Pictures from day 3 of our tour

If I seem to look in deep thought, you should probably know I was wondering how the crap I was supposed to climb up 400 feet of rock.

Today we took the team to this sweet rock climbing facility that we hang out at.  The purpose was to emphasize team-building among the girls and ourselves.  We had a blast and found out that we have some pretty stellar athletes on this tour.

These girls are so much fun.

This afternoon we unpacked the principle of "Inside Game," deciphering what an athlete's motivation is.  We read through the parable of the prodigal son and concluded that many people are motivated, like the younger son, by worldly pleasures- sex, money, fun, etc.  And some are motivated, like the older son, by being recognized for their good deeds.  But our motivation should stem from the fact that God created us and gave us the distinct ability to run and jump and move in such a way that we can play a game very well.  We were purposefully designed as athletes by God, even before we were born.  And therefore, our motivation should be what we call a "thank-you" response.  Because God gave us the ability, we honor and glorify and worship him through our sport by playing with 100% of our bodies, minds, and hearts.

Our team time

Kind of a cool principle, and one of my favorite to teach athletes.

Here's some pictures of the day.  Thanks for keeping up, the tour is coming together really, really well and I have a lot of high hopes for the upcoming days.

 I think Natalie was giving us some solid life advice here.

Mandi and Shelly looking super confident.

Just being me.

Hanging out.

Abbie and Karli, and apparently some sketchy guy in background.

Sara, Marnie and Natalie- three amazing girls 

Amy

The girls 

Karlie and Mandi

Sara, me, Marnie and Natalie

The majority of the team

Mandi is a stud at rock climbing.  She put us to shame.

Natalie was a beast too.

Abbey needed a little help from us.

Marn

Taking a breather.

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Marnie and I

Mexico Tour 2012

Chasing the Goose in Flex-ico

It was a late night and early morning.  Lots of coffee was put into this body today.

If there is one thing I would say that God has been trying to teach me this year, it would be on the basis of flexibility.  Now I've never been a very flexible person, physically speaking.  I can vividly remember the humiliation of failing my second grade Physical Education- Physical Fitness test because, while I could jump rope for 15 straight minutes and run a 4.0 second 40-yard dash, I couldn't ever touch my toes and therefore was deemed physically unfit.  I still am a little bitter about it.

But I think God has really been working on this theme in me spiritually.  If you had asked me beforehand how I saw my STINT year working out, mono would not have been in the plan.  But the thing is, God didn't ask me how I wanted it to go.  He simply asked me to go and be obedient to Him.  And the plans change.  What I've slowly started to realize is that it's not so important what I want, or how fast I accomplish my goals, or that my plans are followed through.

The Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit- "An Geadh-Glas", or "the Wild Goose."  I think they were on to something.  I have learned that leading a life obedient to God and daily walking in His Spirit means leading a life chasing a wild goose.  And I am on the Wild Goose Chase of my life.

God has revealed to me that it's not important that I reach the finish line.  Maybe what he is more concerned with is how I am running the race, or the chase, if you will.  I think God really desires me to submit to his will, daily, and while on earth that may look like I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off, what God desires to see is that I am simply obedient amidst the chaos.  He might not be so concerned with the fact that I ever do cross a finish line as much as he just wants me to glorify him through the process.  So that's what I'm trying to do now.  Let go of all that I desire, and simply strive to make God proud in the chase, living a life worthy of representing him.

So, naturally, God has chosen to use this tour to further hammer home the idea of dependency on him and being flexible to the Holy Spirit working on this tour.  Of course, nothing has gone as planned for this trip.  And believe me, we planned and planned and planned!  But I think I would desire it to be this way instead.

Jess wants a superman cape too.

The girls didn't make flights, and we haven't been anywhere on time.  We have changed our schedule three times in the last fifteen minutes.  We have been locked out of places, short on food, short on people, but never short on God.  He has showed up and provided for our every need thus far.  And I want to praise Him for his faithfulness.

Today's team time with the girls.  We are teaching the AIA principles, today was about playing for an Audience of One.

Just washing some dishes with my superman cape on.  Pretty normal.

Karli, my teammate

Shelley, another one

This is Abbey and Jessi.  Or as we like to call them, dumb and dumber.

Today was my birthday, and I was blessed beyond measure to spend it with some of the most amazing girls I have known.  They are a great community and have served as a sounding board for the lessons I have been learning from God.  I guess I just wanted to take some time and let you know that my God is real and he is working down here.  He is working in me and he has chosen to work in this tour.  The girls have responded to Mexico, aka Flex-ico, in a way that is glorifying to Christ and all that he would desire for his followers.

The girls surprised me with a cake :)

And it was delicious.

I like cake.  Obviously.

The girls made me tell them three highlights of my 23rd year of life and a major life lesson I learned.  Hence, the post.  My blessing?  You guys.  

Practice tonight was awesome with lots of energy from the girls.  I have been given the opportunity to both coach and play on this team, so God continues to reveal to me new lessons and blessings.

I will promise to condense the next few blog posts and stick to what is going on through the tour, but I had this on my heart and wanted you all to know the goodness of God's heart for his people.  I pray tonight that you are blessed this week as I have been.

Blessings,

 Katie

Practice

Our team, minus a few

Sara, our tour director and Shelley, an AIA STINTer

I love this girl!

Jessica and Yost

And so it begins...

Hi Guys!I have a prayer request: Our Athletes In Action team is bringing a women's basketball team from the U.S. in tonight.   The team was scheduled be arriving into Puebla tonight at 8 and will be here until July 2.  Two of the girls were delayed and re-routed into Mexico City.  We just arrived back at our apartment to find everybody knocked out ;)   And so finally, the pantry is full; the apartment is clean; the left-over spaghetti is now in the fridge... we are READY. We've spent the last two weeks making a schedule, editing the schedule, and editing the schedule some more.The focus of this tour will be as an outreach to the basketball girls at three universities here in the state of Puebla--UDLAP, Tec, and UMAD. AIA has been working with the teams at UDLAP and Tec for the past two years. This tour will be using basketball as a platform to develop relationships with the ultimate goal of sharing the Gospel.

The days will be full. There will be basketball practice, preparing for the tournament at the end of next week. Our basketball team consists of Karli, Amelia, Shelley (our director who will be playing when needed), the AIA STINTers (Marnie, Erica and I), and possibly two Mexican players. Throughout the week we will be having team talks, learning about the AIA Principles that take the Gospel and apply it to sports. Outreach events and community service will involve the university basketball girls and help build relationships that we pray will lead to the sharing of the Gospel.

I hope you will follow my blog through this tour as I share different stories (struggles and triumphs). Also, we'd really appreciate you lifting up these prayer requests with us:

• That athletes would catch the vision of what Athletes in Action means/stands for and would want to be involved in some way

• Safe travels for the AIA team coming from the States (flying into the airport and bus/taxi to our house)

• Getting to know the athletes at Tec and UDLAP (building new and strengthening relationships already in place)

• That our team would be good ambassadors for Christ

• That the Mexican girls who may play with us would be drawn to Christ, and that we would be examples to them

• That we would be bold in sharing during the multiple outreach times that are set-up throughout the next two weeks

We have a ton of basketball planned, but also a ton of outreach and ministry events planned in the next 17 days. 

I'm asking you to please, please be praying throughout these next 2 weeks that God will create some awesome relationships between our girls, the UDLAP basketball team, UMAD and the Tec basketball teams (the 3 university teams I am working with and the team will be competing with and against). Pray that leaders will be brought up within the UDLAP and Tec teams here so that they can start ministering to their own teammates in the future. It is my desire that some of these Mexican girls we are playing against would have the Gospel grip their heart, start to take an interest in the AIA ministry, and eventually become national leaders of AIA in Mexico.  This is where the process really starts. 

We'll be having a tournament at the end of June (27-30) between our U.S. team, UDLAP, Tec, and UMAD. We're all REALLY excited to have the team here and also a little nervous (this is our first time planning a tour and it's DEFINITELY a learning experience). Please pray that everything runs smoothly, and even if it doesn't, that we learn from it and can change it for next time. You guys are awesome!! Thank you! I'll keep you posted on how it's going :)  For now I'm off to bed.  We have an early start in the morning!Buenas Noches,Katie

Getting ready for the big Tour!!

Hey guys, we are all super busy here in Mexico getting ready to recieve a women's basketball team on Sunday for a 17-day tour.  Keep checking for all the updates!

Gearing Up for Mexico (taken from our AIA blog: http://www.athletesinaction.org/TeamBlogs/post/2012/06/14/Gearing-Up-for-Mexico.aspx

In just a few short days we will travel to Puebla, Mexico for our basketball tour.  Our team will be comprised of US college athletes, our Athletes in Action STINT team in Mexico, and some Mexican athletes.   We will be together from June 17-July 2, and are excited for all the Lord will do through and in our team.  Stay tuned for more updates as the tour gets under way!

Julio Gets Baptized!!!

Julio showing off his tattoo.  He's kind of proud of it.

I'm writing this blog today because I don't know what else to do.  Yesterday was an amazing day here.  If you have been keeping up with me, you might remember my mentioning Julio.  I first met Julio in November when I visited him in prison.  He is a good friend of John and his family who was wrongfully accused of multiple crimes claiming that he was extensively involved in the drug cartels.

Julio spend five months in prison waiting to prove himself innocent, during which John would go at least twice a week to visit him.  It was in prison that Julio really found Christ and purpose and meaning to his life.  He was released earlier this spring after he basically represented himself and the judge found him innocent of all charges.

I just want to take a minute to say what a testament this is to God because Julio had some crazy odds stacked up against him.  The crimes he was accused of committing carried a collective 35 year sentence.  The case should have taken over two years to be processed.  Julio received little to no help in representing himself and he hand wrote well over a hundred pages explaining and defending his case.  Julio also has had no training in law.  On top of all that, the judge appointed to his case has not issued an innocent verdict in over 4 years!

But God is bigger than any odds.  Julio's case was processed in just four and a half months.  The judge issued the first innocent verdict in Puebla in four years.  God redeemed and is continually renewing Julio's heart.  He has a passion for the Lord that I have never seen before and I am so proud of him.  I've gotten to spend a lot of time with Julio lately.  He shared his testimony with me Saturday night as we cooked him supper at our apartment.  He told us of John's amazing impact on his life and how much he has learned because of God's work through John.  I am so thankful for this team as well as for Julio's heart.  He calls me his sister and I call him my brother.  His home is mine and I consider myself lucky to be considered so.

So it was with a heart full of joy and eyes full of tears that our team was able to watch John baptize him yesterday.  It was a great occasion with friends and family.  Julio is the first in the Rebolledo family to be baptized as an adult.  Julio's family taking part was a big deal and another testament to God working in their hearts- he comes from a Catholic background and as he explained it to me, since he was already baptized in the Catholic church as an infant, they considered it bad luck to do it again, and were not in support of his decision. But Julio wanted to publicly declare the inward change that has happened to him in the past year, especially with his parents in attendance.  And wouldn't you know the Lord provided!

Happy Baptism!! Julio, Hudson, Marnie's back, and JT sitting by the pool waiting for the big day to begin!

I'm so excited to see where Julio is going in the future.  I imagine when God looks down and sees Julio with his kid-like personality and huge smile, He can't help but to also smile and say, "This is my son, with whom I am well-pleased."  

The Squad
Yost, Joe, John, me, Jessi, Julio, Marnie and Mandi
at a friend's house where Julio was baptized

John and Julio

Family and friends gathered as we start the baptism.

Apparently the water was a little chilly.

John asking Julio to tell the witnesses why he wanted to be baptized.

Here's a rough video of the experience.  I love the cheers at the end.  

PS I'm definitely not a film person.  Sorry for the shaky hand.

As I sit here and think of how cool God is showing up and out in Julio's life I'm smiling because I know work will be done for the Kingdom through Julio.  In fact, I would ask for you to pray for just that.  Julio and Joe, another STINTer down here who I also call my brother, are leaving this Friday for the Dominican Republic for a tour with Athletes In Action- Baseball.  They will be there for about a month, playing about 20 baseball games against local teams, using baseball as a platform to share the gospel.  I would ask for your prayers for God to advance the word, using this team of baseball players, for their safe travel, as well as for the hearts of those involved with the team.  I'm so thankful for God, and that's such a small voice of praise, but I am.  I am nothing without Him and I just wanted to tell Him that.  

Thanks for the prayers for Julio, Joe and the team.  I'll keep you updated!