– Week Three of CSOM –

We’re halfway into the School of Missions and already I am so amazed at the work God has done in me. This past week we helped out at three places- Calvary Chapel Rosarito (CCR), Calvary Chapel Rancho Santa Cruz, and a ranch. 

At CCR, we painted parts of the church such as the stage and the sanctuary. That day was pretty fun because I worked alongside one of the church staff members and we spoke to each other in our second languages while we painted (she in English and me in Spanish).

On Thursday we went to Calvary Chapel Rancho Santa Cruz and helped out with different things during and after the church service. Some of the CSOM students shared their testimonies (myself included), worked in the children’s ministry, and then afterward we transported some bricks up the stairs to the roof.

This day was very special to me because of what happened after I shared my testimony. When I was called on to go first and speak in front of the church congregation I was definitely a bit nervous. I’m okay with public speaking but that was the first time I had ever spoken with a translator next to me. It was cool though because looking back on it I really see God’s hand in the situation and how He was working even before that moment. My translator ended up being the same girl whom I had practiced my Spanish with back at CCR. It’s very important to have a good relationship with your translator when you’re doing cross-cultural missions and I see how God had allowed us to get to know each other pretty well only a few days prior. Because of this, I felt even more comfortable going up on stage to share my testimony. 

So after I had shared my testimony, I left the sanctuary to go help out with the children’s ministry until the church service ended. A few of the mothers ended up sitting at one of our tables to get their nails painted, but once that was over one mother, in particular, caught my notice. Maybe it was because she was standing alone, but for some reason, I thought: I want to go talk with her. Now the moment I thought this, I was a bit shocked at myself. As a person with introverted tendencies, me thinking “I want to go talk to a stranger who speaks a language I am not totally fluent in” is not something I’ve ever really desired to do before. So, taking advantage of this rare moment of extroverted courage, I went over to say hello and introduce myself. After a few minutes of getting to know each other a bit, I asked her if there was anything she needed prayer for. We ended up bowing our heads and I got to pray for her and her family’s well being. Afterward, she ended up telling me that she had arrived at church just in time to hear the CSOM students’ testimonies. She then shared with me that she really related to mine and could identify with a couple of things I had said. She too had grown up believing that God exists but had never had a personal relationship with Him until more recently. She went on to tell me more about her walk with God and some of the struggles she had gone through as well. Looking back, it’s amazing that of all the people I could’ve walked up to, it ended up being the person who had been touched by my testimony. 

I definitely can see God’s hand in it all and the Holy Spirit prompting me to go out of my comfort zone to talk with that specific lady. I think that it just goes to show what can happen when you listen to the Lord’s prompting even when it’s something you’ve never done before.

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.”

Romans 8:26

I would just like to say thank you so much again to everyone who has supported me both financially and in your prayers. It means so much to me that you would think of me and care to support the work the Lord is doing here in Rosarito, Mexico. Each day that I’m here, I feel even more grateful that the Lord has allowed me to be a part of the School of Missions! If you would like to partner with me financially you can click the link below. Partnering with me means you are investing in the work God is doing through me and ultimately the further spread of the gospel as I train to be a missionary. Thank you all for taking the time to read this newsletter and considering partnering with me in the work God is doing here in Mexico!

Sincerely, 

Lydia Boubion