I will be continuing with my first mission’s trip experience. As a recap from the previous post, I talked about how this trip came about, why I decided to go, and the preparation time. This post will be about the trip, my experiences being a missionary.

Click Mission Trip Part-1 in case you missed part 1 of this series.

On May 19^th,2018, we arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico which wasn’t as fancy as what I knew about Mexico (exotic resorts and places), it was a different view. Let me tell you a bit of what I learned about Mexico:

• A large percentage of people in Mexico are Catholics
• Millions are devoted to different Saints depending on their needs and cartels.
• You have La Santa Muerte (Saint of Death), next is Our Lady of Guadalupe also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe or Blessed Virgin Mary, next is the Narco Saints (you pray to him to be drug kingpin), … then Jesus somewhere.
• Guadalajara has the highest gay, lesbian population in Mexico
• Mexico’s largest lake, a beautiful place called Lake Chapala (we went there on our free day- last day of the trip- we had a good time)

As we see when it comes to ranking who they believe, Jesus Christ is not their first choice but man-made God which they called Saints. It is only when all of the above Gods are not giving them what they want or meeting their needs that they start turning to or exploring Jesus giving that someone exposed them to Christ. That’s scary! Our Lord is not someone we want to gamble with. we are either in or out, and the choice is ours.

So, our plans in Guadalajara, for the next 5 days of ministry were: 1- Morning activities called Vocational Bible School (VBS) – which is an outreach ministry to educate kids about God; and 2-Outreach: during the afternoon we ought to go to shelter, orphanage, school, to teen challenge house, park, and other churches to minister.

On the second day of our arrival, we went out canvasing the area we will be doing VBS called The Coli, a town of Zapopan in Guadalajara. As we were walking in the streets, I saw flash back of my childhood, that’s when reality hit me. There were children walking and playing barefooted, some wearing dirty torn underwear, some well-dressed. I saw some girls, most were younger than 20 years old pregnant or with babies, living in a deplorable condition. Children younger than 15 years old driving bike with 3 siblings on the back.

Across the street, I saw a gang of drug dealer mostly young kids who are influencing the younger generation in that area. When I saw that I asked myself, who you help who?

For most of them raised themselves because dad is either drunk or in jail while the mother passed away, can keep up, or absent. At the end of the day, there are left to take care of themselves. One thing I found interesting is that no matter how underprivileged they are, children specially girls have their hair well done, neat. I was told that if your children hair is not done, that’s a sign of negligence :). What about if you don’t believe in Christ Jesus you won’t be saved? Why are we making worldly things our priority? Who cares if your hair is not done? If you are not fashionable, if you ride the bus, and so forth. Your time will come but

Seek first the Kingdom of God and the rest will be given to you (Matthew 6:33) Amen!

Who will remember or care about you wearing the latest fashion? having your hair done or not? I am not saying we should look any how but don’t make the outside appearance more important than the inside. Let’s reset our priorities straight guys!

On our way to Coli’s park, we saw a little boy less than 10 years old on top of a car by the traffic light. He used the wheel of the car as a stepping stool to jump up and passionately started cleaning the driver’s windshield. At some point he used his own torn shirt to clean up the wiper blade because his cleaning towel was on the floor. That broke my heart. And some drivers would not give that little boy a token; but with a smile and same passion, he kept cleaning cars. I saw later on that late afternoon and same as others days, young kids, less than 10 years of age, walking around alone selling products(foods, toys, etc..) from one streets to another to survive. I was amazed by that thrive, dedication, determination, and seeking to survive by doing what he knew and could.

My question to you is this: Are you, with all the comfort you have, able to work hard for what you want? Or are you just seating on your coach relaxing and drinking; spending time on social media, watching TV/movies, while praying to God to do His miracle in your life? Who are we fooling? Yes, the Bible says:

God shall supply all your need. (Philippians 4:19) 

It’s not because it is saying that God shall supply and He will meet us at our point of needs, that we need to sit back and relax. Or for us to take it as God will do everything for us; No. We have to work towards what we want and when we fall short or are stock, God will meet us there.

If these kids I just described to you, can go out there, exposed themselves to danger at a young age to work and sell products in their hands in order to survive or to provide for their family, what is stopping us or stopping you to do the same or even more? Why can we not be grateful for what God has already given to us? Some doesn’t even have half, not to say a quarter of what we have but still we keep complaining, grumbling, asking for things most of the time we don’t need.

All of these brought me back to, how I grew up in different towns, houses; the struggles, pain, and the unnecessary hardships that in the contrary matured and strengthen me. I am grateful for that. I related to these kids in so many levels therefore, couldn’t stop crying and asking God why He brought me here to show me a past that I wanted to hide [buried] deep inside myself? And when my Pastor saw me, I started telling him what was going on with me. He told me that God is working on me. That’s why He made me come here. I was like, to come and go through this pain again? God’s ways are not our ways and His plans are greater than ours. And I still didn’t get it at that moment.

The next day, we visited a Teen Challenge (Men & Women) houses, and that was the trigger for me. As we entered first in the Women side, we saw girls from 12 years old and up in there for different situations be it drug, violence, anger, abuse, abortion, rape, addiction, you name it; and one was pregnant. And on the men side the youngest of them was 11 years old. After we prayed and ministered to them, I was heartbroken because at a young age, I lived a promiscuous life and it’s when I was looking at them that I realized, even though I started early like them God pulled me out of it through people that were spreading the Gospel and praying for me. I couldn’t stop crying and told my teammate, “that was my life at one point”. She told me, you know what?, you need to testify while calming me down for I was weeping and thanking God for His grace and protection. I was like how can I testify? This is too painful just to rethink about it. She kept insisting and, on our way back in the van to the hotel, she voiced it out loud in front of the Pastor. I had to go now to tell him a snippet of my story and see if I can share it. If yes, I would have to write it down in case I start crying and lost my train of thoughts.

I wrote short version of my story and I was told to testify in front of the children’s mothers at Coli’s park on our last day there, when we will minister to them privately. The focus of my testimony was my childhood, for that’s what they went through, and can easily relate. If no change is made in their [mothers] life, their kids might undergo the same predicament, who knows? As I was sharing my story, I explained to them where I am from, and what God showed me since I came in this city [Guadalajara]. For I didn’t know what my purpose was in this trip until I started canvassing the area. I told them, they might be saying in their heart that God doesn’t exist otherwise He would have been there helping them or showing up. Also, that we, the team, came here because we all have it working well for us, so can come and say whatever, just for them to believe.

Therefore, I assured them saying, I was like that when I was

growing up, with no hope and resentment but now as I look back, it’s only God that brought me out through the help of one friend who shared the Gospel to me.

I went through mental, and physical abuse by family members, friends, and strangers. And it’s not as if my Father was poor, NO or because I was in a bad environment, NO. The devil doesn’t respect your status, the color of your skin, age, or your country. When the door is open he will come and orchestrate damages. The question is: how do we stop him? I listened to my friend who shared the Gospel of God with me and that unconsciously changed my life little by little. Now I am asking you as I asked them mothers] who are going through trials or went through it, to do the same. For I am a living testimony and as God has done it for me, He will surely do it for you. I went on and asked them since they have been seeing me ministering to their children here for the past 4 days and interacting with some, could they have imagined I was raped, emotionally damaged, was promiscuous, felt abandoned because I didn’t have the love of both parent, matured at a young age (10) to protect (playing God) my two siblings with me at that time, and when through what some of them are going through or went through?

Probably (some nodded their head) not. Why is that? Only because of the grace of God in me.

The story I just shared with them and you, was my life then, Now I am a new person through Christ who changed and strengthen me. And presently, what you see is my life now (The old is gone, the new is here). I want you to know, it will not be a next day transformation (it is a process) but you will have to keep seeking, never let go, and little by little God will change you. It took me 30 years because I wasn’t all in, it doesn’t have to be the same for you. Don’t wait 30 years, but start today, start now, not tomorrow by either giving your life to Christ or coming back to Him if you are a backslider. Be all in and you will see and taste His glory. For it is never too late and no need for fancy or special prayer; for Jesus said to come as you are. Whatever you think you have done that is hindering you to approach God, disregard it and humbly come to Him.

You can say some like: “Father, I am sorry, I know I was not faithful to you and sinned against you; I repent and humbly ask for Your forgiveness. I love you Lord Jesus, I want to change, please mold me, use me, show me the way. Come into my life, I make you my Lord and Savior in Jesus Name. Amen!”

Stay blessed and highly favored in Jesus Name!

(to be continued…)

 

In couple of days, I will be posting the final sequel: Part 3 of My first Mission Trip. Stay tuned, share and Subscribe (check your email for subscription confirmation otherwise, your subscription will not be completed).

 

Here is a snippet of some pictures taking while in Guadalajara, Mexico.