Mexico Missions Trip Day 6-8

“Trust in the Lord with all you heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6

The key word for mission trips is “flexibility.” You have to be willing to pivot and adjust on the fly. Sometimes changes are anticipated, and others come out of nowhere. Even the best laid plans can be disrupted and challenge the team. When plans have to change, you are faced with a choice to complain and be frustrated, or you can learn to wait on the Lord and trust he knows what he is doing. Disruptions allowed by God are an opportunity to see him provide, direct, and answer prayers.

Mariska says “hey!” 

When we heard that our plans to go to the public school was canceled, I was a little disheartening. A huge transformational moment in my mission trip experience as a teenager was when I shared my faith, and losing the opportunity for our team to go and share felt like we were going to miss out. However, I have learned that nothing happens by accident when God is in our midst. We have prayed over this trip and invite so many to pray, I trusted God knew what was best for our team. 

Jocsan, Kayla, and I decided that worrying about it was not going to accomplish anything. We have been very busy all week and Kayla said that maybe God wanted us to slow down and “know that he is God.” So our plan pivoted to doing a prayer walk in the morning, preparing some Gospel bead bracelet packets, and go to the park to see if we could encounter any kids to share with and play games. Maybe conclude the day with a stop at the beach before flying out the next day. It was a good plan, not what we envisioned, but something to do.

At 3:00 in the morning, Gaby woke up and remembered he had a contact in another public school up in the mountains. He texted Jocsan about the possibility. Gaby called the teacher, who was a Christian, and explained that our Lakeside team was looking for a school to bless with a Kid’s Day Event. In God’s providence, the school was doing a graduation practice and wanted us to come afterwards and share the Gospel! Gaby called Jocsan at 6:00am and Kayla asked me at 6:05am if I was okay changing plans after telling the team our other plans the night before. I answered emphatically that our team would love the change and will adapt wonderfully to this news. 

When I updated the team about the news, they were all excited. Having heard David share the Wordless Book the day before, the team was excited to participate. We decided to do a team-teaching method, where each team member shared one page of the Wordless Book. We be prayed about it and practiced it over breakfast. We already had activities and prizes ready because we did it at Casa Abba. 

Another exciting aspect was this school was 40 minutes away up in the mountains. Do to the long drive, Gaby brought his van so the team could enjoy air-conditioning and would not have stand in the back of the truck up dusty mountain roads! Traveling up into a different rural village really opened our eyes to the culture of Mexico. We have had some good discussions on how our way of life is different than so many cultures around the world. It is such a good thing to broaden our perspective of life and Gospel impact. 

We arrived at the school before the graduation practice was over. Jocsan had us stay in the vehicles until it was done. He said a bunch of Americans walking around would be a big distraction to the school practice. It provided a neat opportunity to see the students’ interaction and performances. There were so many kids for the school program but I had no idea how many would stay for the Christian Kid’s Event after. 

The school had a wonderful covered multipurpose court that we were able to use for all of our activities. This was a double blessing because it was plenty of space for our activities and it kept us out of the sun allowing our energy and hydration levels to be easily maintained. The children were certainly curious and interacting with us as we unloaded and set up. As I paused and looked around, most of the children stayed for the event. During one of our early games, I had a chance to count. 62 children! Plus, some coming in and out. There were 22 parents and older siblings hanging around watching the event. 

After practicing all morning, the kids were loving the fun games we taught them and the team interactions. If we thought teaching the elbow tag game yesterday was hard, trying to get 62 kids to figure it out was hilarious. Once they got the game, they loved it! We extended the play time a little longer because of the school event prior. Once we had them all settled down, they were excited to hear from the team. Jocsan was our translator and the whole team came to the front.

I am so proud of each of our team members and how they took to teaching the children. For some of them, this was the first time they really vocalized their belief. Public speaking is very intimidating on its own. Publicly professing your faith is intimidating for many reasons, especially the first time. One team member expressed a fear of messing up the truth or doing an inadequate job. This gave me an opportunity to tell teach them about how sharing our faith is partnering with God in a divine act. We are not alone. We cannot save anyone, but God can. When we overcome our fears and open our mouths in faith, trusting the truth of God’s Word, the Holy Spirit empowers and even interprets despite our inadequacies. It is the empowering of the Holy Spirit that will embolden and encourage us to keep proclaiming our faith.

Also, I told them that the amazing opportunity they have to proclaim their faith through and interpreter like Jocsan is that he knows the Bible and is well versed in the Gospel. If any of us stumble a little, he will smooth it out. I went over each part with our team and confirmed their roles. Veda was going to do the intro and I thought Jocsan would take over for the invitation in Spanish, however God had other plans. 

Veda started us off with a wonderful introduction to the Wordless Book, a story of how much God loves you, and the most amazing thing about this story is that it is true. Most books have words, but this book just has colors. Lela took over with the Gold page. She did a fantastic job covering heaven, God as Creator, God as holy, and God’s desire for us to be with him. She showed a real gift for teaching. Emma took over and did an awesome job with the Dark page and explained what sin is and how it separates us from God. Anna beautifully explained God’s love for us in sending his Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins and take our punishment and that Jesus rose from the grave! Will shared the White page, talking about forgiveness for anyone who believes in Jesus. Mariska wrapped up the Wordless Book with the Green page, which represents growth. You could sense her confidence growing as she began sharing more and more about the importance of growing closer to Jesus. Jocsan asked how many of them wanted to accept Jesus almost a third or even more raised their hands!

When it was time for the invitation, Jocsan called on Veda to share it. As I mentioned above, based on my conversation with her, Veda prepared the introduction. She pivoted marvelously without any notice. She recapped the story, reminded the kids that its not about a prayer but about genuine belief, and led them in a beautiful prayer. It was so precious because all the kids prayed the prayer out loud together. 

After the lesson time, we made Gospel Bead bracelets again. Another opportunity to reinforce to Gospel story. We have a Spanish booklet that explains it from CEF, but I was not sure how many we had left. I counted 62 kids and 22 adults. I went over and began counting the tracts and we had 92 left! We walked around and handed a bracelet packets and tracts to all the adults. One grandma was sitting far away waiting and walked over to receive one. It was so exciting to see their excitement for receiving these gifts.

We played some water games with the kids. Had popcorn and juice for them. Then we had some prizes to handout. We had purchased some before coming down, but we did receive some wonderful donations from some of you that we were able to giveaway. Jocsan led the giveaway and rewarded the students who answered his questions. Every child received a handful of prizes. We had pencils with “Jesus loves you” in Spanish, stickers, rubber bracelets with “Jesus loves you” in English, candies, little toys, and every child got the Gospel Bracelet booklet! They were so excited as they walked home. 

Our time with them had exceeded our expectations! We couldn’t believe how many children were there and how well it went. We also did a longer event than we anticipated and went well past lunch time. Aside from one of us getting a recharge from protein bar, we didn’t eat again until our ride home when we stopped for a cold coconut!

While we were getting our coconuts, Lela grabbed two bracelets and gave them to the owners children. I saw them playing with the bracelets and ran out to the van to get the tracts. I gave them to the kids. As we were loading up I walked back in and saw the kids reading and rereading the tracts. It was so sweet. Pray for every bracelet and every tract given every child and every parent, that they would be effective to bring these kids and families to Jesus Christ!

Skipping lunch wasn’t intended, but it did provide an opportunity to go to a new dinner spot that was a little more expensive than our normal budget: Papi bowls. Poké style bowls, and some cooked bowl, with lots of veggies and healthy stuff. They were really great, the staff was super helpful and fun, and we were their first large group since they just opened. They took a video of us and posted on Instagram. They also were excited to hear about Casa Abba and followed them on Instagram. It was a fun way to get the word out.

Being the last night at the hotel, Kayla, Jocsan, and Simey stayed for a swim and for our team meeting. It was wonderful to hangout having the hotel pool to ourselves. We had a later meeting and hearing everyone share their reactions to the day. One member talked about how nerves affect them while speaking. Having prepared their statement for the presentation and then their mind went blank when it was their turn. They did remember some of it but Jocsan smoothed it out and it was great! It is that first time of speaking can really get to you but already mentioning how they would be willing to try again!

Other said it was a lot easier than they thought it would be once they started talking. Some thought it would be easy because it was talking to children but realized it was still a little scary. All in all, we were thrilled to have this opportunity. The disruption we experienced brought an opportunity for God to provide something even better than we imagined. The conversations continued even after our meeting ended, which is why I did not keep my nightly routine of writing the blog. When I got back to my room, Will and I began having an awesome conversation, as late-night talks can be. Sometimes it is best to just be present and I really enjoyed just being with the team that night. 

Friday turned out to be a packing and travel day. Unfortunately, the only option for a flight back left us having to dedicate two days to traveling. It only took us 9 (really 11) hours to get down to Puerto Escondido, but it will end up being taking about 31 hours before we get home. There is a two-hour time change which accounts for some of that time loss. Hopefully Delta will figure out a more efficient return strategy for future trips. 

We did a nice breakfast, returned to the hotel to pack and check out. Then we headed to a café where Kayla’s other daughter, Damaris, works. Unfortunately for us, she had to work every day this week and we did not get to spend as much time with her. However, it’s awesome that she has a job and does so good at it. We all got a chance to see Damaris and say hi before heading to the airport. 

We had such a wonderful sendoff party at the airport. Gaby and Vero, Gady (Jocsan’s brother), Hadassa (Jocsan’s sister) , Simey, Jocsan, and Kayla. Kayla, Jocsan, and Simey came inside with us through the check-in process. We didn’t want to leave them as they all have become so very dear to us. It was very special to see how our team bonded and to see a glimpse of the impact this trip has had on each one of us. This trip, as every missions trip, is a unique team and experience that can never be duplicated in the same way. Even if the 8 of us travel back together next year, it will be its own unique experience with its own stories. That is one of the reasons I blog, to remember the uniqueness of this event and hold on to the moments.

This current post I have attempted to write at several times and only getting a few paragraphs done along the way. As of this moment we are an hour away from Atlanta and our travels home are only a few hours from being finished. There are still a few ailing stomachs and sickness lingering a bit. Pray for bodies to heal, rehydrate, and rebound quickly. Thanks for reading my thoughts about this journey. This may be my last mission trip post for this trip, unless some reflections hit me later. I just want to thank God for his providential hand and protection. His love is demonstrated from the smallest details to the big wins of the trip. Everyone of the team members considered this an amazing trip, God be praised!

Mexico Trip Update: Day 5 - Abba Father Children’s Home (Casa Abba)

Abba Father Children’s Home (Casa Abba)

2 Corinthians 4:7–10

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (ESV)

This morning started before the sun came up, sitting on the porch overlooking the Catholic church across the street, hearing the distant waves of the ocean that was curiously peeking through the bell towers, I opened my Bible to 2 Cor. 4:7-10. We are following a devotional for missions trips called “Ordinary People.” I chose it because it is a good reminder that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Often we see “extraordinary people” from a distance, but when we get to know them we find out that they are human too. It is the life dedicated to God that produces extraordinary fruit.

Missions trips are a great tool to draw out the direct application of the Scriptures. This passage reminds us that we are a fragile vessel. The vessel is not the treasure, it is used to carry the treasure. The Gospel brings a resilience and a power to the weak who recognize their need for Jesus. He carries their burden and pulls them up from the pit. Jesus delivers us to be his ambassadors to the world. 

Following Jesus’ footsteps in missions work brings about difficulties, afflictions, and oppositions you cannot anticipate. I am thankful for our team who show a resiliency in their attitude and actions. We are over halfway through our trip and various team members have struggled with diarrhea, constipation, upset stomachs, headaches, etc. We encounter the fact that we are only human, and our body is limited. We don’t even realize how dependent we are on God’s grace, and stepping out into a foreign land will give you reminders of that. In all these affliction, our group has stuck together, encouraged one another, and looked out for each other. Praise God for Pepto Bismal and Electrolyte Drinks! Everyone is doing good now, but keep praying for the bodies to remain strong and the attitudes positive as we continue to learn to depend on God and reflect Jesus.

During our group devotions over breakfast, Jocsan Morales, Kayla’s husband, shared his testimony. Jocsan is a wonderful man and I am so thankful for the opportunity to finally meet him in person. I told him I was a little apprehensive to meet him because Kayla told me the most about him when she broke up with while the were dating. But that is a whole other story that you will have to talk to them about, it is a wonderful story about how God brought them together.

Jocsan shared that he grew up in a Christian home, Gaby Morales is his father and you can read his testimony HERE. Like many children who grow up in a Christian home, he knew the right words to use and the right things to do, but his heart was not surrendered to Jesus. He began to make plans for his life, which included pursuing being a pilot in the Mexican air force. The problem was they only keep 25 recruits out of 10,000 applicants. Sadly, he was not chosen. He began to pursue other things and become focused on himself. Surfing became an outlet that gave him a sense of identity. He excelled in the sport and was beginning to build a name for himself. 

One day, Jocsan was surfing and fell off the surfboard and was pulled under by the current. He was wearing white, which blended in with the waves. During his struggle he became exhausted. Sensing he was about to drown, he felt like his whole life flashed before his eyes. What defines my life? At 18 years old he had not really accomplished anything. In his desperation for air and a desire to live, Jocsan began to pray to God asking for rescue. In his prayer he said, “God, if you are real then you can save me. If you save me, I will dedicate my life to you.” It was in that moment, after acknowledging God’s existence and committing to him, someone reached down and grabbed Jocsan by the hair and pulled him up from the water. 

This surfer put Jocsan on his board and began to administer CPR to revive him. He saved Jocsan’s life. This strange surfer stood out to Jocsan in that moment by his long hair and skin tone. When he was revived and recovering, Jocsan went to look for him but could not find him. He asked around, but nobody knew of him. Jocsan then looked through a bunch of pictures and found one that had the guy in it, but only his back, recognizable only by his hair and his shorts. Was this stranger an angel? Was he human? He was an answer to Jocsan’s prayer and a story of how Jesus pulled Jocsan up out of the water.

Jocsan surrendered his life to Christ and felt a draw to help the children of his community. So many kids were hurting and without a loving home. He knew that whatever he did with his life, he had to help those children. He went off to Bible school and worked at a Christian Coffee Shop. He met Kayla and God brought their lives and vision together. Casa Abba is their vision and we are so thankful to be a part of their journey.

Kid’s Day at Casa Abba

Last night we found out that the local school had graduation practice right during the time of our Kid’s Day event. It was hard to not be discouraged and believe that no kids would show up. But we prayed and committed the day and event to the Lord, trusting him to provide a way. The Kid’s day was planned to start at 9:30 am thru 1:30 pm. About 10 after 9am, a grandfather came walking up with two children. A few minutes later, 3 kids rode up on bikes, and just like that, one by one, kids began to trickle onto the property. 

We met them as they came in and our team quickly began to introduce themselves and play games with them. Soccer is always a big hit and provided entertainment for most of the kids as we finished setting up. After a brief introduction by Kayla and Jocsan, we all shared our names and then had all the kids share theirs. It was so cute to see how each one responded as we repeated their name and cheered for them. 

    Then we taught them a youth group favorite mixer game called “elbow tag.” It is a fun experience to try to give directions for a game through an interpreter and see what sticks. After a few corrections, we had the game up and running and the kids loved it! It was fun watching some of the parents and adults jump in and play too.

 

Kayla gathered the students together shortly after a water break. It was sunny and in the upper 80s or even 90s and humid today. Temperatures here seem hotter than back home, whether it is the humidity or the more direct sunlight, it takes its toll. But it didn’t stop us from having a great event. 

David Keiper volunteered to share the Wordless Book with the students. The Wordless Book colors have been used for a long time to share the Gospel in a simple and understandable way. It also provides and object lesson for the children to remember Scriptural truth based on colors they see. Gold is for heaven where God lives. The Dark page is a reminder of our sin that separates us from God who is holy. The Red page reminds us that God loved us so much that he sent his only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and shed his blood as a payment for sin. The Clean page reminds us that when we trust in Jesus, he cleanses us from our sin and gives us a new life that begins now and last forever in heaven with him one day. The Green page is about growing, just like all the green plants around us. We grow by reading the Bible, praying, going to church, and telling others about Jesus. This story is great because it is true, and you too can trust Jesus and find forgiveness from sin and reconciliation with God. 

David shared this through Jocsan who interpreted. Jocsan gave an invitation and appeared that several of the kids responded to the message. It was exciting to hear the kids vocally respond to questions, even though I couldn’t understand what they said, it was precious. Pray that God will water the seeds that were planted and that these children could grow up knowing that Jesus loves them and has a plan for them.

We went back to playing games, water balloons, and slip in slide. Oh how the kids loved the slip and slide! The day ended with pizza and prizes! It was so fun to see how excited the kids were to get the various toys, bracelets, and prizes we brought. We also were able to bring Child Evangelism Fellowship tracts in Spanish for the kids. I would like to thank my mom, Kathy Horner, for donating the material for us to use. The little booklets walk through the Gospel bracelet, beads the same color as the Wordless Book, that they can take back to their homes. 

The grandfather I mentioned earlier came up to Kayla and spoke to her in Spanish. I was standing with her and heard his expressions. I noticed he was a little choked up as he expressed gratitude for the event. After he walked away, Kayla told me what he said. He said today’s event means a whole lot to the community. It is a big deal to these kids and will be a defining moment for them to remember for their lives. He was so grateful that we all would do this for them. It is hard not to be emotional as I remember hearing his voice. One by one, the parents thanked us as they left. Everyone was so happy and thankful for this day.

This was a significant event today. Jocsan and Kayla have been planning and preparing this land to bless children. This was the first event on the property for children. I believe it was a great start to blessings that will take place there for many years to come. Pray for Casa Abba to find donations to continue their dream and provide a safe home for orphans.

As we talked about the day in our group, we shared how simple it was to just be there and play with kids. It seemed like such a small thing to do, but it left a huge impact. It was just an ordinary day that God used in an extraordinary way. I praise God for the opportunity!

Plans Changed

We were supposed to go to a Public-School tomorrow and do another Kid’s Event. However, the principal was at today’s event and talked to me after. He wanted to know if we could just share a “good versus evil” talk and not share the gospel. I heard him say in Spanish, “something like yin yang.” He also said we couldn’t pass out the Gospel tracts to the kids. Some parents in the community heard we were coming and that we are Christians and created an opposition to us. We decided together that it might be best to cancel the event and pivot to something else. We are sad because it was going to be an opportunity to share the Gospel at the public school, but God knows what he is doing. 

Tomorrow’s plans are different, but I know God has a plan for us. We will be putting packets together with the tracts, bracelets, candy, etc and passing them out wherever we go. Pray that God provides Gospel conversations and a whole bunch of kids to talk to!

Thanks for reading!

Day 4 Painting continues

The big goal for today was to get as much painting done at Casa Ebenezer as we could. We allotted two days to paint the buildings and today was the upstairs rooms. In order to maximize our time, we started our day a little earlier with breakfast at the hotel, a brief meeting, and a prompt departure hoping to get as much done in the cool of the morning. 

As Kayla designed our time together, she planned to have a testimony and devotional each morning as a group. Yesterday I shared about Gaby’s testimony. Today, Kayla had a plan for her devotional, but decided she was going to share her testimony with our team. Most of the team knows Kayla, or at least of Kayla. Some of them had Kayla as a Sunday School teacher at Lakeside when she was in High School. Knowing about someone is not the same as knowing them and knowing their story.

Kayla grew up around Christianity, knowing about the Gospel, but had not surrendered her life to Christ until she was about 16. Before Christ, Kayla started looking for meaning, purpose, and value in other things that left her empty and still searching. One summer, her mom made her go to Skyview Ranch where she heard the Gospel in a compelling way and surrendered her life to Christ. It was a dramatic transformation for her, and she knew that Jesus is real and had a plan for her. She explained to us the distraction the enemy of our souls brings and how we must decide what it means to completely trust Christ. For her, she chose to follow Christ. She admitted to not being perfect and still struggling at times, but assured us of God’s forgiveness, patience, and kindness toward us. 

Kayla began coming to Lakeside shortly after her summer at Skyview Ranch. She came to youth group hungering for the Word of God and longing to share the Gospel with others. If you do not know Kayla, she is such a bubbly, energetic, caring, joyful person. She is a dynamic person who knows how to help others feel like the belong and that they have purpose. In youth group, Kayla invited so many people to join and impacted others as a High Schooler, and her impact continues to this day. 

Kayla and I have been to Slovakia and Haiti together. She went off to the Word of Life Bible Institute after High School, and then followed God’s leading down her to Puerto Escondido to serve in a Christian School. Honestly, I thought she was going to fulfill her 1-year commitment and come back to Ohio to be one of my youth leaders. But God had bigger plans and she developed a heart for the Mexican people, specifically the orphans. I am so proud of the godly woman that she has become and her testimony of faith that is impacting me and our team this week. One team member said she’s known Kayla for a long time and just figured she always had things figured out. Today, when Kayla shared her story, she heard of how God transformed Kayla from the kingdom of darkness into his glorious light! Kayla is the first person who will point you to Jesus who empowers her to be who she is today. 

Ok so Kayla will probably be mad at me for spending so much time talking about her. I know she will be one of the first to read this, so I want her to know how proud I am and that it is because she surrendered her life to Jesus and faithfully follows him daily, that I want my students to be around her. Her faith is beautiful, and others can have that faith too. I didn’t go into detail with her story, it is her story to tell, but you can ask her, or better yet, plan a trip to come down here and hear her share it. 

Just like so many of us who know about Kayla, but don’t really know her, there are many who know a lot about Jesus Christ, but have not surrendered to him. Information about Jesus is good, but if it does not transform your heart, it is not real faith. Jesus prayed, “this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). In this prayer, Jesus was saying that eternal life is about being in a relationship with God through Jesus. It is not about being the smartest, richest, tallest, strongest, or most powerful. It is about drawing closer to Jesus every day. Don’t allow yourself to be stuck in the knowing about without knowing camp.

Painting. 

It was another hot day and we had a lot to do. Painting can be hard work, painting in high temperatures can be exhausting. Yesterday I failed to institute mandatory water breaks and saw a few team members struggling. So today I made them take water breaks and drink some electrolyte drinks. We are nearing the halfway point and exhaustion and dehydration set in. We have had a few upset stomachs and a little uncomfortableness, nothing major, but adjusting to a different climate and working hard is tough.

I am so proud of the team for working hard and getting so much of the project done. I am proud of them for looking out for each other and helping each other stay hydrated. I am so proud of how they cared for the ones who weren’t feeling well and encouraged them to rest while they continued to work. Nobody was grumbling or complaining. Nobody thought it was unfair that some were sitting while others were working. They knew this project is for Jesus and they worked hard! 

Unfortunately, we ran out of paint and had to stop painting without completing the project. However, it gave us extra time to clean up and a much-needed extended rest in the shade. I was thankful to hear that those who were feeling sick felt much better after the break. We packed up and headed back to the hotel to clean up. We had a fun surprise for an evening activity.

 

Releasing Turtles

How much do you know about sea turtles? I didn’t know anything other than they existed. You should ask any of our team members because we learned some fascinating thins about them. We went to a part of the beach that is set apart to preserve wildlife. There is a group that rescues endangered sea turtle eggs, provides a protected place for them to hatch, and then sends the out to sea. We got to each get a little baby turtle and release it into the sea. It was pretty amazing to see these little creatures that God designed. When we set them down on the beach, they knew what to do and start marching to the water. Standing there in awe of God’s handiwork and enjoying the beauty all around us will be a good memory. I think you will enjoy some of these pictures.

Thanks for following along! Tomorrow, we head to Casa Abba property to host a kid’s day! Pray for David Keiper as he plans on sharing the Gospel with the kiddos. Pray that God brings a whole bunch of kids to the event. Pray there is no rain. Pray our team members have courage to share their testimonies and the Gospel as they spend time with the kids. The craft is the Gospel bead bracelet and is a great way to share the good news of Jesus.

Please pray for the health of the team and Kayla, Jocsan, and their family.