(Special Guest Blog by Linda Lanesmith) Today what stands out? These youth that we’re traveling with are basically THE BEST. Day 4 and we have yet to hear them complain. They have been squished in the back of the van for hours with very little space. Thrown into things they weren’t expecting. Asked to push out of their comfort zone by sharing their hearts with people they don’t even know, try new foods etc. Not. One. Complaint.

(*VERY FULL VAN!!!)

One of the youth asked Gerardo, “why are people so glad we have come?”  Speaking what we are all thinking.  Because we feel like we’re the ones who are blessed by this experience. Thank you to Sergio, his family and the church in Celaya for having us. We did not want to leave!

It’s been a joy to listen to the youth and their silly banter, loud singing and attempts at Spanish(which in all honesty, they’re picking it up faster than the adults!) So often we give teenagers a bad rap. Us adults have been known to roll our eyes as we talk about the challenges of teenagers. As we’ve listened to the kids share their heart and struggles, I am reminded all they have to navigate through ‘these days’. So much hard stuff. These kids need to know adults are on their side. We’ve got their backs. These are some good, good kids.

You must know, every day here there’s a surprise. Some unexpected fantastic thing happens, or several actually. I have so much admiration for our host, Gerardo. He has selflessly given of himself this week to drive us around for hours and hours(with a noisy bunch of kids!), watch out for our well being, and keep us safe. I didn’t know I could admire him more, until we discovered HE CAN RAP. Like a boss! He broke into a rap solo in the middle of a worship song during church this morning.  Loved it and him. You’re so great Gerardo! Thanks for all you’ve done to make this trip happen. It’s such a pleasure to spend time with you.

(*Special guest blog from Linda Lanesmith) Yesterday’s highlights brought to you by ‘jugo verte’ (green juice), Papa John’s Pizza and grace home church of AWESOME.

After such a long day of travel yesterday (7am-10pm), we were thankful for a lovely hotel to stay in, Holiday Inn Centro, Guadalajara.

By now, everyone has heard Pastor Mike rave about the green juice he loves to drink in Mexico.  The consensus at breakfast this morning was, most of us have jumped on the ‘jugo verte’ bandwagon.  It is seriously yum!  Made with celery, pineapple juice, orange juice and cactus!

If you can’t really imagine how a 4 hour ride goes, in a 2003 Chevy Express, packed with 12 HUGE suitcases, 7 carry-ons, 5 teenagers, Pastor Mike, Gerardo (our awesome host) and myself, (Linda) here’s how it went down.

On the drive to Celaya “Hey, let’s practice some worship songs in the van!” So we did.  As we were trying out some harmonies, we discovered that Gerardo can sing, AND SO CAN PASTOR MIKE!  There were some sweet sounds coming from that Chevy.  Gerardo let us know that the plan was to do some music in the service on Sunday.

At one of the washroom stops along the highway, we discovered a ‘Papa John’s Pizza’ place.

Pastor Mike: “Hey girls, the guys are getting some pizza, do you want some?”

Girls: “Nahhh”.

*After smelling the pizza*

Linda: “So, who regrets the pizza decision girls?”

Girls respond in unison: “ME!!!”

So, Pastor Mike kindly goes and orders another pizza.  #FlexicoInMexico

Beautiful sounds of worship quickly changed to loud camp songs, radio and TV jingles, silly songs with Larry, musicals, etc. The girls made sure we covered all genres…LOUDLY!  We quickly decided we should stop trying to translate English songs into Spanish after butchering Justin Beiber’s “Is it too late now to say lo Siento.”  It is important note here, that Jonathan at some point inserted his ear plugs during this loud medley.

All of these wonderful moments with the youth in the van, were interspersed with one of us asking Gerardo how to say something else in Spanish. “Como si dice __________.”

This evening Mike was scheduled to preach, and some of us shared our stories at a grace home church.  I’m sure the kids must have wondered where exactly we were going, as we walked down a dimly lit alley into someone’s home.  We were greeted warmly and welcomed into their home.  As we sat together, we heard a story of a husband and wife whose son was kidnapped two years ago and senselessly killed.   They shared how the pain of losing their child hasn’t left them, but they have found hope in Christ through the tragic loss of their son.

It was a big surprise when Gerardo called me (Linda) up to lead a worship song…….and then another one.  Remember how we were practicing to do a song on Sunday? #Flexicoinmexico  However, singing a song together in Spanish and English at the same time, with this group, was wonderful.

Mike also shared more of his own journey of understanding God’s Love and God’s acceptance of him.  Watching Mike preach from his heart and Gerardo translate for him with such passion was great to see.  They are like a well oiled machine!

It was a blessed day, what will tomorrow bring?

It is with great joy and excitement I get to announce that all the funds have been raised for the Mexico Missions trip!!  I can’t thank everyone enough for their generous support.  We are leaving first thing in the morning, Thursday March 10^th and returning on the 17^th.   If you’d like to see what’s happening or has happened, please visit me on Facebook (Michael Zenker, or Grace Walk Canada) or you can follow my blog at https://mikezenker.wordpress.com/ .  We’ll be posting pictures and updates along the way (pending Wi-Fi).

This trip is not your ‘typical missions trip’, this one has a deeper hope and purpose.  Here’s what the team read before they signed up:

“This mission’s trip is NOT your ‘traditional’ mission’s trip.  This is not about you….or the people we are going to.  This is all about discovering Jesus on each step of the journey.  Look for Him on the flight there and back, look for Him in the people you’ll meet, look for Him in the culture you’ll experience.  Listen for Him to speak to you and reveal Himself to you in all the activities of this trip.   This trip is designed to be a ‘wake up call’ as to the riches we have here vs what they don’t have there, the riches they have there, and the lack we have here….your job is to discover the difference. “

I’d like to invite all of you reading this to pray for us on our trip.  Pray for the impact the entire adventure will have on each person going and on each person that we’ll encounter!  Pray for our host and guide, Gerardo Vazquez (Director of Grace Walk Latin America), he has done all the ground work and planning to keep us safe and organized.

Here are some of the things we’ll be doing on the trip:

A team of adults and youth are flying into Guadalajara, Mexico

• then driving 4 hours east to Celaya Guanajuato, where we’ll be meeting a Church connected to Grace Walk and share stories, bring some gifts for the children and explore the city.
• Next we’ll travel to Santiago Ixcuintla Nayarit.  (Gerardo’s wife’s hometown)

Some of the things we’ll be doing in Nayarit are:

• Painting the fronts of twelve homes (they cannot afford paint, and yet they love colour) (**we are planning on investing back into this little town and hiring the locals to do the painting, so we can do more ‘relational’ time with the children, teens and community).
• Purchasing chairs for the Community Centre (which seriously lacks seating, they have dirt floors)
• Bringing as many school supplies to give away as possible, buy them there if need be.  They cannot afford basic supplies
• Canadian Tire Waterloo has graciously allowed us to purchase sports equipment at cost and we’ll be giving some to the children and the rest to the Community Centre/Church
• Health supplies (shampoos, toothpaste, toothbrushes, hand sanitizer, etc.)  the town has ONE home that has an indoor working bathroom, otherwise the rest of the town utilizes community out-houses with running water.
• Connecting Canadian teens with Mexican teens in order to share culture and life stories
• Working with children through stories, games, bringing stickers, playing sports with them, etc
• We’ll be exploring the deeper needs of the places we visit so that we can return with a better understanding of how we can partner with these towns, bringing practical help, but also the profound message of Grace and Love!

Thank you again, I’m looking forward to sharing updates as the trip progresses!!

Mike Zenker

ORIGINAL POST: LINK  

I want to thank everyone that has already participated in the financial partnership of the MEXICO MISSIONS TRIP 2016!!  We are only $2800 away from having the entire trip covered, allowing us to bless the folks in Mexico in a significant way.

The beauty of this trip is not so much about blessing them, but about the impact it will have on those traveling to Mexico.  I fully trust that God is going to reveal the truth of his profound love to the places we will visit and that the message we bring will impact the people who hear it!  MERCY & LOVE RECEVED THROUGH FAITH will impact more people than we realize!!

For those who have not  yet considered financially supporting this venture, one that we plan on doing annually, would you please consider a one time donation towards this mission? 

We are looking for $50, $100, $250, $500 or $1000  (*all of which is income tax receipt able in Canada)

For any donation of $100 or more, I would like to offer a very special “Adult Colouring Book” that was created by one of the participants going on the trip.  This is a small way we can say thank you AND you get to enjoy God given art gifts when you use it!  (*please see the cover of the colouring book below as well as just a few samples of what you will be getting.)

We are leaving Thursday March 10^th and return Thursday March 17^th.  Please refer to the previous email we sent you for more details on the trip or visit

https://www.facebook.com/Grace-Walk-Canada-101177449981711/?fref=nf on facebook or

https://mikezenker.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/grace-walk-hope-fellowship-missions-trip-2016-mexico/

if a lot of people give a little bit, it will be covered so quickly!

During the trip, will try to update each day what has happened as best we can (based on WIFI availability), just visit  https://mikezenker.wordpress.com/  to follow our journey!!  You will be greatly encouraged!!

To donate, visit www.gracewalkcanada.org and click the donate button on the right (in the note section, just type in Mexico Missions Trip) or call 1-888-472-2350

What is the bid deal with ‘The Bible’? Have you ever wondered ‘how to understand or read ‘the Bible’? In this three part mini series, I’m going to enthusiastically show you there is tremendous value to reading and understanding your Bible. I will also walk you through the key stories and how they fit together so you can begin to read AND understand!

Today’s message is the final in this three part adventure. THE NEW TESTAMENT, how do we read it? How do we understand it?? this should be helpful! I hope you are encouraged.

By the time we are done, you will have enough understanding to begin reading and understanding your Bible!! I really hope you enjoy!

You may have heard God loves you, but did you know He LIKES you too. The message the ‘typical’ church sends to the world is that God is really ticked and his anger is building…well….that God doesn’t even EXIST!! And we wonder why people feel condemned by the message ‘the church’ seems to send.

Let’s share the GOOD NEWS for all people TO all people! God loves EVERYBODY! No one is excluded! That is good news!! Now believe it!! For more info, visit:

• http://www.hopefellowshipycc.com
• http://www.gracewalkcanada.org
• http://www.gracewalk.org
• https://mikezenker.wordpress.com/

^{Today’s video will give you a wonderful glimpse into the the special Missions trip to Mexico that will be happening March 10-17!!  Please watch and support ‘something’ by visiting www.gracewalkcanada.org and click the donate button!!}

To those going on the trip: “This mission’s trip is NOT your ‘traditional’ mission’s trip.  This is not about you….or the people we are going to.  This is all about discovering Jesus on each step of the journey.  Look for Him on the flight there and back, look for Him in the people we will meet, look for Him in the culture you will experience.  Listen for Him to speak to you and reveal Himself to you in all the activities of this trip.   This trip is designed to be a ‘wake up call’ as to the riches we have here vs what they don’t have there, the riches they have there, and the lack we have here….your job is to discover the difference. ”

^13-15 One day children were brought to Jesus in the hope that he would lay hands on them and pray over them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus intervened: “Let the children alone, don’t prevent them from coming to me. God’s kingdom is made up of people like these.” After laying hands on them, he left. (Matthew 19:14-15The Message (MSG))

You may have heard God loves you, but did you know He LIKES you too.  The message the ‘typical’ church sends to the world is that God is really ticked and his anger is building…well….that God doesn’t even EXIST!! And we wonder why people feel condemned by the message ‘the church’ seems to send.

Let’s share the GOOD NEWS for all people TO all people!  God loves EVERYBODY!  No one is excluded!  That is good news!! Now believe it!!  For more info, visit:

• hopefellowshipycc.com
• gracewalkcanada.org
• gracewalk.org
• https://mikezenker.wordpress.com/

What is the bid deal with ‘The Bible’? Have you ever wondered ‘how to understand or read ‘the Bible’? In this three part mini series, I’m going to enthusiastically show you there is tremendous value to reading and understanding your Bible. I will also walk you through the key stories and how they fit together so you can begin to read AND understand! Todays message is a brief intro, and then it will be followed up by a rapid run through the main stories and how they flow together. Lastly, I will take you through the New Testament in the same way. By the time we are done, you will have enough understanding to begin reading and understanding your Bible!! I really hope you enjoy!

You may have heard God loves you, but did you know He LIKES you too. The message the ‘typical’ church sends to the world is that God is really ticked and his anger is building…well….that God doesn’t even EXIST!! And we wonder why people feel condemned by the message ‘the church’ seems to send.

Let’s share the GOOD NEWS for all people TO all people! God loves EVERYBODY! No one is excluded! That is good news!! Now believe it!! For more info, visit:

• http://www.hopefellowshipycc.com
• http://www.gracewalkcanada.org
• http://www.gracewalk.org
• https://mikezenker.wordpress.com/

What is the bid deal with ‘The Bible’? Have you ever wondered ‘how to understand or read ‘the Bible’? In this three part mini series, I’m going to enthusiastically show you there is tremendous value to reading and understanding your Bible. I will also walk you through the key stories and how they fit together so you can begin to read AND understand! Todays message is a brief intro, and then it will be followed up by a rapid run through the main stories and how they flow together. Lastly, I will take you through the New Testament in the same way. By the time we are done, you will have enough understanding to begin reading and understanding your Bible!! I really hope you enjoy!

You may have heard God loves you, but did you know He LIKES you too. The message the ‘typical’ church sends to the world is that God is really ticked and his anger is building…well….that God doesn’t even EXIST!! And we wonder why people feel condemned by the message ‘the church’ seems to send.

Let’s share the GOOD NEWS for all people TO all people! God loves EVERYBODY! No one is excluded! That is good news!! Now believe it!! For more info, visit:

• http://www.hopefellowshipycc.com
• http://www.gracewalkcanada.org
• http://www.gracewalk.org
• https://mikezenker.wordpress.com/

MUCH Bigger & Better Than You Think! (*PART 2*) The Love Of God, Agape, is SO much bigger and better than you think! Enjoy this encouraging message that digs deep into 1 Corinthians 13 (The Love Chapter)….however, one thing you WILL discover, is that these verses are NOT the ‘to-do list’ for married couples, instead, it is a description of WHO God really is and how He wants to live through us! ENJOY!!

MUCH Bigger & Better Than You Think! The Love Of God, Agape, is SO much bigger and better than you think! Enjoy this encouraging message that digs deep into 1 Corinthians 13 (The Love Chapter)….however, one thing you WILL discover, is that these verses are NOT the ‘to-do list’ for married couples, instead, it is a description of WHO God really is and how He wants to live through us! ENJOY!!

You may have heard God loves you, but did you know He LIKES you too. The message the ‘typical’ church sends to the world is that God is really ticked and his anger is building…well….that God doesn’t even EXIST!! And we wonder why people feel condemned by the message ‘the church’ seems to send.

Let’s share the GOOD NEWS for all people TO all people! God loves EVERYBODY! No one is excluded! That is good news!! Now believe it!! For more info, visit:

• http://www.hopefellowshipycc.com
• http://www.gracewalkcanada.org
• http://www.gracewalk.org
• https://mikezenker.wordpress.com/