For those of you coming on the canoe trip on Saturday, don't forget the following important details:

• This Saturday, June 27th, meet at the church at 7 am to drive down together. Please coordinate with other families if you will not be driving.  
• For those who want to drive from home, please arrive at the Front Royal Canoe Office by 9:00 am (fyi: from the church it is 57.29 miles and can take 1 hour & 15 minutes driving time).  You can’t miss the Front Royal Canoe Office just follow the Front Royal Canoe sign that has a Big Red Canoe on it.
• We’ll depart as a group down the river at 9:30 am.
• Don’t forget your lunch (they only have vending machines).  And don’t forget: water/drink, modest swim wear, sunscreen, change of clothes, sandals or old shoes you don't mind getting wet -- NO flip flops.
• We hope to arrive back at church around 5:30 pm.
• Physical Address & Phone Numbers for Front Royal Canoe: 8567 Stonewall Jackson Hwy, Front Royal, VA 22630.  (800-727-4371; 540-635-5050; www.shenandoah.cc.)
• Directions: Traveling West on I-66, take exit 13 (Linden/Front Royal), then take U.S. Rt. 55 West into Front Royal. At the forth traffic light inside of Front Royal, take a left onto U.S. Rt. 340 South. Front Royal Canoe is on the right approximately 3 miles past the entrance to the Shenandoah National Park/Skyline Drive.

See you Saturday morning!

Friends,

Don't miss Dean Adamek's Rancho 3M Summer Newsletter.  You'll be encouraged to hear the news from the Rancho, especially this thanks to all of those who worked on the fence:

"Due to an increased concern for the safety of the children, four years ago we began the construction of a perimeter fence on our 18.8 acres of land. And thanks to many of you, the fence project is coming to a close! The last 7636 welds were made and 109 panels were installed by the determined Sovereign Grace Church of Fairfax, VA. Thank you to all of those who over the years have gladly given themselves to make this fence possible by being post-diggers, cement mixers, skin-stained painters, and of course thank you to all the welders! All that is left are a few details such as paint, caps, etc."

Well done my friends!  Read the whole thing.

The Student Leadership Council is planning several fun this summer!
 
The first is a 7-mile canoe trip down the Shenandoah River on Saturday, June 27th.
 
Details:

• WHO: five15 teens and parents
• WHEN: Saturday, June 27th.  Meet at the church at 7 am; arrive back at church by 3:30 pm.
• HOW: Vans/cars will caravan from the church.  Please coordinate with other families if you will not be driving.
• WHERE: Departure point is Front Royal, VA.
• WHY: Duh!  It's fun!
• COST: $21.25 per person -- registration is due in advance and non-refundable after June 20th.
• WHAT TO BRING:  Lunch, water/drink, modest swim wear, sunscreen, change of clothes, sandals or old shoes you don't mind getting wet -- NO flip flops.
• NOTE: Two persons per boat.  Junior high teens must be in a canoe with a parent/guardian/older sibling.
• REGISTER: Sundays: June 7th & 14th in the church lobby, and after the five15 meeting on Saturday, June 13th. 

Friends,

A quick reminder that Saturday night is a five15 BIG MEETING.  It's Senior Night: our opportunity to honor and thank the graduating seniors for their participation, service, and example in five15.  We'll hear several seniors address us from what they've learned, and we'll give out the Senior Awards.  Plus, we're welcoming all the rising 7th graders as well.  I can't wait.

As always, Pizza and Ping-Pong begins at 5:15pm, and the meeting itself starts at 6:30!  See you then!

Katlyn’s Mexico Testimony:

The trip to Rancho 3M has changed my life. It became the best week of my life, full of new experiences and new perspectives. But let me start at the beginning…

On the way to the Ranch I was nervous, tired, and anxious to see what I had gotten myself into. I was worrying over how my attempts at speaking Spanish would turn out, and if I’d even get up the courage to say a word. But God exceeded every expectation I had had before the trip, and removed every obstacle I had envisioned.

When the vans finally drove through the little town of Guadalupe and pulled into the Ranch, I began to let myself believe that I really was in Mexico. We got out of the vans to meet swarms of kids, all ages, all curious, and all new to me.

I unexpectedly started tearing up as I realized that this was the real thing. These were real children with real pain, living in real poverty; and we were in the middle of a desert. I was up close and personal with some of the people our world forgets. Sure I’d seen them on tv, shed a tear or two, scrolled through pictures on the five15 blog. But this time I was actually there, about to start an adventure a world away from my comfortable, clean, sheltered life. It became a wonderful week of living in real community and serving in real ways.

I’d never met these kids, they’d never met me. I didn’t know their names, let alone their personalities. They knew nothing about me – I was just another Americana, and that was it. But even knowing so little, these kids trusted. The little girls let themselves be held and rocked by the girls in our group. The boys immediately struck up conversation. A girl named Wendy met me for the first time halfway through the week, yet didn’t hesitate to spend a whole evening in my arms, relaxed and trusting. I have never felt so loved.

They gave what little they had to our group – our group, the ones who had it all! They had so little in comparison to us, but I have never seen such love, trust, and gratitude as I saw in those kids. In these things they were far richer than I.

Little by little I got to know Maribel, the tiny little girl who doesn’t say much at first but has so much to say; Marcos, mi mono, or my monkey, who would come and go, but always find time to give me a hug or tease me; Ana Karen, the first orphan I met, who cried into my shoulder until she couldn’t anymore, and who would often greet me with a huge grin (minus two front teeth), wide eyes, and a tight hug; and Maricruz, one of the oldest girls I met, who mothered several little girls, and hid a gentle sweetness behind feigned indifference. Not only did my affection for the kids grow, but suddenly the language barrier I had feared was broken! God gave me words, and patience, and love for the kids.

He provided for every need; I had been nervous about spending a whole week in another country with a group of juniors and seniors, but this became a blessing as I discovered higher maturity levels, and a deep, deep love for God in our team. I learned so much that week from the examples set by the leaders, servants, and caretakers in our group. Another evidence of God’s grace was that I was placed on the team that organized “Kid’s Club” every afternoon, where I got to spend time with the kids while the construction crews were still hard at work. My mom led the team, filling each day with games, relays, and art projects – though intense and crazy at times, this became one of the highlights of my day. God gave me joy in my work, even and especially in helping the welders and helping in the kitchen. God specifically gave me joy in doing dishes after every meal, which had never been the case at home, and gave me the opportunity to get to know Mrs. Vahle, who tirelessly served our team whether in or out of the kitchen. I am so thankful to have spent a week with this group; each member contributed something different, and each one became a visible evidence of God’s grace.
God performed a miracle that week – he brought strangers together to become brothers and sisters…just as He made us sons.

This love overflowed onto the team as we found ourselves growing closer in our work, in our free time, in our prayer time, and in the time we spent together with the kids.

I personally experienced one example of our team’s growing love for each other. During a two-hour nosebleed, which later resulted in a trip to the local clinic, several friends stayed with me during the crisis, eager to help in any way they could, and were afterwards consistently asking if they could help. I was touched when Steve and some others prayed over me; immediately after this, the bleeding stopped and my nose was completely clear for the rest of the day.

I watched, amazed, as 37 individuals were welded together (sorry, couldn’t resist) into a team, functioning in community. There was no complaining. There was no rivalry. There was no laziness – in fact, I’ve never seen us busier! I observed intense labor in the hot sun, and watched as an iron fence and an office were constructed.

There was a fresh perseverance and desire to finish well. We encouraged each other, and “spurred one another on to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24). I’ll never forget the memories made on that trip. Towards the end, I found myself wondering if this was a taste of what heaven will be like. Humble servanthood, selflessness, abounding love and joy, diligent hard work, grace upon grace, fellowship, laughter, and all the sweet little children you can imagine. I can’t think of a better picture.

I saw guys take leadership roles without being asked, teens care for one another, and friendships bloom. Morning worship positioned our hearts for each busy day that lay ahead of us, and several guys took turns leading morning devotions. It made it even more special to hear the insights and convictions of peers with whom I’d grown up – they’ve come so far.
The most meaningful devotions for me were the ones led by Chris Jones on adoption, Jed Shirey on glorification, and the final message by Steve, on making our own lives mission fields, and continuing the work initiated by God in Mexico. Every message was delivered with conviction and love for the Savior, and displayed God-given humility and maturity. These made me freshly aware of God’s great love and provision for us, and encouraged me to press on to the goal set before me.

Before, I had seen pictures of past trips, and had countless times formed in my mind an image of the Ranch and run through the schedule; but it was nothing compared to really being there. Once in Mexico, none of my past plans mattered. They were all swept away by new experiences and a mission to serve the orphanage to the best of our ability, and give all the glory to the One who sent us. I had to lean on God to show me his plan for each day, and learned to wait on him to guide me through each task and interaction.

I think that’s what I loved most – leaning on God. I think too often back home I can pretend that I have it all together, that I know what I’m doing, and seldom rely on God in everything I say and do.

In Mexico, I had to wait on God. He had sent me, through miracles and with the outpouring of many, many blessings; and He alone knew why and for what purpose. He had a plan that was unfolding every day; it was in His hands, not mine.

Before I close, I want to comment on the beauty of Mexico. God let me see another glimpse of His glory with each pastel sunrise spreading over the distant blue mountains, every star-filled sky that far surpassed the dull artificial lights twinkling along the horizon line, and every red rock formation that we met along/on our treks to the cross. This barren landscape was somehow bursting with life. It was beautiful and quiet, undisturbed, and spacious. You felt free; free from schedules or demands, free from time constraints and mundane concerns. We were able to focus whole-heartedly on God’s purpose for our trip. I love how God chose this setting to show me so many things, and to reveal Himself even more to me.

Every prayer was answered, my cup overflowed. It was very hard to leave Rancho 3M at the end of the week, but God gave me two consolations. First, I knew that God held the Ranch safely in His hands. I look forward to the day when Jesus will gather every tribe, every tongue, and every nation to Himself. Then we will never be separated, never be parted. And secondly, I rested on the assurance that our team…assembled by God, now unified and strengthened in Him, the team that I had grown to love…was coming back home with me.

Thank you, God, for sending me to Mexico.

Mr. Shirey wrote:

In God’s providence, this was my third five15 trip to Rancho 3M.  Although each trip has had a different flavor, one aspect remains the same: they are both physically demanding and yet spiritually refreshing.  The demands come when you’re running on a few hours of sleep, working long hours, and when you whack your head on the 5 1/2 foot high door frames in the middle of the night – for the second time.  The spiritual refreshing comes from seeing the fruit of your labor in the Lord to serve Dean and the Ranch children, and the great times of biblical fellowship each day with the team.

I generally haven’t gotten real gung-ho about these trips due to the rough blend of challenges – my primary motivation has been to seize the opportunity to build with my kids as we serve the Lord together.  But, as this trip approached – and as I prayed about it – God worked in my heart to get motivated about several projects that were assigned to me.  In God’s plan these projects appealed to my interests and abilities so that in the end this trip became the “funnest” of them all - to date.  

Without minimizing the great times of fellowship, what stands out the most to me is the amazing success that God gave us on the projects.  The Spirit enabled us to greatly exceed our natural abilities. I see this mainly in the virtual completion of the addition to Dean’s house and the completion of the fence around the Ranch perimeter.  Considering that on Sunday, none of the fence team knew how to weld, and yet by 10 pm on Friday we had fabricated and installed 914 feet of fence panels including 7636 welds and 1200 rebar cuts, this was an amazing work of God’s grace like you see in the book of Nehemiah.  In Nehemiah 2:8, he speaks of how the “…the good hand of my God was upon me.” This theme runs through the account of rebuilding the wall.  This favor of God was expressed on the trip in the team learning how to weld quickly, teens working extremely hard all week at whatever task was required – without complaining, teens leading certain work crews at times, being able to hire a local part-time welder for a few days, and overall much fruit of the spirit to accomplish all this with grace.

So, from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory.

From Jed:

On this trip to Mexico, our group worked on two major projects: the construction of an addition to Dean Adamek’s house and the erection of a fence around Rancho3M. During the week we spent there, we effectively completed both of these projects. For the addition, we framed, put up sheathing and siding, dry walled and insulated, and put on roofing material and weather sealant. For the fence, 73 panels were welded together and 109 were put into place. This totaled over 900 feet—three football fields—of fence and completed a job that had been going on for four years.

This was my third trip to Mexico with five15. I don’t think that I’ve ever been a part of a harder working group. We woke up at 6:00, started work at 8:30, took an hour break for lunch, and worked until 6:00 or 7:00 or even later. The stories of “superhuman” effort cannot be counted.

Debbie Vahle and Dawn Okada prepared all the food for us. They were the last ones to go to bed and the first ones awake every morning. George and Hailey Vaseghi and others started working on Saturday as soon as we arrived at the ranch. Ed Bartley, Jacob Vahle, and Paul Shirey stayed up welding fence panels until 12:00 on Thursday night so that we would have a chance to finish them all on Friday. James Winter had numerous nose bleeds every day and suffered from a cold most of the week. Yet he worked so hard at every opportunity. Katlyn Babyak suffered a nose bleed for nearly an hour yet willingly worked well after dinner on Friday. (Craig Robinson sacrificed his time by spending hours each day driving the Gator around.) Will Mullery badly sprained his wrist. But he did what work he could, spending most of Thursday and Friday working a saw with his one hand. Gary Helms organized all of our efforts and set up each team every day so that we used our gifts to their fullest potential.      

The stories go on and on. But all this work was accomplished only thru God’s sustaining grace. Before the trip, I prayed that we would finish all of our jobs and that Dean and Gary Helms would be blown away at how much work we accomplished. I think that it’s safe to say that we did both of those things. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Without a doubt, God abundantly blessed our efforts and enabled us to serve Rancho3M.

Heleena wrote:

Wow.  What an amazing experience.  In the weeks leading up to the Mexico trip, I was becoming really excited.  I was looking forward to the work, the time with our team, and getting to know the kids at Rancho 3M.  I was excited about it all.  But when we arrived there, another group was getting ready to leave that same day.  As I talked to them about their week and watched everyone playing with the kids, I knew something in my heart wasn’t right.  I prayed about it and realized that though I was willing to serve and wanted to, it was conditional.  I didn’t really want to do things that made me too uncomfortable or were too hard.  I was willing to peek out of my comfort zone, but I resisted the idea of going any further.  But God changed all of that.  When that first little kid hugged me, all those barriers broke away.  Before, I hadn’t been willing to speak any Spanish.  I only knew a few words or phrases and didn’t think it’d help.  I was so wrong.  Suddenly I was using every Spanish phrase I could think of just so I could communicate!   I wanted to do jobs that were hard.  I was willing to play games that were silly or embarrassing just because the kids enjoyed it.  I could see the changes taking place in me and I was amazed. I was pushing myself to do things I thought I never could.  I’ve always been a shy person, but in Mexico, I had to face every fear that still remained.  Rather than just stepping out of my comfort zone, I felt like I was taking a running leap!  With that, my confidence grew.  There were times I thought, “is this me?” – And it was, only a different me that felt more real because my heart was where it needed to be – fully willing to serve wherever I was needed. 

However, it wasn’t just me – everyone was working hard and serving.  In that service, there was one thing that stood out to me.  It was the joy that came with it.  People worked hard and sacrificed with joy.  And it wasn’t just the team. I was struck by the joy of the children at the ranch.  They didn’t have the newest toys or gadgets, but they were happy.  One image has stayed in my mind: Seven-year-old Lupita found an empty water bottle. She filled it with dirt, rocked it in her arms, and smiled at me as she pointed at it and said, “Baby.”  This little girl was happy just to pretend to have a baby doll.

My love for those kids grew stronger with every day.  I especially miss ten-year-old Gilberto who I nicknamed Champion after he beat me at close to thirty games of tic-tac-toe!  When it was time for us to go home, he wouldn’t stop hugging me and I didn’t want to stop hugging him.  Yet I realized that my love for him, as great as it is, is only a fraction of God’s love for each of those children.  It was a comfort to leave them, knowing that God had placed them in a palace where they’ll be taken care of physically and spiritually – a place where the gospel will always be preached.

I thank God I could go on this trip. I learned so much and grew in so many ways.  I’ll never forget the love and joy that our team and those kids had.  It was an incredible, God-glorifying, life-changing week that I will always remember.

Senior Invierno said:

Hola, mi amigos!  Buenos dias.

I recently had the great privilege of being part of the MX09 missions team to Rancho 3M.  I thought I was just going to chaperone my beautiful 17 year-old daughter, to protect her from the drug cartels, but as an afterthought, I asked if my son, James, nearly 15, could come along too.  I thought, “OK, kill two birds with one stone, Chris!  Take them both to Mexico and your obligation is done!”

Since January, I was very busy with church and life in general.. bills, Alpha, more bills, teaching a high school biology class at co-op, bills, car repairs, gardening, and taking part in various events and classes at church, so Mexico was very far from my weary mind and far from my heart.  I also tended to dismiss Mexicans as “nice, but just people who come over the border at night to make lots of money and not pay taxes.”

However, about a month before we were due to leave, Mark mentioned a letter from Dean Adamek, the director at the ranch, and told how two little girls had been dropped off by a friend of their family… Lupita, 7, and Estrella, 6,  (Estrella means ‘star’) were full of lice and dressed in dirty clothes.  The mother was too sick to care for them.  I suddenly had an overwhelming desire to meet those two little girls and to love them like Jesus.

The journey to Mexico was very exciting and we had many adventures along the way and saw some fascinating sights from the air and on the ground.  I was surprised to find that crossing into Mexico was very easy if you had food, such as cooked chicken and soda for the guards to enjoy!  Mexico was so, so poor and yet so happy and so colorful.  The people found joy in little things and seemed content and vibrant.  More content than me at times!  There was a noticeable difference between the American side of the border and the Mexican side.  We went from bland highways with traffic and billboards to laughing people, who sold their wares on the dusty roadside as they hung out with their friends, fixing cars, listening to music, eating, and fellowshipping!

On the Saturday at the ranch, we met all the kids, about forty of them.  They loved us and happily accepted our bad Spanish!  Sunday, afternoon, I met Lupita and Estrella for the first time, and found they had made friends with my daughter.  I discovered they had a very cute little brother with a round beaming face, named, Jesus.  He was five!  To my great surprise, the father had come to see them and he spent all day with them for two days over that weekend, and he poured out his love to them, and talked to me and some of the teens!  He liked us and we liked him.  He trusted us and we trusted him.

Well, we loved those forty kids all week, and because I headed-up the Kid’s Camp, I got to spend a lot of time with them.  We enjoyed crafts and games, and built two race cars out of boxes and junk.  We gave them ‘conchas’ shells and they eagerly took any small token… a cheap pen from the Dollar Tree, a pink or green clothes pin, a plastic coin with George Washington or Abraham Lincoln on the face, a colorful bracelet… we taught them the gospel through these bracelets, and two multi-colored soccer balls… “negro” “black” for ‘pecado/sin’; “rojo”, “red”- “sangre de Jesus”, ‘the blood of Jesus’, “perdon, white, blanca” – ‘for forgiveness’, “green, verde” – ‘growing with Jesus/crece con Jesus’, and finally “amarillo or oro” – yellow/gold for the hope of cielo (heaven, the casa (home) of God!)

On the last afternoon, I found myself in a class room with about twenty-five to thirty children aged 5-12 and we were enjoying each other’s company, communicating in pigeon English and pigeon Spanish… breaking up fights, deterring petty theft and blatant lying.  After the kids left the room looking like a grenade-impacted war zone, little Miguel, 7, popped his head around the door and offered to help tidy-up.  On his knees he picked up over a hundred lollipop sticks and wrappers.  He sorted books, dragged desks and stacked chairs.  I thanked him with a big smile, and a book, signed ‘Senor Invierno’.

As I walked to dinner, I saw tiny Jesus, all alone, heading for the dorm and towing a backpack on wheels, which was almost as big as him, and I let out a sob and a prayer, “O Lord, bless that tiny boy and keep him safe!”  

Very early the next morning, around 5am, the orphanage girls slept-in, while little boys appeared from the shadows to wave us goodbye.  Among them was Jonathan, Gilberto, Miguel, Jose, Christian… and Jesus.  As Steve called out urgently for us to get in the vans, I gave Jesus one last hug and kissed him on top of his head.  

Who would now care for gentle Jesus?  Not me, I was about to go home, back to the comforts of Northern Virginia, back to the green, green grass of home.  I found myself weeping at the El Paso airport Burger King over some cold hash browns… and it wasn’t the food that tugged at my heart.  I suddenly sobbed uncontrollably on the plane, and hid my head under my blanket.  I was reminded that the Lord would take care of all the orphans, just as He has always done.  He is a Mighty God and Father and nothing is too difficult for Him!  He owns the cattle on a thousand hills… and the burros.

I prayed again, “Lord, if you ever call me to full-time missions, send me to Rancho 3M… and the sooner the better! I am willing to give my all for this place.”

And as for Jesus?  I’ll see you next year little buddy, but until then, God keep you in His safe, strong hands!  You’ll do fine… and you’ll be better off for now, just where you are.

Here's what Rachel said about the trip:

As we started boarding the plane that would begin our journey to Mexico, I was curious as to what God was going to teach me on this trip.  I had prayed throughout the weeks prior to the trip that God would teach me something and renew my passion for Him.  Well, God most definitely answered my prayers.  Throughout the whole week God kept showing me over and over again the joy these children have in their hearts, the love that they so eagerly pour out on everybody, and the selfless attitudes they have.

Every time you looked at one of the children they had the biggest smile on their face.  They were so joyful and content with the very small amount of toys they had to play with.  I never heard a complaint about playing soccer with a deflated basketball.  I never saw a child unhappy because there wasn’t a bicycle for all of them to ride.  John 15:11 says “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”  These children definitely had the joy of the Lord in their hearts.  We arrived on a Saturday so the next morning we were able to attend church with the children and staff.  While there, they took an offering.  So many of the boys got up out of their seats with a huge smile, skipped up to the offering plate, and dropped their little coins in.  These children have nothing and yet they were so happy and grateful for what little they did have and gave that back to God with cheerful hearts.

I know all of us are familiar with 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 which says “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  A lot of the children at the ranch have come from abusive backgrounds.  Some have just been abandoned.  Even though these kids hadn’t been shown true love, they displayed true love.  The older teens living on the ranch were very patient with the younger ones when working on a craft or acting as an interpreter for those of us who didn’t speak much Spanish.  There was one afternoon on the trip where I wasn’t feeling so great emotionally, and being the cry baby I am started crying.  Two of the younger boys saw me and gave me the biggest hugs and smiles.  One of them dug in his pocket until he found a tissue for me to use.  The rest of that day they kept coming back to me smiling and asking if I was better.  This may seem like a small act, but it meant so much to me that young boys would come up to me concerned about how I am feeling. They weren’t concerned about missing the soccer game or missing time with their friends.  They were more concerned about loving me and asking me how I was doing.

John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one that this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.”   Now although no children gave up their lives for me, they did sacrifice time to serve me and others of us that went on the trip.  There was one day on the trip where I was climbing up on ladders to work on caulking.  Two of the older boys came over to watch and as they saw me climbing up on the ladder one of them came over to support it so it wouldn’t fall over.  All the other children were playing games but these two decided to come help serve me.  I also found out later that day that a few of the other older boys had gone to help with the welding.  They didn’t have to do that and as far as I know they weren’t asked to help.  But they were so willing to help “the Americans” that they didn’t think about what they would like to do, but instead came to serve us.  The very last night of our trip, we had a bonfire.  One of the younger boys, Kevin, had fallen asleep in Regina’s lap.  An older boy, Luis, very gently carried Kevin off to bed when Regina asked.  Luis wasn’t upset that his time with his friends got interrupted.  He very willingly and lovingly got up to care for Kevin by putting him in bed.  

I could keep going on with examples of how these children were joyful, loving, and selfless, but that could take a while and I want to let you guys know how these examples taught me.  So often I am complaining that my sister took all the hot water in the shower, or upset because I can’t find anything to eat or wear.  God really showed me on this trip to be grateful with what I do have.  Which is so much!  There is absolutely no reason for me to complain about my life.  I have been so very blessed!  Another thing I was taught was love.  Especially towards my family.  God has placed me in my family for a reason.  I have three younger sisters that are looking up to me to care for them and encourage them.  So often I am too busy thinking of myself and what I would like to do that I completely ignore them or am harsh with them.  One final thing I was taught was selflessness.  Newsflash for Rachel!  The world really doesn’t revolve around you.  God has taught me that I need to look outside of myself and look out for others that I can serve.  As our theme verse for youth group says “and He died for all that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.”  (2 Corinthians 5:15) Christ has saved me so that I can live for Him and give glory to His name by serving Him and His people.  I am so thankful to God for sending me on this trip and teaching me so much in just one week.  But, even beyond that, I can’t thank God enough for sending His son to die for me so that I can be joyful in Him, shine His love, and live my life for Him not myself.  To God be the glory.