Ensenada Reflections

Reflections of Ensenada flood our minds and fill our hearts…


Paul DiPascale:

I witnessed a culture vastly different than my own and I witnessed everything from great faith to want and sorrow. I have been blessed from the time I was born and have never truly needed any of the essentials of life. I feel guilty as I remember praying prayers for the mere fulfillment of desires, while already having so much. I am reminded of that famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence that reads, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Well, we here in America have been greatly blessed by our Creator and should shout out in praise to him every day! As I grow in my Christian walk I have come to realize that Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of these unalienable rights and the true source of all real happiness. Many of the Mexican Christians I met were truly happy with the little they had. They started their days with prayer and shared with each other and us scripture verses that inspired them. I felt we were truly one in Christ. What an awesome God… I pray we blessed those we touched through the building project, VBS, and the prayer outreach as much as we were blessed by being in Ensenada. I know my life will forever be enriched by this experience.

Ray Hofmann:

Mission trips are always fun somehow. It is great to be a little part of helping someone come to know Jesus as Savior. Rick Romano seems to be really organized, which is hard to do with the always-varying groups that come to help. I enjoyed meeting the group of interns showing us there are still young people growing up to serve the Lord. VBS was certainly memorable. Now I have a lot more people I can pray for. Our team worked well together and I hope we can get together and do it again in March.

John Wager:

Going on the trip was one of the most powerful experiences God has blessed me with. I thought I was going to help and bless others and the Lord blessed me. He allowed me to see how joyful and full life can be when we get outside of ourselves and follow Him serving others. Words can't convey how powerfully His Holy Spirit works in you when you obey His command and GO in His strength out into the world to share His good news. To see how joyful the Mexican people are, especially those who live the simplest of lives, brought the word of God alive in my heart. Many of them don't spend their lives pursuing the things of this world with reckless abandonment, yet God gives them what they need and fills them with joy! So many of us spend our lives chasing wealth and things the world says we need and in the end are robbed of the peace and joy that God promises if we would only Humble ourselves and Trust in Him. I have 10 new brothers and sisters in Christ who the Lord has filled my heart with love for and whom will forever be dear to my heart. If ever you have considered serving on a missions trip stop thinking and GO! The Lord may just be waiting to get you away from your all to busy life to bless you as well as those He brings across your path.

Karen, Dave & David Bigley:

Being a part of this Mission’s trip to Ensenada was a blessing for our family. We connected with new brothers and sisters in Christ through a special bond in servicing our God. The ministry of Rick and Tammi Romano was one of faith, obedience, and trust. We saw joy in the midst of poverty, hope in the midst of despair, and God’s ever-growing church reaching into the hearts of His children. We saw, as a Christian, the importance of taking the time out of our hectic lives to listen and follow God’s call to reach others in His name. Since we have left, we are thankful for what God has blessed us with, and know that He desires for us to share our blessings with others. The Mexican community, who are limited in material things, gave their hearts and souls to us and wholly to our Jesus Christ. These riches of the heart, that they so humbly gave, are an example for which we will cherish forever…

Rich DePasqual:

I count this mission trip a privilege to be used by God to glorify Him and his work. Various emotions flooded my soul and heart as I witnessed the despair found in many of the Mexican lives…. Now, I can pray for their specific needs as I picture their faces in my mind…

Diane Hanna:

I looked forward to going on my "first" official missions trip with my girlfriend, Peggy, to Ensenada, Mexico. And my desire was to do all the work that I could for our Lord. But little did I know just how much work He would do in me! He blessed me greatly by opening my eyes, ears, and heart more than ever before to more of His world by taking me out of my comfort zone in New Jersey. It is good to be thankful for all we have living here, but it is another thing all together to experience what that truly means by seeing and living among the Mexican people who live with very little, and yet still are thankful more than any of us, for what they have. To witness Rick and Tammie Romano, the missionaries, living out God's work in the community where the people are, made me realize that we can do more than we think, with the Lord's help and guidance.

It was an incredible experience to build a home in a week and then turn it over to a family, who was grateful beyond imagination with their smiles and tears of joy. And then to do VBS at a couple of churches to reach out to the children was yet one more blessing and experience, more than I ever could have imagined. The smiles, laughter and joy the children showed on their faces went right to my heart. Showing Christ's love truly transcends any language barriers. There is great joy in doing work for the Lord to further His Kingdom and in living for Him the way He tells us to. I am very blessed to have experienced the joy, peace, and happiness first hand by the Mexican people and witnessing their unbelievable love and thankfulness for Jesus Christ.

I also got to meet, work with, and live with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, who I grew to love. It was yet another blessing for me. The work that we were able to accomplish, and the peace and joy we experienced from it, was because of the Holy Sprit within us all. I don't think I could ever explain our mission's trip to Mexico completely or adequately enough in words except "You had to be there" is one way for me to put it. For me, I look forward to going on another missions trip. If you never have been on one, it is a blessing from the Lord that should be experienced. Trust in Him!

Lucy Krilov:

My teammates thoughtfully expressed the blessings we all received from obeying God’s call to serve on a short-term mission trip this summer. We all came with a diverse array of abilities and we were united through Christ! As a result, we have been inspired with boldness to continue to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel in whatever mission field God places us, here at home or in another country. As a teacher, here are some valuable lessons I learned:


1. No matter who we are, we all need food, shelter, God’s love, and a pair of jeans.
2. Despite poverty, believers find hope and joy in the Lord.
3. We don’t need much, when we focus upon giving.
4. If my goal is to glorify God, He will provide me with the tools, even if I can’t speak the language.
5. Relationships are more important than tasks.
6. Purified water is as beneficial to the body, as a cleansed heart is for the soul.
7. A smile and hug can speak volumes in many languages!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

Let our purpose be His purpose, so remember...

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

“He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,” (Proverbs 28:27)