Tuesdee

Well Today is my last day here in Homestead again, This week was a teaser, lol. It is ok though I’m excited about heading to Nashville tomorrow to record some songs in spanish. I also get to catch up with friends and enjoy the city! I must say Nashville is one of my favorite cities in the US. Speaking of favorite cities here are my top 5.

1. Chicago. This city tops any city for me!! The sky line, the crime, the true gotham city! haha

2. Nashville. This place has yet to disappoint me with rude people, everyone is so polite there. I think Chicago can learn a thing or 2 from this place.

3. Los Angeles. LA is the place to be if you can afford it. The weather is great, fun places to hang, and for me If I lived there I can tour all of California for like 3 months. And the music scene is awesome there.

4. Boston. I like the accent the people have there and the love for the Redsox! The green monster is awesome when you see it off the express way. Harvard Square is awesome too!

5. New York. I like the rats, the trash in front of the bulidings, and the fact that there are always people out, even at 3am. There is no place like NY, and yea they maybe a little rude there but I like the fact that you can take the train anywhere up there. “NY an aquired taste son!”

What are your top 5? sorry Miami you’re not a top 5 yet.

Good To Be Home

This was my first sunday back at LPC in almost 3 weeks, and it felt awesome to be back with my Homestead family. It was so refreshing to come back to welcoming arms from friends and family that support you 100%. The worship sets were fun, and Phil caught Kelly saying that the Saturn Project did not sound like a worship band, but I think she meant we were way cooler than your tyipical worship band! haha.

The message for me was more of God confirming things that happened to me these past 3 weeks Decisions that I hjave had to make that have made me suffer and some around me. My hands always want to fix stuff, but I keep breaking it, so this is my word from Sunday very simple…Obedience! That is what made Jesus so perfect. His willingness to obey Gods voice no matter what was going on around him. My task is to continuely pour out all of me from here on out, and to really listen to Gods voice and do as he says even if it requires me to suffer a bit. and as Coldplay says it ” nobody said it was easy…”  Once again I do not want to hold on to something that I think I can do better than God. So I’d rather let him lead the way but I still have to keep working! Pastor Trav talked about the record and how great things are, and It is such a privilage for me to be part of what God is doing. He put a dream inside our hearts and 10years later we are seeing the fruit. Long time, but it was worth the wait. We are building a kingdom in ways I never thought were possible! Even in the midst of my personal struggles I rejoice and thank God for what he is doing. These hardships shall pass, “no struggle, no strength.”

“Radical Obedience Son!!”

John 14:15

 

Alex

My Thought For Today.

What good is it to gain this entire world, but lose your soul?

 

Alex

United Kingdom

So lets keep these times of hope going,

From the Western World to South East Asia

Lets keep the fire burning

Village to city, dump to beauty

lets set the starving free

Our pockets dry but its alright

Lets give it all to unite a a village that deserves to be free

Fresh water to new homes

lets build this kingdom

and set the captives free.

 

“my heart is not the same, I am not me anymore, My life is not mine anymore. It Never was.”

alex Santoyo.

 

Moving Forward

It has been a while since I have been home. Apart of me feels like I have no home to a certain extent. Going to Cambodia put a lot of things in my life into perspective with who I am, Who I as, and who I want to be. I cannot forget what happened to me out there. I made a commitment to pursue this revolutionary road that God has placed in my heart. Pursuing Jesus with all my heart, and letting everything that I kept in my hands go. When I was out in Cambodia I tried to stay level headed and not get too emotional with the things I saw. Being in a place like that can make you float to cloud 9, then return home to the same ol’ thing. That is not the case for me anymore. I remember going to youth camps as a child and coming back “on fire for the lord,” then a few weeks later I allowed my life to go back to a normal state to certain extent. Work, School, friends, relationships, music etc… “Music” that has been my driving force for a long time. I wanted to be this mega rock star and tour the world and have no worries about anything, and I did have a chance to experience that a few years back only to find it was not enough. I wanted  more. Not money, or fame because that was not cutting it for me. Moving to South Florida was a big change. Working at Life Pointe was a big growth period for me.  All in all my journey has been amazing. Filled with pain, joy, disappointment, al ton of emotions that we grow through as human beings. Moments where I would ask God “What are you doing!!!!???”  Moments of anger, the list can go on. Before my trip I had many doubts, went through moments of misery and all these great things are happening around me, I still found a way to not be joyful. Isaiah 53! 

This trip was a total “God thing,” as Dr. Fred Garmon put it. Peeling the onion, yes indeed. My life is not mine anymore, I am not the same anymore. God has been speaking to me in ways that are mind blowing. My goals have shifted, my questions have been answered. I found purpose as I look back at my journey of discovering who I really am, and the things I want to accomplish. The Saturn Project is moving forward. Now the question for me was, now what? Is this all I asked for? Then God shows me the Revolutionary Road he wants me to walk through. A Narrow Path that will be difficult, and out of the box. But God is wild! He is cool like that. And I Love it! The mission field is somewhere I want to be the rest of my life. I know music is always going to be in my life and  I love playing those drums, I just lose myself when I play!! God has totally blessed me and I am totally happy I am giving my talent back to him! 

There is no better place than to be living a life sold out to being Jesus in a time where nothing is black or white anymore. Where we totally can stand out by the way we live our lives. I’ve lost some friends, people very special to me, but I can’t lose the calling that Jesus has in my life. Though I have failed in my past I can’t allow that to stop me.  I cannot forget where I come from and where God has brought me out of. I want to revolutionize this world, and let my actions be my words! Work, work, and work as long as it is day. John 9:4 reminds me of that. I can’t lose focus. I can’t allow petty things to hinder my walk.

Matthew 16 24-28

I need to continue to give everything to Christ without looking back. This year will be a revolutionary one. “Give me real don’t give me fake…” And this is real.

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.”

John Wesley

Here are some pictured from Cambodia that stand out for me.

 

this little boy broke my heart. His face says it all, no smiles, no sense of joy. This was in a little village.

A wall full of dreams that were never given the chance to be fulfilled.

These orphans in Phnom Phen were awesome. They all had so much joy in them, and it made me think a lot about the things I should be joyful about.

I got to meet the orphans in Siem Reap. They were Awesome. Thats Me Saying “chum reab suor!!!!”

Out at The Lake. The Filthiest water I have ever seen. People Eat, Bathe, Drink, Poop in, And cook with that water.

http://s262.photobucket.com/albums/ii119/alexthebeatmachine/Cambodia/?action=view&current=MOV00757.flv
This was in the market where I ate a Ballut. Fetus of a Duck. yumm I also ate a Cricket and a Beatle (the guts exploded in my mouth). I was sick for the rest of the day,

New friendships are very cool. Meeting people who want to change the world is very inspiring.

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The food was great.

My heart is in Cambodia. I pray I can return again to work there. More to come. Peace

Alex The Beat Machine “Same Same But Different.”

It Is All Soaking In

Cambodia made a huge impact, I know I didn’t blog right away but Ill have my thoughts and pictures up soon!

Last Sunday.

Todays service was great. Worship was chill kinda acoustic but not really. I only played with a kick snare and hat. Travs message was great, To me it was a self realization day. To get rid the things that are hindering from Gods blessing, I try to give myself time to think about myself my disfunctions my bad habits, my stubborness, and my selfishness. So as i get ready to leave to Cambodia I am embracing this moment and just joyful that I can do something like this. My first missions trip. As the momentum for the saturn project continues to grow, this is my time to surrender to the will that Christ has for me. I lay my sticks at the cross and give my talent to God. This is not about me, it never was nor will it ever be. God can use anyone and it is a privilage for me to be able to dedicate my life and my talents to him. I am glad he chose me. Life is only going to make more sense, and the more I fail and the more I succeed I must always surrender everything to Christ. There is only one truth. “May we prove faithful.”

Alex The Beat Machine