Thursday, October 04, 2012

Well, here we come. We’re only a couple of hours away from home now, gliding down the highway packed into our cozy big van. It’s kind of fun coming back with the team. I have stayed longer the last few times we’ve gone to México, so it’s been awhile since I’ve done that. And this team… well, I’ve gotten kind of used to them, you know. They’re not a bad bunch. Not a bad bunch at all.

 

This trip has been wonderful. Lots of hot days packed with projects, spontaneous stretching experiences, and moments of consciously needing God’s grace… but so good, so full of joy, so faith-building.

I was challenged, from the very first day, to step out of my comfort zone. Watching some of our team members walk up to people at a gas station and just start sharing Jesus with them made me see my own cowardice so much more, and inspired me to let God take more control of that area of my life. We brought a box full of little Gospels of John in Spanish, and kept a list of the people that we were able to share with or give a Gospel of John to, so we could pray for them together.

I don’t think I have had so many chances to testify in one week in my entire life. It seemed like everywhere I turned, I was being stretched. But how wonderful! It is exciting to see God leading me gently out of my comfort zone and teaching me dependence as I step out in obedience and declare who He is and what He has done in my life.

It started with the first night of our trip, when we stopped at a small Hispanic church in Mesa, AZ, and shared with the people there. Several of us gave our testimonies, and then Reis gave a short message. After the service, these gracious people blessed us with dinner and then let us spend the night there at the church.

As soon as we got to the school in Los Mochis, we pretty much hit the ground running. Michelle Bonsell, the director’s wife, is an incredibly organized lady and very good at delegating, so we always had plenty to do. Between cooking and cleaning and mending and sewing and painting and picking lice and doing laundry (for the ladies), and building shelves and fixing things and running errands and organizing the tool shed and installing fans (for the guys), we kept a full schedule. It was great, not only having the chance to pour out for Jesus and love Him through serving these precious people, but also to be part of such a big group of eager servants, accomplishing so much more than one person could by themselves.

.One of the highlights of our week was the youth conference we held on Saturday. We had some seeming opposition or attempted intimidation from the enemy as we drew near to Saturday afternoon—such as a tropical storm on the forecast and lots of puddles in the main area at the school where the conference would take place—but we just moved forward, believing that if this was of God, then nothing could stop us. And sure enough, by the time 3 o’clock rolled around and over 100 people gathered at the school, the rain stopped and the sun came out, and everything got set up just in time!

Dad gave an opening introduction/short message, setting the foundation for the evening by challenging the young people to look at how Jesus describes the “normal” Christian life, instead of settling for what we see around us in church. Then we split into two groups, and David Bonsell, Daniel, Charlie and Reis talked to the guys, while Kelly and Lindy and I talked to the girls about what it means to be a woman who is poured out for the Lord. After that, we served México-style hot dogs and enjoyed talking to old friends and meeting new ones before gathering again for a time of worship and a main message—“In Christ”—by Dwight. Thanks to Him, I believe that Jesus was lifted high that evening, and many people were challenged and encouraged in their walk with God! We are so grateful for all the prayer that went into this event. Please pray that the seeds planted would take root and grow in good soil!

Many of you have probably heard about Abigail, the 13-year-old girl who came to the school out of a very bad home situation last time we were down there, right? Well, seeing her back at school and doing so well was a definite encouragement this week! She still has some issues to deal with and still needs Jesus to gain full control of her life, but just the fact that she is living at the school, learning how to read, and amazingly more compliant and happy than she was at first, is evidence of God’s grace and answers to prayer. Please continue to pray for Abi!

 

Okay, this post is getting a bit long, so I’ll try to wrap it up. But I do want to make sure and mention the opportunities we had to share Jesus with the older deaf kids on Monday and Tuesday. None of the deaf students ended up showing up at the conference on Saturday, so David and Michelle agreed to let us do a little “mini-conference” just for them as part of their schooling. The girls all went into Petra’s room and had a great time of testimonies and sharing about Jesus, Mom had a little time with some of the younger girls, and the guys heard from our guys at the same time. Afterwards, one of the deaf young men stepped forward and declared his desire to let Jesus have full control of his life!

This evening in the van, we spent some time discussing what God had done, what we had learned, and what we could improve on for next time. Many of us mentioned how challenged and encouraged we were by watching each other step out and be bold in speaking about Jesus. Now we’re home, and I pray that we do not loose any of what He has been teaching us, but allow Him to continue to shape us and use us here!