12/11/2009
Fort Lauderdale
So the Mexican soil has been plowed, the seeds planted, and the crop harvested—is our job now over? Several Seniors have already answered this with a resounding “no” during the four days we have been back. Visions have been shared and stories retold over and over again to the rest of our class who weren't on the trip as well as those who have Mexico to look forward to in the future. Although not visibly clear, something is happening within the recesses of our high school student body. Upon our return, students, staff, and admin have seen the passion now instilled within us for not only Mexico, but more importantly for our precious Savior. A class that was once apathetic toward the idea of serving others in the Yucatan, is now ablaze, rekindled by the Holy Spirit. I have already heard of students stepping out in boldness to share their faith with those in need of God's love here. I have seen a radical change come over a girl's heart that compels her to give financially to the children she fell in love with in the villages. And I have sensed the same urgency that all 31 of us have that so desires for the current Juniors to go on this trip and have the same life-changing experience. As Seniors, we are convinced that because we have returned from Mexico completely different, the school must undergo a radical change as well. This trip was the fulfillment of our school's mission statement of “making disciples” and it must continue. We know that it will take continual prayer and fasting for our peers and the Holy Spirit to move through the high school just as He has moved within us. We know we are called, “for such a time as this” to take the remaining time we have here at CCA to lead and encourage with love and boldness. We are willing to take part in this exciting adventure as the Mexico journey continues here on our CCA home front.
Danielle Germaine
Friday, December 11, 2009
Ministry Day 6: Love Out Loud Merida
“Love Out Loud” Outreach in Merida: Saturday, 12/5/09
As our time here in Merida seems to be vanishing in thin air, we are now treasuring every last moment we have at our new Mexico home. Somehow, it is already Saturday, the day we leave to go back to the “un-Mexico-like” Cancun. But before we could even start thinking about leaving, there was Heavenly work to be done and souls to be won as Calvary Chapel Merida hosted the “Love Out Loud” outreach that targeted the young and old alike within the community. Some of our ministry groups stayed behind to help Garfield with food preparations for the lunch that was being offered, while others went with our trusty translators, Angelica and Kerri, to spread the word and invite people to the event.
The rain clouds soon cleared away with the opening of the outreach and the children and their parents assembled in the school area in front of the beautiful, newly painted mural that our art team had tirelessly worked on for two days straight. The children were thrilled by all of the worship music, skits, and activities that were presented, and relationships between the Mexican kids and our team were quickly formed.
Underneath the surface of the fun and festivities of the outreach, an exciting development was brewing. One of our translators, who was of the Catholic faith and a friend of Pastor Sammy’s daughter, approached a few students on our team and inquired into our faith and wondered what made us different. With that divinely-appointed opportunity, Alex Garcia, Dustin Dowling, Kendall Kerrigan, and David Greenburg eagerly shared the Gospel and about their precious relationships with Jesus Christ. As the Holy Spirit filled their conversation and convicted the translator’s heart, she finally made the decision to invite Jesus into her heart and form a relationship with her Heavenly Father.
With the assurance of salvation that both of our previously-unsaved translators (Christopher & Maria) now had, the day came to a perfect close. As we debriefed in one of the CCA classrooms after helping clean up the remains of the event, Topher challenged and encouraged us to continue living as sold-out disciples on our home mission field in Fort Lauderdale. For some, that meant a commitment to continual evangelism and for others, it meant getting involved with Liquid ministry outreach groups. All of us were indescribably sad to leave this beautiful place where God had used and changed us, but we were also reminded that if God can use us to win over one-hundred souls for the Kingdom in a country where we don’t know the language, He is by all means able to use us at home.
After eating our final “cena deliciosa,” we said our tearful goodbyes, hopped into our vans, and began our 3 hour journey back to Cancun. We arrived at the hostel late that night and immediately went to sleep. Goodbye Mexico! Prayerfully, we will return soon!
Danielle Germaine and Class of 2010
As our time here in Merida seems to be vanishing in thin air, we are now treasuring every last moment we have at our new Mexico home. Somehow, it is already Saturday, the day we leave to go back to the “un-Mexico-like” Cancun. But before we could even start thinking about leaving, there was Heavenly work to be done and souls to be won as Calvary Chapel Merida hosted the “Love Out Loud” outreach that targeted the young and old alike within the community. Some of our ministry groups stayed behind to help Garfield with food preparations for the lunch that was being offered, while others went with our trusty translators, Angelica and Kerri, to spread the word and invite people to the event.
The rain clouds soon cleared away with the opening of the outreach and the children and their parents assembled in the school area in front of the beautiful, newly painted mural that our art team had tirelessly worked on for two days straight. The children were thrilled by all of the worship music, skits, and activities that were presented, and relationships between the Mexican kids and our team were quickly formed.
Underneath the surface of the fun and festivities of the outreach, an exciting development was brewing. One of our translators, who was of the Catholic faith and a friend of Pastor Sammy’s daughter, approached a few students on our team and inquired into our faith and wondered what made us different. With that divinely-appointed opportunity, Alex Garcia, Dustin Dowling, Kendall Kerrigan, and David Greenburg eagerly shared the Gospel and about their precious relationships with Jesus Christ. As the Holy Spirit filled their conversation and convicted the translator’s heart, she finally made the decision to invite Jesus into her heart and form a relationship with her Heavenly Father.
With the assurance of salvation that both of our previously-unsaved translators (Christopher & Maria) now had, the day came to a perfect close. As we debriefed in one of the CCA classrooms after helping clean up the remains of the event, Topher challenged and encouraged us to continue living as sold-out disciples on our home mission field in Fort Lauderdale. For some, that meant a commitment to continual evangelism and for others, it meant getting involved with Liquid ministry outreach groups. All of us were indescribably sad to leave this beautiful place where God had used and changed us, but we were also reminded that if God can use us to win over one-hundred souls for the Kingdom in a country where we don’t know the language, He is by all means able to use us at home.
After eating our final “cena deliciosa,” we said our tearful goodbyes, hopped into our vans, and began our 3 hour journey back to Cancun. We arrived at the hostel late that night and immediately went to sleep. Goodbye Mexico! Prayerfully, we will return soon!
Danielle Germaine and Class of 2010
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Ministry Day 5: Merida/Casa Abuelos/Tabi & Hocaba
The trip is coming to an end, but as we reflect on these past life-changing days, the students are looking left and right for a reason to come back and continue the work that has begun. But for now, we are enjoying what precious few days we have left with the people we have connected with.
For the first time, all the teams were together for a large outreach as CCA Merida had its Friday chapels made over Fort-Lauderdale style. Trying on our Sunday best to blend in with the unusually familiar dress code, we upgraded from basketball shorts to khakis, but mixed it up with a combination of English and Spanish worship led by Rebecca Urrutia, Seth King, Carlos Rivera, Danielle Germaine, and David Greenberg.
Likewise, the kids exceeded expectations in a rehearsed song and dance in both the Kindergarten and Elementary chapels, and it was nothing short of adorable watching their little hands wave in the air and hearing some familiar songs in a different language.
Next were the VBS drama groups. For many of us, it was the first time seeing the skits since we had never been together in an outreach before. It was amazing to see fellow students perform “Two Masters”, “Sin Chair”, “My Hero”, and “Path”, and hearing Danielle Germaine’s testimony that reached out to the children was an experience no one will soon forget. It did not have the profundity of the “Everything” skit in Tizimin, but the laughs of the children, the childish dancing of the adults, and the impromptu performances of the story of “The Good King” and several songs matched the glorification of God that we experienced in the other cities.
As entertaining as a collaboration of groups was, the end of lunch marked the beginning of new journeys divided again into groups. Infamous in my particular group were Christabel’s awkward question initiations. Perhaps we didn’t have the continual presence of many of our friends, but as we, time and time again, sang, shared and prayed in our specific bus, we bonded. It was the daily visits to Tabi, Hocaba, and Casa de Abuelos that allowed a relationship to form between the community and the church—that is our purpose.
So the VBS group led by Topher Harrison went to the village of Hocaba, the other, led by Christabel, went to Casa de Abuelos, and the Sports group went to Tabi.
The team in Hocaba planted the seeds, especially in regards to the young teenage guys in the area, but the town still needs so much prayer to bring those seeds to the surface.
The team in Tabi attracted a large crowd on the fields of Tabi, witnessing to over forty kids over the course of the afternoon through sports.
The time in Casa de Abuelos seemed so insignificant, but the amazing impact of our visit was evident. It was heartbreaking to see men who could no longer see nor speak, women who could not walk, and the unmistakable joy that our short outing gave them. At the end, there were many pictures and few dry eyes.
Then, the second VBS team trekked over to the Calvary Youth ministry. It was not the length of time we had in Tabi or Hocaba, but the excitement of the kids was equally palpable.
Again, we were given unexpected circumstances. We could ask for more time, but God knows His plan. Whether it is a week, a day, or an hour, every time has a season, and as we move on, we pray for harvest. We pray that for the mere minutes we ministered to an abandoned old man, the hours of door-to-door outreach, and the week we have left continue to be blessed.
Joe Rogers & Class of 2010
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Ministry Day: 4 (Hocaba/Tabi/Merida/Casa Abuelos)
Dear Friends and Family,
Each day, Mexico continues to blossom, and as each day passes, the Lord challenges each one of us to step forward and share the Gospel. It is truly amazing to realize what a difference that exists between the people in Mexico and the people in the States. In Mexico, we are not welcomed simply as guests but as friends, family, hermanas, hermanos, and amigos. This day would prove itself to be exceptionally joyous and miraculous as we saw Providence work its way through this country.
Every morning, we have had the opportunity to converse with the Lord through prayer and our devotions, and this morning, the Lord prepared our hearts for the coming day by teaching us about prayer. In Mark 1:35, Jesus is shown rising early during the day in order to pray not for Himself but for the people He would meet. Therefore, it is essential for us to seek Him out in order to have the strength and courage to share His love.
After our favorite freezing cold shower, we all headed out. With Topher and Christabel at the helm, we began the first part of our mission in Merida. Here, the sports team challenged the school’s basketball and champion soccer team to a game, and though their confidence and pride was quickly boosted when they beat the middle school team, it was brought down louder than the crashing walls of Jericho against the high school teams. However, winning did not matter because our mission revolved around building relationships; therefore, we discovered a universal language outside of Spanish through sports.
At the same time, VBS also transcended language barriers by performing skits and singing songs for kids from kindergarten to sixth grade—their smiles, laughs, and cheers while performing “Sin Chair” and “Path” was our language. Danielle Germaine would soon explain to us that night about how much of an impact we have left on this young generation of children who yearn to know our Savior. Remarkably, many of the children raised their hands high up into the air when they were asked if they wanted to accept the Lord. In their hearts, we planted seeds that will hopefully grow into a mighty tree that will offer shade to many weary souls. By simply sharing our love for God, we were able to reach out to them, our little brothers and sisters in Christ.
What amazed us the most was the fact that to the kids at this school we were celebrities; therefore, we inherited a platform from which we could get to know them and learn more about their lives. It is exciting to make a friend in another country and realize that though you both have lived thousands of miles apart, both you and him are more alike than either of you knew.
After lunch, our groups once again divided. At Calvary Chapel Merida, the art team continued to work sedulously on a mural portraying creation. This mural is a magnificent blessing for the little, exuberant children who enjoy life and believe in Christ just like how it is described in the Bible.
VBS #1 was tasked to travel to the village of Tabi. It is difficult to imagine what it must feel like to live in a home made of sticks with a roof that is rotting away, yet here it was not imaginary but reality. Yet though poverty runs rampant, the sheer kindness and love of the people for a mere stranger is truly a lesson for anybody—especially back home. Joe Rogers and Seth King soon became professionals at piggyback rides for the kids as Alex Garcia and Kristi Weise
invited little children and their families to watch the VBS performance. The strength of the family was evidently exemplified here as they listened and the children accepted Christ.
Meanwhile, the sports team visited the village of Hocaba. Charging into another game of soccer, the boys were beaten again, but they soon received the opportunity to talk about the Lord. The guys wished that they could come again as they prayed for the Lord to soften the hearts of the people. Luke continued to describe his experience there as being awesome and overwhelming as he, the team, and our awesome translators Tim and Kerry shared the gospel with little children.
VBS #2 soon discovered the Casa de los Abuelos. Here, grandparents who had been spitefully taken out of their homes are taken care of and loved. When we saw them, we wondered why any person would do this to their own family and who could be so spiteful and apathetic towards the most kindest and loving men and women. We presented to them skits and prayed for the Lord to come into their lives; moreover, by just simply sitting down with them and listening to their stories, it allowed them to see how special they were to us. Like a child, they would rest their heads on our shoulders; they would hold our hands; they would ask us why they always did so many wrong things that took them away from their family. Hearing the sadness and remorse that deluged through our conversations, we explained to them that they did not do anything wrong and that they were part of our family, our spiritual family. In our hearts, we adopted them as our grandparents as we prayed for their health, protection, and wellbeing.
On the streets of Mexico, the words love and family can be observed everyday. Love is animated when a child comes up to you to play or by listening to the people at the Casa de los Abuelos; a home is discovered when a family invites complete strangers into their houses as part of their family. Mexico has taught each of us thus far how to love, to be courageous, and to share the Word with an open heart.
Recently, we have all been passionately driven to use each moment we have left effectively in order share the Word of God, and we will continue to do so not only here but hopefully at home and anywhere else in the world where we can make a difference.
Sincerely yours,
Daniel Poeana and the Class of 2010
P.S. HI MOM! =)
Each day, Mexico continues to blossom, and as each day passes, the Lord challenges each one of us to step forward and share the Gospel. It is truly amazing to realize what a difference that exists between the people in Mexico and the people in the States. In Mexico, we are not welcomed simply as guests but as friends, family, hermanas, hermanos, and amigos. This day would prove itself to be exceptionally joyous and miraculous as we saw Providence work its way through this country.
Every morning, we have had the opportunity to converse with the Lord through prayer and our devotions, and this morning, the Lord prepared our hearts for the coming day by teaching us about prayer. In Mark 1:35, Jesus is shown rising early during the day in order to pray not for Himself but for the people He would meet. Therefore, it is essential for us to seek Him out in order to have the strength and courage to share His love.
After our favorite freezing cold shower, we all headed out. With Topher and Christabel at the helm, we began the first part of our mission in Merida. Here, the sports team challenged the school’s basketball and champion soccer team to a game, and though their confidence and pride was quickly boosted when they beat the middle school team, it was brought down louder than the crashing walls of Jericho against the high school teams. However, winning did not matter because our mission revolved around building relationships; therefore, we discovered a universal language outside of Spanish through sports.
At the same time, VBS also transcended language barriers by performing skits and singing songs for kids from kindergarten to sixth grade—their smiles, laughs, and cheers while performing “Sin Chair” and “Path” was our language. Danielle Germaine would soon explain to us that night about how much of an impact we have left on this young generation of children who yearn to know our Savior. Remarkably, many of the children raised their hands high up into the air when they were asked if they wanted to accept the Lord. In their hearts, we planted seeds that will hopefully grow into a mighty tree that will offer shade to many weary souls. By simply sharing our love for God, we were able to reach out to them, our little brothers and sisters in Christ.
What amazed us the most was the fact that to the kids at this school we were celebrities; therefore, we inherited a platform from which we could get to know them and learn more about their lives. It is exciting to make a friend in another country and realize that though you both have lived thousands of miles apart, both you and him are more alike than either of you knew.
After lunch, our groups once again divided. At Calvary Chapel Merida, the art team continued to work sedulously on a mural portraying creation. This mural is a magnificent blessing for the little, exuberant children who enjoy life and believe in Christ just like how it is described in the Bible.
VBS #1 was tasked to travel to the village of Tabi. It is difficult to imagine what it must feel like to live in a home made of sticks with a roof that is rotting away, yet here it was not imaginary but reality. Yet though poverty runs rampant, the sheer kindness and love of the people for a mere stranger is truly a lesson for anybody—especially back home. Joe Rogers and Seth King soon became professionals at piggyback rides for the kids as Alex Garcia and Kristi Weise
invited little children and their families to watch the VBS performance. The strength of the family was evidently exemplified here as they listened and the children accepted Christ.
Meanwhile, the sports team visited the village of Hocaba. Charging into another game of soccer, the boys were beaten again, but they soon received the opportunity to talk about the Lord. The guys wished that they could come again as they prayed for the Lord to soften the hearts of the people. Luke continued to describe his experience there as being awesome and overwhelming as he, the team, and our awesome translators Tim and Kerry shared the gospel with little children.
VBS #2 soon discovered the Casa de los Abuelos. Here, grandparents who had been spitefully taken out of their homes are taken care of and loved. When we saw them, we wondered why any person would do this to their own family and who could be so spiteful and apathetic towards the most kindest and loving men and women. We presented to them skits and prayed for the Lord to come into their lives; moreover, by just simply sitting down with them and listening to their stories, it allowed them to see how special they were to us. Like a child, they would rest their heads on our shoulders; they would hold our hands; they would ask us why they always did so many wrong things that took them away from their family. Hearing the sadness and remorse that deluged through our conversations, we explained to them that they did not do anything wrong and that they were part of our family, our spiritual family. In our hearts, we adopted them as our grandparents as we prayed for their health, protection, and wellbeing.
On the streets of Mexico, the words love and family can be observed everyday. Love is animated when a child comes up to you to play or by listening to the people at the Casa de los Abuelos; a home is discovered when a family invites complete strangers into their houses as part of their family. Mexico has taught each of us thus far how to love, to be courageous, and to share the Word with an open heart.
Recently, we have all been passionately driven to use each moment we have left effectively in order share the Word of God, and we will continue to do so not only here but hopefully at home and anywhere else in the world where we can make a difference.
Sincerely yours,
Daniel Poeana and the Class of 2010
P.S. HI MOM! =)
Friday, December 4, 2009
Ministry Day 3: (Hocaba/Tabi/Merida/Casa Abuelos)
Dear Friends & Family
Just to set the scene: none of us have had an eight-hour sleep since day 1, not counting the quick naps between cities, winter in the Yucatan isn’t exactly the calendar-worthy white wonderland for December, and the language barrier is breaking down, but still standing strong. But beyond all else, all the struggles, newness, and exhaustion, I have never felt more awake, more excited, and more anxious to see what adventures our quixotic Lord has for us and for the Mexican people.
Today was the third full day we have ministered to the Yucatan Peninsula. The trip from San Felipe to Merida swift, and we all got to Calvary Chapel Merida just in time for lunch, but we weren’t alone. Waiting for us was a surprise visit by Pastor Mark Davis and Chet Lowe, Aaron Mills, and Fred Gushue and the encouragement was greatly appreciated.
Family and friends, here is a warning. Our surprise visitors willingly listened to the countless stories of salvations, skits, sports, and everything else God has been doing in our lives—when we come home, you’ll probably need to take a seat and listen also.
Walking around our sister school was an amazing experience. After receiving hand-written drawings and messages, hugs, and answering questions in English (trying in Spanish!), and taking pictures, we split up into our teams.
The Art team remained in Merida to paint a mural across an entire wall, the Sports team went to the convalescent home Casa de Abuelos, and as one VBS team went to the town of Hocaba, the other went to the villages of Tabi.
The school of Merida is absolutely amazing! The kids take classes in both Spanish and English from the very beginning, and it was very cool to hear little kids ask us “where are you from?” or “what are your names?” It’s been a while since any of us have heard English outside of our own group.
The facilities are beautiful, and it just keeps getting better. In the courtyard outside of the elementary classrooms is a stenciled sketch of pastel forests, cartoonish animals, and all sorts of caricatures that add life to the middle of an already lively campus. The girls on the Art team are doing a terrific job of filling in the black and white and bringing the mural to life, and no one can wait to see the final product.
However, the Sports team decided to bring life in a different way. Casa de Abuelos is a convalescent home here in Merida, and the Sports team took time to listen to the men and women tell them about their lives, their struggles, and their families. Many had been abandoned and forgotten by their own children, and it was an eye-opening experience to those who heard their stories. How incredibly grateful should we, as children and parents, be for the ones God chose to have us call “family”?
The first VBS team in Tabi were shocked by the thatched roofs and stick huts. Showers were just buckets of water, and stoves were small fires. The people of the village were in the process of constructing a bullpen in celebration of Mary. We had seen processions leading into the Catholic churches in Tizimin before a VBS skit in the central plaza, and the cultural influence of Roman Catholicism is starting to sink in.
Ironically, a large part of the population of Tabi doesn’t attend the Catholic or Calvary services, but still the VBS team worked hard. With the help of Saul and Anjelica, two of the best people/translators I’ve ever met, some of the students were able to communicate with the men working on the bullpen to invite them to the skit at the church. In the end, seven prayed to accept Christ. One thing any of us can testify to over this trip is the faithfulness of God. We are flexible because His will goes beyond our agendas, and it’s always best to give God leeway to astonish us with His abilities.
Trisha Seppey and Kodie Brown became “hermanas” to some of the local girls, and the impact of their presence, along with the entire group’s, went beyond the immediate few hours they had, and into a lasting bond to be continued for years to come. Carlos Rivera led worship, teaching the other VBS members two Spanish songs on the way to the villages so they could sing along, and the VBS program was a complete success. The kids are so excited to meet the other VBS team tomorrow, and so am I.
My own group, the second VBS team, went over to the town of Hocaba to do a similar program. The Calvary in Hocaba is in progress, and they are in the middle of a $20,000 dollar effort to construct a new building with electricity. Running water was recently installed throughout the entire town, and concrete slabs with metal spigots were seen lining the streets along the front yards.
The VBS team broke up again into three different groups. One group stayed in the plaza with worship led by Alex Garcia, Seth King, and CCA Merida English teacher Tim, and another followed Christabel into a nearby street to try and invite the locals to watch the drama (roll the “r”). Dove-tailing the door-to-door effort with outreach, twenty four people, ranging from children to teens and adults, prayed the prayer of Salvation.
The final group, composed of Sarah Gottfried, David Greenberg, and myself, went down another road. Kary (?), a Bible teacher from CCA Merida, and an amazing translator, led the way. Armed with little more than a bag of candy and an unprecedented calmness, we were as ready as we ever would be. After a few basic invites, we talked to two sisters and their total of five children. In the end, all came to pray, and we can only continue to pray that those children will grow up in a Christian home.
Stephanie Taylor and Rebecca Urrutia drove with Topher to Manaba, a city close to San Filipe, to lead the first Bible study with several girls who had come to know Christ the day before. Leading both the study and worship, Rebecca planted a seed that will continue to grow in the years to come, and as we pray for the study group to grow, we also pray that Calvary will be able to influence yet another city and continue in good works “until the whole world hears.”
The truth about Mexico is that we have had amazing stories, and these past few days have been the best for many of us, including myself, but we are here for only a week. Life will go on in San Felipe, Tizimin, Manaba, Merida, Hocaba, and Tabi after we leave, but how long does it take to leave an impression on the lives we connect our hearts to, no matter how briefly? People swear to love at first sight, statistics say that a first impression of a person is formed in only a few seconds after interaction, and it takes barely over a minute to say a prayer that may very well determine the rest of a person’s life.
I have learned the power of prayer on this trip, and I pray that the Holy Spirit will go before us and soften the hearts of those we have yet to meet. My reason is, above all else, because I know that what we do on this trip can change peoples’ lives forever. If we had a day, a week, or a year, whether we are in Mexico or at home, every second counts, so why would we ever waste a single one?
Please continue to pray for our efforts here in Mexico. There is so much to be done.
In Christ (and Mexio ;) ),
Joe Rogers and the class of 2010
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Ministry Day 2: Tizimin Update
12/1/09 Tizimin
I am confident in speaking for my group that today was the day we saw the most fruit and God miraculously answer our prayers. One VBS group and the Sports group flip-flopped with the other VBS group and Art group so that the latter stayed in San Felipe and the former traveled to the nearby city of Tizimin. To provide a background on the day’s devotional theme, we each began our day with reading Matthew 16:24. It says, “And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” For the VBS group, a denial of our self-interests and the ripening of Mexican hearts was what we spent the morning praying for during the hour-long drive to the Mayan ruins. At the ruins, we learned about the tribe’s former pagan practices and saw the altars they used to make human sacrifices. We also climbed 109 very steep steps to the top of one of the temples—don’t worry moms, plenty of pictures were taken! We then left and ate a delicious lunch in downtown Tizimin. From there, the vans drove us to Calvary Chapel Tizimin: a church planted by Calvary Chapel Merida only two months ago. It consisted of a single storage unit, the size of a small bedroom, and fifteen plastic chairs. Seeing the humble beginnings of this church in addition to the very strong faith of its founders was a great reminder for both teams that the power of the Holy Spirit doesn’t rely on numbers. Both the VBS and Sports group then went house to house, shack to shack, witnessing and praying through a Foodshare outreach. Many relationships were established and prayers offered. Something that both groups found very difficult and frustrating was not only the language barrier, but also the Mexicans’ deep ties and attachment to Roman Catholicism. Though not easy, everyone did their best to explain the difference between religion and relationship and if seeds weren’t watered from the other group’s work the day before, they were definitely planted. It was so amazing to see our class operating as a body of Christ, for what both teams had started the day before, the other brought completion. The VBS group then prepared to perform the “Everything” drama while the Sports group prayed arm in arm for the Mexican families they had just ministered to. I guess you could say God had a completely different plan for the location and audience of the drama. Instead of performing it on a small basketball court by Calvary Chapel Tizimin, we went to the large square of downtown Tizimin where crowds of people were gathered across the street in a prayer and worship procession for the Virgin Mary. We invited as many people as we could find to watch the drama in about fifteen minutes, made announcements through the loud speaker of a nearby churro stand, and received permission from the police department to drive the van up onto the square so that people could hear the music. After we performed the drama, Nick Rogers explained the meaning of the drama and of Christ’s love through the help of a translator while the drama team prayed for eager and ready hearts among the audience. The team then dispersed and approached the Mexicans while talking to them about the skit and witnessing about Christ’s sole desire for a relationship. Relentless efforts at speaking Spanish and one skit later, 12 people accepted Christ as Lord of their lives and dedicated themselves to seeking after God. Something that the VBS group had been praying for since day one of the trip was to receive a gift of the Holy Spirit that we had not yet received and for it to be manifested in us this trip. That night, we witnessed the gifts of Spanish tongues, evangelism, faith, mercy, and encouragement in our teams in bringing many new souls to the family of God. God was also able to work in both downtown Tizimin and Calvary Chapel Tizamin because the people who showed up at the church expecting to see a drama, ended up staying for the church service. After planting, watering, and harvesting newly planted seeds in Tizimin, many in both groups are praying about returning in the summer for an internship with Calvary Chapel. God’s timing is truly perfect, for if the Mexico trip had not been postponed and we had gone in May, Calvary Chapel Tizamin would not have even existed. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. God is already significantly using us—a group of gringo teenagers who don’t even speak Spanish—to impact the Kingdom of Heaven. We love and miss you all!
Danielle Germaine and Class of 2010.
I am confident in speaking for my group that today was the day we saw the most fruit and God miraculously answer our prayers. One VBS group and the Sports group flip-flopped with the other VBS group and Art group so that the latter stayed in San Felipe and the former traveled to the nearby city of Tizimin. To provide a background on the day’s devotional theme, we each began our day with reading Matthew 16:24. It says, “And Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” For the VBS group, a denial of our self-interests and the ripening of Mexican hearts was what we spent the morning praying for during the hour-long drive to the Mayan ruins. At the ruins, we learned about the tribe’s former pagan practices and saw the altars they used to make human sacrifices. We also climbed 109 very steep steps to the top of one of the temples—don’t worry moms, plenty of pictures were taken! We then left and ate a delicious lunch in downtown Tizimin. From there, the vans drove us to Calvary Chapel Tizimin: a church planted by Calvary Chapel Merida only two months ago. It consisted of a single storage unit, the size of a small bedroom, and fifteen plastic chairs. Seeing the humble beginnings of this church in addition to the very strong faith of its founders was a great reminder for both teams that the power of the Holy Spirit doesn’t rely on numbers. Both the VBS and Sports group then went house to house, shack to shack, witnessing and praying through a Foodshare outreach. Many relationships were established and prayers offered. Something that both groups found very difficult and frustrating was not only the language barrier, but also the Mexicans’ deep ties and attachment to Roman Catholicism. Though not easy, everyone did their best to explain the difference between religion and relationship and if seeds weren’t watered from the other group’s work the day before, they were definitely planted. It was so amazing to see our class operating as a body of Christ, for what both teams had started the day before, the other brought completion. The VBS group then prepared to perform the “Everything” drama while the Sports group prayed arm in arm for the Mexican families they had just ministered to. I guess you could say God had a completely different plan for the location and audience of the drama. Instead of performing it on a small basketball court by Calvary Chapel Tizimin, we went to the large square of downtown Tizimin where crowds of people were gathered across the street in a prayer and worship procession for the Virgin Mary. We invited as many people as we could find to watch the drama in about fifteen minutes, made announcements through the loud speaker of a nearby churro stand, and received permission from the police department to drive the van up onto the square so that people could hear the music. After we performed the drama, Nick Rogers explained the meaning of the drama and of Christ’s love through the help of a translator while the drama team prayed for eager and ready hearts among the audience. The team then dispersed and approached the Mexicans while talking to them about the skit and witnessing about Christ’s sole desire for a relationship. Relentless efforts at speaking Spanish and one skit later, 12 people accepted Christ as Lord of their lives and dedicated themselves to seeking after God. Something that the VBS group had been praying for since day one of the trip was to receive a gift of the Holy Spirit that we had not yet received and for it to be manifested in us this trip. That night, we witnessed the gifts of Spanish tongues, evangelism, faith, mercy, and encouragement in our teams in bringing many new souls to the family of God. God was also able to work in both downtown Tizimin and Calvary Chapel Tizamin because the people who showed up at the church expecting to see a drama, ended up staying for the church service. After planting, watering, and harvesting newly planted seeds in Tizimin, many in both groups are praying about returning in the summer for an internship with Calvary Chapel. God’s timing is truly perfect, for if the Mexico trip had not been postponed and we had gone in May, Calvary Chapel Tizamin would not have even existed. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. God is already significantly using us—a group of gringo teenagers who don’t even speak Spanish—to impact the Kingdom of Heaven. We love and miss you all!
Danielle Germaine and Class of 2010.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Update to Evening Debrief on Day 1
Dear Friends and Family
Last Night, our team was able to invite a group of basketball and softball players to come and commune with us at dinner. So we mingled, and the opportunities to share Christ became many as a result. It is so beautiful to see students stepping out of their box and practicing their Spanish (whatever they could pick from their brains) with the locals, and of course with the purpose of sharing their faith and lives. Our translators became a part of our ministry, and had great chemistry working with our students.
At the debrief, they shared candidly how they felt, what they learned, and a few students shared about their home visits and how it changed the way they see lives in general. Please pray for Jose (he became blind from a tumor operation) and his family. Our students have a burden to help him with building a toilet, so that his family can have access to a bathroom outside his shack.
I will fill you in tonight or tomorrow morning about our time of ministry today.
God Bless--and by the way, we have great weather. Thanks for praying.
Last Night, our team was able to invite a group of basketball and softball players to come and commune with us at dinner. So we mingled, and the opportunities to share Christ became many as a result. It is so beautiful to see students stepping out of their box and practicing their Spanish (whatever they could pick from their brains) with the locals, and of course with the purpose of sharing their faith and lives. Our translators became a part of our ministry, and had great chemistry working with our students.
At the debrief, they shared candidly how they felt, what they learned, and a few students shared about their home visits and how it changed the way they see lives in general. Please pray for Jose (he became blind from a tumor operation) and his family. Our students have a burden to help him with building a toilet, so that his family can have access to a bathroom outside his shack.
I will fill you in tonight or tomorrow morning about our time of ministry today.
God Bless--and by the way, we have great weather. Thanks for praying.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
