The Taste of Turkish Coffee
Hey friends and family,
Here’s a little recap of what this past week entailed.
We finished our book for the week, Radical by David Platt, a book I would highly recommend.
We had a missionary from the Middle East come and share with us this week. It was very encouraging to hear from someone who went through the school and is now serving on the mission field. Interestingly enough, he actually got saved while on a missions trip with Calvary Chapel West Grove to Belize! So he literally served at a VBS that I went to as a kid.
We helped with two park outreaches: one in Homex and one in Tijuana. We visited two Calvary Chapels— Capilla Calvario Rancho Libertad and Calvary La Mina.
The outreach to Homex had a great turnout, and we were able to minister to and give out food to a good number of individuals. The outreach to Tijuana, which was supposed to be a youth outreach, ended up only having kids and some adults. So although it was slightly disheartening due to the low turnout, it was still a blessing to see our team remain faithful by sharing the things they had prepared and leading worship in the park.
We finished off the week with tacos and a trip to the beach.
First photo: The church, Capilla Calvario Rancho Libertad, which is located at a rehab center in La Misión called Rancho Libertad.
Second photo: Some sweet girls! Two of them are Mexican and are part of a different team that serves at the Connections House, which is where we are currently staying.
We learned a little bit about what it is like serving in a Muslim context. Some new facts I learned are that adoption is not allowed, there are two main sects of Islam (the Sunni and the Shi') and they have "big sins," such as eating pork, and "small sins," such as smoking. Also, if someone passes away, you can't say, "I'm sorry." To many Arabs, it can sound like you are confessing to killing that person!
As I sipped the Turkish coffee that the missionary brought, it took me back to Jerusalem— hearing the call to prayer blasted from the towers five times a day, walking through the Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter, and seeing the Muslim women. It's difficult to comprehend what it is like to be immersed in a fully Muslim culture, but it was good to have a small glimpse into what it would be like.
The similarities between Islam and Christianity are very uncanny. It is all the more evident that Islam was created for evil, as the way it is set up makes it very difficult for Muslims to become Christians. On average, they say that it takes a Muslim seven years to become a Christian. For example, since adoption is not accepted, it is difficult for them to understand the concept that we can become adopted sons and daughters of God. This is just one example of the many things they have to unlearn in order to truly be saved.
First photo: Me in front of the Damascus Gate on my first day in Jerusalem in August 2023.
Second photo: The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount, one of the most sacred sites in Islam.
If you look at the top of the page and see the logo of Saving Grace World Missions, we learned where it came from. In 2004, a tsunami struck Sri Lanka (an island off the coast of India), and approximately 35,000 people died. Saving Grace, as a church, went to provide relief work. They met a man who had survived with his children, but he had been unable to save his wife, and she passed away in his arms.
After the man repeated his story in shock several times, the team shared the gospel with him and gave him a Bible in his own language. He was amazed that the Good News was written in his language. As they left his house, they turned around one last time and saw him earnestly reading the Bible in the doorway. This was a key moment that propelled them to begin doing missions and eventually why the school of missions was started that I am now able to attend.
Prayer Requests
Continued team unity
Energy! Week two has been noticeably more tiring.
Faith and joy during the remainder of my time here.
I appreciate the support and prayers from home, you can’t imagine how much it means to me! If God places it on your heart, there is an opportunity for you to support me in the school. If you feel led, you can give through the button below.
Best wishes from Mexico,
Abigail
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