Our short term mission trip to Mexico in September 2022 was as always, filled with amazing encounters with God and what he is doing. It is rare for us to experience God‘s presence in the midst of our busy schedules and selfish priorities. However, I find that when we have set aside our most important time, electronics, and other distractions as well as begin a sincere focus on God’s word, we experience Him in ways unimaginable.
And yes this is possible. It happens every time we return to Mexico. While our goal is to serve, encourage, love, and help others, the team ends up encountering God in ways that change our own lives dramatically.
Sharing those experiences can be difficult to express in words alone. From my experience, though I could tell many stories, of “God sightings”. I want to share 4. These stood out and will catch your attention just as they did for us.
Story #1: Mission Team Transformation
First was the amazing transformation of our team. After two years of cancellations, re-organizing a mission trip seemed destined to fail. There was little coherency in our group and we did not have a good preparation time. Plane tickets were increasingly expensive and the cost of building materials more than tripled. All this, not even to mention, trying to get everyone together on the same page to focus on the trip ahead.
However, even after the first evening together, this team became very transparent and intimate as we shared deep hurts, failures, frustrations, difficulties, and challenges. Krystal Webb had the first evening devotional for the week.
After talking about what we leave behind in the rear-view mirror and focus on what is ahead in the much larger view thru the windshield, she requested we pray over each team member, and as we did this all the things we left behind seemed to diminish and all experienced a fresh renewal and growth in our relationships with God.
Story #2: Church in Mexico
Secondly, we started this trip off on a new foot. We arrived Saturday night instead of Sunday. Thus, giving us the opportunity to visit a local church on Sunday morning. This was a surprise for all of us.
Tentatively we entered a church in a foreign land and yet became honored guests, welcomed and loved immediately. The worship team scrambled to get English words put on song lyrics, and the pastor himself found an interpreter for the entire message to be translated into English. It was amazing to sing songs that we already knew and to hear them in English and Spanish together.
The message highlighted how we are to live in contrast to this world and have exceptional relationships with others. This church strongly demonstrated that idea by praying over us and showing God‘s love in great unity. Many tears were shed at seeing the evidence of God working.
Story #3: Meeting Julio
Speaking of relationships, my third story highlights one of the families we built a home for. Julio, the father of this family regularly works in construction and has spent years acquiring a small piece of property to build a home on. He often works six days and earns approximately $160 per week.
Julio and his friends helped us pour the concrete and prepare to build a house. He also helped with the framing and the roof. It is very exciting to help give a house to a family in need. His three boys and wife were very thankful and happy.
Julio took a couple of days off work to help us and with his extra time, he went to the neighboring location for the second home build and also helped there. Julio speaks pretty good English and we could communicate, have fun and begin a rewarding friendship. We plan to see him next year and he wants to help again.
Julio has not been in church for many years but plans to return and take his family. They, as many of the families we build for, are speechless in their gratitude. Tears of great joy and thankfulness are always shared by families and team members. God again gets the glory and we see lives changed forever, including our own.
Story #4: An Unexpected Local Church
Finally, an unexpected treat. Years ago we poured a concrete pad and a house was built for a local family on that pad. This year, while we were in the same area, we decided to revisit that family. What we found was God at work again. This family felt led by God to open their home to become a church.
As local friends and family began attending, they tore the house apart and used the materials to double the size by adding block walls and more concrete flooring. The Word of God is preached and the message of the Gospel is heard weekly.
While we were amazed at hearing their story and seeing what God is doing beyond us, we also decided to help. Much of the church had no roof, just a tarp. With your help, we gifted a metal roof to complete the sanctuary area. It is so exciting to be a part of what is happening in that Mexican church and all because a seed was planted years ago by building a house.
How can we not continue to go back? We have been used by God and he continues to call us to serve.
-Matthew Trent
Loving Hands Ministries
