The Light in Their Eyes

The Light in Their Eyes

Hello again friends and family!

This will be my last newsletter from Mexico, and that’s crazy to say! I’m currently sitting on a couch at our final destination, a beach house in Rosarito, reflecting on everything we’ve done and experienced since I last wrote. There is no way to condense everything I’ve been learning and taking in this week, let alone the last 6 weeks, but I just want to express what a blessing it’s been to be a part of the Calvary School of Missions this Summer.

This experience has been absolutely saturated in the grace of God, not because it’s been easy, but because His hand has been evidently working and holding our whole group through the spiritual and physical hardships. I praise the Lord that I am coming out of this with a deeper faith and deeper love for Him.

I am also coming out of this with a deeper conviction for the necessity of missions. The process of praying for clarity about my calling is not over, it’s something that I will continue to be seeking the Lord on when I get home. But I know that God lit this passion for the Gospel and discipleship in my heart during my time in Israel. When I got home, I couldn’t go back to the way I was before. I feel the same way now, it has settled deeper into my heart and I feel more convinced of it. So whether the Lord is calling me to send or to go, I will do it with my whole heart, with everything in me for His glory.

The last two weeks, our comforts have been slowly stripped away. We went from soft beds and pillows to air mattresses on the church floor that slowly deflate through the night haha! From warm showers and flushing toilets to toilets flushed with a bucket of water and a hose on the hillside as our handwashing station at the tribe. We battled a monsoon and flooding, the intense Mazatlan heat and humidity with a broken AC for a day, sickness and cramped car rides. Obviously we have been challenged in various ways, but I am most challenged spiritually at my response to this and my willingness to sacrifice my comfort for the work we are called to do.

To reach the tribe, we took an 8 hour van ride up into the hills of Nayarit and set up camp in tents among the Cora people. The next few days we spent every moment preparing for outreaches or ministering directly to the people, who only spoke Spanish or Cora. Our theme for the weekend was “one more”. One more person. One more soul. One more salvation. God’s heart aches for just one more and so should mine. I was so blessed to hike up into the hills of the tribe and go house to house with a group of us to invite people to our services and, most importantly, to evangelize. For my group, every person we shared with either made professions of faith or they were the result of previous work in this area and had already been saved.

I also had the sweet opportunity to teach a children’s message about Jonah as well. This was my first time ever teaching and the experience was very impactful for me personally with the Cora. The translator Sammy and I sat in a circle with the kids on the ground and began sharing with them. I had never been on that side of a teaching, especially with children who had not readily had the Word of God at their fingertips their entire lives, so their attention surprised me and filled my heart deeply. As I looked into their eyes, I saw the light of understanding begin to burn. I could tell there was genuine curiosity and their hearts were open to everything I was saying. At the end, I asked them to pray out loud with me if they wanted to receive Jesus. I was expecting maybe a few quiet voices, but every time I paused to let Sammy translate, the whole group spoke each sentence back in Spanish. Nothing I shared was deep or profound, but I know that God was working and He washed their hearts with the truth. I pray that every person who spoke that prayer was genuine and that this is the beginning of seeking the Lord for them. The Cora people need discipleship and there is yet to be a church planted, but just to scatter these seeds of truth and love on these kids was extremely rewarding, and I know the Lord will continue this work.

A fellow believer named Silvano we met at a park outreach

Many Christians have no idea that there are areas of the world who have never heard the Gospel before. A few weeks ago I talked with a woman at church in Mazatlan who seemed surprised when I shared that there are unreached tribes here in Mexico and we were going to visit one. She was moved by the fact that several hours away are multiple tribes who have never met a Christian. Well, across the world are whole countries, whole people groups who have never heard the name of Jesus, who are trapped in organized demon worship, and who will never meet a Christian to share with them unless we go and bring them the Gospel.

I am continually gripped by the desire to see people like the Cora reached with the Gospel and discipled in the ways of Jesus.

And that is the purpose of the church. That is the call of each and every Christian - maybe to go, maybe not, but undeniably to care. To be moved to action.

Remember, there is no plan B. God can use anything and anyone, but He has chosen us to declare His name to the nations. He has chosen us to be His ambassadors and that implies action. Are we really ambassadors if we never go and tell?

I have been asking myself this and have decided that I want to steward the Gospel well.

There was a moment when I stood on a hilltop at the Cora tribe and the Lord spoke to me that He wants to rush those villages with His Holy Spirit the way the wind was rushing towards me then. The Lord is ready and deeply desiring to sweep the nations with the knowledge of Him, and hearts are ready to be swept through and souls saved.

I hope and pray that all of these stories are stirring up your heart as you read of all God has done in our time here. The biggest prayer of my heart is for the church to wake up to the need for this precious treasure we possess all around the world, and to not stop there.

I pray that the Holy Spirit would light a fire in every individual heart that belongs to the Father, that every spiritual brother and sister would link arms and march forward in to the nations with the Words of Life.

Thank you for following along on this journey and for supporting me in every way you so generously have. So many of us have already linked arms, and I can’t wait to see the chain grow as the Lord works and moves His church.

See you soon!

Jadyn

I am working to finish paying my balance for CSOM and slowly closing in on my goal. If you would like to give financially to help me pay for this experience, thank you first of all! Please visit the Give button below and message me directly if you any need help.

Prayer requests:

Safe travels

Sweet fellowship during our last week together

Financial provision

Guidance on the next steps

Newsletters