Author: dgould77

It’s been just over 24 hours since we left Faith Mission in Del Rio Texas.  This trip has got to be one of if not the best trip I have had the privilege of working with students on.  There are a lot of things that stand out to me as I look back on them here were some of the special/inspirational moments for me in the order that they happened.

1. Sunday Morning Challenge by Pat!  This set the tone for the trip, and really a great challenge for us to live out daily.   Do you see people, or do you SEE people?

   “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14

2. Hearing, not understanding, Shane Wheeler give his Testimony in Spanish at a church last Sunday on the spot.  Great way to be an example to his son and wife.  He was so nervouse but did a great JOB!!!!
3. Getting Pulled over last Sunday by the Mexican Police who were looking for another white van!  I will never forget Maria’s reaction!!!!
4. Seeing our Students love on Mexican children!  Amazing!  Thanks Shawna for all the hard work you put in to making VBS happen!!!  Thanks to our students for being flexible and letting God use you!
5. Reading the stories of what God was doing in the lives of our students while they were there.  Some of them even started their own blogs after the trip.  Speaking of blog, this blog had more hits than ever before, with a new record set on Thursday.  Way Cool!
6. Pushing a little boy and girl on the swing set Tuesday.  It made me realize how precious each child was when I played with some that were about the same age as Josiah!
7. Speaking in a church on Tuesday Night.  First time to use a translator, his name is Caesar!!  What a great man, didn’t know him very well at the beginning, but grew to love him by the end of the trip!  We had 4 adults accept Christ that Night!!!  Praise Jesus!
8. Hearing Andy tell how awesome it was to lead about 30 kids in a prayer of salvation because I was busy talking with a guy outside who was struggling with addictions but unwilling to give them up to experience Christ power over them.  His name is Alberto, please pray for Him
9. Playing Soccer on Wednesday with the older kids and actually scoring a goal!!!!
10. Hanging out with the team at Mr. Gatti’s and the Lake. But the real fun came when I mixed up my words at McDonald’s.  Thankful there wasn’t a Video camera.  Thanks for the memories Andy, Paul, Godfrey, Jacob, and Hunter!!!  A time I will never forget!
11. Handing out the Children’s Bible after VBS.
12. Seeing the homes that people live in and especially seeing Caesars Home and being able to pray for him and his family.
13. Our last team Devo and worship time Thursday Night!  So powerful and full of laughs when Jacob was praying and said thanks for letting us come to Cancun.  We all started laughing!  Before the prayer ended!  Bleeding Love drowns out the person praying!  The good news . . . God still heard our prayer!  Together, we were all able to laugh and still connect with God!!!!!
14. Presenting Caesar with a new Fan, a Bible, and Beans and Rice!!!!
15. Eating at PollosDon Triny and then shopping!
16. Attending Templo Roca De Salvacion a church that was rock’n it for Jesus!!!!
17. Sleeping in my own bed last night!

It truly was an awesome trip!  We are going back next year and would love for you to join us!!  It is life changing when you see how Big our God is!!!!

The challenge for all of us is this . . . Will you SEE PEOPLE?

Well, I just got home after a great time with our students. I am so proud of each of them. I am really tiered and will write some reflections about the trip later this week! God is so Good!!!!

Today was the last day to work in Mexico.  This week has been so life changing for all that are involved.  We finished our VBS by showing parents what we had taught their kids all week long.  There were a lot of tears as we said good bye.  Following the VBS we ate PollosDon Triny where we had the best Mexican food I have ever eaten.  Then, we hit the shops for some Mexican souvenirs.  I bought Joe a little guitar for $10.00, he is going to love it.

Tonight we ended a great week with a great church service.  It was amazing to to see all of us worship even with the language barrier.  God spoke to one of our students who was really questioning the existence of God this week in a real way in the service.  You can read his perspective below with some of the others students thoughts also.  Here are the pictures I took today!

It really stinks that today is the last day. I’m REALLY upset. This has been quite an experience. I came here thinking the wrong thoughts like, whats gonna happen with my tan line? or which friends i am gonna become closer to and i was looking forward to helping the kids, but it was sort of for my own experience.

I am really glad i got a chance to come on this trip. It really has impacted me greatly, and i won’t ever be the same again. I now have a new perspective on life. I really encourage any other person that gets offered a chance like this to go for it. I will never forget these kids, the sermons, and the adults that still had so much faith in God, even with what little they had, and they thought they were so blessed.

I’m not sure how to describe this experience, but it was definitely amazing. –Alyssa

This has been an experience like no other to me. I hope i have touched the lives of other and i feel i have progressed in my faith.  My feeling are indescribable. We joke about the kids in Africa that are missing out on the food you waste or the things you throw in the closet. Well i have seen the kids in Mexico and i truly have no right to ever complain for what i have again. I live in an ornery generation and i have taken part in it every day. It makes me sick to my stomach of how selfish i have lived and i strongly intend to change that. I have complained about not having the latest technology and i have met a man who praises god for the blessing of his cardboard house and refrigerator. We are ignorant. Ignorant of what it could be and ignorant of how blessed we are for the things we find as common necessity.  These people live with hardly anything and they are happier than I. I envy them and am happy for them because they have joy in poverty. I dont know what else to say… ~James

This week has been the best week of my year. Mexico was so fun. Meeting the kids telling them about our wonderful GOD. They have nothing but they are still muy, muy, bueno. The kids are fun to play soccer with. They are the best soccer players. At the beginning of the week i was scared because what I heard. But everything was good God was watching over us to keep us safe. It was so fun!!! I am so glad my parents let me go and i am glad they went with me. it has changed every ones life. God is the best thing that can happened in your life!!! -Justin

This week was the most amazing week i have ever had in my life. I had so much fun this week. I loved being able to interact with all the little kids and of course the bigger kids and parents. This week has changed my life this week so much. I will  never, ever, ever complain again. I could not stop crying today. I dont want to leave all of these kids. I have gotten to know them so much. I am extremely sad to be leaving them. This trip has showed me how good we have it in Plano and in the united states. This has showed me how good God is and how awesome he is. I can not wait until next year when i go. God is absolutely amazing and can change your life for the good.  –Kelly

hey everyone, Mexico has been great and i am so glad i got to experience with the people that i love at my church. This trip has taught me that i cant be selfish with what i have and i have to appreciate the blessings that i have. People in Mexico have absolutely nothing but they are so happy, just because they have God in there lives. I will be so sad when we leave, because i have gotten so close to some of these kids. -Kassidy

My second entry today for my first entry with god. Tonight was amazing. Those wonderful people who praise the lord with such passion had brought him to that church that i went to tonight, expecting it to be just another night on the trip. Without thinking I danced with everyone during worship. It started with the music. This music ignited every ones hearts which brought forth the presence of god. I danced and again asked god to help me connect , I cried out for the last time. The tears started coming as i began to think about what we had taught to the children this week and what my pastor had said to me. As the song ended I announced what i had started to feel. I admitted that “god has penetrated my heart”. That’s when i felt it. I felt as if my heart was charged and my hands felt as if they had lit on fire. I could not stop shaking as was bawling. Its an unbelievable feeling that you can only experience for yourself. I’m glad that the door is open for me to feel that as i wish, all the time. ~James

This has been an amazing experience.  The people here are so friendly, always shaking your hand or hugging you.  The children are adorable and so loving.  But what has really struck me is their spirit.  Most people would pity them, seeing only what they have financially or materially.  But they have exceedingly more than us spiritually.  They have so much faith, and are always content and grateful for what they have.  They are a prime example that God is truly all we need.  We have so much, and all we want is more and more.  They have so little, and all they want is God.  I envy that. ~Jonathan

The students presented the salvation story during VBS today and had about 25 kids accept Jesus as forever friend.  Then we were able to give each child a Children’s Spanish New Testament.  Each New Testament was in color with cartoons.  Awesome.

It also rained today!  They say it only rains here a few times a year.  However, when it does rain it brings all the putrid smells out, that wasn’t very pleasant.

Our group did tours today.  It’s always humbling to look and see how some of these families live.  We have so much in the States and when you come here, you see how they have so little.  It is truly amazing how they still are some of the happiest people you will ever meet.  On the tour, Cesar, who has been our translator and translated for me on Tuesday Night, showed us his house!  We were able to meet his wife and step son.  He was so humble and shared his story.  Very powerful!!!  While we were there we prayed for him and his family.  What a great opportunity!

Very powerful day today.  Here are some pictures from today:

Yesterday was an amazing day, i felt like i really connected to god! it was a great felling that i felt so close to god. We looked at the worse part of Acuna, Mexico. We got to see the cardboard houses, it was so sad but we prayed for the families, and i felt so bad that they barely have anything and i have so much and they felt so grateful for everything they have. but i hope that god blesses them, and blesses the rest of the week –Brianne 🙂

I have never realized how much everyone in America is spoiled! All of these kids are soooooooo thankful for everything they have. I feel like i am changing lives just by walking the front doorway. I see a smile on all their faces at all times! I feel so blessed just to live in a house that can keep the rain out. I just pray that God keeps them safe and i hope that God blesses them!!!  –Andrew

We really have the good-life and so do some of the people in Mexico.  But a lot of people live of the scraps of and cable-jacking. We visited a family today and there house was made of rotten 2 x 4 and clothe roofs. Mexico has been a new start for ex gang members and deportees. But I thank god for the security food and water!!!!!!!!!!!!  –Jacob

Our adults are soooooo awesome.  Here are some of the things they wanted to share about the trip:

WOW, what a week it has been so far. This has been my first mission trip with this group from Fusion, and I have been so fortunate to have gotten the chance to get to know each and every one of the youth so far. What an amazing group. Each time I see them interact with the children in Acuna, I get so emotional and overjoyed because I am so proud of them. They are so good with them and how they interact with them, how they play with them, give them so many hugs, and even though they may not speak their language, they are able to communicate so well with them all. When the worship team sings, every single person in that place just lights up. It is absolutely awesome. I know that there was more than just one reason that God spoke to me and wanted for me to come this week.  It was just not to experience this with my daughter, and not just to be able to help with the use of my Spanish, but to be able to work with teens and to get to know them and appreciate their uniqueness.  This is a trip that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Thank you to all the parents for sharing your children and entrusting them to us. God has definitely used them all and I know they are changed forever. God Bless them all! — Maria Yarrow

This week has been in a word…incredible.  I could write a ton about how I am impressed with our youth, but I don’t want to write a novel.  They seem to have a good grasp on what is going on down here.   I feel like they realize how blessed they really are.  We went on a tour of the poorest areas of Acuna.  It was worse than I imagined.  We got to actually go into one of the houses where it was over 100 degrees…or at least it seemed.  Just seeing the conditions was a huge reality check.  It puts things into perspective for everyone, including myself.

I have also enjoyed working with the leaders…yes, even Andy.  I even thought that before I knew he prayed for salvation for 18 children yesterday.  Awesome.  I have also been able to experience this with my wife Shawna and my son Justin.  Justin is great with the kids…and since he has 3 younger siblings he better be.  Seriously, he is fitting in great.  Soccer breaks down barriers.  Mostly though, I am so proud of Shawna.  She is so great and I love her so much.  I have trouble expressing how much this whole trip means to me.  –Shane Wheeler

Today was HOT! VBS is going so well!!!! The students are doing an awesome job and our church and parents should be very proud of them. Today we successfully finished day 2 of our rotation of tours, soccer and working in the warehouse. The warehouse organizes all the school supplies that have been donated to go across the border. Today I played soccer and actually scored a goal. However, this came after I bit it hard and hurt myself1 Why . . . because 1. I am getting older or 2. There is no grass and we are playing on a rock/dirt field, who am I kidding . . . it’s mostly rock. I would love to say it is only because of number 2, but then I would be lying? Every time I get out there I am doing good . . . I get showed up by the 12 year olds from our trip!

We finished the day at Mr Gatti’s pizza, then swimming in the lake. Here are some pics from today, and student perspectives!

Today is day 3 of VBS. We, the drama team did a skit about sin and how it can consume you. We did it for the first time this morning and it was hit with the kids. After it was done we all gave a little Bible verse and an explanation. After that we headed to a little park thing where there was a little soccer/basket ball court.  We played for a little while we moved back to the Church and did crafts with the kids. When that was through we moved to a soccer field and played soccer for an hour and we were so hot. Today was a lot of fun and there is still more to come. Tomorrow is salvation story day and that should be a lot of fun.  –Scott

Today I saw the warehouse and I worked to give most of the school supplies to the Mexicans. I also worked with the kids in VBS for the drama I worked with a chair that said sin I knew that if you sin it will be stuck to that sin until you look to god for guidance and you should ask for forgiveness and should praise him the lord in worship. Well today was awesome and I bet the next day when we do the salvation skit the kids, teens, and the adults will have fun at VBS tomorrow.  –Paul

YESTERDAY I PET A DEER.  We went to a church service last night in Acuna, and my perspective on my relationship with God is completely different. Josh joined into worship with his guitar, and sang songs with a local woman. To hear the same song sung in two different languages with such passion was a life changing experience. At the end of the service, they had an offering basket to give money to the church. Little by little the locals piled to the front to present the small amount of change they had to offer. It blew my mind to think that with such little possessions, they are willing to give up the little amount they had. In seeing a different country worshipping God, The Great Commission has a whole new meaning to me. I now see that it is ABSOLUTELY possible to spread the word of God in all nations and see our world change. –Jaime

Wow, i had doubts about even coming to Mexico, but now that i am here, i am so glad i came. The kids here are so friendly! They don’t even care that we don’t speak their language that well. They still laugh and joke around with us (sometimes even talk with us in Spanish a little). Something i thought was really cool that Josh said during worship this morning was: “God doesn’t speak English or Spanish, he speaks to us with love.”  You’d think that the language barrier would be a problem, but its not- seeing all the guys playing soccer together and all the girls skipping down to the park arm-and-arm is really cool. I got to see so amazing things on this trip. Today we went touring (we took a van and drove and walked around some neighborhoods in Acuna). We literally walked by houses made of scraps of cardboard, metal, and planks of wood. In fact one family let us into their home. It was a one room house made of scraps of wood, and metal sheets as a roof. They had 2 small cots crammed into this small house. It was a mess! These people hardly have anything and they considered themselves blessed. God gave them what they needed and they were so content with what they had although they hardly have anything. They said they don’t need anything else– Jesus is all they need; its the only thing that they said makes them happy. That was just amazing to me. I look forward to going back to Mexico tomorrow 🙂  keep us and these families here in prayer.  –Nicole