The Silbermans

JANUARY UPDATE

2012-02-03T07:24:00.001-07:00

Greetings, from Cofradía, Mexico! We are excited to share with you some of the things that have been happening in our part of the world. First of all, we want to thank you so much for your faithfulness in praying and supporting this ministry. We are blessed to have such a great team of friends and family partnering with us. Really, words cannot express our gratefulness to you as these past few months have been busier than normal; we’ve really needed your prayers!

Last month, we asked for your prayers concerning:

Parents’ Visit: It was an extremely huge blessing to have my parents with us for Christmas and New Years. That time of year is the best time in Cofradía; the weather is nice and it’s so fun to be able to visit people and spend time with them around bonfires and barbecues. We were a little more busy this year than in years past, but we were still able to spend some quality time together as a family. There’s lots more to read and see on our blog post of their time here.
Youth Activities: The youth ministry is doing really well under the supervision of Pastor Luis. The annual Christmas party went really well and a number of un-churched students participated in the Winter Sports Tournament that is designed to be a door of opportunity to share with them the love of Christ which was done successfully.
Upper Room Project: We have been working hard on getting the roof done before the rains. Just this Monday, the cement trucks came and poured the roof. There are a few more details to be taken care of in order to finish and seal the roof. Windows are going to be a high priority for us as it would be very easy for someone to hop through one and invite themselves in the house. Click here for more updated pictures and comments..
Follow up of New Believers: We have been working hard to develop structure for the local church that will enable them to make follow-up natural for them. Thank you for keeping this in your prayers.
Ministry Transition: Things are going very well. Please keep praying as this has become one of the main focuses of the Mission Base and Church. It is a very exciting time and in much need of your continued faithful prayers.

Links to other news:

Short Term Mission Teams in January. We had two teams in January, a women’s team that came to work specifically with the women’s ministry and a men’s team who came to put pavers in our church’s courtyard. They are regular teams that come down and they did an excellent job, again. Here is a little more info.
Church Courtyard Pavers. A report about Short-term Missions team, His Place Church, helping us by setting pavers in the church’s courtyard. Click here to see the new improvements.

This Month’s requests:

Administration. I would appreciate your prayers this next month as I will be dealing with a number of administrative tasks with our family, the mission base, and the church. I ask the Lord for a clear mind, encouragement, strength, and wisdom to complete these tasks.
Homeschool. This is an area that I really struggle with for the mental energy and patience it requires. Please pray that time, patience, wisdom, and willingness to learn would all be plentiful as I meet with Emma in the mornings and Rebecka in the afternoons.
Marriage and Family Conference. Former Alternative Missions Cofradía Missionaries, Doug and Jan Taylor, will be with us to meet with our church leaders (2/16) and the congregation (2/17 – 2/19) as they speak in this conference.
Inauguration Anniversary. We will be celebrating one year in our new building on Sunday, February 26, with a special service and meal.
New Baby. We are excited to announce that Rebecka and Emma will be sisters of a new baby in August! Please pray for Geña during the pregnancy and keep this in your prayers over the next upcoming months.

Thank you very much for partnering with us through your prayers and financial support.
Click here to donate to our personal support.

Blessings,
Steve, Geña, Rebecka and Emma Rose Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions Cofradia
Area Director
Facebook
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

Church Courtyard Pavers

2012-02-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

His Place Church from Burlington, Washington sent 5 men to help us with the project of putting in pavers in the church's courtyard. We have had difficulty during the rainy season with it being very muddy. The slope of the ground causes that mud to run right to the main door making it a big job on Sunday mornings to clean before people come. We still would like to put a cement slab between the pavers and the rocks in order to have vehicle access to the library. Here are a few pictures of the project in process and the final product at the end. THANK YOU HIS PLACE!

Upper Room Project Update

2012-02-02T10:33:00.001-07:00

Click here and scroll down to see the update.

Silberman Christmas in Cofradía

2012-01-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

What a joy it was to have my parents here for their first Christmas in Cofradía. It was an unforgettable time filled with memory making moments. One of the most memorable things that happened the impact that Santa Claus has on not just children, but adults as well. Why? Take a look...

It was comical as to how many people turned their heads and made comments (sometimes not knowing that I could understand). He even had someone come up to him on Christmas Day asking him where their presents were....oops! Everywhere we went, people thought, and kids believed he was Santa. One little boy commented, "He really does exist!" It was fun, and people had fun getting their pictures taken with him at the house, at Church, and even at the Mall in Tepic (even the fake Santa there got his picture with him).

More memorable moments were spent with Rebecka and Emma playing "Slap-Jack," "Spoons," putting puzzles together, coloring, and watching movies.

We ventured out on a couple of trips away from Cofradía to Puerta Platanares to see the coffee fields and learn a little of the process on how they're grown, picked, dried, and cleaned. We also saw the pineapple fields as they are starting to flower.

Also, we went to Aguamilpa; which is a humongous lake in the mountains. The attraction there is the damn that provides electricity to the whole state of Nayarit.

Many more memories were made, but along with bonfires on Christmas Eve and again on New Year's Eve accompanied with an Armadillo feast, these were just some highlights.

Here are some more pictures of our time together...

the first night in Mazatlán with Roger and Hazel was a great way to start!

I'm beginning to wonder if....

Hugo and his family

Adopted son, Max. :)

Christmas morning.

Hugo took us out to his corn and been field.

Can't wait until next time they come. It was a lot of fun!

Short Term Missions in Cofradía

2012-01-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

We are blessed to have had many, many people come through Cofradía to work on the church, the mission base, and in the community coupled with ministering to children, youth, and adults; sometimes in a general sense, mostly with a specific purpose. We are very thankful for these Short Term Missionaries who made commitments to help shine the light of Jesus in the hearts of people. We welcome you if you would like to do the same or reconnect with a friend you made in this ministry. One of the most impactful things we can do is build relationships.

Building relationship is what Cy-Fair Christian Church from Houston, Texas has done for many years by sending youth teams and adult teams to minister with a specific purpose in mind. Each year they send a team of women to minister to the women in our church. What an exciting time! All year long our women look forward to their return. The past couple of years, they have finished their time with a huge overnight pajama party just for women while the children stay home with their dads. The only thing I know is that they stay up all night long and their singing and laughter can be heard beyond the confines of the church walls. The excitement that is heard is incredible. The relationships that are built and nurtured are unforgettable. God's work through them is undeniable. They laugh together and they cry together. Amazing.

One of the team members has been writing about her experiences and the relationships she has built. She has given me permission to pass this link on to you: Click Here.

His Place Community Church from Burlington, Washington is another team that comes down frequently as a construction team to accomplish specific jobs. They have become well known here as hard workers and very relational. This week they are here working on the church's courtyard installing a special cobblestone, which will be very nice during the rainy season, as it gets really muddy. They are doing a great job.

If you have an interest in serving people through missions, I invite you to be part of or put together a team. There are many things we can do. Let's be creative and partner together to help support the local church, raise up leaders, serve the community, and share the love of Jesus to those who don't know him.

Please let us know here.

The Upper Room Project

2011-12-19T17:37:00.004-07:00

Help make a difference in Cofradía through The Upper Room Project.

DECEMBER UPDATE

2011-12-19T17:26:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas Everyone from Cofradía, Mexico! As the cool weather approaches, it’s nice to sit down in the morning with a hot cup of coffee and consider the day and the different aspects of our life and ministry. Our prayer is that this time of year is a joyous celebration for you as we are reminded of our Savior's birth. Some of you will be with family, others may not. Still, others might be missing loved one’s who have passed this year. Our hearts go out to you. May the Lord bring His Peace upon your life, especially in this time.

Last month, we asked for your prayers concerning:

Pastor Gollo, he is in good health. He has had some studies done and after investigating, it appears to be something very minimal and for no need of an operation. Thank you VERY MUCH for praying for this issue.
Youth Concert Thank you for continuing to lift up the student ministry as they make good efforts to reach out to their peers.
Border Trip Thank you for your prayers over our family as we travelled to and from Tucson, AZ to take care of a couple of business items and spend time with our friends’ family during Thanksgiving. It was a very busy time for us leaving us with minimal time to rest. However, we enjoyed our time and the new people we met.
Pastor Rafael Gradilla came last weekend and, as always, he made a great impact on the lives of our Pastor, Leaders, Church, and even the visitors who came to our Evangelistic outreach. There were 6 people who have never come to church before who responded to the invitation of receiving Christ into their hearts. One of which was a wonderful surprise to see step forward, Doña Chuy (for those of you who know Pastor Horacio, it’s his mother-in-law). We had an excellent time of fellowship and teaching and wish that the time could have been longer. Thank you for your prayers.

Links to the news:

This Month’s requests:

Parents’ Visit: We are all excited for a visit from my parents between December 13 – January 5. It will be their first Christmas with us in Mexico. Please pray for travel safety and good health while they are here.
Youth Christmas Party: Each year the students have a Christmas Party where they invite their friends to youth group. This usually has a good turn-out. Please pray that the students who come will be impacted during this time (December 17).
Youth Winter Sports Tournaments: Our Annual Winter Sports Tournament for the youth will take place the week of December 26 – 31. This is another door for the unchurched to know Christ.
Upper Room Project: We have started building our upstairs rooms and are praying that you can be part of the Lord’s provision to finish the roof before the rainy season. Sometimes, a rain or two will come in January or February. We need to raise at least $8000 more dollars. You can send a one-time gift before the end of the year or extend a gift over 6 months, whichever is more convenient for you. Donate here and make a note that it’s for the Silberman’s Home:
Follow up of New Believers: Please continue to keep in prayer the new believers and that the Lord will give us wisdom in the follow-up.
Ministry Transition: Thank you for continuing to keep this ministry in your prayers as we follow the Lord’s direction during our transition period. The initial changes have been set in place, our mission and new vision have been established, now we need patience and wisdom to carry out God’s call on us in this part of the world as more changes will be necessary. Please pray, also, that the church body adjusts well to this transition time as well.

NOVEMBER UPDATE

2011-11-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings Everyone from Cofradía, Mexico! New beginnings is a good summary of the past month in Cofradia. A Marriage Class was started and will meet the first Sunday of each month, it’s called “Unteaching Marriages” as some of the things locals have grown up to “know” about marriage are contrary to scripture. Also, our new Missionary Staff spent a couple of days in Mazatlan on an Off-Site Retreat to reflect, plan, and prepare for the future. And, another ministry transition has taken place as I have stepped down from being the Student Ministry Director and handed to my right-hand man, Pastor Luis Vazquez. Finally, we have begun the continued construction of our home.

Last month, we asked for your prayers concerning:

Staff Retreat. This was a great time of getting away, being with each other, and re-evaluating our goals. Thank you for your prayers, you can read about it here.
Visitors. Thank you for your prayers as a couple from the US came to travel up to the mountains with Jay to minister to the Cora Indians. Their trip was very smooth and were able to communicate the gospel to the people.

Links to the news:

This Month’s requests:

Pastor Gollo is going through a series of tests for his health. Please keep him in your prayers as surgery is in his near future. Finances will be an issue.
Youth Concert The Student Ministry will be putting on a concert to invite their friends to learn about Jesus. Pray for open doors and open hearts. (Nov. 12)
Border Trip Our family will be going to Arizona for a couple of weeks to take care of some business, do some shopping, rest a little, and spend Thanksgiving with some friends. (Nov. 14-28)
Pastor Rafael Gradilla from Hosana Asamblea in Bellevue, Washington will be sharing with our leaders and congregation soon. His pastoral leadership has a tremendous impact on the people here and we’re all excited to have him come. Please pray for open hearts and safe travels. (Nov. 30 – Dec. 4)

House Construction

2011-11-02T11:02:00.003-07:00

The final phase of our house has begun. Hugo (Geña's brother) started working last week and we're pretty excited about this--especially Rebecka and Emma! It will be nice to have some extra room as the girls are getting older.

Our immediate goal will be to put up the walls and roof before the next rainy season. To make sure that we can do that, we'll need $10,000. Can you help?

Donate online here or click here to view other ways if donating online is not for you. Thank you.

Staff Retreat

2011-10-20T18:21:00.002-07:00

What an exciting time in Mazatlán we had with our Cofradía Missionary Staff! We spent three days in a very nice Hotel/Hacienda in Old Mazatlán's downtown called The Melville. We rented two suites, each with two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, dining, and living rooms. It was a great, private place to refocus as we edified, planned, and prepared.

We spent the first day having fun together and talking about cancer in teams as opposed to what makes a great team. We hiked up to the lighthouse and had a very nice dinner at La Playa Mazatlán as we caught the tail end of the beautiful sunset over the Pacific.

The next day we talked about almost every aspect of our ministry. It was a series of long needed discussion and clarification of our responsibilities as team members and ministers. We finished the evening with a very engaging and exciting game of Pictionary. Men vs. women. The women had us beat, but the we came back very strong at the end to squeak out the win!

The final day we prepared ourselves to return back to Cofradía. It was a great three days that brought our team together. We are unified and ready to RAISE UP LEADERS IN RURAL MEXICO.

If you are interested in ministry as a missionary or intern, don't hesitate to email us. We would love to give you an opportunity to minister. You might want to come down with a short-term missions team, as an intern, or consider a longer term commitment. Alternative Missions' catch phrase is "Creative Ways of Serving the World." What creative way would you like to serve God, serving the World?

Staff at the top of the Mazatlan Lighthouse

Dinner at La Playa Mazatlan

The tail end of the sunset during dinner.

Planning

"Pictionary" awaits

Max drawing...something

Student Ministry Transition

2011-10-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

As I've been mentioning in our monthly reports, our ministry in Cofradía has been going through a transition since June. In July, I was appointed as the new Area Director for this ministry. I am excited about the opportunity to lead this ministry in the next step of raising up leaders in rural Mexico.

Pastor Luis Vazquez

For the past couple of years I've been able to watch my right-hand man in the Student Ministry, Luis Vazquez, grow and take ownership of the Youth Group. He's really been leading it for a while, I've just been there coaching him. With new responsibilities and knowing how God has developed the Student Leadership team, I'm confident in taking new steps myself as I step down as the Student Ministry Director in Cofradia.

In my opinion, I couldn't ask for a smoother transition. For the newer and younger youth, this change is not even close to monumental. Luis has been their "Pastor" for a while. It's a strange feeling not being in charge or working first hand with the youth, it's hard to imagine doing anything else. I love the Student Ministry we have; they're awesome! At the same time, I'm excited because this was my goal as a Missionary--to work myself out of a job.

As we continue to move forward, we appreciate your prayers and continued support. Please pray for Pastor Luis as he accepts the responsibility the Lord has given him in leading the Student Ministry of Centro Cristiano Cofradia. Also, thank you for your prayers for our staff as we follow the Spirit's leading in this ministry.

Alternative Missions Cofradía Staff:
Max, Jay, Faith, Mati, Pastor Gollo, Geña, Steve, Sandy

Thanks again for your continued support. Your donations are changing lives.

Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden

2011-10-20T15:59:00.002-07:00

Transforming Discipleship by Greg Ogden

I just finished reading this book that has been staring at me for a few years now since my dad gave it to me. It was a little difficult to get into just because I'm not an enthusiastic reader. Once I got about half way, I could relate to a lot of what Greg was writing about. This book is very similar to one I read earlier this year, They Smell Like Sheep, which I really enjoyed.

Transforming Discipleship is all about that, Discipleship. This is not a new concept to me although he claims to have invented it. Maybe I've heard or read something about him before?? Either way, it is something that I've always been passionate about. He talks about getting into small groups of 3 or 4 same gendered people and spend a year together studying, reading, praying, and challenging each other to grow as you keep one another accountable. This is a great concept and is similar to a couple of relationships I already have down here. The obvious purpose is for discipling the believers. The goal is that those other two or three people in your small group do the same thing the next year, but with different people. This, ideally, would create solid multiplying growth. We can sometimes get caught up in "such and such a number of people got saved." That's great, but I've always wondered who's discipling those who get saved??

I am very interested in integrating this as a "process" (he calls it) in our ministry. I want to try it out for a year. To start it, it will take $100 to buy two Transforming Discipleship books in Spanish and four Discipleship Essentials manuals in Spanish. Pastor Gollo and I are planning on starting this as soon as we can purchase them. I'm pretty optimistic about this since we already have a men's group that is integrated in the Church Ministry. It would be great if we could develop some more solid believers who are not ashamed of the Gospel. Cofradía would continue to be transformed into a different place. God is moving here and we're excited about it!

Here are just a few quotes that caught my attention:

"The tragedy is that most Christian leaders have placed almost no priority in transitional leadership."
"Discipleship is an intentional relationship in which we walk alongside other disciples in order to encourage, equip, and challenge one another in love to grow toward maturity in Christ. This includes equipping the disciple to teach others as well."
"Intimate, accountable relationship with other believers is the foundation for growing in discipleship."

I recommend this book, not just to church leaders, but anyone who is interested in learning more about God and developing a more intimate relationship with Him.

You can be part of this transformation by making a donation so we can purchase manuals. Click on this link and choose "AM Ministry Location" "Cofradia" and make a note for "Discipleship." Thanks for transforming the World.

October Ministry Update

2011-10-07T16:00:00.001-07:00

Greetings Everyone from Cofradía, Mexico! The rainy season is coming to an end and an occasional cool breeze is reminding us that the hot muggy weather is only temporal—Praise the Lord for that! We have just finished our annual Student Ministry Outreach called EL RETO (The Challenge). It was another amazing time. We were able to make connections with many new students and I’m excited to see the enthusiasm of the regulars as they interact with new students. The captains did a great job and we really were able to pull the reins on competitive spirits this year with emphasizing that we are all on one team and our goal is to reach out to students—the games are just a tool we’re using to draw them in. I don’t recall in years past that teams would help each other (opponents) as much as they did this year. I was impressed with our students!

Last month, we asked for your prayers concerning:

Finances for EL RETO. We received 1/10 of the $2,000 that was our original budget causing us to cut back on a number of things. EL RETO was a success, but unfortunately we did not feel free to do more than what we did.
Impacted lives in EL RETO. I believe God uses EL RETO to bring to light issues in all of us, including myself. This is such a unique outreach that I do not know what to compare it to. Yes, lives were touched and changed. God is still working in many of us. Confrontation has always been difficult for me and through EL RETO I have been able to put into practice what I’ve never liked to do. EVERY TIME through the Lord’s guidance, we are able to resolve the conflicts that arise. For that reason, I know that God has His hand in this ministry! It became aware to me in 2007 that this was not just an outreach to students, but an opportunity to develop leadership skills in myself, the team captains, and the adult staff helping. It’s simply INCREDIBLE!

Links to the news:

The RETO Captain’s Retreat: We took all 6 captains to the beach to start EL RETO with their choosing of team colors and Bible Stories. We also introduced the Medallion of Power. Watch the video here to see what happens.
Identity Time in EL RETO Week One: This is a very short video clip (48 sec) with an explanation and showing the students making their flags, banners, and epitaphs. It really brings the atmosphere to life and makes you feel like you’re there.
Full Report of EL RETO Week One: This is a detailed report of the first week.
The Great Deception: This is a report on one of the most impactful teachable moments we’ve had in the history of EL RETO. Read this to see what happened.
Full Report of EL RETO Week Two
Full Report of EL RETO Week Three
Full Report of EL RETO Week Four
Full Report of EL RETO Week Five
Full Report of EL RETO Week Six (EL RETO FINAL): Who is the winning team? Read here.
Follow EL RETO on Facebook
EL RETO Donations: Click here for instructions on how to donate to EL RETO.
August Video Update

This Month’s requests:

Staff Retreat. All of our staff will be heading to Mazatlan for two nights to discuss vision, responsibilities, future plans, and how to grow together. I’m looking forward to it in spite of being drained after EL RETO. Please pray for wisdom in all of us, that the Lord would have His hand on us, that His Spirit would guide us to make wise decisions, and give us the strength to complete the tasks He’s given us (October 10-12).
Visitors. We have a few visitors coming at the end of October to work along side Jay and the Indigenous Ministry with the unreached Cora Indian people group (October 16-30). Pray for safety as they travel up into the mountains and favor with the people.

EL RETO 2011 - WEEK 6: EL RETO FINAL

2011-10-06T18:11:00.000-07:00

EL RETO 2011

EL RETO FINAL...

We had 94 participants this year in EL RETO. This year had a different twist in terms of its seriousness with the messages. The teachings we encountered were not light-hearted. The main theme was that our existence continues; I believe that message got across. Many of the students encountered other teachable moments such as asking for forgiveness and forgiving, humbling oneself, dealing with anger, recognizing that there are false doctrines that look like the truth, learning about the reality of heaven and hell, and the list goes on.

Saturday, October 1, we began with our students leading the worship. Martin followed with a great Word as he encouraged the students to make a decision about who they will serve. After Martin preached, Pastor Luis led a time of prayer with the students. It was a great time. Not all the students came forward, but many of them did, as they were hungry for a touch from God.

Finally, the staff as well as students gave testimonies of how their lives were changed and gave encouraging words to others.

Since many of the people present were visitors that had been invited, I gave a quick summary of events before we presented those who had found the hidden treasures and then carried out the raffle.

Jay TenBrink made three of these mini caskets for us as our Hidden Treasures

HIDDEN TREASURES

All three hidden treasures started with the same clue, but different dates. The first clue stated that, "The treasure was in a piece of land that I used to own," then it gave the dates of birth and death of the person. That means the students had to go to the graveyard to find those dates and work on figuring out what land they used to own.

Grace: Grace was hidden just outside of Arrayanes. The Faithful found the treasure and it redeemed to them all the points they used in the RETO Auction: 9,300 points!

Justice: Justice was hidden just outside of Cofradía. The Chosen found this treasure and it allowed them to add points to other teams. For every two points they added, they would get 1 one point. They could give up to 5,000 points. They added 5,000 points to The Humble and in turn received 2,500 points for themselves.

Resurrection: Resurrection was hidden just outside of Santa Fe. The Heirs found this treasure that gave them the opportunity to challenge the team that ended with the most points in one final challenge (EL RETO FINAL). This was a free pass to the "Championship."

Once we finished with that, Max carried out the Raffle with Rebecka's help. Two of the items have yet to be claimed, but Juan Luis and Pola of Arrayanes won the stereo.

Then, the moment that the students had been waiting for: the announcing of the points...

In Sixth place with 3,809 points - The Prudent

In Fifth place with 5,739 points - The Servants of the Lord

In Fourth place with 6,198 points - The Chosen

In Third place with 11,654 points - The Humble

Between first and second place, there was only 1,800 points difference. Considering the high scores they had, that's not very much. The two teams left were The Faithful and The Heirs. If The Faithful has more points, we would have a final challenge between these two teams since The Heirs had found the Hidden Treasure "Resurrection." If The Heirs has more points, they win.

Second place points: 22,047

First place points: 23,808

Congratulations to The Heirs who dominated all six weeks and by the skin of their teeth, won EL RETO 2011 with 23,808 points!

The Heirs

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INVEST IN THE LIVES OF THE STUDENTS IN COFRADIA AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS, YOU CAN PRAY AND GIVE. CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE HOW TO GIVE. THANKS.

EL RETO 2011 - WEEK FIVE

2011-09-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

"TO BE CONTINUED..."

One of the key words you will learn on a missions trip to Mexico is "flexibility." Sometimes you have to be ready to make split decisions given the circumstances that arise. This is how we started on Saturday.

Because of a death in town and a town meeting, the Town Commissioner asked us if we could do our open-air program on Sunday. Our plan was to carry out our activities in the Center of town after we were given permission last week. Since Town Hall is less than a block away and the funeral wake was directly in front of Town Hall, it didn't work out.

It was 3pm already, time to start. Instead of cancelling the whole event, we decided to go back to the church for our annual RETO Auction. Each team had a drama or skit ready as well; this was all to take place in the center as part of the outreach and open-air evangelism. Instead of performing the dramas, each team did a "practice run" in preparation for Sunday as we decided to do just the open-air evangelism at the south end of town in front of the Jr. High.

So, we had three activities on Saturday (The Auction, the practice, and Part Two) and one on Sunday (The Evangelism).

The students had been anticipating the auction all week. It is something we've done for the past four years and has turned into a classic. Each team is given a secret note informing them of how many points they have. All the teams can bid on any item they want, however, all of the items are hidden in a box. They "buy" theses unknown items with the points they have. Some teams use up all their points as they really have fun bidding and receiving the prizes we give them. Some prizes are good; others are not so good.

The RETO AUCTION 2011 begins!

Each time a team bought an item, we would bring out another box so they could choose between the two. Sometimes, they chose the one we brought out instead.

The Servants of the Lord bought the first item--a cake!

The Humble bought the second item (some kind of tree gum).

They also bought #3--ICE CREAM!

The Heirs entered into the action taking #4--another cake!

When The Prudent got in on the action, they got A NEW CAR!--a matchbox car, that is.

The Chosen's first item bought were the clues to the Hidden Treasure "Grace."

The Faithful bought some Oreo Cookies in #7.

By this time, the students were on their feet going crazy as they bid the most points ever in the history of EL RETO AUCTION!

The Chosen would say that it paid off by getting three 3-liter cokes in #8!

and The Servants of the Lord got a bunch of chips!

The Humble finished their ice cream and bought some Snickers!

The Prudent entered in again and got the clues to the Hidden Treasure "Judgement."

The Faithful won 3,000 points!

Then, right away, bought the next item--all the clues to the Hidden Treasure "Resurrection."

The Prudent took the candy.

Fran is about to open a note that says his team has to do chores after church on Sunday. He wasn't happy.

The Heirs entered the bidding again and had to distribute 3000 points amongst two teams. They decided to give The Servants of the Lord 500 points and take 2,500 points for themselves.

In the end, Alfredo's team won a taco feast for the second year in a row! This is the item that all the teams are hoping to get!

RESULTS OF POINTS SPENT IN THE AUCTION:

The Prudent - 11,600 pts.
The Servants of the Lord - 11,100 pts.
The Chosen - 8,100 pts.
The Humble - 7,900 pts.
The Heirs - 2,400 pts.
The Faithful - 9,300 pts.

Once we finished the auction, each team did a practice run of their team project. We saw dramas, skits, and human videos.

In Part Two, we shared about what the Bible says about Heaven, where it is and who it's for.

Part Two begins

The teams, then, came up for their final vote as they voted for another team to receive a prize (all of the clues to all of the hidden treasures).

Here are the votes...

The Heirs voted for The Humble.

The Prudent voted for The Humble.

The Faithful voted for The Humble.

The Servants of the Lord voted for The Humble.

The Chosen voted for The Humble.

The Humble voted for The Chosen.

Amazing! The votes were unanimous as all the teams (except for The Humble) voted for The Humble.

We had the staff pass through the graveyard to the voting room as well so they could experience what the students experienced each week. They even got to cast a vote for the team they thought had done a great job during EL RETO.

The Staff makes their way through the Graveyard.

Without knowing how the teams voted, the majority of the staff voted for The Humble, so they got the vote.

The next day, we held the open-air evangelism at the basketball court in front of the Jr. High. Five of the six teams performed their project and they all did a great job. Pastor Luis shared about the Rich Man and Lazarus followed by the students leading a couple of praise songs. The energy was incredible and it was a very exciting time. The students are learning about Christ, learning about the need to share their faith, and learning about what it means to persevere in Leadership. I am proud of every one of them!

Worship to begin with.

Chuy in action.

Fran and Cintia in the Lifehouse-Everything Human Video

Lifehouse-Everything

The Faithful had probably the best performance as they put together a skit of the story about the Talents.

Team captain, Alfredo Garzon, rocking out on his homemade electric guitar. He was absolutely hilarious as he had the crowd roaring with laughter!

The students led a time of praise in the end.

Next week, EL RETO FINAL.

TO BE CONTINUED...

EL RETO 2011 - WEEK FOUR

2011-09-22T11:29:00.001-07:00

EL RETO 2011 - WEEK FOUR

TO BE CONTINUED...

Ninety-two students have participated in this year's event so far. Right away, the students hopped in the vehicles to get started with all the action in Las Pilas, a town about 3 miles west. EL RETO goes from town to town in an attempt to attract attention and draw in not just students, but adults as well. As we are reaching out to the students involved, the people watching get interested and start asking questions. What an opportunity!

Getting ready to start in Las Pilas

After taking roll call, the teams' first challenge was to toss as many small sandbags into buckets as possible. Each bucket had a different value; the more points the farther away.

RESULTS:

The Faithful - 1,350 pts.
The Heirs - 900 pts.
The Prudent - 750 pts.
The Servants of the Lord - 400 pts.
The Humble - 300 pts.
The Chosen - 50 pts.

After finishing in Las Pilas, the teams travelled another two miles to the town of Paso Real del Bejuco. There, the teams played a basketball/footbal style game as they tried to get as many balloons in guarded buckets as possible.

RESULTS:

The Humble - 2,800 pts.
The Servants of the Lord - 2,500 pts.
The Heirs - 2,400 pts.
The Prudent - 1,900 pts.
The Faithful - 1,700 pts.
The Chosen - 1,600 pts.

From there, everyone got back into the trucks and headed back to Cofradía for the much awaited annual RETO Banquet Fear Factor style. This has proven to be one of the biggest events that everyone looks forward to every year! This year, with Martín Garzon's homecoming, we asked him to prepare some of the food that he experienced during his time in Oaxaca (not that the food is bad, just different). Also, some of the staff prepared some other dishes as well along with the classics that the students always expect: Cow Eyes and Jalapeño Peppers.

Here is the menu:

Chips

Mixed Cactus Drink

Grasshoppers (from Oaxaca)

Tamale with Black Beans (from Oaxaca)

Homemade Pocket Bread with Zucchini (from Oaxaca)

Eggroll-style flour burrito with zucchini and black beans (from Oaxaca)

Homemade Pocket Bread with Chicken Liver filling

Cow eye

Jalapeño Peppers

An onion the size of a racket ball

Then the whole team had to down a 3 liter bottle of coke.

The Banquet is always an incredible time with lots of energy. It is probably the most desired event by the students.

RESULTS:

First Place: The Heirs - 3,000 pts.
Second Place: The Chosen - 2,000 pts.
Third Place: The Prudent - 1,000 pts.
Fourth Place: The Servants of the Lord - 750 pts.
Participation Points: The Humble and The Faithful - 500 pts.

After the Banquet, we continued with Part Two. This was going to be a very unique Part Two since the Lord showed us how we could incorporate a very important lesson about real life, "Things Done in Secret."

Part Two

Each year we have what in English would be called "The War of Coins." Each Mexican peso coin has a point value. The greater the coin; the greater the point value. The ten-peso coin is worth a negative 250 points. Each team has the opportunity to deposit coins each week in their bottle as well as deposit ten-peso coins in other teams' bottles. This is why it's called a War. This year, the students have not waged any war for fear that they'll be seen. So, we set it up for them to be able to wage war in secret while they had their voting time. After each team had waged war, I removed the coins so that the other teams would not notice what had happened as they came in to vote. The end result was that 5 of the 6 teams waged war.

After the voting and the Coin War, I shared about how hurtful things can be to others, ourselves, and God, when we do things in secret that do not glorify God. Not only are those things hurtful, but also the Bible says, in real life, that those things that are done in secret will come to light.

At this point, I asked the students if they could put themselves in the place of being victimized. Then, for those who were responsible for the actions, I asked if they would like to come forward to the microphone to ask for forgiveness for what they did against the other teams. It was an amazing time! EL RETO is just a game, but we were able to create a teachable moment that had a huge impact on the lives of not only the students, but the adults as well who were watching. Four of the five teams came forward to ask for forgiveness, and each one was forgiven. The negative points were nullified and the slates were wiped clean.

TO BE CONTINUED...

EL RETO 2011 - WEEK THREE

2011-09-16T18:09:00.001-07:00

EL RETO 2011 WEEK THREE

"TO BE CONTINUED..."

The beginning in Arrayanes

Eight more new students showed up as we started our third week of events. This week we started in Arrayanes with the students painting their faces in order to get ready for one of our classic activities called "Gladiators."

Guille, The Heirs Captain

Aidé, The Prudent Captain

Alfredo, The Faithful Captain

Fernando, participant for The Heirs

In Gladiators, each team is given the opportunity to throw water-balloons at the other teams as they run through the course. The team running can hide behind block-aids, but they have to make it to the goal in less than a minute.

Each team made it through successfully within the time limit. Most teams were hit numerous times with water-balloons, but there was one team The Servants of the Lord who impressed us all with making it through twice without even getting hit once. They were the team to win the activity; they also hit the most individuals of the other teams when it was there turn to throw.

RESULTS:

The Servants of the Lord - 1,430 pts.
The Faithful - 1,350 pts.
The Prudent - 1,040 pts.
The Chosen - 930 pts.
The Heirs - 790 pts.
The Humble - 600 pts.

From Arrayanes we began another race, but this time in the vehicles with their drivers. Each team started in accordance with the points they had with the last place leaving first. The Humble used the Medallion of Power in this activity to give them a 5-minute advantage over the next team to leave.

As they broke the code to where they were supposed to go, they ran to the basketball court where the drivers were waiting. Once they got to the Arrayanes Bridge, they had to decide weather or not they wanted to "pay" to go across or just run through the river below and not pay. Every team chose to run through the river!

The Prudent running the race

Crossing the river

After the bridge, they made it to the entrance of Cofradía where they had to draw a bottle with a message in it. Whatever the message said is the route they had to take. There were three messages: "Life," "Death," and "To Be Continued...".

Life: In "Life," the teams had to make their way to the center of town and memorize a verse from the Bible, recite it to the staff that was waiting for them, make their way to the store that sold gas, buy 2 gallons of gas (money was provided), and continue on to the town of Las Pilas. The Servants of the Lord and The Heirs both had to take this route.

Death: In "Death," they had to make their way around the outskirts of Cofradía and once they reached the soccer field in San Marcos, they had to run around the field two times, then continue to circle Cofradía, stop at the same gas store, buy 2 gallons, and continue on to the town of Las Pilas. The Humble, The Prudent, and The Chosen had to take this route.

To Be Continued: In "To Be Continued," all they had to do was drive right through Cofradía without stopping and make their way to the town of Las Pilas. The Faithful drew this one.

TEACHABLE MOMENT:

Sometimes, life throws curve balls at us and certain things that happen outside of our control can be either really great and easy ("To Be Continued"), or normal ("Life"), or even sometimes it can be something very difficult ("Death"). Even though things come our way, we can still trust in the Lord for his strength and give him thanks for the blessings he gives us.

As they left Cofradía, they made it to the main bridge to town and again all the teams decided to run through the river.

Their next stop was Las Pilas. The week before I had told them to study Matthew 5:1-12, The Beatitudes. So this week, I put together a quiz for them to fill out. Each team did pretty well; only one had some difficulty.

Arriving in Las Pilas

RESULTS:

The Faithful - 2,000 pts.
The Servants of the Lord - 1,500 pts.
The Prudent - 1,000 pts.
The Heirs - 750 pts.
The Chosen, The Humble - 500 pts.

In Las Pilas, we had one more activity for them to do. Near the small lake, they had to fill a bucket full of water as a team. While most of the team was holding halves of PVC pipe, three individuals were running down to the water's edge filling up smaller buckets and poured the water from the beginning of the line. This ended up being a really exciting game! Hardly anyone was dry at the end, even the staff got muddy from the splashes of the student's feet as they watched.

The beginning of the activity near the small lake

RESULTS:

The Servants of the Lord - 1,500 pts.
The Heirs - 1,000 pts.
The Prudent, The Faithful - 500 pts.

Finally, we ended the evening in "Part Two" as we do every Saturday. This week's teaching was what the Bible says about Hell. Is it Real? Yes!, Where is it? The Bible doesn't say, and How do I avoid it? Jesus! Scriptures we used were, John 14:6 and 1 John 5: 11,12. As well as many that describe what hell is like.

Students listen in "Part Two"

We also continued with "generosity" as we did a two-for-one for the encouragement points we call "Filipos" or "Philippis." This idea comes from the book of Philippians, which is filled with encouragement. The drawback to this was that we also did the same thing for the penalties; and there were lots! Some teams lost 1,000 points or more!

The last item as usual was the voting time. This week the teams voted for a team to have to do clean up. The team that received the most votes was The Chosen, but they also were the only team to receive clues to the hidden treasures after they cleaned up the speed soccer court in Arrayanes.

The RETO Graveyard

The voting table

Teams vote

The Chosen were chosen to do clean up

FINAL RESULTS AFTER WEEK THREE ACTIVITES:

The Prudent: 2,863 (3); 7,413 (Total)
The Servants of the Lord: 4,414 (3); 8,416 (Total)
The Chosen: -178 (3); 5,928 (Total)
The Humble: 2,678 (3); 5,917 (Total)
The Heirs: 4,319 (3); 12,384 (Total)
The Faithful: 4,577 (3); 7,726 (Total)

TO BE CONTINUED...

EL RETO 2011 - WEEK TWO

2011-09-08T13:29:00.001-07:00

EL RETO 2011 WEEK TWO:

"To Be Continued..."

The energy continues as 64 young people (14 new students) showed up for the second week. That makes 80 participants after two weeks.

As normal, we start by taking roll call. Then, we immediately got into the activities as we gave points to the first team to be able to break the code to

"才哦年他一年我啊日啊"

The Chosen breaking the code

This was the sign they would see as they made their way on foot to Arrayanes, a town just under 3 miles north of Cofradía. The sign says "Continuará" which in English means "To Be Continued." Each sign would have an arrow indicating which way to go. Accompanied by chaperones, the teams took off one by one according to how many points they had from the previous week. Before reaching their destination, they will have put together a brain teaser in Cofradía's center plaza, decided between toll road and free road in order to head to the river where they were to run through a long puddle and match photos one by one. Once they matched 10 photos, they came to a tug-of-war station in the mud where they had to wait for the next team to arrive in order to realize the activity. The winner kept going while the looser would then wait for another team. Once they made it out to the main road (Plan A was to cross the river, but it rained too much so we had to go with Plan B). After crossing the bridge, they came to the ruins of an old church and had to search for their team's color ribbon amongst the rocks. From there, they made their way to the Arrayanes graveyard to unscramble some words before they reached their final destination: the Arrayanes baseball field.

The Heirs working on the Brain Teaser

The Prudent working on the Brain Teaser

The teams that had arrived waited for the other teams at the Arrayanes Baseball field

This week ended up being one of the most impactful teachable moments in the history of EL RETO as the last team to leave Cofradía (45 minutes after the first team left), surprisingly arrived second in Arrayanes. It seemed pretty odd that they could pass up four other teams. However, after chatting with the captain, we learned that they made a wrong turn and accidently skipped the two activities near the river. This caused some tension between our staff and the team until we were able to reason with those who were upset that this is "just a game." One of the main purposes for EL RETO is to learn about God, life, and leadership. This was the perfect opportunity of which to take advantage. There are many deceptive philosophies and beliefs that look a lot like the truth, but are only counterfeits. I have written a post about this circumstance titled "The Great Deception" on our blog. I encourage you to read about it, as "Deception" was the lesson to be taught during "Part Two". Everything that happened that day fit right into the teaching. We had made counterfeits of the Chinese code signs the teams worked with at the beginning. They looked very similar to the real sign, but they were counterfeits. Every team had gone down a wrong road, but eventually found their way back. One team was permanently lost...ironically, their name is "The Humble."

RACE RESULTS:

First Place-3,000 pts. - The Chosen
Second Place-2,000 pts. - The Heirs
Third Place-1,000 pts. - The Servants of the Lord
Fourth - Sixth Place-500 pts.

The Prudent
The Faithful
The Humble

The Medallion of Power was used by The Chosen at the beginning of the race to give them a 10-minute advantage over the rest of the teams. They passed it to The Servants of the Lord who decided not to use it and passed it to The Humble who now have it in their possession.

In "Part Two" this week, we had the teams all come in together and meet in the sanctuary where we showed a PowerPoint of real signs and logos as opposed to fake ones. This is where they found out that there were fake signs to Arrayanes. Once we explained to them that in real life they will encounter counterfeit products, logos, signs, money, and even Christs, we had them one by one head over to the "Part Two" stage.

The lesson was all about Deception and our cry to them was that they would not be deceived by false teachings. As they walked through the graveyard, they met up with three of our staff dressed up as people who are involved in false teachings. Those staff members were pleading with the students to not go down the road they did (as if they had followed that teaching and already died).

Once they reached the voting room where I was, we talked with them on a serious note completely separated from the game of EL RETO. We prayed with the teams for salvation. There were at least one or two in each team who showed a genuine interest in accepting the Lord and their personal Savior. We've never done this during a voting time, but I sensed it was the perfect moment for the message that was shared.

The Part Two Stage

Horacio representing someone who was involved in false teaching

Pastor Luis and Benito representing people into and influenced by false teaching

The Heirs praying to receive Jesus as their Savior.

The Servants of the Lord praying to receive Jesus as their Savior

FINAL RESULTS AFTER ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF WEEKS ONE AND TWO:

The Heirs - 8,065 pts.
The Chosen - 6,106 pts.
The Prudent - 4,550 pts.
The Servants of the Lord - 4,002 pts.
The Humble - 3,239 pts.
The Faithful - 3,149 pts.

TO BE CONTINUED...

September Update

2011-09-05T16:09:00.001-07:00

Greetings Everyone from Cofradía, Mexico! August has been a very busy month! Two days before my 39th birthday, I got stung by a scorpion. Rebecka’s birthday was a week later and we had a fun activity filled (RETO) birthday party for her. Throughout the month, we planned details for our Student Ministry event of the year: EL RETO. We have a number of blog entries with photos and videos we’d like to pass to you so you can read them at your leisure.

Links to the news:
The RETO Captain’s Retreat: We took all 6 captains to the beach to start EL RETO with their choosing of team colors and Bible Stories. We also introduced the Medallion of Power. Watch the video to see what happens.
Identity Time in EL RETO Week One: This is a very short video clip (48 sec) with an explanation and showing the students making their flags, banners, and epitaphs. It really brings the atmosphere to life and makes you feel like you’re there. Watch it here.
Full Report of EL RETO Week One: This is a detailed report of the first week. Read it here.
The Great Deception: This is a report on one of the most impactful teachable moments we’ve had in the history of EL RETO. Read here to see what happened.
Follow EL RETO on Facebook.
EL RETO Donations: We have not received any donations as of yet. This is the most impactful outreach this youth ministry has ever had. It draws in many students who have never stepped foot into the church and don’t know Christ. I believe in this outreach and Geña and I invest a lot of time and money into making this possible. Please consider how you can help us. We need $2000 to keep reaching the lives of students. Click here for instructions on how to donate to EL RETO.
August Video Update: Last month I put together a video explaining some of the ways lives have been touched through the ministry and some of the changes we’re going through. Watch it here.

This Month’s requests:
Finances for EL RETO
Lives impacted through EL RETO.

Thank you very much for partnering with us through your prayers and financial support.
Click here to donate to our personal support.

Blessings,
Steve, Geña, Rebecka and Emma Rose Silberman
Missionaries to Mexico
Alternative Missions Cofradia
Area Director
SKYPE: “srsilberman”

The Great Deception

2011-09-05T11:09:00.001-07:00

"But the sign said go this way!"

There are many counterfeits all around us; counterfeit products, counterfeit logos, counterfeit money, and counterfeit Christs. They are all "signs" that deceive us into believing a lie.

This last week in EL RETO, the lesson to be taught was "Deception." As the teams took off from the church to run their race to Arrayanes, they didn't know that the Chinese code sign I gave them had counterfeits to lead them down incorrect paths. They needed to make sure the sign really said what they thought it said; they needed to make sure the sign said the truth and that it was going to lead them to where they needed and wanted to go. The problem was, they didn't know there were counterfeits and every team went down a road that led to a sign that said "Wrong Way; go back to the last sign that led you astray and don't pay attention to it."

There were activities throughout the race that they had to accomplish. Some were individual team activities; others were activities to be realized against other teams so they had to wait for a team in order to do the activity. Their final destination was the baseball field in Arrayanes.

One team showed up incredibly early. We found out that they made a wrong turn, misinterpreted one of the signs and ended up skipping the two activities near the river. This caused a lot of frustration on the captain's part, even the adult we had as a chaperone. Once things got a little heated, I realized that this was going to need to be dealt with and looked at through the eyes of the purpose of EL RETO. Learning things about God.

What happened next, turned into one of the most impactful teachable moments EL RETO has ever had. In real life, we can get deceived very easily if we don't know the true signs very well. There are many false religions, false prophets, and false Christs deceiving people into believing a lie that looks a lot like the truth. The good thing about EL RETO is that it's just a game.

The truth is: (Jesus is) the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through (him). John 14:6.

The lie is: You need to be good and work for your salvation.

In "Part Two", we talked about the counterfeit doctrines, beliefs and religions. We exposed how Satan is out to deceive, if possible, even the elect. Here are the verses we used: Matthew 7:15-23; 24:10-13; 23-24; Galatians 1:8; and 1 Timothy 1:3-8; 4:1-8.

During the voting time, we spent time with each team giving them the opportunity to ask Jesus Christ to become Lord of their life. All the teams but one wanted to pray. In each team, there were at least 1 or 2 who I could tell were pretty sincere. That was time well spent.

WHAT IS TRUTH IS TRUTH. WHAT IS NOT TRUTH, LOOKS LIKE THE TRUTH. That is the Great Deception.

Identity Time in EL RETO

2011-09-01T13:55:00.001-07:00

Here is a quick clip of the students working on their flags, banners, and tombstones for EL RETO 2011!

EL RETO 2011 - WEEK ONE

2011-08-31T15:29:00.001-07:00

EL RETO 2011 "TO BE CONTINUED..."

WEEK ONE: AUGUST 27

This year EL RETO started on Monday, August 15 for the Captains as we took them on a Retreat to San Blas, Nayarit where we did some team activities, discussed some important issues about leadership and carried out some activities for them in order that they would decide what story and color they would use for their teams. Also, we added a "Medallion of Power" to this year's event which gives the team possessing it an advantage in the next activity. They don't have to use it, but can only obtain it for three activities; then they have to pass it to another team who has not had it yet. It was a lot of fun!

RESULTS:

Aidé Garzón (Arrayanes) chose her team to be brown and use the "Parable of the Ten Virgins" (Matthew 25:1-13) as the team's story.
Fran Ruíz (Cofradía) chose his team to be red and use the "Parable of the Great Banquet" (Luke 14:15-24) as the team's story.
Chuy Orozco (Cofradía) chose his team to be green and use the "Parable of the Wedding Banquet" (Matthew 22:1-14) as the team's story.
Jorge García (Cofradía) chose his team to be blue and use the "Rich Man and Lazarus" (Luke 16:19-31) as the team's story.
Guille Orozco (Cofradía) chose his team to be orange and use the "Rich Young Man" (Mark 10:17-31) as the team's story.
Alfredo Garzón (Arrayanes) chose his team to be yellow and use the "Parable of the Talents" (Matthew 25:14-30) as the team's story.

Aidé found the Medallion of Power and she elected to use it in order to choose the color for her team. She then passed it on to Guille.

The next Saturday, the Captains were given color-coded tokens to give out to students (maximum 10) in order to form their team. Each student that showed up with a token on Week One (8/27), received 50 points and was placed on the team of the color of the token they turned in.

RESULTS:

Aidé-300 pts.
Fran-500 pts.
Chuy-100 pts.
Jorge-250 pts.
Guille-500 pts.
Alfredo-500 pts.

More students showed up after the allotted time for registration. We had a total of 66 students for the first week; each team was maxed out.

We proceeded to welcome the students, introduce the Staff, and explain this year's theme, "To Be Continued..."

EL RETO STAFF

Instructions

"To Be Continued..." has to do with our existence. This is a message that burns inside me and has ever since I was in High School when I began to actively serve God. Our existence is "To Be Continued...". Jesus said in John 11:25, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." If we believe in Jesus, we will "continue" to live even though we die. If we don't, we will continue in death; aware of our complete isolation from God's presence--there is nothing good about that. 1 John 5:11,12 says, "...God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

We explained to the students the rules of the competition and sent them off to chose a name for their team as well as design a flag, a banner, and a tombstone. Once they were finished, they were judged on a number of aspects as they presented their work to the judges.

RESULTS:

Aidé's team is called The Prudent--310 pts.
Fran's team is called The Servants of the Lord--255 pts.
Chuy's team is called The Chosen--355 pts.
Jorge's team is called The Humble--315 pts.
Guilles' team is called The Heirs--415 pts.
Alfredo's team is called The Faithful--360 pts.

Los Herederos (The Heirs)

Los Humildes (The Humble)

Prudentes (The Prudent)

Los Escogidos (The Chosen)

Once they were finished, their next activity would send them outside the church in order for us to prepare for what was next--the traditional take off from Survivor's Tribal Council. This year it will be called "Part Two".

In this activity, the teams were sent out in 10-second intervals, as they had to immediately choose between "Suffering" and "Entertainment." They did not know what either activity would involve; they only knew the title of the activity. Later, we would use it as our TEACHABLE MOMENT in Part Two.

Suffering: They would have to go all the way to the next town (Santa Fe--3 miles) in the truck driven by their chaperon. The clue they were given said to look for a Staff member sitting on the porch of a house in Santa Fe. Once they found the house, they were to search for little tiny bottles with prizes in them hidden throughout the property. As they finished, they received their reward--the alphabet of the Chinese code language we will use this year.

Entertainment: They would have to run up to the Mission Base (four blocks). They would immediately receive their reward--a fake alphabet of the Chinese code language. Then, they would enjoy soda, chips, popcorn, and cookies as they watched a movie (which would be turned off about 15 - 20 minutes into it in order for them to go back to the church for "Part Two").

What the students missed out on

RESULTS: Without knowing any details, every team chose "Suffering" instead of "Entertainment." Every team received the correct Chinese code language alphabet plus the points they found inside the little bottles that were hidden.

The Prudent--1,500 pts.
The Servants of the Lord--100 pts.
The Chosen--1,850 pts.
The Humble--0 pts.
The Heirs--3,050 pts.
The Faithful--0 pts.

Guille's team, The Heirs, elected to use the Medallion of Power to give them a one-minute advantage over the other teams. Even though they were the second team to arrive at the house, it looks like it helped them. The first team to arrive at the house to search for the bottles was The Prudent. The Heirs passed the Medallion of Power to The Chosen.

All the teams returned to the Church for Part Two. One by one, the teams entered into the church according to how many points they had accumulated up to this point. The focus of Part Two was that you can choose to suffer now and have life later, or choose to follow your fleshly desires now and suffer later. We used two main scripture references: Luke 16:19-31 and Hebrews 11:24-26.

Part Two

Luke 16:19-31 is the Rich Man and Lazarus. Here, we focused on how the Rich Man cried out in agony from Hell; a place he ended up because of his decisions he made on earth.

In Hebrews 11:24-26 we learn that Moses denied his right to be called the Pharoah's daughter's son. He chose to be mistreated with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He chose Suffering instead of Entertainment because he had his eyes set on his reward.

TEACHABLE MOMENT: We can choose to give our life to Jesus knowing that we will suffer ridicule and persecution. But, we know that there will be a reward for us that lasts for eternity in our "Part Two." OR. We can choose to live our life the way we want and seek out pleasure and self-gratification. But, if we choose that life, our "Part Two" will be suffering for eternity.

I was more than excited when I heard that every team chose "Suffering." As I waited for the teams to arrive at "Part Two," I could only imagine a glimpse of what God must sense when his creation chooses to serve Him instead of themselves.

In the end, each team would enter into the voting room. If they found that their name was written in "The Book of Life", they could vote for a team to receive a reward (clues to hidden treasures). Since all the teams chose "Suffering," they all were written in the Book of Life. For each vote a team received, they got to choose a clue to one of the three hidden treasures: Resurrection, Judgment, and Grace. I would tell you what they mean, but that's a secret (smile).

RESULTS:

The Prudent-0 votes
The Servants of the Lord-1 vote
The Chosen-1 vote
The Humble-3 votes
The Heirs-0 votes
The Faithful-1 vote

The voting room this year is our upstairs youth room converted into a graveyard. The tombstones the teams created have been set in place. They walk through the graveyard, pass through a dark area (where we had a Staff act out the "Rich Man" from Luke 16), and arrive at a smoke filled voting room. They voted and exited towards the end door through the smoke (from where I was standing, it looked like they were disappearing).

The Youth Room turned Graveyard

The Book of Life

The Walk

Voting

The Vote

FINAL RESULTS AFTER ALL ACTIVITIES OF WEEK ONE:

The Prudent--2,508 pts.
The Servants of the Lord--1,500 pts.
The Chosen--2,754 pts.
The Humble--1,238 pts.
The Heirs--4,630 pts.
The Faithful--1,397 pts.

TO BE CONTINUED...

EL RETO 2011 - CAPTAIN'S RETREAT IN SAN BLAS, NAYARIT

2011-08-24T18:01:00.004-07:00

This is a video that Macedonio Diaz put together for us of our Captain's Retreat last week at the beach in San Blas, Nayarit. I plan on adding English sub-titles later. The theme is "To Be Continued..." and the students are excited! At this retreat we talked about what it meant to work together as a team, lead a team, and know our purpose (Reach out to youth, Bring in the Fringe students, and Learn about God, Leadership and whatever comes up). EL RETO is a Youth Outreach that has become a Super Bowl of events in Cofradia. Youth Group is just not the same without it. Enjoy the video...

EL RETO and Facebook!

2011-08-23T15:34:00.003-07:00

EL RETO now has a facebook page! You can follow us here!

August Update

2011-08-03T19:31:00.002-07:00

Here is a 5 minute video of our ministry for the past couple of months...