Mexico Day 5 – Adult Perspectives

Our adults are soooooo awesome.  Here are some of the things they wanted to share about the trip:

WOW, what a week it has been so far. This has been my first mission trip with this group from Fusion, and I have been so fortunate to have gotten the chance to get to know each and every one of the youth so far. What an amazing group. Each time I see them interact with the children in Acuna, I get so emotional and overjoyed because I am so proud of them. They are so good with them and how they interact with them, how they play with them, give them so many hugs, and even though they may not speak their language, they are able to communicate so well with them all. When the worship team sings, every single person in that place just lights up. It is absolutely awesome. I know that there was more than just one reason that God spoke to me and wanted for me to come this week.  It was just not to experience this with my daughter, and not just to be able to help with the use of my Spanish, but to be able to work with teens and to get to know them and appreciate their uniqueness.  This is a trip that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Thank you to all the parents for sharing your children and entrusting them to us. God has definitely used them all and I know they are changed forever. God Bless them all! — Maria Yarrow

This week has been in a word…incredible.  I could write a ton about how I am impressed with our youth, but I don’t want to write a novel.  They seem to have a good grasp on what is going on down here.   I feel like they realize how blessed they really are.  We went on a tour of the poorest areas of Acuna.  It was worse than I imagined.  We got to actually go into one of the houses where it was over 100 degrees…or at least it seemed.  Just seeing the conditions was a huge reality check.  It puts things into perspective for everyone, including myself.

I have also enjoyed working with the leaders…yes, even Andy.  I even thought that before I knew he prayed for salvation for 18 children yesterday.  Awesome.  I have also been able to experience this with my wife Shawna and my son Justin.  Justin is great with the kids…and since he has 3 younger siblings he better be.  Seriously, he is fitting in great.  Soccer breaks down barriers.  Mostly though, I am so proud of Shawna.  She is so great and I love her so much.  I have trouble expressing how much this whole trip means to me.  –Shane Wheeler

Mexico Day 5 – Student Perspectives

Today was HOT! VBS is going so well!!!! The students are doing an awesome job and our church and parents should be very proud of them. Today we successfully finished day 2 of our rotation of tours, soccer and working in the warehouse. The warehouse organizes all the school supplies that have been donated to go across the border. Today I played soccer and actually scored a goal. However, this came after I bit it hard and hurt myself1 Why . . . because 1. I am getting older or 2. There is no grass and we are playing on a rock/dirt field, who am I kidding . . . it’s mostly rock. I would love to say it is only because of number 2, but then I would be lying? Every time I get out there I am doing good . . . I get showed up by the 12 year olds from our trip!

We finished the day at Mr Gatti’s pizza, then swimming in the lake. Here are some pics from today, and student perspectives!

Today is day 3 of VBS. We, the drama team did a skit about sin and how it can consume you. We did it for the first time this morning and it was hit with the kids. After it was done we all gave a little Bible verse and an explanation. After that we headed to a little park thing where there was a little soccer/basket ball court.  We played for a little while we moved back to the Church and did crafts with the kids. When that was through we moved to a soccer field and played soccer for an hour and we were so hot. Today was a lot of fun and there is still more to come. Tomorrow is salvation story day and that should be a lot of fun.  –Scott

Today I saw the warehouse and I worked to give most of the school supplies to the Mexicans. I also worked with the kids in VBS for the drama I worked with a chair that said sin I knew that if you sin it will be stuck to that sin until you look to god for guidance and you should ask for forgiveness and should praise him the lord in worship. Well today was awesome and I bet the next day when we do the salvation skit the kids, teens, and the adults will have fun at VBS tomorrow.  –Paul

YESTERDAY I PET A DEER.  We went to a church service last night in Acuna, and my perspective on my relationship with God is completely different. Josh joined into worship with his guitar, and sang songs with a local woman. To hear the same song sung in two different languages with such passion was a life changing experience. At the end of the service, they had an offering basket to give money to the church. Little by little the locals piled to the front to present the small amount of change they had to offer. It blew my mind to think that with such little possessions, they are willing to give up the little amount they had. In seeing a different country worshipping God, The Great Commission has a whole new meaning to me. I now see that it is ABSOLUTELY possible to spread the word of God in all nations and see our world change. –Jaime

Wow, i had doubts about even coming to Mexico, but now that i am here, i am so glad i came. The kids here are so friendly! They don’t even care that we don’t speak their language that well. They still laugh and joke around with us (sometimes even talk with us in Spanish a little). Something i thought was really cool that Josh said during worship this morning was: “God doesn’t speak English or Spanish, he speaks to us with love.”  You’d think that the language barrier would be a problem, but its not- seeing all the guys playing soccer together and all the girls skipping down to the park arm-and-arm is really cool. I got to see so amazing things on this trip. Today we went touring (we took a van and drove and walked around some neighborhoods in Acuna). We literally walked by houses made of scraps of cardboard, metal, and planks of wood. In fact one family let us into their home. It was a one room house made of scraps of wood, and metal sheets as a roof. They had 2 small cots crammed into this small house. It was a mess! These people hardly have anything and they considered themselves blessed. God gave them what they needed and they were so content with what they had although they hardly have anything. They said they don’t need anything else– Jesus is all they need; its the only thing that they said makes them happy. That was just amazing to me. I look forward to going back to Mexico tomorrow   keep us and these families here in prayer.  –Nicole

Luke 8:40-56

“But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.’”  v. 50

Bad things happen!  That’s the reality of life.  If you aren’t in a storm, get ready because one is sure to happen.  However, the good news is that we can turn to Jesus and trust His words, “Don’t be afraid.  Just have faith.”  I know from personal experience it is much easier to say just have faith, than to just have faith.  However, I can also say from personal experience that God will do what He says He will do when we have faith.  It may not be exactly what we want at that moment but God is faithful to get us through any situation.

Today, will you live in fear, or have faith that God is still in control?