Ensenada Outreach Center - YUGO

Well, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Andrew Schrempf, and I am an oh-so-proud Canadian citizen, and I have been working down here at the EOC for about 5 ½ months. And I must say, it has been quite the ride! I have so many great memories of times where I grew, times where I learned, and times where I laughed. This is a place that will forever be in my heart, and I know that I will miss it dearly.

Tomorrow I head out with a group from Northpark Church from Fresno, California, at around 6:00 AM. They are taking to me to San Diego airport where I go back to the snow-covered plains of Canada. And I am not the least bit excited.

From the beginning, way way back on New Year's Eve, I have been meeting people that would change my life forever. I recall the first time I met Kayleigh and Gagan, the two interns here at the time. The conversation was generally rather awkward, beginning in awkwardness and ending with the word “anyway” and walking way. I guess I do not meet new people easy. But eventually we found out what we had in common, and grew together in community. That was basically how it went with the others around camp: talking, learning, and growing together. They all have been a great source of growth: Scott & Ana as intelligent teachers, Kimyco as a straight-forward gardener, Mardy & Brenda as loving parents, Kayleigh & Gagan as amazing friends, and Andrew & Jessica as awesome...coaches (hehehe). The newer interns, Brittany & Sarrah, I am sorry I didn't get to know them overly well, but I know that they will have a great time of growing and just having fun, and I really do appreciate them coming down!

Now the National workers. All I can say about them is AMAZING. Actually, that doesn't even cover the nationals. Stupendous might come close, but doesn't quite describe this group of men. For about 4 of my months while I have been here, I worked with a young man, about 19 years old, named Marvin. I knew a little bit of Spanish (enough to answer “yes” and “no” to questions I did not understand), and he knew a little bit of English, a lot more than me and my Spanish. It was quite difficult at the beginning to communicate, much less teach him. See, I was working on teaching him how to make videos for the groups, and it's amazing to see how he has excelled so quickly at it. He went from not owning a computer to using one everyday, from not taking pictures to being a great videographer, and from not ever being involved in video editing to understand and using the Sony Vegas +DVD package to create DVD's for the groups. He taught me a lot of stuff about his country and even about myself; where I need to grow and such things. Roberto and Marvin have been the closest of the Nationals to me. Roberto is just one amazing guy (and for the ladies, yes, he is single, and a good-looker too!). Smart, hilarious, and just a great friend to have. I will miss him! All of the people on staff have been a huge encouragement!

To see God move down here has been awesome. He has shown me so many things I have never seen before, or noticed. Both about myself and about the world around me. In my time down here, I have seen easily over 20 houses built for families that live under tarps, at least 100 kids and adults given food and clothes, and 2 little boys supported financially into the process of gaining their eyesight back from cataracts. And God keeps bringing people down, changing their hearts, and using them to help these people that need it, instead of buying that nice new video game system. It is all extremely encouraging. I have been blessed by the people I have met while I have been down here.!

This is my first day of missing this place and the people... and I haven't even left it yet. I will see both again though, this I know.

God Bless,
Andrew