Mexico Team Update #2

From Jess Hannon:

 

Hello everyone! Sunday was full of incredible experiences that opened all our eyes. It really set the tone for what I'm sure will be a great week of serving our God.

We were awakened at 6:00 AM by roosters crowing in town. It was amazing to watch the sun rise while reading the Word of God. The town is nothing like we expected; it's colorful and full of life and friendly people. We ate breakfast together as a team and had orientation, going over Mexican culture and plans for the day. 

We attended one of the five Alliance churches in the area where we had an incredible time of worship. Although the songs were in Spanish, we recognized a couple by their tunes and were able to sing along. The pastor was filled with such passion for the Word, and luckily he recruited an intern to translate for us. He read from Isaiah 53, gave his testimony, and gave us great encouragement. It completely changed my perspective to hear these people, who have so much less than us, praying for US! The whole group was humbled by the prayers and service. Afterwards, the missioniaries, Brian and Erin, were gracious enough to open their home to us and share lunch together. 

Later that evening, the guys joined a soccer tournament in a local park while the girls got a chance to connect with some of the families while watching. We met a group of boys and two precious sisters with endless energy. We drew pictures and raced against eachother. As we went through a book, pointing out pictures and naming them in Spanish, we came across the Bible, the Santa Biblia. An older boy in the group noticed and asked me what religion I was. I told him I had a personal relationship with God, that I had accepted Him into my heart and life and tried to live according to Jesus and His example in the Bible. I asked him the same question, and he laughed and said he wasn't religious, but I could tell he was intrigued by our group. 

Back at the center, we had spaghetti (Mexican style) for dinner and sang some songs of worship. It's been a long day, but it's been wonderful.  

Monday we begin VBS camp and construction on the local youth pastor's home to provide a place for his children. Please continue to pray for our safety and for the relationships we're building. Gracias, y buenas noches!