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!
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