When the "4th of July" team from Orangewood Presbyterian Church, Orlando, landed in Mexico at the end of May (they came earlier than usual), they knew they were going to help set up a party to celebrate the coming-of-age for seven children in the Armonia communities. They didn't know how major an event this party was going to be in the lives not just of the children but of their families and their communities. Nor did they count on a very special trip to the Mexican pyramids with a group of parents from the Jalalpa Transformation Course.

Working on the edge: helping to build the new upper floor extension at Jalalpa

The main areas of work the team got involved in when they arrived were:-

i) continuing the work on the new floor extension upstairs at the Jalalpa community center;

ii) teaching art and literature appreciation to children and parents;

iii) preparing the Santa Cruz community center for the "Celebration of Youth" party being held at the end of the week. This meant a lot of paintwork being scrubbed and retouched, wooden doors and window frames being sanded and varnished, floors and walls washed, buying plants and decorations, and blowing up a lot of balloons.

Anjelica (standing) reads some of her work in one of the Jalalpa literature appreciation workshops

The team applied themselves to all this work with the usual Orangewood vigor and enthusiasm. However, they had a surprise break on Thursday (the day before the party) when they joined the team of parents from the Christian Transformation Course at Jalalpa for a special day at the Pyramids at Teotihuacan north of Mexico City. For many of the parents it was the first time they had seen (and had explained to them) these awe-inspiring ruins of their own ancient history and culture. (Indeed for many of the parents it was one of the few opportunities they've had to leave Jalalpa.) As well as being an exciting learning experience, it became even more special when the parents shared their packed lunches with the hungry (and foodless) Orangewood team - a generous gesture that the team reciprocated by treating the parents to dinner at a nearby restaurant at the end of the day. A communal sing-song on the coach journey home set the seal on a day where both groups found they had joined closer together in fellowship and love. But it was still no preparation for what was to follow the next day.

The Transformation parents and Orangewood team at their "special education day out" at the Teotihuacan pyramids

On Friday evening, 350 children, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles joined together beneath a slowly clearing storm-cloud-laden sky to witness seven young people officially enter their adulthood. In Mexico coming-of-age is reached at 15 years, and the coming-of-age party is an important ceremony in the young people's lives. Some of the children didn't have the chance to have a party when they were fifteen and so now, on their 16th, 17th or even 18th birthdays, four of the seven had the opportunity to celebrate in a way that had been denied them before.

The opening ceremony was very formal, with the two boys and five girls led out onto the stage at the Santa Cruz center in their very smart black suits (for the boys) and beautiful cream dresses (for the girls). After a talk by Saúl on the importance of respecting your parents, members of the Orangewood team handed over gifts of sports gear or beauty products (as appropriate), with an additional gift of a Bible - "Something good for the outside, and something really good for the inside", as team leader Luke Butler said.

The young children then joined together for a very simple, almost courtly dance that led them from the stage down to the games court. Then, in perhaps the most moving part of the evening, they divided up to start dancing with their parents, their grandparents and others in their family to symbolize their joining their families as adults.

After this dance, food and drink was served to everyone at their tables. The drink was alcohol-free - these kind of celebrations are often ruined by by drunkenness, drugs and violence, and Armonia's purpose in hosting this party was to give the young people a safe Christian environment to enjoy themselves in.

And enjoy themselves they did. As one of the Orangewood team said later that night, "These Mexicans sure know how to throw a party!" The band came on stage and the dancing started and didn't stop until early in the morning. Finally, everyone came together to stand hand-in-hand as Saúl led a prayer of thanks for the wonderful time that everyone had had. As Saúl said, they had all had a great time without alcohol and without drugs - they had had a great time because the best ingredient of a party is love, and the people there love each other a lot.

This evening, the culmination of Orangewood's time with us this spring, was far more than "just a party". It was an opportunity for these young people to celebrate one of the most important stages of their lives with their friends and families in a safe, loving, Christ-centered context. Thank the Lord for his grace and generosity for allowing all of us, as members of His family, such a great time together.