This past week, Flamingo Road Church did their first Laundry Love outreach in Miami. We had a team of about 6 people, who took over a local laundromat near Hallandale Beach. We were armed with coffee, donuts, detergent, coins, and most importantly… hope. We were able to pay for the loads of many families in the area, some underpriviliged, some were just on vacation from the cold in Canada. However, they all needed to be shown Christ’s love just the same. It was so awesome to just sense the community that was being created there in a laundromat, on a cold Saturday morning! When we first arrived, the laundromat was so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. Then, as we started to talk to some of the people washing their clothes, it started creating a nice buzz. When people would get the coffee and donuts from us, they would start to strike up conversations with whoever else was getting coffee or donuts. It really was an amazing success, and it was a fantastic experience to have gotten to be a part of.

This is from my interview with Zak White of Revolution Church:

Ileana, share who you are, what you love, what you do, age, etc in a few sentences.

My name is Ileana (aka @CountryCuban), I’m 17, and what I love are Jesus, and people. What am I most passionate about in life? Loving Jesus, loving people, and making sure the latter can tell I love the former. It really is that simple, the rest of my life is just details.

What ministries do you serve in at your church?

Currently, I serve at Flamingo Road Church in Cooper City, FL. Flamingo Road is a multi-site Church, and I serve at the Internet Campus as the Director of Online Communities. I also serve on our outreach team called Seats2Streets. My heartbeat has to do with mass communications, social justice, and intertwining the two.

Honestly, my love for Jesus and people is what ultimately motivates me to serve my heart out. I love people way too much to just sit in a chair, and not try to impact their lives. Miami is the second most unchurched city in the United States, and I firmly believe it’s because many people here see Miami as a lost cause. It’s not a lost cause…it’s a city that God loves, Christ died for, and an amazing plan for it. If I can do anything to contribute to that plan, I’m going to do it.

The first thing that the pastors can do, is tell them that they need help! Us teens aren’t usually the ones who are going to make the first move. Tell us about the need, so that we can fill it.

Don’t assume that we’re going to say no…give us a chance. If you need help in the tech area, say it! If you need help in the children’s ministry, say it! Don’t only say it, but take time to actually know the youth in the youth group. Obviously it might be hard for the youth pastor to get to know everyone, especially if it’s a larger church. Get a core group of 5 young leaders (which is what Flamingo has) to really get to know the students. When the students feel that they belong, they will want to serve. We have to feel like we belong to something before we would want to contribute to that something.

Really, it’s the way that Flamingo chooses to partner with people to reach their God-potential. It’s not just a cheesy motto, it really is what they do. I’ve been a part of many churches, but none have invested so much into me, despite my age.

Flamingo didn’t see my age as a disadvantage like most did, they saw it as an advantage. I think that’s where the real problem lies in many churches. There are many kids like me, and not all of us are called to serve in the youth ministry, contrary to what many may believe. I started off serving in the youth ministry and it was great, but I wanted to do something different. Flamingo didn’t make me stay serving there just because I was a teen. They let me take on an extremely vital position in the Internet Campus, and it was a perfect fit, because it was a passion of mine. That’s the cool thing at Flamingo. Of course we have teens serving in the youth ministry, but we also have them serving in parking, children’s, the internet campus, doing tech, making food, and so much more. Flamingo firmly believes in building up people, not just ministries… no matter their age.

Really, I would just continue harping on not limiting teens because of their age. 1 Timothy 4:12 has a pretty big thing to say about that. I am grateful that they chose to not clip my wings.

The last big thing I would say would help is mentoring. I know mentoring can sound like a scary and intimidating thing, but us teens need more than you can imagine. The world we live in is a crazy, peer pressure filled environment, and we need to be able to turn to adults other than our parents sometimes for advice. Invest in a teen… you won’t regret it.

This Christmas, I didn’t go on vacation.

Instead, I got to be a part of one of the most amazing things I’ve ever gotten to be a part of. I got to be a part of the Flamingo Road Church Christmas services. Those three days were absolutely incredible, and I can’t even describe properly the life-change that happened. I saw thousands literally come to Christ, and saw four of my friends get baptized. God worked in crazy ways this past Christmas, and I know He’s not done yet. 2010 is going to be another year of watching lives change, and I can’t wait!

This is me, a little over a year ago, at Harvard. A lot can happen over a year… a lot can change.

Little did I know a year ago…

- How many amazing people would walk into my life.

- How many people would walk right out of it.

- How many friendships would turn into something beautiful.

- How many friendships would drift further apart.

- How many times I’d say too much.

- How many times I wouldn’t say enough.

- How many walls I’d let down.

- How many walls I’d still keep up.

- How many times God would close doors.

- How many times God busted Heaven’s doors open.

- How many times I’d doubt my faith.

- How many times I couldn’t be more sure of it.

- How many times I made people proud.

- How many times I let people down.

- How many times I’d get out of my comfort zones.

- How many times I’d change my mind about my future.

- How many tears I’d cry.

- How many laughs I’d share.

- How many smiles I’d flash.

- How many hugs I’d give.

- How many lives I’d impact.

- How many lives would impact me.

Yep! Frclive.tv was one of the internet campuses shown in a video montage this past weekend on Headline News on CNN!  Our very own Pastor Ricky is on at around the 14-second mark. Go God. : )

Last night, I stayed up till 2am watching the U2 LIVE concert webcast. It started at 12am EST and although I would’ve loved to have snuck in some sleep, I could NOT miss out on history in the making. I’m not sure if people really understand just how crazy this live global webcast was. It was the 1st of its kind. Surely, it won’t be the last of its kind. Over 100,000 were live at the Rose Bowl, but MILLIONS more watched online, and felt the magic that is U2. Now, although it was a crazy huge step for the music/entertainment industry, I feel as though it was a huge step for internet campuses all over the world.

Millions watched, and felt as though they were right there experiencing it live. Millions grasped what was going on live and were able to attend the concert. Millions were able to come together, with millions from around the globe. It was legit. Internet campuses also provide a legit experience. U2 did a global LIVE concert for the first time, but we do several LIVE experiences every week at Flamingo Road Church. Check out www.frclive.tv this weekend if you get a chance. It’s got legit fellowship. It’s a legit experience. It’s a legit campus.

It could just change your perspective on a few things…

In less than 1 week, I will be in Atlanta for the Catalyst Conference. I am beyond being freakin’ stoked. Who else is going? Let’s connect!!!

The Potential Studios.tv Photography Team. Jealous of our good looks and our cameras? ; )

Oh, and check me out in the middle being all rebellious by wearing white.

What a crazy launch weekend of the brand new series “Heroes and Villains.” Pastor Troy spoke on “Purple Cow Pain” so lovely Mabel, the Purple Cow, joined us for all the services at Flamingo! Check out some of the CRAZY stuff that God allowed to happen at Flamingo…

- 12,221 in attendance at all our campuses
- 444 come-forward responses
- 143 baptism sign-ups
- 3 brand new services at our Cooper City, Hallandale Beach and Pensacola campuses
- The launch of our Family Fun Sundays at our Cooper City and Hallandale campuses
- Almost 1000 students, 1000 children and for the first time, we had our Hallandale Beach campus knock on the door of 1000

So, about a month ago, we here at Flamingo started streaming our LIVE services to the iPhone. Whenever we are streaming a service on www.frclive.tv, you can catch it on your iPhone! We’ve heard great feedback, and even our Internet Campus buddy, Jeff Mason from the UK watches it on there. How cool is that?

Now, us streaming to the iPhone is not what’s crazy. What’s crazy, is that Arturo De La Mora ( our Internet Campus GENIUS ) figured out a way to stream two seperate services to the iPhone. On Wednesday, we had the oppurtunity to hear Pastor Troy Gramling give us a “sneak peek” on the brand new upcoming series called, “Heroes and Villains.” Now, the only thing is, that we also stream theRUSH online at that same time on Wednesday nights! We were supposed to stream the “sneak peek” service at the same time that we were streaming theRUSH… what were we gonna do? Well, Arturo figured out a way to give the user an option of which they wanted to pick. If they clicked on the left… they’d get the “sneak peek” service. If they clicked on the right… they’d get theRUSH! Not only did he figure out how to do this on a computer, but he gave the user the exact SAME option on the iPhone! From what I’m aware, this is the 1st time I have seen this done.

I am so honored and blessed to serve alongside the awesome and ridiculously talented Internet Campus team at Flamingo! : )