The missions of San Antonio

Below is a brief summary of the San Antonio missions. Our journeys this will let us explore all four (plus the Alamo, which isn't really a mission but the chapel of the former mission San Antonio).

In 1709 an exploritive expedition in the San Antonio region named the San Pedro Springs and the San Antonio river. The name came from the fact that the expedition team lead by Father Damian Massanet named the regions and rivers on the day of a holiday of Saint Anthony de Padua. The head waters of the San Antonio river are located on the campus of the University of the Incarnate Word (where we are staying).

The first mission, San Antonio de valero established on the west bank of the San Antonio river, near the villa de Bejar. It was later moved twice and found its infamous home in 1724 where only the remnant of the chapel lay today (along the river walk and better known as the Alamo).

The next mission was founded in 1720 (although the current structure, the second stone chapel, was not completed until 1756) and Father Antonio Margil de Jesus named it San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, although today it is known only as mission San Jose. This, the most complete of the missions, houses many rooms, walls a chapel, and offers a museum, an educational movie shown every half hour, a gift shop, and many helpful park and rec curators.

In 1731 the last three missions moved to the SA region from East Texas. Mission Concepcion kept its name; Mission San Jose de los Nazoris renamed San Juan Capistrano; San Francisco de los Neches renamed San Francisco de la Espada.

Ok, having said that, today we visited three missions: San Juan, San Jose, and Espada. We had a chance to see living history, touch the past, and project towards the future. Our professor this week is called history, and he is teaching. Lord grant us the ability to learn well.

d2: daily bread and buy jesus a big mac

Similar to day one, we worked with an organization to help give people food. This place, the Daily Bread, called these people impoverished, yesterday, they were called food insecure. First of all, below are pictures of us working at the daily bread.

Our afternoon saw us get lunch at McDonalds and each team not only bought lunch for themselves but purchased an extra meal in hopes of sharing it with someone less fortunate than themselves. Based on a passage from Matthew 25, we called this exercise ''Buy Jesus a big mac''. Below are our axis missionaries and our new friends Lee and Shawn (not pictured are Chico and Mary).

the work, the ministry, the fun: day on

"Then the King will say to those on u who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'



today we worked for 7 hours at a local 'community owned' food bank called san antonio food bank. they are largely city supported and very organized. we got a tour of the 104,000 plus facilities. they included a volunteer area massive refrigerator and freezer sections, nutritional counselors, auditors (to ensure the donations end at the intended destination) grant writers, aid assistance counselors and a chef school.



our students worked HARD. together we went through hundreds of boxes of food; separating old and expired food from several categories of usable food. we then packed the usable items into boxes of varied, nutritional meals and stacked them on to pallets for weighing, delivery and distribution. we organized 14,500 pounds of food which feeds about 8120 people in a week. not bad for a group of 29 jr varsity students and workers.



you will also see the after effects of mckinzies birthday party (and an icing fight). the pictures of mckenzie were too dark to see, but happy birthday anyway mac!

san antonio mission...

for the next few days I will be updating this blog on the road via cell phone. please be patient regarding pics and punctuation. this is to be informational, informal and fun but not exhaustive. ill keep this updated every day or two but if you want more info on our travels, you can join us for our welcome back services: sunday july 29 and wednesday august 1 at 7pm.

48 hr from poverty land to fantasyland

I had a really weird experience. It was not design, but by what ill call destiny.

I had just taken a group of 27 to mexico city. In MC we worked with the poor and needy by providing practical services (medical, dental, optometry, hair care and childrens activities). one day we actually worked in a garbage dump.

In MC there are approximately 200,000 people living in five major garbage dumps under the most destitute conditions. There is no running water, little food and abject poverty. Most people that end up here spend the rest of their lives in and out or only in this prison. One girl on our team had visited this particular dump six years earlier and became friends with a three year old girl. They we reacquainted last week, this child now nine and still growing in the dregs of garbage.

None of that was particularly abnormally weird, I knew what I was getting in to, I signed up for the experience. What was weird, the part I call destiny, was that within 48 hours I went from poverty land to fantasyland (literally). We flew back to dallas, had a great time of celebration and sharing in our church services and then I boarded a plane with my family to visit my parents and head for disneyland.

I didn't have time to decompress unwind or contemplate, I went from appointment to appointment. Even this writing was a long time coming because of the effort it took in getting a proper perspective on this yoyo experience.

I would have to say that besides the extreme emotions that followed, my first take away was a sense of bittersweet.

Bitter
People in abject poverty
A country imploding from political corruption and internal strife
Hunger, disease and neglect
Children raised in absence of proper medical care, healthy nuclear families and a caring social structure.

Sweet
We took a team of 27 to in part, help alleviate the above
We provided over 900 professional services for the people in MC
Our whole team returned safely and more aware of the needs of the world around us
I was reunited with my girls in time for a family vacation
I am more blessed than I deserve

Thank you god for your provision, your help, your people, your plans and your blessings.

the joshua tree - 20 years later

on march 15 1997, a recording that changed the world was released. When I realized it was twenty years ago the I first came into contact with such greatness, I did what any U2 fan woild do. I grabbed my ipod and went on a one way walk until I head the edge wailing the beginning of 'in gods country' and then I started back. On my journey I relived some great memories associated with great music and a great period in my life.

In 1997 I was in my senior year of college in southern california. I'd had already seen the four lads from dublin and been a fan for some time. So I was excited for a new release, but not ready for the maelstrom that ensued. I've always hate pop music, so when a good thing made it big, it was sad yet somewhat satisfying. I mean, the boys made it and huge. Good for them, they were finally real rock stars, good for me, the music I loved had just been justified by the masses. But bad for me, now I had to share.

Although the joshua tree iis not my favorite U2 recording, I do appreciate it and think it is one of the best recordings of all time.

Contenders: pink floyd, dark side of the moon, led zeplin IV, michael jackson thriller, the beatles sgt. peppers lonely hearts club band (although I much prefer the white album) and anything by the rolling stones.

2007 also commemorates the 40 anniversary of sgt. peppers lonely hearts club band.

some facts about TJT

"The Joshua Tree" was certified as DIAMOND in 1987 with sales of over
1,000,000 copies. According to the RIAA, they have sold approximately 50.5 million albums in the U.S., had six #1 albums in the U.S. and are widely considered as one of the most successful groups of the last 25 years. The band is also very politically active in human rights causes, such as the Make Poverty History campaign as well as the spearheaded campaign by Bono, DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa).

Singles from The Joshua Tree
"With or Without You"
Released: March 1987
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
Released: May 1987
"Where the Streets Have No Name"
Released: August 1987
"In God's Country"
Released: November 1987
(North America only)
"One Tree Hill"
Released: March 1988
(New Zealand only)

The Joshua Tree was the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2, released on March 9, 1987 on Island Records. It was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The album was massively successful, and is considered to have been U2's worldwide commercial breakthrough. In addition, it has often been praised by music critics as the band's best album and one of the best rock albums of all time. In 2003, the album was ranked number 26 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The Joshua Tree won the Album of the Year award at the Grammy Awards of 1988.

For more info:

http://david2002002.blogspot.com/2006/01/u2.html
http://www.u2.com/
http://www.one.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U2_concert_tours

last years trip...

last year we helped roy and keely morley in sittingbourn UK do and event called party in the park (among other things like vbs and school assemblies). anyway, click the link below to see keely's blog and some pics from party in the part 2007.

http://therealvicarofdibley.blogspot.com/

rawd