Out for Outreach

Every Tuesday, three teams from my Photo DTS (Discipleship Training School) go north to Tijuana and visit a church/community center in the barrios, or neighborhoods, called Faro de Luz; which means Beacon of Light.

Three volunteers from the church will lead each group into the community to visit a home. My team is led by a different staff leader each week (this week we were led by Ismael). My fellow teammates are Georgia, Diana, and Mya. Each week we are given different roles within our group. This week I was the writer, Georgia the photographer, Diana the stylist, and Mya the interviewer/evangelist. When we go we intend to listen and to encourage those living there. So far, we have not been turned away! Each week we are invited into these families’ homes where we sit with them and listen to their stories. We are there to know them, to show they are heard and even cared about.

This week my team and I visited the home of Leticia, which was down the side of the hilltop. We had to climb down these stairs made of tires and dirt to reach her home. On that day, she was there with her son, Andres.

When we first came up to her house, we had to knock a few times because she didn’t hear us at first. When she answered the door, we asked her if we could visit her. She invited us into her home immediately and we introduced ourselves. We explained that we were students from near Tijuana and that we wished to hear her story and get to know her.

Leticia has lived in the barrio for 20 years with her husband and her children. She had come from the south with her two daughters after her first husband died. It was in Tijuana where she met her second husband and he fathered her two sons. Both her daughters are married and her boys are in Secondary school.

I remember the first thing she told us was that their situation was a hopeless one but I never got to ask why.

As we were talking, I asked Leticia if she had any pain. We learned for the last three days her right molar has caused her a lot of pain and it swells often. It has been so painful, she tells us, she could not go to church or visit her mother. After asking permission to place my hand on her cheek, we began to pray and declare healing. After praying, I asked her if there was any pain and she said there was none! This is the first time I remember God healing someone after the first time I had prayed for them. I felt we needed to pray again, though, so I reached out my hands for Leticia’s. As we held hands while standing in the middle of her house, I prayed for the Holy Spirit to come and rest upon her household and all those who reside in it.

When I looked up at her, I saw a release of tension around her eyes that was not there before. With a little smile, I asked her how she felt. She laughed and she told me she recently took a shower and now here she was with beads of sweat sliding down her face. It has been cold the last few days in Mexico and it was not hot in that house. It was the presence of God in that place. In that moment, all the awkwardness and shyness I had been feeling fell away and I declared, “Ahora, somos familia!” (“Now, we are family!”) And, I wrapped her up in a big hug as she did the same with me. I’m pretty sure I was laughing too.

There was so much joy and peace after that. She told me she felt such peace after we prayed! This is amazing to me because I had been praying in English for just that. She only speaks Spanish.

We continued to talk and at this point, her son had woken up. He had been in the bed behind us sleeping. We asked if we could take photos of them then. As her son woke up and got dressed, we stepped outside and began to take photos with Leticia. Georgia was our photographer for the week and she did an amazing job! All the photos in this post are courtesy of her. Soon, Andres joined us for photos as well.

After taking photos, we continued to talk with Leticia while Ismael, our staff leader, talked with Andres. We asked Leticia about the things she enjoyed doing. She shared her love of gardening and her flowers. We continued farther outside and we saw all the plants we had seen when we first arrived at her home. She had pots upon pots full of flowers and plants, some big and others small. She began to show us the seed pods the flowers left behind after the petals would fall away. She explained that each pod contained four to five seeds which she used to plant more flowers. Her flowers were her favorite. It was through this moment Mya gave Leticia a word of encouragement and possibly something prophetic through the imagery of her flowers and their seeds. We don’t always know if our words match what God is saying but I pray confirmation for Leticia so there will be clarity and understanding from the Lord.

It was a wonderful visit full of peace (the entire time after praying for peace it was all we felt afterward) and encouraging our sister in Christ. Ismael shared with me as we were leaving how grateful her son was that we had come. Leticia continued to share her gratefulness that we had visited by telling us we were always welcome, and that she would feed us anything we wanted. I have never met such hospitality such as I have while in Central and South America.

As we left with the declaration of “Somos Familia en Cristo” (“We are family in Christ”), I was filled with joy for Mexico and the next part of my journey with YWAM.

And so! The next phase of my DTS is to be with a team, a family, of twelve others as we journey further into the heart of Mexico, discovering more family in Christ and spreading hope and joy into the land! We are going as servants to encounter the people, spread the love of Christ, and bring God’s heart.

After this last local outreach, I am as excited as ever to encounter more of God’s children in Mexico, to experience the culture, and to discover why God loves Mexico.

This week the first deposit is due of $1,500. I thank the Lord that this money has been provided already. It is the rest of the money necessary for my outreach I continue to look to God for provision. It is in Him where I put my confidence and trust.

Below is a short video from this week’s local outreach. I hope you enjoy it!