It is so astounding to think of God’s power and knowledge, how He knows all and how His timing is absolutely perfect. While He was telling me that I would be applying for the World Race a few months ago, I had also been expressing how much I wanted to go visit Mexico and get some tacos. While expressing this to family and friends, they all began to make me aware of all the dangers that came with that trip and how I should not go alone. They know me, my level of fear is just about non-existent, so I would have gone for it, but I listened to their advice and I am glad I did. I also asked someone from here in California, how much money would be necessary to go down there for the day and their response was that $50 would suffice.
This is where God steps in. I had just begun working, so money was tight, but I had $250 set aside for the World Race. The application fee was $50 and if I were to get accepted I had to make a $200 deposit which would be the first donation towards my goal. Well as I went to apply, the screen read, “your application fee has been waived”, God is so good y’all. That Sunday I went to church and they began to talk about missions and my mind was blown, but even more so when they mentioned that they had a day trip to Mexico for $50! Come on now! There are no coincidences in this world.
However, it was supposed to take place on the day I was supposed to move into my place, but my moved in date got moved, so you know what God did? He moved the date! I was slightly discouraged at first, but I mean it when I say God has it all under control. The timing was perfect, it was this past weekend, I had finally gotten fully settled into my place, caught up on rest and it was the best time to go on this mission. God knows best, I promise! Even when things look a mess, don’t stress!
Anyhow, this past Saturday, April 27, 2019, I participated in my very first mission trip. God knew I needed this trip to show me and prepare me for what life would be like when I head out for the World Race in October.
My mind was blown at how different life is just 20 minutes away. I had thought I saw the worst from our homeless community here. Although I spent the first 4 months homeless here, I wasn’t ever subjected to the type of lifestyle they live. Everything is different there. The houses are small with big families living in them. They have no plumbing systems, so you have to use a bucket of water to flush the toilet (if they have one), you can’t leave toilet paper in the toilet. There are no garbage men to clean up the streets or pick up the trash, trash has to be burned, so whatever doesn’t burn remains. They don’t have running water, the traffic systems are minimal and incomplete, they don’t even have proper streets everywhere. The air quality is horrible, there is dust everywhere. Houses are made out of random pieces of wood and if you’re lucky some concrete. There are dogs and puppies that run around everywhere you go, you can see their bones, but you can’t touch or feed them because they have diseases and they would become a problem for the natives.
My heart was breaking in two from the moment we crossed the border. There are barbed wires on just about every business to keep people out. Most people live off $70 a week, they use the bathroom outside in a rigged-up outhouse or a hole in the ground. A family of 8-15 people living in a one-bedroom house, the size of the average garage here. The family we went to help had at least 9 people that were living in a small one-bedroom house and you could tell from the looks of their house they were slightly better off than their neighbors. We went to build them a simple structured house or room I should say so that they could move some of their family out of the main house. I have never seen someone more grateful than that grandma that shed tears of joy to have four walls and a roof.
I apologize if I am unloading a lot, I was so overwhelmed with sadness on this trip. I just wanted everyone to have hope. I had a major culture shock and now I am forever grateful as if I wasn’t before. I truly believe that living in the United States is one of the biggest blessings we have. The homeless here in our country are still among the richest people in the world. The crazy part is although it was that bad in Mexico, that is nothing compared to how the rest of the world lives. Mexico isn’t a third world country, but from the looks of it, you would think it was, so think of what a third world country endures if it gets worse than that.
This is why missionary work is so important, people need to know hope. People need to know there is more to this world than their circumstances. People need a light in the midst of their darkness. This simple mission made a huge impact and helped me to prepare my mind for what I will be soon walking into. My hopes are that you will support me on this journey because it is so necessary! I may be on the frontline of it, but no one can do frontline work without back-up, so please back me up! Help send me to help save the world. Our treasure is not for us alone, it is for us to share!
Here are some photos from my Mexico mission:
These are just a few highlights from the trip to Mexico, I mostly had videos and may make a mash-up video for you all to view on my YouTube channel. Above you can see the ministry house (double-sided blue and yellow house) and their bathroom with the toilet paper sign. The ministry house was the most beautiful house I saw there. You can see us as we began putting the frames for the walls together after we measured and cut the boards. The house took us five to six hours to build, you can see it slowly coming together as each person takes a role. At lunch we took a break to eat the meal the grandmother made for us, it was a bowl of Mexican chicken soup, I still can’t say the name right. The last picture is a beautiful picture of the grandmother smiling about the new addition to her family’s home. I also got to emjoy some lovely authentic Mexican tacos!
This trip blessed me, and I pray you chose to continue on the journey with me so that these missions can bless you too.
