This past month here at CMTS was incredible. The excitement has been non stop. Some of the first events of this month involved my time in vocation. After many hours of work, Ray and I managed to get the racecar in driving condition. It was really awesome to see our hard work rewarded. Getting to finally drive that car was such a fun experience and I am so glad that Ray and I were able to work on it. Overall, it was a great time and I don’t regret spending so much time on it. Finishing up maintenance  with Ray is disappointing, but I know that Doug has tons of practical information and wisdom to teach. 

April second marked the beginning of our Mexico trip. We roused ourselves early in the morning and jumbled into a 15 passenger van bound for Philly. The team members of this trip included us four students, Justin, Sandra, Joel and Danielle, Jenny, and our fearless leader Nolan. The journey to Mexico went really smoothly. No layovers, no one left behind, and all our luggage arrived somehow. YWAM Monterrey graciously hosted us over the week and picked us up from the airport. Mexico is such a beautiful country and the culture was so very different from what we were used to.

On the ride home from the airport, we enjoyed spotting the many different cars that aren’t sold or produced in America. The next day we were thrown straight into the action. YWAM Monterrey did a quick orientation, and then we prepared to hit the streets. We handed out Bibles and prayed for random people and it was a really great way to give us students an idea of what we would be doing over the course of the week. 

The second day of the trip, we went to a rehab center for recovering drug addicts. We spent the morning listening to the guys there share their testimonies and worship. Our team was always given the opportunity to share, and alot of our team shared with the men. After that we were given the opportunity to go and pray for the guys. Even though a lot of the time they couldn’t understand what we were praying about, it was a really impactful time and I could personally feel the Holy Spirit working as we prayed.

The third day of our trip was our work day. We drove about an hour away from where we were staying to work in a pastor’s church. We had to move cinder blocks and cement into an upper floor being prepared for the children’s ministry. After finishing that up, we hit the streets to spread the word about our children’s program we were doing at the church that night. That evening our team put on a little show for children at the church we were working in. We did a skit, some music, and even did a craft with them. It was fun to help with children because even with a language barrier, kids are still easy to work with and show love to.

The next day, we went to a poorer area of the city, and worked with kids and prayed and talked to a lot of the mothers in the area. Once again, we were given the opportunity to share and teach; it was a powerful time and the Holy Spirit was working in mighty ways. In the afternoon, we played soccer with kids and helped the YWAM Monterrey team witness and teach with these children.

Sunday was one of the coolest days in my opinion. We went to church and it was a really interesting time of worship and prayer. After the service, an older lady approached me and told me she would be praying for my back (for context I pulled a muscle in my back at the beginning of the trip and re-injured it playing soccer). Before I knew what was happening, she was praying for my back. When she finished I stood up, and no more pain. The Holy Spirit had worked in an incredible way to heal me. I was dumbfounded by that. During Sunday evening, we were able to return to the men’s rehab center for another church service. During that time, I felt called to speak and the Holy Spirit once again worked in an awesome way. Being at the rehab center and just praying and worshiping with the men there was such a blessing.

Monday was our tourism day. We went into downtown Monterrey and enjoyed browsing in some shops and snacking on some Mexican treats. It was a nice way to spend some time as a team just enjoying the city and the sunshine.  Tuesday was our final day in Mexico, and we went to a migrant center to hand out Bibles, pray for people, and cut hair. We stayed for the morning and then went back to the base for the afternoon to get ready for coming home. It was a nice way to finish up our trip and to get one last opportunity to serve snuck into our schedule. The trip home was long, but it went real smoothly which was a major blessing. It was a good time to talk to everyone on the team and figure out what the next steps in our faith should be. 

So far, I have been home for a week, and Mexico feels like a dream almost. It was such a powerful time, and the Holy Spirit was working in so many ways. Before the trip, I had been praying that the Holy Spirit would reveal Himself in a powerful real way to me, and He did so now I have to use that for motivation to continue on in my faith. God worked through me, and He wants to continue to do that, but I have to be willing to lay everything down for Him. While in Mexico, I realized there were things in my life I hadn’t committed to God yet, and that needs to change. I need to be fully involved with God and completely surrendered to Christ.  As I continue my life here at CMTS, or even back home in Michigan, I want to commit myself to God and see where His plan leads.