Week 1 of EL RETO (THE CHALLENGE) was a great success!! I have to say that looking back at least year, this year's first week was much more relaxing! There were a ton of details to take care of ahead of time, but I remember last year that when the big day arrived I felt stressed and unready for the event to begin. This year, however, on Friday around mid-day I just felt this great peace settle over me that I was READY. And when Saturday came around, there was no rushing or harriedness. Things went smoothly, basically according to our time schedule, and all of us felt VERY relaxed and ready. And it showed!! What a praise to the Lord that is!!
Like I said, it was a great success! On the first day we had a great orientation time with the staff and were even able to assign certain weekly jobs during that orientation instead of in the middle of activities. Youth started arriving at 3:45, and Sandy and I were waiting for them at the registration table ready to get all their info and assign them to teams. There was a great air of excitement on the base as everyone signed up and chatted about last year's RETO and what this year's would be like and what team they would be on, etc. Just an interesting note: we started this event with 54 youth!!!
(left) The sign says "Register here...in order to be part of a team :)"; (right) Mily with the pallet & Penny War jar for the Grey team, her weekly attendance assignment
At 4 pm, EL RETO began with Mily doing the orientation. She presented our theme title, explained all the rules, presented the formation song (the song we put on when we want to call them all back to order), and the medals of honor (awarded by staff members at the end of each day's activities to students who have demonstrated a high level of encouragement and/or leadership or a really great attitude). We then explained the background behind our theme title, theme verse, and theme image, and then we presented the staff and took our staff picture.
(left) Mily doing orientation; (right) RETO 2009 Staff -- what a handsome bunch!
Our theme this year is "Fight the Good Fight." It comes from 1 Timothy 6:12, which says,
"Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."
Our desire this year is to instill in these youth that in Christ the victory is already ours. However, it is a daily battle to live in that victory, to take ownership of it, and to not allow the lies, condemnation, and accusations of the enemy to have any room in our minds and hearts. So, with that in mind, we chose for our image that of the raising of the flag in Iwo Jima. However, we edited the image so that the men are raising up the cross instead of the American flag! It is a battle to get to where we raise up our symbol of victory. And it takes a lot of sacrifice, but it is worth it, and with Jesus Christ as our Commander, we will surly walk in victory for all eternity!
Because of this military theme, we have adopted some military terms for different aspects: Teams = Squadrons; Captains = Sargents; Filipos = Medals of Honor; Hidden Treasures = Land Mines or Grenades; Valley of Decision (last year's term) = Armageddon; Chores = The Last Battle; Final RETO = The Ultimate Battle; etc.
Our Medals of Honor (Filipos). They are little lapel pins that we made. We've never given out anything but points before, but with our military theme this seemed appropriate. We were very excited when we found camouflage buttons!
When all the orientating was over, we assigned the teams to their captains and also presented their team parents. This is something new this year: the Team Parents. This year at the end of activities and before our final voting ceremony (Armageddon), we will have Squadron time where the teams will debrief their experiences of the day during a guided discussion led by our Team Parents. The purpose of this is twofold: 1)to ensure that the kids are not only having fun each week but also absorbing the life and spiritual lessons that are overflowing in each week's activities, and 2)to evangelize the new youth who do not know Christ.
Team Captains (Left to Right): Ruben, Goyo, Riki, Jesus Orozco, Abraham, Royer, Pedro, Jesus Corrales
After assigning teams, we moved on to our Color Wars. This was where each team competed to win their team color. This year we did a trivia game based on a popular Mexican TV program "100 Mexicans say..." In this game, we asked a question that had a variety of possible answers. Each answer was awarded a point value based on how common a response it was. The teams then had to give one answer each, and the team who responded with the most common response won the color. With their color they were given an Identity Packet. This contained a t-shirt of that color for the team captain that must be worn every week, 1 container of black paint and 1 of colored paint, paint brushes, and a Bible story that related a battle. The team then had 1 hour to familiarize themselves with the Bible story, choose a name for their team that relates to the story, and decorate their flag so that it contains some sort of design related to their name, the Bible store, and the overarching RETO them of "Fight the Good Fight". The teams were also allowed to exchange their colored paint with other teams, so they ended up being very colorful.
Available colors this year were White, Yellow, Brown, Red, Blue, Purple, Grey, Red
Then each team had to present their flags and names with a brief explanation for each, and three judges awarded them points based on whether or not their name related to their story, creativity, brevity of the explanation, and participation. Here are the results.
Los Consentidos (The Favored -- literally, "The Spoiled")
Their story was from Joshua 10 when Joshua commanded the sun and the moon to stand still so they could win their battle against the enemy. Jesus is captain of this team, his first year as a team captain, and he explained that they chose their name because as God showed his favor to Joshua (or spoiled him) by granting him the power to command the sun and the moon because he was God's chosen servant. They explained that we too are under the save favor because of Jesus Christ. In the end of the story, their enemy was defeated when God sent a landslide of rocks down on top of them. So, on their flag they showed on side as being the people of God, covered by the blood of Christ and God's spoiling favor, and they included their names in red to indicate that they are part of God's chosen. Then on the other side is the enemy, those "who fight only for themselves" with a ton of rocks falling on their heads!
Los Israelitas (The Israelites)
Their story was taken from Genesis 32 when Jacob wrestled with God and refused to let go until God blessed him. This is when God changed Jacob's name to Israel. Their captain is also named Jesus, and he explained that they chose as their key verse Genesis 32:28 which says, "Then the man said, 'Your name will not be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel. I give you this name because you have fought with God and with men, and you have not been defeated." They explained that the Isrealites were the people of God, the descendants of Jacob, and that they as a team are also part of that people of God, and they take verse 28 as their promise that they will no longer be defeated. Their flag design is of a warrior together with their names since as the people of God, they also are warriors.
Conquistadores (Conquerors)
Their story was taken from Joshua 14 when Caleb took possession of the land Moses had promised him back when he had been a spy. Abraham, their captain, explained that their key verse is the promise that Moses had given Caleb: "Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully." They take this as a promise to each of them that if they follow the Lord, he will give them victory in whatever they set about doing. Their flag, therefore, has their name, a shield (of faith), and their names.
Los Poderosos (The Powerful)
Their story comes from Judges 15 when Samson killed 1000 men with nothing but the jaw bone of a donkey. Their captian, Goyo, explained that from this story they came up with a team motto: "To win is power"; so they chose their name to reflect that motto. Their flag bears their name and the reference of their story along with a drawing of the Bible with a sword going through it to indicate that the Word of God is their Power, and with God on their side, they will win!
El Escuadron del Senor (The Lord's Squadron)
Their story is the battle of Jericho from Joshua 6. Riki, their captain, explained that they took their name from how the Israelites had to march in their battle formations (Squadrons, like our teams are being called this year) around the walls of Jericho for seven days. Their flag bears two crosses with a sword in the middle, symbolizing that they are in the army of the Lord. They two wrote their names on the flag.
Los Estandartes (The Banners)
Their story comes from Exodus 17 when Joshua fights the Amelikites. Before the battle, God instructed Moses to go up on the hill overlooking the battlefield together with Aaron and Hur and to raise his hands to God in prayer. God said that as long as Moses' hands were raised, Joshua would win, but any time he dropped his arms the Amelikites would win. So, Aaaron and Hur accompanied him so that they could hold his arms up when he got tired. And Joshua won the battle!
Their captain is Royer, who has been involved in our youth group for several years, but only in the last 1.5 years has really started to allow the Lord to change him. He came back from youth camp this year with the realization that his dream is to be a youth leader and recognizing that although he has a long road ahead of Him with God and a little bit of faith, his dream will come true! So, now he is a captain!
He did a great job of organizing the presentation and assigning others in the team parts of that presentation. They explained that their name comes from Exodus 17:15 which says "Then Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is My Banner." They explained that we are all banners for the Lord that testify to who He is and His power. The crosses symbolize Jesus Christ as our commander, and the hand symbolize His covering and glory over and in us. The hills with the sun represent the day that Jesus comes back for His people and the Ultimate Victory.
Los Guerreros (The Warriors)
Their story comes from Judges 6-7 when God sends Gideon into battle with only 300 men chosen because they lapped up water like dogs. Their captain, Pedro, explained that their name came from Judges 6:12 when the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon as he was pressing his grapes into wine and said, "The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior." Their design is of their name; swords, which represent the sword that each man carried into the battle; a drum, which represent the sound of battle; and a lantern, which God used to confuse the enemy army leading to their retreat and defeat.
LOS Conquistadores (THE Conquerors)
Their story comes from 2 Samuel 5 when David conquers Jerusalem and makes it the location of his palace and royal reign. Their captain, Ruben, explained that their name comes from David's conquering. Their flag is decorated with a large shield (a royal as well as military symbol). The letters and their meanings are as follows: F=Fuerza (Strength), P=Passion (Passion), C=Corage (Courage), V=Valor (Valor)
When these presentations were completed, the teams were sent out for their Squadron Time with their Team Parents, and then they made their way to the New Church for Armageddon. This functioned exactly like last year's Valley of Decision. Each team filed in silently and in formation, the captain receiving a lighted torch upon entering. Then Luis, our acting youth pastor, explained what Armageddon is in Revelation 16. This was followed by a time for handing out Medals of Honor as well as punishments which are given for cheating, lack of respect, or fighting (which is simply not allowed). Finally, each team filed one at a time into the voting area to vote on which team would do chores on Sunday afternoon. The red team, The Powerful, received immunity for winning the name/flag presentation, so no one could vote for them. In the end, The Favored (Los Consentidos) received the most votes and was assigned chores for Sunday afternoon.
(left) The teams all lined up in their formation as Luis explains "Armageddon" and awards Medals of Honor; (right) Staff lines up and ready to give torches to each team as they file in SILENTLY
(left) The voting room (future home of women's restroom); (right) A team Sargent voting for The Favored
On Sunday when they arrived, they had to sweep the New Church sanctuary floor before the women's volleyball event. Once they were finished, they were given the first set of picture clues to the four hidden treasures. I'd love to show you those clues and tell you what the treasure are, but there are youth participating in the event who read this blog, so for now it will remain TOP SECRET!
All in all, the first week of EL RETO was a smashing success. We as staff were all incredibly pleased by the attitudes of all the captains as well as their team members. As I've talked with youth I've encountered since Saturday, all have said that they had a really good time and are looking forward to the next RETO event this coming Saturday, September 5. It's going to be a blast and a really packed day!! So, check back next week for more updates!!
Thank you for your prayers. Keep lifting up those hands for all the staff and all the participating youth this week as we anticipate a mighty move of God on behalf of each one!
