Well week 4 of EL RETO was a total blast and a great success! I was totally stoked that this week we started things off by getting ahead of schedule and finished the evening spot on with the schedule that we had made up for the day! And it was a very full day!
But before I go into details let me just announce that this week we broke our record for total number of youth that have participated. The grand total after week 4 is 83!!!! That means we beat our record by 11 youth!!! (Last year's record was 72.) Pastor Luis told us the other day in a leaders' meeting that he had been praying that EL RETO this year would touch 80 youth! Looks like the Lord is meeting and exceeding our prayers yet again! Praise Him!
We started the day off taking attendance followed by a few announcements. We then sent the kids off to their devotional time. This was also the last week to contribute coins to their penny wars, so we made sure to have all the bottles out and ready for their deposits.
Pallets and Penny War bottles used to mark where they should line up for formation
Something interesting happened this week. Several of our youth, including two of our team captains, were required by the high school to play in a soccer tournament on Saturday. This meant that they were not present when we started attendance. They did finally arrive right before we sent them to their first RETO activity, but they were not there for devotions. This has happened before with other teams, and the most fascinating thing happens each time. Someone on the team steps up and starts taking the leadership until the team captain arrives. The second week it was the blue team (The Banners), and the entire team banded together to lead themselves. This week we noticed this with the red team, The Powerful. Jazmin, a young lady of 16 who became a Christian in January and just recently was baptized, stepped up and started improvising a devotional for the team, even to the point of leading them in prayer when they finished!
(left) Jazmin; (right) The Powerful about to pray at the end of their devotional time
This week was Martin's to plan. He decided he wanted to have a mini race for the kids to find trucks assigned to their teams that would take them to Santa Fe where they were to participate in a Rescue the Flag tournament. This is almost exactly like Capture the Flag, but in our case they were rescuing their own flag from the other team's territory instead of trying to steal the other team's flag. So, during devotional time, we told the Team Parents what truck they were going to be waiting in and where.
After devotional time, they moved on to their rehearsal time for their Military Chant which will be presented this coming Saturday at the FINAL RETO. During this time, several of us went around asking to borrow their team flags for something. We then sent the flags with Martin to Santa Fe. When that was over, we called them back to formation. Most of the staff had already headed either to Santa Fe to be ready for when the teams arrived or to their designated trucks parked at different locations around the base. In fact, all the trucks were in places visible from the base, but they had to pick the right truck. So, I handed the clues to the team captains, and within seconds of opening them the base was a ghost town!
Their clues were as follows:
The Ford (picture below) was waiting in front of the Clinic (outside one of the base rear gates) for Conquerors (orange team) and The Banners (blue team) who were given the following clue: "The way to success is through health and holiness. Look for your Team Parent in a truck waiting for you there, and continue on to the next CHALLENGE."
The Nissan (no picture) was was just outside the other rear gate around the corner from the Clinic waiting for The Lord's Squadron (brown team) and The Favored (yellow team). Their clue read: "Holiness is the doorway to health. Look for your Team Parent in a truck waiting for you there, and continue to the next CHALLENGE."
The long box GMC and Hugo's truck (one of our team parents) (pictured below) were just up the street from the Nissan in front of the Preschool/Kindergarten waiting for The Warriors (gray team) and The Powerful (red team). Their clue said: "A..B..C; 1..2..3; La Carrera (means race as well as career) always starts at the beginning. Look for your Team Parent in a truck waiting for you there, and continue on to the next CHALLENGE."
The Chevy 4X4 (pictured below) was in front of the Police station next door to the base waiting for The Israelites (white team) and THE Conquerors (purple team). Their clue read: "Help! Help! Look for your Team Parent in a truck waiting there to help you arrive at the next CHALLENGE."
Once a team arrived at their designated truck, their Team Parent gave them this clue (the same for all teams): "THE MISSION: Your flag has been captured! Go to Santa Fe and battle to Rescue Your Flag!"
We gave points for the order that the teams arrived, and then they were divided into pairs to play the first round of playoffs of Rescue the Flag. Four play-off games took place simultaneously. The four winners then played two simultaneous semi-final games, and the two winners of those games played for the championship, while the teams that lost in the semi-finals played for 3rd and 4th place. Points were given according to their place from first to eighth. The kids seemed to have a great time, and they all set about to figuring out their strategy as a team and putting it into play. It was a lot of fun to watch too!
Pictures from the championship game between The Powerful (red) and The Warriors (gray)
While we were playing we noticed a massive storm front moving in from the distance. Thankfully, the tournament ended before the storm arrived, and we loaded up in all the trucks and headed back to Cofradia to the New Church where the teams went immediately to their Squadron Time with their Team Parents. In the meantime the rest of us staff set up the sanctuary for THE AUCTION!! We did this for the first time last year, and it was such a hit that we decided to do it again this year! However, while we were setting up that storm caught up to us and it started pouring! It didn't stop raining, thundering, and lightning until almost 9 pm that night, and just after the Auction started we actually lost power until the next morning! But the show must go on, and so must the Auction!!! And so we did with a megaphone in hand and the teams all crowded in around the platform (so we could hear them above the sound of rain on the aluminum roof).
Before starting the Auction, we offered The Favored (yellow) a chance for a CONQUEST since they came in last in Rescue the Flag. They were given the option of a Conquest of Mind, a Conquest of Strength, or a Conquest of Talent. They chose the talent and were instructed that one member of their team had to demonstrate a talent for ONE judge who would decide if it was good enough to win the prize or not. Beto got up and sang a popular worship song a capella in the megaphone for all to hear. As a result they won 250 points towards their total points which would help them greatly in the auction!
Beto singing "Generacion Que Danza" for Mily
In the Auction, each team is given a pallet of their color and a slip of paper that reveals their total points to this point including the points they won from Rescue the Flag. Mily was the auctioneer, and she did a FAB-U-LOUS job of riling up the kids and getting them really into it and excited! Then we bring out a closed Tupperware box (not transparent) with the item for auction inside. THE ITEM REMAINS UNDISCLOSED UNTIL AFTER IT IS PURCHASED. The teams then begin bidding points to purchase the item still not knowing what it is.
Once the item is purchased, the team captain comes forward to open the box and find out what they have won. However, before he does so, we give him the option to stick with what they bought or open a different box with a different item in it. Once the captain chooses, we remove the discarded box back to the auction store room to be auctioned or offered as an option later. The captain then opens his chosen box (either what he purchased or the option) and reveals what they bought with their points. Here's what we auctioned this year, who bought each item, and how many points they spent!!
As we neared the end of the Auction and realized that the rain, thunder, and lightning were not going to let up, we decided to change the location of Armageddon to the sanctuary where we were holding the Auction. Normally we do it in the open courtyard area of the education wing, but with the storm that just wasn't an option. So, Luis took one of the boxes (no longer in use) and ran quickly for all the torches, the voting jar, the paper, and everything else we needed for Armageddon, and he set up the voting room in the storage room we were using for the auction items.
When the Auction ended we called the teams to formation and handed them their lighted torches. We then proceeded with Medals of Honor and punishments (yes there were a couple). Then Luis shared a short message about Armageddon and retired to the voting room and began calling the teams in one-by-one. Since the Conquerors (orange team) bought immunity from chores in the Auction, no one could vote for them. In the end, The Israelites received the most votes (five) and were granted the privilege of doing chores. As the rest of the teams were dismissed the Israelites came up to find out what their chore assignments would be and when. I informed them that their chores will be completed this coming Saturday at 8:30 in the morning as they help us clean and set up for the FINAL RETO in the new church.
Formation for Armageddon
(left) A member of The Israelites receiving a Medal of Honor; (right) The Favored receiving their punishment.
(left) Voting; (right) The final vote count
Then I proceeded to hand them clues for the hidden treasures. I also explained to them that there are TWO NEW TREASURES that were hidden prior to week three, and that the two clues for those treasures were included in the clues that I was given them right then. Man, did their eyes light up!! Rumors have been going around that three of the four clues had been found before the second week of EL RETO, and that the fourth had been found before week 3. We have yet to confirm or deny these rumors. However, this has discouraged many of the teams from looking because they have believed the rumors. So, when they found out there were two more to look for, they were very excited!
Anyway, week 4 was a blast, and the torrential thunder storm only added to the uniqueness of the week's events! It has been such a blast participating in this event all month, and we're all excited to see the culmination of it all in Week 5: EL RETO FINAL where the teams really will fight THE FINAL BATTLE with their Military Chants and the final challenge that will decide the winner of EL RETO 2009: FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.
Please keep us in your prayers as we see to final details for the final week of EL RETO. Also please pray that the Lord will be preparing hearts to receive him as there will surely be a gospel presentation and an invitation to know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. The number of kids participating this year has almost doubled since week 1, and most of the kids that have joined up since week 1 are non-Christians and have never participated with us before. This is a great opportunity, and we are praying in faith for a great harvest before it's all over. And most of all, pray for a consistent and constant follow-up in the lives of these kids: that their experiences this month will be the method of learning great life lessons and of being drawn closer to the Lord, and that those who invited friends will be faithful to continue investing in those lives!
If you would like to financially contribute to EL RETO, either for this year OR FOR NEXT YEAR, please click here to make a safe, easy, and fast online donation to "Cofradia Youth: EL RETO". Thank you!!
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