Saturday, March 27, 2010

2010 Jr. High Mexico Mission Team


Please join in praying and supporting our Jr. High Mexico Mission Team. From April 1st thru April 10th we'll be down in Rosarito, Mexico ministering with a Foursquare Church, Hope Chapel Rosarito. We'll be performing dramas, leading worship in Spanish, leading children's programs, assisting other local churches, feeding the hungry, and participating in local cleaning and service projects.
Please keep us in your prayers. You can stay informed by checking for daily posts and pictures with updates of how the trip is going on our Jr. High Website
If you'd like more information about Hope Chapel Rosarito you can check out their website.

UNPLUGGED CHALLENGE

March 28th thru April 10th


Starting Sunday, March 28th our Jr. High Mexico team is participating in a two week challenge to unplug and abstain from media and entertainment. We're doing this to make a personal sacrifice for a short time so that we can refocus our busy lives on Jesus.

Believe it or not our society is immersed and addicted to technology, but its scary how much of a distraction it can become. Studies show that...
  • 61% of Facebook users check their accounts at least once a day
  • 18% can't go more than a couple hours without checking their Facebook account
  • 28% of iPhone owners use Twitter before they even get out of bed
  • 40% don't mind being interrupted by a text message during a meal time
  • Teens watch an average 1500 hours of TV each year and 900 hours in school each year
  • 6 million movies are rented in the US each day
  • By the age 65 a person will view an average 2,000,000 TV commercials
  • 76% of 8-18yr olds own an iPod/MP3 player
  • 66% of 8-18yr olds own a cellphone
  • Almost 30% of American households own 4+ televisions
  • 54% of American households own a videogame console

As a response to these startling statistics our Jr. High Mexico team is avoiding media consumption.

We're saying NO to...
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Music/Radio/iPods
  • Facebook/Twitter/Myspace
  • Internet Use for Entertainment Purposes
  • Videogames

Instead we're saying YES to...

  • Praying for our mission trip
  • Reading our Bibles
  • Listening to God
  • Spending time with people
  • Getting outside and enjoying God's creation

Please pray for our mission team as we are out of the country from April 1st thru April 10th. We would love your prayers and support, and would like to encourage you in participating in the Unplugged Challenge.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Movie Review: Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland
Rated: PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar.
The latest Johnny Depp/Tim Burton collaboration looks at this classic tale from the perspective of Alice returning to Wonderland years after her initial visit. Growing up she was convinced that her first time in Wonderland was a dream that she had created, then faced with many life changing decisions she finds herself following the White Rabbit back to Wonderland.
Overall the storyline is pretty simplistic and slightly predictable, so don't expect a "wonderland" of plot. But that's not why people are paying to take this adventure. Theaters are filling up to see the mind-boggling special effects and Johnny Depp's highly anticipated portrayal of The Mad Hatter. While Depp's performance was amazing, I thought the other characters were just as entertaining. The visual artistry of the film is amazing as you feel truly transported to a whimsical land of wonder. This movie is made for the big screen with such precision put into all of the details; everything from off-the-wall costumes to the minuscule hints of coloring added to Depp's eyelashes. This film is a feast for the eyes.
Bottom Line:
Be sure to tumble down the rabbit's hole and see this film in theaters; waiting until DVD won't do it justice.
Film Links: