What: Project Nexus is designed to provide you with a hands-on, get dirty, get involved, ministry experience in a team setting.  You will experience a summer in full-time ministry with all its joys, heartaches, and challenges while learning from the experiences, training, and teaching of our seasoned ministry team.  Each week, you will assist the Amor Team with building projects and programs, and serve the groups as well as the churches and families Amor serves in Mexico.  Time off will be spent on team development, cultural experiences, and much needed rest and relaxation.

Who: YOU…if you are 18-25 years old and looking to serve the Lord for 11 weeks in the Mexican desert.

When: May 23, 2010 – Aug 8, 2010

Where: Tijuana, Mexico

Why: We all know summer jobs can be really lame. What better way to avoid the lull of summer break (and evade carrying golf clubs or making slushies for 12 hours a day) than by serving alongside your brothers and sisters in Christ in Tijuana?

Want more? Visit us at http://www.amor.org/join/internships/nexus

Direct contacts: Erin Lyde – erin@amor.org

Hey everyone,

So we are approaching the end of our time in Mexico with Amor Ministries.  I have been thinking about how we, the Nexus Team of 2009, are going to figure out what’s next in our lives. I’m pretty sure we can all say we’ve had times when we were just going with the flow of Christianity. Sure, we consider ourselves Christians, but are we really living that out or just saying it? I often hear people  say, “I want my life to reflect God’s will,” but what will they do to get to that point? Will they fight for it?

We were recently sitting in church service when the pastor read  Philippians 2: 5-8:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,  taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross.

I started to think about this a little more. It seems everyone wants to be known and have their name “out there.” We try to be known within our community, jobs, school, families, and pretty much anything else within our lives. We try to be the best and fit in with whoever is around us.

But Jesus never hung out with the best of the best. He was always around the sick, the poor, the dumb, the mute, “the least of these.” Instead of trying to become known, can we be Christ-like and humble ourselves? Can we have a servant’s heart in everything we do? I want us to be vulnerable with God to a point where we say, “God, I am living your life, take me where you want me to go. You gave me the gifts that I need to do your work so lead me where I am meant to do what you need me to do.”

It says in Isaiah 64:8, “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” We should want God to mold us into what he wishes to accomplish His work. He puts us through all sorts of trials, but I think He is just preparing us for the bigger storm that is heading our way. He gives us a little at a time so we are ready for what he has waiting for us.

We have all had our storms this summer, whether big or small. God has used our time here to move us toward his purpose. We don’t need to focus on what others think we need to be doing or what we need to do to fit in with society. We need to focus on being a servant to God and be obedient.  Do what He tells you to do, go where He wants you to go, and live how He wants you to live. Thanks for all your love and support throughout our journey.

-Jessica Melvin

Project Nexus is a group of 18–25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.

Well hello there lovely blog followers, friends, family & random strangers! It has been a busy and exciting (as always) time for us Nexus serving in Mexico. We, as a group, have been prone to reflecting on our weeks to one another as they come, and we decided as a group that we would like to make this blog entry just that – a thought or two from each of the Nexus participants – a quick opportunity to share with you some of our favorite moments of the summer so that you might be able to see Mexico and Amor Ministries through our eyes.  I don’t believe there is any one moment that far exceeds any other. Serving in Mexico has just been a stream of moments and events that has created this special, unique and fantastic place in each of our hearts. So, I introduce you to some of the inner workings of our hearts and minds as we share with you:

Mark  - A favorite moment of mine for this summer was at a dedication of  a house in Lomas del Pedregal when the father/grandfather of the household was unable to express words of gratitude because he was so choked up.  This was really emotional and showed the impact of Amor is more than building a house. It changes lives as people step out and put their faith into action. 

Rachel – The best moment of my summer was not one big event or particular day or hour. My best moment was a combination of all the little things. Being on a worksite and seeing someone use a hammer and pound in a nail or a saw to cut a board for the first time, and seeing them succeed. Watching the faces of a group that has never built anything before when they stand up the walls for their house. Seeing the local kids, who are always on the worksites make friends with the trip participants even when they don’t understand each other. These are the moments that make up my summer.

Jessica - One of my favourite moments was our third week down in Mexico, our first week with a group. We were working with a group from Florida. The father of our house was handicapped so he couldn’t help with most of the house building. One day, the group went to lunch, but Mark and I stayed back and tried to finish the chicken wire on one corner. The father came down and saw what we were doing and started to help. It was like he saw a window of opportunity to put his touch and be a part of building his family’s house. He didn’t let his disability hold him back from helping any way he could.

Jon - One of my favourite moments of this summer was working with a group called ‘The Peterson cousins.’ They were all family and they really seemed to just “get it”. I was truly blessed to work with them and I definitely took a lot from that week.

Kate – One of the most fun things that happened this summer was all because of four 9-11 year olds who weren’t afraid to put themselves out there. Back at camp there were three Mexican girls about the same age who were timidly hanging out at the Camping-Pros tent waiting for their relatives to be done working. I am still astonished by the way the four American girls who know no Spanish and the three Mexican girls who know zero English were able to form a bond that led to games, smiles, hugs and finally tears when they had to leave. I will never forget sitting around a table eating hamburgers eagerly trying to get to know each other through motions, smiles and laughter. I wish everyone would be able to experience this trip through the trusting, excited and loving eyes of a child.

Linz -  I could speak for hours if you gave me the opportunity, but I will limit myself to an experience I had in a circus tent while serving alongside the incredible people of Family Camp. They have been coming for anywhere in between 1-15 years, from all over the United States, and every evening they had a beautiful time of worship music led by John Thomas Oaks. As I sat in my far back, far right seat and observed the families in worship each evening, I was so incredibly moved, and even brought to tears as I watched the parents lovingly embrace and worship together with their children and spouses. Whether it was an arm around a shoulder with the older “cooler” kids or actually picking up their little one and swaying with them, every family was together and sharing the Lord together. It was highly impactful, and I realized what a truly beautiful gift these parents were giving to their children. They were instilling the highly important values and amazing gifts of family, servanthood, loving our neighbours and most importantly loving God in a highly apparent and direct way. Their entire week went this way, and I was so blessed to have served and shared with them and its directed values within me in how I would like to share God with my own family one day.

With hundreds upon thousands of memories and moments that we have each experienced this summer, I am so glad and blessed to know we could have the opportunity to share at least 6 of them with you in this week’s post. Hope you all have a blessed week and get the opportunity to reflect on some of your own special Amor moments!

- Linz and the Nexus team

To read more from the Summer Nexus team, click here

Last weekend we had the privilege of working with the X Project, either a 3-day or a 1-day build totally planned out by Amor.  Saturday night all participants were in camp for a program, which was held in a huge circus tent.  At the end of the worship and a talk from Scott Congdon, we had a final “breakout session” where all of the participants got into groups to talk about what they had seen that day.  This was the highlight of my week, to get to watch people who were giving up their lives for a weekend sit back and process what they had done that day.  It was good for me to be able to continue to think about what this summer means – how I view life differently than when I came here.  A man in my group stated it well when he said it would be nice to go back and have everything the same, but “there is a problem… it’s all different now.”

After being here for two months, I look around each day and notice a change in how I view one thing;  people.  Now there aren’t just Americans, Mexicans, pastors, kids, youth leaders, mothers… there are stories, families, feelings and experiences…  people to get to know and to love in whatever way I can.

Anyone who knew me before this summer knows how much I LOVE talking to strangers (insert sarcasm). Now, I actually am starting to be less hesitant to open up and ask that first question, to look someone in the eyes, and to dig deeper into who they are, where they come from and where they are at right now.  Every person has a different story, different eyes with which they look out into the world and a different way that they need the love of Jesus.

I have been blessed to know some Spanish and to be able to talk to the families and get to know them and visit them later when I am in their community.  Each of them has been a huge gift to me; each one has impacted me and changed me.

So many people ask us what Jesus would do in certain situations.

What would he do in the Mexican desert in 2009?  Sure, I am certain he would love to give these families shelter, but I believe that there would be more.  Jesus would be wiping snot and sticky mango off of the children who are swarming him, no matter how annoying they are; he would be crying with father who works from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day but still can’t provide for his family; he would be jumping for joy with the mother who just found out she was pregnant with her seventh child even though she doesn’t have enough money to send another to school; he would be truly reaching out, fully getting to know people and whole-heartedly loving people.

That image is definitely something that I will take away from this summer.  No matter who it is, where they come from or how they look, every person needs more than one second of your life, needs to be given more than just a glance, more than just a smile… they need to be loved.

By Kate Lesenwich

Project Nexus is a group of 18 – 25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.

There are questions all, or at least most, of us ask after building an Amor home:  What’s going to happen to this family?Will it change their lives? Have we shown what servanthood and God’s love looks like? Sometimes groups are able to go back and see what years past homes look like. Some, unfortunately, have not been well kept – or have moved – or a natural disaster has taken place, which can be a real downer. But then you find people like Phillipe’s family who clearly demonstrate what an incredible impact our ministry can have. I would like share that story with you this week.

A man and his family drove past my 3 sites the other day. He stopped, got out, and introduced himself as Phillipe, his wife Silvia, and their two children. He explained, in Spanish, that he would love to cook for our entire group the next day (there was 80 people in the group). He then asked his wife and children to walk with Caleb (a fluent Spanish speaking group member) and me to his home, which has been converted into a soup kitchen. It turns out his family, while going through a very hard time financially, were blessed with a home by a ministry in the area. Once things picked up, they began devoting themselves to serving God in a way that would benefit their entire community. Out of their own pockets, each of them (Phillipe, Silvia and a woman from the community) take a huge percentage of their paychecks and put it into food and supplies to feed their community three days a week, 8am – 10am. They said they would love to do it more, but that is all the money would allow at that time. They serve 50-80 people per day the most delicious breakfast of beans, rice & seasoned eggs.

Over and over again, Phillipe thanks us, all the people who came in to eat, (there were only 15 seats, so I was going back and forth bringing in new groups). He told us how blessed his community was to have people come from the US (ahem… and Canada & Australia.. hehe) to show Gods love.

We were all humbled by this family’s intense passion and drive for God – a passion he says resulted initially from receiving a home when things were tough. And all 81/82 of us that sat down to eat that day were one of those lucky people that get to see the sensational impact building a house can have on a family and community. It’s not just about nails and roofing paper, but THROUGH these tools/resources… many are able to see Gods love and desire for them.

There are SO many memories and experiences occuring and  surrounding us Nexus. As the summer clicks over the halfway point, I know that never will I forgot Phillipe and his family.

Until next time,
G.B.&<3 (Gods Blessings & Love),
Linz & the Nexus team

Hi everyone,

So another week of the Nexus program has passed and there are so many different things  I could be telling you! We had some amazing groups in camp this week. From Go Inc. to Family Camp, there was a very lively and exciting atmosphere throughout.  I had only ever come to Mexico in the winter as a participant, so it was often the case that we were the only group in camp. So, for me to see 700+ people all in camp helping to grow the kingdom of God was an amazing thing.

I was working with a group from the Lutheran Church of Davis, California this week. They were an awesome group with whom I had a fantastic time working and sharing. Through conversations with this group and because of the very hands-on role I played I realized how easy it could be to get a big head doing what we do in Mexico. We often have people telling us how amazing they think we are, but I don’t think any of us feel that way. We are here because this is where God has called us. The other day I heard Gayla Congdon describe what we do as being obedient, which I think sums it up perfectly. However,  it can be easy to lose focus with everything that is going on around us. The other day one of the team members I was working with came up to me and said, “If you had not been here this house would never have been finished by the end of the week.” It would be so easy to let that go to my head. There were certainly aspects of the building I was able to help them with, but as I said to that team member, had they not been there that house still wouldn’t be built.

There are so many different pieces of the puzzle that make this ministry what it is – and as Nexus we are just a very small piece of that puzzle. If it weren’t for the groups that come down, this ministry wouldn’t exist. Above all,  if it weren’t for the love of God, this ministry would not exist. As Nexus we are just being obedient to a call. As far as I am concerned, I am not doing anything amazing – just lucky enough to be apart of the amazing thing that God is doing down here in Mexico.

I think people underestimate the effect of what they are doing when they come down here! Over 15,000 homes have been built in Mexico by the participants who come and build with Amor, spending my summer here is not what’s amazing, 200,000+ people being obedient to the call of God and coming to Mexico to help expand the kingdom is what’s amazing.

Peace out!

By Jono Ried

Project Nexus is a group of 18 – 25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.

As I was thinking about what to write for this week,  several things where running through my head. I found myself wondering what people thought of me, what I thought of myself and most of all, what God thought about what we are doing. I wondered if living in Mexico for two and a half months was really worth it. Am I really able to make a difference in that amount of time? Can living in a dirt campground, showering with water that is not really clean to start out with and spending my days building houses really helping anybody? Is it worth it? Should I have spent my summer doing something else?

After thinking more about these thoughts and others I came to the conclusion that yes, it is worth it. God has called me and the rest of my team to do this. He would not have placed us here unless it was worth it. We might not be able to build a house for every person in Mexico, but we can build a house for the one, two or three specific families each week. It may not be fixing all the problems we as a group encounter and  will not fix all the problems of the families for whom we build, but it is a place to start.

We might worry about what others think of us … and what we think of ourselves. But I have come to realize that we should never wonder if it is worth it.  It is – and we are making a difference even when we do not feel good about ourselves and even if others do not like us all the time.

By Rachael Baughman

Project Nexus is a group of 18 – 25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.

Greetings once again from the whole Nexus team. This past week was full of amazing challenges and triumphs as we received our first groups. All six of us were blessed with outstanding groups, who probably affected us more than we affected them. I was blessed to work with a group from Naples, Florida composed of high school and college age students. It was awesome just to stand back at numerous points and watch as these kids were cranking out slab, frames, chicken wire, and stucco. These people stood up for their faith by coming at a time when it was difficult to take a short term missions trip to Mexico. They are invested in continuing to build for Christ’s Kingdom by helping those in need.

As I was working with my group, God showed me how much of a selfish person I am. One of the main roles of a Nexus participant is to be a servant to the groups. I am supposed to be available to help my group in any way possible. But I spent this past week really struggling with this idea. I had just been trained on all of the proper ways to build an Amor house and there were many occasions when my group deviated from what I had been shown. There were so many times when I wanted to jump in and say, “No, no, no, do it this way.” There were a couple of times where I actually did. I also struggled sometimes feeling like I wasn’t doing anything to help the group. My response to this was to jump in and take a job away from one of the kids who had paid to come on this trip. I didn’t want to just stand around bored, so I overstepped my role and took jobs away from some people. Finally, midweek, God struck me with a thought, “Why did I come on this trip?”

In Linz’s awesome blog post from last week she wrote about why all of us came to serve  with Amor Ministries this summer. Paraphrasing myself, I said I wanted to follow God wherever He led me, and step out of my comfort zone. If God led me to Amor, then He would not want me be selfish throughout this summer. Likewise, if God led me to Amor, He would want me to change my thought processes to see that it is in true humility that I can be successful each and every week.

Paul writes in Phillipians 2:3-4: “When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than you do yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others.” (NCV) We were all told before we came on this trip that our job this summer was not going to be building houses, but rather serving the groups. Even knowing this, I approached this summer in a selfish way. I wanted to come to Mexico to get as much out of it as possible. I was not as concerned about how I could help the groups that came down, or even the families for whom we would be building. I wanted to follow God to Mexico for my own reasons. Yet Paul instructs us in the opposite manner. He says we need to “be humble” and “give more honor to others than ourselves.” So instead of worrying how I can be happy and fulfilled on the worksites, I need to realize that God has called me to concern myself with others.

Being a servant is not a “sometimes” thing. It is being whatever, wherever, whenever.  Being selfless on the worksite could mean taking time to talk with the family, or  reaching out to one of the kids on the trip who is going through some  difficulty. If I am a servant when I want to be a servant, then I am still being selfish because I am choosing. It is not about doing things on my time, but when others need the help.

Talking with some of my Nexus teammates helped me work through these thoughts:

Kate  realized this week that, “The thing [she] came to do, building houses, was the thing [she] wasn’t needed in.” The great thing is, that Kate realized this and then accepted her role in different areas.

Jon experienced many of the same difficulties that I did. His group knew how to build the house, so he was left searching to find different areas to help. He came to the realization that, “Maybe [his] role is to just be there and allow this group to know they can build the house without help.” It is such an awesome thing when people realize what being a servant is all about. Jessica remembers the story of when Jesus washed His disciples feet as an example of true humility and selflessness.

Sometimes it is difficult to see what it actually means to be a servant. The most amazing thing is, God gave us the greatest example of a servant we could ever have: Jesus. Continuing on in Philppians 2:6-7, Paul writes, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” When I am not sure how to be a servant, all I need to do is look at how Jesus lived His life. What an awesome fact, that our Savior was willing to take on the role of a human. In His human life He did not live in wealth, but He lived in servitude. In a world that demands one must watch out for one’s self, Jesus humbly shows how we must live for others. It is my prayer that I will be able to draw upon the example of my Savior and live my life in a selfless manner – putting the needs of others above my own.

-Mark Lacasse

Project Nexus is a group of 18 – 25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.

“Why are you here??”

This question has been asked of us Nexus so many times that it’s nearly lost all meaning… In a good way!! We have explained why we are heading to Mexico with Amor in our applications to come, to our families & friends, our churches, random strangers, people we met in the airport, to the amazing staff at Amor (I’m not sucking up, they’re fantastic),and I assume in just a few short hours to the groups we will be working with.

Why ARE we here???  Many of us have had to try to explain this in defense to some of the rumors and issues surrounding Mexico at the moment – “Danger”, swine flu, funny water, living in a tent for 2 1/2 months, no electricity or running water, leaving our good paying jobs, etc. etc. etc.  While others just want to know (if we even know) why God is calling us to a summer of service in Tijuana with Amor Ministries. All six of us have completely different histories, boundaries, experiences with God and the church, but all were called and blessed by God to come together in the group that made up the Nexus Team of 2009.

I  have really had to evaluate this myself. Why am I here?, for me personally, this meant leaving two very good and stable jobs, of which the income that was supposed to go towards a trip to Europe & for school next year. But I’ve left them all because I “felt in my heart” that I needed to follow that “feeling,” aka that gut instinct that just kicks you till you answer it.

So now I know why, and I wish I could explain (as do the others), but there are no words. I just needed to be here – and I know this is exactly where God intended me to be this summer. It’s “just right”.

Or in the words of Jon Reid- “It just makes sense. I just felt this calling, I applied and now I am here. I don’t know what God has in store for me after this, but I have faith that the next 3 months will be a HUGE eye opener for me and an incredible journey.”

Or Mark- “This trip to Mexico is a result of God calling me to give up staying in my comfort zone and begin a new path of following Him wherever He calls me.”

Or as Kate says- “I have been coming for as long as I can remember (approximately 10 years), so, logically it was the next step in my life to take… I’m in love with Amor’s work in Mexico because it builds relationships and brings hope. Hope to the families, hope to the people who build, and hope to those who encounter the ministry & its desire to show God’s love in a tangible way”. (Well said Kate).

I find Rachel funny, because she NEVER expected to be in Mexico serving God and building houses- “If you had asked me two years ago if I would ever consider spending a summer working in Mexico, I would have said no. After one four-day mission trip though, I knew that I would be back, and here I am.”

For whatever reason, God has called us from our lives in our respective cities/countries, and we are here. We’ve been trained in cultural awareness, communication, conflict management, spiritual wellness, etc. We have struggled (and laughed… HARD) through such “games” & challenges as Bomb Shelter or Cosmic Slop. We have learned a ton about one another and, very importantly, of ourselves – our conflict styles, our character traits, our talents and skills. We have created personal summer mission statements & a group covenant. We have created relationships & friendships with one another. In fact, I think others looking in at our group would think that we had known each other our whole lives… Fighting like siblings, laughing and sharing in one another’s experiences & thoughts and embracing, sharing and supporting each other through the beginning of the summer.

Our eyes, ears, arms & hearts are open. We are all prepared and so ready to see and experience what God has to show us this summer. The possibility of swine flu, the cartels, drug wars, etc. could not hold us back from following Gods call to Tijuana or Amor Ministries, and we promise and hope to give everything we have as individuals, as a Nexus group unit, and most importantly children of God to be the best servants we can, in serving the recipient families, groups coming to build, Amor staff and in representing ourselves, our families & our Churches as we embark on this summer as women & men of God.

Thanks for reading, keep us in your prayers we love your support!!

G.B.&L. (Gods Blessings & Love),
Linz

ps. A different Nexus team member will be writing a blog entry weekly, so enjoy

Project Nexus is a group of 18 – 25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.

Introducing the team:

Hi!!!, Bonjour, Ciao, Aloha, HOLA!! We are your Nexus team of 2009… Well, technically I am one member (Linz to be specific), but I like to think that the group has entrusted me to speak on behalf of all of us for this week . It’s an absolute pleasure to make your acquaintance.  I hope to become a part of your weekly reading pleasure… well, until August 9th-ish… by then we will have crawled back to our respective countries & states. Let me get into enhanced detail of our Nexus team before going any further:

There are six of us, 4 Americans, 1 Australian & me – a Canadian (Eh!! *teehehe*). I apologize if you find the following a bit like a Miss Universe Pageant, but…

Miss Kate is from New Providence, New Jersey. She is a psychology major, minoring in religion, and is an absolutely fantastic girl. Her favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla and she has two siblings.

The lovely state of Washington has sent us Jessica! From Seattle, she is heading to the University of Washington in September but hasn’t quite declared a major. Her favorite toothpaste brand is Crest Fresh Mint. She has two dogs and a cat at home missing her.

Next is Jono, well Jon but… ya… He’s our token Aussie – flying in from Sydney, Australia, entertaining us with his accent and new words to add to our vocab. He works in disabled care back home, but is looking to find himself full time in the mission field (woot, there’s at least two of us).  His favorite childhood hero was Banana Man (I’ve never heard of it either ) and he loves himself more than anything (his words, not mine).

Our other token male is from Londonderry, New Hampshire. He’s recently finished his masters in education and will be teaching a grade 7 social studies class come fall (awesome, eh?).  If he could go anywhere in the world, it would be Jerusalem. He  thinks Dumb & Dumber is the best comedic film of all time!!

R-r-r-r-RACHEL…snuck away from Canyon City, Oregon to join us this summer. She recently completed a degree in Student & Family Ministries at Corban College though isn’t completely sure what she’s going to do with it yet. Her biggest pet peeve is people sharing chap stick or water bottles and her  favorite article of clothing is a certain pair of jeans.

And finally, I… *drum roll please* am Linz- I hail from up north. Way up north. Calgary, Alberta Canada to be specific. Yes it gets SUPER cold, but no I do not live in an igloo or take a polar bear to work/school *wink*.  I’m 21, just starting my education in paramedics, but am on the fence about potentially getting into full time ministry overseas instead. One of my claims to fame/obsessions is that I’ve eaten McDonald’s (Big Macs actually) in 7 different countries and hope to hit up one in every country before I die.

Stay tuned for some updates from our summer working with Amor Ministries!

Project Nexus is a group of 18 – 25 year olds who are spending the summer in radical service, living at the Amor Ministries campgrounds and serving our groups in Mexico.