Giving and growing in Monterrey
By: Emily Dahms

I feel very privileged to be able to write about the mission trip I was a part of. From August 4 to August 11, I went to Monterrey, Mexico with sixteen people from New Hope Church of Green Bay. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to learn, serve, and grow, and for the opportunity I have now to tell you about it.

Our trip was the result of months of planning, preparing, and praying. There were five leaders, and eleven youth who made the decision to come. We worked in conjunction with Youth With a Mission (YWAM), which is an international organization of Christians from many denominations dedicated to missions work, and this trip would not have been possible without them.

We left Green Bay early in the morning on Saturday, August 4. Our destination was Monterrey. When we arrived there we were immediately driven to the YWAM base in Monterrey. We stayed there for one night and about one day. While we were there we got to know some of the YWAM leaders and interpreters we would be working with. We also learned all of the skits, dances, and songs we would be using in ministry. In Monterrey it was very hot and humid. Fortunately, at the base we were blessed with an air conditioned room during our ministry preparation, which provided ample motivation to prepare for as long as possible!

From the base we went to a town called Saltillo. We visited a mission church’s Sunday night service and performed some of our ministry material. We stayed at a different church that night, the boys slept in the church itself and the girls slept in an adjacent building. In addition to hearing gun shots, the girls were also visited by a mouse during the night! Needless to say, the next day, most members of the team were pretty tired. This exhaustion was soon forgotten as we left for the mountains; we were all very excited.

After about a two hour drive we reached our destination. When we were in the mountains we stayed at a ranch that was actually an apple orchard. The orchard was nestled into the side of the mountain, surrounded by trees and sky. Every morning we woke up to the sun rising around the peaks of the mountain. Every night we were awed by the crystal clear night sky. It was breathtaking. Our beautiful surroundings helped take our minds off of the somewhat intimidating bathroom facilities and the constant spider sightings.

Every day at the ranch included a quiet time, a time for devotions, small work duties, some free time, and hours of ministry preparation. Over the course of the week we visited two different villages, which is what we were preparing for.

On Monday and Tuesday we visited a small village that was relatively close to the ranch. We split into groups on our first day of ministry. These groups were actually our “cleaning groups,” which we were assigned to for different cleaning tasks at the ranch and at the base. Each group was led by a translator. We worked together in these groups to walk around a part of the village and talk with the people. Our translators helped us to pray with the people, talk about their lives, give them bibles, and invite them to our service. The people were so warm and inviting, it was a great privilege to be able to visit their homes and be a small part of their lives. After our door-to-door ministry, we held a service in the center of the town. We performed dances, skits, and puppet shows, which were a great success with the children; it was so rewarding to see the smiles on their faces. There were also a few students and leaders from our team who spoke at the service. Afterward, we enjoyed a time of fellowship with the
people who attended the service.

The second night of ministry was an even larger success than the first. We invited all of the children of the village and their families to come and enjoy a time of games, crafts, soccer, and fun. Many kids came, and had a blast playing with balloons and getting their faces painted. Everyone from our mission team really let loose and enjoyed themselves as well, working with the kids was an awesome experience. We then held another service with skits, songs, and a message. Unfortunately, we were stopped by a sudden downpour of rain, and had to prematurely leave the village.

Wednesday and Thursday nights we visited a village called Sierra Hermosa. These nights were very similar to our previous nights of ministry; however, instead of holding our service in the town’s center, we held it in a small church. On our second night, we came to the village expecting to have our game time before the service. When we arrived however, we discovered that the church was already packed with people, waiting for us to begin our service! This was really encouraging to our team; it was reassuring to see evidence that they were actually enjoying our services. We simply delayed our games until afterward. The pastor of the church also invited us to dinner at his house, and we were served a wonderful dinner of chicken, green salsa, rice, and tea.

On Friday morning, we packed up all of our things, cleaned the ranch, and left for the base in Monterrey. It was hard to leave behind the striking mountains and the beautiful people we had worked with, but we still had one more day to say good-bye to Mexico.

Our last full day in Mexico was exciting. The first thing we did at the base was shower. Most of the members of our team had not fully bathed all week, and the somewhat basic showers at the base suddenly seemed very luxurious! We then went shopping in Monterrey. Next we visited the flag that flies high above the city, which is a great tourist attraction. Later that night we ate authentic tacos at a taco stand, which was a delicious treat.

The next morning, Saturday, August 11, we left Monterrey. Before we knew it, we were in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Going to Monterrey, living in the mountains, and working with the Mexican people was an unforgettable experience. During the planning of the trip, I only expected to give of myself, but now I feel that I have gained far more from it than I have given.