Mexico

We went to Mexico today to help with the Kids Crusade hosted by the Emanuel Foundation in Tijuana. For the first time, I participated in a "typical" mission trip. Usually when you say "mission trip" you think of a group going to Mexico to build houses and give away food and clothes. Well our trip was along those lines as well, but our team went there to pray. We have close ties with this foundation. The woman who runs it is so amazing and has incredible faith! She lives on the border of CA and Mexico and she has such a heart for the people of Mexico. Her foundation puts on this Kids Crusade every year and it keeps getting better! They ask The City Church to come and pray every time they put on this event. So not only did we pray our "best prayer" (everytime you pray should be your best prayer), we also brought about 500 bags, baskets, and shoeboxes filled with toys. My "job"was to help pass out clothes for the infant and toddler sizes. They had so many clothes for each age group and every person got 2-3 items from every table. We also gave out blankets, strollers, milk, cereal, diapers, lunches, toys for the kids, love, and the gift of salvation.

The whole event started off with praise songs and some of the intern girls jumped in to dance with the kids. It was so cute to see them all dancing together! I looked to my left and I saw the intern boys trying to keep up with the crowd! After that they split up the kids and adults. The kids went to play on the air bouncers and got their toys. While they were on the upper portion of the property, I stayed in the adult session while a pastor gave the gospel message. There were probably 50-60 salvations after he spoke and we handed out all the gifts after we prayed with them. When we wrapped the whole thing up, the interns gathered around the pastors to pray and it was a powerful time. Even though there was a language barrier, every one of them began to weep as we prayed over them. Some of us had interpreters. This was the first time I prayed with an interpreter and I was glad they could understand what I was praying. They were so touched by our prayers and that's all we really came to do.

On the way out of Mexico we stopped by this restaurant where I tasted the BEST mexican food I've ever eaten! I had one of everything and I was stuffed by the end of it! We headed out towards San Diego and it took us over an hour to get over the border. On the way I saw so many kids and adults trying to sell things and make money on the side of the road and in the middle of it. It was surreal to watch kids my little brother's age who were juggling balls in the middle of the road to try and earn money. Mothers were carrying around babies and empty cups hoping for change. Men and some other kids were wandering around selling things. The worst for me was seeing little kids sitting on the edge of the road playing with rocks or balls while their parents worked. It broke my heart to see so many in need, knowing we had just given away all we brought to others just as needy as them. So while we sat in slow moving traffic, we had lots of street vendors pass by the car. Most of us felt so bad that we couldn't buy anything from them to help them, so instead we handed out our extra water bottles and tried speaking Spanish to tell them about Jesus. It was so SWEET! We pretty much asked if they knew God and we got some of them to pray the prayer of salvation in our broken Spanish. I love that God's Word NEVER returns void and even if they didn't understand all we were saying, God will bring it to their understanding.

I am so excited about what God is doing in Mexico through The City Church and others. This trip again reminded me of my love for mission fields. I hope to see many more in the years to come. And I love The City Church Interns! They are the best people I've ever met; my best friends who have brought a security to my life here in San Diego. I couldn't have asked for better people to share my life with or to work alongside with in ministry. I've never met such radical people who will do anything for the salvation of the lost and they have encouraged me to become more bold in Christ. And because of them, I know what street evangelism really is.