BIENVENIDOS!!! We have been waiting for you to arrive!!!!

SO crazy how God is moving in San Diego. 1825, YOU GUYS ALL ROCK!!!

God Blows my mind every time I see this community and the way they live life for Jesus and worship him!!! ART OF WAR was crazy!!! Doing live art and music in the center of our community with the soul purpose of being the door mat of the church and welcoming people. Being a group of individuals were you say its OK you can wipe off your dirty feet here. Jesus is waiting for you to come in. We have been waiting for you to arrive!!!!

Whenever any of you are feeling tired or your heart is just feeling out of it, Remember HE is with us and he is greater then our circumstances!!!!

Psalm 42: 5-8(NLT)

5 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and 6 my God!

Now I am deeply discouraged,
but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan,
from the land of Mount Mizar.
7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.

When i was in Spain this summer i was with about 15 people for 6 weeks. These 15 people were the only people i knew in my heart of hearts were truly Christians walking in a relationship with Christ!!! They were young and Vibrant individuals!!! In Spain many people our age have left “religion” but are looking for something spiritual. They are willing to talk about Jesus, but going to Church is a whole other story.

A brief History of the Church in Spain:
“The advent of the Franco regime saw the restoration of the church’s rights. During the Franco years, Roman Catholicism was the only religion to have legal status”[1]. The leading of Francisco Franco occurred after the the Spanish Civil War in 17 July 1936 – 1 April 1939. In this time Spain went from a “Nationalist State”[2] to becoming a Autocratic State Run by Francisco Franco, known as “Francoist Spain”[3].
Then in 1979 Spain went back to a monarchy but with more of a “Democratic”[4] Government. When this happened, “It took the new 1978 Spanish Constitution to confirm the right of Spaniards to religious freedom and to begin the process of disestablishing Catholicism as the state religion”[1]. Thus Causing a very religious country to leave a lot of its roots from the early 1900s and before and move into a more liberal mindset. Essentially the traditions of the church were forced on the people of Spain and this caused a bad taste to be left in their mouths. When the freedom came to Spain to practice religious freedom many have chosen not to practice any. Though very interested in Spirituality, when the word “Church/Iglesia” is mentioned it has culturally left peoples mouths to be dry and unwilling to find what they are looking for there. The fear of rules and regulations, being force to fit the standard and knowing that we can never reach the standard and fall short. Instead of church people want to have community and be Loved.

Many People especially the young adult communities are looking for just this. Community and Love. We as a generation run to many places: Art shows, Concerts, Raves, Lounges, Discotecas, Bars, Restaurants, movies, and so many more. Where do you run to? Is that niche of people a true Community filled with Love?

Even in the presence of 10 people from 1825 and I am Blown away by the power of God moving in the place!!! Over the past few weeks i have been going to a group that meets that is all the leaders of our young adult ministry “1825″. This room was filled with at least 100 people 75 of which i know are official leaders and are truly walking with Jesus. The others are either friends of these people or are looking for a place to just find God. In Spain, the young adult community will usually not attend something like church or a gathering consistently unless it has in general 100 people or more attending on a regular basis. When this happens then people will usually show up because the community is there. Spain is all about relationship and is very community centered. If we were able to pour out into the young adult communities in Spain the same way we do here in San Diego with Forward thinking events like “Art of War” and many cafe nights in just hanging out and have pure spiritual conversations in a loving community, then i believe that a Revival of the young adult communities will happen and people will truly turn their hearts top Christ, not because the government says to but because of the wonderful things he has done and the love and community if provides for us as a people!!!!

I see God already moving in Altea, Spain. Altea is a small City on the mediterranean sea between Valencia and Alicante. This is where a missions group called “Edge Project” happens. “Edge Project [is] A Summer Adventure living abroad in Spain. Building global respect for God, culture, community, & artistic expressions of faith. Our journeys are shared in community with faith conversations. It is an open space for informal exchanges of ideas, biblical perspective of the arts, international missions, and cultural views of life according to the Holy Scriptures. Everyday is a practical, real life adventure with the mission to touch others in Love.” This trip truly changed my perspective!!!

It is because i am blessed with this 1825 community that I can say :

“But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.”

Psalm 42:8

When I am in Church and I see the fruit of this ministry, Standing with arms lifted up worshiping God in multiple hundreds I am silenced and in awe of how amazing my God is!!! If other people around the world, that are in the dying churches, could see our young and vibrant community and connect with us personally, the hope that it brings encourages them to fight to the end!!! To know that the next generation of youth and young adults walk with our Lord is a Blessing beyond belief!!!

“21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[ your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant. Colossians 1:21-23

It is also what drives me to want to connect with other people: so that they can see the Lord in the way my community gets to and they can experience Jesus in a fresh and unique way!!!

If this is you, I would encourage you to Pray and Consider this short term missions trip and ask God to provide. I pray that you will be open to see just how blessed we are in our community and in the USA in General. When we think of Spain we don’t see a Physically poor or super struggling place from our earthly perspective. We see beautiful vibrant people that party all the time, Eating out, hanging out on the beach and watching Soccer and bullfights. Spain seems to look likes its doing well. They are flourishing with Community but lack in the knowledge and true love of Christ. But you can be the one who brings this to Spain and be part of the beginning of the revival. Go with an open Heart, Make disciples, even to the Ends of the earth. Experience the ends of the earth on the EDGE!!!!

Those he calls, he will prepare you and HE will Rock your world and change your life and heart. There is an emptiness that wants to get filled!!! A longing for real, pure, organic, raw and loving Community!!! I love all of you and Pray you get to experience God’s Love and Community in your lives!!!

My heart is to go back and pour out to Spain, but right now I know I am supposed to stay and flourish and be refreshed, while pouring out into my home family of 1825, the Rock Church and San Diego in general.

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