Chicas y Muchachos

We are currently doing a series in our High School Ministry called "Chicas y Muchachos". The point of this series to talk about sex. Yep, you read it right; sex. We want to teach our high school about sex and how to wait. See I have worked with students now for almost eight years and the reoccurring theme I hear is the pain and hurt from unwise sexual decisions. The series has been a home run so far (I never played baseball but have always wanted to say that).

The great thing about doing a series on purity is we get the chance to radically be involved in the lives of the students we work with. The adverse side of this is that stuff comes out. I think there are times that I avoid teaching on a topic because I know stuff is going to come out. Like when the hurricane happen in Louisiana the water filled the sewers and stuff came out that no one wanted to deal with; well we have some rad leaders who are prepared to deal with the stuff that comes out!

Here's how the series breaks out:
Week 1: Sex and Love, Love > Sex (Intro week)
Week 2: R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (you gotta respect yourself)
Week 3: The Difference between Pink and Blue
Week 4: Dealing with Lives Hurts
Week 5: I got a Question
Week 6: The Choice of Purity

See the first three weeks of this series we have just talked about sex and how that impacts us and the world we live in (we live in Sin City) and the last three weeks we are going to talk about healing and how to make right choices to avoid the pain of unwise sexual decisions.

A Place Few Marriages Make

On January 7th 2005 Charity and I got married in Encinitas, CA. The day was not exactly what we had planned but the end goal was for us to be married to each other. We were supposed to have our ceremony on Ponto Beach just north of Encinitas. It hadn't raided in San Diego for about six months and of course the day we were supposed to get married it started raining (not just rain, but torrential downpour).

Well we got the crew together and changed the reception place into the ceremony/reception place. We had some great help from some wonderful friends! The night was so much fun getting to have all our families together for the special night.

Now fast forward five years

Charity and I have been married for five years. We have spent all of those married years in Las Vegas, NV serving in Student Ministries as South Hills Church Community. Well more than just working; Charity finished her Bachelor's degree, we went to Africa, met some great friends, had a beautiful daughter and much more!

We had always joked about doing an Elvis Wedding down on the strip. Well on our five year we did it! We headed to the strip along to Graceland Wedding Chapel with some great friends that we met here (you know who you are). This picture is a bit different (Sophie made it here) and Elvis is in the background. The night was so much fun. Maybe it would be better to say that the night was super funny and full of laughs.

We had a great time. I love doing life with Charity and all the enjoyable moments that we have together. One thing that just makes the story is that Charity is 8 months pregnant with our next daughter!

Winter Camp 2010 Recap

This years winter camp was amazing! I think that every year our team gets better and better at this trip! When I say "better" I mean more effective. We have been able to extend the trip and keep the cost down. We had two amazing leaders who go up the day before and stock the homes with food so that the students don't starve. We have established a great relationship with Town Hall in Brian Head and are able to rent it out for our meetings. I have noticed that our team (adult leaders) love the trip; it gives them a chance to connect with students over the weekend without missing too much work.

This year we had Brian Berry come and speak and he nailed it. The cabin discussion was wonderful in my cabin, and the leaders shared the same. Christian Calvo came and lead us in worship through music. There is something cool about worshiping in a small room with little amplification and just students voices. This year camp was great: I loved it! Don't believe me? Watch for yourself then!