Encounters with God during a Mission Trip

This past week we hosted and helped run our first short-term mission trip!  We had 23 guests, of which 13 were younger than 20!   It was a blessing for our kids to make new friends with peers.   During the trip we had community prayer, time for personal prayer and reflection, work projects, home visits, shared meals, a pilgrimage day, and downtime for fellowship.

For our pilgrimage day we traveled an hour through the desert to a town called Parras.   Parras played a role with the cristeros during the 1920’s and was a 17th century missionary site for the Jesuits (which of course Josh loved!)   We were able to celebrate with a bilingual Jesuit, Padre José, at the Church of Santo Madero, “Holy Tree” (as in the Cross).   The church was located on top of an extinct volcano.

The Church of Santo Madero

During the homily Padre José explained why the cross behind the altar did not have the body of Jesus.   The indigenous people of this region of Mexico were the Aztecs.  They believed that the path of the divine, followed the course of the sun from East to West.   The path or road of humans runs perpendicular from the North to the South.   The Jesuit missionaries capitalized on the power of this image to show the significance of the Cross and the Incarnation of Jesus.   It is in the personhood and Incarnation of the Son that the Creator and creation meet, where the supernatural and the natural touch.   It is in our everyday moments, interactions, and experiences where we encounter God.   He is present even in the most normal and mundane parts of our days, waiting and longing to be discovered.

Maria receiving communion from Padre José.

Nothing helps us to experience this crossroad between the human and divine and Christ’s presence in the face of others like a mission trip.   This mission trip seemed to make General Cepeda come alive with God’s life and grace.   It was a perfect catalyst for us go out and meet some of our neighbors and to set up home visits with some of the elderly and home bound.   When you look into the eyes of the people, you cannot help but love them.   It is here that the two members of the Cross intersect, and we encounter Christ present in the person before us.   We can only pray for the grace that they too encounter Christ in us.   We are constantly humbled by the little that we can offer.   We aren't Christians (or missionaries) because we are perfect, but because we are broken and need of a savior.   And how can we let our language barriers, our fears, our weaknesses, our pasts stop us from sharing the divine love that has been given to us not despite our shortcomings but because of them.   It is in our brokenness and the brokenness of others that Christ is found and where Christ desires to go.

Maria with Carmen.

Rebekah with her new Mexican grandmother.

Visiting the parents of Tonio and Mari.

Three of the nights were spent going to local ejidos  (AKA ranchos) to run prayer services.   It provided opportunities to reach out to new communities that we have not visited yet and to serve side-by-side with other long-term and short-term missionaries.   Even the kids got to share parts of their faith.  Josh was excited to finally have his keyboard in Mexico and to put it to some good use.

Playing music at the ejido Guelatao.

Aron getting prayed over before giving a testimony.

Not only did we have the opportunity to share our faith and develop new relationships with the people of Mexico, but we were also able to form friendships with the short term missionaries.

Our first short-term mission trip!

Playing Captain Sonar with the other short-term missionary kids.

New friends come in all shapes and sizes.

You never know where you will find God’s blessings and small surprises.   This sign in a restaurant’s bathroom was an occasion of great joy!

It is the little things...

Oh and back to language barriers...  we continue to keep ourselves humble as we venture into the Spanish language.   Josh was talking to another missionary and was trying to explain how he is the other missionary's “older brother” but instead of saying hermano mayor Josh said that he is his hermano mujer, his “woman brother.”

Prayer requests...

• Please pray for Maria's grandfather, Stanley Duke, who passed away last Wednesday, June 7 at the age of 90.   Maria and Rebekah were able to get a flight for the week.   This also allowed for Maria's family to meet Rebekah.  May the Lord grant Grandpa Duke eternal rest and safe travels for Maria and Rebekah.
• Our next short-term mission trip is right around the corner from June 24-July 1.   May the Lord prepare the hearts of all that are coming down, our hearts as we prepare to host them, and the hearts of all those that we will serve.