On August 27, 2003, Janell and I boarded a plane at the Miami International Airport with 7 bags. We had sold or given away almost everything else that we owned and were ready to take a leap of faith and move to Mexico. In the next days we would leave 5 of those bags in Mexico City and move to the unknown city of Cuernavaca to live with a family we had never met and try to learn a language we barely knew at a school we had only visited one other time.
Those were very exciting and scary times. When I look back at it, I realize that it seemed crazy to most people and even to us at times. But as I reflect on what has happened in this decade in Mexico, Latin America, my own life, and my family, I can definitely say that it has been worth it. Despite the trials and uncertainties of support raising, recruiting students, teaching classes, searching for housing, and all the other things that come along with missionary life, God has always been faithful.
He has provided at the right times, both financially and materially. He has brought us great friends who have helped make the journey great. Many of them are no longer in Mexico, but they were always with us at just the right time. Financially, God has provided for us when we least expected it. Even in the months when support was low, He has always made a way for us to see His provision.
When we first started here in Mexico, youth ministry seemed to be so new, and we had to ask what we were doing here. Now we see certificate programs all over the country, students and graduates from the Bachelor’s degree program that are doing incredible work in their local churches, 3 Seminaries in Cuba with thriving Centers for Youth Ministry, a new Master’s program launching in Mexico in January that will help plant 3 new CYMs in different Seminaries in Mexico, and a plan to open 60 new Youth Ministry programs in Latin America in the next 15 years.
If you’re reading this, you probably have known us for these 10 years and have been supporting us and praying for us for at least that long. We thank God for you. He has proven His faithfulness to us through your constant support and prayers. I can’t believe that so many people have been a part of this journey alongside us. You are very special to our family. Thank you for your continued prayers. They have sustained us throughout this decade and will continue to push us forward for the time to come.
