BEFORE THE TRIP

Isaiah 6:8: Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I.
Send me!"

It’s been just over 2 weeks since we left for Mexico. I still don’t feel like I’ve adjusted back to my routine, and I am starting
to believe that I never will. Going on a mission trip was not in my bucket list of adventures to experience. I always felt quite
content sowing in to others who went out. I was perfectly happy being a ​sender​.

Juan knew immediately that he would be going. He didn’t need to pray or consider or question. He just said YES! I’ve
grown to love that about him, but a few years ago this type of willingness freaked me out. I’m a planner, a processor, a
strategizer! I usually analyze my way out of all sorts of risk-taking activities.

This time though, I paused on the analyzing. I had such amazing encounters with the Father over the past year and I
found myself hearing and seeing more of what God’s will was for me than ever. I couldn’t ignore His voice and whenever
my mind started to go in to a mode of questioning, He would convict me and ask me to trust Him. He allowed for certain
arrangements, but only what was necessary to get me to Mexico. I remember asking Ryan about the itinerary and he
listed out a few things and I felt a turn in my stomach - because God had already asked me to trust Him only, not plan.

Just 2 weeks before we left, God gave me another challenging task. He asked me to stop medicating myself with
anti-depressants. I had been on some type of medicine for 15 years of my life. And I had attempted to ween off a few
years ago with no success. I was so reluctant to obey Father’s request. All of the side effects and symptoms and “what
if’s”!! But I obeyed. I can't give myself credit for doing it. It was only by the power of Holy Spirit in me that allowed me to
make such a decision.

Every day of those 2 weeks were quite miserable, but I kept saying I AM NOT DEPRESSED. I AM NOT ANXIOUS. I AM
NOT DYING. I declared the word of God over my life every time symptoms came up. And I just kept pressing on. The day
we left (May 29th) was the worst - I was stricken with panic and fear. Even the drive to the airport was terrifying for me. All
while experiencing these feelings, I heard God say “Just get there”. “You’ll be fine when you get there.”

As soon as we got on the plane and the doors closed, I was immediately at peace. I had no pumping heartbeat, no mind
numbing fears, no panic or fear of death. God's promises are “yes” and “amen”. He always finishes what He starts and He
never lies!

THE TRIP

We arrived at the mission base (Ministerio

Kaleo Internacional) early Tuesday
afternoon and were welcomed by amazing
brothers and sisters. It felt like we had
known this team for years. During a time of
prayer, one of the missionaries (Alana)
prayed that my eyes would be open to see
Reynosa the way that God sees it.

Soon later we ventured out to a grocery

store for supplies and food, and oh man
were my eyes OPENED WIDE. The people
were beautiful and there was such a
richness of love and peace flowing.
That night we had our first service at Kaleo.
Just a small group of us joined together to
worship, pray and commune. We started
singing freely, whatever God placed on our
hearts and then the worship leader opened the floor to those who had a song to sing on the microphone. I wasn’t
surprised to see Juan head over - he was glowing with Light and he sang out parts of Ephesians 3:18 - that His people
come to know the length, width, height and depth of His love. It was so beautiful!!

The first night at the base was tough. I wrestled with my discomfort in the heat and smells and noises. I had a moment
where I literally yelled at the top of my lungs while the rest of my team slept peacefully (so was my assumption). Finally, I
gave in. I laid down in my bottom-bunk bed and said “God, I know you are there. I know these thoughts are not from You.
Please take these thoughts away from me. I choose to stand on what your word says and ask that you give me peace and
comfort to let me sleep.” No sooner did I say those words, I was asleep.

Our first full day in Reynosa was packed full of

amazing missions for Jesus. We went to Town Center
to evangelize. Juan and I were partnered up with an
amazing couple, Manuel and Abby (Abby pictured on
the right).

I noticed immediately how people gravitated toward

us. We stopped to pray for a man selling mole’, and
not soon after there were others stopping by, open to
prayer, believing to be healed, hearts ready to belong
to the Kingdom!!

The lady in this picture (middle) received healing in

both her knees. She was selling pretty little hair bows,
jewelry and other accessories. God spoke to her
through me, telling her how her inner beauty radiated.
How God wanted her to know how her inner beauty
was far more beautiful than the items she was selling. God wanted her to know how He saw her and
how much He loved her. That’s why He heals, because of how much he loves us.

This woman was so filled with joy that she gave Abby a bracelet and gave me an old coin worth 50
pesos. We both tried to decline her generosity but she would not change her mind.

Our next mission was to visit a brothel. It was an overwhelming

experience, and I think the biggest impact for me was seeing the
relationships Kaleo had formed with the girls who worked there. Hugs and
laughs and such freedom for us to minister and pray. We walked door to
door, giving out cold water, offering prayer and inviting each girl to come
to an outreach later that night. Every woman we prayed for received
healing, some overwhelmed with tears, some still with hardened hearts
but most of them were open to us praying for them. I met a woman who
spoke very good English. She had been sick for days and just happened
to come out and sit with the ladies who we had been talking with. I can’t
remember her name, but she talked about how she had lived in
Tennessee and had a good life. She admitted that she had relapsed and
that was what brought her back to Reynosa. Immediately I felt a word
from God well up in me. I said “Jesus wants you to know that it’s not too
late. You’re not too far gone. Tomorrow is a new day filled with His
mercy.” She broke down and cried, so did I.
Out of the entire week of encounters, this lady is the one I think about
over and over. I want to see her again and help her grow strong in the
Lord. I know God will make a way for her!!
That night, I was pretty worn out. My lower back was reminding me of my physical condition and I found much relief sitting
in a little courtyard among family and friends of the church we were ministering to. On a 100-degree day, there’s nothing
like a shady tree and a cold bottle of water! I noticed a couple of the girls from the brothel had come to sit with us. I had
prayed for one of them (Sonia) and she received healing in her back and talked of how much she wanted to be touched
by God in a bigger way. Jesus was so happy she came, and I started to realize my part with Sonia was not yet complete.

As the outreach started, I was so excited to see a worship team made

up of both adults and children. Kaden would have loved it (I took some
video for him!). As the sun started to set, more people showed up and
we just sang and danced for our King. Juan was deeply touched that
night, during the altar call he fell to his knees and wept, burdened for
the lost and broken to meet Jesus. I am so blessed to call this man my
husband!

Juan preached that night, it was so powerful and I could feel the Sword
of the Spirit coming out of his mouth. His testimony and flaming heart
for Jesus definitely touched many lives that night.

Right before we left for Mexico, I found a ring shaped like a crown at
Walmart. I had looked at this ring a few times over the last few months
and couldn’t find it in my size. The ring reminded me of my identity in
Christ, and God showed me someone who really needed to wear that
reminder more than I did.

At the end of the night, I walked over to Sonia with one of the
missionaries (to translate and pray). I gave her the ring, told her to wear
it as a gift from God to reminder her who she is in Him. She was so
surprised, not only about getting such a gift, but that it was something
of my own. She told me that she had admired that ring earlier when we prayed earlier. I was so filled with Holy Spirit at the
moment. That ring was never meant to be mine. God called me to buy it for Sonia and now she has something to help her
stay in her identity.

May 31st was another amazing day, but very different from the one before. It’s no wonder God was asking me to stop
analysing and wondering so much before the trip. Nothing would prepare me for the ever-shifting flow of movement we
experienced. It’s funny how Holy Spirit has more control when we have no idea what’s going to happen next.

We went to a candy store, it was quite small but filled with every little goody a child would dream of eating. And we bought
2 huge-mongous pinatas (not sure how to get the squiggle for the “n”). These things were almost as tall as me! And the
beautiful part? Well we prayed for the owner of the store, who in turn prayed for us! He was also a fellow believer in Jesus
and shared how important it was for us to go on a trip to Israel if we hadn’t gone - he had been 3 times. So sweet how
God connects us.

Nuevo Progresso is a city where doctors and dentists run their businesses.
It’s about an hour drive from Reynosa. We drove out to evangelize and invite
people to a new church that was just getting started up. We walked up and
down streets, sharing and praying and listening to Holy Spirit.

At one of the stores, we stopped and invited this man in the picture to come.
Juan then told him “God has not forgotten you.” This really touched the
man’s heart. He allowed us to come in to his store and pray for him.
That night was so precious. Eduardo and Jenny shared testimonies, both of which were moving and so powerful. A young
mother had come with her 3 children. God showed me right away how broken she was inside. While her kids giggled and
played and smiled at me, she would look with a gentle smile and behind it was a whole bunch of bondage.

There was an altar call for people to come up who had depression or anxiety. I
walked over to her and motioned for permission to pray for her. She declined and got
up and walked to the back of the church. I was so broken-hearted for her. I let Juan
know and he said that she may not be ready to receive. As the night kept moving,
Juan felt a nudge in his heart for this woman. Her name was Esperanza. He shared
with Jenny what we had seen and Jenny (whose eyes burst with the love of Jesus)
went over to pray for her. Esperanza gave permission this time and we prayed for her
heart to be healed. But when Jenny asked her if she wanted to be free, she declined.
I know this feeling well, where you’re so comfortable in your bondage that you’re
scared to let it go. This woman will continue to be in my prayers and I know God will
pull her out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Day Four! Severe lower back pain, almost unbearable to walk. Stretched and prayed and pressed in to the next adventure
for Jesus!

We went out to a neighborhood, walking door to door to pray for households and invite everyone to met to the outreach
that night. In Mexico, you don’t walk up and knock on doors like you do in the states. You call out from the street or
sidewalk if they have one. “Buenos tardes!! Buenos tardes!!” Almost everyone we met with allowed us to pray for them,
and a few even invited us in to their home.

There was an elderly man riding a bicycle cart selling things. He stopped and shared
that he needed prayer for his heart and one of his eyes. We spent quite a bit of time
talking with him and praying. His eye was almost immediately healed. He described
it as going from cloudy to clear! Praise God!

That night was amazing! God gave Ryan such an amazing message. He had
prepared it several weeks before our trip - it was called “The Invitation”. Little did we
know that while God was giving Ryan the words to say, He was also setting the
stage for the place we would be sharing it. There was graffiti on the wall of the
building next to the empty lot we used. It read “!TE INVITAMOS! AL FAITH 2018”,
which translates to “THE INVITATION TO FAITH”! WOW!! WOW! WOW!

That message left no trace of the enemy’s power, not one ounce! That place was
completely filled and taken over by Holy Spirit, marked forever!

The next day (Saturday) we came back to the same place to do a

children’s outreach. There were Christian clowns, pinatas, and toys
to give away. We taught them songs and shared the gospel with
them. They were so filled with joy and excitement. There were
probably 200 kids there which is huge considering they were all
from the neighborhood. I recognized some of them from the day
before when we went door-to-door to bless and invite.
We gave away 2 brand-new bikes. By God’s grace, we were able to narrow the give-away down to kids turning 10 years
old in June. There just so happened to be 1 boy and 1 girl!! So amazing!
That night, Kaleo hosted a meeting for married couples, singles, youth, and children. How do you host such an event in
such a small place? You split out to neighboring homes! We met with a small group of about 10 singles (young and old,
mostly women). We sat outside in a little courtyard, and Jenny gave such a beautiful message about the heart. This
aligned to what God had been pressing upon me as well! Hearts Open, Hearts Broken, Hearts Mended.

And while we were ministering to such a small group, God did not act in
small ways. He touched every single person, many filled with the Holy
Spirit for the first time, impartation of releasing the baptism of the Holy
Spirit, healing, joy, what more could you expect from our God?

As we were wrapping up the night, a little boy was dropped off to his
mother, crying in pain. He had a terrible cough and high fever. The team
gathered around and prayed in the name of Jesus. We rebuked the spirit
of infirmity, we told the fever to go away, and we praised Jesus for His
grace. Within minutes, the boy’s fever lifted!! He was no longer crying and
bounced back to playing and laughing! For real! I’m so excited to be a
witness to so many miracles. Jesus still heals! Jesus is still on the throne!!

As Ryan held this boy, he shared with the group that this demonstrated
how the Father holds us. He looks down and picks us up from the miry
clay and holds us. In our sickness, in our filth, in the worst condition - He
holds us. Even in our doing good, He holds us. It’s just what a good Daddy
does!

Sunday - we didn’t just pack up and fly home on our last day. No, we
had one final service to attend. We went to Alvero’s church. Alvero
is an ex-leader of the cartel. He found Jesus many years ago, left
the gang (which seems impossible to do) and started a church in
Reynosa. The church is beautiful! This picture hung in the church
lobby, right when you walked in.

Before service, we went in to a room where the pastor of Kaleo,

Josh and his wife Olivia prayed over everyone on the team. We all
received words of encouragement from Holy Spirit through those
prayers.

The worship was incredible. While I was physically weary with pain
from sunburn and back discomfort, I found myself unable to sit still. I
joined my team and we danced before the Lord.

Ryan brought another amazing message, and then we had an altar

call where we prayed and witnessed many breakthroughs and
healing. It felt like almost every member of the church came forward - it was incredible! Jenny had felt sharp pain in her
shoulder which she knew was from the Lord to pray for others. Two women in the church came forward with pain in their
shoulder and received healing! WOW!!!
Our flight home was bittersweet. We appreciated the cold AC and looked forward to hugging our loved ones, but we
already missed the friends we made and the people God called us to minister to. We will all be back soon! So many
connections made in the ONE BODY of Christ!