The dry, desert base of YWAM is located in a poor, more rural area outside of Mendoza. A dusty gravel road leads us past numerous small brick homes with street dogs milling about. Behind a large red gate lies the Mendoza YWAM campus, comprised of several acres of land covered with rows of eucalyptus trees, dusty, dirt roads, and numerous buildings scattered around campus. The main attraction your eye is drawn to is the GINORMOUS round pool at the top of campus. The property originally featured a huge irrigation system to water the surrounding fields. (Not exactly certain how it works. When they drain the “pool” the water fills the ditches and trenches running through the property, which overflow and flood the fields. The water is quickly absorbed because again, this place is stinking dry.)
YWAM is known for their Discipleship Training School drawing people all over the world to come take classes to further their relationship with Christ and disciple new believers. This base has all sorts of ministries for outreach and engaging with the community. World Race frequently partners with YWAM to join forces and come alongside various ministries to provide refreshment and increased manpower.
This base is known for their “sports ministry”. They have an extensive ropes course which runs all throughout campus, mostly utilizing the large eucalyptus trees as elements. There is a leap of faith, low ropes course, pendulum swing, rock wall, and zip line to name a few. Groups of school children come weekly during the spring/summer to participate in the ropes course for team building activities. The base also fosters community in various sport group segments of Mendoza: soccer, skateboarding, BMX biking, ultimate frisbee, etc. They have numerous staff on campus who are well known for their talent and abilities in those areas. Competitions and events creates great ministry opportunities within those circles.
With all the outreach opportunities and staff on campus to facilitate, each day’s ministry looks quite different! Have I mentioned this month is our all squad month and all 7 teams and 48 racers are altogether? Each day at breakfast (or maybe the night before) each team is briefed on what their ministry will look like that day. Each team is given an activity and paired with a YWAM staff member to facilitate. Various ministries performed have been helping in the kitchen to prepare meals, cleaning buildings on campus, sanding/painting a staff cabin, rankings leaves across campus, cleaning out the world’s largest pool, visiting local schools to perform skits and play games, prayerwalks and intercession across the neighborhood, soup kitchens, door to door evangelism, going into parks to meet and pray for people, and the list goes on. Some teams were taken out into the desert, “el campo”, to stay with indigenous tribes and form relationships there.
Our team was paired with a Peruvian, Jesus lovin’ pseudo-gangsta named Marlon. (We tried nicknaming him Mar-Mar. He did not appreciate it so we were forced to stop.) The first day we prayed over the community center, that it would be a beacon of light and hope for the community. The rest of the afternoon we were paired with another team cleaning the world’s largest pool with Marlon as our facilitator. We wholeheartedly believe Marlon was SO impressed with our positive attitude and work ethic that he wanted to lead our team each day. For roughly each day afterwards other teams would rotate through visiting schools or performing other ministries, while we were always paired with Marlon. In the hot sun, raking leaves or sweeping dirt. The benefit of being hearty workers, getting to continue in the challenging manual labor. We have been the main team responsible for cleaning the GINORMOUS pool. One of the most exhausting, but rewarding challenges we’ve had.
Honestly, while the work was difficult and challenging, it was nice to see the progress, feel like I ‘m gaining muscles, be a blessing to the base, and interact with Mar-Mar. (Shhh, don’t tell him I still call him that). During those afternoons with the blazing hot sun burning our backs while feeling sore, tired and nursing blisters, it could become frustrating and discouraging. However, God was our strength, renewed our joy, and blessed our time. We were also frequently rewarded with breaks of cold water, bread and yogurt, and once, ICE CREAM. Marlon really loves our team.
Our team, the 7 Tens, along with the Panda Rangers got to participate in a secret, intense YWAM experience called Niko. I can’t go into details, but it was a type of poverty simulation designed to change your perspective and they way you interact with those around you. It involved awkward scenarios, hunger, lack of control, and lots and lots of walking. While it was difficult to get through, it united us a as team and was a HUGE growing experience for me.
God revealed in me a certain amount of entitlement to comfort during the Niko. Anytime something is slightly uncomfortable I object and feel a sense of injustice. I struggle to sit in discomfort, eagerly itching for it to be remedied and soothed. It’s difficult to find contentment and peace within it. How dare I be uncomfortable?! How could this happen to me? This is clearly the utmost priority right now! But did Jesus not specifically come to earth and embrace a human existence and discomfort to save us? Did he not call believers to a life of discomfort for His sake? Sigh. My discomfort is the smallest of worries or concern in this world, yet it’s a selfish focus I dwell on each day. At the end of our Niko we got the opportunity to renounce certain aspects of our flesh and character we desired to change.
Now this is an area I’m more conscious about and working to change. Anytime I ‘m hungry, tired, sore, have a stomach ache, feel awkward, homesick, sad, etc — it’s okay! It might not be exactly the way I desire to feel but God is still present, still good and I will get through it. All experience is transitive.This continues to be something I have head knowledge of and understand, but struggle to have heart knowledge of and walk in each day.
Next month our team will be hiking through the Amazon jungle, which will be a great opportunity for God to stretch my ability to endure discomfort. Please keep me in your prayers
