Gloria a Dios, Hallelujah!

As most of you know, I've spent the last week on a mission's trip in Caborca, Mexico. Twenty-some people from EVBC and about ten girls and guys from a church in Hermosillo came together to witness God do great things and to make His gospel known to the nations. There are loads of stories to share and many memories to recount, but right now I'll just share what I learned and how the trip fared from my perspective.

The first two days were the most humbling for me because that's when I believe that God did the most work in my own heart. I was just SO overwhelmed by His goodness, grace, and mercy. This really hit me one night when we where driving back to Diamante from an evening spent sharing the gospel with a community outside of Caborca. The words of a familiar song kept ringing in my mind:

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure;
That He should give His only Son,
To make a wretch His treasure.

I just couldn't believe that God, knowing how desperately wicked my heart is, would still choose to step into His own creation and suffer the most searing loss to rescue you me from where my sin would certainly have led me. These words also pressed heavily on my heart:

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

God really used a series of events and experiences to chip away at parts of my heart that had grown hard and callous because of my sin. After spending so much time in God's word, seeing God's people serve Him so joyously, and witnessing many come to repentance and faith in Christ, my heart was just overflowing with both sadness and joy. I couldn’t help but ask God, “Why choose me Lord? I’m such a poor reflection.”

One of my favorite moments on the entire trip happened the night that we spent in Campo Rocio (I think. It may have been a different one). I was on the technical team that night, doing most of the behind-the-scenes work and I volunteered to sit on top of the van and take care of the projector. Now, for those of you who haven’t heard stories from the past trips must understand that this is by no means an easy position. Since we used the projector to shoot a movie (either the Passion or a Jesus film for kids) onto the side of the RV, someone has to sit on top of the van during the entire length of the film to make sure it doesn’t fall off or anything. And since any movement will shake the picture, you don’t have much freedom in terms of mobility. This can become quite uncomfortable, especially when the cold start to bite. I thought it was hilarious cause when I jumped off of the van after we were done; my feet were so numb that I didn’t feel ANYTHING when they hit the ground.

Anyway, it was totally worth it, because after the film was over, Pastor Alfonso gave a clear presentation of the gospel and asked for those would wished to receive Christ and learn more of what it means to follow Him, to come forward. I think I counted about 30 or 40 people. It was incredible! But I think the best part was when one of the Christians from the camp came forward and said he wanted to sing a song. That night we heard the doxology (Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures hear below, etc…) sung in Chol (a local dialect). It was beautiful.

Like I said before, this is just a small sample of God’s unbelievable goodness to us. It would take a considerable amount of time to recount all that God did this past week. But for even the smallest of amount of grace, I am eternally thankful.

Mi Corazon, entona la cancion,
Cuan grande es El, Cuan grande es El.