Looking back at the first few weeks of this spring semester, I have to say that we have seen God show up in a new way here at En Vivo. One of our goals is to push our students to get a bigger worldview, and grasp ahold of how Christian faith isn’t about head knowledge--but rather love in action. Out of this vision came the idea of taking students on a mission trip, En Vivo’s first-ever, over the Holy Week break. Working with Habitat for Humanity, we decided to form a team to go to Braga, Portugal to help in the rebuilding of the home of a widow and her daughter.

In order to make this possible, two big things had to happen. We had to find students who were excited about giving up their vacation to serve in building a home, and we had to find the financial resources to make the trip possible. Honestly, we were a bit nervous about the prospects of these happening--mission trips and support-raising are not exactly a part of the Spanish culture, being largely unheard-of ideas. But once again (you’d think we would have learned this by now) God proved larger than our fears.

Over the course of three weeks enough interest was generated in the trip to fill all 15 spots and to raise above and beyond what we had dreamed as a goal for raising money. Our “Missions Thermometer” that we painted on the wall as a way to encourage our students to give money (and reward them by performing ridiculous stunts when certain levels were reached) proved insufficient as the money raised exploded out the top of the thermometer. Our student leaders stepped up in a way like never before, putting on a “Portuguese Cinema Night” and an auction where students paid to have others come clean their apartments, etc. The week of the trip, our fundraising drive was capped off by a benefit concert played by the En Vivo band and a visiting church band at a local café, with a packed house and lots of donations for the trip.

The trip has now come and gone, and while I was not on the trip myself, everyone keeps talking about what an amazing experience it was. I am extremely jealous that I wasn’t able to be there. A time to make a difference, to build deeper community among students, and to broaden their view on what a Christian faith and worldview should be all about. Praise God for all of that. I only hope, now that the Holy Week vacation has come to a close, that the final two months of the semester can be just as faith-stretching and rewarding as this experience with Project Portugal.

~Jeremy Lawler, 03.31.08