Hola amigos! Let me start by saying that I am so incredibly proud of every single member of our Ensenada team. It is because of you guys that we were able to go all the way down to Ensenada and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So thank you from the bottom of our hearts for empowering us next generation to go live boldly for Jesus.
As you may know we partnered with Agua Viva Ministries down in Ensenada. They are doing incredible things for God’s kingdom. This past week, we got to spend time at their camp and the overall missions theme was Embrace. The idea behind this is that you embrace those around you as you love them where they are. One quote that was shared with us comes from Francis Chan.
“Preach the gospel at all times. And if necessary, use words.”
This was such an encouraging word; especially for a lot of us Americans that did not speak much Spanish going into serving. Agua Viva did an amazing job of putting both Mexican missionaries and American missionaries together. Our team of 15 was split into four different groups alongside other Mexican missionaries. Our teams ended up running various vacation bible studies, doing construction projects, and helped repair homes. Although my time was cut short due to falling ill, I am so incredibly thankful for the day and a half of ministry I got to do down there. I am beyond thankful the rest of the team was able to continue to fight the good fight as they shared Jesus' love, both through their actions and their words.
After every mission trip I pray and reflect on a memory verse that best reflects what God has taught me. The following verse is what I felt the Lord put on my heart.
“This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” -John 11:4
This is written in the context of Jesus about to bring Lazarus up from the dead. But these words really resonated with me as I didn't realize how much the Lord can truly use us in such a short amount of time. With just my day and a half of serving, I felt so encouraged as the rest of the team informed me how the kids kept asking for me the rest of the week. One of the little girls even wrote me a sweet letter and gave it to one of my teammates so I could read it once I got better. I'm so incredibly thankful that the Lord was able to somehow touch these little hearts and hopefully leave an impact for generations to come. I hope this is encouraging to you because God also uses you in a similar way. Your faithfulness and obedience can make a ripple effect you would have never predicted. The smile you give to somebody at a grocery store, or an encouraging word you give a co-worker can truly share the love of Jesus. I'm so incredibly proud of each and every one of you. Thank you so much for sharing the gospel with us. I am so happy that while we were down in Mexico, I knew America was in good hands because you were living faithfully here in the states.
Thank you for all of your prayers and I'm happy to announce I feel well recovered. The Lord's healing power helped me to rest and recuperate. You are loved more than you know. I'm excited and thankful to call you my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. I hope you guys all have an amazing day. Continue to live out Francis Chan’s encouragement: “Preach the gospel at all times. And if necessary, use words.”
As you may know we partnered with Agua Viva Ministries down in Ensenada. They are doing incredible things for God’s kingdom. This past week, we got to spend time at their camp and the overall missions theme was Embrace. The idea behind this is that you embrace those around you as you love them where they are. One quote that was shared with us comes from Francis Chan.
“Preach the gospel at all times. And if necessary, use words.”
This was such an encouraging word; especially for a lot of us Americans that did not speak much Spanish going into serving. Agua Viva did an amazing job of putting both Mexican missionaries and American missionaries together. Our team of 15 was split into four different groups alongside other Mexican missionaries. Our teams ended up running various vacation bible studies, doing construction projects, and helped repair homes. Although my time was cut short due to falling ill, I am so incredibly thankful for the day and a half of ministry I got to do down there. I am beyond thankful the rest of the team was able to continue to fight the good fight as they shared Jesus' love, both through their actions and their words.
After every mission trip I pray and reflect on a memory verse that best reflects what God has taught me. The following verse is what I felt the Lord put on my heart.
“This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” -John 11:4
This is written in the context of Jesus about to bring Lazarus up from the dead. But these words really resonated with me as I didn't realize how much the Lord can truly use us in such a short amount of time. With just my day and a half of serving, I felt so encouraged as the rest of the team informed me how the kids kept asking for me the rest of the week. One of the little girls even wrote me a sweet letter and gave it to one of my teammates so I could read it once I got better. I'm so incredibly thankful that the Lord was able to somehow touch these little hearts and hopefully leave an impact for generations to come. I hope this is encouraging to you because God also uses you in a similar way. Your faithfulness and obedience can make a ripple effect you would have never predicted. The smile you give to somebody at a grocery store, or an encouraging word you give a co-worker can truly share the love of Jesus. I'm so incredibly proud of each and every one of you. Thank you so much for sharing the gospel with us. I am so happy that while we were down in Mexico, I knew America was in good hands because you were living faithfully here in the states.
Thank you for all of your prayers and I'm happy to announce I feel well recovered. The Lord's healing power helped me to rest and recuperate. You are loved more than you know. I'm excited and thankful to call you my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. I hope you guys all have an amazing day. Continue to live out Francis Chan’s encouragement: “Preach the gospel at all times. And if necessary, use words.”