay-at-home parent - we are to “…work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3:23)

We are grateful for another safe travel day and time for continued learning and reflection.

Day 9

This morning we said goodbye to the Radius Serve team and left Tijuana to start our way back to Calgary.

Although many cars were waiting to cross the Mexico-US border, we praise God for another smooth border crossing! The wait at the border took almost 2 hours, which is impressive for a border crossing that can take 3+ hours. The border officer was friendly and we were not required to do secondary inspection. Once we entered the US, we made a pit stop for gas and breakfast in San Diego.

The intent for today was for the team to have a day off to decompress by spending time at the beach.

The team headed to the community around La Jolla beach and did our daily devotions outside before heading to a Japanese restaurant for lunch. We reflected on being living sacrifices, putting Christ and others above ourselves. Once at the beach, the team enjoyed the ocean, sand, and playing games.

Tonight the team is staying overnight at a church where many Radius leaders were sent out from. We were able to catch a beautiful California sunset after dinner.

The discussion at the team’s daily debrief revealed conflicting and confusing emotions about the stark difference between the California beach community experience and the team’s experience in Mexico serving those in need. The team also surfaced their deep desire to remember the experiences and learnings from their time in Tijuana but fear that their passion and conviction would fade as the distance from Tijuana grows and we are vulnerable to worldly influences and distractions from normal routine. The team shared their need for accountability as we take the next steps to act on what we have learned and experienced about God’s heart for the nations in Tijuana.

Pastor Rick encouraged the team to make good use of the remaining travel days back to Calgary to pray with one another, have meaningful conversations about the experience and how we can stay accountable to each other.

As we head into the next road day tomorrow, the team is grateful for this gift of a powerful shared experience and how God is working in each of us through it. May we be strengthened and encouraged by one another as we continue on this journey.

Day 8

Today was our last full day in Tijuana and we served at the impoverished community called “Esperanza” (Spanish for “hope”), which is located just outside the city landfill.

Our daily devotions asked us to study 2 Corinthians 10, and reflect on our spiritual strongholds and the weapons God gives us to combat them.

During the morning training session, Spencer Hoyt, Director of Radius Serve, shared 4 characteristics of a good sender:

1. Senders allow Gospel workers to focus

2. Senders are in partnership with missionaries

3. Senders receive eternal reward

4. Senders sustain the work when needs arise

Spencer also challenged our mindsets around being a sender: Sending is not secondary work, it’s kingdom work. Senders should not be passive spectators.

After the morning session, the team prepared sandwiches to hand out to the people in Esperanza then joined a preparation session to learn what to expect during our visit and how to interact with the people we would encounter.

The final stretch of road to Esperanza was a bumpy dirt road that led to the area just outside the landfill. Once we arrived, we first visited La Roca church to meet with Pastor Julian. We learned about the people of Esperanza and the challenges they face and how the church has been working to help the community learn more about God through visitations and church services, while also helping to meet physical needs, including fresh drinking water.

The team then split into three groups, each led by a Radius intern, to head out into the community. Walking along paths among the dwellings amid the landfill waste, we greeted the people we encountered, providing sandwiches & bottled water and praying with them if desired. We ended the visit to Esperanza back at La Roca church to pray for Pastor Julian and his ministry.

At the daily team debrief, team members reflected on the visit to Esperanza, revealing that the team had a range of emotions about the experience. Pastor Rick affirmed that the range of emotions is expected but he also challenged the group: no matter what emotions we may feel, don’t ignore the experience - use it to change us and take action.

In the evening, the team headed out to their last dinner in Tijuana, visiting a Chinese restaurant nearby.

Tomorrow, we’ll be leaving Tijuana in the early morning, starting on the journey back to Calgary. We may be leaving Tijuana with tired bodies, a few splinters, blisters, and bruised fingernails, but we are deeply grateful to have experienced this gift of 5 days devoted to learning about God’s heart for the nations and serving His people.

Day 7

Today, we switched gears from building houses to serving at a community event with Spectrum Ministries.

Our daily devotions reflected on Jeremiah 18, where we can be encouraged that despite our past, God can reshape us into instruments for his purposes.

At the morning session, Dave Burdette, founder of Radius (then known as Mexico Caravan Ministries), shared 13 practical suggestions based on his experience for taking the next steps to going into the mission field. The list included: avoiding distractions, praying for the world, finding a mentor, creating a covenant group, and being informed.

After the morning session, the team headed to a location where Spectrum Ministries was holding an event for families in the community. The team was excited to see the last house we built on the way to the event!

After the initial set up of tables, benches & tents for the various activities, the team spent time with the neighbourhood church to meet Pastor Paul and learn about the church & community, and pray for the event. The team then welcomed the ~300 children plus their family members that joined. The team worked alongside Spectrum and Radius staff to facilitate activities like face painting, balloon art, water games, and gaga ball for the children. We also set up stations for families to enjoy fruit (apples, bananas, and watermelon), popcorn, snow cones and cotton candy. Families were also able to go home with school supplies for the children and fresh vegetables.

The team not only demonstrated fast learning (members were making balloon art, painting faces, and making snow cones for the first time!), we were able to practice having a heart of service, quickly stepping into roles wherever there was need. We were also thankful to have the small interactions with the children and families we encountered.

Later in the day after dinner, the Radius team shared more about their internship program as an opportunity for young adults to grow in their relationship with God in a cross-cultural setting. The team also heard the testimonies of 2 of the current interns we have been serving with this week.

At the daily debrief, the team reflected on the day, thankful for the opportunity to serve the community, understand more about the their needs & challenges, and learn how God works through people like those at Spectrum to connect and journey with them.

Day 6

We completed the team’s last house build of our time in Tijuana today!

Our morning devotions focused on James 5, which highlighted the power in confessing our sins to a trusted Christian and asking them to pray for you to overcome them.

After breakfast, the team joined the morning training session where speaker Jonathan Whitt from Radical, helped us explore Deuteronomy 6, which covers Moses’ final sermon to the Israelites before they entered the land God promised after 40 years in the wilderness. From this scripture, Jonathan shared how we are to:

1) let the Gospel captivate all of you (heart, soul and strength)

2) refuse the world’s offer of comfort

3) let the love of Christ lead you outward

We arrived at the build site around 10:30am, where we met the family - an elderly man, his wife and many puppies. We were surprised to learn that the house was against a hill and that we would be building an extension to an existing house. This set up posed unique challenges and the team was able to adapt the build process to fit the situation. The team also worked with more confidence in the skills we’ve developed over the past two house builds.

Friends of the family prepared and served us a delicious lunch of tinga de pollo (shredded chicken, with chipotle, onions and tomatoes) on tostadas, with lettuce, sour cream and cheese. We also enjoyed agua de jamaica - the perfect pairing to the meal and way to stay cool.

After lunch, the team finished the build by laying the tar paper and rock paper on the roof, and attaching the door and window shudders. At the end of the build, we prayed for the family and the house before taking the team photo. Afterward, we had the privilege to pray for the wife, who was bed-ridden in the existing home we had built the extension to. Surrounding her bed to meet & pray with her & her husband was a meaningful moment to encourage and show care for the family.

The team enjoyed some free time after the build, playing games before dinner. Later in the evening, the team went to the local dessert shop to have fresh fruit popsicles and ice cream.

At the daily debrief, the team reflected on the day and were thankful for the great teamwork at the last build, the privilege to serve the build family in such a tangible way, and the opportunity to pray for the wife at her bedside.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve 3 different families in Tijuana and pray that each family can experience more of God.

We look forward to tomorrow, as we will serve with Spectrum Ministries in Tijuana.

Day 5

Our second full day in Tijuana allowed us to build a house for another local family ❤️

In our morning devotions, we meditated on Hebrews 11 & 12, which challenged us to identify things in our life that we need to lay down - sin habits, distractions, idols - so we could be freed to complete the work God has set out for us.

During our morning training session, Eden, Elliott, and Joanne led the Radius Serve team and visiting church groups in worship. The speaker, Eddie Passmore, challenged us to know the Gospel, embrace it, and live it out. He also called us to preach the Gospel to the lost, preach it intentionally - no matter what. Finally, he challenged us to know the unreached nations, understand who they are & where they’re at, and know our responsibility to them.

Today’s house build was at a further location than the first build and was in a more open, undeveloped area, allowing for a lot of space for the build but also a lot more wind!

The team used the same process for today’s build and despite the wind - which made securing the tar paper and rock paper on the roof more challenging - we were able to complete the house in less time than the first!

What made today’s build special was that our build site was right next to the build site of another Canadian church group visiting Radius Serve this week. We were able to work together, pray together for the families and their new houses, and enjoy the same meal prepared by the families.

In the evening after dinner, the team joined an interactive session with guest speaker, Joe D of Radius International, who explored the importance of Gospel clarity: we need to understand the substance (content) of the Gospel and we need to do the work to communicate it effectively. He highlighted the importance of having sufficient expertise in a language to be effective in sharing the Gospel message.

The team ended the night with the daily debrief where we reflected on our takeaways from the day. We are thankful for another safe and successful house build for a local family, the chance to serve with another church group, and for the insights about the life and calling of missionaries.

Day 4

Our first house build is complete!

The day started with morning devotions and breakfast before worship & training at 8:00am. Missionary Brandon Buser shared about his family’s journey bringing the Gospel to the Biem tribe in Papua New Guinea by teaching their group about God in their native language and discipling the emerging church. Brandon also explained how he felt called to missionary work in high school, when his studying of God’s word showed him God’s heart for all the nations.

After watching a build safety orientation, the team prepared a few key supplies for the house build, including sunscreen and an Igloo cooler of drinking water and extra water for the team. The team loaded into the van and followed the Radius interns in the truck of building supplies the team loaded the day before to the build site about 35 minutes away.

At the build site, after meeting the lovely family who will own the house, the team unloaded the supplies around the cement pad where the house would be built. Under the direction of the Radius interns and coaching from Pastor Rick, the team started the framing, which involved measuring and sawing planks to size and configuring the pieces to build the frame of the house.

The team then started building the walls with OSB panels and before lunch were able to assemble the four sides of the house plus the frame for the roof.

The family served a delicious lunch of carne con papas (beef with potatoes), arroz (rice) and tortillas. The team also enjoyed the family’s refreshing agua de jamaica (hibiscus tea).

Next some team members worked on the painting while others completed the roof. After assembling the shutter window and door at the front of the house, the final step was to push the entire structure to the desired location on the cement pad.

Once the house was complete, the team prayed for the family and their new home before heading back to Radius Serve.

During the daily debrief, the team reflected on the day and were thankful for how we were able to work together. Despite the team members having limited experience in house builds, each member was keen to learn new skills and work together, often switching tasks to help complete different activities for the build.

We are also thankful for the connections we made with the family, praying for them - in English & (basic) Spanish - often working together with the family members during the build.

Finally, we are thankful for the privilege of building a home for the family and being able to share God’s love with them.

Day 3

Praise God! We’ve arrived safely in Tijuana 🇲🇽

We started the day early so we could have breakfast at the hotel at 6:30am before starting on the road again for our final road day to our destination.

Our van windows soon changed from showing views of Utah to show the striking Arizona landscape for a brief time before we entered Nevada, where we got a glimpse of Las Vegas before we made a stop for gas in Jean.

We snapped a few photos before loading into the van again, where the team members did their daily devotions, reflecting on how Jesus’ ministry on earth - teaching, performing miracles, healing the sick - was fuelled by daily time praying to the Father.

Two hours after entering California, we stopped for lunch in Victorville. After lunch, Pastor Rick navigated the multi-lane, palm-tree lined highways of southern California and we arrived at the US-Mexico border around 2:00pm. We are grateful for another smooth border crossing!

From the border crossing the team soaked in the sights, smells and sounds of the city in silence, as Pastor Rick drove towards the Radius Serve facility. It felt surreal to see the Cerro Colorado mountain with the phrase “Jesucristo es el Señor” (Jesus Christ is Lord) near the peak in real life - an image that has been used to promote this STM.

We arrived at Radius Serve just past 3:00pm and were welcomed warmly by the staff. After settling in, the Radius Serve staff gave the team an orientation to explain safety & housekeeping rules and what to expect for the week.

The team then loaded trucks with the materials required for the house builds planned for the following day.

Pastor Rick and a few teens headed to the supermarket to pick up breakfast for the week while the rest of the team enjoyed free time getting to know some of the Radius interns.

For dinner, the team was excited to have their first taco experience in Tijuana at Tacos Los Poblanos, where they practiced their Spanish ordering tacos de asada (beef), tacos de pollo (chicken), tacos de adobada (spicy pork) and other items. The team left with satisfied bellies and Pastor Rick left with a new shirt courtesy of the restaurant!

Back at Radius Serve, the team had their daily debrief and reflected on their first impressions of Tijuana, sharing their thoughts on the level of development, the disparity that can be seen within and between communities, and initial glimpses of the culture.

The team also discussed their takeaways from the next chapters of “Don’t Waste Your Life”, exploring how taking risks for God can be costly and challenging but ultimately magnifies his greatness.

Thank you for praying and for following along so far. A big shoutout to Pastor Rick & Joanne for driving the past 3 days to get us to Tijuana safely. We look forward to Day 4 for the first house build!

Day 2

Another day on the road to Tijuana is in the books!

After a quick breakfast in the camp kitchen, we departed just before 7:00am and caught the sun rising over the Montana mountains as we continued south.

The team spent the early morning drive getting a bit more sleep and starting the next few chapters of John Piper’s “Don’t Waste Your Life” before making the first gas stop in Idaho.

For the rest of the morning drive, the team did their daily devotions and tested their geography skills playing the Name a Country game before stopping for lunch in Spanish Fork, Utah.

The team had fun playing “Date It” over the post-lunch drive, competing to test their knowledge of world events. The afternoon stop for gas allowed Pastor Rick to coach the teens on their window cleaning skills.

We safely arrived at our hotel in St. George, Utah around 4:30pm, where we were met by +46C heat!

We held our daily debrief soon after checking in. In response to our daily reading of “Don’t Waste Your Life”, we discussed what you need to make a lasting difference in the world and challenged ourselves to assess whether we even have the desire to make a lasting difference. Some of us may realize that our dreams for ourselves are too small, especially compared to the passion-fuelled life God calls us to. We finished our time in our small groups praying for God’s help to break free from our small dreams and have Him do in us and through us what He wants to accomplish.

After another day of driving, we’re again thankful for safety on the roads, the growing bonds between our team members, and good health & energy levels. We’re also thankful for ample quiet time to be in God’s word and opportunity to share and pray with each other.

We’re excited to make the last leg of our journey to Tijuana tomorrow!

Day 1

We’ve made it safely to our first overnight stop on our three-day journey to Tijuana!

Thank you to our church family for sending us off with prayers, hugs & encouragement early this morning from the church parking lot 🫶

The drive has been smooth with Pastor Rick & Joanne as our capable drivers. We’re thankful for great road conditions and a smooth border crossing into Montana. The team has spent the time on the road doing devotions and reading challenging content from “Don’t Waste Your Life” by John Piper. Between rest stops for gas & meals, the team has also been bonding over snacks, movie & book conversations, and solving Rubik’s cubes.

We eventually made our way through the rolling landscape of Montana to arrive at the Bible camp where we’ll be staying for the night just before 7:00pm. After settling in, the team met for the daily debrief to discuss what we’ve been learning through our devotions and readings and go over the schedule for the next day. We discussed how we are called to be good neighbours to those we will encounter on this trip and how our purpose is to magnify God.

We are grateful for a safe & positive start to our trip and look forward to Day 2!

T-minus 2 days!

We’re packed and ready to go!

Meet us at 6:00am at church on Friday to send off the team. We’re set to depart at 6:30am so don’t be late!