Last week I had the opportunity to go to Puerto Rico with my senior class to serve those in need. We partnered with a church there named Casa del Alfarero, in Lares and we were able to serve there and out in the community.
Starting from the beginning, we made it to Puerto Rico. We ended up getting dinner at an outlet and while we were there, the van with all of our luggage got stolen. We contacted the police but that didn’t help. Satan was throwing a flaming arrow at us, trying to distract us from the fact that we were there to help and serve in the name of Jesus. We all circled up and prayed and threw the arrow right back at Satan because he could not break us.
We ended up going to Walmart to buy the necessities we would need for the week. While I was paying for my stuff, I met Blanca. She was a sweet older lady who did not like the fact that we had to pay for bags to carry our stuff. We started talking and I told her about our situation. She was so sorry and told me to have hope because God will use the situation in a marvelous way. She prayed over me and thanked God for young people who were willing to serve her community. A sudden wave of joy and peace washed over me that could have only come from God. It was this moment, that I knew that this trip would be amazing and life-changing.
Wednesday, we went to a lagoon to jump off a waterfall and swim a little bit. In the afternoon we went to Crash Boat Beach. It was a day of adventure and relaxation, a nice break from the stress of the previous day.
Thursday, was when we got to serve the church. I was in a group that cleaned the inside of the church and did house keeping work. Another group poured concrete, and another went to paint a local widows house. Later that night, me and 5 other people got the opportunity to practice with the church praise team because we would be able to worship with them on Sunday. It was an amazing experience and a challenge trying to sing in Spanish.
The next day we went to the local grocery store to buy food for the bags of food we were going to give to the community. When we got back to the church, there was a room full of clothes that the congregation collected to give to us. It was humbling to see how many people cared enough to give their best clothes to help people they had never met. We ended up being served by the church we were going to serve.
Later that night we went to the church’s youth night. We had a lip sync battle with youth in the church and a famous European Christian rapper came and performed. Afterwords, I played Just Dance with some of the kids in the youth. We could not understand each other but we had a blast trying to!
Saturday was when we split up into groups to go into the community and give food to those who needed it. This was probably my favorite part of the trip because we got to talk to and meet so many different people. I got the privilege of praying for some of them and me and two of my friends got to sing to these people in Spanish. It was amazing how even though there was a language barrier, God has no barrier and we are all one in Christ Jesus.
Sunday, was church. I got to experience and be apart of a bilingual worship service which was such an amazing opportunity and experience! During the sermon, one of the little girls came and sat with me and played with my hair. Again, we could not understand each other but that didn’t matter because we were still able to communicate and enjoy each others company. Later on that day we returned to Crash Boat Beach and enjoyed the last day before we had to go home.
Monday was when we got to go to Old San Juan. We got to explore the city and buy souvenirs. It was sad leaving all the new friends we had made during the trip but it was exciting to see how God had used this trip to grow all of us. Even though we had that flaming arrow at the beginning of our trip, God turned it into an arrow of love. Losing our luggage brought us together as a class and it definitely humbled me in a way that could only come from that experience.
God has opened my heart, even more, to missions and this trip has made me more excited for the world race and I cannot wait to see how God uses me in his mission!
Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”
Kate Mullis
